Hire a photographer for the holidays

November 27, 2013

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying; —Robert Herrick

Being older parents means our little guy has cousins who are old enough to babysit! But then again, most of his cousins are away at college now, and we only get to see them all together in one place on very rare occasions. And of course, his grandparents are older, too, and sadly, my father never got to meet him at all.

That’s why I made a questionable decision this summer: I hired a professional photographer to attend a family picnic and take some very informal family portraits. I say questionable only because of the expense. The quality of a professional photographer’s work, especially the woman I found, is worth every cent, but still, I am not working outside the home (no paycheck), and money isn’t something we have to throw around.

But, one weekend in August, all the cousins were coming together, returning from summer jobs for one brief weekend before heading off to graduate school and college. D and I were free on the same weekend as were D’s brothers. My mother-in-law wanted to have one last summer picnic in the backyard before everyone headed off again.

The photographer I hired had a beautiful online gallery of samples and when we spoke, she understood exactly what I wanted. I wasn’t even going to tell anyone else that a photographer was showing up. I wanted her to capture some everyday moments….

Then I viewed the price list and I almost changed my mind. And not because her prices were out of line at all, but it was still going to add up to a lot of money that we really shouldn’t spend.

On the other hand, we have never had the little guy photographed by a pro. We have some lovely camera phone shots that I treasure, but nothing beats images taken by a pro. I knew exactly what D would say when I told him my plan, “How much is this going to cost?” And rightly so, and yet, I was going to do it, anyway.

Photograph by Sandra Costello

When I started this blog, I promised myself and others that I would only write about my experiences and only drag in others if they were directly part of my experience and only with their permission, if possible. I usually ask friends and family if I can include them in a post. I try not to over-share or invade anyone’s privacy, so I will tread carefully here as I wrap up my tale today.

What I’m trying to say is there will always be reasons–no money, no time, no occasion–to put off a celebration, but JUST DO IT ANYWAY! Make an everyday occasion something special if you can. Because those “everydays” are numbered and few, and all too soon, they are gone. Capture them and hang on to them. Treasure them and photograph them. You’ll be glad you did when the sad times come. Happy Thanksgiving to those in the US tomorrow! Gather ye rosebuds…