It’s not always picture perfect

By Kate McCarrell
Guest Columnist

 

I’m the typical Mom – you know, the one who has her phone in hand, ready to snap a picture of her kids at any given moment. I’m starting to question if the smart phone is the downfall of society and all things good (and that’s a column for another day) but I do like the convenience and quality of the memories that can be captured with them. 

 

When my oldest son Peyton was born, I had professional pictures taken for every holiday until the triplets were born.  

 

Actually, I was in the hospital, trying to hold off from going into early labor with the boys, dictating by phone the  outfit and location details for his Easter photo shoot with my friend (and local photographer) Kassie Hicks. Yes, I was that mom!  

 

While pregnant with the boys, I envisioned these beautiful triplet photos. As most of you know, things don’t always go as planned. The boys made their arrival two months early and spent a month in the NICU. Like many other parents of preemies, we were concerned for the boy’s health as far as visitors and germs, so we held off a photo shoot with Kassie until the boys were a couple of months old.  Kassie is an amazing photographer and got an awesome picture of the boys together. I have precious shots of Bode and Cooper sleeping – looking like angels. Greyson on the other hand, has a goofy look on his face and his eyes were crossed. That I recall was the best shot she could get between his wiggling and crying – not at all what I had planned.  

 

Sometime after the triplets were born, my husband surprised me with a new (and very nice) camera. I have been able to capture the daily shenanigans of the boys. What I have found is that although I love the pictures taken by my photographer friends, it’s the snap shots on my own camera or phone that I love the most. Not because I am a great photographer but because I can capture the boys in their own element. They are usually covered in dirt or food, dressed in play clothes (or more likely, their favorite attire – underwear,) and never in a posed position.   

 

My childhood friend, Selina Hernandez, is a photographer in South Texas. She recently took pictures of my youngest son Mac. She captured his amazing smile and expressive blue eyes perfectly! But poor Mac – he is the youngest child and these were his first professional photos. I don’t have a posed sleepy-headed picture of him as a newborn or even a smash cake picture for his first birthday. Time just flew by too fast. While talking to Selina, she told me that she even takes snap shots of her own daughter and twin boys outside of her studio more often now because those capture them the best.  

Two pieces of advice – don’t get too stressed out about pictures. I used to get myself so worked up trying to plan outfits to match or coordinate. Thank goodness I have five boys and I don’t have to worry about hair and accessories. Instead I worried about the cuts and bruises the boys are covered in. It never fails that someone will run into something the day before pictures and have a nice shiner. And I have realized that it’s ok. It makes for a funny story and those are my boys, bruises and all! 

 

My next piece of advice is something I’ve learned the hard way and I deeply regret. For most of my adult life I have been overweight and put off having my picture made with my family. I was always (purposely) behind the camera and other than the necessary church directory pictures, we have never taken a professional family photo. Regardless of how I looked, I’m sad for myself and my kids that we don’t have many pictures together. That ended as my confidence has grown, and it might be annoying to some that I take so many now, but I owe it to myself and my children to have pictures with them. You never know when memories and pictures of people are all we have left.  

 

This fall I hope to have my friend Kendra Boone take some pictures of our family. She just started her photography business in the last couple of years but her work is beautiful and I know she will capture our family perfectly. 

 

Although we are surrounded by so many talented photographers, don’t hesitate to be “that mom” who snaps pictures left and right. I love all the professional pictures of my children, but most of all, I love looking back at my snapshots. They all tell stories that are dear to my heart and in my eyes, they are “picture perfect.”