Reason #163 Why I Take Lots Of Photos

haha!! excellent.

Oh, Ali! Thanks for sharing. Glad to know it's not just my daughters...lol

It's the best! I have a picture from 1st grade when I had done my own braids!!! I'll always remember the horror on my teacher's face. Yet, it's my favorite picture. I have a huge tootless smile and crazy hair.
Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing.

At first I'd be a little annoyed with the picture people and want to return them and ask for my money back. But then after taking it in I would probably keep them. It was her at that moment and we are all about moments. I am so loving it now!

But it's cute!

Oh my! School photos...

Have you seen this video about school photos? It's good for a laugh and might explain her expression!

Kids Triumph Over Gloomy School Photographer http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2012/05/kids-triumph-over-gloomy-school-photographer-in-clever-short-film/

I hear ya :) With AF, if you tell him to smile, he gives you this awful toothy grimace almost. When I take his photo, I just ask him to look at the camera, and he'll smile naturally that way! I've tried volunteering on picture day, but so far, I've missed his class every time. It's just how it works out, you know?! I do keep those photos though as they are part of the experience, but they aren't the ones we display around the house!

Too funny! I'm in total disbelief that in this digital age where the photographer can immediately see what the image is that the school photographers don't try and get a better picture right then and there...last year I did retakes because my son's portrait was so horrible, but this year I let him choose and he chose not to retake it, so we're left with the weird smile - which is honestly something that frequently happens for him in a formal portrait situation! He's so uncomfortable and has such a hard time figuring out how to look happy when he's not happy about all the lights and having to sit (or stand) awkwardly, that it's part of the story for him that he's overwhelmed and can't give a natural smile!
Our kids will definitely appreciate all the times we're hiding behind our cameras when they are older and want to see what they looked like when they were truly happy years ago!!!

O my! I agree with the why we take so many more photos.

Bless her heart!

I apologize, because I just had to laugh! This is sooo not her (from what I've seen here on your blog). Clearly the photographer lacks the magic it takes to connect with little peeps, like your Anna.
My middle son has a 1st grade pic that is...well...awful! He's doing a 'no teeth' smile with exaggerated big eyes/brows (think crazy-scarey clown). When I asked him what he was doing he said, "He told me I smiled too big, and told me to go like this." ....Really? ughhh.
Thanks goodness you capture her true heart in photos day in and day out. :) ....even the cute pouting pic on the front steps from yesterday! -classic.

LOL!! I agree 100%.

Seriously...this is a precious photo. The way she's peeking up, the shy look on her face. It's darling and I honestly sometimes like these types of photos more than the "perfect" ones. It captures something, part of the person, that isn't always captured in other photos. I have a photo of my son, from a professional photo shoot, where his head is down, his face very serious, and he's barely looking up. You know what? That's the one in the frame. It was just him, if that makes sense. Not that he's always serious but he has that side and it was so different than all the other ones with a big grin. It's still one of my favorites.

This just tells a different story! Too cute!

MOG...that picture is too much!!! but she is still adorable!!

Your not going to believe this but I have the same look on my photo when i was 5yrs old. I enlarged the photo and scrapbooked it. Its one of my favorites. If you were wondering what i was thinking.......i am not going to be told to smile by this stranger.

I think school photographers are retired DMV photographers. I swear, how hard is it to take a decent photo of such an adorable child?

OMGoodness Ali...you are so right!!! The good ol' Life Touch school pics...gotta love em' ;)

I have a couple of photos like that of my kids. You'd think with all the photographic technology we have today that school pictures would come out much better. I'm always so disappointed with them after spending the money. Like you said, reason why I take so many photos.

Ever since I got the one of my kindergartener leaning back and looking terrified of the photographer, I quit paying and started taking my own. With 3 boys, it saves me a ton of $$!