I have to admit and I am sure that you can already tell, I am a terrible photographer. My oldest child, makes fun of me all the time because  I take such awful photos. Two years ago,  I bought a course on how to take better pictures. It is taught by National Geographic photographers. I still haven’t even watched one lecture. I also signed up to be reminded when See University registration opens again so I could do that. It is a series of lessons from world-class photographer,  Jeremy Cowart. (If you have 25 minutes, he has an amazing video about his life. I have literally told everyone I know in “real life” to watch it!)

So, I have the ability to begin learning how to take better pictures.  Why I haven’t I started? Sure, I’m busy, but that’s a really awful excuse because honestly, who’s not?!

Here are some of my terrible excuses for picture-taking and not picture taking.

I’m hardly in pictures because I always think I should look better, prettier, thinner, cuter, more polished, fill in the blank with an excuse.

I take pictures with my iphone because I don’t want to haul around a big camera and I truly don’t really know how to use it.

I don’t take pictures because I want to be “in the moment”. Let me tell you right now, that with five children, if I don’t take a picture, I’m likely to forget that moment.

I’ve already written about The Freckled Fox. She has her blog and thousands of pictures that she has taken or that others have taken of her, her husband, and her children. Now, that her husband is gone, these pictures are even more of a gift than she probably ever could have imagined. I’m so glad for her and their children that they have these moments captured. But, it got me to thinking about our family. I’ve been making excuses for not doing something that I will regret NOT doing later. Capturing these moments is a gift and I have got to step up to the plate to do it for the people I love so much!!

I don’t want my children to be looking through pictures when I’m gone and only be able to find a few. I don’t want them to miss out on remembering those special moments because I either didn’t take the picture or I took such a bad one that they can barely tell what’s going on.

Look at this adorable subject: Imagine what I could do if I was actually good at taking pictures!

So, I’m going to watch a lecture and pick up my “big girl” camera and see what I can do. Wish me luck!