And I don't blame her.
Like most of us, she can't resist the water.
What I love most about this photo is the gesture that was captured.
Letting go of Mom's hand, it's the absolute last moment of embrace.
She isn't pulling away. She's not escaping. She's exploring.
We're outside breathing real air, with no shoes on, surrounded by trees and sand and water. She pulls away from her Mom's hand, not in defiance, but because she wants to explore.
There is a moment when our kids become awake to the world around us. They can't help but explore. Whether it's crawling into boxes, opening cupboards, dumping out bags, or testing the water.
Savour that moment when your toddler begins to explore. Show them the world. And if you've grown bored, let them show the world to you.
Follow their random little footsteps. Dig in the dirt with them. Rinse off together in the waves.
They will forget these moments. They don't realize how important they are. But you won't forget. And you can remember the moment for them.
When they're all grown up, pull out the photo and tell them about the time that they wouldn't sit still for a picture. And you didn't blame them for it.
I love to photograph moments like this for families around the Quinte area (like Cobourg, Belleville, Trenton, Picton, or Madoc). It feels more like quality family time than a photo session.
Click to book your own family photo session.