Photos 2014

Okay, so here be my babies....growing up! We went to get their annual (+dance) pictures taken at the same studio we have been going to for 5 years. I wish that I had a hundred super-cute photos to share, but some portrait sessions just don't go the way that you plan...it all depends on the photographer. The girl taking the kids' pictures was nice enough, but she just did the very basics of her job, and I am completely terrible about stepping up and saying anything as a complaint. 

She did okay in that she did get photos of the kids and some of them I could actually use... but she had no creativity or even ideas about how to pose them beyond a single pose (alone, together, change outfit... thank goodness I brought multiple outfits). The kids weren't overly helpful in the endeavor either as Degen is going through his fake-smile phase (and I tried my best to talk to him and get him smiling naturally, but the photographer wouldn't take photos until I was DONE talking and he was back to his robot-grin), and the girl didn't call for "back-up" or use any of the 'smile' techniques I have seen a hundred times at the same studio. 

And bless Kyrie's heart, she does well with her smile, but once that girl is set in a pose she is a statue... so I have groupings of 3 shots in a row of her that look exactly the same....EXACTLY! 

Sigh... so part of me wants to complain and part of me is just glad that it is over with because prepping the kids and actually getting the photos done is a little stressful. And I am grateful for the few good photos that I did get. I know I will probably go back there next year, but beforehand I need to remember to utter a quick prayer that we get a good photographer and make a request for the strength to speak up. 

Here are some examples of our photo-shoot "issues":

Degen as robot:

And I am posting these as an example of my little statue (who is adorable in this photo), but these are 3 different photos...can you spot the differences (hint: there are none!). So, this studio advertises that they take 60+ photos (we walked away with about 70 on a CD), but when you have 3 shots apiece of the same exact pose, the number of usable & unique photos you get is quite diminished.