I decided to try and take some Christmas card pictures of our three lovely children about a week ago. I realized it was December and thought to myself, I better get on that... So, one evening before Eric got home from work I got the all three kids dressed and looking nice for what I hoped would be a quick, painless little short photo shoot. (What was I thinking...? Never is it short. Never is it quick. And, never is it painless. Rather it is painful for me and very frustrating. Every. Single. Time. But somehow I forget this, and think, oh I am super woman, I can do it. Wrong.) Here is the other thing you should know... I am picky about pictures. Not just a little picky, but the super annoying retake that ten times person picky. (I have already edited and deleted the most terrible of these two takes. It was kind of rewarding to me in my frustrated moment to hit that delete button.) So, here it is, "Take One".
I found a great spot in front of the fence in our yard, laid down a piece of black fabric and showed Sarah where to sit on the black fabric... five times. My frustration level was going up... Finally she was seated in the exact right spot. Next Phoebe. Okay she was in the right spot, now to place Silas on Sarah's lap, adjust everyone's clothes, hair, and hats.... Wipe off Silas's slobbery face. Pull his hands out of his mouth for the eighth time, ask Sarah to try to hold him up straight and hold his hands down at the same time.... And, I start clicking away. Squeaky toy in my left hand, camera in my right hand, all the while making silly noises, dancing, singing, and reminding someone to "sit up straight", "look at the camera", "hold still", "open your eyes", "smile", and on and on and on....
Below may be the best picture from our "Take One" shots. Everyone is somewhat looking in the right direction, and looking happy, or a little big-eyed in Silas's case.
When I got tired frustrated enough of trying to get them all sitting up straight, and holding Silas right, I had them lay down on the black fabric. Heads perfectly placed together of course... Now here we go again... "smile, a real smile", "look at my camera"... more noises and dancing around from me... I am sure at this point any neighbors that we have that may have witnessed this whole scene were either laughing at me or thinking how crazy I may be....
Again let me emphasize how hard and frustrating it is to try and get three small children to look in the same general direction and smile all at the same time....
By this time now we are about fifteen minutes into this and Phoebe is done with a capital D. So I decide to try and take some individual shots, starting with Sarah. She smiles and poses the most easily and naturally. Yay, go Sarah! A breath of fresh air. Now onto individual shots of Phoebe.....
Me, "Okay Phoebe smile, your turn now. Show me your teeth. Say cheese. Say Merry Christmas. Say Popee and Nanee. Smile! Look like an angel. Don't pick your nose. Hands down. Come on Phoebe, just give me one good smile...no fakers...your prettiest smile." And, that was it for take number one. Silas started to cry (no individual pictures for him), Phoebe would not smile, and the sun went down.
Take number two happened two days later. I decided to try it this time inside at our church, which is decorated beautifully for Christmas. Upon arriving at church I got all the lights turned on, coats off of the girls, and Silas out of his car seat. Next positioning them in front of this lighted tree... Sarah and Phoebe in place, Phoebe NOT smiling... Check. Add in a squirming and crying (already) Silas... Check. And, failure for take number two was looming over me. In my head I am thinking to myself..... "Self, stay calm. Eric will be here to help you sing and dance soon. Just hold on till then....."
Phoebe did not want to be in any more pictures after about the first two clicks of the camera so I said, "Okay, Phoebe take a break. I'll take some of just Sarah and Silas." She happily got off of the little platform. Cue Silas to start eating his hands like a little madman.... (If you notice in the pictures below, Sarah is trying to hold onto him and hold his hands down...She finally gets him into some sort of a hug-lock, not to be confused with a head-lock. These are two totally different techniques. But, Silas is quick with his hands and completely snuck one out and over on Sarah.)
In the meantime, Eric had arrived and talked Phoebe into trying a couple shots by herself and a few more with Sarah and Silas. I decided to try a few more group shots in a different place in the church...a little wagon. (That should be fun, right? This would get them to smile...sitting in a wagon, covered in fake snow, and with a basket of fake apples....) Nope, Silas started to cry again. Eric took him and I continued on with just the two girls.
These of Sarah and Phoebe turned out pretty cute! But, I can't use them on our Christmas card. We have THREE kids now. Back to being frustrated.
And, finally a couple more of Phoebe by herself, seemingly happy, but not holding still....
So, after all of this I remembered how much I like going to the JCPenny's Portrait Studio to have my kid's pictures taken. They always do a good job posing the kids, acting silly to get them to smile, using props, and they have great low prices, and my frustration level stays low. Three days later I got all three kids dressed up yet again and we headed to JCPenny's were Carmen took some wonderful portraits of my kids altogether and individually. Thank you Carmen and JCPenny's!
Watch for these cute portraits of the three Hendrickson kids coming soon... to a mailbox or computer near you!
