Choosing Joy
Vacations aren’t exactly what they used to be. Gone are the days of relaxing in a lounge chair with a good book. Traveling with kids can be stressful and exhausting. Missed naps make some extra cranky. Getting out of our routine isn’t helpful. Being in such close quarters isn’t great for this insomnia prone Mama.
Our lives and my kids are not picture perfect and I don’t want anyone reading this blog to ever think they are. I’m not naturally the most optimistic person, but with everything in life I do my best to try to remember the great moments and forget the bad. I do document the crying and tantrums from time to time. However, I do my best to choose joy. To remember the joy. When I have a particularly hard day I take a mental picture of how I want to remember my kids from that day. And as a photographer I often do the same with my camera.
I would rather remember her like this rather than the fit that ensued when we took it away because she kept spilling her Icee in the pool. She didn’t want to let go of that Icee even with her goosebumps and blue lips.
*** All shots Canon 5D Mark II, 50 1.2
I would rather remember him SWIMMING on his own for the very first time and the huge amount of confidence he had rather than him fighting with his sister over cheerios.
F 2.8, 1/1250, ISO 125
I choose joy because moments like this are so unbelievably worth all the bad ones.
F 2.8, 1/320, ISO 200
F 2.8, 1/320, ISO 200
About DrewB
I’ve started this blog as a way to connect with other moms who love photography. Whether you are a professional photographer who is looking for advice on how to manage your own business and your family or if you are a mom who is looking for tips on how to take better pictures of your kids, I hope that you can find some good information and be inspired!
The kids wrapped in the towel – blow those up – big time! They are adorable children and lovely photos. Thanks for sharing.
Great post! And so very true! I always love reading what you have to say!
Love this and the pics
love this post & why I’ve followed you for YEARS.
Oh I know about those tantrums! You know my almost 5 year old still throws tantrums? The jump up and down and scream and cry tantrums, in public even Disneyland you know the happiest place on Earth! I’ve had employees tell him, “no crying in Disneyland” ha ha ha. But you are right, I try to remember the good moments, because that’s what keeps me going sometimes. I love your photography, and I love that you also post the real moments. I love following your IG, and that photo of them wrapped in the towel, adorable!
So precious.
Well said Drew! I choose to document the joyful moments for those reasons & also because I want my kids to remember these joyful moments as well. I want them to know that I focused on these moments, rather than lingering on all those tough times. Sometimes it seems like all is great by reading a blog, but I know mine is intential for the benefit of our memories. I like this post. Thanks
What great choices to make, to remember the great instead of the not-so-great. I’m about to have a daughter and I hope her relationship with her big bro is as lovely as your children’s.
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These pics are so sweet; look at that gorgeous red hair!
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I love this post! No doubt that it is hard to grab the camera while refereeing a fight over Cheerios. That could get pretty serious. Beautiful photos (as always).
This is a really great post. The choice to remember the great moments and to take such sweet pictures is such a fantastic example of why older parents whose children have grown up and moved out say to all us parents in the heat of it “I enjoyed every moment.” While all of us with young kids want to scream LIAR!!! You did not enjoy EVERY MOMENT!!! But then I look at all my pictures and my blog posts and what I smile about at the end of the day and I think yeah, in 20 years I could see myself thinking I enjoyed every single moment, too!
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I love all your photos, especially how crisp and clean they are. Do you set your camera to one shot AF and do you use single point AF? I sometimes have one person out of focus so wondering what your settings are and what you focus on, eyes?
Thanks!