People always say to me “Oh you must have thousands of the most beautiful photos of your kids, they are so lucky” and with each comment the guilt would dig deeper.  I rarely take my kids out and photograph them.  Its almost a chore to have to get their birthday photos done in time for their birthday invites.  I rarely take my camera out with us because well honestly, because at some points during the year I hate my camera, we aren’t friends, I want nothing to do with it when it’s that time of year.  So I leave it behind any chance I get. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE what I do.  I can’t imagine not being a photographer.  But at times I am constantly putting my face behind glass that I don’t get to just be, to just experience.  It turns into a chore personally.  I never put personal images before professional ones therefore I have loads and loads of files taken from my personal life that STILL hasn’t been touched in computer.  So at some point I’ve realized, what’s the point? Other times its merely because of hassle.  Its hard to juggle both kids under the age of 6 and a bag full of expensive camera equipment.  But as I have watched many friends post one shoot after the next of their kids I am reminded how important it is for me to not allow and overwhelming professional schedule take away the number one reason I am passionate about photography.  So this year I’ve vowed to capture more of them in their element but not only that but I wanted to take them out and get nice portraits of them.  What better time to do so than when every field I use and love is being mowed down one by one (all while I still have sessions on the books wanting fields…) so I spent hours scouting locations this week and I needed to test out a couple that I wasn’t so sure about.  I am so glad I did.  My kids were surprisingly cooperative, in good spirits, and even contributed with a few ideas themselves!

The two of them are best friends.  They obviously have their moments of fighting but for the most part they love each other dearly.  They are a team.  Their personalities are so very different yet they work wonderfully together.  It makes me so sad to think that one day they will no longer live together in the same house, they will no longer have one another in their daily lives.  I hope and pray every day that they will always be close and that as they grow older they will make life choices that allow them to remain in each others regular lives.  But for now we will power on as team Bagwell and I will treasure these images capturing their love for one another forever!

 

She looks just like a cabbage patch doll so I thought it would be great to bring one of the many lying around the playroom! 

Watch out Gisselle here comes Bella Bagwell and her rock star poses!