Archive for March, 2012
Mar 13, 2012
I started shooting in 2006. That seems like eons ago when I compare my style back then to how I shoot today. I’ve learned SO much since that time, mostly through trial and error. But boy, it sure would have been nice if I had had a little more personal help along the way.
I decided to dig up what used to be one of my most favorite images of my middle bear cub. I loved his look…I loved how grown up he looked…lost in thought, but ohhhhh, if I had a do-over with this shot, I would have done so many things differently. The version on the left shows my editing style back in the old days ;-); the one on the right shows you how I would have edited the image a little differently (wish I still had the RAW file, actually, so I could edit effectively in Lightroom). I do think I chose a great moment to capture and a great focal length, but if I had the time to do so, I should have strolled him to a place where the background wasn’t quite so blown and more even to help him stand out a little better. Also, in the new version, I cropped out the bottom part of the stroller where the sticker was showing ;-).
This is the kind of critique participants in the Chic Critique Celebrity Critique can expect from me. I have another 4-week session coming up next month and we have a few openings left if you want to give it a try. It has been such a privilege to be on the outside, seeing images from a different perspective, and by giving just a few quick pointers, helping to turn images that seemed like coal into diamonds.
By the way, even with his overly-processed, neon blue eyes, I still love this image and always will.
Mar 08, 2012
I left their session walking on air and with such a happy feeling in my heart. It’s always wonderful to see past clients and their new + one. It’s especially wonderful when that + one settles into the family like he had been there all along.
Mar 04, 2012
Bless his little heart…this boy gives a new meaning to the word “thriving.” He must have been in the middle of one of those cluster-feeding spells when I was there because all he wanted was to nurse with his mama. But, somehow, we managed to snap a few pics here and there between feedings and it worked out just fine.
P.S. His mama should seriously consider going into interior design because the woman has got outstanding taste and style. Wish I had more time to take more pics of the house…think I need to go back sometime. Either that or move in 😉
Mar 04, 2012
I think it was 2-3 years ago when I first met these kiddos. We were doing a session to capture big sis before she started losing her baby teeth. At the time, my eldest hadn’t lost any of his teeth, and I remember her mom’s words really hit home with me–just how precious this time is when they are not babies, but they still have that one last thing that ties them to their baby/toddler days…the baby teeth. And now, just like we did back then, we had the opportunity to catch little bro before he starts to lose his teeth (which, ps…we’re lucky because he’s *very* rough and tumble and I’m quite surprised he hasn’t accidentally lost them, LOL).
I hadn’t been to this part of Austin in, gosh, 2 years? And eep…it was actually a little scary, I’m sad to say. I LOVE my city, but I’m not sure what happened here. Regardless of the horrible parking, the noise, the people, and the general disorder, they stuck with me and we got absolutely fantastic and super fun pics of their family. This is definitely going down as a fav session!
Mar 04, 2012
The other day, my eldest read about the durian fruit in a book and he’s been obsessing over it since then. Things you should know about durians:
- They are from Indonesia
- They have been known to kill people when falling from trees and hitting them on the head.
- They are mostly well-known, however, for their horrendous odor, described as rotting flesh.
- They smell so bad, they are prohibited on public transportation in Indonesia. You can find signs like this:
- It’s *supposed* to be delicious:
Naturally, we had to try it. Durians are not easy to find here in Austin, TX, but we do happen to have a wonderful Asian grocery store, MT Supermarket, and I read that they carry durians. For a homeschool lesson, we ventured out to MT Supermarket in search of durians and we DID find them…frozen, of course ;-). It was about $20 (eep), but we just had to find out it if was as bad (or as good) as everyone says.
After letting it thaw for about 12 hrs, we were able to give it a go. Um. Yeah. I’m glad we tried it, but I think the pictures say it all. Unique and beautiful on the outside, absolutely disgusting on the inside. I’m still trying to get the stench out of my mouth :-(. The little princess, by the way, preferred to keep a safe distance and munch on Jell-o instead. Smart girl.
At any rate, our $20 “trip to the other side of the world” was fun and worth it, even if it was gross, gross, gross.
Having been there for his brother’s birth and newborn sessions as well as his own birth and newborn sessions, it was so interesting to draw comparisons between the two boys. Upon just being born, big brother was wide awake and always looking at the world around him…little brother was very, very sleepy and mellow. I remember at big brother’s newborn session, he was equally wide awake and looking at the world around him…and much to my surprise, so was little brother. Every now and then, the baby would make a face and I would say, “Oh, he looks *just* like his older brother!” But every now and then, he would do something that would be so completely different and he wouldn’t look like him at all. Isn’t it amazing that two boys could come from the same parents and be so very different and then in many ways, exactly the same? It fascinated me with my own boys and I loved getting to see it happen again with her little ones.
Mar 02, 2012
Well one thing is for certain: the mood of his one year photo session was *vastly* different than his newborn pictures ;0. Watching his mom and dad go from proud, emotional, somewhat nervous and unsure new parents to happy-go-lucky, joyful, exuberant, relaxed, fun-loving and experienced parents was quite the treat! LOVED the joy and love expressed by everyone at this session.
Mar 02, 2012
Last Wednesday, we got a call that Pop (my husband’s father) was taken to the hospital for a suspected septic infection and our whole family rushed down there to be by his side. Please read up as anyone can get sepsis and it is an extremely dangerous condition where early diagnosis and treatment are critical to surviving. Without going into too many details, it was bad. It was really, really bad. Pop is a very loved and vibrant personality in our family and seeing him suffer like that pained and panicked us like nothing before.
By some miracle, he turned the corner a few days ago. Having been one of the few who pulled through this, he still has a very, very long road of recovery ahead of him. This has been an extremely difficult week full of the lowest lows and the strangest highs (hearing him talk again!) and I’ve been out of the loop work-wise. I just returned home last night to be with the kids and to catch up on work, and believe me, I have a lot of catching up to do. Thank you so much to my clients for being so understanding and allowing me to reschedule sessions. Thank you to everyone in advance for their patience as I begin returning phone calls and e-mails. Thank you to those of you who are waiting on proofs from me. Thank you most of all to everyone who prayed for our Pop…I truly believe he would not be alive right now were it not for his own will to live, the love and care of his family and doctors, and all of the positive energy you sent his way.