Portraiture seems to be a bit of a lost art. Well, maybe not a lost art, but an overlooked art perhaps. Not many people in my general age group take the time to have their portrait taken, and I feel that’s just too bad! For the record: I consider a Portrait to be a snapshot of a person, of who they really are at a particular point in time. I remember every year around Christmas, my mom, dad, sister and I would go to Olan Mills and take a family portrait. In addition to the photo of our whole family, there was always an individual picture of each of us. I’m sure my grandparents enjoyed getting a photo each year of all of us! Although sometimes it’s awkward to look back and see how terrible my teenage years were (physically and emotionally speaking…braces, face fat, unkempt eyebrows, and acne are not a good combination), I’m so glad that there is a record of each time in my life. It is the record of the hardest times of my life that let me know how far I’ve come, and how far I still want to go. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage people to take the time to have themselves, their lives, documented as they are now, because I promise that ten years from now you will be thankful for having something to look back on. Until you get your own portraits done, enjoy these highlights from Erin Elizabeth Photography’s Portraits of 2009!

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