This year I am bound and determined to get some professional pictures taken of our family. Yes, I know, you were worried that I didn’t have quite ENOUGH photos of all of us. Project 365 is hurrying to a close and I have taken over 11,000 pictures this year.
11,000 pictures.
In one year.
Does that seem like a normal number? What about if you are a serious blogger? An intense scrapbooker?
Help me out here, folks! What is the most amount of pictures you’ve taken in a week, month, year, decade? I know my friend Casey took an extraordinary amount of photos when she went across the US with her family this past summer. Surely 11,000 pictures is pretty average for a busy family of 7, it’s probably even a bit low in some respects.
I’m just a normal, camera lovin’ mama, right?
Right?
Okay, my children are NOT allowed to answer.
And neither is Tim.
The more I learn about photography, the more I appreciate true masters of the art, and the more I covet fancy cameras. Something like this, maybe:
A cute little Nikon D80 with an extra lens.
Since this is definitely the Year of the Picture, I should have no problem getting some gorgeous photos of our whole family. Although we take an unbelievable amount of candid, home shots, we rarely visit a photography studio. The last time we had professional pictures taken of the children, there were only three of them and Daniel was a toddler.
Um, that’s 2 children ago.
This year we’re heading BACK to the studio. They thrive on repeat business like ours. We’ll have gorgeous, coordinating outfits (as soon as I pull them all together), we’ll be smiling, stunning, and full of Christmas cheer. We’ll have beautiful backdrops and professional poses.
Until then, I’ll share a picture taken at co-op, last week. A photographer came in and took photos for the yearbook. Families had the option of paying for a CD of individual and group shots. Tim teaches a class at the co-op so he was available for the picture.
Yes, I knew ahead of time that they were taking pictures that day. Yes, I have cute matching (or at least coordinating) clothes the children could have worn. No, I didn’t panic when they announced it was Picture Day.
“We’re going for the eclectic look,” I announced tersely to the children, who couldn’t care less about pictures, clothes or color-coordination.
Never panic when there’s a camera near by. Smile pretty and hope for the best.
Words to live by.
Kathy
WHat a beautiful family! I like the casual way!
I never worry about matching if everyone can just look happy and have their eyes open at the same time for a split second. Then we feel we’ve really accomplished something.
David is our family photographer, he even won an award in college for sports photography. He takes a lot of pictures and files them in our computer. I need to learn how to upload them.
We might try the professional family pic this year.
ARC
Kath–I love that picture!! Everyone’s looking at the camera and cheerful-looking. That’s an incredible feat. We get professional pictures taken once a year (minus Dave and I) from a professional photography group that comes to your house and sets up all the photo-taking stuff in the family room and snaps away. If they didn’t call to make the appointment, we’d never get around to it… and it was so much easier when they were little and squirmy, and it was exhausting just getting everyone buckled into their seats.
11,000 photos in a year – you’re kidding, right? No? you’re serious? – oh my!
Beautiful family – love that family shot – everyone is smiling
I love that picture – it’s so great of everyone!!!
I must say that you have taken more pictures than me by far – ha! however, I am a camera toting mama too!! And my kids go the photo studio at least once a year….you know – so that the grandparents can have plenty of pictures of the grandkids…. ha! ha! Thank goodness Walmart lets you throw out your unwanted pictures since I have taken tons of rolls of film but sometimes kept just a few!
Pictures can capture so many great things that memories sometimes forget over time so keep takin’ those pictures!!!!!!
I was just blog hopping and came across yours. Good to meet another homeschooling mom! Cute family!
Wonderful family shot!! I am happy to know you personally-and know that the cheer in the pics is valid!! And the twinkle in the eyes is from the heart.
I love you all. ak
I love the photo, Kathy.
Now, 11,000 photos, that seems a bit excessive. I used to take more than I do now. My brother once adviced me, “don’t miss living the moment by trying to capture the moment”. I have found myself thinking I’m not really living things, but trying to get he perfect shot of it…so, I try and take a few photos and then join in the fun. A few photos can spark the memory and that is the most important part…at least for me.
11K photos? *dies* You want to come take pictures for me? hehe!!
Love the family shot!
I love this photo. I’m trying to figure out what we’re going to do. Our support group is taking them next week – but the girls won’t be home. The girls will be home at Christmas – but so will Nicholas – who is courting Krista – is it inappropriate to put him in the family photo at this point? I’ve not read about this dilemma in any parenting books and haven’t a clue. I can’t ask MY blog readers because um…for obvious reasons. Would it be more awkward NOT to have Nicholas in the photo? Should I just get a family photo with the homeschooling kids and Mike and I – but then that leaves out the girls and Josiah – argh…..maybe we’ll just do the Nikon and tripod thing again…that was good for 8 hours of family bliss – jeans and white t-shirts. ::snort::
BTW – we have that camera on your blog and I LOVE it….but it’s now MIKE’S camera and I have the little purse one…seemed to make Mike nervous when I had it slung around my neck with the book bags, diaper bags and such…..something to do with door jams….oh well. LOL
I’m amazed at the number of photos you have taken – and I’m a die-hard scrapbooker.
I think the most I’ve ever done at one “event” was on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to England. I took about 10 rolls of film at ONE stop we made – Warwick Castle – awesome spot. I think I came home with over 30 rolls & I think some were 36 & not 24. 
My burning question – how do you keep them organized??? LOL
As for family photos – I do them – on our front porch. I have a tripod & do the self-timer thing. I took our family photos last year. It’s hard to keep them updatd. I really need to just get single shots of each son to hang on our wall. The last ones up there are about two years old!! Yikes!
Kathy,
You look absolutely beautiful. My goodness what a nice looking family I married into.
Beautiful picture, matching clothes or not!
Love the family photo – Perfect!! ( I must say it appears to have gone much better than our attempt at a family Christmas portrait a week ago… not pretty.)
Great family shot! I wouldn’t have noticed that you weren’t color coordinated–none of you are color clashing!
We’ve had one pro family photo in, oh, 2000. Holly still remembers that photographer. She declared, on the way home that night, ” Next time you take a family photo, *I’m* staying at Grandma’s!”
great picture! i’m hoping for a nice camera for christmas.
It’s been awhile since I was last here. But I’m glad that as I was sorting through my mail I found this comment notification linking to you; it’s actually a comment from. I wouldn’t expect you to remember but I’m glad I came here today. You have a lovely family and I love your family picture, even the “color coordination.” Really.
Love the family shot!
My husband estimated that I have taken about 16,000 pictures just for this year! They are all on the computer…none printed up!!