Say "Cheese!"

Sorry this is a tad over-exposed...the flash on Mom's camera activated the fill lights. The little purple cup in Ellie's hand is one of her favorite toys. It worked for a little while...

Here's what we got at the end of it all!

Today was a big day for Ellie! Not only was it a first car ride in her memory, it was also a trip for her first official photo shoot! The occasion? To capture images for her Albanian passport and US visa application! She cried a bit when the car doors closed, but quickly quieted down and took in the passing scenery once the wheels were rolling. Upon arriving at the photo shop, composure quickly evaporated with each umbrella light that flicked on (nothing like my passport photo shoots at Kinkos which consisted of standing in front of a white wall while the copy girl snapped a single photo with a Polaroid!). A white screen was set against the wall, a stool and back-light pulled into place, and the Nikon camera’s flash sync-ed with the fill-lights. The senior photographer quickly ordered his young college-aged assistant, “Spate, spate!” (fast, fast!) as Ellie’s eyes grew wider and wider, then turned into pools of tears while her face contorted into un-photogenic scowls and she twisted to try to leave her perch. In spite of the computer tech’s best Photoshop efforts, there’s no denying that she wasn’t happy at the time these picts were snapped!

6 days to go!!!