5 excuses to not be in photos with your kids (that are absolute crap)

If you are like me you probably have a phone filled with photos of your kids.

The hundreds of photos of their tiny new born feet.

The blurry selfies they take when you leave your phone lying around.

And of course the perfectly posed Instagram photos that took 100 takes.

But how many photos do you have of your kids with YOU in them as well?

I’m pretty ashamed to say I don’t have that many.

I am so used to hiding behind the camera that I miss out on being in the photos.

My sister and I love looking back at photos from our childhood, especially the ones with our mum.

This is not an experience I want to rob my children of.

And when I was a kid we only had disposable film cameras.

Now with camera phones we literally have no excuses.

Speaking of excuses, we as parents are reeeeal good at finding every reason under the sun as to why we shouldn’t be in front of the camera.

I’ve out together the top 5 reasons I hear (including out of my own mouth) and why they just won’t fly anymore.

“I’m waiting till I lose the baby weight”

My “baby” recently turned two and I still worry someone is going to ask me how many months along I am.

I have come to realise that as a woman (especially one that has grown and birthed two beautiful children), looking like the picture perfect women I see in magazines and on my Instagram feed is not only unachievable, it’s just not that important.

Being healthy, eating right and exercising matters, but being supermodel skinny isn’t the end goal.

I do those things for myself; to look after my body. Not as a self punishment for putting on some extra weight.

Yes you can wait till you loose x amount of weight or fit into a certain size before you book a photoshoot, or ask a friend to snap a picture at a party.

But you will be missing out on documenting your life- which is happening right now.

Your kids don’t care what size or shape you are, they just care that you are there with them.

I want to be the kind of mum who teaches my kids that they are perfect just the way they are, and the best way to do that is by accepting myself just the way I am.

“I hate the way I look in photos”

Believe it or not, everyone says this.

No, the camera does not hate you (except for the forward facing camera on your phone, but it hates everyone)

I often have my clients tell me they usually hate photos of themselves, but love the photos from our session.

It’s not become I have a magic camera, or because I use photoshop.

It’s because I take the time to get to know them, to see the way each family interacts with each other.

My goal with each shoot is to capture the beautiful, raw, every day moments that make each family unique.

My job in a family photoshoot isn’t to manufacture interactions or creating poses.

My job is to document and preserve moments is time.

“My nail, hair, tan, eyelashes… need to be done”

Then go do them

This one is pretty easy really.

You want to look like yourself in photos, so you definitely don’t need 15 appointments, I think you look fine just the way you are.

But if you’re regrowth is showing, or you like the way you look with false lashes, then book it in, simple.

I book my shoots no sooner than three weeks out, which gives you plenty of time to get yourself pampered and ready to go.

“The photos will look better without me in them”

I call bull

I hear dad’s saying this one a lot.

They’re happy to be in one obligatory group photo where they half smile and want to cross their arms over their chest.

Trust me, not only will my camera not break if I take your photo, your kids will thank you for it.

In years to come when you look back on your life, do you want to see countless family photos with you missing?

How much longer will your kids willingly give you big sloppy kisses?

How much longer will they instinctively grip onto your hand when they are nervous?

I promise you will be thanking me for capturing these precious moments.

“I don’t have anything nice to wear”

I have spent many heartbroken hours, wrapped in a towel, staring at my closet and hating everything in it.

So I can completely relate to this feeling.

However, the heart of a photo is the memories and emotions it holds, not the clothes everyone is wearing.

So do what you need to do – go shopping, borrow from a friend or just ditch the clothes all together (I’m not joking).

If you’re booking a shoot with me I have absolutely got you covered when it comes to what to wear.

I have an ever growing collection of client closet gowns that you are welcome to borrow for your shoot.

I also provide my clients with a comprehensive “what to wear” guide that will help you style the whole family like a pro.

Hopefully you’re all out of excuses now and ready to jump in front of the camera.

Whether it’s a selfie, asking a friend to snap some photos or booking in for a professional family photoshoot, I hope I have you convinced.

If you would like to book a family session with me, you can fill out an enquiry form here:

Book a shoot

And if you have family members who still need some convincing, send them this post and I’ll do all the heavy lifting.

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