Reality Check

I received a lot of compliments on the photo I posted a few days ago of Grace--how beautiful she was, what a great photo it was--and I thought I'd share a little bit of reality with you.

Because that photo?  It was gorgeous.  She looked stunningly beautiful.  (I may be a tad biased.)  But the reality of it is that I am sooooo much more likely to get this kind of expression when I photograph my lovely daughter...

Grace (6), March 2012

and aside from the one really good photo, the rest of the shots that day looked much like the one above.  She is as silly and carefree as a 6 year old is supposed to be, and she doesn't mind showing her goofy side...repeatedly. (And when she is not in the mood to be photographed, you will know.)

Want another example?  I tried getting a picture of the two of us when we were riding on the Incline Railroad using the reflection of the glass ceiling.  It looked like a cute picture in the tiny screen on my camera...but when we got home, I found that this was what I captured:

Grace, sticking out her tongue like a little goofball, and me (June 2012)

And this is what "smile" means to her...

Grace (6)

When you try to get a sweet photo of her

Grace (5), February 2012

you really never know what you're going to get.  ;)

Grace (5), February 2012