Taking the Christmas card picture

I like to start this project as early as I can, because I  know that it is rarely a straightforward process. I tried one Sunday morning before church and was not successful.

The best expressions ended up in pictures that were much too dark or only had four out of five kids in the frame. Part of the problem is that group pictures happen so rarely that I forget all my tricks between sessions.

Ah, well. At least there's time to try again.
Our second session produced a winner, but there were about a hundred rejects.

These poor kids look miserable, but they recovered quickly.