My thoughts on time, the power of a photograph and why I designed the 'favorites' session.
So I think sometimes about what the heck I did on the daily before kids. I seriously can't remember. I mean, I know I loved to garden and would dive into home projects, but how I actually burned through 24 hours in a day is honestly a mystery. Bringing my humans into the world livened up my days and introduced a new life of hustle and bustle. And to be honest, I love it. There are good times and bad times, ups and downs, but having my family of littles has easily been the best thing that has happened to me and brings a unique kind of purpose. My calendar grew layers and my commitments became child-centered & focused. From feeding, napping, going on walks to forcing read time, homework, running them to this practice and that training and cheering them on along the sidelines, it was and continues to be the fast-lane for us.
My littles aren't so little anymore though. With one on the verge of high school graduation, another just about ready to enter high school and a third plowing his way through elementary, it's hard not to breath in the breaks when they present themselves and reflect on the 'used to be's'. It's still organized chaos, but I feel like ...well, I'm an old pro now (lol). The astronomical seasons are compounded with 'off season' ball, pre-season trainings, spelling lists, reading time, birthday parties, homework regimen (that everyone hates), Saturday clinics, game time and sneaking in a quick family trip or two. There are a lot of 'seasons' in our family throughout a calendar year. I can't imagine the Poulsen Fab Five is any different from any other family rocking themselves through infancy, toddler-hood, adolescence and the teen crazy.
Looking back now, it all seems to have gone so incredibly fast. Years are blending together and I find myself mumbling things I used to hear my grandparents say like 'back in the day' or 'I remember when'. I'm there. My recent history is my kids' ancient history.
I don't know when or how this happened, but there are far fewer years ahead of me with my kiddos still under my roof than there are behind me.
I am thankful a smattering of this crazyville history has been trapped in photographs. As a photographer I preach the importance of the photo. I recognize the need to capture people how they are in that moment. And as I get older and my kids transition into their next growth phase, I am hit again with how important documenting their personality, habits, loves and hobbies is. These photos end up to be what I remember BEST. Are you that way too? Do memories trigger when you see a photo? As you look at the photos throughout the years, they burn into your mind and kick-start recall that impresses a permanence that you don't even realize is happening until your mind floats back into that memory later on.
I think visually. Images flash in my mind constantly. I have lost my earthly connection to many grandparents in recent years and it has made it incredibly clear to me the power of the photo to bring back their story. Besides the memories I harbor in my mind of my personal experiences with them, the photos are all I have left. They are what I get to share with my kiddos who didn't really get the opportunity to know how amazing they were. They are what I will pass down. Looking through all of their photos, especially those of when they were young and even those of when they were my age, brings a sense of who they were; their personality and interests. They are humanized and relatable. As I age, change happens and priorities shift, I look back on these images and wonder how they grew along their journey. The importance of these photos heightens with each passing year.
Document the change. Invest in the treasure of 'now' as this quickly becomes yesterday and tomorrow brings more change.
Time moves fast. When I stir up memories of past vacations, sports, and family moments it doesn't surprise me that the ones I have photos out on display, tucked into a book or from those old family movies are the ones I remember best. Because of this, and the fact that old photos become so permanent in my own memory, I designed a 'favorites' session to help document the annual transitions of a child. With this session, professional candids are taken to try to embrace personality and props can be included to cater to current interests. These sessions are a treasure in a sea of slow and sometimes undetectable change. As you move along the fast lane, drinking in the instant & now, it is easy to miss the changes under foot. What does your 5-year-old want to be when they grow up? Who is your 7-year-old's favorite friend? What does your 8-year-old like to play on recess and who is a person they admire? Where does your 16-year-old see themselves in 5 years? These questions and more are asked of your child and recorded in their 'favorites' book. The books are timeless and made to last. They are beautifully created, small and collectible. Imagine the answers your kiddos will have this year. ...and next year ...and in 3 years. I think their answers will be brilliantly treasured by you now, but will also be an awesome nugget of pleasure for them as they look back through their own history. And imagine what THEIR children will think when they come across these books in the future. I, myself, envision the days of reading my own kid's 'favorite' session books to my grandchildren. Professional portraits present quality frame-of-reference to a book designed to bring history to the future. It's an awesome investment. I will do all of the work for you and the session, photos and book all come together in this package.
Click this link for more information, samples and rates for the unique and awesome 'favorites' session.
Comentários