Paul and Stacy Jensen Family

The Family Portrait

Stacy has wanted a family portrait for quite some time. I haven't wanted to dress up, drive to a studio, pose, and pay for the privilege. Stacy wanted to capture our family as it is now before any new additions come along. I didn't want to pay for a sitting fee and be pressured to buy an expensive package of photos that will sit in a box somewhere. Stacy wanted to make sure we have pictures of Alayna at this stage of her life. When it comes right down to it, I didn't want to pay to have pictures taken. I could do it myself for much cheaper and they would probably be cuter too. Never mind that I forget my camera every time we take Alayna out of the house, and I don't always have the time or patience to take a cute picture of Alayna.

So Stacy contacted Sears, set an appointment, and threatened me with suspension of any and all happiness if I were not able to meet this obligation.

A week before the pictures are to be taken, we went to the beach. Alayna and I came home with sunburns. I received a scolding for possibly sabotaging the family portrait while receiving a mandatory Aloe Vera rub down. It didn't quite soothe.

When I was young, the family portrait was a big production. It was usually done in the cooler months. My brother and I had to wear sweaters and ties. Despite the shirts bing long sleeved and having collars, those sweaters itched right through the shirt and into the skin. The sweaters are how I know the pictures were taken in the cooler months.

But I think my sisters had it worse. Five girls of various age and development trying to prepare for the picture. They didn't want to take the picture either. Their attitudes were just as poor as their bothers. But darned if they were going to be captured for all time not looking their best. Fights over the use of the shower and the precious amount of hot water were followed by tripped breakers as hair dryers and curling irons heated the home wiring up to a point just below combustion.

Now, with a smaller family, larger water heater, and fewer hair dryers, getting ready for the family portrait is not as laborious of a task. In fact Stacy and Alayna were ready and waiting for me to return from an emergency job I did on call. Quick shave, change of clothes, and we are on our way. Even the car drive is pleasant. Only nine miles. Fifteen minutes later, we are watching Dora the Explorer in the waiting area of the photo studio and five minutes after that, we are in the studio in front of a camera. I keep looking for problems, but see nothing but smiles.

All three of us wear Hawaiian shirts. We sit down on the floor in front of the backdrop and recline comfortably. We aren't posed with our heads and hands in awkward poses. We smile naturally, not stiff lipped and fake. We get instant feedback from the digital camera on a monitor that shows just how good we look. Confidence is building, Alayna is behaving, the photo previews are looking good, and we are all still smiling.

This is nothing like my previous experiences. And while the bill is large, it was less than I expected, and we weren't pressured to purchase more photos than we wanted. We walked out of the building with a proof sheet sowing off Alayna's cuteness and a resolution to do it again.