Perfect Photos

I would love for every picture I take to be "perfect". I would love to be a wonderful photographer who really understands the talent and skill of photography. But I started to think about the real purpose of my 'mom photography'.  I started thinking, without being critical as a "photographer", what photos really made me smile.  Really made me REMEMBER...which is the prime purpose of why I take pictures.  And surprise surprise, it wasn't AT ALL about perfection.  It wasn't about lighting, it wasn't about composition, it was NOT about that perfect picture.  It had nothing to do with how fancy my camera is or isn't. Completely the opposite! 

There will be pictures that I look back on and cherish when the kids are older. Will they be 'perfect'? No! But they will make me smile as I remember the moment? Yes! Isn't that what it is all about?

Let me show you a few I have taken this month that are not 'perfect' as far as photography is concerned, but they are 'perfect' for me!
I took this picture while Andrew was eating breakfast on the back porch. All the sudden he 'saw' a deer. So he ran over to get his 'gun'. I wish I had audio on it and you could hear his cute little gun noises.  I also love that he is wearing his batman PJ's.

Nathanael makes the most adorable noise when he is excited. It sounds like a coo and a panting noise combined. This is the face he makes as he does it. Oh it's so precious.

This is one of our many potty breaks. He is looking a lady who is telling him "good job" as she drives by. Potty training may seem like a lot of work now but I know I will miss these days....seeing his cute little bottom running around.

I spend 75% of my day playing defense for Nathanael. Andrew just can't get enough hugs from his 'little baby'.

 I want to remember how Andrew sleeps in a ball, all cuddled up with his beloved big bird, wearing his his sleep sack.

I love Nathanael's wet drooly face. I want to remember he was teething, shoving his fingers in his mouth. I want to remember kissing his wet face and hearing him munch on those fingers.

I heard a mom say,"When I look back at my photo albums, I don't differentiate between the good and the bad, the perfect and the blurry, off center, bad lighting photos. I don't say, "Oh this one I took with my nice expensive camera, and look at this awful one with my cheap freebee."  I am looking for memories. Some of my favorite photos are technically the crappiest ones. Some of the perfection photos, the ones you'd oooh and aaahhhh over, don't trigger anything, except the memory of me trying to take a perfect picture, which isn't always pleasant. There is a time and place for beautiful, perfect portraits.
But there is TONS more times and places for real life photos, taken while LIVING real life...imperfect.  And real life is what you want to remember 5, 10, 15, 50 years from now"

 I agree... my goal is to capture real life moments.....off to capture more!