around their child’s birthday—but they also schedule
their immunizations this same month. Therefore, it
might is wise to ask the parents when those doctor’s ap-
pointments are scheduled and try to schedule a booking
prior to that date.
Before the Session.
Parent Preparation.Prior to their arrival, Stacy’s assis-
tant will suggest that the parent does not talk too much
about the photo shoot at home. It is okay to mention it,
just don’t dwell on it. Stacy says two things can go wrong
here: (1) the child may use it against the parents when
trying to manipulate the situation, and (2) it puts a
tremendous amount of pressure on the child to “per-
form.” She says, “I have seen this many times. A child
will talk and talk and talk about some event coming up
and then freeze—refusing to perform when the event
happens. I’m not sure why, but I’d guess they have built
something up so big in their minds that they eventually
scare themselves.”STACY BRATTON’S INSIGHTS 73While Stacy’s rules might seem a bit daunting at first, especially to new parents, when they pick up their proofs, they see the best por-
traits ever taken of their child.