And That's How The Boy Floated Away {New Braunfels Family Portraits}

Every year I vow to take on the traditional Christmas Card Photo early. I intend to have them ready to go by early November and send them out by Thanksgiving. It's with that thought in mind that I hit the park with my family in the middle of the heat of August when nobody else wanted a photo session and I had plenty of space on my calendar for our session. The grass was dead. It was 100 degrees. The kids were cranky. Jayme was cranky. Mommy was cranky. You don't see the photo that resulted from that session and you never will. It looked like crap.

So we waited a couple of months to retake it. The wedding season hit us and loaded me down with long days and a full calendar. Then the Christmas card season started and any available time was filled with other families and their Christmas cards. But a last minute cancellation the day before Thanksgiving worked in my favor. I grabbed the family (who was in a relatively good mood what with not having school and all), grabbed a dozen balloons-- not an easy task at all in HEB the day before Thanksgiving -- and we hit the park for the Blaschke Family Christmas Photo Session -- take 2.

Jayme thinks I should guard my secrets and how I did it like a magician guards their tricks, but I'm okay with sharing. Here's my secret. The Boy's not really being carried away with balloons. Shhh. Don't tell anyone. He's sitting on a ladder. Shh, don't tell Jayme I told you. The only magic used here was Photoshop CS5 -- and my mad skills. Some of my younger fans were a little concerned that I would let The Boy float away like that and asked me "what would have happened if he got too high and you couldn't reach his leg." I wanted to answer, "we had a slingshot and some pebbles. We could get him down." But, alas, fearing a visit from child protective services, I revealed my secret to them, just like I'm revealing it to you now. Fear not for The Boy. He is safely at home and at this very moment tormenting his sister with a giant novelty candy cane.

I'm already formulating our family photo for next year. But rest assured no animals will be harmed in the making of our cards!

Lisa On Location Photography