I almost didn’t write about this session in order to avoid exposing my “crazy” but I find it funny when I read about other photographer’s tough sessions. It happens. And as much as you try to FORCE it to work, sometimes it just doesn’t…especially when it’s with your own children :)

So here goes. Spring 2010, I photographed a family in a gorgeous field that bloomed hot pink Indian Paintbrush flowers and the idea of an “Indian” session with my kids was born. Indians in Indian Paintbrush…clever, eh? It took months to collect all the props and clothing. I waited patiently for the next spring to come but to my disappointment, that field was plowed and completely leveled. No worries. Can’t be the only field that blooms Indian Paintbrush, right? *nervous laugh* So I waited and searched and waited and searched. Enter the driest, hottest spring and summer in Texas since 1998. We broke quite a few records this year and as Howard Stern says, “it was re-goddamn-diculous” In short, hot as Haitis + no rain = no Texas wild flowers.

Ok, so Plan B. While trying to come up with Plan B I started noticing other photographers sporting TeePees as props and even saw another photographer do an Indian themed shoot too. NOOOOO! This was MY idea dammit. Maybe it was just because I was focused on “Indians” that this was happening. You know, like when you’re pregnant and all of a sudden you start to see pregnant ladies everywhere? Either way, it kind of took the wind out of my sails. I didn’t want it to look like I ripped off somebody’s idea and contemplated scrapping the whole thing. But in the grand scheme of things, I’m a nobody in the photography community. Chances are, only my mom reads my blog. Psychosis be damned, I kept going. Endlessly searching for another “perfect” spot. If I couldn’t have flowers then I wanted to shoot it by water…no…an open field…no…by trees…no…lets do an Indian family session together…no…stupid… ugh! Why was I making this so hard? Finally, after the summer heat died down, I drove past a field and saw bright yellow flowers and nice big tress. YESSS! With plenty of coercing on my part, the family piled into the car and drove to this field. Finally I was going to get what I wanted! WooHoo! As we’re walking through the grass I shrieked in pain and pulled a sticker burr out of my foot. Then another. And another. You couldn’t move without getting stuck. They were everywhere! Chloe started crying, Asa started whining and EVERYONE was asking to go home and I hadn’t even taken my camera out yet. My visions of the kids frolicking in their Indian outfits, sitting Indian style and lying in the flowers were replaced by “What’s that awful smell?” expressions. I started bargaining and promised I would give them anything they wanted “just a few PLEASE!” Then I realized I didn’t bring my favorite outdoor lens. Arrrgggg! What else can go wrong!? Phew…so, long story short, I have a few photos to show for a year’s worth of headache…er, I mean planning and I’m still picking burrs out of my underwear. Rather anticlimactic, don’t you think?

My cameo…