Behind the Perfectly Posed Pics

I love taking pictures of my kids, my house, my projects and my food.  

I snap pictures all throughout the day

 and I have a confession for you...

I take LOTS of pictures to get ONE great picture.

I'd say I take 10-15 pictures of something before I am really happy the shot.  Occasionally I'll get "the shot" in just a few tries, but usually it's more.  If I'm trying to take pictures with both of my kids in it I'd say it takes twice as many pictures to come up with a good one.  So next time you think that my kids are super easy to photograph or just start cooperating when the camera comes out, think again.  haha!  I work hard to get cute pictures of them.  Some days it's super easy and everyone is cooperating and other days it takes a little longer.  I have figured out the spots in my house with the best lighting, have a variety of pretty backgrounds to use and try hard to snap cheerful pictures with as little effort as possible.

Our days do not revolve around taking pictures.  I snap a few when the moment is right and then put my camera/phone away.  If we are doing an activity I try to snap my pictures at the beginning and then put my phone away to enjoy the moment.  I rarely will take photos for extended periods of time and have figured out that it is best if I snap the pictures at the start.  This is also my rule of thumb when we are out and about, on vacation or doing something special.  Snap some pictures at the beginning and then relax and enjoy the rest.

So here are the HIGHLIGHTS photos I have shared
follow by four outtakes to give you some perspective:

// 1 //

 And these are the silly outtakes that were a part of the process.

// 2 //

And these are the silly outtakes that were a part of the process.

 // 3 //

And these are the silly outtakes that were a part of the process.

 // 4 //

 And these are the silly outtakes that were a part of the process.

 // 5 //

 And these are the silly outtakes that were a part of the process.

Remember, lots of what you see on-line are the things people want to be seen.  You aren't likely to want to share the outtakes, the imperfect moments or the chaos for all to see.  I aim to share a balance of things - pretty things, happy things, real things and real life moments.  Life isn't perfect, but my days are filled plenty of happy moments to share.  I love to look back in my blog archives and remember all of the fun times and happy memories we are making each year.

Since we are on the subject of photos...

I read a fun post by my friend Stephanie recently called Love Your First Selfie

She challenges you to post, enjoy and love the first selfie you take instead of taking tons and tons of selfies to get that perfect shot.  It's a good read for sure and a great reminder to not take things so seriously.

Now I'm curious...

Do you take several pictures to get the perfect shot to share?

Do you post your first selfie or take several and pick the best one??

Linking up with The Picture Perfect Project today.