Family photography – dads avoiding pictures
I’ve never been keen on having my photo taken, being a shy child, and until having N just not liking it especially when I’m not at my fit healthy self. The inbetween stage of 6th form and uni (pre-digital cameras and mobile phones) it was a bit more of a treat having photos taken, and most of them were at fun occasions with friends, parties, events etc.
Then you grow up, settle down and the photos seem to stop. It’s like no adults in our group even contemplate taking photos (unless at weddings, or maybe at a big party celebration). This really contrasts for me when having N…and a blog. Because I take photos all the time. Mostly of N, sometimes of the two of us (because selfies and photo editing mean less requirement for a whole body shot, and more flattering images with a child half in front – maybe when I lose my weight I’ll be more willing to have photos taken again).
I think photos are really important. I’ve always loved flipping through family photo albums and learning about our family history and important occasions. Apart from albums of N we don’t have family photo albums since the OH and I visited New Zealand and other various holidays. But I’ve got all our old family photos that I wanted to keep when my mum died. I’ve got our childhood photos, but I’ve also got her childhood photo albums of when she lived abroad, and of my grandparents. One of my favourite photos is one of my mum, dad and me as a baby. It’s a studio shot, and it’s the only photo I have of my dad and me; he was always the one taking the photos and he died when I was three.
Having this photo means it’s so important to me that N has a family photo, or a nice photo of me and him, and one of his dad. You never know what might happen, but having photos of your family are like security and knowledge of where you come from. Yes you can live without photos because you have memories in your mind, but it’s also nice to have photos around as prompts. I know with my nan having dementia and in a nursing home, when we go and visit we quite often talk to her about the few family photos of hers that we took in for her to have in her room.
So far, I’ve pretty much failed in persuading the OH to have a decent photo taken with N. And as for a family photo, the best I’ve got is me photo-bombing the two of them on the beach when we were on holiday last year.
The OH hates having his photo taken, and says he just doesn’t understand the need to take photos all the time. Well no, not all of the time that’s fair enough, but it would be nice to have a photo to show that we are a family and for N to have in future when and if he leaves home, and to be passed on through the family. Any photos I have managed to take haven’t been flattering because they’ve just been grabbed surreptitiously.
Maybe one day I’ll get a decent family photo…
Is it just my OH who refuses to have photos taken, or all men who aren’t interested in cameras or photos themselves?
Why not take a look at these similar posts.
My husband is always trying to avoid the camera and telling me to put it away. It’s hard and then the bribing happens to him and the kids together. hahah Either way lovely captures I love candid photos where not everyone is looking at the camera. lol Thank you ever so much for linking up to Share With Me. #sharewithme
Your photos with your husband do look really natural, so he’s obviously able to relax once the camera is out. It’s definitely interesting how they prefer the camera to be put away totally, when in a lot of families in the past it seemed to be the men doing all the camera holding.
Oh dear, I had to laugh at the idea that the only way you can get a family picture is to photobomb your son and other half! The good news is you are far from special, I have never met a man who likes having his photo taken, but someone said to be recently that when we have gone (!) what our kids will really want is pictures of them *with* us and not just thousands of pictures of them on their own. So perhaps try that as a guilt trip to your OH! 😉
That’s exactly the view I take. What gets me is that he likes looking at old family photos and showing N, so it’s strange that he then doesn’t want one at least of him in photos. It would help if someone else was more of a camera lover in the family, then they could snap us.
We’ve just published a post on family photos – hop over and have a read! Hope it helps!
I am always behind the camera, so there are very few photos of me with the kids!
#sharewithme
I saw your post thanks. Most of the time the difficulty is that the OH is always working so is never with us. But even on holiday he just moaned everytime the camera came out.