The Eve of the Next Chapter… Don’t Let Time be a Thief.

I’ve always been acutely aware of the passage of time and kind of always remember being that way. And as a photographer, I try to capture pieces of that time to hold onto. Yet, I still say things like “time flies.” Time doesn’t just fly of course. It drags. It stretches. It sometimes opens up and almost swallows you. And sometimes, looking back, it does feel like time actually flies.

Almost 10 years ago I read a piece in Slate written by Rob Lowe about sending his son Matthew off to college (https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/05/rob-lowe-on-sending-his-son-off-to-college-an-excerpt-from-love-life.html). I read it with curiosity and a little surprise. I’ll openly admit that I’m a completely sentimental memory chaser, but I was surprised by how articulately Rob Lowe expressed being blindsided by heartbreak while dropping off his son at college. “I’m trying to remember when I felt like this before. Like an el­ephant is sitting on my chest, like my throat is so tight and constricted that I can feel its tendons, like my eyes are 100 percent water, spilling out at will, down pathways on my face that have been dry for as long as I can think of. I’m trying to remember: When was the last time my heart was breaking?”

At the time I read it, I thought, “Someday that will be me.” So, guess what? We have arrived… I couldn’t be more excited for the moments and experiences ahead of my son as he leaves for college today, but I also feel as if there is an elephant sitting on my chest.

I’m not thinking about individual memories today, but more about the different “types of time.”

Those long afternoons in preschool when I was secretly and exhaustedly excited as we approached bedtime…

That period of time when I was the least “cool” person on the planet and I would scarcely get a grunt as an answer unless he truly needed something.

That time when we were in the middle of a global pandemic and I taught him how to drive and he showed me the magic of fly fishing.

The moments after he was seriously injured playing the sport he loves and the weeks of painfully watching him sidelined and frustrated only to have him return and make a meaningful impact on the ice.

Way back in early elementary school when I was worried that he’d never make true friends or be part of a real group; then feeling like a group of 10 of the best of friends had permanently moved into our basement where nightly laughter filtered upstairs… And I know he found his “people.”

And how now my night owl partner who openly shares beautiful pieces of himself with me unguarded and sincerely won’t be in the house.

I will, of course, be fine. But I’m really going to miss this boy—even the loud, messy parts!

Back to time flying… Don’t forget to notice the moments, say the words, and yes as a photographer I need to remind you to take the pictures (and get in the pictures with your kids). Don’t let time be a thief!

You only get 18 summers, 18 holiday breaks, 18 years.

More on that…

 

Don’t Blink: The Days are Long but the Years are Short…

Time passes more quickly than we realize. Over the past several years, I’ve been writing about my passion for capturing milestones as well as the small moments in time for you. We can’t stop time, but we can preserve the memories.

Our babies become toddlers and preschoolers and our tweens become teen and adults. I’ve been sharing these thoughts from the perspective of both a professional photographer and a mother. Today, my baby (my teeny-tiny premie baby) drove herself to school for the first time…

Children grow taller than their parents, teens go off to college, family dynamics change — I can’t tell you how many families express their gratitude for the Family Portraits they have created along the way.

Preserving memories of childhood for a lifetime of enjoyment brings me so much pleasure. I hope you take many snapshots of your adventures along the way. And contact us today if you’d like to book a portrait session to capture the moments for your family.

Preschool Days….

 

Through the years…

Capturing the Moments Feels More Important than Ever…

You only get 18 summers, 18 holiday breaks, 18 years…

I wrote a blog post 2 years ago about the fact that our time with our growing children is not limitless…that we should make time for adventures with our children while they are still young. Then suddenly I found myself (and the world) in the middle of a global pandemic. In the early weeks of Covid, there were days when I felt as if our little family of four was falling all over each other with very limited adventure opportunities. Bored and overwhelmed at the same time.

Then one cold day last March 2020, in the middle of the lockdown, my son declared, “We need to go fly fishing.” After a little research with Mass Wildlife, we decided that fly fishing on a weekday in Western Mass was a  good, safe outing. We used the 1 hour ride out to the Swift River as a driving lesson then fished and hiked all day. He fished. I hiked and photographed the terrain. A new tradition was born.

The time spent each week on the banks of the river and even in the car, was time well-spent with my son. We talked endlessly about the world, about the virus, about fishing… It was a luxury to be out in nature watching Spring very slowly arrive. Some days were longer than I would have personally liked, but my photography business was closed and honestly, all I had was time.

At about the same time, we created a consistent “Game Night” tradition with our daughter. We did a good amount of cooking and baking, but games seemed to become the ritual.

Covid and 2020 (and all that came with it) really slowed our family down. With my portrait business closed for months, my husband’s work travel grounded, and the kids sports and activities completely stopped (then abbreviated), we found time to find each other. It’s been an incredibly difficult time for many reasons and truly awful for those who are sick, but we have tried to find the blessings.

Now that my portrait business is back open–with careful safety protocols of course–I find that I have fallen in love with the beauty in portraits all over again. Whether it be a High School Senior navigating through a crazy pandemic senior year or a family finding the beautiful moments of being together–I have a new appreciation of the art of portraits. Life is messy and it’s beautiful. I love to capture those moments.

Watching my kids grow still takes my breath away. And it’s crazy to even say, but my son will be 18 at the end of this summer… “in the blink of an eye.” It gives another saying new meaning: “The days are long but the years are short.” These Covid days are sometimes very long, but believe me, the years are short. Although delayed by the lockdown, my son got his drivers license. He is on the road and doesn’t need me to drive him to his fishing spots anymore…

Life is too short not to enjoy these moments and document them along the way.
Preserving memories of childhood for a lifetime of enjoyment brings me so much pleasure. I hope you take many snapshots of your adventures along the way.

Contact us today if you’d like to book a portrait session to capture the moments for your family.

 

In the Blink of an Eye…

They say it happens in “the blink of an eye”…  The sleepless nights with your babies turn into sleepless nights with your teens. Over the past few days I’ve been seeing the posts of friends who have children graduating from High School and it’s starting to feel real. Mine aren’t quite there, but also not far off. 

It makes me think of another saying that suddenly has new meaning: “The days are long but the years are short.” Those endless afternoons of play-doh, hide & seek, and one more push on the swing waiting for bedtime so I could rest and catch up have shifted to franticly shuttling my teens to activities and mapping out how to squeeze the coveted family dinner into the schedule. And trying to stay awake until they are in bed. Now, I’d love to give one more push on the swing…

The training wheels are off. The balance of cheering them on to their new adventures and keeping them safe in bubble wrap is mind-bending. My son is suddenly taller than my husband! How does it go so fast?

I have a few clients who book my portrait services yearly. But honestly, when asked, I suggest every 2 to 3 years. Once your children are no longer babies, they change at a slower pace and you can see those changes clearly after a few years. There are many families who are in a completely different category and and maybe have never done professional portraits. Whatever the case, I recommend that clients schedule a portrait session before their children are taller than they and their spouse are. Until someone invents a time machine, those moments are lost if not captured…

Contact us today if you’d like to book a portrait session to capture the moments for your family.

 

 

Only 18 Years: Make the Memories. Capture the Moments…

You only get 18 summers, 18 holiday breaks, 18 years…

Watching my kids grow up kind of takes my breath away. Those sweet chubby hands and cheeks start to thin out and one day your baby is a little person. Just like that! But don’t blink because in what seems like a matter of months (not years) they become independent and even have their own little sense of humor and style. You can’t freeze time.

A few years back I realized that I didn’t have infinite time with my kids. Someday my two will have their own adventures and make their own vacation plans with their significant others or families. Sure, they may invite my husband and me along or vice versa, but who knows. I started to think about what I’d really love to do together as a family while I’m still in “control” of the plans.

The Grand Canyon, other National Parks, Hawaii, a ski trip out west, Europe… the wheels were turning! When my son was in fourth grade, my husband and I started to think about how many years (and dollars) we had and what our priorities were. We only had 18 years and the clock was already ticking…. The Ogar Travel and Wish List was born.

At some point along the way, we started to ask the kids to help us create our family “bucket list”. We were clear that there was no guarantee we’d make it to these places, but it’s been super fun to plan and research. Then one day my son said, I’d like to ski Tuckerman’s Ravine—this insane back country part of Mount Washington in NH. And I’d like to do some back country camping. My daughter decided we need a real pet… “and fish don’t count.” And thus we lost a little of that control… but we gained so much.

The list became something we talked about over dinner, on car rides, and ironically often while on one of these adventures. School and sports schedules, work commitments and certainly cost always factor into our planning, but I am excited and kind of proud of how well we’ve done. Small local items and big expensive trips grace the same list. Decisions and compromises are made as we plot and plan. We’ve had amazing moments…and about a million photographs taken to pare with my beautiful memories.

Our daughter looks so small biking along the edge of the Grand Canyon. Our son looks so strong and brave before taking on Courbet’s Coulier in Jackson Hole. My husbands smile is suddenly more rugged with his beard as he skates with our son at the Winnipeasaukee Pond Hockey Tournament. We adults change too…

This summer our kids will turn 14 and 16!

Even if you aren’t a planner, maybe think about what you’d like to do before your family is grown. And don’t forget to document the moments along the way. Who knew my son would grow more than 6 inches in just 6 months last year. Thank goodness we have those photos from when I was still taller. They are hanging next to the ones of my daughter the day she learned to walk on our annual trip to Maine, the big family portrait taken for my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary, and the one where my son caught the love of fishing….

Take the trip. Make the memories. Capture the moments…

Life is too short not to enjoy these moments and document them along the way.
Preserving memories of childhood for a lifetime of enjoyment brings me so much pleasure. We hope you take many snapshots of your adventures along the way.

Contact us today if you’d like to book a portrait session to capture the moments for your family.

 

 

Celebrate Your Family Legacy

Grandparents and other older relatives play an important role in the lives of their grandchildren and vise versa. The older relatives in your life can act as role models and mentors for the younger generation. Think of them as your own personal historians instilling ethnic heritage and traditions. Plus…grandparents are built in buddies for their grandchildren.

According to Dr. Karl Pillemer of Cornell University, the relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren is second in emotional importance only to the relationship between parent and child. Children benefit when grandparents are involved in their lives. But grandparents also enjoy benefits from the relationship with their grandchildren.

A recent study by Boston College found that “an emotionally close relationship between grandparent and grandchildren is associated with fewer symptoms of depression for both generations.”

Susan Ogar Photography is proud to partner with Bridges Together to celebrate intergenerational relationships. Bridges Together is creating and spreading intergenerational programs that bring children and adults over the age of 55 together for shared experiences and cooperative learning. In September, Intergenerational Month, Susan Ogar Photography offered Generational Portrait Sessions and donated the session fees directly to Bridges Together. Stay tuned for next fall’s charitable program. 

In the meantime, this holiday season, engage with grandparents and relatives by inquiring about their lives. You may be surprised by what you learn…

– Did you go to college? What did you study? If you didn’t go to college, do you wish you had had the opportunity? What did you do instead?

– Did you have any pets growing up?

– Did you live in a house or an apartment? What was it like? What was your room like?

– Do you know any stories about the history of the family name, or the origins of the family?

– How many brothers and sisters do you have? What are their names? What do you remember about them from growing up?

– How did you meet your spouse? How old were you when you met/got engaged/got married? – – What was the wedding like?

– What are the most difficult and most rewarding things about growing older?

– What big world events were the most memorable while you were growing up?

– What did you want to be when you grew up?

– What do you remember about your parents? Your grandparents?

– What do you want your children and grandchildren to remember about you?

– What kinds of clothes, hobbies, slang terms were popular when you were a teenager?

– What life advice would you pass along to your grandchildren?

– What was your favorite thing about school? Least favorite? What were your friends like? Who was your favorite teacher, and what was your favorite subject?

– What were your children like when they were growing up?

– What were your favorite games and hobbies? Did you play any sports? What else did you do for fun?

– What was your first job? What was your favorite job?

– What’s your favorite book or movie and why? What was your favorite when you were young?

– Where and when were you born? Did your parents ever share their memories with you about the day you were born?

Who were your heroes or role models when you were young?

*20 Questions Grandparents Never Get Sick of Hearing posted by Sarah Stevenson on A Place for Mom blog.

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