on Pictures

If you have read any of my posts on creating memories you have an understanding that raising six children and documenting their childhoods means taking a lot of pictures.

There are the school pictures, which are posed. There are the Holiday Card pictures which are also planned for.There are those few times when all six children,mom,dad and dog are standing somewhere important and we have someone taking our picture.......

Otherwise, they should all be candid.

When you ask someone to take a picture with you in it,look
at your child, or in the distance, DO NOT look at the camera.
When y0u review the picture on the digital screen you wont
be judging how you came out but you will be able to capture and keep that moment in time with you in it.

Your children do NOT want to be aware that a picture is about to happen, they do NOT want to pose. My thirteen year old has had his picture taken so many times we had to have a conversation that went like this:



I respect the fact that you dont want to pose for pictures, so I wont ask you to. I also respect the fact that you dont always want your picture taken, so ill try to be discreet, but taking pictures and writing in my vacation picture journals is something I have done since you have been born. Its a part of me. I hope you can accept this as a part of me as I am learning to accept parts of who you are. I am not asking for your tolerance but your acceptance.

We came to a compromise as I am offering him my camera to edit pictures with him in them. Look how we created an opportunity to do something together out of potential problem situation.

Everything your children are doing can be captured by your camera without your asking your child to stop and look. There are enough pictures of their faces,posed, groomed, and positioned....its the candid pictures that capture the ENERGY of the moment.



Some of my favorite pictures are those where the faces are unclear, the child becomes ageless, as the moment lives on as a memory of time just "ME IN A YOUNGER TIME."



When you see the back of your childs head, their body on a sled ,heading down the mountain, the colorado rockies in the backround
you dont need a face shot to remember the joy of the ride .



Take pictures and enjoy all your moments !!!