Are We Done Yet?

Hurry up already, Ma
Originally uploaded by Ernesto and Kristen Burden.

I don't think about having Christmas photos taken of the kids until it is way too late. But I'm also not really a big fan of the posed picture for kids anyway, because it just doesn't look natural. The best pictures I have of my kids are all just random shots. I'm not much of a photographer, but they're great subjects, so once in a while I get lucky.

Not so this time. I tried one morning to get the kids to pose for me in front of the fireplace and the tree and they kept giving me these really forced, cheesy grins, during which they would say "Cheese!!" really loudly and be looking out the window or down at their hands. I tried to keep it light, told them to just relax and think about fun things and Santa and presents and all that, but that only distracted them and I kept trying to put them back into their "spots" and hold their positions. I'm not sure what I was thinking. Needless to say it did not work out. This I think was the last picture I took before calling it quits. David looks as though he's listening to a tired old car salesman and he's ready to walk off the lot and Sofia looks like a despondent teenager. Somehow I don't think I captured their essence.

Next year I'll use professionals for sure. Just someone remind me during the month of October.