#ProofMommyWasThere

I’ve been inspired.

I had a conversation with my friend, Adriana. She’s a mom and a photographer. The first time we met, we talked about our children. That conversation evolved into one about pictures of our children and pictures of us, as mothers. I’d like to think that our conversation helped to inspire her totally SPOT ON post convicting mothers to Exist in Photographs, but I’m pretty sure she had that in mind ages before we spoke. Well, I’ve been convicted and I’m going to try to convict you, too.

When I think about all of those pictures that my mother stepped out of just in time – where I’m this cute kid, alone, in my awesome 80’s Easter dress, I wince. My mother stood on the side or behind the camera because she wasn’t happy with herself. She actively avoided her rightful place in our documented family history all because she wasn’t perfect in her own sight. I DON’T HAVE PICTURES OF MY MOTHER DURING THAT TIME BECAUSE THEY DON’T EXIST. Time just kept going; there was no second chance.

Geez, what a lesson.

I don’t want to pass along the notion that real isn’t beautiful or worthy of remembering. I don’t want to disappear from the family history just because I enjoy being the historian. So here’s what I’m doing about it:

I’m existing in the photographs. And I’m hashtagging it. I hope you will, too. C’mon, gals. #ProofMommyWasThere. Get on it.

Now, I take a lot of pictures of my children. I love it. Out of those many, many pictures, I get some that I love. I’ve got to shoot a LOT of pictures to choose from to get that ONE.

For example, I had to take all these:

To get this:

I’m the one behind the camera. I can snap away, filling up the storage on my phone, watching the battery charge ebb away. I have fun editing the pictures into my little pieces of “art.” So, if you want to be in a picture that is that ONE, you’ve got to GET in a LOT of pictures. You need lots to choose from! So, step in the frame, mamas. I challenge you to have #ProofMommyWasThere.

Join me.
(Thanks, Adriana)

Are you constantly snapping photos of your little ones but rarely get in the photo yourself? Or do you make a conscious effort to jump in front of the camera too?