Many of you commented on the framed photo of my kids above my dresser. It is my favorite picture of them all together and I took it myself. One day a few months back I spontaneously decided to have an impromptu photo session with them. My goal was to capture their individual personalities and how they look in real life. No fancy clothes, no staged props, no overpowering scenery.
We didn’t leave the house and I didn’t even attempt to tame anyone’s hair. I threw white undershirts on the boys and put Mabrey in a white onesie. I had the boys climb into Mabrey’s crib with her {the boys love hanging out with M in her bed} and then I started snapping. The only prompt I gave the boys was to lean their heads in towards Mabrey. Somehow I ended up with that shot above. It portrays each child how I see them everyday. Everett is comical, rowdy, LOUD, sometimes uncooperative but truly sweet. Mabrey always wants to be in the mix with her brothers. With them, she is happy and bubbly. Without them, she is bored and unimpressed. She has the most amazing denim blue eyes and pouty pink lips which can melt our hearts with just one smile. Layne is a thinker and a builder. He’s smart, inquisitive, honest and loves to read. Did you gather all that from the picture? Ha!
After a successful {and quick! – photo ops with kids never last long} group shot, I though I’d try some individual shots while everyone was still content. I started with Mabrey.
Mabrey loves balls {you know what I mean} so I let her hold one. When she’s really excited about something, Mabrey sticks her legs straight out in front of her and taps her heels on the ground. That’s what she was doing here. {These were taken back before she was walking.} I love her toes in this shot. Mabrey’s toes are all the same length and they’re all very long.
Those eyes.
With the boys, I asked them to tell me jokes while I snapped away. Here, Everett is scheming his joke.
…and animatedly delivering it. Dimples!
He is his biggest fan. Other than me.
Layne is thinking up his joke. Those eyelashes are going to charm a girl someday.
And the delivery…with missing teeth and all.
These pictures aren’t perfect. The lighting isn’t ideal. There are shadows and blurs. But these weren’t taken to capture perfection. I strongly dislike it when people try to make kids take “perfect” pictures. Sit this way. Wear this. Look here. Stop doing that. Hold this. Why would you want to capture them as anything other than what they are? Why would you want a picture of them in some ironed outfit they only wore once? And why only take pictures on special days at special times of the year? What about that one Tuesday at 11:12 a.m. when they were in their sister’s room telling jokes?
I feel so lucky to have these kids and these pictures of them. This is how I will remember them thirty years from now.
For the most perfectly imperfect pictures of kids, try letting them wear undershirts whilst telling you jokes from their baby sister’s crib. Or let them hold that one thing that makes them happy even if it’s not that pretty. Who cares? Their smiles will be perfect. And that’s all that matters.
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images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking
DIY, family life, kid-friendly