New Background New Foreground

Okay, so I have been planning this portrait of McKinnon for a while now.  I look pictures of a friend's children in the fall and her oldest daughter had lost both her front teeth.  I thought it was precious and very signficant, so I decided at that point that if I was lucky enough that both McKinnon's front teeth were gone at the same time, I would definitely plan a session with her!  So, per my last blog entry, you know how I feel about taking my own children's portraits.  But after the reasonably smooth session last time I sort of thought maybe my kids were finally to the age that this wouldn't be an issue.  Ha!  Actually HA, HA!  I could only be so lucky!  To increase my expectations, McKinnon actually came to me and said she was READY to do this session...she had just lost her other front tooth, we had the outfit purchased and packaged with strict instructions she was not to wear it until AFTER the session...we were ready to go!  I wanted this to be a fun session and I just got a new backdrop! How cute is this one...totally fun and whimsical!  Perfect, right?!  Except McKinnon is six and she TOO had an idea for this portrait and let's just say, we were NOT on the same page.  Fun was what I had in mind...Silly was what she brought to the session...goofy silly, couldn't keep her on the backdrop silly, flat out NOT funny silly!  Which in turn frustrated me which in turn upset her...10 minutes into the session all I could think was, "I have spent thousands of dollars on equipment so I can get great portraits of my kids and I am going to have to pay someone ELSE to get them!"  Looking back, I see the problem.  I was very emotionally attached to these portrait...or should I say these hypothetical portraits.   To me, this stage is so pivotal and the lost teeth are so symbolic.  Baby teeth gone, adult teeth not in yet.  She turns seven next month and I must say it hit me harder than my own 36th birthday.  SEVEN!  And now that these baby teeth are gone I guess I finally realized that so is my baby!   She has been replaced with a little girl that enjoys getting her nails done and listens to itune, and writes about her pretend boyfriend...ooohhh, when did this happen?!   So, looking back I put too much pressure on this session as a whole and the result was a very uptight mom...and photographer.  Relax, have fun.  Yes, my baby is gone but she is now a little girl I actually ENJOY taking out to lunch, she is a little girl that likes music that is actually tolerable for me to listen to, she is a little girl that can write me a letter telling me how much she loves me!  At last, I just LET her have fun at the session...let her be herself...let her be silly and what do you know, we got some great portraits!  I like my new background but I LOVE my ever-changing foreground!