I've been a bad blogger lately, and I'm sorry for that. Hopefully the posts I have planned will make up for that!
The past couple of weeks I have been lamenting the fact that as long as I am the one photographing my little one, I won't have any pictures of myself with Knox while he is so tiny. I'm pretty sure I asked Shawn about doing a family photoshoot 3 times in one day- the problem is, we are still pretty busy people! Finding the time for a shoot was becoming a difficult task...and all the while he was growing bigger!
Then one day last week, Lauren Clark posted about having a mini-session open up while she was here in Lubbock. I thought, "Perfect! Let's do it!" Sadly, since it was so last minute, Shawn had to be at work- but his time in front of the camera with us will come, for sure. Frequently. For the rest of his life. (Sorry honey, you did marry a photographer. Love you!)
Thankfully, Lauren squeezed us in and captured some beautiful pictures for us. Here are a couple of my favorites:
During my short stint in front of the camera, I learned a few things that made me very appreciative of my clients and for professional photographers. Here they are:
1. The hardest part is getting there.
I used to pride myself on being able to travel well. Now, with a baby, things are a little bit more complicated. We have so much stuff (and backup stuff)...thankfully Knox is a pretty chilled out little guy. The day of our shoot, I had a meeting with a bride, which ended in plenty of time for me to get home and get ready for the photoshoot. Little did I realize that I had locked myself out of my house! My Mom and sister, who had been looking after Knox, weren't far away, so I just had to wait. Then, when we finally got to our meeting place, Mr. Knox made a HUGE poopy. I was super lucky that it didn't get on his white onesie- although it did get all over everything else, including me! (The fact that I was wearing a yellow shirt was a convenient coincidence, if you know what I'm saying.) I have a new respect for my clients who arrive on time- especially for those with little ones.
2. It's about the people.
As a professional photographer, I see a LOT of pictures. I take a lot of pictures. I think about a lot of pictures when I'm not looking at them or taking them. And it can all lead to a bit of image-overload. There are times when the picture can become more important than the person. And let's face it- the whole reason I am a photographer at all- or have a business at all- is the people. Photographing a 2 month old is not an easy job- Knox couldn't hold his head up and is just now beginning to crack a smile every now and then. I still have my baby weight and I'm not sure if I combed my hair before we got there- but when it comes right down to it- these are pictures of us, and just to have some documentation of us-right-here-and-now is priceless. The day that I care more about the picture than the people is the day I'll know I'm ready to quit. Because, after all- that's what it's all about!
3. Put yourself in good hands.
I knew this before, but I was reminded once again- hiring a professional photographer is totally worth it. Shooting with Lauren was easy, relaxed, and fun! It felt SO GOOD to just trust someone else with the picture-taking for once, and I'm sure I'll be doing it more and more as our family grows. When Knox was born, I figured I'd just capture him through my own lens (which has happened)- but far less frequently than I'd hoped. I didn't make a point to have a professional come over in the first week of his life to capture his tiny newness- instead, I left it up to myself- and I was not only tired, my creative juices just weren't running. From this point on, I'll be making an effort to have our family photographed frequently. It's such a fun experience, and the images that come of it are priceless to me. So, although you'd expect me to say it, GET YOUR FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHED BY A PROFESSIONAL.
Click HERE to see Lauren's blog post about our mini-shoot!