embrace the camera:: getting over it

I'm getting over myself, if only momentarily, and embracing the camera today.

As moms or as photographers, or both, most of us just aren't in a whole lot of pictures, right?

I know I 'm not. and i must say; it's not just that I'm the photographer and/or the mom, 

I also hate to be in pictures. I know that sounds bad and i won't even

 get into the many reasons why, but it's true. 

I'd much rather be behind the camera.

But I also want to be in pictures for my kids someday. Don't we all?

After I took these pictures of Charlotte and I this morning I looked at them and

 my immediate reaction was; "ugh...this one is no good... my face." 

and she said:

 "Your face looks the same every day, I think it's pretty."

So here's the thing:

I may hate my nose. my teeth. the breakouts that I thought would be a distant memory by this age. 

and that's just from the neck on up, I won't even get started on the rest.

But she doesn't.

And he doesn't.

And their kids won't either.

What if my mom refused to ever have her picture taken? My dad?

And what about my grandma whom I just happen to think was one of the most beautiful women ever? 

I doubt she thought she was. 

And I only say that because as women I know how hard we all are on ourselves.

 But what if we had no pictures of her  because she wasn't happy with the way she looked

 that day/month/particular time in her life?

Heavier in some, smaller in the next, pregnant in many... I'm just sayin', she had 15 kids.

 But when I see pictures of her I see her pretty blue eyes, her dark hair and perfect skin
 and that beautiful smile. The other things change and fade but she always had that beautiful smile. 

And when I see that smile it makes me smile and remember.

So I'm going to force myself to do this. Weekly. Or a little more often anyway. 

Because one day I want my kids and my grand kids to look at family pictures, with me actually in them.

I also want them to be able to hold real pictures in their hands, turn them over,
 look for the date, a name or a place. To talk about the family resemblance,

 how young we looked and yes, to laugh at our hairstyles and clothes, too.

I think you should do it, too.

{keeping it real: i totally airbrushed my face a little here, i'm not gonna lie.