my how the tables have turned

When I first started out as a photographer, Hendrix was my test subject.  He was just a few months old, and I used him to practice everything on.  I tried out various poses, lighting, camera settings, locations, props, etc., all to find the perfect options to work with when it came to photographing real clients, you know, the ones who actually paid me to take their photos.  

Then Blaire came along, and, again, I was ecstatic to have a newborn at my very disposal to practice on.....learning how to soothe, pose, swaddle and capture those tiny little features was my passion.  In fact, it lead to my employment at the hospital photographing newborns for Bella Baby Photography a couple days a week.  (Which really is my dream job!)

As the years passed, I continued capturing my kiddos in a variety of settings........learning so much about lighting, shutter speeds, focal lengths, and metering; and then moving on to focus on the art of lifestyle/journalistic photography.  I attempted to capture images that told the story of our life.  The images of everyday play in the living room.  Their favorite toys.  The silly outfits.  The backyard playtime.  The fun daily adventures we created.  

I became so comfortable with my camera, that I could switch the settings on the fly, and swap out lenses with ease, and do those things while maintaining a fluid conversation at the same time.   My kids helped me become the photographer I am today.  They taught me to see the beauty in the details, and they challenged me to capture it all so I could revisit those moments time and time again, even after those fleeting moments had passed.

But today?

Today my kids are the biggest camera divas ever.  They are impossible.  They do. not. cooperate. for photo sessions unless they are bribed or threatened, and even then, I may get a total of 4 minutes of cooperation if I'm lucky.  And at that, I usually only get 35 seconds in which they decide to cooperate at the same time, say to put their arms around each other for a cute hug pose.  ;)

While they used to be my practice......NOW I have to use every bit of practice and skill that I have acquired from sessions with my clients to have fresh and new tricks to entice a few sweet shots of my own babes.  

All this to say, that I had a very short and sweet session with my kiddos in the snow, and I did have to bribe them with cookies and brownies, respectively.  As much work as it was, I DO LOVE how these turned out.   It's never too late to appreciate a few heart-themed shots, right?!