First we'll start in the deep south, where the camellias are in full bloom and handmade gowns are the rule, not the exception. In Spanish Fort, Alabama, we like our tea sweet and our portraits formal, and Easter is the perfect time to show off grandma's handiwork. Rebecca Saltee of Tiny Treasures Photography partnered up with Jill Scott of Storybook Photography to do a bunny event, and the two were gracious enough to let me share some of their secrets. I got to sit back and watch while the pros photographed my little bunny.

So how do you get an overly-photographed child like mine to respond with genuine wonder?  Greet her wearing bunny ears and hand her a live rabbit! These two women worked the wonder! There was literally so much awe involved once she held the rabbit, that my flitter flutterer sat still in one place and loved on the bunny. It was a balance though - Rebecca and Jill still had to work to get Sydney and her cousin to react to the camera.  Joke telling, silly scares, even a "paw paw" jumping out from the bushes - but by pairing up, each brought their unique personalities to the table - prompting different responses from the children at different times.

The key to their timeless look was in the location they chose. They selected spots with heavy shade provided by the foliage. They were shooting in a local garden, so they'd already scoped out the perfect pockets of light… and what wasn't perfect was enhanced with reflectors and diffusers.  The bright sunlight just off of the open shade made by the foliage was bounced back onto the children using a reflector, while a diffuser was planted just above their heads to keep any dappled light from getting through the foliage. The deep background also put prime focus on the little girls and thier crisp gowns - with just a little bit of post-processing, the girls practically glowed!

The results definitely take you back in time - as we say in the deep South - to a place where little girls can be little girls as long as we can keep them that way!

Mosey on over a few states, and you'll find a more contemporary approach to the Easter portrait.  El Paso, TX Photographer Yanna Argimon of Blue Willow Photography pulled out the bunny ears, and rolled out the green carpet for her little boys.

"Yes, I could dress up my children in their Sunday best with button-shirts, sweater vests and khakis, but where is the fun in that? How could that be any fun to use in 20 years to embarrass them in front of their girlfriend or wife?"  So out came the black eyeliner for whiskers, pink lipstick for the bunny nose, a cotton tail (actually crumpled up paper covered in cotton, courtesy of Elmer's glue!) and, of course, fluffy bunny ears.

But what's most striking about the pictures is the turf!  "I wanted to create something fun and bright" for her garage studio! "I wanted to come up with the perfect props. What better place to start looking for perfect props? WALMART!  First stop was the home interior section where I found a lime green shaggy-fuzzy throw. This became my grass. With two kiddos always on the move, I decided it might be best to buy two and sew them together."

She paired the grass with Thunder Gray seamless paper from Savage Photo which really made the colors pop! "I know gray isn't typically a springy color, but I really wanted something darker so that between the green "grass", yellow chicks and especially the white bunny ears and my bunnies, everything would stand out. I could have used my Savage Bone which is off-white, but I don't think my colors would have popped nearly as much."

Yanna set up her scene in her garage studio where she knows the lighting. "I learned it is much better to angle my background at a 45 degree angle. This gives a nice catch light on the sides of the eyes. When the background is angled straight out, the catch lights would be over the subject's pupils making their eyes look too bright. My garage faces south and I've also learned it is best to wait later in the afternoon when the sun is more in the western side of the sky and my background is angled towards the east. This creates a more even lighting on my background and lessens my chances for shadows. My subjects are in far enough that they don't feel the need to squint, but I have plenty of natural light flowing in  that I can still maintain a wide aperture and a faster shutter speed."

So what does she do to keep their attention?  CHOCOLATE BRIBES!  Though, if we could have been flies on the wall, my guess is that the boys had a blast being bunnies for a day! "In the end, I have some adorable photos of my little bunnies, a great Happy Easter card to send to my family and friends and great photos for future embarrassment!