Family Picture Time

Last week, Tania, a local photographer, visited our home. She specializes in lifestyle photography and asked if she could do the shoot at our home during dinnertime.

Our family enjoying dinner together. Photo courtesy of http://taniakristyphotography.squarespace.com/.

I must admit that Daddy and I were a bit unsure of this approach at first. Our house is kind of dark and there isn't much evening light in these winter months. Could she really capture a decent image? Cleaning the whole house for a photo shoot seemed overwhelming with all the other things we are juggling right now. Would we have time to make the house look decent enough to be a photo backdrop? And while I take lots of pictures of Henry eating, I wasn't so sure about having shots of me trying to chew my dinner, talk with Daddy about our day, and wrangle a toddler. Would this really result in the most appetizing pictures? Daddy asked if a true-to-life picture of dinnertime should include the pile of dishes on the counter and vacuuming the pieces of dropped food from under Henry's chair. But when Daddy and I talked it over, the idea actually made a lot of sense.

Our first professional family photo session was just over a year ago and Henry was very uncertain about the whole thing. The photographer and the location made him really uncomfortable. The result was a batch of photos with a very cautious, serious Henry. Only one fleeting smile made it on film.

This time, bringing a photographer to our house would mean that Henry would be completely in his comfort zone. Plus, she could capture some of the little moments in one of our family's most important everyday activities -- sharing a meal together. So Daddy and I worked together to clear the clutter and make things presentable.

The results were simply stunning. Tania set us all at ease with her gentle style and easy-going conversation. We talked a little about our families, our jobs, the nearby Waldorf school, and the local attachment parenting group in which we both participate. She patiently showed Henry how her camera worked as she tested out the light in our dim house. I hope I even learned a few things from her that will help with my future photos.

Our dining table multitasks as a gathering place, craft space, and play dough center. Photo courtesy of http://taniakristyphotography.squarespace.com/.

I've updated the "About us" page with a few more of Tania's beautiful photographs (along with a list of Henry's current favorite foods). Take a minute to have a look.

Tomorrow, I'll post a recipe for one of the dishes that we made during Tania's visit.

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