This picture was captured on Easter Sunday after a family dinner. These cousins wanted to play the game of dominos. I had been photographing their indoor Easter egg hunt prior to this photo and decided to keep taking pictures of the kids playing. This little girl has quite the expression of exasperation! Children’s honesty is something that I love. They are unable to filter the emotions that fill them, so the result is truthful display of how they feel. We, as adults, sometimes have difficulty processing emotion and correctly displaying it because we are conditioned to “behave” in an acceptable manner. I am not suggesting that we revert back to our uninhibited, childlike behavior – tantrums do not become me – however, being a little more in tune with how we feel could do us some good. Of course, we can use our very grown-up minds to analyze our emotions and determine if our behavior is warranted, but we should never stop feeling because, after all, we are humans! Children are us without filters. If I get annoyed at a child acting out (which happens never, right?), I just remember, that is what I would be doing on my bad days if it was socially acceptable. Children, and their families, are a joy and a challenge to photograph. While I was taking family photographs during the egg hunt, the kids were moving so quickly it was difficult to capture them. I was glad to have a moment with these kids to watch them play. And the expression is how I feel today – exasperated, confused, unsure. What am I doing?! Some days, I honestly don’t know. And for today, that is okay.
