A Photography Preview for Reche & Family

When I first received the booking form filled out by Reche, I knew hers was going to be a fun shoot.  You see, the two of us have a past connection.  Her brother and I were very good friends back when we were still teenagers and young adults.  It seems like a lifetime ago now, but good friends never really stop being friends – even when they lose touch.  So getting to see Reche, meet her family, and work with them all really was a treat. 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… the best family sessions, are those when the kids are allowed to just be themselves.  Let them play, let them show off their personalities.  Sure, it’s nice when everyone is looking the same direction, but those captures that really show how a family is together, that shows those connections?  It really is SOOO much better.

Thanks for the chance to work with your family, and reconnect with you Reche.  It really was a treat!

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Sleeping Chihuahua (pic)

Long day.

Folks checked into the hotel room next to ours at 6 AM…  loudest people ever!  Seriously.  I gave up on getting any more sleep at 7:00.  We had no plans on waking before 9.  So by the time Alice and I were in the ring in the afternoon, we were already ready for a nap.  Which is exactly what we came back here to do:

My cow baby, snoozing on her cow.

 

No points for little Alice today, but hopefully with some rest and treats she’ll be back to her usual self, and ready to own the ring tomorrow.

Chihuahua with a Mustache

Today there was a book fair at the girl’s school.  She and I spent a great deal of time checking out all the titles on the tables.  Very honestly, there wasn’t much there that was even worth a second glance.  It was highly disappointing.  I knew we had to find something though.  The fair helps support the school, and a portion of the proceeds goes towards getting new books for their classrooms.  That, and the kid knew she was allowed to get a book.

Back and forth between the chapter book tables.  One mundane sounding description after another.  Then we wandered back to where we started – with the picture books.  We don’t read that many of them any more.  We read for a half hour (sometimes more) a day, but that’s almost all devoted to novels.  That’s when I saw it!

It was hidden beneath scores of boring paperback children’s stories…  a hard cover, only one letter of the title peeking out – but I recognized the font instantly.  “Lily-Ann!  What’s this???”  I slide the book out just a titch, so that two letters are now revealed.

“SKIPPYJON JONES!!!!”

I’m sure her animated shout could be heard throughout the main floor of the school.

Yep.  We found a copy of Skippyjon Jones; Class Action.

We love Skippyjon.  We read a lot about him at wegivebooks.org.  I remember the first time she saw the cover of the original Skippyjon Jones, she said “Momma, that cat looks like a Chihuahua.”  This sticks with me because I poo poohed her, assuming it was just the illustrators style… but very quickly found out I was wrong.  And yes, I made sure to apologize for it.

We’re Chihuahua nuts around here (as I’m sure you’ve guessed).  So these absolutely adorable books, with their smart stories, and rich characters?  We <3 them in a big way.

So yay!  The kid now has her very own Skippyjon Jones book…  and we popped the CD in to listen to it being read while we drove to get her Daddy from work (it was interesting to hear someone else’s take on the characters voices and the songs – her mom voice and my mom voice are VASTLY different, and curiously enough we were pretty dead on for every other character and the songs).  We’ve now heard it six times.  And it’s no less charming on it’s sixth than on it’s first, though I’m not sure her Daddy would agree.  LMAO

Anyway…  instead of sharing a book cover as I often do when I’m writing about a book we enjoy, I’m going to share a picture the girl did up yesterday.  She took a photo (using the iPad) of Deedee, and then proceeded to edit it.  So here’s Deedee, or as the girlie put it – giggling hysterically:  “She’s a Chihuahua with a Mustache!”

Wordless Wursday?

Yeah, yeah…  I know it’s supposed to be “Wordless Wednesday”, but it’s Thursday…  and I’m tired.  So let’s say, just for this once, that Thursday is Wursday.  And this, my good readers, is Wordless Wursday.

Here’s a picture of my daughter as a cat:

Family really does rock pretty hard.

I’ll be honest.  I’m a little too brain-tired and body-weary to write much tonight.  In the afternoon we headed out to Winter Shines, an annual Winter festival here in Saskatoon.  The girl got to go for a pony ride, and visited with a bunch of animals at a mobile petting zoo.  We checked out a bunch of amazing ice sculptures, and took pictures on the ice throne.  After checking out some of the goodies at the farmers market (which is located right on site) we each picked out a treat to snack on, and then headed out to Diefenbaker hill for some serious sledding.  We took my youngest sister home and snuck in a visit with the ‘rents before heading home for some supper and a little Princess and the Frog (a la Disney).  But before any of this?  I got a little scrappin’ in.

Today was a wonderful day.  We created all sorts of new memories, and I got to scrapbook another great memory from this past Autumn.  All in all?  I’m a happy camper.  Days like this, full of family, really do rock!

Dear Photograph…

Looking for something to inspire me.

I find, I sometimes, need a bit of a kick-start.

Sometimes I just keep hitting “stumble” until I find something that makes my soul say WOW!

One day, I hope people will find my “Power of SHe” project and find that it offers them the same fuel that these people offered me.

—

I’m feeling quirky and a little off…  I had a few things I thought about blogging today, but none of them fit just right.  So I went off a stumbling in search of a little inspiration.  Sometimes it works, sometimes I just get ticked off by the lack of anything valuable out there, the lack of vision.  Today though?  Today it worked.  Today I found “Dear Photograph“.

The idea is to take a photo of a photo in the place it was originally taken, and write a little note to the photo… sharing in a few sentences why it is of value.  I may just have to go through the albums of old photos sitting on my mother’s shelf and see what I can come up with. 

Here’s a tiny taste of what you’ll find there:

Dear Photograph,
My grandpa doesn’t recognize me anymore, but he still smiles every time I show him this picture. I hope that deep inside he remembers how much I loved hanging out with him..

Love, Laura

So head on over to Dear Photograph, it’s url is easy enough to remember:  http://dearphotograph.com/

One day, maybe I’ll have my own entry there:  “Dear Photograph…  what can you tell us about the passage of time and the failings of memory?”

Rion Sabean and the Men-Ups

Okay, I realize I’ve already posted once tonight…  but this is just too fabulous to sit on!

A friend turned me onto this fellows work.  Unfortunately it’s too late to get one of his men-ups calendars, they’ve sold out, but I freaking love this series and everything it has to say about the absolute ridiculous nature of pin-up photography  LURVE these!

Oh Rusty, with your bright white socks and shoes, grunged up forehead, and duck-face.  You are just too fabulous for words!

Seriously people, you have no idea how many women request this pose during boudoir shoots, and you have no idea how FEW individuals it actually flatters.  On Rusty though, our pin-up model for April (my birth month) it actually looks pretty good.

Keep up the good work Rion Sabean.  The best photography makes us think, and this series achieves that spectacularly!

Grrrlz R Awesome – a photography preview

So, I’m all caught up and am able to resume running my photography business how I’m happiest.  Only a few shoots a week – which means I can edit those shoots in the same week.  I am decidedly a much happier photog when I don’t have to keep my customers waiting on their photographs. 

Today I got to work with a delightful Mom and her two daughters.  We really did have a lot of fun.  Belinda was a little nervous about our shoot, and had been stressing a little during the week leading up to it.  But I can safely say that shortly after getting started she hit her stride and did fabulously.  Her and her girls were a blast – and the resulting photos are evidence of that.

So Belinda!  Thank you for the wonderful afternoon.  It was a pleasure working with you and your girls.

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Diane & Katie – a mother daughter photo shoot preview

I met up with Diane and Katie in one of my favourite “go to” spots.  It’s unusual for a client to beat me there, but these two did…  and got to watch a wedding shoot that just happened to be scheduled prior to ours.  I had a lot of fun working with this adorable mother, daughter team so when Diane asked that I not hand off these edits to another photographer, I was only too happy to oblige.  So, here we are.    Say hello to Katie and Diane:

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Sorry for being so brief…  just kinda tired today. 

Gentle Be!

I have to be honest…  i haven’t yet decided what to write about tonight.  I’m feeling a general disdain about a great many things tonight, and any one of them would likely make a good blog post.  Nothing like righteous indignation to fuel a blog post.  But then I remind myself that I have made the decision to choose joy whenever possible.  And there is no joy to be found in those topics.

I can’t say that I am feeling joyful tonight.  I can see my way through to calm, or even peaceful…  but not joyful.  I’m too tired and road-weary for that.  So, I think, tonight I will just leave you with this: