One of many reasons that I am excited to kick off the new year is the commencement of the Project 26. My friend Hope Toliver and I in 2011 started sharing a monthly post called, “Me and Mine”, where each month we tried as hard as we could to get in pictures with our children, our families, with our husbands. In 2012, this little project has branched out to include an amazing group of woman that also share a similar desire to be in the pictures with their families. We have also decided to take on some challenging creative projects alongside the “Me and Mine” post each month, so be on the look out for those too. The wonderful aspect of sharing this project each month with 12 other photographers is that at the end of my post you can follow the link to the next photographer in the project.
When you are a photographer, being in the pictures with your children or family is no small task, who is going to take the picture. I can’t tell you how many times I get all the settings just right and I hand the camera over to my well-intentioned husband and he immediately turns the knob to auto…grrr. I spend too much time trying to get the perfect setting, the perfect shot, and by the time this is all finalized, my kids are gone…running down the street, rolling around in the grass, jumping off the couch, and the opportunity is lost. Personally, I need to let go a bit. The photos that I have from my childhood with my mom that I treasure most are not perfect, they’re not perfectly exposed or gorgeously backlit, or set up so that everyone is in focus. But they are PERFECT in that I am incredibly thankful to have the handful of them. So here I am in 2012, I’m going to get in front of this camera with my lovies, with my hubby, with my mom, my brother, my grandmother because I love them more than anything in this world. I’m going to let go a bit, and not worry about them being “perfect”, but instead just. be. in. them!
{me and mine} January 2012
Joining me in this wonderful project is Shea Parker | Jackson Mississippi Newborn & Child Photographer. Please follow the links to her blog to catch a glimpse of her “Me and Mine”.
Ah, Jayme – your family is so cute and I totally agree about “letting it go” and enjoying the moment of the photograph….hard to do…in my opinion!
beautiful jayme!!
You have cute kids Jayme:) You look great, and I can’t wait to do this project w/you and the other girls.
Love it-beautiful.
Jayme your children are adorable! It’s going to be hard but it’ll be worth it!
Just beautiful!!! I love how relaxed it is!
can I come slap you if you forget to ‘let go’? because letting go and enjoying the perfection of imperfection is seriously going to be your greatest gift this year. Trust me on that… or you can come slap me if it’s not. lol. I always love seeing your beautiful face with your beautiful loves… so happy to be taking this journey with you!!!arohanui.
thanks gail, i love that you keep me real!
Jayme, I love everything you said about “letting go.” Some of my favorite pictures of my kids are with blurred faces, chopped of limbs, etc. It’s about capturing the moment and the feeling that image evokes. What a gorgeous image you are staring with for this year. You guys are all adorable.
hi jayme!
i am so excited about this journey we are on this year.
i love this photo of you with your cutie pies and i love what you wrote!
i need to let go of the perfectionism and just embrace the fact that my face is visible!
oh jayme … this is perfect! i adore this image of you and your sweet littles! excited for the year ahead and to be sharing it with you.
Beautiful photos.I had a friend post something on facebook regarding photography and families. I think you will find it very interesting. Here’s the link http://fototails.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/a-letter-on-my-doorstep-portraits-are-more-than-paper/
xo
Your words really hit home for me & you said it so perfectly! I can completely relate to what you go through when trying to get in those images too! My dear husband will try if I set up the shot but they usually aren’t in focus! Anyway, love this first image of you & your adorable kids! What a way to start off the year!
This is so perfect!
sweet picture of all three of you! I am so glad you and Hope started doing this last year and that yall expanded your circle to include me and the rest of our crew this year!