My Inspiration

All photographers have someone that inspired them into photography.  In my case, it is Anne Geddes.  Long before I even had the desire to pursue photography I would gaze at her work in awe.  She pretty much pioneered the art of newborn photography.  The combination of her photography technique as well as her digital editing techniques transform the tiniest of newborns into peaceful, sweet slumbering babies, nestled in flowers, soft cloth, baskets, etc.  She also has a remarkable touch with her maternity photography.  Pregnancy and the newborn stage of infancy is such a beautiful, precious time.  It is also a very unique style of photography.  I love how the sessions are so laid back and it helps me concentrate on getting the best images I possibly can.  I constantly research different styles and ideas to use in my work using not only Anne but other newborn photographers as well.

To experience Anne Geddes' work in it's finest, please visit:  http://www.annegeddes.com/Default.aspx

Ruby Family Portrait Sneak Peek

I had such a wonderful time with this wee little one!  He's 3 months old and behaved SO well during the entire session.  And, he has the most beautiful blue eyes!  He was simply a joy to work with.  Here are just a few of the many portraits I shot in this session.

What a difference a year makes!

It's so great to visit old friends and see how much they change through the years.  The same thing can be said about your own clients.  The twins I photographed this time last year are now a year old!  Just as they were starting their life, I was starting mine in photography.  Their newborn portrait from our first session (the one featured below) was awarded the highest honor of Golden Gallery Award at my graduation in July.  It remains to be one of my all time favorite portraits.  I did so many newborn portrait sessions during my time in school and continue to do so.  I've said this many times before, but I really truly enjoy photographing newborns and hope one day to specialize in only newborn and maternity photography.  Thank you to the Dils family for giving me such beautiful subjects to photograph!

A quote to live by...

Hello everyone,

I mentioned previously that I would be doing a weekly Quote of the Week, done every Sunday.  I found that for one, my life has been quite hectic and also I realized that I didn't want to just go searching for just any quote.  I want that quote to find me.  I want it to occur every now and then and be something that really strikes me.  So, I've decided to only post when a quote finds me and makes me think.  My previous quotes all mean a great deal, I just feel the process of searching for a quote takes the specialness away from it.  With that said, here is a quote that recently touched my heart, in more ways than one:
  
"There is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world."

This is a quote that has simply come to me by an experience I just had last night - my very first NILMDTS session.  I was getting ready for bed and received the text, an 18 wk old angel.  I accepted the assignment but was very nervous because one, it was my first assignment and experience dealing with this type of issue, and two, because I was hoping to shadow another experienced volunteer photographer.  But, I knew that this family needed me and was counting on our organization to help them heal.  So, I put my own needs behind and gladly accepted the assignment.  My life and career forever changed when I walked into that room.  With all the college education and experience in the world, you will never be prepared for a situation such as this.  These people were complete strangers to me.  That part isn't unusual as the majority of my photography clients are strangers as well.  But, I had the delicate task of being in the presence of their emotions.  Everyone's (the parents) experience with the death of a child is different and you never know how they will handle what's going on.  My one job was to use my talent and make sure I make them the most special gift that they can forever keep of their angel, as this angel in it's Earthly form won't be with them for very long.  So I ask, how do I, as a photographer, make that happen?  With softness of blur, with simpleness of black & white as well as sepia.  With reminders of just how tiny she was, by placing a wedding ring by her tiny little feet.  By her mom holding her in her arms and just being there, loving her yet hurting at the same time.  I don't want the parents to be reminded of the sadness of this event, so I try to make sure that the harsher parts of the photograph are subdued, such as tubes, and machines, and in some cases, color.  I want them to remember their beautiful little angel for the precious person she is and always will be.  And I can only hope that this helps them towards their process of healing.  This little angel, with the tiniest of feet as small as the ring her mother wears, indeed made an imprint on this world.  She made an incredible imprint on my own heart and I'll never forget her. 

Giving back moments in time....

Well, I recently was notified that my application to Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS) has been accepted and I'm now an official, volunteer Affiliate Photographer for the organization!  I've gone through the steps to become activated and now will be awaiting my first session.  I hope to be able to shadow another local photographer for my first session so I can get an idea of how a proper NILMDTS session should go.

I'm not going to lie, I do feel nervous about my first time.  This is a very different type of photography than what I've done in the past.  I think part of my nervousness comes from being so new to the organization and not being familiar with their rules.  Also, I've never been put into this situation before so I have no idea how I'll handle the emotional aspect of the job.  I'm very familiar with how I work as a photographer in general photo shoots and how I handle them professionally.  It's a completely different situation when you are dealing with the death of such a young infant.  The family will be grieving, so my job will be simply to help them out by capturing those final moments.  I've mentioned before how important the art of portraiture is to getting those important moments in life.  For some people, getting those precious, brief memories of your child in their last moments can be of incredible importance, so I understand just how important my job is.  I think I'll really see the magnitude of that when I enter that very first hospital room and begin what the Lord has asked me to do.

"Those we have held in our arms for a little while, we hold in our hearts forever."

Quote of the Week

To me, photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place... I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them ~

~Elliott Erwitt

 

Whenever I go to a shoot, I will usually spend some time just looking around.  In fact, I do a lot of looking around during my photo shoots.  The reason is that I'm not just looking for some general backdrop but am looking for that "sweet spot", that feeling of knowing something special in that spot or that pose, or just that moment.  Some of the simplest of places can house the greatest photographs.  It's not where you photograph, but how you see that spot and how you take the photograph which will determine it.  I've had clients dismiss their own backyard because it's too plain, but honestly, there's just so many possibilities even in the smallest of spaces.  I also pay attention to where I am positioned in regards to the subject.  In photography, you should always try to steer away from shooting at the general photograph-taking position of "your eye level while standing".  Lay on the ground and shoot at worms eye view, even if that means getting yourself wet and muddy in the process.  Stand up on a ladder, balcony, way up high and shoot downward on your subject.  Shoot from many yards away with the brush framing the subject.  Look for those natural frames that Mother Nature created.  Shoot just part of a person's face or if you're shooting a child with their parent, shoot from the child's point of view and only capture part of the parent.  The main point is to just go beyond the realms of your normal view and find your inspiration!

Quote of the Week

"The eyes are the window to the soul." 
 I tried to find the originator of this quote as there seems to be many but I saw that the origin is in the Bible 58 to 68 A.D.
-Matthew 6 22-23
The first time I heard it was in photography school, by my teachers.  The eyes are the most important part of a portrait.  You can tell so much about a person by the look in their eyes, it's so important that the eyes are the sharpest element in the picture.  They must have light in them, for if you don't have light in the eyes, you don't have life in them.  They are the first thing you should notice when you look at a portrait, the second part would be the lightest point in the picture.  It's all about the eyes.  When I shoot and edit my portraits, I try to focus really hard on those eyes and make them pop, make them shine!