I've been at this for about seven years and I've made some observations that have encouraged me to rewrite my contract. Please take a second to review the changes.

Clause 1: Photographer Will Not Wait...

...for you to lose 10 pounds. You see an extra 10 pounds but your family sees a mother they adore, a wife they love; a sister they treasure. While you stress about the extra weight you're carrying, your children are growing beside you. Are you the family historian? If so, are there any photos of you?

You matter.

I want to capture your life the way it is today. If you have children, they don't care one iota about your weight (PS: neither do your friends). Let's celebrate ourselves and our lives. That's the priority; not something silly like our weight.

Clause 2: Perfection is Boring

The sun may not come out. The wind may blow. A stray hair may blow across your face. Sometimes kids are having a bad day. They may be intimidated by my big camera. They may be feeding off the anxiety you feel trying to get perfect photos. Sometimes kids smile, but don't look directly at the camera. If they're under the age of eight, they're going to find it hard to sit still. I want to help you adjust your expectations.

Perfection is impossible and overrated. Let's strive for fun, not perfect.

Clause 3: Trust Me

Schedule family sessions between June and August. May is sometimes too cold and we have to navigate Memorial Day and sports. September is like being shot out of a cannon! In fact, here's a mom's schedule in the fall:

First Day of School

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Thanksgiving, Christmas.

Trust me. Let's make things easier for ourselves.

Clause 4: No, I Can't 

As an addendum to Clause 1, I can't make you 10 pounds lighter. I can't make you 10 years younger. Can I make a pimple disappear? Absolutely. Can I erase an errant thread? Sure. I can do lots of things in Photoshop (check out my images here! www.dawnkubie.com) but I can't change you. If I had one wish for you, it would be for you to make peace with yourself and your body the way it is right now.