Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The Truth behind the Family Photo Shoot...

We just finished our annual family photo shoot and those of you who have large families resulting in multiple personalities know exactly how hard it is to get good pictures especially with EVERYONE in them looking half way happy and not like Momma said I had to or else...but I'm not in my mind.

 The outfits to pick and coordinate, the location to choose, and the vision to decide.

Don't get me wrong...I LOVE doing this and so far for the most part we have ended up with some definite keepers :)

But there is a story that takes place between pictures, smiling faces and runaway kids.

I'm here to tell mine lest ya'll believe I have this thing down to a science.

It took me 2 weeks....YES 2 weeks to get outfits together and coordinated to my liking. I'm picky.

Sometimes my music room looked a lot like this (don't correct my grammar here...I'm the mom and I can do what I want!)










No that's not me or my music room but you get the idea. :) (I'd love to have those legs though!)

After many switches and changes and scrummaging in closets (no I do not go out and buy everybody coordinating outfits) I settle upon the perfect picture taking duds and they wear them whether they like them or not! muahahhhaha ("these are too small and keep falling down" whiny kid's voice..."you're wearing them, it's just for a picture not for eternity"mean momma voice)

I usually take all year to decide my vision....what I want for background and so on and so forth and (yes I have next year's already determined...call me crazy, my husband does).

This year I knew I wanted a red barn...didn't care what condition in fact would prefer it to be old and tumbling down. I found one not too far from our place but TJ didn't want to find out who owned it and then ask the weird question like "do you mind if I bring my 6 free spirited girls and my crazy obsessive total OCD wife to your barn and take our family photos?"  I fail to see why this was such a big deal :)




Now on to the true story behind family photo shoots.....

This is what happens when one is the director of the photoshoots...you are trying to share your glorious vision with your 13 year old, meanwhile she is snapping away like a kid who finally got her hands on the camera for the first time.....which ends up with you looking like the demented half of the couple(they only let me out for the day) and your husband looks like he should be on the cover of Vogue magazine. and she turns 14 in a couple weeks and thinks I'll let her start learning how to drive after this???!!!


This is what happens when you are trying out an idea for the first time and your husband goes "oof" as you climb aboard and then tries to help by grabbing you in places that are not entirely appropriate for pictures :P ....meanwhile the 13 year old is stilling snapping away.

 sometimes the director and producer must take a time out....
 sometimes the director and producer must go head to head...or toe to toe as the case may be...
we may look like we settled our differences....

until...

let me just add here...please note that I look much more deadly and serious then my producer which leads me to the next photo that I won in the duel.

this was a vision my producer failed to see...the conversation may have run something like this..

PRODUCER: "I don't get this...are you sure this is what you wanted? what's that smell? I think I'm in dog poop! yes I am...we are not doing this one again so you better hope it works the first time...."

DIRECTOR: "...yes this is what I wanted...it will be neat! and different! smile for the picture and don't ruin it! dog poop!!!!! reallly!!!! bahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahaha!!!!!!!

KIDS:" we have the coolest parents EVER!"

then you have the runaway kids....


then you have the one where the director may or may not have decided that the kid ruined her picture and used the conveniently located window....did I push her in? muahahhaha what do you think?

and then the ones your husband believes to be comical....

 some photos take much combined effort...
these kids are not innocent...


 last one standing won I guess...
or maybe not!

and there you have it....the true story behind the family photo shoot.

Yes, we do it every year.

We are creating memories...some better than others but memories nonetheless....amiright?

so until next year










                                               

5 comments:

  1. Oh.my.word.!!!! I read this post in bed last night just before going to sleep, and I was literally laughing out loud! Matt had to ask me what was SO funny since I couldn't stop laughing and shaking the bed. Great pictures and great humor!! :-)

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  2. So glad to see all the family.The girls are sure growing up fast.M&C Baker

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  3. I love the pics...and the story! You have such a talent for writing...and seeing the fun in every situation!

    ~Jessica

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  4. I couldn't stop laughing as I read this! Awesome post :) Your fam is incredible!

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