Zeno's Bar & Grill

My husband and I took this Christmas photo of our kids over the weekend, and it was actually a pleasant experience. We strategically avoided the frantic pursuit of a “perfect” picture and the possibility of tears and sulking (and I’m not just talking about the kids). Here’s our recipe:

1. Take freshly fed children first thing in the morning and place in comfortable clothes that look nice where it counts—right by the face. Stains lower down and mismatched shoes or bare feet are optional.

2. Put children in a familiar setting somewhere conveniently close to home, the bathroom, drinks etc.

3. Frame the picture so that it’s almost filled up with the faces, thereby avoiding the caked on egg and safety pins holding sleeves together.

4. Shoot fast.

5. Refuse to obsess and do “re-takes”—there’s always something good enough, and you can teach your kids not to be perfectionists at the same time.

Voila! No tears and a decent picture.

--Melanie