After last weekend’s minor set back, we decided to give holiday photos another shot. This time we got an early start.
Young O has been a bit cranky lately, so being strategic in how we planned for the day was essential. Rather than have the kids nap before our shoot, we decided to get them camera ready beforehand. Princess had dance and tumbling classes in the morning, so we had a small window to work with. Once we returned home and the kids had lunch, we got to work.
The goal was to get this done within a half hour. Let’s face it; photographing one child is tough enough. With two, you’re likely to lose your mind! Young O is one busy little guy. He’s become quite active these last few months. Getting him to sit still and smile for photos can be quite the challenge.
I plan on putting together tips for taking pics of multiple children over at my BabyCenter Blog. But he’s a quick synopsis on how we managed to get this holiday shoot done drama-free.
While some folks head to the pros, we opted to take our own pictures (as we’ve done previously). We wanted to capture the kids in their natural element, and we’re able to do that in our home – the place where our kiddos feel most comfortable. We have everything at our fingertips. So, if someone throws a fit or gets tired, solving the problem is easy. I would hate to schedule a time to meet with a photographer, only to cancel at the last minute because Young O has a meltdown or Princess isn’t feeling well. I plan on using photos from the shoot for our holiday card.
Our session did get off to a rough start because Young O refused to part with his sippy cup, which was totally fine by me. I think the pictures he took with it came out okay.
Eventually he felt comfortable enough to take some without it.
We also made good use of our Christmas decorations – each serving as cute holiday props.
You’re probably wondering how on earth we managed to get these kids to cooperate. For starters, it takes two. My hubby and I worked as a team. I must also give our little girl some credit. She’s like a professional model, and is super easy to work with. In fact, she was also a huge help during the entire process.
She came up with ideas on her own, and needed little or no direction at all. Princess was also instrumental in helping her little brother.
My hubby and I did a lot of singing, silly faces, and whatnot – just to put Young O at ease. I was a little worried that he didn’t nap before the photo shoot, but his Dad thought we’d get better results if he didn’t. He was absolutely right.
Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to see Santa this weekend. Young O started running a fever the following day, so we decided to pass on the idea. We’re hoping to pay him a visit next week and check out the holiday light show.
In the meantime, please check out our recent vlog. Capturing these special moments make the holiday season even more special. Don’t forget to rate and subscribe to Weather Anchor Mama on YouTube! Thanks for watching!
Have you even taken your own holiday photos?
They are so adorable!