Many people think that being a photographer is an easy job.  You get a kid to look at you and smile, then you press the button and voila!   A beautiful photo.  An instant treasure.  Yes, it seems so easy and sometimes, after a particularly nice and fun session, I even convince myself that this is pretty easy.

And then there are those sessions that don’t go as smoothly.  There are those occasional sessions that push my creativity in getting a child’s attention and getting a smile.

This one was one of those sessions.  This sweet little 18 mos beauty was so so serious.  Now a walker, she was on the move and not interested in sitting still.  She’s also very curious (like more little toddlers) she wanted to explore everything, to follow the older girls and have fun with them not have her picture taken.  So I had to get creative and offer a few breaks.

Even with such a serious face, she’s just beautiful.  She made me think of the china dolls that I used to collect as a child.

Solution #1 to a walking/wondering subject- put her in a basket.

This particular basket happened to be just tall enough that she wasn’t sure that she could step out of it so it slowed her down a little bit.

Yes, it slowed her down but just a little bit.  Once she figured out that she could carefully step over the edge, she was gone.

So then we sat her on chairs and on furry blankets.  We gave her toys and story books.  We managed a few smiles but mostly a lot of thoughtful, serious faces.

Her eyes are so intense.

And those serious faces are her at this time- this brief moment of her life.  These little people have unique personalities from the beginning.  Some are carefree, happy-go-lucky little ones that give their smiles away without hesitation.  Some are more cautious, more thoughtful, and more reserved.  Their smiles must be coaxed out and captured quickly.  As someone who has spent so much time watching children and studying children, it’s fascinating to see these differences.

Such a blessing it is to watch her grow and change over the years.  You can re-visit her newborn session here and her 6-month session here.  And be watching, we’ll be doing this little one’s baby sister’s 6 mos pictures soon.

To schedule your session (in-studio or on location) contact me at jodi@jodiwalshphotography.com