A Slightly Stressful Sitting

A common question posed to me when people come to my house is, "Who takes YOUR pictures?!"  Obviously I can't take the picture AND be in it at the same time (afterall it is nearly impossible to be the mom and photographer during a single shoot much less the subject too!)  The answer is professional photographers get OTHER professional photographers to take their portraits!  Usually it is done as a professional courtesy so it is a great perk in the business!  Until another professional photographer calls you to take THEIR portraits...then it is STRESSFUL!  These portraits are of a good friend of mine and a wonderful photographer here in Auburn- Brooke Dilworth.  Many of you may know her name because I oftentimes refer folks to her if I am unavailable or they are looking for a handtinted portrait...she is a super talented photographer!  Now understand, NOTHING did Brooke do to make this sitting stressful...it was totally me!  Afterall, most moms are happy if they can just get a portrait of a moving child in focus, but when another professional photographer is looking at portraits of their own baby, you want to make it perfect!  You want to have the lighting right and the posing correct and the color just so... and OF COURSE it must be in FOCUS!  To add to the stress, some of these portraits were going to be printed in East Alabama Living Magazine...ugh!  I said a fervent prayer on the way to this sitting!  Of course, it turned out great because Brooke and Michael are such easy people to work with, and Thomas is a doll!  As Brooke and I looked at the portraits together after the sitting, it reminded me of a very important fact I too have experienced after looking at portraits of my children- you're a mom FIRST and a photographer second!  THANKFULLY!  So if the color wasn't perfect, or the lighting wasn't perfect or the posing wasn't perfect, it didn't really matter because her little boy was!  P.S.  Love this last portrait of Thomas by the door...looks like he is pondering God's glory as he looks up at Heaven...in reality, his dad was at the top of the hill with M&M's!   I guess to a little child M&M's are a form of Heaven on earth!  :-)