All Grown Up
Yep, this is probably the last time this family will have a family portrait session done without any additional in-laws or grandchildren. Not that there are any on the way, yet! But I have no doubt that these boys will be finding some adorable girls to add to their relaxed, laid back family!
I had a blast photographing these four! We laughed, smiled, talked and laughed some more! They were all great sports, cuddling in close, holding awkward poses (thanks Ian!) and, best of all, they followed directions fabulously!
It’s so different working with four grown ups who actually listen and do what I ask. I’m so used to having little kids that I have to entertain and play games with. It definitely makes for a fun, relaxed session!
Another Older Sibling
This fall, I have been lucky to have the opportunity to photograph some older siblings. Their younger siblings have come in for senior photos, or their birthday sessions, but the older siblings don’t have any excuses to bring them in…until they are at the studio for a family session.
I enjoy taking some time at the end of the session, to just work with them! Their age is not the norm for me, but I love talking with them, getting to know them and just having some fun.
Alex was no different! His younger brother, Ian, came in a few months ago for his senior photos, but I did not get to photograph Alex when he graduated. I had a great time spending a little one on one time with Alex!
Done!
At two and a half, not surprisingly, Tanner has a mind of his own. He was totally okay with cooperating for family photos for a couple of minutes, but as soon as we went to make a change, he decided that he was done! He was ready to leave. He wanted to see the cows and the horses, anything but have his photo taken.
It took some bribing, and some pleading, and some game playing, but we got through it! Whether he wanted to or not, we captured family, individuals and even some Cowboy Tanner!
Nice try, Tanner! Even if you think you run the show, the truth is, “You’re not done until we say you’re done!”
A Curve Ball
I guess I should have expected to be thrown a curve ball…everything was going so well. It was a beautiful day! The temps were in the mid 70s, the sun was shining, the leaves were falling off the trees, the wind was as still as could be.
And the family…well, they were dressed fabulously in reds and browns, hair was done well and three of them were great listeners, smilers and participators. The fourth…that was my curve ball!
Evan wanted nothing to do with family photo day! If Mommy or Daddy tried to sit with him, he’d go limp noodle and slide to the ground. If we asked him to climb on the bench, he’d shake his head no and run away. If we asked him to hold sissy’s hand, he’d insist on also holding Mommy’s hand at the same time.
We moved around, we walked around and we mixed up the combinations, trying anything we could to make sure Evan was at least in the family photo!
Laughing
Lily and Ava have always been a blast to photograph! They’re always excited to see me, and full of smiles and adorable expressions. This year, however, they seemed to have caught a case of the giggles! They could not stop laughing…and everything I said was extremely hilarious…which I know can not be true!
The best part is when you get Lily laughing really hard…she actually starts to snort! Sometimes, I wonder if she’s making it happen, but then sometimes, you can tell it just happened! This huge, loud, deep snort coming out of this adorable tiny girl…hilarious!
Three Going On Thirteen
Ansley may only be three, but I’m convinced she thinks she’s thirteen! I was able to see all sides of her. I saw Ansley’s stubborn, “I’m not doing anything you ask” side. I saw her sweet, “I’m so adorable” side. I even had a peek at her silly, “I can make lots of faces” side.
But the main side of Ansley that I saw was the, “I’ll do what I want to do, when I want to do it” side! Unfortunately, the one thing that she did not want to do included family portraits.
Ansley and I had a blast when it was just one on one. She even shared the spotlight with her brother for a little bit. But, bring in the family and she was done! We tried everything to get her to join in on the family fun. Finally, with a bit of persistence and game playing, we had all four of them in one image!!
Of course, during this entire time, baby brother Mason was a complete rock star. He just went with the flow, performing like a pro! By the time we were done, Mason was so exhausted that he fell asleep in Mommy’s arms. You rock, baby Mason!
Stubborn Puppy
Sienna quickly decided having her photo taken was not for her! She did think, however, that running around on our eleven acres, following the squirrel sounds and chasing the falling leaves, was much more fun!
Sienna would do a beautiful sit or even lay down, but she refused to look at the camera. It didn’t matter what noise I made, she wanted nothing to do with me! Even when I tried to have big brother or Mommy make a noise or talk to her, we were lucky if she’d turn her head to us for more than a few seconds.
You know me, though, I never give up! We crinkled leaves, used the echo from high pitched noises, and pretty much anything we could think of. Whether she wanted us to or not, we took some adorable images of Miss Sienna!
Your Age Doesn’t Matter
We were able to take advantage of Sam’s trip into town for the family portrait, and get some individual portraits of her at the same time. I had recently done individual sessions for her two younger siblings, so it was perfect timing to photograph Sam.
Sam and I had a blast! Even though Sam’s in college, and past the age of the cute kid, past the age of the quirky teenager and past the age of a high school senior, she was totally up for her own photography session, which made it fun for both of us.
I think it’s awesome! Just because you’re in college doesn’t mean that you should be exempt from photos. For that matter, this is a great time to be photographed. She may not be that cute little kid anymore, but she is certainly a beautiful young lady, turning into a stunning adult.
Turning Four!
It just so happened that the day we scheduled the family session for, was little sister, Kennedy’s four year birthday. You would think she wouldn’t be completely thrilled about sharing her birthday with the family portrait session, but I think she was very happy to have her family all around her.
When I asked her who we were going to be photographing she said, “Daddy, Mommy, Sam, Preston and Me!” I said, “What about me?” She said, “No, you’re the picture girl.”
She was all smiles the entire time! Actually, the entire family was all smiles…great sports and positive attitudes…even when I put them in positions that were NOT comfortable!
Cheese Doodles?!?
While doing family photos with Abby and Matthew, Abby busts out with “Cheese Doodles!” Which, of course, Matthew immediately jumps on and, before I know it, everyone is cheesing it up with big Cheese Doodles smiles!
I tried to get Abby to say Cheeseburger or Cheese Puffs or Cheetos, but she was stuck on Cheese Doodles! It almost came out in a sing songy voice…very cute and funny!
Thank goodness we were able to leave the cheese of the cheese doodles behind!
