Photographing Kids Can Be Wild—Ask Me About the Kiddie Pool Incident

The Photo Session That Took a Splashy Turn

We had to reschedule this sweet family’s fall mini session due to unpredictable weather (classic New England). Since mom was a friend of mine, we decided to do a quick session in their backyard with just her two boys—ages 3 and 5 at the time. I had just gotten my brand new Canon 70–200mm lens and was so excited to use it. I only had one camera body back then, so I swapped out my 50mm and started chasing the boys around their yard as they played.

The lighting was gorgeous, the kids were giggling, and I was loving those dreamy, blurred backgrounds that lens gives at 200mm. Everything was going perfectly… until it wasn’t.

The boys climbed to the top of their playset and went down the slide together in the sweetest brotherly hug. I backed up to get the perfect wide shot—and kept backing up, and backing up—when suddenly… SPLASH.

I had tripped backward into a forgotten kiddie pool filled with end-of-summer sludge. Think leaves, mud, and murky water. I was soaked from head to toe.

But my very first thought? SAVE THE CAMERA.
I held it high above my head like it was the Olympic torch. Thankfully, my gear was fine. My dignity? Not so much.

The boys stared at me wide-eyed with huge grins on their faces, clearly impressed by what just happened. Mom had been watching the boys from the deck and didn’t even notice I had stepped right into the kiddie pool until I came out soaked. I had to borrow clothes from her just to finish the session and to get home without leaving a trail of muddy footprints everywhere.