Lest you think that taking Elise’s monthly photos are a quick & easy thing, I’m here to show you the real story. It can be quite a lengthy process.
First, I wait until we have some good natural light in our west facing family room, then I lay down the colorful quilt that Grandma H made (with an extra blanket underneath for padding). Next, I edit the file that I designed for her monthly tag—all I do is change the number, but maybe someday I’ll change them all ahead of time so I can be ready through month 12. Then I cut out the circle and clip it to a ribbon with a tiny clothespin.
Time to prep the model. I make sure she’s fed and happy. This is very important, as nobody wants to work with a drama queen. Then I dress her in a white cloth diaper & basic white onesie, fluff her hair up, maybe put a bow in her hair, lay her on the quilt, drape the ribbon over her like a sash, and ‘voila!’. Ready to shoot.
I usually take about 60 photos before I decide I have at least a couple decent ones and say, “It’s a wrap!”. Then my model can go about doing her business, such as chatting, having a wardrobe change, or yelling at her agent (that’d be me).
Here are some outtakes from the past few sessions. She’s not always the easiest to work with….
too stubborn.
too excited to pose.
too distracted by a cat.
too goofy.
too much like a helpless bug flailing on her back.
too wiggly, therefore blurry arm & leg.
too distracted by a cat. or tree. or dust particle. who knows, it could be anything.
too tongue-y. not the smile I was looking for.
too slobbery & squinty.
uh-oh, we’ve discovered something to put in our mouth.
um, yeeeeah. that pretty much sums it all up, right there.
Funny, I used to think she had chunky thighs back when she was two months old. One thing is for certain, I love being able to see how she changes from month to month. And I hope you do too.
