I take a lot of pictures. Bet you do too. The iPhone is always on hand to snap 10 shots of the kids and Ish doing this, that or the other thing and I have a hard drive full of perfect and not-so-perfect shots to prove it.
But what I realized recently is that- outside of the posed family group shots – I’m rarely in them. I tend to be the family photographer/archivist and if I’m shooting, I’m not posing.
Except for our “welfies.”
Scrunched eyes, stretched lips, mad face
We do these all the time. As a family:
Or one on one:
Do you?
Truth is I love the impromptu, slightly blurry shots we take of ourselves being silly way more than any of the posed ones.
“Surprised”
These are the shots that happen when we are somewhere together – the couch, the park, a basketball game – and a moment hits. Sometimes it’s boredom but sometimes it’s something else – a flash recognition that the kids are growing up really quickly, or an unstoppable need to snuggle their neck – and suddenly I’m whipping out the phone and squeezing them close for a photo.
It can’t be predicted. We’ll be somewhere acting perfectly normal and then I’ll just look over at them and my heart will fill with so much love for the kids, the family, the moment… and whammo, blammo, we’re taking a “Welfie.”
They never disappoint. Weeks, months, years later we still pull them up and smile. They don’t require context or story or explanation. They are just…us.
No makeup, no do-overs. No well-coifed hair, no perfect smile. Just me and my guys.
Because at the end of the day, whenever it comes, this is how I want them to remember me.
No fancy stuff, no air-brushed shots, just their goofy, loving on them anywhere anytime, making them giggle til they can’t breathe mom.
Great post and great family shots! The goofy, candid shots are always the best.
Adorable. I do these with my kids all the time. Love it so much!