Hands up mums, how many of you are in the photos with your kids? Of those photos how many make it off your phone and onto the wall?
Let’s try a different question. Hands up if you are the one normally behind the camera or phone? Hands up if you don’t want to be in the photo because you aren’t in your nice clothes, or your hair isn’t done, or you don’t have make up on or … wait for it … you are on a diet and you’ll have some photos when you hit that goal weight? – Who am I kidding, we are in the middle of lock down, forget flattening the curve I’m fattening the curve, so that last question should be ‘I need to go on a diet and when I do I’ll get some photos when I’m thinner’. How many people said yes to those questions?
I am totally guilty! I am always the person behind the camera, I take photos of my kids all the time, I try and get photos of my kids and my husband or my kids and my parents etc but I’m not in the photos. (I’ll admit part of that is because I don’t necessarily trust my husband to take a decent photo, he has no idea how to pose people or how to actually use the camera, he whacks it into auto and says ‘there, I fixed it’ and a little part of my heart dies each time). Really though, I work to make people feel comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera but I am totally uncomfortable in front of the camera and I hate seeing myself in photos.
New tradition.
Last year I decided to start a new tradition. On Mother’s Day I want to take the camera out and get a family photo and get some photos of me and the kids and my husband and the kids.
Last year was a failure. We had heard about this awesome location, we went there and someone told us off for being there, I was already feeling uncomfortable about having photos taken so it was just ick. I got one bad family photo and then a couple of photos of the kids messing around and that was it.
Improvements
This year we tried again. I set the camera up on the tripod and used the self timer and ran, not easy in massive wedge heels. It again didn’t go to plan and the quiet and secluded spot turned out to be more like Picadilli circus, there were people and dogs interupting every 5 minutes. I quickly gave up on trying to get some group photos and aimed to get some nice photos of my kids. It was going to be too hard to get photos of me and the kids.
Then I thought about that picture that does the rounds on facebook. One day all your children will have is pictures of you. So despite realising that the dress I was wearing was not very flattering and feeling incredibly uncomfortable I went against all my fear and handed my camera to my husband and took the plunge.
Better to be done imperfectly than not done at all!
These photos are far from perfect, but they are me. I showed up. I put myself out there and I didn’t die from it. The worst that can happen is I don’t like them and hit the delete button. I can deal with that.
I didn’t get the photos of myself with all three of my children but hey, there is always Mother’s Day next year.
If you would like some photos of you with your children I would love to help you feel relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera. Get in touch and we can chat about where too from here.
