Your Photographs
6
Existing pictures (special occasions, vacations, holidays, etc.)

Start your photo project by going through your existing photos. Look for fun
ones that show special occasions, vacations and holidays. Don’t just pick the
ones where you look the best, they might not show your personality or the fun
you had as well. (Birth mom doesn’t care if you’re beautiful; she’s looking for
a fun, kind, happy parent.) Collect the pictures you might be interested in
sharing.
7
New Pictures especially for this project (everyday life)

If you stop with just the special occasion pictures, your profile will limit
what your prospective Birth Mother learns about you. Think about your normal,
day-to-day life. This is where you spend most of your time, so it’s important
to give her an idea of what it’s like. Think about your hobbies and activities
on a given weekend and make a list of the ones you’d like to share (skip the
laundry and vacuuming parts☺). Consider your hobbies like hiking, gardening,
walking or playing with any pets you might have, baking, golf (any sport),
visiting local attractions, etc. Then ask a friend (a fun, patient one) to come
snap some pictures of you. Participate in the activities and have fun. Don’t
stand in the kitchen holding a pan, go ahead and whip up a batch of your
favorite cookies. Don’t show us your golf bag, go hit a bucket of balls and take
a ride in the golf cart.
8
Show the activities (not just selfies)

A picture or two of just your face(s) is important so a prospective Birth Mom
can see who you are and what you look like. However, selfies in the car just
don’t say much. Avoid selfies that don’t show a fun, interesting background.
It’s best to have someone else take the pictures so the whole activity can show,
along with your personalities; most of us don’t have arms long enough to show a
lot of background detail.
9
Remove identifiers and distractions from the background

Think about what the pictures will look like to someone who doesn’t know you.
Make sure your counters aren’t cluttered, laundry has been picked up and the
trash can isn’t in the shot. Close cupboard and garage doors. Also check the
area for items that might be a turn-off, like alcohol, cigarettes and guns.
10
Have fun – it shows in the pictures

The best pictures are the ones that elicit a reaction from the viewer, and the
best reaction is a smile. The best way to get that reaction is to have fun in
the pictures. Enjoy yourselves and participate in the activities. If you don’t
get through all the pictures you wanted to take in the time you gave yourselves,
don’t worry. The quality of the pictures is more important than how long the
process takes.