The Ones I Love
By Shawna Riley
10 Jun 2009
After my first child was born, I did the same thing that moms all over America do: I went to the local department store portrait studio and had pictures taken of the little bundle of joy. I dressed baby in some uncomfortable little outfit that Grandma bought (because you know that "someone" will be upset if you don't have pictures taken in that "cute" little outfit that "someone" bought), load him in the car, feed him before we go into the studio so he doesn't cry of starvation half way through the session, prop the kid up on some unnatural-looking platform, and then wait for 30 minutes for the baby to open his eyes because you just filled his belly and now he's content and happy and fast asleep. Finally, the eyes open and the "professional photographer" gets a couple of shots. Maybe five. But then you've got to stop because baby is now grumpy from being prodded to wake up so his picture can be taken. Maybe one of the shots looks half way decent. Maybe. But now baby is crying and his diaper is wet and he's just pissed at this point. You can almost hear the kid saying, "Mommy, this photo shoot is now over!"
The pictures turned out awful and I swore I'd never go to the department store photo studio ever again. I was caught in the "professional portrait" trap only once more – after my second child was born. By the time the third child came along, I no longer had any desire to have "professional" portraits taken of the new baby. I buy the school pictures of the boys only because I think it's fun to line up those 8x10's of each year to see how much the kids' have changed over the years. I'm sure I'll buy the school pictures of my daughter, too.
As you may have surmised by this point, I take my own child portraits. No more department store pictures for us. I do my own, thank you.
I have featured two pictures each of my three kids. First is Jake, my oldest, a red head, a math genius and awesome piano player. Second is Ri, who looks nothing like his brother Jake, another math genius, and who I call the "mad scientist" because of all his experimenting and curiosity. Last, but never least, is Shorty, my little girl who just loves the camera - or maybe it's the camera that loves her!
These are the ones I love!
1 response
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Mim Smith Faro said (13 Jun 2009):
Well said. My mom would actually take my daughter to get "professional" portraits done because I didn't like to! Now- years later- she gets the fact that my photos are much better suited to capturing my children. Real life- not posed and propped.
