To all of you who are wonderful enough to trust me and step in front of my camera, I want to thank you! I also want you to know that what I SEE is different than anything you could possibly imagine!
I KNOW YOU WORRY
I know that you worry and might be self conscious. Please know that I get this more than you can imagine because I am mom, I am over 40 and I worry too. I know that for you this is not a “normal thing” that we do every day… step out in front of a camera and smile and pose and model and “show off”. I know there is a certain kind of pressure that comes when we click that button and invest in “family photos”. We want them to be perfect. We also feel the need look perfect! But, friend, we are not perfect. We are perfectly imperfect and that is beautiful. It’s hard to accept sometimes and not compare ourselves (I do it too) but our imperfections are what make us truly special!
Here’s why I wanted to write this letter to you! I want you to understand that when you step in front of my camera, I see something magical! I see something beautiful and it has nothing to do with the landscape or location we are in. It has nothing to do with the outfits you choose or the games we are playing although, yes they all those things help!
When you step in front of my camera, what I am seeing goes far beyond those things. It actually has nothing to do with WHAT you might look like at all! Believe it or not, what I see goes far beyond that.
I SEE YOU!
When I say I see you, I truly mean that I actually SEE you! I see the love that you have created within your family. I see the vulnerability that you may be bringing. It could be in the way you lightly hold your dress when I ask you to swish it back and forth. It could be the way you tightly hold on to your baby and that’s how I see the closeness and the sweetness that is there. Maybe it’s in the way you lay your chin in between your husband’s neck and shoulder that shows me how much you care for him despite the lack of time you get together because of the kids or how you put that relationship first making sure that it is sacred above all else. Sometimes it’s in the way you chase after your kids down the beach and it’s a certain light in your eyes! I see how important it is that you spend quality time being present with them and playing despite the fact that work is incredibly busy. You prioritize them and love on them so they can feel it! Sometimes I can actually feel your strength in the way you carry yourself!
These are the wonderful things I see and capture and it is my deepest hope that when you look at the picture you see them too!
You see how your kids look at you with adoring eyes! You see the way they grip your hands and embrace you completely in hugs and kisses!
I hope that you see all that unconditional love, all that strength and all that innocence wrapped up into one!
I hope you see yourself as I do because it is magical!
We don’t take family photos to document what we look like or how perfect we are! We take family photos so we can remember the feelings! We take them so we can be transported back to “that time” and remember! Remember when our kids were that little, or we loved doing this activity together, or they said that word this way!
We take pictures so that in between all the busy-ness of life we can remember what a beautiful life we have created for ourselves!
That is what I see!
