We played the “Where is the little boy in the mirror?” game  for about five minutes straight.

How wonderful it would be if we were all such good friends with the person in the mirror

Find out more about The Family Life Project 52 HERE.

Go see Rhonda’s interpretation HERE.

Brooke Snow is a Lifestyle photographer in Cache Valley, Utah. She is slightly obsessive with de-junking her house and gets an emotional high off of weekly trips to donate to Good Will.  And she likes green bananas.

Brooke teaches inspiring online photography classes that bring you confidence in your skills and creativity.

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Tradition states that to become a “True Aggie” you must kiss while sitting atop the famous “A”.  There is some sort of minor detail about it also needing to be at midnight with a full moon, but hey… works for me!

Ben officially graduated with his Masters Degree this past week!  We’re so proud of him and thrilled that school is OVER.  I remember the stress of my life 2.5 years ago when he started and I suddenly became the breadwinner for the family.  I lived with mild panic and stress induced ulcers for about 9 months until my life changed taking my local classes to an online world wide format.  The journey to get here has been hard. And it’s still hard. We’ve been job hunting for months with every prayer possible to stay living in the amazing rural paradise that we now call home.  Jobs here are scarce, but I’m so deeply grateful to everyone who supports my business so we can continue to search for Ben without urgent desperation.  I have faith that the right opportunity will come at the right time.

So, I’m obviously interrupting the flow of the weekly themes of the Family Life Project 52 to make a space for our BIG EVENTS!

In happy addition:

We celebrated 5 years of marriage!  Go us!

I’m so blessed to have Ben in my life.  He’s the best person in the world for me and I Sooooooo don’t deserve him.  I definitely got the better end of the deal and hope he never figures that out  Here’s to hoping for a weekend getaway with no 39 inch tall talking tagalong

You can go and see what the real theme was supposed to be this week on Rhonda’s blog!

Brooke Snow is a Lifestyle photographer in Cache Valley, Utah.  She thrives living in a rural community with wide open spaces and mountains of majesty.  So funny that as a litte girl all she wanted was to run away to the city for a more exciting life and now all she wants to do is stay put in absolute solitude. Nothing makes her happier than being unplugged, present, and outside in the grand Utah mountains.  So glad that we can grow up and into our real selves.

Brooke teaches inspiring online photography classes that bring you confidence in your skills and creativity.

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Why yes. It is bare.

It has a bed and a basket of stuffed animals.  Thats it.

There are some important reasons behind this.

In fact, they are the same reasons why our master bedroom is bare as well. We have a bed, a painting, and a chair. Thats all.

When someone can tear a place a part in 30 seconds flat, you have to employ some strategy.

Learn more about the Family Life Project HERE.

Check out Rhonda’s interpretation HERE.

Brooke Snow is a Lifestyle photographer in Cache Valley, Utah. She has recently discovered the most wonderful solution for having a constantly tidy house…get rid of most everything you own!  It’s fabulous and works like a charm!

Brooke teaches inspiring online photography classes that bring you confidence in your skills and creativity.

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“What is your favorite thing to photograph?”

The more specific I have gotten about answering that question the more I have learned about myself. My answer has always been, “Laughter”.

I’m attracted to joy.

I’m attracted to the beauty of the human spirit that shines forth and radiates through the whole body when those lovely moments of release are shared.

But life isn’t always joyful.

In fact, some days are so hard that when Ben arrives home he finds me dazed and bordering on insanity as I prostrate myself across the couch with my hands over my eyes trying to not pay attention to the tipped pictures on the wall, the stuffing from pillows flying around the room, the torn books, the unfinished puzzles with dozens of pieces missing, and the super sonic two year old swinging from the chandelier.  Usually when that is the scene that greets him, he quietly takes Buzzy into another room and whispers, “I’ve got it.”

It’s amazing how 5:00 p.m. hits and a switch happens inside of me that turns off all my capabilities of rising above. My patience is gone. I’m hungry. I’m tired. And everything in life is about twenty thousand times harder than normal.

Today was the third time this week Ben has had that type of homecoming.  He handed me a protein bar and told me to go outside while he restrained the screaming child.

So I did.

I sat in a chair in the backyard staring at our garage while eating my protein bar and slowly feeling life creep back into my body.

And then I remembered I hadn’t taken my Family Life Pictures yet. The daylight was escaping and I was enjoying my solitude. I quietly creeped into the house to steal away my camera and tri-pod and put on some make-up.  Amazing how just the 5 minutes of trying to look pretty helped me start to feel better about my “oh so tragic” life.

The first million pictures I took showed how grumpy I felt.  I don’t like grumpy pictures. I like laughter and joy pictures.

Then it started to rain.

And then I started to laugh.

Technically this week is supposed to be based on the theme “eyes”.  Given life circumstances and the caveat that this is supposed to not stress me out, I made up my own theme

Check out Rhonda’s post HERE.

Brooke Snow is a Lifestyle photographer in Cache Valley, Utah.  When life is gets especially hard she has a secret stash of imported chocolate.  It only takes one piece carefully enjoyed in an environment of peace and solitude to bring some spark back.  She prides herself on her restraint of only eating one, but secretly her strategy is also with a mind of preservation since she’ll likely need another piece tomorrow.

Brooke teaches inspiring online photography classes that bring you confidence in your skills and creativity.

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This weeks Family Life Project theme is

Easter

Buzzy was particularly adorable for church this week wearing a suit that Ben wore when he was a little boy. As such, it was a great opportunity to take a family picture since we were all dressed up.

It is at this moment that I would like to sing a little “ode to the tri-pod and timer”. Please que the orchestra:

Praise to the tri-pod

I love you so

You take my family pictures

Where ‘ere we go

Without you I’d be missing

From the photos here

But now I’ll be remembered

With my loved ones dear

After church we headed to my Grandma’s for the traditional Easter Egg hunt. Buzzy hasn’t taken a nap for weeks and of all the times to fall asleep in the car, it was on the drive there.

Poor Buzzy. Poor tired Buzzy who missed the whole Easter Egg Hunt frenzy…

So instead, I got to capture all my extended family

My lovely niece with her Easter bounty.

After Buzzy woke up we went and hid approximately nine eggs for him to find on his own private hunt.

The best part was that he kept wanting more eggs to find so I’d just take a handful of eggs out of his basket and hide them all over again.

I think we hid those same eggs about five times And each time the enthusiasm was the same! 2 year olds are great!

 Take advantage of extended family gatherings

To be honest, in the past I’d typically leave the camera home for family gatherings or at minimum I would have just photographed the kids during the Easter Egg hunt.  I’m trying to be more conscious of the special opportunity that these gatherings provide.

Its not often that we are all together, so I tried to take advantage of showing ALL the meaningful relationships in my life here through photos.

 Find a good background with good light.

 Lighten the mood through some fun interaction.

(We got Uncle Benny to do the chicken dance, we sang songs, and I asked for tickles and secret pinches! )

 It’s the interaction that brings emotion.

It’s the emotion that makes the images more than a documented stamp of “Easter–April 2012″.

People aren’t always going to be dressed for formal family portraits and might be hesitant for pictures.

BUT..if you can interact in a way that makes the whole experience FUN, short and sweet, and interactive, then these casual shots will be worth their weight in gold for your family.

Catch Rhonda’s version HERE!

Brooke Snow is a Lifestyle photographer in Cache Valley, Utah.  She loves to re-live her child-hood through the experiences of her son. She’s afraid that her life would be very boring and super serious without the wonder he brings to the everyday adventure.  Is there any way to bottle and preserve that child-like fascination with life?

Brooke teaches inspiring online photography classes that bring you confidence in your skills and creativity.

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1.  I put on make-up and did my hair so it really should be documented

2.  Buzzy decided he’s boycotting naps until he’s 90 years old, so we had about 3 hours to burn at the park.

This weeks theme is

Your Home Away From Home

I combined photo and video into the following short clip. I am loving video and the power of combining it with still shots.  So much fun!

*if you’re viewing this in your inbox or rss you’ll need to click HERE for the video!

Buzzy would prefer to live outside more than in his nice family home any day.  So for all the decent weather months we spend HOURS at the park.  I think I got more sun last year than my entire life combined. This year is shaping up the same.

Since it is Spring Break around here, we had the entire Elementary School playground to ourselves.  All for the best since I would have appeared a fool had anyone seen me running around with a tri-pod, remote, and timer.

Find the rest of the project HERE.

Head on over to Rhonda’s blog and see her interpretation of this weeks project with her own family HERE.

Brooke Snow is a Lifestyle photographer in Cache Valley, Utah. Her favorite subjects are her family. She truly believes that photography can be a tool for strengthening family relationships and being more fun!  Bet you didn’t know photography had super powers huh?!

Brooke teaches inspiring online photography classes that bring you confidence in your skills and creativity.

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“You can’t tell how deep a puddle is until you step into it”.

Today’s Family Life Project was a joyous spur of the moment thought. I looked out the window at 8:00 a.m. and saw glorious light reflecting off all the puddles in the street.

Buzzy could hardly contain his sheer delight that

1. He got to go outside so early.

2. He got to wear his new rain boots.

3. He was being encouraged to jump in puddles!

If you want to achieve true authenticity in your family life images here’s some golden tips for real emotion:

1.  Do something spontaneous and out of the typical routine.

2.  Let your child have fun doing something that is usually “discouraged”!

If you want to make the neighbors question your sanity:

1.  Bring your kid to play at the edge of a busy road and take pictures like it’s a completely normal idea.

2.  Demonstrate how to jump in puddles yourself.

3.  Sing songs and practice counting out loud to ten and naming the colors of your surroundings to engage your subject

Check out Rhonda’s images HERE.

Brooke Snow is a Lifestyle photographer in Cache Valley, Utah. She is learning how to use photography to strengthen the family relationships in her own home and help her “chill out” as a mom.  Bet you didn’t know photography had super powers

Brooke teaches inspiring online photography classes that bring you confidence in your skills and creativity.

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Ironically…

Yesterday I was on T.V.!

Thanks to my dearest friend, Sarah, for being my travel companion, support team, and photographer

The experience was actually really delightful.  The staff at Studio 5 are amazing and treated us like gold.  Studio 5 has a loyal following, not just because of the awesomeness you see on screen, but a truly talented behind the scenes team. So grateful for the opportunity!

Okay…

Want to watch the segment?!

*If you’re viewing this in your inbox or rss, you might need to click HERE for the video.

Check out Rhonda’s T.V./Movie theme post HERE.

This weeks Family Life Project was sort of a freebie with no theme. I took Buzzy to my parents, but no one was home! So we took their dog, Quincy, for a walk to get the newspaper.

Lest anyone think I’m a careless mother who just lets my child scale fences…well, hmmm. Let’s just say I have a future Olympian on my hands with not only incredible agility and balance, but a fiercely independent spirit who will do it anyway. Might as well support his talent.

Heaven forbid we should stay clean on a walk! It’s always best to roll around in the dirt before you’re done

Check out Rhonda’s post HERE!

Brooke Snow is a Lifestyle photographer in Cache Valley, Utah. She grew up on a dirt road outside town that was frequented by wild animals. Imagine having to walk to the bottom of the road to catch the school bus in the dark and being followed by skunks, moose, and herds of Elk!  It’s amazing she’s still alive to today.

Brooke teaches inspiring online photography classes that bring you confidence in your skills and creativity.

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This weeks Family Life Project theme is

Siblings

Poor Buzzy doesn’t have any siblings.  But he does have friends!

Alberto, Max, Booboo, Blue Guy, Katia, and Czerny.

They put up with a lot and I never hear a single complaint from them.  They’re my kind of friends!

View the whole project HERE.

Hop on over to Rhonda’s blog to see her version of this weeks theme!

Brooke Snow is a Lifestyle photographer in Cache Valley, Utah. She loves 100% pure maple syrup poured lovingly on all natural vanilla ice cream and eaten at 10:00 p.m. in the comfort of a tidy quiet house.  A true reward for making it to the end of the day.

Brooke teaches inspiring online photography classes that bring you confidence in your skills and creativity.

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