.jpg "Me and my dad - a treasured family photograph")
There is a Facebook trend that is going round at the moment, asking people to replace their profile pictures with pictures of their dads in recognition of both Father’s Day and their wonderful dads. Its a fun idea and I love seeing my friend’s dads in my facebook stream. But it does make me a little sad too. The reason being is that my own dad died suddenly just before my 21st birthday and I really do only have a couple of blurry photos of me and him together from when I was a child.
I know that this is a very poignant and personal reason why I am quite passionate about parents actually appearing in photographs with their children. Lets face it, we all take lots of photographs of our own kids, but how many do you have with yourselves in the shot? (And how many of those show you gritting your teeth, saying “just sit still and SMILE PLEASE, kids”!).
One of the very special and important reasons to include yourself in front of the lens, rather than behind it, is the legacy of memories that you leave behind for your children. I really do feel privileged to be able to capture wonderful memories for families that they treasure both now and that their children will, for many years to come.
So, this Father’s Day, have a think about getting yourselves in front of the camera, with your children. Because now that I am a parent myself, I especially love the photographs that are with my parents, and the few ones of me and my dad together are incredibly important to me. It is a little window into the wonderful parental-to-child relationship. It is the stuff of memories.
Kx
Lovely post Kerry and you are so right. Good photographs are not only beautiful but also important and precious… Love this photo too x
Ah, very true, Kerry. Very true. I’m really bad at not getting in the photo with the kids, but should do for them, if for nothing else.
So true Kerry, it’s just like I wasn’t there most of the time… It has made me think about it and maybe popping into shot occasionally, I hate pictures of me and my crooked teeth! xx
Kerry a lovely post, with such an important message. Plus I have my eye on your Enid Blytons!
Thanks for all your lovely comments… if I have made even a few parents think about getting in front of the camera with their children more, then I am happy.
Suzanne, your gorgeous children will not even see a wonky tooth, they will just see the mum they love.
Teresa, try and do it!
Rosie, I treasure that photo so much – check out my VERY blonde hair too!
Kate, thank you.. the Enid Blytons were my mums… I love vintage books.
I have read this through Teresa’s link and what you say is so true. I lost my dad recently so thinks are still very raw, however, I was lucky, he passed away just before his 83rd birthday and it would have been my mum and dads 50th wedding anniversary this year. We have loads of photo albums stuffed full of photos of holidays, events and occasions and my mum is always saying it all needs clearing out. However, when we were looking through the photos for one to include on the Order of Service for my dad’s funeral, my mum brother and I came across such happy memories and times that we talked over as a family, with tears in our eyes and emotion in our voices. It helped us remember at such a sad time what we were thankful for . I will always be grateful for the person who was my dad and all that he taught me.
Heather, thank you so much for your comments – so sorry to hear of your recent loss, it sounds like your dad was a wonderful man. Yes, I truly believe in the power of photos to help us remember special memories -they just capture moments in time which may not seem important right now but will be in the future.