New Portraits of the Boys

We have had quite the family pictures fiasco this year. I think I mentioned back in May that we were going to have our family pictures taken, but they got cancelled due to rain. Then we rescheduled for Monday, July 2. I got everyone dressed and we went to the location.... and waited.

My friend Janna (a professional photographer) was taking our pictures, so I called her to see what was up. She said her husband cleaned the car and took her camera out, and she didn't notice until she was almost there. So she went back for her camera.

So we waited. Ten minutes later I got another call from Janna. Her daughter was sick at the babysitters, so she had to go get her. I had to go to work that night, so family pictures were a bust. I was SO disappointed! We were all ready and then it didn't happen. I rescheduled one more time, and we got cancelled due to rain.

Finally we rescheduled for July 13th in the evening. So of course the weather was rainy... but we did the pictures anyway. I was pretty sure I couldn't talk Joe into putting it on his calendar yet AGAIN. In spite of the rain, we had a decent place to take pictures. Unfortunately Amelia was being a pill. She did not want to hold still and she would not look at the camera. *sigh* So we will see if Janna can work miracles with Photoshop so I can end up with decent pictures.

After our family picture debacle, I had to do something to make myself feel better. So I took my boys out and did their portraits on Saturday. Of course we did not have time to do them on Friday and the weather was yucky, but I wanted pictures of them in the clothes I picked out for family pictures.

I think they turned out pretty well.

Jacob is getting to be a natural in front of the camera. These tires were already sitting next to the doors at one of my favorite photo spots, so we went with it. I think they turned out pretty well.

Isn't he a handsome boy?

Ephraim is a little less patient with the picture taking process, but he did pretty well. I got a couple of pictures that I really like.

He is such a handsome boy. These two pictures are pretty similar, but I like them both.

I love Ephraim's smile!

Here is one more nice one of Jacob.

I really like the setup of this last picture of Ephraim, but he smiled so big that his eyes are a little squinty. Oh well! It's still cute!

I have been looking at a lot of tutorials online and have been getting better at taking portraits. I would still love to take a digital photography class. Maybe I will have to take one a semester at UVU when Joe isn't teaching. I know that there are still lots of ways I can improve my pictures, but it is nice that I can take pictures that I like enough to hang up.

I plan on taking Amelia's pictures sometime soon. I knew that I would need to take her to do photos by herself because she is easily distracted. Plus she doesn't ever hold still! We will see what I can come up with.

Let me know which of these you like (grandparents!). I am planning on having them printed and would happily make extras in any size (wallets, 4X6, 5X7, etc.).