When a Mom says, "My children are 1, 4, and 7" most people might cringe at the idea of this type of photo session. I, on the other hand, welcome it with open arms. Why? Well, this means I get to show up to the shoot in a t-shirt and jean shorts. I get to bring my secret weapon: bubbles. And I get to have FUN!
It always amuses me when the Mom starts to panic because all she can see is her children running around, not smiling, not listening. She doesn't see what I see. I do my best to calm her down and let her know that it will be fine (in the end). I try to remind her that they didn't come to Wal-Mart for their portraits, she came to me. The person who is going to take her well dressed children and throw them in the river for a portion of the shoot. The person who is going to play with them, the person who is probably going to end up in an ant bed and at the same time take some photos.
Sometimes- you just have to the let the kids BE KIDS. Not all photos need to be looking straight into the lens with a smile.
Sometimes- it can be the connection between the siblings that makes the portrait