My friend called me yesterday to tell me she drove past a field of Sunflowers and I needed to get out there immediately and photograph someone – anyone.  I’ve realized as I’ve gotten busier with photo shoots that I’ve started to slack on taking pictures of my own family so I took her advice, piled the family in the car and drove to the field.

It did not disappoint.

So here’s my top 5 reasons for YOU to grab your camera (even if it’s just the one on your phone) and do the same:

#1 Sunsets in late summer are magical

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#2 I don’t know about yours, but my kids have each grown 2 inches since January (as proven by my beautiful wooden height chart that I am now starting to resent).  It literally catches my breath to see the difference in their little faces in photos.  I would be devastated if I didn’t have those earlier photos.  Take. More. Photos.

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#3 You don’t need a field of sunflowers.  You don’t even need the ‘magical’ sunset.  You just need a little personality.

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#4. If your lucky enough to get them to stop running for long enough…

(“Look Mom, that plane is HUGE!”)

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you just might get the shot that takes your breath away.

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#5 Someday, they’ll thank you for it.

(This is what I get when I ask them to smile – seriously)

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Not interested in being the photographer?  Hire one!  You won’t regret it.

**Yes I do have a 3rd child, he was keeping my husband busy as he tried to run photobomb every picture I took!