We have had Valerie’s sister Keri and here three kids over visiting this week during spring break. That meant that we had the semi-rare occurrence of all 12 grandkids/cousins on Valerie’s side of the family were in close proximity this week.
Valerie had the great idea that this would be a great opportunity to get a photo of the whole group together since this really doesn’t happen very often and that we should probably get the kids all together to take a photo for posterity’s sake.
I thought that it would be great to take the whole group down to one of my very favorite places, Browns Point Lighthouse Park which is only about three miles from our house and is just beautiful and full of opportunities for great pictures. There are Puget Sound backgrounds, big neat driftwood logs on the beach, a 100+ year old lighthouse keeper’s home with picket fence and garden. Lots of people go there for portraits and it isn’t uncommon to even see folk there having wedding photos or senior portraits taken.
The only potential for problems was the weather which has, for lack of a better term, SUCKED so far this spring. Yesterday was unfortunately true to form with periods of rain followed by periods of even harder rain with occasional breaks for torrential rain. We were kind of hoping against hope that by the time everyone assembled, the skies would part and give us a good opportunity to get the kids out into the park, get some great pics and get back into the car before the rain started again.
We all gathered in our vehicles in the parking lot down at Browns Point and it quickly became apparent that the weather was not going to break for us. In fact, if possible, the rain seemed to even fall harder as if to scoff at our wishes.
It was time to think of plan B.
Do we take this assembled restless heard and descend with 12 kids on one of the local studios like Sears where we could have them photographed against a background of artificially good weather or maybe with that neat Disco-Starburst background or better yet the wagon wheel?
Okay, so maybe that's Olan Mills but you get my point.
Frankly, I would rather spend two hours standing in the rain then ½ hour in Sears’ Portrait Studio which is topped only by the Sears Auto Center as my least favorite places this side of Hades. Seriously, it is worse than Wall-E.
We decided instead to head down to Dash Point Pier where there is a picnic shelter that might keep the kiddos out of the rain just long enough go grab a picture or two and we could call it good, mark it off for history and get on with our lives.
Even there under the cover of shelter, it was very cold for the kids so we moved quickly. Cover the soaking wet picnic table with a dry blanket, stack the kids up and… say “cheese”.
We quickly popped off a few pictures before deciding that that this was probably as good as it was going to get…
My favorite part is how every kid is looking in the direction of their own choosing. “Hey! – I’m over here! Look at the guy with the camera!” Whatever - good enough.
Capturing history is tough work. I think I now understand why the pioneers always looked so grumpy in their portraits.
I’m sure it was all worth it. To somebody. Someday. 
6 comments:
Considering the weather and having 12 children under the age of 13....The pic is great!! The kids look so cute.
I think the pic is great too! Good job Jeff...you are the new family photographer :)
The picture turned out great- and you'll love it later on; it definitely shows their personalities! Damien and I had our reception at the Brown Point Lighthouse and although it's pretty- you don't want to walk around that grass in the rain, or even after it has rained so you made a good decision going with Dash Point.
very cute Jeff
It was a good Thurdsay!
It turned out great!! I can't even get 3 kids smiling and looking the same way so I can only imagine 12!!
You just had to bring up Wall-E again... you're asking for it;) hahah
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