When my mom came to visit after Graham was born, she brought along the photo album she had of my early years in order to give it to me. There was only ONE ALBUM. It has about eight pages…and it covers my years from birth to about four years old. I already had all of the other pictures of my youth…which is one other album that covers age five or so to about age fifteen. Not a whole heckuva lot of pictures of me.
Not to knock my Mom; she’s just not a big photographer. I’m sure that photo developing wasn’t that cheap in the seventies either. Besides – the ones she took show how cute I really was.
Gotta love the polyester – I was in that outfit for about eighty percent of my photos.
It was around the age of fifteen that I got my first point-and-shoot camera, and there are many albums that cover my high school years, my college years, my Vancouver years. Once Matthew and I got married, the quantity of pictures dwindled a bit, because I was happy to just plaster our professional wedding pictures everywhere. And I did. They were EVERYWHERE.
When I passed my CA exam the fall after we were married, the present that we bought for me was my first SLR. My sweet Canon Rebel 35mm. I love her. I still have her. She wasn’t very busy until we had Graham, and then BOY DID I USE HER. That kid has three HUGE albums that cover the first two years of his life. I think I took more pictures of him in his first month of life than there are to document the entire thirty two (ahem) years of my life.
People told me that the second child never has as many pictures taken of them. For me…THAT’S NOT TRUE!!! Part of it is due to the fact that I just like to take pictures, and part of it is due to the fact that fairly immobile kids are the perfect subjects. Nathan has the same amount of photo albums in his honour.
And as for Emily? She’s well on her way. Part of the problem is that I think that in this digital age, I take TOO MANY pictures. Back when I used a film camera, I was a little “reserved” in my picture taking. Each shot was going to cost me to get it developed.
Once I got my first little Canon Powershot, all bets were off. I could take as many pictures as I wanted! And it didn’t cost a thing! And then I got my digital Rebel! And I could capture moments as they happened, instead of three seconds after they happened. I was a snap-happy girl.
Then about a year ago I realized that I hadn’t printed any photos for a year and a half. I got caught up (ouch!), and now try to stay on top of the developing game. The problem I have is deciding which photos to develop. Most of my photos are pretty good, if I do say so myself. I’d like to learn more of the technique, but I’m pretty good at just aiming my fancy-schmancy camera. It helps that my subjects are so beautiful to boot.
I find that in the winter I don’t take many photos. I don’t have a good flash, and it’s too dark to take a decent picture sans-flash. I only uploaded eight pictures to my January Flickr set. Now that the days are longer and we spend them outside I take many, many photos. My dilemma is trying to decide what to develop and what to just leave. It’s hard.
On days that we’re outside all day (like today) and I take over one hundred pictures (like today) I am left trying to pick the best of the best. I’m biased when it comes to the cuteness of my kids, though, and love almost every. single. one!
Here’s a sampling of the fifty or so I took of Emily today. How do I pick???
And then there are the boys. So cute. So sweet. I often put the telephoto lens on and just trail behind them to catch them in action. So many photos…so little funds to develop them. Besides, if I had a hundred or so albums we’d likely never look at them. I have to be brutal when I decide which ones to print, but it’s hard when they look so dang adorable.
Yes, Nathan is holding a chicken. Graham has named her Chicken Sarah, after his future wife.
Sometimes I think it would be easier if I was one of those people who just took a couple of photos a month. It would make the decisions easier…never mind the pocketbook.
But then I’d miss moments like these :
(The boys having a snack – photo taken through the kitchen window)
I’m adding this one from last week because I lurve it:
Digital cameras are the best!
I take LOTS of pictures too, 100s and 100s.
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I think it’s awesome that you take so many pictures. It will be so fun to look at them later on. As usual, the kids are adorable!
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Oh, and might I add that you were a cute one yourself! Can definately see the family resemblance!
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Thank goodness for digital photography – at least we can pick and choose what gets developed
Oh. My. Goodness. How much do you look like Graham…or I should say that Graham looks like you, shouldn’t I?
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So Graham looks like you, huh?
Andrew bought me an SLR for my past b-day. I thought I took a lot of digital pics before I got my fancy-pants camera. Um, I took 400+ in the first month I owned the thing. I’m sure I’ll get over the excitement eventually.
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I love taking pictures… much more than video… I love that each person has a different recollection of the same moment.
You take beautiful pictures, pretty easy when the children are so darn cute!!!!
I love to go click click click crazy too. Print some, cd the rest.. my children will probably think I had nothing better to do!!!!
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I know what you mean, I am running out of storage space for the photo albums!
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Such sweet pictures you always share! Your kids are simply adorable! My Friends are 8 and 5…girl and boy…and I DO think they are pretty special too. I adore OLD photos, nothing like them! I came by way of SAJ…a long time reader…long before Baby Bug!
It thing it is great to share the day to day with other moms…even if we are on the other side of the globe from each other!
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Graham looks JUST LIKE YOU! Holy cow. Such cute kids, both of you!
Guess how many pictures I’ve printed from my digitals? One.
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I try to print a bunch of photos every couple of months, that way I’m always caught up. Yes, it is hard to choose which ones to print, but I always keep all the others on discs and they will be there in the future if I decide to get more printed. The beauty of digital cameras!
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Yeah, this new generation is going to look back on their childhood pictures way differently, eh? They probably won’t be surprised at 4 cds worth of pictures in a single month of their lives. Not like me, who’s bitter cuz I don’t have a baby book… (middle/second child syndrome; good for you for keeping Nathan from that!)
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Hey!
If you don’t want to get all the photos developed, you could buy photo paper and print them on that. or just keep them on a dvd.
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I have the exact same problem! An afternoon with the kids and the camera, oh ya, at least a hundred pictures. I read an article once though about deleting the ones that you “don’t like”. If you look back at pictures from the past, those are the hillarious ones – the ones you would have deleted at the time. Great. So now what?!
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I love the little tongue. And sweet… holding a chicken!!
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I don’t have too many pictures growing up either- and every one of them it seems I’m wearing the same red dress! I guess my mom wasn’t into pictures the way I am. I have taken hundreds or actually over 1000 (or 2) since Katelyn was born- and it’s a killer every time I go to develop them at Costco cause I leave them too long!
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I think all those photos are just perfect!! I take way too many photos and it wonly starts to scare me when I realize that Aiden isnt even 2 and Caileigh is only 4 months!!
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I’m bad cause I usually CAN’T decide which ones to keep and end up printing them ALL!! I do love looking at them though, so it’s worth it for me=)
Cute kids never help when deciding which ones to keep, and I can see why it must be hard for you. I love your pictures!
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