An article I came across a while back made me cringe, it was titled, "The sad reason why many mothers take selfies with their kids." I wished the article didn't resonate with me, but it did. If I didn't take selfies with my kids, I wouldn't have many photographs with them. That was the truth despite my best attempt at reminding my husband to take photographs of us just doing regular things. He tries, he really does with the best intention, he just isn't programmed to reach for a phone or camera for the everyday, ordinary moments, that I wish were captured. This is why I am an advocate for getting a lifestyle & documentary family session done once a year in our home! And that is also why I am the creepy fellow mom at the playground, at the beach, at the grocery store, who asks strangers if they want me to take a photograph of them with their kids. Interestingly, half the moms I ask say, "Oh my gosh, that would be so wonderful" and half the moms I ask say, "oh no, no thank you!"
It seems sad that many mamas just don't have photographs of them with their children while mothering and loving our kids, something we spend majority of our time doing. And it certainly isn't only because our partners don't photograph; we moms also say things like "Ahhh, don't photograph me now, our hair/body/clothing/face just doesn't look right." What I want to say to that is: (1) who cares, let our kids remember us the way we really were!!! Isn't that better than not being in the photographs at all(2) invest in family photography (3) and keep taking those selfies. We ought to be in photographs our kids can have for the rest of their lives. When our kids flip through their photo albums (yes, people still and SHOULD print their photographs), should we really exist only in 1 out of 89 photographs taken that day? The answer is NO, because we were totally there 100% of the time.
The fact that mamas have a hard time getting in the frame is exactly why I offer mini sessions. It's not the remedy to the entire problem that we have but it is something.
If you'd like to catch my once a year Mama & Me mini sessions, click here and reserve your spot. One day only - 4/29. And if not me, PLEASE find another photographer that you love and get in the frame ASAP. Do it for yourself and your kiddos!
Po Chi Fung is a Ventura Family Photographer, also serving Ojai, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, and other surrounding areas. She specializes in family, newborn, Fresh48 photography. She captures real-life moments with a documentary approach on film to tell your family's story.