Do as I say … not as I do.
I tell my clients all the time … please call me to reschedule if your child is sick the day of our session. It is a rare exception that an ill child does well for their portrait session. Who could blame them? If I’m feeling crummy, I don’t want a crazy lady with a camera singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider in my face either.
So why on earth didn’t I take my own advice?
Back in the Fall, in the midst of my crazy busy portrait season when I was working about 80 hours a week, I was also stressing about getting my own children’s holiday portraits made. I get a little obsessive about my kids’ annual photographs. And this time, I heard the clock ticking … you see, my 6 year old had a very loose front tooth. I really, really wanted to get those photographs made before that tooth fell out.
So after our weeks and weeks of seemingly endless rain, we finally had a sunny weekend in the forecast, and I had a Sunday evening clear on my calendar. But on Friday afternoon, I found myself at Urgent Care with that same 6 year old, who had a 104 fever and chills, and a diagnosis of H1N1. The children’s holiday portraits would just have to wait.
On Sunday, my son was actually very perky. And much to my surprise, my kids were truly excited about their portrait session this year. They couldn’t wait to head out to take pictures. My sick one was especially enthusiastic. I sincerely had not planned on going through with their session that evening, but he insisted he was feeling up to it. So my husband and I spent the next hour getting them dressed and ready and driving out to the photo location.
When we arrived, I turned around to the backseat to see my child looking like he’d fallen off a train. The poor thing had run out of every ounce of energy he had left. I said we should just go back home, but my sweet boy said, “No, Mommy. I’m okay. I can do it.” Bless his heart. He wanted so badly to make Mommy happy.
Now you tell me … does this look like a child who feels up to modeling?
We made just a few photographs that evening, upon my son’s insistence. But we called it a night quickly. Thank goodness, he got over his flu in about a week, and we had another sunny evening come along before that wiggly tooth fell out. I’m thrilled with how my children’s portraits from our second session turned out. I’m planning a gallery wall in our living room made up of these images.
And I learned my lesson. Sick kids don’t make good portraits. Trust me on that one.
Much love,
Shannon
