The great Christmas picture saga or why I have such issues with photographers

Every year, I send out a photo card for Christmas. The first two years, it was a "family" shot, including me and My Honey. But for the past 5 years, I just send pictures of the kids, because nobody really needs to see how large and overflowing my muffin top has become or how gray My Honey's hair is....those images dont make anyone sing lovely Christmas carols, unless the song is about a fat and gray Santa...My Honey and I might make people think of Santa, but it's just not the image we are going for, so we stick with pictures of the kids.

For some reason, it is not easy to find a decent photographer to take a picture of your kids...and let me specify, that you might find one to take pictures of your kids, but not necessarily pictures that you can use as your Christmas photo. And, not if you are trying to get said pictures at a rate that doesnt require you to sell your soul on ebay.

This week, we attempted to take our Christmas pictures. Im still annoyed with how it all went down, but I shouldnt be. I should be used to this by now, because finding someone to do what you want, at a price you can afford, is like expecting Santa to really squish through your chimney to deliver gifts....and to do so to every other household in the planet, all on one night.

In 2003 I had a neighbor take our pictures. She was a mom, who, like me, had been frustrated by professional photographers who just didnt get the job done. So she developed her own company, As Cute As It Gets She had a studio at her house, and as Im remembering her indoor studio, Im also flashing back to the pictures I took near the end of my pregnancy with Beauty. (Im definitely not going to post them) but Ill say that I was the largest with Beauty, as she was 4 inches longer than the other two, weighed more, and made my stomach grow into an enormous, sagging pumpkin. I took my pregnancy pictures outdoors, near naked, and the neighbors that lived above her had a pretty good view of a fat lady, on her knees, on bricks, wrapped up in a sheet, with her belly exposed...not comfortable...but I digress.

She typically took pictures in her indoor studio. She was patient with the kids, gave us plenty of time to take the shots...and we fared very well. She was just starting out, and her prices were incredibly low.

Here are a few examples of our Christmas pictures in 2003. Pooper was sick and his face was swollen, not to mention his thinning hair....but they are precious pictures.

Now, I told her what I wanted...I wanted them sitting together, a horizontal picture....and for them to have a decent expression on their face. That might not be as easy as it sounds, because Pooper was going through a particularly difficult time in his treatment and felt miserable.

But she was good at listening to the mom, who also happens to be the person that hired her and was paying for the pictures...an important thing for the photographer to do....

she let the kids have some fun..........



She took some beautiful shots......



Some spunky shots.............



And ultimately, she got the job done.




Then she moved away.

She still takes pictures, and occasionally comes out to Orange County, but it's not as close as having her studio in the neighborhood...and her prices have gone up too.

So for the 2004 photos, I had to look for a new photographer...and oh what a doozy she turned out to be...........

Ill continue this later....in the meantime, please take the poll up in the top right corner....Every year I send a Christmas letter to friends and family that live out of the area. I like to think people want to know how we are doing, and what's new, sharing our accomplishments without bragging TOO much. How about you, do you like to get a letter? Do you send one yourself?