How many photos do you have of your parents? Or of you with your parents?
If the answer isn’t as many as you’d like, then hopefully this story will help give you a nudge to get over whatever obstacles are standing in your way and take some more photos.
My parents came to Swansea for a visit at the weekend, and it was just wonderful to see them.
I don’t get to see them anywhere near as much as I would like, as they live in Kent and it’s quite a long drive for them to get to me, or for me to do too often with 2 young children in the back of the car!
So it was a real treat to have them here, and to be able to spend a nice, relaxed day with them. We took Rhys out for a walk in Singleton park which was great as my Mum got to see the Botantical gardens in all their glory – they’re stunning at the moment, fair play to the gardeners who plant and tend to the flower displays!
The rest of the day was spent just pottering and chatting in the garden while the children played, and then I had a real treat and went out for dinner, just me and my parents while Steve put the kids to bed.
It was a really lovely day (and evening), but I realised when I went to bed that I hadn’t taken a single photo. On the one hand, I was pleased with that, as I’d properly experienced the whole day, rather than worrying about recording it, but on the other hand, I didn’t want the visit to go by and for me to not have any photos of it.
So on the Sunday morning, when my parents stopped by before heading off back to Kent, I made a point of ushering everyone out into the garden for a quick photo shoot.
The thing is though, I nearly didn’t do it.
Considering I’m a photographer, I get really quite self-conscious asking my friends and family if I can take photos of them!
I’m not even sure why.
Maybe I don’t want to annoy anyone, pestering them to get in front of my camera.
Maybe it’s that I love natural, candid shots so am a bit resistant to gathering people together in a more unnatural way.
Whatever the reason, I had to fight against it at the weekend, and just declare loudly that everyone had to get outside so some pictures could be taken.
Steve took some of me, my parents and my children that I love. And I took some of just my parents to add to my slowly growing collection (I realised a few months back that I don’t have that many photos of my parents together so have been working to change that whenever I get the chance!).
These are a few of the resulting photos of my parents.
These are photos I will cherish in years to come because, despite the situation being slightly posed and unnatural, the photos themselves are so beautifully natural.
My mum in particular ‘gets’ my style of photography and knows that what I love is photos that show genuine expression and that reflect people’s personalities and relationships. And that’s what these photos are to me. They just reflect my parents perfectly.
No fake camera smiles here, just my Dad so clearly still in love with his wife, and my Mum bursting out laughing at something he’d just said that was every so slightly inappropriate.
This is my parents.
This is what I’ll want to remember in years to come.
So, if you ever want to snap a few photos of someone you love, but feel shy, or nervous, or like it’s just not worth the hassle of getting people to move to a suitable location, please just do it anyway.
You’ll never regret the photos you do take, but you may very well regret the ones you don’t take.
So don’t over think things, just take your camera, take a deep breath, take charge, and take the damn photo!
Oh, and while you’re at it, jump in a few photos yourself too, as much as you want photos of the people you love, know that they will want the photos of you too.
I try and take as many photos as I can but so many of them are inside the flat I feel like we don’t get out much. We don’t…but I don’t want everyone else to think that! The photos of your parents are really lovely and as you say capture their personality really well! #twinklytuesday
Haha, I know what you mean, I definitely go through spells of not taking that many photos because we’ve not been out and about much! But then I catch myself and grab the camera and take some pictures even if they are just of us in the house! x
Those photos of your parents are just gorgeous and I especially love the final one – the way your dad is looking at your mum and the way she is laughing at what he’s just said. They might have started out as posed but the final photo is so natural. I have quite a few photos of my parents together where you can really see the love between them and now that my dad is no longer here, they are especially treasured. #TwinklyTuesday
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I’m so sorry to hear that your Dad is no longer here, but reading that did drive home the point even more that we need to take these photos while we have the chance. x
These are amazing photos and so natural – lovely! #twinklytuesday
Oh thank you so much! x
Gorgeous pics, I completely agree with you that sometimes you’ve just got to go ahead and be that annoying person who takes photos…because I guarantee in years to come nobody will be annoyed when they get so much pleasure out of looking back at them #KCACOLS
Yes! That’s it, they’ll be so glad of them in years to come! x
oh this is such a gorgeous post – i’ve got to share it! Loved this line:
You’ll never regret the photos you do take, but you may very well regret the ones you don’t take.
thank you for sharing on #KCACOLS
Oh thank you! I’m a big believer in the importance of photographs, in case you couldn’t tell! x
You are sooo right! I’ve never looked back on photos and regretted taking them. I have, however, wished I’d taken some on days when I didn’t. This capture of your parents is purely beautiful-absolute love right there! #KCACOLS
Ahh, thank you! I’m so happy with these photos, they make me smile every time I look at them! x
These are so lovely! I tend to feel the same as you – possibly a hang up from my mum who always wants to get everyone together for a photo where you’re all squinting into the sun and she takes forever to take it! I think you really succeeded in getting that natural feel, even though they’re slightly posed – I’d be putting these in a frame straight away. And you’ve inspired me to take more photos of my family – I’m great with my little boy, but the rest of the family don’t get the same treatment! #KCACOLS
Ahh I’m glad I’ve inspired you to get more photos of the rest of your family! Thank you for your lovely comment. x
beautiful pictures of your parents. I love photos like these. xx
#KCACOLS
Thank you Rachel! These are my favourite kind of photos, the ones that really capture who people are. x
I love that last photo where your mum is just cracking up – the background might be bit staged but the photo itself looks totally natural. My parents are coming to visit us in a few weeks and you have reminded me that I need to make an effort to get more pictures of them #kcacols
Yes! Do it, take the photos! And get in some with them too! x
Such lovely pics! Love the last one of your mum laughing. And oh, so true too.
I’ve never looked back on photos and regretted taking them.
#KCACOLS
Thank you! I really love that photo! x
Aw, what gorgeous photos. You have captured the moment so well and they look such a sweet couple! #twinklytuesday
Thank you so much! x
What lovely pics. I really like the last one of your mum really laughing, so much joy. Great tips as well about just taking photos. I’m not very good at that x #KCACOLS
Thank you for your lovely comment, and I hope you do end up taking a few more photos now, it’s worth feeling a bit ‘funny’ about it sometimes for the end result! x
These pictures are just gorgeous – such lovely memories captured xx #KCACOLS
Thank you! x
These are a lovely natural photos, sometimes it’s hard to remember to take pictures but definitely worth it when you do! #KCACOLS
It’s just finding a balance isn’t it, between capturing these moments and actually being present in them! x
Great pics. I’m also very fortunate to have my parents in my life still and should try and make an effort to get photos of them with my daughter. One day they will be all we have. #KCACOLS
That’s it isn’t it, it’s too easy to think we have all the time in the world to do these things, but who knows when that time will run out, and we’ll wish so much that we’d just taken the bloody photo! x
The picture attracted me to read this – that’s what’s supposed to happen, right? It worked. Lovely pics of mum and dad. I’m passionate about photos of people, they really do tell the story after it’s long forgotten #KCACOLS
Ha, I was really happy to read your comment, because yes, the photos are meant to draw you in and get you reading the post! Thank you! x
Ah this is lovely…firstly I wish I’d read this yesterday, we had a gorgeous family day out and about and I got home in the evening and realised we hadn’t taken any photos. I dont take many to be honest, but wish I had yesterday. And secondly those pictures of your parents are just wonderful…that last one has real joy and happiness in it, beautiful #KCACOLS
Thank you for such a lovely comment! And I’m sorry you have photo-regret, it’s a horrible feeling! x