In the past, I have always taken Sterling and my pictures. We set up a tripod in a gorgeous area, connect our wireless clicker, set the manual focus and “click, click, click” we snag the shot we want. We’ve done for major celebrations like announcing our pregnancy, the gender of Finley, paying off our car loan etc. We’ve also done this every year for our family holiday cards since getting married. But not this year.

You see, in the past like I said – it was easy, set up the camera, set the focus, make sure to stay in the same spot and click away until we get a few we love and want to print. We even did this for our newborn photos! And then something pivotal and 100% predictable happened…. Finley went from a happy stationary baby who could stay in the same spot and smile to an active, mobile and energetic toddler with lots of opinions. Understandably staring at a camera without a person behind it makes no sense and staying still feels impossible. Last year, I spent forever picking out the outfits and getting everything ready for our pictures. We all got dressed, drove to a nearby spot, set up the tripod and tried the good ole fashion system only for it to end with me frustrated and feeling deflated.

You see, I got great pictures of Finley being Finley, Finley with Sterling and even some that Sterling took of me and her but when it came to the three of us together, it fell short of my expectations. I realized that the images seemed flat. I couldn’t get the changing perspectives or angles, the snuggles and the giggles like I wanted and admired in the photos I took for other families. Finley didn’t want to stay still and my tripod couldn’t chase after her. We couldn’t play silly games or throw her around to get movement. I left the session, realizing it was time. It was time to hire a professional to take our family photos.

So this year, that’s just what I did. I booked someone else to capture the three (soon to be four) of us. I’m looking forward to getting variety of angles and perspectives. I’m excited for something to capture the three of us snuggling and loving each other. I’m excited to not be stressed about focus plains and if the tripod got the picture without us blinking! I’m excited to be able to relax and trust someone else with my cherished memories that can include all of us. 🙂

In the meantime, here’s a look back at our family photos from last year – I can’t get over how much Finley has grown!