Photo Finish

We’re back from our annual Outer Banks trip, and I’m still processing the miracle that occurred on day three. After six years of family beach photos that featured at least one child crying, someone’s face obscured by flying sand, or Theo literally eating seaweed, we finally got THE shot.

Photo Finish

I’m not even being dramatic when I say it took 47 attempts. Marcus counted. Sophie kept making bunny ears behind Theo’s head (classic six-year-old move), Theo was more interested in the hermit crab he’d found than looking at the camera, and I was simultaneously trying to look effortlessly gorgeous while preventing my one-year-old from consuming beach debris. Standard vacation chaos.

But then, on take 47, the stars aligned. Everyone looked at the camera. Everyone smiled. Nobody was mid-sneeze or picking their nose. I looked… really good, actually. Like, vacation-hair-and-golden-hour good.

Take 23 of 47. Theo discovered he could make his eyes cross.

We tried to recreate the magic at home tonight during golden hour, and while we didn’t quite capture that OBX perfection, we came pretty close to family photo greatness.

Sometimes I think the 46 failed attempts make the perfect one even sweeter. Or maybe I’m just really good at convincing myself that my control-freak photo direction is worth it. Either way, we’re printing this one for the mantle, and Marcus has been banned from mentioning how long it took to anyone at work.