Amazing what $5 can buy at a 9 year old birthday party! VOTE for your favorite photo!

Yes, I did it - I bribed the kids at my son, Tyler's, 9th birthday party yesterday with a $5 reward. Sorry parents, I know it's not a good habit, and they frown on it in the parenting books........but it WORKED! In a BIG way!

As the party started they were all acting wild and making faces for the camera! I got a lot of bad photos, and then my son climbed under the table to hide from the camera and the whole party seemed to be trying to join him in mutiny!

So I quickly remembered another photographer's trick of paying her teenager nephew to smile for the photos at a family Bar Mitzvah. So I offered a $5 reward for the best photos and BOY did I get the smiles and the charm after that!

And I said it would be the "people's vote" to chose between the 8 photos below! So vote and have your friends, your grandma, your aunt, anyone you want to vote on their favorite! All is fair in birthday party bribes and the last day to vote is the first day of school August 25th! One vote per person please! And we cannot accept anonymous votes.

You can view the whole BIRTHDAY PARTY SLIDESHOW here.


Photo #1 - Tyler the Birthday Boy!


Photo #2 - Brian



Photo #3 - Weston



Photo #4 - Sam



Photo #5 - Tio



Photo #6 - Wade




Photo #7 - Heather



Photo #8 - Marley



I also had to share the BEFORE photos of what I was getting BEFORE the reward system was implemented. AND, I even used it as leverage to behave at the bowling party and said if I had to discipline any of the boys at the bowling alley, they would not be eligible for the $5 reward. (Only one unnamed boy has been disqualified)








And I really have to thank fellow photographer Julie Ph, a fellow Pictage photographer for the suggestion!