My Family Gets the Shaft with Family Photography

It's true. As with everything, we stupid, slow learning humans usually take for granted the things that are the most important in life. We mix up our priorities and all too often put our dear sweet families on the back burner.

Garrett - always Mr. GQ. Watch out ladies... he's a heartbreaker!

 We've all done it. I mean, who hasn't said, "meh, we'll just have a microwave dinner because I have some stuff to finish up and don't have time to cook today." Ok, if not a microwave dinner, then macaroni and cheese (the boxed stuff - ya know, where you boil water). C'mon, admit it!

I love Darren! This kid was so busy helping me with hold reflectors and carry my flash that I only got a handful of pictures with him. He takes such good care of all of us!

 Well I do it more often than I should. That comes with being a seriously ADHD, OCD, hyper person with too many hobbies and a lot of time on her hands. I ALWAYS have projects. I wish I could say they were of the small variety that could be started, finished, and cleaned up in a matter of hours. Nope. My projects usually result in large masses of mess that seem to grow with every passing day and last for weeks on end. I'm pretty sure they are living and breathing creatures that should be cataloged into some bizarre encyclopedia of my life. Or maybe not because that would be a really boring and really large set of books!

Leave it to Ari and Nathan to have a icicle fight to wrap up the shoot!

 My sweet family (especially my poor patient husband) knows this about me and yet continues to encourage, support, and egg-on my sometimes ridiculous schemes. A lot of good has come of it, despite all the craziness. Don't you just LOVE families because of that?

Oh Brian! I love those baby blues but if you aren't closing them, your turning them toward the wall. For shame! You should be flaunting them to the world!

My photography for example. It used to drive me absolutely bonkers that my father would take photos CONSTANTLY on our family vacations. I mean, he had at least 2 cameras and a videocamera around his neck at all times (and I mean ALL times). He made us take pictures by every sign, every lookout and vista, every campsite...everywhere. everything. everyone. We honestly must have several thousands of pictures stored in various shoe boxes, plastic totes, binders, and other various unorganized organizational devices.

Notice: No camera! haha! These two put up with a lot of... well... craziness from us kids over the years.

 I'm blushing now as I admit, ahem... I have several thousands of photos collected over a mere 4 years of photography. That's 4 years of general playing around. I've only been "pro," paid, whatever for 2 years (this month actually! Woah, it's our anniversary! I just realized!!). So yes. My name is Alanna and I am a photoaholic. And no, I do not plan on going through the 12 steps of overcoming my addiction. I just plan on buying several terabytes more of digital storage. At minimum. :)

Alejandorito! My favorite moment of the shoot was when he jumped up to hug the tree and all the snow came falling down on top of him! I knew I was a decent photographer when I was able to hold in the hysterical laughter building inside of me and kept my composure to actually capture this series!

So to my wonderful family, I thank you for your patience. For letting me take photos of you that were terrible, ugly, grainy, out of focus, boring, (insert any other - non-profane please - adjective here). I am the photographer I am today because you let me experiment with you in any way I pleased, just short of poking, prodding, and probing. I love you all and I am sincerely sorry that I have put your photos on the back burner for so long in lieu of taking time to recover from a broken back, finishing a masters degree, visiting (almost) every family member, attending graduations, going on vacations, and having long crudely hilarious conversations over the phone - or text.

Yep. That's me and the hubster. Love that guy more than the day we met (awww! how cute are we???)

 So, here ya go. The rest are on Facebook so get your lazy little clicking fingers moving and go there to see the rest. Love you guys :)

This is what our test shots usually look like. You know, when we're supposed to be just "checking the lighting and posing" to make sure it looks right... yea... not in this house. Call it an opportunity. Dad, you win for maximizing that opportunity. Photograph or do not photograph, there is not test shot (um, that would sound sooo much cooler if you heard the Yoda voice that I can hear in my head while writing that...).

So jump on over to my Facebook Page (or Google+ page) to see the rest of the more normal photos.