Family Pictures

Every year, around this time I try to take a family picture - my family hates it. I make them all get dressed up while I jimmy-rig some sort of tripod using an end table and books. Then we spend the next half hour taking pictures using the self-timer on my little camera. This is always a miserable experience for everyone involved. All of this because I'm cheap and would rather not pay a photographer a ridiculous sitting fee along with outrageous, per print, prices. My biggest beef is that after emptying my life savings into his/her pocket, I leave not even owning the rights to make reprints. Hooray for photographers who give their clients CDs and the right to reprint. Thank you Michael Loyd Photography - this is the main reason I chose you to photograph my wedding day.

This family picture event follows the same pattern as when I decide to color my own hair.

Once in college I had a great experience coloring my own hair. I received several compliments followed by expressions of awe when I said it was home kit. So, of course, every year or so I think I can replicate that particular coloring experience. Without fail, I fail and end up having to immediately rush to a professional to get my hair fixed before Church on Sunday (thank you Rockelle for saving me on multiple occasions and not costing me an arm and leg).

This is what it's like when I try to take our family picture. Every year I think I can do it, and every year I fail. I spend a great deal of mental and physical effort trying to get everything perfect and yet, I never end up with a picture I am pleased with (I guess I should take a photography class to learn how to use more than just the auto setting on my camera).

Well, a few weeks ago I woke up to an amazing beautiful day and determined this would be the day of my photographic success. I knew the exact park where we would go and I knew the color scheme of the clothing we were all to wear. I got the kids all dressed and we took off. Once we were loaded in the van I called Byron at work and told him my plan. We picked him up, he changed shirts in the car and we were off. Everything was perfect.

Except:

1. The freezing temperature.
2. The squinting due to sun in our eyes.
3. The 500 geese in the park.
4. The poop of these 500 geese carpeting the entire park.
5. The determination of my daughters to walk/kneel/sit in as much of this poop as possible.
6. My knowledge of photography (note the shading/sun in all the pictures).
7. The patience and behavior of my 4 year old.
8. The patience and behavior of my 2 year old
9. The patience and behavior of my 1 month old
10. The patience of my husband.
11. My own patience.

In the end I took a total of 99 shots and I only ended up with ONE decent picture. Can you believe it? I can, because that's how it goes every year for me. But, I guarantee that next year, I will have forgotten and I'll try again, and I'll be disappointed again.

Oh, I took my family to a professional photographer 2 weeks ago. And no - I don't own the rights to make reprints!! I'll post the pictures in a future post.

Below is the good (not great) picture I mentioned surrounded by just a very few of the bad ones.