'tis the season of outtakes

It's time! For the annual Holiday Card family photo attempts. I always like the outtakes best (past years' evidence here, here and here). The smiling family shots are always lovely and treasured, of course...but the realness of the out-of-focus, off-centered, silly and funny ones will tell me so much more about how we live our lives and who we are years from now. And right now, they make me smile.

Cheers to all of you attempting the big Holiday Photo - wishing you some fun outtakes, too!

Comments

[Julia]

The pictures are beautiful. So full of movement and real life. I love to see your children running ahead and about. It makes me think of when we were little.

[Ravenhill]

This was such a funny post! Loved seeing the pictures that weren't picture perfect! Sensational, unposed and candid. Doesn't get any better! Love the natural life you are embracing. We are living pretty much the same way - only in Norway.

[Kara]

Your outtakes are lovely! I agree, sometimes they are the best photos of all (and what a great exercise in letting go of "perfection" and just having fun) We actually decided that this year the outtakes ARE the card :-)

Best Wishes!

[cyndi]

wonderful!

[jean]

goodness they were little in those other outtakes!

[Madeline]

you're reminding me that we need to do this and yes, I LOVE the outtakes, always. Yours are great!

[Heather]

Ah yes, we did the family Christmas picture at Grannie and Granddad's this year, we STILL got out of focus, crazy child pictures! But they ARE the best!! Thanks for sharing!

Also, I must tell you that I ordered THE farmhouse that you have for your cuties and the place that I ordered it from said that I got the LAST one, and it wasn't even Dec. yet!! They proceeded to say that these Ostheimer wooden toys are becoming extremely popular now. I CAN'T wait until Christmas when Colin opens it! Hmmmm...it sounds like I am more excited than he will be?? By the way I got the farmhouse at this site www.quiethourstoys.com They have a great selection of really neat wooden toys.

Happy Holiday! Heather

[Jessica Keith]

That last one is priceless! I think you should skip the posed, smiling family and use that one instead!

[Suzanne]

Yup, yours look like the ones I have attempted--out of focus, blurry, no one looking at the lens:-) Ah well...like you said real life shots!

[Jade]

That's funny Amanda. I just posted the same thing. It's about impossible to get a good photo opp!

[melody]

We've given up on the family photo... I now do the collage of photos for the Christmas card... but I miss the outakes.

[Wendy]

It's funny how these pictures would never go on the family Christmas cards, even though they are a much more accurate representation of family life.

Although, I agree with Jessica, that last one is fantastic! (Although, I'm sure the one you picked is great, too.)

Once again, I just have to say what a lovely place you live in. You are so lucky!

[Melissa!]

Thanks for the reminder (& the laugh!. We're getting closer & closer to getting cards out before Christmas - we haven't done it yet but we're getting there. Maybe we should all send outtakes this year!

[Anne]

Thank you for the laugh, our family photo went pretty much the same way.

[angela]

I've been lurking, but just wanted to say... I'm a fellow momma and
I LOVE YOUR BLOG! It is a highlight of my day to check and see if you've posted. Your amazing photos and real life attitude are so refreshing. I've told all of my friends about it, and they, too, comment on how cozy it makes them feel to read it. I've done more crafts with my kiddos and just enjoyed my time with them even more, as a result of reading your blog. So... Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[christina]

All of thoes would of made beautiful Christmas cards! I just got a simple camera for my birthday, and am inspired by your photos. Happy holidays to you and yours!
Christina Gomez

[camerashymomma]

i was just commenting to a friend, the enjoyment of the blurriness of some shots like they are a portrait of the typical day in the life. thanks for sharing these, and i enjoyed looking at the outtakes from previous years too!

[em.s]

soooooo cute. i especially like the last few years. kids are so unpredictable it's delectable.

[knittymama@yahoo.com]

Do you put out a lot of books seasonally? We struggle with book overload around here...the boys have soooo many that they just get piled up all over the place and it's impossible to find half of what we're looking for, and I feel like they aren't enjoyed as much because of it.
I could see how having them organized in that manner might help that problem.

[Veronica TM]

they make me smile too!

[Natalie]

Out-takes:Real Life. I love them too.

[jsk]

I agree - that last one would be a marvelous card!

[Kim]

Oh I adore the outtakes. It really is what life is all about isn't it?

[Jen]

The outtakes are abolutely the best! I can never delete a single, blurry one- they are too hysterical. The faces, the action...they keep me tickled as they roll through on the screensaver. Hope you got a "good" one for the card or gift.

[Grace]

we've got to do it today ... i always mail on nov 30!

[Tava]

So cute, and yes, real. Love it!

[kay]

Thanks for the laugh...I needed one. The past years photos are a hoot! What a great family you have.

[Lil' d]

I did consider using one of our outtakes for our card: 2 year old daughter with a hand raised, about to hit already flinching 4 year old brother. I ended up deciding that the picture of her giving him a hug was probably more fitting for the season of peace and goodwill, though...

[Ivy Arts]

My guys move so fast that most photos are outtakes. Thanks for reminding me that we have to work on this years photo. :)

[grace]

We have been postponing our attempts due to sickness. But after we are all well it will be our of laziness. Then the last minute will arrive and we'll go with something close enough to good. I hope.

[Lizz]

We like to do ours outside too. Oh, and when you get the pets involved it really gets crazy! I like to choose the off pictures for the actual card, the goofy ones, somehow it's usually the first shot!

[Lori]

amanda, too funny, i blogged holiday photos today, too. lol.

[Ashley]

I too love outtakes, I think this year our card might only consist of them. You're right though, it shows so much more of the personality of the subject than traditional posed shots (which are lovely too).

[SOULEMAMA]

Cassie Kemp - I don't get it? Those are all my photographs. Is there something I'm missing?

[brandie]

oh my god! all those outtakes are too cute. and they all have changed so much!

[Monica]

agreed with the 'real' photos. :)

last year's holiday photo was the boys playing in the leaves. i was lucky enough to shoot off one of them throwing them up at the same time...a bit blurry, huge grins and cute bellies showing.

thanks for sharing yours.
**Monica

[abelene]

so i read this quite frequently...but i'm hesitant to comment due to the personal nature of the blog. here goes nothin'

i wanted to encourage you in all your ventures with that fam. of yours. while so much might seem routine to you, it's nothing short of phenominal. the creativity, the family, the simplicity, etc. i feel i'm in a similar vein of parenting & when i read of your family i think how cool it is that, in a while, wee ones like yours & mine are going to be the grown-ups around here. so...just a small peanut of thanks to you.

[suz]

.....oh so lovely and golden are your pics'! Me and my Dan are going to attempt a picture for xmas cards this sunday - it finally snowed here and you are so right - I bet the outakes will be faves.....looking fwd to a good belly laugh as we'll also be including Benny the husky/shepherd (we'll try and get him to do a snow-angel...)ha. Such a lovely place to visit is your soulemama page....thanks much! cheerio!

[luckybeans]

Amanda, these are wonderful! I especially love Ezra getting his snuggles in while everyone else is a blur around him, and Sir Calvin the Ever-Vigilant, whatever the rest of you are up to.

[kate z.]

i can't believe no one's asked this yet, but i must know: where'd you get those cute boots?

[Wendy Almeida]

I totally agree with you on the outtakes -- and the stories behind taking the annual holiday card photo -- are great. Last year our cat posed in the photo and then mistakenly locked in the car with the keys by one of the kids. A holiday card we will likely never forget taking ;-)

[Rebecca U]

Out-takes are the best. We've only 1 child, but our dogs get involved too. Picture dog licking child and that's one of my fav outtakes of all. Too bad it hid my husband's face...