Professional Pictures

For those of you who aren't my friends on Facebook (or never check your account), I took the boys to have their pictures taken yesterday at JC Penney's.  I've been taking Garrett there for the past couple of years and really liked the way his pictures turned out, so I was looking forward to what they would do with both boys this time.

I was not impressed.  

Maybe they're not trained to work with small babies.  Or maybe we just got a bad photographer.  Either way, I was somewhat disappointed in the results, but I went ahead and ordered some shots because I'm not going through all the hassle of getting both boys ready and there on time (despite someone having a dirty diaper in the mall parking lot and getting to change yet another one in the car.  I might as well move my changing station out there as often as I'm changing diapers in the seat of the SUV.  I changed another one just today!).  Not to mention just the general hassle of scheduling the appointment and going through all the poses and the breakdowns.  Last year's picture taking was perfect.  Garrett was terrific.  This year's photographer totally intimidated him and he cried several times.  He's much past the age of just crying without being hurt or totally tired (and this was at 11am, so he was NOT tired nor was he physically hurt.)  

Anyway, here are a few of the decent shots that I ordered.  

The best shot of the boys together.  Not wonderful imo, but it's cute.  Cooper's totally in the smiling stage right now, yet this photographer couldn't seem to get him to smile to save her life.  Not that she tried very hard...

For this picture, the photographer kept trying to get Garrett to cradle Cooper like a newborn.  Cooper weighs, at the very least, 12 pounds.  I can barely cradle him without something supporting my arm, there is no way Garrett could hold him that way.  That's why he looks awkward in this picture.  

Literally the best picture of Cooper.  Pathetic.  Yes, it's cute, but I capture pictures that are, in my opinion, 10x's cuter than this at my house.  And he's typically smiling.  She kept insisting that he lay on his stomach initially, but she had a bunch of weird pillows under him which made him slide down and he wasn't comfortable.  So she moved him to his side and did not attempt another position after that.  

A strange pose for a boy, but I love his long eyelashes, so I like it.

You can tell that his eyes are shinier in this picture.  He had been crying because he didn't understand what she was saying when she kept telling him to look through the hole.  Rather than SHOWING him (hello, he's 3!!), she just kept repeating herself over and over until he started crying and I had to go to him and show him how to do it.  While I was holding Cooper.  Ugh!  I would have complained to someone, but she was the only employee working that day.

I'm surprised she actually took this picture.  She kept telling him over and over to stop smiling like that and keep his fingers down.  But this is totally Garrett.  So I do love it!

Tomorrow is the big birthday and the big birthday party!!!  I'll be sharing pictures from that as soon as I can.