The Daddy pictures are a good idea, BUT......

[WitMom]

Can anyone give me any tips on how to get my 18 month old to cooperate? As in stay in one place long enough to take a stinking picture while holding a letter. I had it all planned out...or so I thought. I took her to some public gardens nearby yesterday for our "photo op". I thought the backdrop would be gorgeous (and it was). Problem is, I spent two hours chasing her, trying to get a decent picture of her and I got nothing. Not even one useable picture. How has everyone been able to accomplish this?

I guess I could strap her in her carseat. LOL...That would keep her in one place!

Oh well, at least we got to see the gardens, and they were beautiful.

[ribbit1019]

I did them last year when DD was 12 months. I had a little chair for her sit on. It was Adirondack style so it had a bucket effect and kept her contained. I also took a couple of "action" shots. In other words DD was crawling and I put the letter in the general direction she was going and snapped the photo when she was near the letter. Not what I was aiming for but I procrastinated and it was the day before father's day, I was a little desperate. He still loved it. :)

I have to say it was mighty challenging. I don't think it will be any less challenging this year... *sigh*


Christy
My Waterbabies
Maddy 6/9/04
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040609/3/4/0/-5/.png
& Jarred 3/8/06, 14 lb 24 1/2" @ 10 wks, a happily breastfed babe.
http://b1.lilypie.com/KH1pm5/.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/steitzsmith/Other/jump.gif

[randomkid]

Funny you should ask as I was coming here to post about the DADDY pics as well. We tried this morning and, knowing that DD is very active, I knew I would just have to snap and hope to get something I could use.

Well...she wouldn't even pick up or hold the letters!!! She is usually so curious that I thought she would play with them for sure. I ended up hanging the D on the front of her tricycle, but still didn't get great pictures.

Hope someone has some suggestions for us. I'd say if your DD will at least hold the letters, try to shoot as continuously as possible (which you probably did!).

[icunurse]

I think it is a problem most of us are having! LOL With DS, I had these great mental images of what it should look like, but he had other ideas. I ended up getting action shots, with him trying to put the letter down the slide, rolling with it in the grass, etc. Maybe not stellar pics to some, but it is a good rep of DS and his activity level (looks cute, too).
Traci
~Connor's Mom 02/2004~
Agency paperwork completed - waiting (and waiting) for another baby!

[crl]

I did this last year and had a lot of trouble too. I ended up doing some by going to the park and putting the letter on a piece of equipment I knew he'd go for. Then when he got close I just started shooting. I also ended up having a friend take the last one I needed with me holding DS and the letter. . . . DH loved it so it was worth the effort.

Good luck!

[elliput]

I haven't tried to get pic's yet, but I have in my minds eye getting action shots as I anticipate the same problem.

[randomkid]

I don't mind action shots as I think they are cute and show more personality. However, what to do when your DC won't even go near the letters?!? DD avoided them like the plague - she even cried and tried to yank the D off her tricycle when I put it there. Go figure!

[miki]

I did them in my yard last year. I did not have the goal of her holding the letter in each picture, just that the letter was somewhere in the picture. I pointed out flowering shrubs and while she looked at them, I'd stand a letter at her feet or put part of one in her pocket. I cut a bunch of flowers and put them in a pile on our deck and inserted the letter in various ways while she played with the cut flowers. In the photos where she was holding the letter, I just made sure my digital camera was on a fast shutter speed and I took up to 20 with each letter. I'd get at least one good one out of each batch. HTH.

ETA I also did not have my heart set on seeing her face in each shot. I got a cute one of her from the back rummaging amongst a hydrangea bush with a "Y" sticking out of her back pocket.

[jhaud]

i'm having this problem with 22 month old dd too! i have some with her sitting in our recliner watching tv with some letters (snap quick before she throws letter) and some outside ... i had to

seat her (she may stay seated for a couple of minutes)
place the letter on/against/near her
ignore fact that she won't look at camera for these pics even though any other time i pull out the camera she walks toward it saying cheese the whole way!

our outside ones were okay (gave one set of grands their gift already - it says family) but the frame for daddy needs pictures horizontal instead and since i couldn't crop them that way (too close up) i have to do some more ;)

good luck to all (i know this daddy will appreciate it regardless of how pleased i am - if it's creative he appreciates anything! as he has not one creative bone in his body!)

[o_mom]

You need a child wrangler.... I had my mom and grandma help. Grandma watched one while Mom and I took pictures of the other one.

[randomkid]

That's my plan for next try. I like the idea of the cut flowers - sounds really cute. I also like the Y in the back pocket, but we are using a dress for DD's pics. I fully expected that she wouldn't be looking at me for all the pics, but one of her smiling at the camera would be nice! Mom and Dad are going to help me on Thursday. Hopefully, I'll have better luck.

OP, hope these suggestions are helping you as much as they are me!

[randomkid]

Oops..double post - sorry!

[californiagirl]

I try to do the whole alphabet every so often (makes thank-you notes to die for), and I did one at about 18 months. I did use a wrangler, plus her walker wagon and some crackers. She sat down, we gave her the crackers, and then the wrangler switched the letters around and/or stood behind me so she'd look at me. I also use a digital camera and take basically as many photos as I can get, up to 20 per letter and then cycle around through the letters that I had particularly bad luck with. (We don't use classy wooden letters -- we use a foam alphabet mat from Toys'R'Us.)

[DebbieJ]

Put stickers on the back of the letter.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[WitMom]

Y'all are brilliant! You know that, don't ya? Thanks so much for all of the suggestions.

So many good ideas here. I'm going to need to kick my husband out of the house one (or two...or three) nights this week and put all of your ideas into action. Good luck to all of us trying to get the perfect pictures of our little ones!

[jenjenfirenjen]

I believe this picture says it all...

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33967.jpg

This was taken just as he was about to throw the "M" across the park. I wonder if there's any way to velcro the letters to them?

[calebsmama03]

I think the "unusable pics" are part of the charm at this age :) If you're really insistent on having a certain look to your pics, maybe enlist a friend or family member to come along and snap the pics while you entertain, etc?
Lynne
Mommy to C 3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
And Miss Purple, 5/05