I recently had a family photo shoot that I figured i'd write about.
Not just because I completely adore this family but because they reminded me of such a valuable lesson that we all so often forget.

So picture this... you check the weather, pick out the perfect outfits that coordinate just right. Find a location, a photographer and a time that works for everyone involved. Everything is looking good until 2 minutes into the shoot and your kid starts to cry.. a lot. Seems easy to get frustrated when the child has been easy going all morning and the 15-20 minutes you wish she/he would cooperate they just wont leave your side. While you think everything you worked for to get that perfect picture had just gone to waste... does that sound familiar ? Seriously it happens SOOOOO much when i'm shooting. So many parents give me that exhausted look and apologize for the way the shoot is going. I just encourage the parents to interact with each other as they normally would and I continue to shoot. Some times it seems we have this idea in our head of how the perfect image should look but when life happens we feel like that perfect image is near impossible. Right? I have this little piece of paper next to my desk that simply says "focus on what matters". What an amazing reminder for me not just as a photographer but as a human. Life gets crazy for all of us but in between the hectic and crazy is where the beautiful moments happen. And they happen every day but sometimes I think we focus so much on all the craziness that we forget to slow down and even notice the beautiful things that happen.
So where am I going with this ? I often see different family dynamics and some times they will walk away from a session with their littles feeling like it was a complete waste of everyone's time and they're hoping for JUST ONE photo i'm able to deliver them with so many more. Why is that ? Photo shop magic? No! I focus on what's important. If your baby is crying for one of numbers reasons it can be frustrating. I'm not focusing on the baby crying i'm focusing on the love from the mom/dad/loved one. The comfort. The care. The raw emotion that we over look in life. So I wanted to write this while everyone is in the process of booking your fall/christmas photos. No matter who you book as a photographer I want to encourage you to find someone who see's that magic and someone that will capture it. And while I hope your baby doesn't have a melt down lets face it, it happens. If it does happen embrace your baby, comfort your baby and love on your baby just as you normally would. I encourage you to have your photographer keep shooting!!
That's life. 
We can't change it so we should embrace it and focus on what matters!

<>< Cara