1 Year Studio || Knoxville, TN Photographer || Cooper Moyer

1 Year Studio

This week was very busy with shooting, which is a refreshing change of pace from all the computer work I’ve been doing the last two weeks. I’ve had some portraits every day, and this family was one of them. The Moyers: a family that feels like my family at this point. I love them dearly. This was the 1 year studio session for Cooper to finish off their “Baby’s First Year” package. Not knowing how warm it would be this time of year, we scheduled them at my house so we could plan on shooting inside. The great part about this option is that it was a little chilly that morning so it was nice inside. The bad part is that little Cooper was not feeling the whole camera thing, and there were no outside distractions to keep him from noticing the big black box that kept going up in front of my face. We thought he was getting sick. Both Tiffany and Darren did everything to console him while Lilly and Grayson played in the other room, but he just wasn’t feeling it. So, we decided to postpone the actual cake smash and farmhouse sink bath section of his 1 year studio session for a day that he was feeling better. It turned out that he wasn’t really sick because he seemed fine after he took a good nap. So, Thursday rolled around, and we attempted the cake smash and bath again. Only this time we realized what it was…it was the camera. He did not like the camera in front of my face. He smiled for a few after we figured that out, and I put my silent shutter on. But regardless, this happy, happy boy was not into the camera right now.

I tell you all this because of how I wanted to use Tiffany and Darren as an example. It could have been a really stressful 1 year studio session where tension hung in the air, but it wasn’t. These two function as a team so so well, and I want to make sure I give them credit when I see them handle tough situations so well. There’s a lot that goes into a photo session. Between waking up earlier to get more dressed up than normal…the days and sometimes weeks leading up to the session planning outfits…the financial aspect of it…and all parents want are their kids to cooperate. There’s nothing wrong with that. I totally get it, and I want the same for Grayson when we hire someone to do our pictures. Make sure you set realistic expectations when you have a toddler so you don’t lose your temper or stress out. As parents, we can’t always control toddler behavior and knowing how to handle the situation when the kids don’t necessarily cooperate is key. Being patient, kind, and loving regardless of how they act is vital in possibly salvaging the rest of our time together. Getting mad and frustrated with them will only make the kids more mad and more frustrated, too. Please understand, I am not talking about older children. 4/5/6+ year olds can be disciplined and should understand the effort going into the session and clean up their act. But a 1/2/3 year old isn’t always mentally capable of understanding, and that’s where showing patience goes a long way! Tiffany and Darren did it beautifully. Also, it makes my job SO much easier. We were still able to get some FABULOUS photos despite the fact that the camera was terrifying baby Cooper because of their patience and persistence. These two teach me parenting skills every time I work with them!

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I’m a Knoxville Wedding Photographer that loves to travel…I shoot anywhere! Click here to contact me with any questions you have about pricing or booking! If you liked what you saw above, go ahead and follow me on Facebook or Instagram to see my daily updates of the latest sessions!

See more from Amanda May Photos:

Moyer Newborn

Moyer 9 Month

Graystone Quarry Wedding