What's perfect?

When Chris and I got married here in Ann Arbor, one thing that I was really picky about was the photography. I searched through tons of people, and found Linda, who I loved. She did just what I wanted. Black and white, real film, hand printed, photojournalistic style. Old-school. I loved the photos that she got, felt like it was worth every penny. Through the last year, I lamented that Linda was a wedding photographer, not a family photographer. Then, when we knew we were moving back here, I got on her website to see what she'd been up to. And she had changed! She still does weddings primarily, but she sees some families too now. We've been in contact, trying to work out a time that she can meet and photograph the girls. But, like everything else, it's been on hold while we wait for the house to be ready. Then, this week we decided to meet and do at least some studio headshots, and then meet for more candids once the house is ready. We met tonight at 6:30.

This is always a struggle for me. I absolutely love photography. And I love candid stuff. But I want it to be perfect too. The first pictures we had done of the girls (at 3 mo) were a disaster. So much so that none of you have seen them....;) The girls cried, the photographer was horrible, we were rushed...uuggh. Awful. I cried all the way home from the appointment. At 6 months we got some beautiful photos, but I stressed about it for a week. And it was a hard 2 hours of work to get some great shots. This time, I wasn't as concerned with their behavior. I was more concerned with how they look. They fall constantly lately. They always have scratches or bruises. They're both so active, and daring. And clumsy. They knock each other into stuff. And all week I've been struggling with the idea of taking pictures while they have a scratch on their face (Saoirse) or a goose-egg on their forehead (Rowan). I keep telling myself...it's about documenting our lives. This is our life. Anyone can airbrush the photos. But this is what they really look like right now. But the pictures I fantasize about are always perfect. It's not that I want the photos to be posed and airbrushed. I want them candid. I just want things to actually BE that perfect.

Well. Linda says she's pretty sure she got some good shots. The girls were very wiggly, spent the majority of the time we were with her trying not to look at the camera. Or trying to grab it. I'm trying to just trust my photographer. And life. And my beautiful daughters.

Here are some non-perfect photos from the last few days: