Can You Capture a Personality

Everyone's a photographer these days... and suddenly I realize that what my Mama said is true: I take better pictures of my kids than the many department store style photo studios I've dragged them to. So what if they have strobe lights and backgrounds and seasonal props? They can't elicit the expressions I love so much. They fail to capture the essence of my babies. They just don't know how to give me what I want.

Today I stopped off at Sears to make use of the free 8x10 I get with my club card. It's the only reason I go. The poor lone photographer was cranky, overwhelmed, and hungry. She also had the withdrawal pangs of a pregnant woman trying to kick her menthol cigarette habit. How do I know this? I showed a little bit of patience and sympathy and she unloaded her frustrations. I admit that I am guilty of being one of the "walk in" sessions she seems to hate, but it's not often I can get the kids together enough for a portrait, let alone get the attitudes and protests squelched long enough to get anything done...

I took mental notes of the poses she placed a totally distracted Chi into. I watched her wheel the camera stabilizer around the 10x10 studio.
I took note of all the props that were not even offered to us for our sitting. And I accepted the rushed "effort" to snap 6 pictures for us to choose from so that she could leave early for lunch.

Now I know why I so love Lisa of Lisa Julia Photography - she listens, she senses, she operates on an instinct that only an artist poses. She captures my kids as I see them. She knows them and the photos show it. I cannot wait until I see her in March for Ya's Caterpillar to Butterfly session. She has, after all, known him since he was four days old.

But until I see her again, I'll keep snapping away. And here are three shots from my Project 365. One month down, 11 to go!