It's Safe Again - I think

One thing about Blogging, you get some really strange comments from strangers. I had to turn off the comments and stopped for awhile. I think it's safe to return.

So what are the SAFE topics??? Of course babies, born (but not too graphic from the delivery room pics) toddlers, even when they make a mess. Maybe espeically when they make a mess, just watch what it is they made a mess with, again somethings are too graphic. Kids going to school, the first day of school, unless they are screaming and parentials and teachers are frazzled.

Now holidays - Lots of cool pics right? Consider the following:

Halloween dress-ups, unless it it a caricature of a stereotype, in which case you are doomed, or it is too scary or realistic, or even {gasp!} your REAL SELF.

Thanksgiving, really. If you are cooking it do you have time to document it? Someone else is taking the photos, can they compose a shot or make the mental allowances to compensate for the distance between the viewfinder image and the shutter image? Hmmm??? And let's not forget the teens wereing an old faded t-shirt or the latest "hoochie mama" stuff, the kids that "were dressed up" and now look decidedly non-dressed and the adults and their mufti. No one coordinates!!! And the table shots -- nothing that will get you published, not the slick "Martha Stewart" totally coordinated or the "Pottery Barn" eclectic electric mix.

Christmas is another TOTALLY out of control holiday. Instead of warm "homey" colors, now nearly anything goes, and it's so hard to have those "perfect" photographic shots. You can "stage" to an extent the holiday decorations, attend performances and juggle or barge your way to a location for that PERFECT shot. But the majority of it -- the tired adults and overtired and excited children and pets...

And this is only the stereotyped mainstream "traditional" holidays and families.

What if you are {whisper} "different" in some way??? You don't celebrate one or more of these holidays, or you celebrate in a way that is DIFFERENT. Our even celebrate different holidays altogether???

What if your family is NOT traditional?
Your children are all teenagers and don't want to: A. Be photographed at all. And B. Are absent, either sulking in their rooms, hiding in the basement or over participating (not) at someone else's house??

You are NOT near any other family members, but choice, distance or design?

Your family is not in any sense traditional. Different in so many ways from the make-up and sexual orientation to cultural and racial differences show up more, because of the "greater societial norms" are more apparent in the media (like advertising) and in published scrapbook pages.

So is it safe? What a silly question!!! Are you the advertising director?

It is YOUR family, it is your life, it is the events that make up the mosaic of your lives. While somethings might be too graphic for widespread publication. (birthing for example) if it is important to you, do the page.

School is not all smiles and "A+" there are tears, if your child is fearful - go ahead and document it, and don't give in to the influence of "aww how cute." Document what it is that your child fears...

Halloween, photograph the costume. Other holidays, document what it is that makes it your family's holiday. Teens, ask for ONE photo with the family, And then ask that they take a few photos as well of you rushing around, or of family members. Ask another adult to take a few photos. And RETHINK what a perfect page or perfect holiday is. We are not all "Martha Stewart" or "catalogue images" designed to sell an "ideal" as well as furnishings.

Years from now, it will be those "crazy things" that family will remember, not how well everything matched up and coordinated.