We vacationed with our closest friends to Florida and really wanted some family photos while on the beach. We found a wedding and family photographer in a local visitor guide, and called them up to have our photo taken.
The day of the pictures was VERY windy, and the photographers just didn’t seem sure what to do with fast wind and lots of kids. Still, I don’t think we got our monies worth. Below are some of my “favorite” shots of the day.
Ah, nothing says “casual beachy family photo” like a mound of hair whipping crazily in the wind.
Speaking of crazy hair… Such a special moment between mama and baby. Happy girls, angry hair.
A nice shot of Christopher, Emmy, and Emmy’s bright blue Tinkerbell underwear.
When we said we want a photo of the parents watching the kids happily play in the sand, this chaos is not what we had in mind.
One of the few group shots we were shown. We wanted real photos, we got a real terrible shot! And look, it’s art imitating life: look at the Buckners ready to get going while we wait for the Smiths to get their stuff together already.
Kids crying, toys in Johnny’s hand, others not looking at the camera – but look at me & Sarah – sure, our hair is going nuts – but our bodies and faces say we are determined to get that perfect photo.
“We would like a picture of the girls hot pink toes in the sand.” Added bonus? Getting one of the photographers feet also in the shot.
Abbott is mad, Easton is making sure Emmy doesn’t drop the baby, Christopher is bored, Emmy is determined to be a good mommy, Berk is a baby – and this was hands down the best pic we got of all five kiddos!
Ah, picture day. Who knew it would be such a mess? Ever since the photographer dropped off the disc and literally ran back to her car, Sarah and I have been cracking up and trying to pick our absolute least favorite – but in this bunch it is too hard to pick just one…
Coordinating matching outfits preparation = $200 total
Total hours spent getting ready = six
Cost of photographers (who still have yet to collect the money) = $150
Two matching Little Gypsy hairbows for the girls = $30
Vacation photos to take home and cherish forever = Priceless? NO, Worthless.
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Spectacular. ly. Bad. Happy to pose the group on Buckner Beach when you return!
On the bright side, it makes a GREAT story…
Yes, bring em all up here to Mentor Headlands on Lake Erie for a re-shoot–looks just like the ocean on a windy day.
Ladies, shoulders back amidst the chaos! Gorgeous!
I especially like the photos of both families combined. The photographer really had to work to stage that long shot with Sarah walking down the beach with her three kids and almost everyone else’s back to the camera. I felt that I was almost there in the photographer’s place thinking “Is this the button that turns the camera on?”. Or the picture where everybody is looking downward at the beach. Very introspective, quiet, and meditative – exactly how I think of Christopher, Emmy, Easton, and Abbott at this stage in their lives. Very post-modern technique – why try to catch anyone smiling or looking like they were enjoying themselves?