Family photos take a holiday

 

Kim's Santa photo taken at John Wanamaker's in Philadelphia, circa 1959.

Editor's note: End of the semester classes and grading left me exhausted, so my loving husband, Jim, offered to pinch hit for me this week. I hope you enjoy his offering.

The other day we took boxes of Christmas decorations out of storage and brought them home. Although this will be our third Christmas together, it is the first we will celebrate in our own place. Kim eagerly began decorating our apartment. I, not quite in the holiday spirit yet, was content to watch her almost childlike joy, pulling things out of boxes she had not seen in quite awhile and finding appropriate spots for them in the living room.

As decorations went up on our bookshelves, photos came down. Down came photos of my daughter Kat, one taken of her at a Sea World summer camp getting a kiss by a Beluga whale, another of her with a chattering lorry perched on her shoulder. Down came pictures of Megan and Allison, my two stepdaughters, looking very much like they do today – tall, pretty, and smart – only a few years younger. Down came a cute picture of the granddaughter Charlotte, who seemingly can only be captured looking cute.

The author's daughter, Kat, with her charge "Mama Llama," at Moorpark's Exotic Animal Training and Management teaching zoo.

I was actually appalled at the removal of those photos. Surely the decorations and the photos can co-exist, I asked my wife. “Oh, don’t worry, they will go back when the decorations come down,” Kim said.

It’s only been a couple of days, but I truly miss those photos. I love photography. I am a big fan of the Hollywood glamour portraits of George Hurrell done in the 1930s. I often find myself spellbound by the photos in National Geographic of the wonders of the world.

I appreciate good photojournalism, including the work of my colleagues at the Antelope Valley Press. I admire the work of good family portrait and wedding photographers, including our friend Valeri Estrada, whose work, including shooting our wedding, is fantastic. And I love family snapshots, even the cringe-worthy ones of myself and my loved ones.

One of the things that I’ve noticed about our family shots is that the really good ones are of people being happy, or in their element, or both. The photos from our wedding, for example, are fantastic – the result of a terrific photographer shooting people having a great time.

A photo by Valeri Estrada, Little Blue World Photography, of the Rawley clan having a good time at the Rawley/Skeen wedding.

My wife hates having her picture taken and that disdain is often evident in the photos. Now put her with someone or something she loves, her granddaughter or her MG, for example, and the results are remarkable. One of the items Kim pulled from the Christmas boxes was a photo of her, about age 5, I think, on Santa’s lap. It’s a great shot – who doesn’t love Santa?

A photo of the author's wife that she doesn't hate, by Valeri Estrada.

With my daughter Kat, photos work best when she’s with animals – which is most of the time. All my photos of her the last few months have been at her school, Moorpark’s Exotic Animal Training and Management program, where she’s with animals virtually 24/7. The shots I’ve taken there show a young woman at ease, confident, and having the time of her life.

Charlotte? Well, I’m biased here, but I think she is naturally photogenic. The best shots of her are the ones where she has a mischievous smile, making you wonder if she’s up to no good and masking it with cuteness.

I, like Kim, am not fond of the camera, but I submit to it a bit more willing. I try to bear the cringe-worthy shots with good humor. The best ones of me, I believe, are when I’m with the people I love – my beautiful Kim, Kat, Megan, Ally, Megan’s Chris, and, of course, Charlotte.

I am getting into the Christmas spirit and do love the decorations Kim has put up. Now, I just need to find temporary homes for those photos.