Ellis almost liked me this year. 
It was so close. 

I have taken the Engle's family photos for the past couple of years and Ellis has always been young enough to not really know why there is a stranger there other than to play. This time she is older and was not into a stranger taking her photo. 

Which is totally acceptable and often anticipated with young children. 

Like I explained to Ben and Morgan, this whole process is kind of awkward, even for adults. As a professional photographer I can openly admit that this can a little uncomfortable. Think about how often you want to get in front of the camera. . . . I'll wait. 

For most people they actually stress over photos because of how they look, feel, their clothes, mental state etc. and add a child to the mix who doesn't understand what we are doing or why a stranger is shoving a camera in their face. 

So I was so happy that Ellis just wasn't crying. That's a plus. 

Ellis likes ducks, so we walked around to looked for ducks and she did end up loosening up just enough for us to get some great shots with the great fall foliage.

Ellis' outfit was so cute, she had the cutest polka dot boots, an oversized sweater and sweetest kitty clip. I hope by next year, she may like me. We may have to sneak in a holiday mini session so she can see me a little more but she will come around.