Last Saturday, Bill and I went to the home of newborn Anton Whetstone in Sacramento to photograph the 7-week old Anton and his family.  They had joined us at Bill's house on July 4th and we talked with them about doing family portraits. They were very eager to do so.  This was the perfect family to work with, [Anah - Mom, James - Dad, Hannelore - daughter, and Anton - son];  they were marvelous. 

However, the inevitable problems occur:  it's challenging to focus on photo quality when trying to catch a smile out of a frisky five year old, while watching her Dad's concerned face as the baby falls asleep and the Mom maintains her perfect smile.  It's odd at best. I think with better mastery of camera and lights, I can manage the cacophony of activity while catching the best moments.  I suspect that family shoots, with young children, should be limited to about 30 minutes, then some other activity should be arranged that might allow  some candid shots. Bill and I are discussing this as,  from time to time, we seek to photograph family and friends. After the group shots, I held the baby as Bill photographed Anah.  Anah had a career as a Paris model in the 90's, and she knows how to pose and hold a pose. She said she'd love to work with us again, and I would like that very much. I find that working with a single subject can be great fun. - CC