Last week, the Pacific Northwest was hit with a winter storm that left us stranded at home due to snow, wind and ice for 5 consecutive school days. During that winter storm, I am sad to admit that I didn’t take a single photo.
Day 1. I did not take any pictures of my boys playing in the snow because I knew there were would be time later, with “plenty of snow” in our forecast. On day 1 of our snow days I missed photos of the building of the igloo and snow ball fights. I missed images of us sitting around the kitchen table drinking hot chocolate with swirls of whipped cream. I missed capturing the wide-eyed excitement of my boys enjoying Winter’s first snow.
Day 2. While on the phone with fellow Life Story Photographer Laura with Laura Morita Photography, I proclaimed to her my decision that my Life Story images needed to be 1) in “portrait worthy” attire, and 2) worthy of being framed on the wall. I told Laura that because my son’s hair was too long, that I wasn’t worried about taking any pictures of the boys during their snow days, because I wouldn’t be using it for a Life Stories project. Consequently, on day 2 of our snow days, I missed photos of the boys sledding on the front hill, roasting marshmallows in the fireplace, bundled up boys with layers of coats and scarves, cold noses and a dog with adorable snow paw prints.
Day 3. I came to my senses. What kind of mom am I to skip pictures of my son because of his hair? I love those thick, tousled curls. What kind of mom am I that I won’t take pictures of my kids in everyday clothes? Is not the true portrait of my oldest son a boy who wears shorts in the winter and a football jersey at every opportunity? I put my foot down to the nonsense. I made a new declaration. I was not going to let my life memories be held hostage to haircuts (or lack thereof) or so-called portrait worthy clothes. I was going to embrace the everyday moments, embrace the snow, and take pictures! I was excited about the day. I didn’t have a plan, but the day was going to be “our day” and I was once again, going to document the memories.
On Day 3, in preparation for “our day”, while the winds gusted with a shivery 3-degree wind chill factor, I started early and cleaned and vacuumed the house, I made a homemade coffee cake that made the house warm with the smell of vanilla and cinnamon, I built a cozy fire in the fireplace and prepared ourselves for fun (Monopoly anyone?). And then, just as quickly as I had decided to embrace our everyday moments in pictures, I was thrown another curveball. I had stepped outside to restock the firewood and while carrying a large load of firewood in my hands, I stepped back onto our wood floors into an unseen puddle of snow that had fallen inside. Before I could catch myself, I slipped and fell to the ground pounded by the 7 pieces of firewood I had in my arms. I hollered. I screamed. I even cried. I definitely scared the boys. I had severely bashed my forearm (which was bleeding) and smashed a finger that was turning a dark shade of blue.
Day 4. The snow turned to ice.
Day 5. The snow melted.
And I don’t have a single picture.
How is this related to The Life Stories Project? Well, I was blessed to finally realize that life is “Perfectly Imperfect”. That while I love a classic portrait with boutique clothes and impeccable styling, I had somehow lost sight of my roots in photography, and my love for authentic and real moments. I love my kids for who they are, and it is the everyday moments that I desperately want to hold onto. When I slipped, I realized that sometimes in life you fall, and sometimes you can’t hold on. So while I can, I am going to embrace the imperfect moments and hold onto them for as long as I can.
As my arm and finger heal, I am left to think about the perfectly imperfect photos that are buried in the gigabyte cobwebs of my computer. Lost there, or not there at all, due to my ridiculous standards I have imposed for “perfect portraits”. Perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring.
This month, my project is to resurrect a few lost images and embrace them for what they are: wonderful images of my family, perfect in EVERY way. With an open heart and mind, I am now embracing their perfectly imperfect moments and welcoming them not only onto my walls, but also into my portrait work (this is life changing, really!).
This is Life. Perfectly imperfect. The times that we want to remember.
I love the lazy days of summer, when you roll out of bed, eat breakfast, and throw on some clothes to run outside and pick the juiciest blackberries before the birds get there first. That’s the way it was this day. A fun morning picking blackberries with my sister and my nieces. I later taught my sister how to can homemade blackberry jam.
Blackberry Picking Time

Do you remember the nights when you could snuggle with your kids and read them bedtime stories. Do you remember when they were EXCITED for the story? Did you also have one that would listen intently and then the another that would be lost in her own world?
Story Time at Bed Time

Do you remember when playtime was your day’s only appointment? A time to be carefree.
Play Time



(Sadly, this is also a eulogy for Humphrey the Hamster (honorary class pet of my niece’s classroom). While my nieces so lovingly doted upon Humphrey while in their care, he met his demise to a dog, while being cared for at another classmate’s home. RIP Humphrey. You were a good hamster.)
To add insult to injury, here are my memories of 2012’s first snow.
Snow Time | The First Snow of 2012

Thank you snow storm of 2012. Somewhere along my photographic journey, I fell out of step with my true self and drifted away from the photography that I love and cherish, photography that speaks of the essence of a child. It IS those imperfect moments that I love the most. Thank you snow storm of 2012. You have opened my eyes AGAIN to the magic and purity of photography and the importance of tightly holding on to our everyday memories. You never know when YOU will slip and fall and be unable to hold on. Are you prepared?
Thank you for allowing me to a bit long-winded this month. Thankfully, photography is more than an occupation for me. It is a journey. A journey where I am continually finding myself and growing in character. When I am lost, I am grateful that the journey has provided a path to get back on track.
The next Life Story in the chain is by my friend Laura from Laura Morita Photography. She’s a rare and unique talent in photography. You are lucky if you live in the San Francisco Bay area, because you can pick up the phone and book her right now. You can read her Life Story post HERE.
