I’m going to be dramatic here. Think about the day you become an empty nest-er. It might be in just a couple years or over a decade, but some day your kids will be off starting their lives as adults. While you’re going to be so excited that you won’t have someone cleaning out your kitchen all the time and enjoy the quiet, you’ll feel sad and sentimental too. What are you going to turn to? Those photos you took TODAY. If the older but still fabulous you could talk to you now, he/she/they’d tell you to do it. Book the family session. It’s worth it and then some. Need more of a push? Check out these other reasons why you should contact a photographer to snap some new pictures for you (hint: it doesn’t have to be for a holiday season).
1. Kids are changing. Constantly. And so are you.
You know exactly what I’m talking about. One day, they are obsessed with Toy Story and you have every single line memorized from the endless back to back showings. The next day, they never speak of Toy Story. Woody who? You are the exact same way. Once upon a time, you have a new dress that you wear constantly because it makes you feel like a boss lady. Next, you’re tossing it into the Goodwill pile. Photographs freeze the time period you’re in. I can’t help but laugh at my choice of necklace from a photo session I was in. It was black and chunky and I paired it with an outfit of light pinks and creams. It didn’t work. But at the time, I thought I looked amazing. I’m not saying the sole purpose of hiring a photographer is to document your fashion tragedies, but to document the current YOU. I know you’ve got endless photos of your kid(s) on your phone and maybe a few selfies of yourself, but how many photos do you have of both you AND your kid(s)? A professional photographer is going to capture this moment in your life the best, which brings me to my next point.
2. Your family is captured naturally in the moment.
Having smart phones is great because we have a camera at our fingertips to take photos of ourselves at any moment. Unfortunately, stretching your arm to get your whole family in the photo while also getting your kid to look at the camera and/or stop crying is stressful. Even self-timers can be so incredibly frustrating. At a photo session, the vibe is so different. When you hire a professional, you get to relax and leave it to the photographer to take care of the photos. You get to laugh, make goofy faces, dance, cuddle, and all the things you do as a lovable family. THOSE are the moments you want captured and printed on the wall. Speaking of which…
3. Update the photos in your home.
When’s the last time you changed the picture in your frames on the mantel? Have you seen those giant photo canvases you can order that’s almost life size? Unfortunately, cellphone photos don’t have the quality to be stretched into wall art, but professional photos are! I don’t even have children and I’m already thinking about this giant family photo printed on a piece of glossy metal hanging behind a co-workers dining table. It was such a stunning piece that added to the homey feeling of the house. When someone asks you “when was this photo taken?” when they’re looking at your photo display in your home, the answer should be within the last year! While you’re updating those photos…
4. Give photos to your relatives
Send some photos to your parents or siblings so they can update their picture frames too! You can use your photos for Christmas and New Year cards, but you’re not limited to that. You can share “Happy Summer!” cards or “Happy Valentine’s Day!” cards or “Happy Tuesday!” cards. You don’t need a specific reason other than FAMILY as a reason. Your relatives will be so grateful that they have new photos of your family!
5. Your kids will thank you in the future.
When I graduated high school, my grandma gifted me a photo album of photos of me from birth to graduation. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received and was clearly a labor of love. I love looking at baby photos of me and the interesting fashion I rocked throughout the years, but what I found I treasure the most are the photos with people next to me. Years later when my grandpa passed away, I pulled out the photo album and flipped through it to find any photo I might have with him. My stomach did a flip-flop and my eyes swelled when I found a photo with him holding me. I was a little toddler at the time and have no memories of the moment or what my grandpa looked like back then. I am so thankful for this photo that captured that moment. When my grandma took that picture and put it in my album, I don’t know if she knew how priceless it would be to me. Maybe she did. I know whenever I start to miss my grandpa, I’ll pull out that photo to remember him and the memories I have of him.
I know I got a bit emotional there, but think about it. Family photos are emotional. They are the closest thing to time traveling. So if you don’t want to take family photos for yourself, take them for your kids. You cannot put a price on photos, so the price of a session is insignificant. I promise, you won’t regret it!
Are you from the Kansas City or Lawrence area and need a photographer? Reach out and let’s chat!
