If you're a parent, more than likely, you've been to the dark place where Danelle Hevron Studio in Flat Rock, IL is about to take you. You spend weeks picking out the perfect coordinating outfits for that wonderful family photo. You set up the appointment with the photographer, pack the snacks, extra clothing and then head out.

Everything is fine, the kids are fine, you are fine and then you get to the studio.

Game over.

Junior has a meltdown right before or even during the session.

Been there, done that.

Sadly, it's usually Mom who has the hardest time pulling herself back together after the dust clears. 

I've been the photographer at a couple of those sessions, but sadly, most of the time, our family is that session.

One daughter doesn't want to be in the photo, the other one is too into the photo taking and the third is, well, usually screaming. At any given session, each personality will swap so we never really know who the biggest challenge will be for any given session.

People on the outside must think I am a terrible mother, at least that's what I used to think.

Now I know better.

I'd much rather be on the photographer's end of the scenario. I have more options. We can take a snack break, we can get out the toys, we can go outside and take a walk. (I usually can shoot the entire time.) Or, we can just reschedule.

I had one shoot in particular that involved a number of children under 10. We had a good idea of where the kids would all be placed. The parents just had to do the initial wrangling and keep them in place - not an easy task since their were toddlers in the crew.

The moms were bustling about getting everyone just so. They'd apologize over and over when Child A would walk out of the photo or Child B would lay down in the middle of the shoot. They were miserable, but the kids were having a blast and so was I. The photos I was getting were priceless. After all was said and done, one of the most popular photos was the one were the kids were just being themselves - kinda everywhere.

Still, as a mom, had it been me, I'd have done the same thing. We want our kids to  present themselves as perfect when we forget, they are just kids. They don't sit still and, if they are new walkers, they want to walk everywhere.

I took our youngest child's photos over the weekend. She just turned two. Her two older sisters tried to help but it just went south quickly. Finally, instead of trying to pose her, I just let her run for a few minutes. She burned off a little energy and I was finally able to some photos I love, none of which were truly posed. 

I have to say when I go through clients photos and my own, I pick out the pretty posed ones but the the ones that always capture my attention are the ones where the kids are simply being themselves. When I go back and look at photos 20 years from now, I think that's what I'll want to remember.