Once again: attempting the impossible. « Sarah Jane Studios Blog

Once again: attempting the impossible.

Hello! And Happy Friday!
Wow…thanks for all your lovely responses to my internship post. I’m learning more and more how wonderful it is to be part of such a wonderful creative community. Not all communities are gracious and wonderful, and I’m just so happy to be associated with such genuine people! Thank you! I had a much bigger response than I can use, but I’m once again reminded that though I work from home by myself….we really are all so willing to help each other. Thank you!

I’ve just come back from a quick spin to NYC (which was a fantastic adventure that I’ll share next week) so I’ve been absent from here for a bit.

But before I do that…I’m asking you for some advice. Parenting advice.

So I think I have the Easter picture curse. Do you? Or is it just me? You probably don’t remember these pictures, but this is how every Easter measures up.

Don’t get me wrong: I adore these pics….so much! But sometimes I just wish I could capture that single picture where everyone is looking at the camera…everything is in focus, and the children look happy and relaxed. Just one!

Seriously. I think I took like 157 pictures. The lighting was beyond perfect. It was minutes before church (and we were actually dressed and ready early!) but I honestly couldn’t get all 3 to look at me let alone give me a natural smile. We were all laughing the whole way…because they really are meant for the stage and come up with the wittiest things to say and do with each other. But every year, we end up with the silly pics (which depicts real life for sure!)

I laugh, because the only shot where I got them all to look at the camera was when I told them to act like Kings and Queens (which I realize was a silly request because I guess Kings and Queens don’t smile much. Oops!)

So, suggestions welcome for how to get a group of overly loving and dramatic children to hold still and look pleasant for the camera? I really think the answer is wearing your camera during waking hours all day everyday, so that when the moment comes, you are ready. Not very good at that one.

So, do share: are your good pics on accident? Or do you have tricks. I have a whole year to practice:)

Although, I do have to say…when they are on their own, they are magic. Heart-breaker, he is.

HAPPY WEEKEND!

sarah

13/04Personal & Family

marilyn holley-stupka

My daughter has her kids (only two of them) make goofy faces and do odd things for three pictures and then two serious ones. They know it is coming and boy do they get silly but when they do the serious ones they are still smiling and all they have to do is look at the camera and keep their hands to themselves. They have to pose twice but she snaps 3 or four quickly and then they usually do another silly. It is amazing how well her pictures turn out and they are kids that are pretty wiggly.
Rachel

Bribery, pure and simple…LOL…just kidding (mostly). Mine are older now and telling them “To make mom happy” works fine, but when they were younger it was a combo of what Marilyn said above and an offer of taking pictures with a favorite friend/doll/etc…at one point I bribed them with letting each kid pick a picture (from the photo shoot) that would be my desktop background for a whole week, then the next got to choose..have NO clue why it worked, but it did, LOL. Other than that, well, yeah, random was the most successful…
Katja Magus

I have three boys (8, 6 and 4) and I have tried it all, paying them for each picture in which they are looking and smiling (I had a roll of nickels in my pocket) of course each child gets paid individually and is only responsible for themselves. I also have tried explaining that this is your easter/mothers day/x-mas gift to mommy, all mommy really wants is great pictures to put up on the walls andsend to grandma. Also I have had more luck having them in/on something such as a tree, bench, wooden play structure,etc, as I think it is the standing there in a line that is weird for them (when do they ever just stand there?) Also, while it is a nightmare to get them ready, the stress of going out all primped up for church might just be too much, catch them on a good calm afternoon when they are all fed and happy, and throw on their dress clothes and head to a park (hey, it’s after easter so a few stains or wrinkles won’t hurt). I have much better luck when they are having fun. And, I have become MUCH more relaxed about what I “get” if I have someone else take my “good” pictures for the year, since i know i have great ones of each kid at that age and stage!
ina

lol, those pictures are adorable!! I do understand you want both kinds of pictures. one where the kids are goofing around and one where they are still and smiling for the camera. hopefully, others will have some good advice for you…in the meantime, those pics are ADORABLE. ;p
http://www.LauraZarrin.com Laura Zarrin

I’ve given up, because even with older children, it’s tough to get the shot. That’s what Photoshop is for;) I regularly take several photos and use parts of each to get one that works.
http://lizl.wordpress.com liz

This is probably obvious, but we bribe them with candy. Rolls of smarties are the perfect thing — they aren’t sticky nor chocolatey/messy, and you can give little kids just one tiny smarty in between shots, then maybe a whole roll at the end. It’s not great parenting, but it works!
Angela A

My daughter wouldn’t even wear her Easter dress (any of the 3 choices that had been given to her), so I you got way better pictures than me.
http://kiss-and-tell-productions.com Connie

I loved every one of your pics above. They have lots of fab personality!
http://www.alannageorge.com Alanna George

I just wrote a post about this earlier in the week (http://www.alannageorge.com/2012/04/10/my-silly-kids-in-photos/). I can’t get all 4 of my kids to make a decent face when they are together. I decided I just have to roll with it and laugh about it and someday they will be embarrassed that they always looked so silly in all the photos of them together!
http://www.fourlittlemunchkins.blogspot.com Four Little Munchkins

I have one trick, and it isn’t fail proof, but 6 times out of 10 it works… I get someone to stand next to me or slightly in front of me and tell them a funny story or a joke. Then I snap the picture when they aren’t expecting it and *hopefully* when they are reacting to the story/joke. I’ve got a gew good ones this way.
http://smartcreativewomen.com/ Monica Lee

I love these!!!! Too funny!
http://feather30.livejournal.com/ Stéphanie

Nothing works with my son apart from taking him unaware. But even then I only have a few seconds to adjust focus and light. It’s nightmarish. Worse is that his grandma taught him to stand still and smile but when he does it’s all mecanic, see what I mean?, he puts his lips into a smile but it doesn’t reach his smile, he’s got his hands behing his back and look utterly bored so I usually give up. Apparently, he plays a game at school ‘play star’, he likes it and it shows on his face. Might work a bit better than the ‘queen and king’ game at least for the smiling part… ^^ But I think you did very well with your pics mine would have ended up blurred.
Sara

The best pictures we got for Christmas were the ones where we begged them not to smile. They thought that was funny and gave great expressions.
http://gg-notesonthejourney.blogspot.com Glenda Childers

Such beautiful children … with personality. Glad you have all these memories captured.
Caroline

These pictures are so lovely! I have 7 year old twin girls and I have given up getting them to stand still for a photo and smile – one clowns around and does silly faces and poses!! My best photos are when they are natural and they’re not thinking about the camera. If I want a nice picture of them smiling I tend to get them to pose leaning on a tree or bench or something and then for a couple of seconds they smile before goofing around!!
Marnae

My three oldest (ages ranging from 7-4) are good to smile and look at the camera..its the 2 year old that gives me fits. This year, just before we were going to take the picture I told her to look at the “duckie” in the camera and it was going to quack at her..of course there was no duck, but she has a good imagination, and as soon as the camera started clicking (quacking), she was smiling the whole time staring straight at the camera. It was really quite amazing! Im sure it will never work again…but I’ll take it this year:)
http://www.alidiza.com alidiza

Bribes… I’m not proud but it works. Also if there’s somebody else around to give my bunny ears that always gets a smile: )
Cheryl Burchett

I cheat! I take hundreds of pictures and then use photoshop to exchange heads until I have one picture with everyone looking AND smiling! It works as long as the pictures are taken close to each other so the bodies don’t change a lot, just the expressions. Sometimes I get lucky, but if not OFF WITH THEIR HEADS! Here is a link to a blog post I did about some of my favorite photoshopped images, http://lydiaburchett.blogspot.com/2011/05/photographing-and-photoshopping.html
Corinne

I ask my son (3.5 yr) to tell me a joke. This gets him to look at me ( and the camera). Right after he finishes the joke he has a great smile. I start shooting during the joke and keep shooting until the smile fades.

I’ve only tried this with one kid but it may work for a group.

Once again: attempting the impossible.

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