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Why Family Photos Are Important to Me
What Is Time, Anyway?
There are lots of ways to say, “Pay attention, because time doesn’t wait.”
I’m going to illustrate that sentiment for you today with one photo and a simple, straightforward caption:
Last spring, my youngest graduated from high school.
The handsome guy on the right — whom many of you have watched grow up through my Instagram feed and monthly Moments of the Month posts over the years — closed a very big chapter that day.
The Things I Didn’t Know I’d Miss
Back then, I couldn’t even imagine a time when all four of my children would be grown and ready to leave the nest.
Yet from the earliest days of parenthood, I felt compelled to “keep” the little moments by taking pictures.
Not because I thought every moment was extraordinary—quite the opposite. I took pictures because I knew the ordinary moments were the ones most likely to disappear.
The things that feel so familiar while you’re living them that you assume you’ll remember them forever. And then somehow, you don’t. Or at least not as clearly.
What I’ve learned over the years is that photographs don’t just help us remember milestones. Of course, I’m grateful to have photos from graduations and birthdays and family vacations. But when I pull out old photos now, I’m often surprised by what stops me in my tracks.
It’s the kitchen in the background or the favorite pajamas. The details of everyday life that I never would have thought to write down, which somehow became the very things I miss.
My memories of those years are anchored in photographs that I’ll always have at the ready.
Living With Our Memories
If you’ve ever been to my house, you’ve probably noticed that there are photos everywhere. There is a gallery wall running up my staircase that tells the story of our family across decades.
Every time I walk upstairs, I pass younger versions of all of us. I’ve written before about why I’m such a strong believer in printing photos, but walking up and down those stairs every day is probably the best argument I can make.
And then there are the books.
Most of our family vacations live in beautiful storybooks that I can pull off the shelf whenever I want to revisit a particular season of our lives. But it’s the annual family books that might mean the most to me.
Every year, I gather the everyday moments and create a McLaughlin Family Adventures book. While a vacation book tells the story of a trip, those annual books tell the story of a life. (If you’re curious about how I make those books and why I’ve become such a believer in them over the years, you can read more about my approach to photo books here.)
They remind me what it felt like to live in that particular year. And now, on the other side of raising four children, I’m sooooo grateful for that compulsion.
The Story Doesn’t End Here
Yes, all four of my children are adults now. Yes, the house is quieter than it once was. But thanks to my older three, I already knew something important before my youngest graduated.
The story doesn’t end when your children leave home.
It just changes. There are still vacations, traditions, dinners around the table, and absolutely photographs worth taking.
Growing into these relationships with my children as adults has been one of the great joys of my life. There is still plenty of family time ahead, and stories left to tell.
Which brings me back to why I’ve spent the last fifteen-plus years doing this work.
Why I Still Believe in Pictures
There are lots of reasons I’ve kept showing up with a camera year after year. But the biggest reason is that I LOVE freezing moments whose value I know will grow exponentially as time passes.
I love helping families slow down long enough to notice what makes this season beautiful. I love creating photographs that become anchors for memories years and decades later.
And perhaps most of all, I love connecting with families who value photographs for the same reasons I do.
The relationships I’ve built through this business have become every bit as meaningful to me as the photographs themselves.
So wherever the future takes me — whether it’s here at home, somewhere across the country, or somewhere across the world — the goal remains the same.
To tell the story the way it is right now. To help you remember, this was beautiful.
Because time doesn’t wait. And someday, you’ll be very glad you took the pictures.
Thanks for looking,
Jaye
Jaye McLaughlin is an award-winning newborn and family photographer serving Westchester, NYC, and beyond since 2010. Her work focuses on natural, lifestyle photography that helps families slow down and remember the beauty of everyday life together.
