I’m sure this won’t surprise most of you given my lack of presence around here this year having just had a new baby and all… Well she’s actually not THAT new anymore and life is still just as crazy as ever but it took me almost SEVEN months to finally order our family photos that we had taken back in February. But hey, at least I scheduled the dang shoot right? It’s crazy how quickly time flies. That’s something I was well aware of given I’ve been around the block before but it seems to have gotten even faster with another kid in tow…
And let me tell you, nothing prepared me for having a second child. I love our crazy, messy life but it takes everything in me to keep our life somewhat together these days. But I am so glad we made time to have our favorite photographer, Kelley from Ginger Soul Photography capture some of our earliest days as a family of four because I learned quickly with my first child that you don’t get any do-overs. You can’t rewind and get this time back. (I mean, I already can’t remember her ever being SMALL ?)
What you can do though, is re-live these moments through photographs. I’m not talking those perfectly posed, forced smiles and curated shots. I’m talking REAL moments. The ones people rarely even share in their Instagram feed (what is that about anyway? I love blending color schemes and looking at pretty people as much as the next person but I want to see the REAL YOU. Your REAL LIFE.)
Anywhoo, this is the good stuff, people. The kind of moments I want to look back on 6 months or even 60 years from now when I’m taking a stroll down memory lane with my kids or passing down heirlooms when it’s time to go into a nursing home… I want my kids to see their parents laughing with them, playing with them, showing affection and simply living life!
Having done many photo shoots with Ginger Soul Photography over the last 4 years, we have learned that doing lifestyle portraits is an art form to her. While she takes her job very seriously, it’s hard to tell when she’s laughing and making faces at our kids from behind her lense. Just when you think she’s captured the “perfect shot”, she’ll keep going or catch you off guard and that’s when the real magic unfolds!
When we had our in-person viewing with her for this shoot, I was pleasantly surprised by the many photos I had no idea she even took. My son playing super hero (you bet I blew that one up for the dining room – I mean what better conversation piece?), Dad helping P put his shoes on, Big Brother watching over his little sister, My partner adoring me in Motherhood, Me feeding our new baby and so much more…
My advice? Skip the unrealistic expectations. Instead of fighting with the kids to all smile and look at the camera at the same time, jump in a pile of leaves together this fall. This winter, have a family snowball fight. When the new baby comes, snuggle up in bed with everyone. Above all, find a lifestyle photographer who makes you feel comfortable enough to be yourself and truly capture your family’s LIFESTYLE. Being able to hold those photos in your hands many moons from now and let them take you back to those very real moments, will be such a gift!
Below are some of our favorites from our latest shoot. Copyright Ginger Soul Photography. All rights reserved.
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ase note; This is NOT an ad or sponsored post. All opinions expressed are genuinely my own and have not been influenced. You can trust that I’ll only share products & services we use and love!