Oh ya’ll… I feel like I’m about to disappoint a whole lotta people by posting this post, but the queen bee, Rachel Hollis says if you can’t be real you aren’t doing anyone any favors, so here it is…. let’s be real shall we?

I took my babes to the orchard last week to grab a few photos before sunset while the apple blossoms were in bloom. I try to get photos of them every spring and every fall there, to capture how fast life is flying by with the seasons of their home town. I asked my nanny to bring the twins to the orchard and meet me on my way home from work, with a dress for the baby, my camera, and a blanket. I swore we’d be there for 15-20 minutes, and I’d make it as painless as possible.

This photo, and the ones that follow, were what resulted from that quick 20 minute pit-stop on our Thursday evening.

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Everyone’s looking, the lighting is great, and yes, it’s a beautiful photo of our three munchkins. I think with in minutes of it’s posting on facebook, kind friends and family members were commenting on how perfect it was - and look at how well behaved they are - and how people couldn’t believe they all posed so well.

Ya’ll. PLEASE. Let’s be real, shall we?

This was in the first 60 seconds of our arrival. I had my camera ready, threw the blanket down, put the baby in the center and squealed in my most excited voice for the boys to sit on the blanket. Yes, they came and sat down and the nanny helped to yell, “Cheese”, and she and I tried to work some magic. But seriously. Photos like this do not happen in our family without one very important factor: Photoshop. And my serious skill with it.

This is what photos were taken to make the above shot happen…

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I got insanely lucky that in all their movement, the twins both looked at the camera for one shot. And might I mention, out of the whole 20 minutes we then CHASED them around the apple orchard while the baby cried because she wanted to be held, this was one of the few moments one of our sons who can be very shy actually looked at the camera.

This next group shot took three clicks to magically put together.

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Notice anything familiar about the photo above compared to the last compilation photo? Here are the photos that it took to make it…

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Yes, our son in blue is in the same spot for the first photo, but photoshop gave me options for variety so if I put two photos on the wall hanging near each other you can’t really tell. See… magic. Not reality. Not to mention, the editing of saturation, brightness, sharpness, etc, helps to make any photo look better.

To get these photos that our family will cherish forever, I had to interrupt our nighttime routine, run around a dirty apple orchard in my work shoes and clothes (which got filthy mind you), put the kids in clothes they didn’t love wearing, and work with the nanny to keep throwing kids on the blanket in chaos hoping to get all three in place enough that I could photoshop the magical result. It was crazy. If anyone had been around they would have seriously judged my parenting choices.

So why do it, right? Because when I look back at these babies ten years from now, and show them these photos, I want them to think they were the angels I know they are in the moments when the camera isn’t out. Because for holiday gifts and cards, my family wants them looking at the camera, haha. Because quite frankly, it’s just a better image. But please note that it’s not real! This is why you work with a professional on photos… because they can make it look like life is just that easy. So when you get through the challenges of parenting young kids, and you can move towards bribery for smiles - come on ya’ll, you know what I’m talking about it - and then eventually towards where they WANT to smile for the camera, you’ll have consistency in your family photos.

And, not all of a session were photoshopped puzzle pieces… the following were merely captures of our kids as who they are right now…

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And then there were moments that only our family would understand why we loved the images… the ones that captured our boys playing, running after each other, full of giggles and energy.

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My hope in sharing this is to not deflate the amazing warmth you can find in a good family photo… but more to give those young families an understanding that this is totally normal. I’ve done this for nearly seven years now, and my kids cry, kick, scream and run away whenever I try to get their photos taken, either by myself, or a fellow photographer- we struggle- the struggle is real. It’s a real thing. But how else are you going to remember these moments if you don’t take the time to do so?

I’ve gotten many wonderful comments on my work, and although I’m not currently active as a photographer throughout the year, for those families attending Family Week in Provincetown this summer, I will be taking time in the mornings that week to capture families on the beach. So if you have little ones and are afraid someone won’t be able to get you a group shot- let’s work together to capture an incredible vacation the way you want to remember it! Check out my availability at: Family Week Minis.

Thanks for reading. And leave some love/thoughts/laughs - just no judgement. Being real is something we should all work to do and this is a judgement free zone. ;) all about the love.

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