The Importance of Family pictures

This is a picture of my dad, two sisters, and myself (I believe my mom took this photo), probably when I was four years old.  To my knowledge, this photo and another from around the same time are the only photos that have both myself and my dad in them.  Growing up, my family didn't take yearly family portraits at Olan Mills or Sears or JC Penny.  I never thought anything of it as I got older, having the youthful assumption that there would always be tomorrow.  That all changed 18 years ago tomorrow, June 11th 1997.  My dad passed away that day, creating a void that could never be filled.  I still remembered looking at pictures as we prepared memorial services and to my surprise, we didn't have a family picture.  Over the years, my sister and myself had photos taken (some a few weeks before our dad's passing) but none as an entire family.  That always caused me a great sadness.  My mom, sister, and I have pictures of the three of us since my dad's passing, but it's honestly not the same. Once I began to take photography more seriously and starting taking other families' photos, my family's lack of a family portrait was always in the forefront of my mind.  In talking to friends and other family members about family portraits, I would hear excuse after excuse about not getting family pictures done.  I would always counter those excuses with my family's story.
The purpose  of this post truly isn't to advertise my photographic services. The purpose is get anyone and everyone who reads this to get photographs of their family.  Do yearly to mark growth and change, do it at every family gathering, every holiday, every birthday, every opportunity you can!  Everyone has cell phones now, use them (just make sure you back up those photos from your phone).  There is really no excuse anymore and take it from me, it's something you will put off until you there is a situation that prevents you from every getting  that photo.

Thank you all for your continued support!
EJ Drake

In memory of my father Ernest Drake 1941 - 1997 Love you Pop!