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You are here: Home / ADVENTURE / Photo fails – the holiday snaps that didn’t make it to Instagram

Photo fails – the holiday snaps that didn’t make it to Instagram

August 29, 2017 by Molly 10 Comments

I think I took more holiday photos this year than ever before and, if you follow me on Instagram, I apologise for that. One of my favourite things about coming home after a holiday is to look through all the photos we took while we were away. This is where I tend to find the awful photo fails and often, rather than delete them, I keep the bad photos because they make me laugh and remind me of a moment I’d otherwise forget – even if it’s not a moment I want to frame and hang on my wall.

With this in mind I thought I’d show you a behind the Instagram-scenes of the trip (although obviously I’ve already done this on my Vlogcation series over on YouTube) sharing some of my very worst holiday photos. There’s something about a complete photo fail that often makes me laugh so, in the context of balancing some of the Insta-perfection, here are a few of the totally awful photos which will never see the light of day apart from in this blog post…

The one that made it to Instagram:

The one that didn’t:

The toddler’s waving around a phallic looking sausage balloon (it was a poodle but she broke it within 2 minutes), I’m grinning like some kind of demented loon and there a load of random people behind us. Not the world’s most awful photo but not worthy of Instagram…

The one that made it to Instagram:

The one that didn’t:

As you can see from the NLM’s face in this photo, he was getting slightly narked. We’d walked out onto this veranda at the robot museum in Nantes and he was a) scared of heights b) sick of being asked to take photos of me for this outfit post and c) annoyed at having a camera shoved in his face. Poor bloke.

The one that made it to Instagram:

The one that didn’t:

This one was taken mid-argument between the seven year old and her sister. Frog took it, which really wound Baby Girl up because she wanted to be the one with the camera. It’s shaky, captures a cross two year old moment and is completely out of focus but just goes to show there were tantrums and angry words on holiday too…

The one that made it to Instagram:

The one that didn’t:

This was snapped by the NLM, as I’d asked him to take charge of the camera for a while so I could push the buggy and get some photographic evidence that I was actually on the holiday too. I’m not sure why he took this particular shot like some kind of sneaky paparazzi (I clearly had no idea I was being photographed hence the nail chewing, hunched shoulders and distracted facial expression) but it made me laugh because it’s evidence of how much the NLM hates being in charge of the camera.

The one that made it to Instagram:

The one that didn’t:

Again, the NLM was in charge of the camera here and obviously thought it would be funny to take a photo of me arse akimbo, riding an inflatable dolphin out to the middle of the lake. I think I fell off it about two seconds later. (By the way – the two year old isn’t drowning in this picture, she does actually have a back float on and is holding onto one of the dolphin’s fins.)

The one that made it to Instagram:

The one that didn’t:

Both these photos were taken within half an hour of each other and, if you look at Frog’s face, you can see how grumpy she was. In fact, I think I wrote on Instagram at the time that it had been the day of our first Family Holiday Row, that famous milestone which most families experience at some point. It involved me declaring I was leaving my family to cycle solo around France because they were all too grumpy. (We made up later that morning over cold Oranginas and icecreams in a pretty French cafe surrounded by Insta-tastic colourful umbrellas!)

The one that made it to Instagram:

The one that didn’t:

Oh where do I begin with this photo? The strange facial expression of my eldest? My youngest’s complete lack of co-operation to have her photo taken? The random guy in pink shorts striding across the background or my slightly forced and exasperated grin? Yeah. It’s not a good photo.

And the rest of the worst:

The two year old winding up her sister. Standard.

The two year old deeply unimpressed with something or other.

The NLM, doing his best “wave to the camera, I’m having a really good time even though I’d rather be sunbathing at the side of the pool reading my book” pose.

And there you have it. Now, tell me – do you keep all your holiday snaps – awful ones and all?! 

 

Filed Under: ADVENTURE Tagged With: family travel, France, funny family photos, holiday photos, photo fails

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Comments

  1. Lottie | Oyster & Pearl says

    September 4, 2017 at 2:45 pm

    These are so funny! I tend to ditch the rubbish ones straightaway but you’ve made me think there’s value in hanging onto them. I have yet to sort through all of ours – it feels like a massive job looming over me!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      September 4, 2017 at 2:55 pm

      Ah I love going through the holiday photos – it’s like reliving it all over again! I did upload most of them as I went along this year though, as I knew there were thousands!!

      Reply
  2. Lucy Melissa Smith says

    September 3, 2017 at 5:14 pm

    Oh I love these! I always keep all of my photos too because I prefer the funny, silly, non-IG-worthy ones myself just like you. I’ll remember the moment although of course I wouldn’t share them because my followers won’t 😉 x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      September 4, 2017 at 2:56 pm

      There is something about the totally natural and funny ones that can capture a moment in such a real way isn’t there?!

      Reply
  3. Candy Pop says

    September 1, 2017 at 1:02 pm

    Aw, this post made me smile and I’m loving all your outfits, especially the yellow dress. It looks like you had a fab time! xx

    Reply
    • Molly says

      September 4, 2017 at 2:56 pm

      Ah thank you! x

      Reply
  4. Alice says

    September 1, 2017 at 10:16 am

    This is brilliant, Molly, it really made me laugh! What camera do you use? There are some fabulous snaps here… even the ones that didn’t make it to instagram! x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      September 4, 2017 at 2:57 pm

      Ha – not sure about the dolphin backside though! I’m a Canon girl – EOS 1100D for most of these shots!

      Reply
  5. Adele @ Beautiful Tribe says

    August 30, 2017 at 12:31 pm

    You worst could have been much worse! The inflatable dolphin made me giggle!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      September 4, 2017 at 2:57 pm

      I had no idea he was even taking the photo!

      Reply

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Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

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I am not “bossing” it. Or “slaying”. Or “hustling”. Or “smashing” it. I’m not even juggling or spinning plates or doing any of the other words we use as a glossy, marketable, Instagram friendly way to package up burnout culture, under the guise of “empowering” women (💪🤢). 
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What I have been doing, though, is working too hard. Call a spade a spade. I’ve been working too hard, neglecting my health, my relationships, my life away from my laptop. I can not be everything to everyone AND work at the level I’ve been working at BECAUSE I AM A HUMAN BEING. And you are too. We are not robots.
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I care deeply about all my work, and things aren’t always this intense, but I wanted to sprinkle some reality into the Gram because I am so over this lie that *any* type of success or achievement doesn’t come at a cost, or involve many failures in the background, or require many other people to help make things happen. 
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I guess what I’m saying is, let’s be real about all that, as well as showing the achievements. I’m bloody proud of my book. And I’m so excited to launch the social enterprise @bodyhappyorg properly next month. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy, and that there isn’t a price. 
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And with that, I’m taking the weekend off. See you on the other side 🥰🥰🥰
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[Image description: Molly sits in her office with her hands covering her mouth. On the back of one hand is written “Not bossing it”. She is wearing a pink boiler suit with a black and white top underneath. She has pink leopard print earrings on and her hair is tied back.]
This was taken at the start of half term, when the This was taken at the start of half term, when the kids were still enthusiastic about going for a walk. 1,705 walks around the same bit of countryside later... not so much 😬 
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If you’re struggling to get your kids motivated to move their body at the moment, go gentle. You’re not alone. Bad weather coupled with boredom coupled with the lure of screens is a heady recipe for lethargy - and that’s just me! 
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Seriously though, remember: all movement is valid. Even if it’s just a ten minute @cosmickids sesh or a little kitchen disco, it all counts. And if it comes from a place of enjoyment and fun, kids (and adults!) are going to be far more likely to want to get involved.
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What joyful movement activities are your kids enjoying right now (if any?!)?
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[Image description: Molly and her two daughters are standing in a field. They’re wearing colourful wellies, holding hands and smiling.]
I founded a social enterprise 😵 . Introducing: I founded a social enterprise 😵
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Introducing: @bodyhappyorg 🎉
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We are a Community Interest Company dedicated to promoting positive body image in children. We help adults help the kids in their care be friends with their bodies 🥰. 
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Through workshops and classes, digital and physical resources (both free and paid) we help parents, carers, teachers, youth leaders - and any adults who are ever around children - create body happy settings for kids to thrive in. 
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We launch officially next month with a beautiful new website and lots of resources which we’ll continually be adding to. In the meantime give us a follow at @bodyhappyorg - we start posting from today and our page has been designed as a free resource on its own! 
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I’m privileged to work alongside an incredible team of people on this. Shout-out to the original dream team @chelseacoxstrategist @amysnellingpt @effinitupfaye @lottie_storey @bodyconfidencecards_db @rachel_hobnobs & @aceandping 💕 LOVE YOU ALL! 💕
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[Image description: A blue square with yellow and white text which reads “the body happy org”. This is the logo for The Body Happy Organisation CIC]
Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-sta Proof that I did wear clothes other than a tea-stained hoodie and tracksuit bottoms at least once in the past month 😐
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[Image description: Molly is wearing pink dungarees with yellow buttons over a black rollneck long-sleeved top. She has a monochrome striped hairband on and her hair is pink. She is also wearing earrings with boobs on them. She looks very pleased, both with her earrings, the pink hair and the fact she’s not wearing sleepwear, for a change.]
A new report from the Education Policy Institute h A new report from the Education Policy Institute has concluded an obvious gender divide in the well-being of young adults. If you’d like to read more check out this article by Eleanor Peake in @newstatesman (I’ve linked to it in my Stories).
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Every week I get messages from parents and teachers concerned about the impact of social media on their kids’ body image. And of course, I couldn’t write a book about body image in kids and teens without covering social media - there’s a whole chapter in Body Happy Kids dedicated to the subject. 
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The thing is, social media isn’t going anywhere. And just like it can be a force for anxiety, shame and general angst it can be a force for good too. The trick is in knowing how to use it positively (and in holding the platforms to account for not moderating the spread of harmful viral trends and online abuse, and creating algorithms that deliberately create division and harm mental health... but that’s a story for another day). 
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But how can we expect our kids to have a handle on it when we, as adults, don’t ourselves? 
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I don’t believe the answer is to ban social media, but I don’t think kids should be given unfettered access to it either. 
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They need help navigating this stuff, learning about boundaries, developing media literacy skills so they can think critically about the content they’re consuming (just like many adults).
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And we also need to explore how we might be inadvertently contributing to the problem, perpetuating appearance ideals and creating a culture where kids learn it’s ok to body shame under the guise of health and to value each other based on the way they look.
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As ever, it’s complicated. I’d love to know what you think? What are some of the boundaries you have around social media in your house - both for yourself and your kids?
#BodyHappyKids 
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[Full text in Alt Text]
When I was pregnant with Effie I went to a pregnan When I was pregnant with Effie I went to a pregnancy yoga class every week. It was the highlight of my week. I left each session feeling like I was floating on a cloud, and I used the poses and breath work to guide me through labour too. But then I had my baby and found that, as a knackered new mum of two, I couldn’t find the time for yoga. I no longer had the excuse of doing it “for the bump” or “to prepare for labour”, so what was the point?
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It wasn’t until I started reinvesting in myself and unravelling the diet culture perspective on exercise that I found it again, along with running, which turned to hiking, and swimming. 
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It wasn’t about preparing my body for someone or something else. It was about the process itself, the time to unwind my mind and move my body for joy, just for me. I’ve lost a bit of that this past year with lockdowns, and I feel it.
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I recently signed up to @theunderbellyyoga with @mynameisjessamyn and feel like I’m finding it again. I love that my kids can see me taking time for myself, and enjoying movement, and that they sometimes want to join in too. Even if it is a bit annoying sometimes (swipe 👀). 
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#BodyHappyMum 
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[Image description: Molly and her 6 year old daughter Effie sit on yoga and gymnastics mats with their legs crossed and arms in the air. They have their backs to the camera. In the second image they are sitting crossed legged while twisting round to the side, and in the third image Molly is lying on the mat with her eyes closed while Effie leans over her, being a bit annoying.]
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