families aren't perfect.... so why should yours be?

We had an incredible season of kids and family shoots this year. And as I look through the albums, my heart warms at the images we captured for those families. Many of those images have become part of our Americana series. This series is meant to cause reflection on an age past, and a simpler time of life. But if we're honest, those simpler times were not made up of perfect people. Those times past still had days of both worry and confidence, mean-ness and kindness, bad days and good days. Times may have changed (though we still don't yet have a flying car for the masses....and I really want one) but people are still as imperfect today as they were 500 years ago.

Why am I mentioning this you may ask? It's because we all like to think we're the exception and everyone else is screwed up. And we also have the same tendency to compare ourselves to others, however this is foolishness—and only leads to discontent. Those differences, those unique things that make us who we are, those "imperfections" make us interesting, and provides spice and perspective. None of us want to be clones, and yet we try so hard to be accepted by everyone else—usually in all the wrong ways.

I want to encourage everyone to embrace those quirky images, like that family picture where the kids aren't looking at the camera, and where your smile is "just a bit off". And I want you to focus on the the beautiful moment you're partaking in.

We're not perfect, and we never will be in this life. We just might enjoy our time a little more when we realize, our smile is just fine, the kid looking down instead of at the camera is perfect, and the memories that were captured, regardless of the "time life moment", is something that no one else could experience in the same way, and is yours to treasure for your lifetime.

Merry Christmas. Wishing you all well and much love,
-TJ & Michelle