Christy Williams

Are you following along our little group of 13 (yes we have grown by 1!) photographers?

Together we share one very simple goal…. To capture our own families from a true life perspective, unscripted and raw. To create photographs which represent the true dynamic of our families and share them here on our blogs.  This deeply personal project we share is called, “What ______ looks like.”  Each month we will each choose to fill in that blank with our word of choice. Some may stick with the same word all year or some may decide to change it up each month. We will each link to the next photographer until our circle of 13 is complete.  I hope you will follow our little circle and enjoy this peek into our lives as well as feel inspired to start recording your own family’s unique moments.

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As the end of this month approached and I knew this project was coming due, I felt I would have nothing to show for it. Yet somehow I had managed to pick up my camera even when it was the last thing I felt like doing (which was most of the time) and capture some pretty important milestones. Life gets complicated, messy and above all else, exhausting. I love this project. I hate commitments but I love this project and the gift of images it has brought to my life.

 What Growing Up Looks Like

Something funny happened this year after my daughters 5th birthday. No longer clad in layers of tutu’s, tierras, leggings and tacky jewels, our sweet Addy girl grew up. I carelessly looked the other way, and she grew up. All those dress up clothes have been replaced with sassy boots and an attitude. She even walks differently….what is that about?  All I know is that I am clinging to her childhood and so happy when I catch a few glimpses of my baby girl still in there….like how she wears her princess socks everywhere and still needs her pink blanket to sleep. Maybe she is clinging too.

And we now must have fancy haircuts to go with our sassy boots

December was a month of milestones for Lila Jayne.

New foods

A first haircut

 New discoveries (and frustrations)

First steps

First words- “Tucker” was added to her growing collection.

And what felt like her first Christmas. Last year on Christmas day, Lila was all of 25 days new making this year feel more like her first.

Disclaimer: My half-pre-lit disorganized tree was a disaster as well a my manual focusing.

But, I love that I caught this. When Lila discovers something new, it is such a marvel to watch. She pauses, takes it all in. First, she will curl her little hands in towards her body, tuck in her chin and give careful thought to the new object before her. Such as the little birdie ornament she discovered. After careful consideration of how to pick the thing up, she manages to not only grasp it “correctly” but to hang it on the tree. She is so proud of herself! And then… oh crap. It falls back to the floor.  So she looks up to see how sissy does this hanging thing because she is so amazing to watch do big girl things. And of course her big sis comes to her rescue, “Here baby, I will show you”,  and gently teaches her a new skill and a new tradition. Sigh….

And of course a month would not be complete without a collection of iPhone favorites

Now lets head on over to see the wenderful Wendy VonSosen | San Francisco Bay Area Photographer.  Always so excited to take a peek into her world…

Are you following along our little group of 12  photographers?

Together we share one very simple goal…. To capture our own families from a true life perspective, unscripted and raw. To create photographs which represent the true dynamic of our families and share them here on our blogs.  This deeply personal project we share is called, “What ______ looks like.”  Each month we will each choose to fill in that blank with our word of choice. Some may stick with the same word all year or some may decide to change it up each month. We will each link to the next photographer until our circle of 12 is complete.  I hope you will follow our little circle and enjoy this peek into our lives as well as feel inspired to start recording your own family’s unique moments.

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True story. Every year, once October hits, the fall fantasies start brewing in my mind of all the priceless images I want to catch of my kids. You know you’ve had the vision:  Fields of multicolored pumpkins as far as the eye can see with your darling children dressed in fall garb nestled ever so sweetly between perfectly shaped gourds.  Well, long story short, for me this is usually the end result of all that day dreaming:

(Is that a stem coming out of her head, or is that a horn?)

Hardly the fantasy. Instead, an impromptu stop at a roadside patch at 6:00 in the eve with a hungry babe, wearing pink for corn’s sake, freshly woken from her nap and a long list of places to go and things to accomplish. I usually walk away pretty discouraged wondering why I can never seem to realize my Halloween dreams amid a very busy life. You know, this is why I am so happy this project is here to pull me out of that mind set. Life doesn’t always lend to creating those perfect situations. They require planning, patience and time….all three seem to be lacking from my life these days. So rather than going for perfect this year, I did my best to capture just-as-they-are….

Pulling out Halloween decorations

Addison singing,  “Where is pinky” to me.  Love all those silly preschool songs.Lila was a big help with all her smiles.So we made it a point this year to hit as many fall festivals as possible. Keeping true to “lifestyle” is not always easy. But for the most part I tried to just step back and be present in the moment.And sometimes stepping back too far lands you in goat poo.But its all good! In the end, a little mix of everything makes for beautiful memories and a mommy with a bit more sanity. Sometimes you have to give yourself permission to set the camera down and just be in the now. A box full of memories will never replace the most important thing of all…..connecting with and living the moments with your kids.

And lastly, October as seen through the iPhone…

Next in our circle is  Wendy VonSosen | San Francisco Bay Area Photographer. Cannot wait to see how she spent the month of October!