The Anatomy of a Christmas Card

Each year, since B and I got married at least, our Christmas card has featured a picture of the family or one of the girls.  And each year, it has been an undertaking to get said picture.

At first it was because B just hates (hates) having his picture taken.  And me telling him what to wear.  And then telling him how to pose.

Christmas Card 2007

And then it was because it is just hard (impossible) to take pictures with babies.

MadHatter was about 9 months old when we took the first family one.  I had such high hopes for this picture.  I had been waiting for it for most of my life - when I would have a family so that I could have a family picture.  And it shouldn't have been too hard because she was such an easy baby.  Agreeable and poseable.  And then the unthinkable happened about a week before the photos were to be taken - she learned to walk.  And it always seemed to be away from us.  But, after my girlfriend snapped something like 900 pictures (not an exaggeration), we had a winner.

Christmas Card 2008

The next year, we had MadHatter and added Stinkerbell.  And this time Stinkerbell was the hard one.  She was only 4 months old and didn't have the smile on cue thing down yet.  In fact, she suffered from severe reflux, was a bit fussy at that stage and just wasn't super cooperative.  Nothing new for a baby. And with MadHatter just about hitting the terrible two's, we should have known that it would be a miracle if we were all in the photo, much less all looking or smiling.  Again, after about 1500 pictures, we got something we could use.

At least we are all in the picture.
Christmas Card 2009

And then we gave up on trying to put either B or I in the pictures.  In fact, we stopped trying to take it ourselves.  We outsourced it and had the two girls photographed in studio.  It was just a lot less stressful.  Since we already had the stress of moving to another country looming, packing the entire house and saying our last goodbyes to friends  I did not need to add the stress of getting the girls dressed and pretty and taking the pictures.  Studio it was even if we hated paying for a picture I knew we could take ourselves.  But they had a bit better luck.  With B and I in the background making complete fools of ourselves trying to get the girls to just look at the camera and not cry, much less smile.

I knew that 2011 was going to have to be me doing the photographers job.  We were going to be in a new country that I didn't really speak the language.  I wasn't going to have a lot of luck sourcing a professional photographer, I didn't know if they even had studio's and I didn't know anybody well enough to ask them to take pictures of my girls.  It was going to be me, or we were breaking tradition.  

Anyone who has ever tried to take a picture of children, especially young children, knows that it is an experience.  I liken it to shooting skeet.  You know you have a target.  You know your target is going to be moving.  But until the exact moment you are in position to shoot, you have no idea what the exact trajectory of your target will be, the final velocity or what type of weather forces may affect your shot.  Multiply that uncertainty by about 100 times if the children you are shooting are your own.  Then you might as well be shooting white skeet in a blizzard that happens to be taking place in a tsunami.

But I got lucky.  After shooting about 500 shots.  Most of them with Stinkerbell crying or pouting.  MadHatter just gave me her pouty look.  In fact, I got a lot of fun shots that could never be used on a Christmas card but that as a mother, I love.  I also happened to get three I could use for our Christmas Card 2011.

This year I had an ace up my sleeve.  My girls were getting older and starting to understand Santa.  I simply asked them one morning if they wanted to send Santa an up to date picture of them, you know, so he made sure he had the right girls on his nice list.  Resounding YES!  

I knew the only way this was going to work was if I was all prepared, could get it done in 10 minutes and Stinkerbell was well rested.  I shipped the littelest off to bed and asked MadHatter if she would help me find a place to take the pictures.  She said she would, if I would curl her hair "just like Stinkerbell's but all over, not just in the back".  Anything to make you happy baby!

Face scrubbed, leather chair dragged into the back yard and MadHatter's hair curled (though not in her official clothes - couldn't get those dirty) we headed into the back yard.  Where she proceeded to vamp and play and give me some of the easiest minutes of photographing her I have ever had.  I decided not to use the location, but I do have a couple of these now hanging in my house.

It turned out the back yard wasn't what I wanted.  I needed a new space and I needed it fast.  Stinkerbell was going to be up soon and there is a short window before she gets hungry and needs a snack.  Finally, I hit on it.  The perfect spot.  There is a large green space right at the end of our driveway.  And a huge tree to shade us from the mid-day sun.  When Stinkerbell woke up all smiles and ready to take her "Santa pictures" I dressed the girls, grabbed a blanket and my nifty fifty and headed across the street.  It took 10 minutes.  I knew they were done.  And so was I.  I just hoped we didn't have to do it again because I made a mistake.  They gave me their best.  Did I give mine?

I went back into the house to download the images.  And I couldn't help but laugh.  I got some great outtakes...

And then, I reviewed my files again and found that I had hit pay dirt.  These girls gave me pure gold this year for Santa.  I could look at these pictures all day and stare at the beauty that is my girls.  And I don't mean that in a physical way.  When I look at these pictures I see the love they have for each other.  What it means to be sisters and how you can be annoyed with each other, be bored with each other, fight with each other and yet, still know that there is no one that loves you quite as much as your sister.  I see their personalities shine through so clearly - MadHatter so calm, so sweet and caring, so much the little lady already and she is not even 5.  Stinkerbell my joy, my energy, my little love.  These pictures capture a moment in time that I will never have again and I am so thankful to them for giving it to me.  For now, I will always have a way to remember them, at this precise moment in time.  Christmas 2012.