So today is the last day of a photography challenge that “should” have been completed last month! I am no quitter though and I’m late…but I finished the challenge I set forth to do. I took this photo of myself this morning, had meant to put it on the blog today but I had major blog/server issues. Anyway…I have to be honest…I didn’t want to take a photo of myself today. I don’t always think I’m the most photogenic person in the world (who does though?). I preach a lot of  “get yourself in the picture” type stuff to other photographers and moms…and I totally walk the walk, putting myself in photos as much as I can. But it doesn’t mean that I LIKE to do it.

But to say that I won’t be in any photos, to shy away from the camera every time it comes out, to hide behind other people when a photo is being taken or to straight up leave when a camera comes around is just plain selfish. Have a camera phobia? Get over it. Why do I take my own photo quite often? Why do I post it here for all to see? I want my kids to know exactly what I looked like, when I was 19…22…30…years old. And not just what I looked like, but how I felt and what kinds of things I would do.

I just went through a pile of photos that my mother-in-law kept of my husband. I thought I had seen every photo there was of him…but I saw some I had never seen before. Those photos are priceless to me and will be priceless to my kids.

So the moral of today’s story…get in the picture. If no one is taking your photo, turn the camera around, point it at yourself and click the shutter. You may not love how it looks, goodness knows I’m not even close to being a model and I definitely did some Photoshop magic to this photo…but I’m ME and to my family, my friends, my Jesus and myself…I’m beautiful and worth capturing on camera.

And you are too…

Today’s post is going out to the man in my life. He doesn’t get much attention here on my blog and he deserves some. He doesn’t know I’m posting about him today. We’ve been together a long time. This year I officially have loved him for half my life. He is really really cool and I super love him :)

He’s also becoming a really great photographer…at my incessant poking and prodding! He took this photo…

Purpley flowers in Tahoe…freesia? What are these…I like them :)

I really feel this photo combines both focuses…close up and at a distance. One of my favorite styles of photos to take is when there is a subject in focus but there is a story being told in the background (and don’t worry, Lily may be knee deep in the lake…but my husband and I were literally right beside her.)

She is my something pink :)