Being a Mom of 2, one of which is mildly autistic, I know first hand how difficult picture day can be.  It can be extremely stressful and quite exhausting.  It usually begins with, "we don't have any clothes to wear" so off to the mall you go with children that are less than enthusiastic about your decision and often times require multiple forms of bribing to find that perfect outfit.  As if that isn't enough, most times on picture day, the child(ren) decide that they will not stick to their "normal" schedule and refuse to nap.  Mom and Dad are now convinced that they have truly gone crazy and wonder why on earth they chose to have professional photos taken!  

I titled this one "Let them be little" because I want to let all of you know that sometimes the best pictures are those that are NOT posed.  They are usually ones that show the stage the children are in at the moment and often bring out their natural smile and personality.  A professional photography session does not have to be all about forcing the children to look at the camera and smile.  As they get older, those posed photos will happen more and more.  It is important to keep telling yourself that they are just being a child and it is what it is.   So what if they do not smile for the strange lady behind a lens, making crazy noises and funny faces.  A professional photographer should not take this personal, rather keep trying and get the shots they can get.  I can't tell you the number of times I have had parents say, "I had no idea you even got that many wonderful images from that terrible day!"  

I chose this photo from my last session because I just LOVED it and truth be known that prior to this shot, these 2 littles had other ideas which including playing chase, kicking off boots, throwing rocks, etc.  Mom and Dad were sweating and cursing under their breath and certainly wondering why they put themselves through this but looking at this particular image, would you have ever guessed that it was a bit challenging?  

"LET THEM BE LITTLE bc they aren't that way for very long"  Trust me, I know!  My 2 girls are 23 and 20!   untitled-0969