Momma, you need to shine too! | Personal | Fayetteville, NC Photographer

I'm a victim of it. You're more than likely a victim of it. And I'm pretty sure it's going to take a lot of work on our part to stop being a victim.

Yep, I'm talking about you momma. The one who's holding her smartphone camera trying to get her kids to sit still. Yep, you too momma. The one who has her DSLR camera with the huge lens chasing her toddler around the playground. And yes, you too momma ... the one who is hiding from dad who is toting your family camera around the amusement park just because you don't want to be caught on film.

Moms. Stop. Stop being the one who takes the pictures. Stop being the one embarrassed to be IN the photos. Stop. Just stop.

You NEED to be in the memories you're capturing. You NEED to be caught on film. You NEED to be experiencing these events with your children and you NEED proof that you were there.

One of my biggest fears is that one day my boys will be looking through our family albums (I make one for every year) once I have passed and they won't remember how I looked. Narcissistic? Maybe. But my fear is that even though they'll know I was there ... because SOMEONE had to have taken those family pics of all our amazing adventures, but without me in a few of them, how will they know what I looked like at that time of their lives? How will they remember me? I definitely don't want them remembering how I looked when I passed! I want them knowing that they gave me each and every single gray hair. I want them to know that each wrinkle on my face was earned throughout our lives. I want them to know that I loved them enough to share in the memories; that I wasn't just the catcher of memories.

Photographer mommas are the biggest culprits of not being in pictures. Why is that? For me, it's just that I know how to work the camera, I know what image I want to capture, and if I was to tell another inexperienced person ... it just wouldn't happen. Handing over the camera is tough. I know. But I have learned that even not PERFECT (to me) images of me and the boys are still worth a million to me. Luckily though, I have some awesome photographer mommas and we decided to get together and help each other out. We did a quick mommy and me session for all of us. And I couldn't be happier.

Photo by Tysha Hallman Photo

Photo By Jenifer Fennell Photography

But lemme make this clear, you don't need (even though I know I'm kicking myself in the butt and my business's butt for saying this) ... you don't NEED professional looking images of you and your children. -- though I highly recommend it! ;) Smart phone images of your memories, or a slightly out of focus images is priceless. Do you know why? ... because YOU'RE in it. You're experiencing life with your littles and they will forever remember how badass, awesome, loving and perfect momma you were, are, and always will be.

So mommas, GET IN THOSE PICTURES! (even if it's just a selfie!)

** Please remember that all images are copyrighted to Sharilyn Wells Photography, LLC. Please do not copy or alter any images without SWP, LLC consent. **