DelaLane Photography Blog » {Tell Your Story} Newborn & Family Lifestyle Photography in Yucca Valley, Ca

This is when 365 projects start to get more difficult. The first few weeks are generally a no-brainer. Here in month 5, before school has let out, when the year’s routines are established, when things start to get busy planning for summer, this, this is when it starts to get more challenging. I let myself off the hook a bit this month and subbed my camera phone on a couple of days when, in the past, I would have brought my big camera. It was a blessed relief! I take a ton of photos on my phone that I never do anything with. I’m beginning to realize that those phone pics, those are real photographs with real memory-saving power! They must not be wasted! And how nice it is to be able to spend a day in Disney or at the beach without worrying about banging my $2000 lenses on something. Seriously, it’s nice. And it’s been years since I’ve allowed myself this kind of out. We need to do that for ourselves, don’t we? Life is always so, so busy. I know I’m not the only one who perpetually feels like I don’t have enough time, *ever*, for all the things I want to do! When we can modify our habits, just a little, to allow us to spend more time on the people and things that matter most, when we find ways to be be more fully present in the moments we are given with the people we love, it’s a good thing.

So, here’s a little peek at May, a second or two from each day. A {Daily Cup of Jo} (and his sister, and a little of me and the hubs too.)

Tell Your Story | www.delalanephotography.com

 

Month FOUR. Already. Wowsas. This year, I’ve committed to taking at least one photo a day of this guy. Our son, Jo. This is the year he’ll be mostly 2. I did the same project for his big sister the year *she* was mostly 2, and I hope to have a matching set of coffee table books, one for each of them, at the end of 2015.

This month had a couple of hiccups… reformatting a card with the day’s photos before I uploaded them (oi.) And a camera that decided to “Err” on me during a camping trip to which I didn’t bring my back up (argh.) So, I missed one day, and had to make do with my camera phone for a couple of days, using my Instagram account to fill in the blanks.

It’s all good.

Because this is about preserving memories. I’ve done several personal projects over the years, and I can’t tell you how vital they are. Taking time to live inspires your work. In order to be a professional photographer, I MUST also be a hobbiest. It’s how the passion stays. It’s where the inspiration comes from. And this project isn’t about perfection. It’s about my kids, my life, our memories. It’s not about creating a perfect picture every day. It’s about taking a picture every day so that I don’t forget, and being blessed with the occasional exception image/memory I never would have gotten to keep had I not committed to try for it every day, regardless of whether I felt inspired or not.

It’s all good.

Thanks for letting me share a few seconds my of my real world with ya.

Tell Your Story | www.delalanephotography.com

I met up with this family 2 years in a row during their family vacation to the desert. And these boys were just as cute and full of life as I remember. And their Mom was just as cool, calm, collected and gorgeous as I remember. Moms who make raising three young boys look easy, and not a cause for panic, amaze me. . She kept up with her high energy boys. And she did it heels! One of my favorite family photos I’ve ever taken comes from this session. Amazingly, at one point, Dad picked up all three boys at once, and we got such a fun series of them all being goofy and laughing together. Makes me smile every time!

2_2V-WEB3_2H_1Vb-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-2-158-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-2-212-WEB3_2H_1Va-WEB

2014-March---McDonald-Family-2-276-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-2-374-2-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-2-388-WEB2_1H_1Vb-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-2-419-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-2-425-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-2-514-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-2-538-WEB

Tell Your Story | www.delalanephotography.com

Can’t believe it’s been over a year since this session with a sweet, vacationing family. I realize that my perpetually delinquent blogging isn’t the best way of doing things. But I have to admit, it’s fantastically fun to go back and look through images I haven’t really looked at in a year and see them like they’re new again.

I remember two things about this session. The weather was glorious. A little chilly for a dress and shorts perhaps, but truly beautiful. I love shooting in the desert when the clouds are out. It creates such beautiful, rich, and varied backgrounds. Cloudy days in the desert are better than cloudy days anywhere else.

And I remember this little man. He was super shy when we first met up. You can watch the progression. He was feeling very reserved about me near the beginning of the session, even hiding behind mom’s leg to avoid my gentle interactions at one point. But I won him over. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. To me, that is one of the most fulfilling aspects of photographing toddlers. When you gain the approval of a completely honest little person, it feels good. And we were total buds by the time we wrapped this session up. Take a look.

2014-March---McDonald-Family-82-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-97-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-102-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-111-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-128-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-157-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-169-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-181-WEB3_3V-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-202-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-221-bw-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-275-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-300-bw-wEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-325-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-339-WEB2014-March---McDonald-Family-379-wEB

Tell Your Story | www.delalanephotography.com

Month three, check. Ninety days. One photograph of our boy for every day of 2015 so far. Ninety {Cups of Jo}. Ninety cups of coffee is actually a good way to describe this kid.

He is a handful. And such a boy. And so darn cute. And we love him so. Here’s a few seconds immortalized, to help us remember his life as a two-year-old in March 2015.

Want to catch up with the rest of Jo’s 365? Here’s the post from January. Here’s the one from February. 🙂

Tell Your Story | www.delalanephotography.com

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