For parents, there are some days when you feel like it’s all you can do to manage the chaos through the day, and you’re just in survival mode (okay, there are a lot of these days). The idea of adding anything else to the mix sounds overwhelming, and that includes a family photo shoot.
As a mom of three, I get it! There are so many reasons why families tend to skip a year of family portraits…
- Your schedule is busy
- You’re worried about whether your kids will behave
- You don’t love adding an expense to your budget
- You’re trying to wait until you’ve hit your goal weight, treated your wrinkles, gotten your teeth whitened, or reached other goals for how you want to look
All of these reasons resonate, but yearly family portraits are just one of those things that are worth making time and space for, and you often don’t realize how much you wish you had them until the opportunity has passed.
In fact, there are so many compelling reasons why you shouldn’t skip your family photos this year.
You Don’t Know What Changes are Coming Your Way
Life is unpredictable, in both good and bad ways, and the simple truth is that our lives can change dramatically and when that happens, we often wish we had more mementoes to cherish. In the coming months, your family might find yourselves moving across the country, for example, or welcoming a new member to the family. Someone might have an amazing opportunity overseas that means that you might not all be together again for a while.
Or, there could be changes that are far larger than your family. Remember when COVID hit, and nearly overnight, life looked so different for a few years? How many families saw the pandemic hit in their child’s last year at home before college and wished they would have had portraits taken together before it all changed?
I don’t say all of this to scare you, just to remind you that the time you have now might just be a memory before you know it, so now is the time to freeze a little slice of this life.
Consistent Family Portraits Tell Your Story
Your family is living a live-action story with more chapters than you can probably remember without a few relics like family portraits. When you’re consistent about having family portraits taken every year or two, it builds your family’s storybook over time. Years later when your kids are grown up, you can all look through these portraits and relive your story without losing big gaps in time.
Imperfections are Part of Your Family’s Story
One of the most common reasons parents put off family photos is because they worry that the photos won’t live up to their hopes. But as a Seattle family photographer, I can tell you that the imperfections you worry about are actually part of the joy!
Photos of your kids running around and being a tad chaotic will one day be a happy reminder of how much joy their childhoods held and how free and confident they were. Laugh lines on your face or even a pooch where you once carried your children are all part of the beauty that is your family’s journey together, and in the years to come, those things won’t bother you nearly as much as not having family portraits from this chapter in your life.
Making Time for Family Photos
Professional family portraits might seem like a luxury today, but in a decade, they’re something you will deeply miss if they aren’t there, and I’m honored to help families create these beautiful memories together. Reach out and let’s schedule your photo shoot today.
