I recently watched a training with a fantastic photographer named Sue Bryce on CreativeLive. She’s very knowledgeable and motivational, but most importantly, I enjoy listening to her as I laugh and am inspired all at once.
Today, she said the most amazing thing to everyone (and I imaged directly to me), “You need you to exist in photographs for your children!” and I was shocked! I was stopped in my tracks immediately as I had just heard my 24 year old daughter say, “Mom why are you in hardly any photographs in our family photo album?” I explained that I took the photos and rarely am in them. But, the fact is I always feel like I need to lose a weight or my hair wasn’t just right or my skin or my makeup wasn’t good.
The important thing is that your children want to see you when you were their mom when they were young. They connect to that. Think about it, you know you have a favorite picture with you mom or dad or grandparents that immediately pop into your head right now. I missed that opportunity…. until now.
Never again! I have vowed to take a minimum of 1 professional family photo, that I’m in, each year and to consciously be in at least two photos at each family event/dinner/get together. This means I will work hard at my health and weight and to take care to do my hair and makeup before each of these event, because I matter, if only to my children.
My children and my grandchildren deserve to be able to look back on these pictures to share them with their children or grandchildren in the future, even when I’m not around. They won’t care if I’m fat or not feeling good, but they will see my smile because I’m always smiling when I’m with my family and that’s how I’ve decided to be remembered.
What about you?
