Haircuts



It Was Time

I’m getting ready for our new baby.  I made appointments to go the dentist and got everyone’s hair cut.  These are small matters that will become herculean tasks with a newborn on the scene.

I don’t cut my own kids’ hair.  I’ve tried to from time to time but I don’t get very far before realizing that I’m in over my head and take them to someone else.  I know it’s something that I could learn to do.  It would make life a little easier.  I wouldn’t have to take them anywhere or pay anyone.  I wouldn’t wait so long between cuts and if I was good at it I wouldn’t walk away from the cut thinking, “Well, that’s not what I had in mind.”

But, I don’t learn.  Why?  Mistakes.  I’m not willing to make enough mistakes to get good at it.  I’d rather not hear, “I can see you gave your kids haircuts.” My mom used to cut our hair.  The evidence is in the family photo albums.  I have crooked bangs in my class pictures.

I take my kids to someone who has made mistakes so I don’t have to make my own.

I love taking photos.  I don’t mind making mistakes.  I feel like there’s nothing to lose but disk space.  I realize that not everyone wants to come home with a hundred photos from their day and only two that they like.  I encourage friends to turn off their pop up flash and try some of the manual settings.  But, after a few blurred pictures they turn it back to the auto settings.  Who wants to miss their kid blowing out the candles on their birthday or the first time they ride a bike?  The kids would be saying, “The pictures of me at my birthdays were all blurry because my mom was fooling with her camera.”

Simple Technical Information: If you are willing to make some mistakes, turn off the pop up flash.  No one looks natural with a flash directly on their face.  It flattens features and creates unnatural shadows.  The haircut photo was taken with a flash mounted on the camera and bouncing on the wall over my left shoulder.  When I use flash, this is what I usually do.  I fool around with the direction of the flash until it looks right. When there’s not enough light or the lighting is poor, (this room had only overhead fluorescent lights) a flash can make things work. 

4 thoughts to “Haircuts”

  1. When I was taking a photo a day last year, I took my camera everywhere. It became a habit. I do keep it pretty simple. Just the camera and sometimes the flash. I wouldn't mind an extra hand though…

  2. You've inspired me to get back out my flash bouncer (technical name?).

    I don't mind making mistakes with the camera either. But then I often get the "stop taking pictures, mom" look from my girls. And then the moment has passed. At times like this I wish I was an expert so I always knew what settings to use. But the more mistakes I make the more likely I am to be prepared for the next perfect photo moment – right?

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