As far back as I can remember, every summer my family would head out to my dad’s friends lake house in Pinckney, Michigan (on Portage Lake if you’re asking) around the 4th of July and they’d put on a fireworks show. At first it was just my dad and Rob shooting off a few fireworks from the beach, but eventually turned into a multi-family, steel reinforced, floating raft of wired fireworks that all of Portage Lake knew about and would turn up on pontoons ready to watch the show. It was a great summer family tradition, one that I absolutely loved as a kid!
The one problem is, I don’t really have any photos of it. I mean, it was the 80s/90s and cameras weren’t in our pockets at all times like they are today, but it would be nice if I have SOMETHING to show my kids. Me playing in the water all day before the show, my dad and Rob setting everything up, hot dogs on the grill. You know, something!
That’s where you come in! Don’t be like my family and only keep these family traditions alive through the *ancient* (and wonderful, but not the point of this post) art of storytelling. Don’t be like Homer, and get the dang photos.
Seriously, hire a photographer!
If it’s important for you, chances are this family tradition will be important for your kids (and hopefully their kids, and beyond). Love to eat cake together for Memorial Day? (I don’t know just go with me here…) Hire a photographer. Can’t wait to jump in the big pile of leaves you rake up every fall from your yard? Call up your family photographer. Spend every Sunday afternoon eating croissants and drinking tea on the patio of your neighborhood coffeeshop? Bring in a photographer. Make memories that last, while also memories you can share with family and friends!
Even if your tradition is yearly family photos, that’s still a tradition! If you’ve never splurged on a high quality photographer before and you usually just take them yourself, I challenge you this year to hire someone. Even if it’s just a mini session, sometimes all you need is 10 minutes to make those lasting memories. And hey, you might even have some fun!
What a family photo tradition can look like!
Every August since my daughter was born I have recreated this cute flowery photoshoot and I fall more and more in love with it every time I look at these three photos lined up! This year’s was a bit chaotic and fast, but still, I love seeing the progression. I can’t wait to hang these all up somewhere in my house and keep adding to it year after year (until Violet decides she’s had enough).
I don’t care if you hire me or someone else, but just get your family’s traditions documented! (Ok maybe I do care if you hire me… but… like… also just hire someone)
Your kids will thank you some day for getting those photos taken at your yearly family cookie decorating contest on Christmas Eve, or even your “let’s go get ice cream on the last day of school” tradition. I can guarantee you won’t regret even one second of it.
