While my patience may be slim on certain topics - especially if you ask my husband - I am always game to take 1, 5, or 10 pictures to get that perfect shot.  That being said, I never dare to ask the stand-in photographer who volunteers to capture a family moment to embrace the same craziness.

The good news is that when the best two shots have one different family member squinting or blinking in the best two images, I do not fear.  That is when my ability to take a face from one photo and copy it over to the next makes all things right in the world of Mom. 

​With technology I lead a charmed life!

Sometimes what makes a picture perfect is not the technique used to photograph it, but the subject matter in it of itself.  Of course that would apply to images of our family and friends, but for me it also is reflected in how a party theme ultimately came together.

The two images I selected this month are from back-to-back parties that I held at my home celebrating my son's 5th and my 40th birthdays.  

I get great pleasure transporting our guests to somewhere other than my regular dining room.  From table skirts to table cloths, we keep it fresh and most importantly fun.  Lately I have even leveraged my chandelier by hanging objects from it using ornament hooks. The decor helps me serve up the perfect themed menu from rainbow-inspired dishes for my son's Trolls party, to all-time favorite diner delights for my 1950s party.

For anyone that has ever attempted to photograph a group of people, especially kids, you know it would be close to a miracle to have everyone looking good, or even just looking at the camera, in the first shot.  So why not take two...or twenty? 

My note of caution, especially with how easy it is to keep clicking away on your phone cameras, is that it is better to stop and reset or rearrange the grouping then continue to take twenty of the same shot in hopes that one comes out.  In the latter instance you are left with a lot of unused photos that will add to the growing size of your photo library (unless you are a disciplined deleter!).   

Will it work out?  Not always.  So, instead of insisting for that perfect picture, sometimes it is great to just curate the top one or two and celebrate the fact that kids are just kids.  That is what you see in the two cute shots of my beautiful nieces with my two loves.  Remembering how hard we were trying to get my little guy to focus makes looking back at the picture all-the-more special now...because at least I remember that he consistently ignored instruction at this age! 
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​​How many of us when invited to a party say, "Let me know if I can bring anything?" Which, without fail, the gracious host or hostess says, "Just yourself."  However, what they should be saying is, "Just yourself...and your camera!"

Whenever I am at a party taking pictures (even just as a guest, and not as paid help), some guest always comments to me, "I should really use my nice camera more."  Well, let me assure you that there is no better place or time to do that than at a party. 

Once you break out the camera, my suggestion would be to take those pictures that the party host would never dare to stop and capture at risk of neglecting the guests.  That is what makes your support all the more special. Any host will delight in receiving an unexpected gift the day-after.

My list of must-haves include:  a solo picture of the guest of honor and one with the family or close friends, pictures of the decor (including the cake) and of course the guests.  Oh, and don't forget one of yourself.

Planning parties can be a lot of fun...but that fun comes as a result of hard work. Quite often it is all the smallest of details that make the overall event a big success.

After putting in that time and effort, my best tip is to make sure you capture ALL the elements of your party.  Before guests arrive walk around the venue and take photographs of your decorations, your favors...even your food.  Since we know that the event will be over in a snap, you want to be able to look back and see how all the time you spent in advance of the big day translated into happy memories you can treasure forever.

Personally, I also like to remember all the people that work behind the scenes to make the event a special one.  I always pop in the kitchen or round everyone up for a group photo as the event is winding down.  The best part is seeing the pride they have in knowing they helped make your event picture perfect! ​