I love photographing my boys.  They are my treasures, and I can never have enough photos of those guys.  We have photos of dad and the boys, the brothers together, and of each little man by himself.  What’s missing from my collection: photos with all four of us together.

“Well, it will be so EASY to do.  I’m a photographer so we can just do a super fantastic perfect family photo ANY time we want.  We’ll just do it LATER.  No big deal.”

I’ve learned that Later is a fickle lady.  You don’t always know if she’s going to show up.

So October of last year I started a new project for our family.  The rules are 1) all four of us have to be in the photo 2) at least one family photograph each month and 3) I’ve got less than 5 minutes to shoot (NOT my rule, by the way).  Whether they’re styled or casual doesn’t matter.  Whether everyone is smiling or even looking at the camera certainly doesn’t matter.  It’s okay if the house is messy.  It’s okay if we’re at friends’ houses and their houses are messy (watch out if all four of us show up with camera in tow).  It’s okay if a few people find out I have empty photo frames hanging on the wall.

All I want is a record of us.

Preparing for and bringing home a new baby (or babies!) is a huge life milestone. I get to be a part of that process and document fleeting moments in a hectic and beautiful part of life. I preserve a fraction of a second to enjoy and reflect on over an entire lifetime…even multiple generations. Providing this service, getting to know growing families, and creating and delivering family heirlooms feels incredible. In the process I exercise my creativity, and that’s the cherry on top! I can’t imagine doing anything else.

I connect with people who value what I do, and that is fulfilling, rewarding and meaningful. The end-product also provides meaning for myself and my clients. I feel the regret of a photograph not taken. The only record is in my mind, which doesn’t make the memory any less significant…just a little harder to share visually, and more bittersweet as the image fades in and out. I see the expression on my two-year-old’s face when he looks at the photographs throughout our home and sees himself, his brother, mom and dad proudly on display. He’ll smile and look at me, sometimes giving me a description. The main message, though? “That’s me. That’s us. That’s our family!”