Baby! Baby! Hi, Baby! Over here! Smiiiiiiile!
You know what’s stressful? Trying to take a Christmas card-worthy photo of your baby!
Don’t get me wrong — Baby Boy is very photogenic. But usually I’m snapping a few fifty photos of him in a regular outfit, just hanging out in our living room or something. The background doesn’t matter, the outfit doesn’t really matter, etc.
When you are taking a Christmas card photo, that stuff matters! The baby should be in a Christmas-y outfit, preferably in front of a Christmas-y background (or at least not your blah couch or random scattered toys).
They also shouldn’t have a giant drip of drool hanging off their chin, or a huge bubble coming from their mouth because they won’t stop going, “Brrrrrrr! Brrrrrr!”
Because this photo will be the first time some people even SEE a photo of Baby Boy, since they received his birth announcement almost six months ago. He has to look his best! They have to see the photo and say, “Aww, what a cutie,” or “That’s a good-looking boy they have,” or something. Therefore validating me as a parent. Right? Right?
Sigh …
Of course, I didn’t buy a Santa hat or a special outfit, or anything that would have made this process easier. So I’ve been stuck dressing him in regular outfits that hint at a Christmas-y vibe. And props! Except he tried to eat the wrapped gift, the tree ornament, and the tree itself. Props FAIL.
So far I have shot two “sessions” and I’m not sure I have a winning photo yet. He was in a cranky mood for both sessions, so many of the outake photos are him crying or pouting — cute, but not card-worthy. I mean, if he’s pouting on a Christmas card, that doesn’t really give a “happiness and joy” message, does it?
I have one contender, but I’m still debating if he has “crazy eyes” or if he just looks really … caffeinated.
I’m starting to understand why portrait studios exist for this purpose …
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Heather's Handmade Life 