ALWAYS CHOOSE A PHOTO THAT MAKES YOU SMILE

I am often told that I am very patient with children, which always makes me smile.  I am often asked HOW I am so patient with children, to which I reply, “because I have NEVER come across worse than my own”.  Over the years I have taken great pride in producing some beautiful images of my little darlings (I know I am very modest), but the images which always stand out in my mind, are the images, which didn’t quite work, the imperfect one of the bunch, the ones which used to make me squirm with embarrassment, now make me howl with laughter……. why??? because I remember the moments, the frustration, the sheer desperation to get them to sit still FOR ONE BLOODY MINUTE!!!!!!!, but now that they are old enough to sit and pose, guess what?????……………….. its no fun anymore.

I used to dread bringing my children into the studio, they would charge through it at 100 mph and wreck everything in sight, I used to have to beg, plead and, on occasion break limbs (mine not theirs), just to get them to sit down.  Every photo was a battle, why? because I always had an image of what I wanted in my head, needless to say it never happened, but the images that I took along they way, were, on some occasions, hilarious.  There is always guaranteed to be at least one reluctant member, who would sit with a face like a wet weekend, who needed to go to the toilet, or who would throw a punch at anyone daring to smile, Jamie’s party trick for well over a year was to cross his eyes as soon as the camera shutter went (try photoshopping that!!!!)

I now totally LOVE toddlers, because they come into my studio and you never know what is going to happen, I can’t plan the session, I just have to go with what they will give me. I had a young couple in recently, who had a toddler, who refused to let go of his little tool box and insisted on having his “bucket” in every photo, and do you know what??? in years to come they will look at the photos and remember with fondness how much their little boy loved that simple little toy, they will remember when that little boy loved them.  Because in a few years that little angel and his “bucket” will have turned into a psychotic teenager, and his electric guitar, oozing hormones and weird moods.  That little toddler, who craved to sit on his mummy’s knee, will sit in the corner with an iPad on his knee and instead of singing “Bob the Builder”, he will be singing some awful rap song (oh dear lord I am turning into my granny) and as for language, remember how you were the only one who could understand your toddlers ramblings????? yeah?? well get ready to be fluent in gangsta and grunts (I am like, so bi-lingual) So embrace the little darlings as they are now, let them wreck, let them cling to that little comfort blanket and give them everything they want, because in years to come, it is all gonna be your fault anyway……….

Here are a few from my family album, can you guess who the messer of the family is????

 

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