Tiptoeing through the Tulips {Washington Photographer}

One of the things I love about living in the Pacific Northwest is the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival that happens every April. And it had been far too many years since I had been. So last week my friend (also named Heidi) and I ventured up with a few of our kids to enjoy the tulips ... and the masses of people with their cameras. It really is a beautiful sight.

When we first started planning our little outing, I created a wonderful vision in my head of how it would all play out:

*happy smiling children.
*perfect skies ~ overcast, diffused light, yet just the right tint of blue.
*nice warm weather.
*a three-year-old boy who would think there is nothing better in the entire world than looking at flowers for hours.
*beautiful, frameable portraits of my little ones.
*not wanting to leave because I was having so much fun, yet reluctantly heading home after drinking in all that gorgeousness.

Here's the reality:

*freezing cold wind.
*grey, yucky yuck skies.
*a three-year-old boy who cried and cried and cried because he wanted to go to the car. And because he didn't like mud on his boots. And because we had to walk out to the tulip fields and it was too far.
*a baby who absolutely and completely no way wanted her picture taken. Did not want to sit on the little chair mom lugged all the way out to the fields. Did not want to take her coat off to show off her pretty dress. Did not want to be strapped into the stroller.
*having an entire group of tulip-pickers laughing hysterically at the mom with a fancy camera ... and a chair ... and a big giant reflector ... obviously trying to get pictures of children who obviously did not want their picture taken.
*and then the baby ate dirt.
*finally calling it quits, going inside where it was warm to have a snack and have the little lady decide at that moment to be super smiley.
*somehow still managing to stay for over two hours and then realizing I was going to MISS THE BUS when my two older boys got home. Frantically calling everyone I could think of, finally finding the bestest friend ever to go and pick my kids up.
*bringing home the most beautiful tulips in the world to prove that something truly great came out of the whole adventure!

With that giant story told, here are how I combined my *vision* with reality. I may or may not have added in some blue skies. And photoshopped the tears out. I'll never truly confess. Ha ha ha.

It may look like he is enjoying playing in the mud. Don't be deceived. He is really doing his best to find a way to get away from it!

Here's my friend's daughter, Madeline ~ a much more willing model than the two I brought along! You might recognize seeing her before. Click {here} to see her shoot from about 6 months ago.


Just look at that sweet smile when she finally got inside and all bundled up back in her coat ...