We went on vacation for Christmas, just a small getaway to relax and spend time with family. My girls are adults now, and time with them is precious. My one wish was to do sunset beach photos. I wanted the perfect family photos on the beach at sunset.
We tried on Christmas night. I was sure it would be perfect. The temperatures were ideal, there was a slight breeze, and I thought there wouldn’t be a crowd. I was so wrong. The beach was packed for sunset. We couldn’t even find parking. I gave up after an hour of circling for parking. I didn’t want my family to walk over a mile dressed up for photos. The time spent on hair and makeup alone…
My family was so gracious and said, “We’ll try again tomorrow.” But in my mind, I knew it would never quite match the vision I had for our family photos on the beach.
The next night was better, but still busy. We were dressed from shopping all day, but my sweet family made it happen. It was hard to take photos without people everywhere. The sunset in Naples was the thing to do that weekend. The wind was strong, our hair was flying, and it definitely wasn’t what I had imagined.
But you know what? I had to let the perfect vision go. Sometimes, family photos on the beach capture more than just the scene; they capture the essence of being together.
We were together. We were laughing. And now those moments are memories I’m grateful we made. So what if our hair was blowing everywhere. So I had to edit people out of the background of my photos. I had to decide what was more important… the perfect picture or the perfect memory.
So next time you’re thinking about family photos…do it. Perfection is overrated, but memories are forever.
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