Cosette

Cosette is my niece, the daughter of my husband's sister, Carrie. Part of Carrie's Christmas gift from us this year was a portrait session with Cosette, who will be two this month (January) along with Carrie and her husband Ed. In true toddler fashion, Cosette refused to "cooperate" which made for a very interesting and lengthy session - perhaps it was the over stimulus of Christmas or the fact that mom, dad, grandfather and two grandmothers were trying to get her to smile (all at the same time). But every challenge is an opportunity, and this was no exception because, as every photographer surely knows, the "perfect" toddler rarely materializes in front of the camera!

I did get some really adorable shots - very serene and serious faces - and some smiles (with the help of a doll baby in a carriage and a very large stuffed bunny). But, really, the quiet ones were my favorites. Cosette has a wonderful "serious" face, proving that the smiles are not the most important part of the photograph. And when the studio set up got to be too much, I did what all good photographers do, I chased her around for an hour outside, stooping and running at her level, getting down in the grass and snapping the shots in those briefest of seconds when she stopped running long enough to just be! It was a work out, but well worth the effort!

Running Outside!

Some quiet moments on the grass.

Spinning!

With the bunny!

Ed, Carrie & Cosette