PC Family Time

Since being inspired and encouraged by a fellow friend & another blogger I have tired more & more to work on my photo skills. What a better opportunity than family time at the park to get those shots in. We weren't really planning to go to the park, but I had some photo ideas in mind and thought why not bring the family along and see what I can capture. We were just lazy-ing around the house and I suggested our little outing. Jim & John were getting ready to head out into the back yard to play ball anyway. I had to do a little more encouraging & rallying the troops (ie forcing them to turn off the tv and get off the internet) to get them to all jump in the van.

What started as a "simple" hey let's go to the park turned out to be such a great time of family togetherness. The big kids & Jim played football. They even started inviting & encouraging other kids in the park to join in the game & soon a small crowd was playing.




The little kids played on the playground. Carmen & Andrew are our little monkeys. They have no fear.




I gathered everyone up on this big hill for my big PC shot. I will fully admit I stole this idea from another friend who has a similar photo on her blog. It's even the same hill in the same park. In her picture her 4 boys (ages 4 - 6) are perfectly holding hands and posing for the shot. I was wanting to created the same "perfect" look. Getting mine to get in birth order, standing still and holding hands like a big happy family was not really working like I wanted it to. In fact the harder I tried the more I was failing. So in desperation before I lost the attention of the 2 year old and heard one more complaint from the 15 year old I just snapped the shot. And this is what I got:


I can not tell you how much I LOVE how the photo turned out. It portrays our family more perfectly than a perfectly posed shot could have done. We've already printed this out in a big 8x10 to hang in the house somewhere. I also made this my profile picture on facebook & got several comments. It's a keeper and a great PC shot and a great family moment that we will never forget.

Once that moment passed we continued on with our playing in the park. I can only hide behind the camera for so long. Jim came over to tackle me since I was refraining from the football game.


We continued to play into the evening hours. We could have stayed out there all night. The initial complains & protest when I first launched my idea had long subdued. In fact when I suggested it was time to go I heard complaints of the opposite nature. Awwww, do we HAVE to go home? Just 5 more minutes? Those are complaints I like to hear : )



As much as I loved watching the atmosphere change and the evening sky turn lovely colors. It was time to call it a night or else become supper for a family of mosquitoes. I need to insist on more of these PC family nights. Sure, I'll get some great pictures, but the memories will last longer in the hearts of my children.