A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

Put a boy and a girl in front of a camera and ask them to smile: it's a great study of nature vs. nurture and the inherent differences between males and females.

If the boy is anything like LJ, he will groan, contort his face, and make some sort of awkward hand gesture just to add "character" to the picture. If the girl is anything like Julianna, she will fluff her hair, angle her face to her "best side," and then pose like she's a model.

My good friend Angie Brement is a talented child photographer based in the Charlottesville area. While she was visiting us last weekend, she spent some time taking pictures of LJ and Julianna.

I knew going into the photo session that LJ would be less than pleased because he would have to stand still and follow instructions. I also knew that Julianna would be thrilled because she could wear a dress and be the center of attention.

I warned Angie that it might be a difficult session, but with two daughters of her own, she was unfazed.

To convince LJ to participate, we agreed to let him wear his Tyler Hansbrough and Peyton Manning jerseys ... and bring a basketball and football along as "props."

True to form, when Angie started taking pictures, LJ ran in the opposite direction and insisted he only wanted "action" shots of him playing basketball. He also demanded a series of "in-motion" football and track pictures.

Julianna, on the other hand, did not want to lean against or sit on anything that appeared to be even the slightest bit dirty. She was happy to have her picture taken, but she had her own artistic ideas, including posing in front of a garden full of dead flowers.

About mid-way through the session, Angie asked LJ for a "big favor" ... could he please, just for a moment, hold Julianna's hand a walk slowly through a rose arbor.

It was, without a doubt, one of the most painful moments of LJ's existence.

First, he refused.

Then, I threatened him.

Next, he grabbed Julianna's hand and dragged her through the arbor nearly pulling her down.

Then, I threatened him again.

He obliged, but bent over with his head hanging near the ground as if he was thinking, "If any of my friends see me, I will never live this down."

Then, Angie yelled, "Look, an airplane!"

That got his attention for a just a moment -- and that was all Angie needed.

Given LJ's lack of cooperation, it is testament to Angie's photography skills that she got such an adorable picture ... and it's a good thing you couldn't actually see the expression on his face.


http://angiebrementphotography.com/