And since becoming a mother in 2009, starting my business while working full time in 2010, and then becoming a mom of two this spring, my multi-tasking abilities have been put to use in ways I never even knew they could.
A few weeks ago, I enjoyed doing a maternity session with the beautiful Jessica and her adoring husband. (Click here for their first photo shoot with me.) We wanted to get the studio feel for portraits, but we also wanted to take advantage of the amazing wildflowers that were out. (Does her hubby get brownie points for doing two sessions in one day or what?!) So we did the studio session in the morning and followed up that evening with the wildflower location. (And her husband said that it was even fun!)
Now, I am on working mama duty M-F from about 7am-7pm because my hard working hubby is at work. So I told him, "Sweetie, on this night, I need you to meet us at this location (there was even a playscape for little Miles) to take over duties with the kids because I have a photo shoot."
It was such a beautiful night, and the multi-tasker in me thought, "I would love to get some pictures of Miles in the high chair I just refurbished and the wildflowers." (The high chair was my Grandad's when he was a baby - over 90 years ago!)
So the kids and I arrived about 20 minutes early to do just that. Picture this: Photographer lady carrying a tiny baby on her front in a carrier, a wooden high chair, a camera bag, and a prop bag walking about 50 yards with a two year old. Fitness sure does come in handy! Everything was going well (for the first 30-seconds) until it all of a sudden it wasn't. My sweet boy didn't get to climb on the bike racks as he normally did, and he let me know about it. (So picture this... now I'm still carrying all that stuff, trying to verbally convince my two year old to follow me so we can get some pictures of him. Uh huh. For real.)
So we're trekking through the grass (even having to pass by the playscape - try explaining THAT to a two year old!). I get the high chair set up, put Miles in it, and then he gets attacked by gnats! So now my poor sweet boy is itching and clawing at his face because the gnats are relentless, and his mommy on the other side of the camera is just praying for them to stop so he can be his usual smiley self. Doesn't happen. And I have learned just to let it go when it doesn't. There will be another opportunity later. (Thankfully, my daughter is fast asleep on my chest by this time in the baby carrier.)
It's now 7pm (the time my husband is to arrive to take over kid-duty). Only he isn't there. And I realized I forgot my cell phone at home. Jessica and her husband arrive, so I call him on her phone. He had totally forgotten about meeting us (and felt so badly about it), because he was dealing with an air conditioner being out at one of our tenants' apartments. Uh! So here I am with two kids (one of whom has had it and is ready to play) and a photo shoot about to start.
I knew my multi-tasking abilities were strong, so I had to put them to use. As a photographer, when life gives you lemons, you make great photographs! Thankfully, Jessica and her hubby and Miles go way back (they are huge Miles fans), and her hubby played with Miles at the play scape while I (wearing my 8 week old baby) headed into the wildflowers to get some great shots of Jessica. And then we did couple shots.
Here are some of the beautiful shots we got.
And now... behind the scenes. :) Never a dull moment with these two and my quest for balance being a work at home mom. But do you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way, because I absolutely adore these babies. (I just don't take them on photo shoots with me.) :)
And guess what? I even got some sweet shots of Miles in the wildflowers afterwards, and the top picture below is a big canvas wrap in my livingroom and it is SO beautiful. Makes my heart melt every time I walk by it. So... you never know what you might get on camera... even when you're thrown lots of lemons!
