Family Pictures

I wanted some new family pictures since our family has recently grown.  However our the little photo shop we have used for almost 2 years have recently shut their doors and took off without letting anyone know where they were going.  Too bad for us since I liked them.  Our helper tried to help us find a new place.  Here is the problem in finding a good photographer, what we as foreigners consider good qualities in a picture differ from the average citizen of this country.  It seems the average photographer loves props, very posed positions, complicated back drops and most of all making people's skin very very light, which my family members certainly do not need help with. Therefore we try to find the photographers who are willing to not only listen to our explanations of what we like but are also willing to do it.  So, like getting a haircut in Asia (which I have unfortunately ignored my own past advice and recently done AGAIN), there is a bit of uncertainty and challenge involved when getting what you want with a photographer.  

Anyways, Zhou Mei found us a place that was a bit out of the way, but it was a friend of her friend so we gave it a shot.  The kids pictures are a bit on the light side, but they are really not that bad.  Also, it was not the photographer's fault that DB refused to look at the camera.  

See my hair in this one?

These next few are among my favorite and it is not because I think they are the best pictures ever...I like them because they are so awkward!  Please take a good look at the first one.  Not only are RB's feet higher than his head, AB is giving the camera the look of please just hurry up and take the picture (I will say that she was mighty proud to get to hold her brother though).  DB is just sitting there with the most bizarre stare on his face.  It is hilarious. 

In this next one it looks like AB is giving RB the choke hold.  DB's expression is his version of a camera smile.  I told him to show is teeth and this is what he did.  It is kind of cute.  

I cannot lay the blame of this last picture solely on the photographer.  I mean the heat index was 109 yesterday, and it had just rained so it was ridiculously humid.  However it was his fault that when we asked him to take our family picture outside that he took us to the side of a road to take pictures among the trees lining the street.  You cannot even see our feet.  Not exactly stress-free.  I think he clicked the camera exactly 2 times before KB said "one of those has to be good."  With sweat rolling down every one of our backs, we were done.