Family Photos

Disclaimer: Due to copyright laws, this post will not include any actual family photos.

Tony, Ruth and I went to Portrait Innovations to get a family photo taken last night. We did the same thing about this time last year, only last year's photos were taken at Wal-Mart and cost about $100. Portrait Innovations was offering a portrait package deal for $10. Lots of studios are offering cheap package deals right now, but we picked this one upon the recommendation of a friend. We decided to wear white shirts and jeans this year; last year we wore red.

Ruth had a good time playing with their Lego table while we waited for our turn, but when picture time came she did not want to sit on my lap. The photographer got her distracted with a toy, and the portrait session seemed promising for a moment. But then the flash did Ruth in. It startled her so much that she had a complete melt-down and screamed anytime she saw the camera. I think the photographer only got to take six shots and only two of those were usable. She got one of Ruth smiling before she got startled by the flash. The only thing was, in that photo Tony wasn't looking at the camera. So, sorry to everyone who gets our family photo this year - Tony is looking down at Ruth. It still looks cute, but it's probably not one we'll hang on our wall. We are going to wait at least six months to try for a better family photo. By then hopefully Ruth won't get so startled! And maybe in the summer we'll hire someone who can take them outside, so flash won't be an issue at all.

And by the way, with the difference in lighting and setup, I actually think last year's Wal-Mart photos were much better quality than the ones taken at Portrait Innovations (although it might've been a different story if Ruth had been in the mood to cooperate). I also liked that I didn't have to wait at Wal-Mart as much as I did at Portrait Innovations, but at Portrait Innovations you do get your photos the same day, which is nice.

It was a disappointing session, but I'm glad we got our photos taken anyway. Hopefully you will enjoy Ruthie's sweet little smile. :)

-Meredith