"Shooting" four kids

Disclaimer....I am by no means a professional photographer. It is a hobby and I did take a class....you can tell in these pictures when (I was color happy last year)


We are taking the kids easter pictures this year on sunday. I have a love/hate relationship with the event. Love having the pictures but I am always leery of doing the shoot because it could go one of two ways.

way one:
We get everyone dressed only to have someone jack up their outfit on the way, someone falls asleep in the car and messes up their hair and is in a crabby mood when we wake them up.  We get there and there aren't any flowers because we were ahead of the bloomin' date. One kid randomly developes a terrifying fear of gnats and actively seeks them out only to scream. Someone does a face first slide in the dirt because "it looks fun"

Enter three years ago this is what we got

 I feel like these are so awesome they don't need captions.  Also, I sent Easter cards out with some happy and some crying because it is so "us". You can imagine my husbands excitement every year when I announce it's time for pictures! The following year we opted out of pictures and just took candid ones of the kind searching for eggs. Here is what we got.

 Those were cute and easy, BUT I really wish I had done an actual shoot. The shoot from hell was still in our minds so we decided against torturing ourselves and our children.

Way 2: Enter last year. The perfect storm. Cameron was still "into it" Riley was over her random gnat fear and Bradford was THE PERFECT age for a fun shoot. So we headed to the Grapevine Botanical Gardens only to find we were too early for the blooms, however we got some amazing shots and even put one on a canvas that sits on our mantle. Some of these are way "over edited" but as I often say, when you know better, you do better!

So here we go again and I was thinking about some things that might help me stay calm and shoot on....

1. Timing. Kids must be fed, well rested, fed and happy. If someone falls asleep on the way there then it is a recipe for disaster. We found 4 o'clock to be a great time.....it leaves room for bribing of fun dinner if needed. 

2. Instincts. If you fell it's going to be a cluster then in WILL! If you have a bad feeling or as a parent are in a bad mood you will not have a good experience......scratch the date and pick another. 

3. If possible get kids dressed AT the site. This one is important if you have a newborn or a slobbery mess kid. Also, try and do hair at the site. Bring all things for re-doing hair upon arrival. 

4. Have fun. Don't advertise to the kids that you are taking pictures. Just call it "looking at flowers" or "running in the park" I love the candid shots much better than the once where we made the kids sit and say "cheese" 

5. Bring bubbles. Kids love to watch bubbles and it makes for some fun faces.

6. Be prepared to get on the ground and get dirty. Some of the last shoot I was on my back or knees shooting up 

 MOST OF ALL: YOUR KIDS TAKE ON YOUR MOOD SO HAVE FUN AND LAUGH....IF NECESSARY BRIBE BRIBE BRIBE!!

Good luck and wish us luck! Happy shooting.