Tis the Season
Tis the season to be jolly, excited, and curious. And if you are a young child you might also be preparing for the holidays with anticipation and wee bit of eagerness. No matter what festivities your family celebrates, it is time for kiddos to ask the big important questions: Will this be the year we finally achieve world peace? Will I get the shiny new thing Target just made me realize I really want? How many cookies can I sneak before anyone notices? and Why does my tummy feel funky after only eating 10 cookies?
This autumn season I was gifted the joy of seeing not one but three INCREDIBLY intelligent, witty, and lovely little girls experience the glee of just being around each other on a crisp, chilly fall afternoon. I've photographed this family back when they were a family of three, and then four and it amazes me now that they are a family of five how their littlest love fits so incredibly perfect into their family. It feels like she has always been a part of it even though she's only gotten a few months of livin' life under her belt (well under her footed pajamas).
In Lyons, Colorado, we meandered down by the river, played games around the trees ablaze with color, explored their incredible garden, swayed in the breeze and played and played. For me, it was a chance to capture the beauty of this age and this season that their family is in and preserve it as these seasons and moments evolve. And we experienced the unexpected such as when the family learned upon my arrival that their brand new truck was a few inches (approximately 3) too long to fit in their garage. Did they turn me away and send me downriver? Nope. They realized that they had just received extra storage space. It's like an addition to their house just appeared...without all the construction. It's the magic of the season some may say.
As the wind blew the leaves that still clung vibrantly to the trees and the water flowed with that beautiful sound, the girls giggled, ran and played. I observed in awe (but remembered to keep shooting with my camera). THIS family is what families strive to be. Together with their varied energies, personalities, ages and stages. All intertwined and connected. They are each a fundamental and unique part that makes up one of the most fabulous families I've ever known.
Now some may be feeling uneasy or even queasy thinking about scheduling and experiencing a family photo session. Will ALL of us have to be there? What if it snows in October (totally happens). What if we wear our cozy winter outfits and it is 75 degrees that day (also completely possible). What if my child, spouse or I don't smile and prefer to look at the camera like Colin Firth the entire time? Well let me just tell you there are SO many things I love about full family photo sessions in and around Boulder, Colorado. But seeing as we are getting toward the end of the year, I'll name just a few highlights. After all, tis the season.
Lindsay's list (abbreviated) of her favorite things about family photography sessions in Colorado:
1. They are really, really fun! No seriously. They really are. Instead of feeling the pressure to get everyone to smile or some version of everyone looking directly at my camera and flashing their pearly whites because we only have 15min to "get that one perfect shot" you get to relax a bit. The smiles will come but sometimes not in the first few moments and it is okay because we have the time to explore and let your true selves shine.
2. It gives us the time to capture everyone's personality and capture the essence of your family. Your family is awesome and your family is its most awesome when you can enjoy yourselves and the experience. With an 1-1.5hrs of time reserved just for you, you get to breathe and do that. There's no ticking clock, no pressure to perform. It is your time to just be there together.
3. Variety. I don't know about you but I've yet to meet any human that has strictly one personality trait. Having a family photography session means that I get to capture your family together as well as your kiddos doing things they love to do which means you get more genuine memories to remember. When my oldest son was about 10 months, he started communicating by pointing and saying (okay close to screaming) da-dah!!!! at EVERYTHING. I mean that finger pointed at planes, motorcycles, and random people unknowingly walking by. He did this every day for a couple of months and I thought it would never end. Until of course he suddenly stopped doing it and never did it again. It's amazing now when I look back at photographs with his finger pointing to something lurking just outside the frame, how I'm instantly transformed back to that moment that I thought would last forever but was over in a matter of months. Those are the memories I want to capture. The ones that fade with time from memory but not from a photo.
So as we flow into the new year with new experiences to be had, think about that photography session that you've been wanting to do, meaning to do but haven't. Your family is perfect right now with all of your traits and quirks and personalities that make it yours. If you'd like to learn more send me a note at Lindsay Hiatt Photography
