When I was little, we had 5 photos hanging together in our living room from a family photoshoot we had done with my extended family. We were posed formally, and all wearing coordinating pastels and cream-colored clothing. I had a small eyelet dress, my brother looked like an extra from Miami Vice. I looked at those photos every day for my entire childhood. I can picture it now, our smiles, our interaction. Even though the images were formal and the look is dated, that is how I picture my family all together.
That is what photos do – they capture a moment in your life and let you imbue it with the essence of that time. I don’t think I have ever worn another eyelet dress, and goodness knows I don’t own anything white, but there is something true about those images and what they captured, how the images themselves became a part of my life.
So, I know that family portraits are important. And I also know that they don’t have to be quite so formal to have that same sense of importance. Family portraits can be fun and silly and quirky and casual, and all of those things just give more life to the images. I had a wonderful time with Anna and her family here a pleasure to spend time with – we walked around playing in the architecture of downtown Minneapolis where old stone work meets modern steel. I hope that these photos live with them for years to come!
