“The funny thing about taking family photographs,” my husband quipped in-between poses, “is that you’re basically documenting manufactured memories.”
I have to be honest. Our family doesn’t often look like this:
All of us smiling, standing in a field brushed with sunlight, and dressed to the nines in a color-coordinating palette of blues and oranges. There is a dramatic lack of yoga pants and mis-matched toddler socks here, along with way too much grooming.
And, can I tell you a secret? The only reason my girls are smiling is that our wonderful photographer was cracking poop jokes from behind her lens, on my suggestion (I’ll take my Mom of the Year Award now, thanks).
But despite the surreal nature of the shots Shannon caught last weekend, I disagree that they fail to capture our family. While we may not always look just like this, it’s a perfect depiction of how I feel inside. My girls? They fill my life with light. And though the mundane tasks of the day and sibling squabbles dominate my schedule, there is a contentment in my family that I rarely get the chance to capture.
The closer I look at our portrait, the more I see that Shannon photographed each of our personalities perfectly. My shy, snuggly Bean and her comedian older sister. My husband, with his arms wrapped around every one of us, the backbone of our family. And me, with a genuinely happy and relaxed smile.
Manufactured? Staged? Maybe. But not one less bit real.
If you are in the Boston area, Shannon (who is uber-talented) is running an unbelievably amazing summer special for $149! If that wasn’t enough, she loves Warrior Moms. Creative Images Boston will donate $15 for each session that mentions Postpartum Progress!
Disclaimer: I received nothing in return for my post or sharing of Shannon’s summer special. My post was completely unsolicited. I just adore her and her work and love to help out a fellow mama. Shannon, you’re amazing and I’m so grateful to you for capturing my family so perfectly.
