My family is a properly trained photographer’s family. When I’m around, the camera is around, so they don’t exactly hide from me anymore and pretend they don’t like to be photographed. They know better! They also know that when I plan a family picture day it’s serious business that borders on crazy-town. I get big ideas and want to try new things. I send too many emails with too much information and after last nights experience I think I may have lost them. Well, it wasn’t exactly that bad. I mean, they are smiling at least!
Here’s the scenario: We were going to shoot at the Seattle Central Library because it’s an awesome funky/artsy location and it wouldn’t matter if was a rain or shine day. We planned it for 4:00pm when there would be less traffic and everyone was done with church. Babysitters were found for the little ones so everyone present could focus. I sent emails with a color palette of approved wardrobe colors and spent the morning shopping with a sister to find an outfit for four people. My family is full of procrastinators and although none of them will admit it – we all tend to be late for things. Which is why I shouldn’t have been surprised or annoyed or upset that we were an hour behind schedule when we all finally hit the road for the library. Of course there was also traffic blocking all lanes on the freeway including the exit we needed to take. I was close to a meltdown and nearly hyperventilating as I watched the sun sink closer to the horizon every minute we were trapped in grid lock. So I just pulled off the road at the very next exit – not our exit. I pulled into a parking lot with my entourage in tow. We stood around in that parking lot – them staring at me for direction and me dissecting every wall, fence and flower for a decent background to shoot against. I was determined to pull this off at all costs! My little ducklings were not nearly as amused. Some of them didn’t want to miss football. Some of them were hungover. Most of them were hungry. At least one of them is pregnant and doesn’t want to be photographed. One of them has a hurt back and didn’t want to sit. No one could understand why we were in this empty lot instead of the awesome library they were promised. None of them seemed to remember why we were doing this.
You see, there is no picture in existence that includes all these people together. These people – my family. So with my camera mounted on a garbage can in an empty lot somewhere in Seattle my siblings and our others stood against this wall. I hit the ten second timer and ran like a crazy person to join them which got a little giggle out of most everyone. And while it’s not a perfect photo and it doesn’t include any of the cool poses or backgrounds that I had hoped for it is a pretty decent shot of us. It’s very us. They still owe me a re-shoot but at least I have this one photo. We were here.
“Brett and Janie Wilson are the parents of a truly fun and adventurous crew of five children. They’re such a delightful young family, and whenever they’re around, fun things happen. Brett is a Chief Petty Officer with the US Navy and so is frequently away from home, leaving Janie to handle challenges on the homefront. Which she does with seeming ease and grace — I could take a lesson or two from this gal!! But not one to capitulate to the potential life imbalance of being a stay-at-home-mom, Janie runs marathons!! Seriously…she ran a marathon while pregnant with her twin boys, who were then aptly named “Racer” and “Runner” respectively. The older children are Chloe, Xeth and Xander. C’mon…even their names are “fun”!! They would be absolutely thrilled at the prospect of a family photo shoot with you. And I guarantee — you’d have a blast capturing their zaniness on film!!
”
I know my old portrait studio buddies are probably rolling their eyes right now because a five children family can be a nightmare for a photographer. I on the other hand LOVE big groups and big families and can’t wait to meet this zany bunch! I have to admit their names earned them brownie points and I’m a sucker for moms that kick butt. Plus, how can you not want to help out a family who shares their Dad with the entire country as he goes to work everyday with our families in mind?
All of this is to say, there aren’t a lot of certainties in life but a good family portrait is certainly important. When everyone is grown up and moved on and living in different states, you have that picture. When you’re having a bad day or feeling glum you have that picture of happy people looking back at you. In that one click, you capture that moment forever. The moment when for just a second, everyone forgot about being hungry and tired and bored and uncomfortable and they smiled and laughed and it was good.
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