Camera Girl

The big 365 project reveal yesterday surprised and delighted me—how many people have or are currently participating in a project that will challenge and push them creatively for an entire year. And, by the way, I had no idea that for one Stephanie was sharing that post and two, that so many of you (of us) are willing to make such a commitment. Such a pleasant synchronicity.

So, it must be universal; the feeling that we need to keep ourselves accountable to hold own feet to the fire so that we do something inspiring and meaningful. Something for ourselves.

And I am well aware that there are many of you who have chosen to do this kind of project with a friend. A shutter sister. It makes sense. Why do it alone? The sisterhood is what helps us grow and thrive and not only keeps us accountable, but keeps us inspired. It’s brilliant.

Recently I discovered Amy and Madeline’s project at When You Give a Girl a Camera and I love it. Who wasn’t smitten by this beautiful series of Amy’s daughter Mad and her vintage camera when it hit out Flickr pool? It resonated with me. The banner photo for this very blog is my own daughter gently cradling the same camera.

I have been an advocate for giving a girl a camera ever since I had my first daughter. She’s been shooting pictures since she was 18 months old. And now, she’s 11. And quite the little shutter sister. And she shoots now, because she loves it. It’s one of her passions and it’s thrilling for me.

The idea of working together on a project, shooting side by side, bringing two unique images from two different perspectives to create something meaningful between my daughter and myself makes my heart sing. We will be participating in When You Give a Girl a Camera every chance we get. I am excited to have another mother/daughter duet to encourage us to click.

I hope to see you over there too sometimes. I can’t think of a better way to spend time with someone I love.

in an instant

Last night my daughter took a tumble and landed teeth first into the leg of a chair. I know. Ouch. The incident had all the makings of a total emergency room disaster. But we were lucky enough to avoid that. Thankfully. But, there was the fear, some pain, tears (no blood believe it or not) and a front tooth that was knocked back just enough to make my little girl look totally different than she did not a minute before the fall. And from what I can tell, the displaced tooth is either staying right where it is for a while or it’s getting pulled. This is yet to be decided as we have a dentist appt on Monday to get an x-ray and assessment. At this point, I am thankful. It could have been worse. A lot worse. But even still, the whole ordeal has left me shaken.

I am the mom who will forever try to convince you that I’m OK with my kids growing up. And I am. Most of the time. I feel like now that my kids are independent and much more self-sufficient I am a better mother than I was in the early days of total dependence. I recognize how much I need my own autonomy and how much I enjoy time to myself. But this whole tooth thing has been a wake-up call.

I look at my daughter today and see a different girl. A growing, changing girl. It might sound dramatic and I realize that part of her metamorphosis is the fact that she’s swollen and somewhat discolored by the inevitable bruising but even when that fades, her tooth is still in a new place and it’s changed the way she’s always looked. Sure she’s going to be loosing her teeth in the next year or so anyway—my husband keeps reminding me—but somehow I realized that part of me is in no way ready for it. I am not ready to let my baby grow up.

The emotions I have experienced over the last 24 hours have blindsided me. I didn’t feel melancholy when she started Kindergarten a few months ago, so why now? I guess there’s just no way of knowing exactly what it is that reaches in and finds our most tender spots, our soft parts, the place in our heart that aches with the pain of life’s losses. Although this is a small scale loss (very small I know), I feel that ache deeply today.

There might not be another photograph I take of my daughter where she looks like she did 2 days ago. That’s a strange and surreal thought. More than anything I am grateful for the photos I have already captured, the ones that will always remind me of my babies, my children as they were, as they are and as they will never be again. Photographs are the only history we have besides our memories and our stories and it just reminds me that I will never regret a single picture I ever take. In fact, I will only celebrate them more.

When Motherhood and Photography Collide

Chatting over the phone with mother/writer/author Jennifer New (of no relation to me although oddly enough my maiden name is New) I was asked to reflect on how motherhood has affected my photography for a piece she was writing for her blog Mothers of Invention. Wow. How hasn’t motherhood affected every part of me (photography included)?

She graciously listened as I spilled my guts on subjects like my dirty laundry and post-partum depression (pun intended) among many others, that for me are all tied up with my creativity and being a parent. As I recalled the days, the hours, the minutes of life with a newborn, I couldn’t help but feel cracked open again just as I did when I became a mother. It was the revisiting of those tender and tumultuous times that exposed me once more and reminded me of my intense dependency on my creativity, on expressing myself in words and pictures and seeing and documenting my life though my lens.

Did becoming a mother change my photography?

Does a torrential deluge change a landscape?

It begins as a quenching of a deep thirst; glorious, refreshing, welcomed. And as the water continues to pour down, it can seem relentless, and as everything is saturated, full, there remains no room for anything else. Then comes landslides and quicksand. And the feeling that there is no end in sight. The days are dark and the nights are darker. There is nothing to do but wait...and trudge through. Because you have to and there’s something about the smell of the rain and the clean air that sustains you.

Eventually the clouds break and the sun peeks through with the promise of hope. And if you’re lucky, a rainbow. At last, the gradual dry-out begins. Slowly the tiny sprigs of green hope emerge from the soil, fed and fertile. Blooms begin, the birds return to the sky and sing a song like no other. A world that is so new, so beautiful it’s almost painful.

I remember almost to the day when the sun warmed my face and the light almost blinded me. It didn’t come a minute too soon.

Although, the past feels so palpable when I speak of it, write about it, I do recall those early days as foggy. Spotty memories, shadows, tiny sparkles of light and shimmers amidst a hazy shadows. I recall that my camera was with me through it all as a trusted friend, an extension of myself, a microscope, seeing eye glasses, a necessity. It helped me to find impossible beauty when I didn't have the strength to see it for myself. When my camera became a saving grace, that’s when it all changed. And I have the pictures to prove it.

I encourage you to read Jennifer’s piece on photography and motherhood at Mothers of Invention. If by chance it’s not up yet when you click over (and even if it is) be sure to read Mama’s Got a Brand New Blog while you’re over there. I know you’ll love that one too!

What has affected or changed your photography? Is there an image that speaks of the transformation?

No Looking Back

Today we are forging ahead with another installment of our great greetings!series. Although I know a few of you are already done with your cards (I won't mention any names) most of us are still only musing. For the mothers out there I'm guessing your focus has been on current events more than looking ahead to December. Although I do promise to share some ideas that might help you on your actual photo shoot in my next post, today I will touch on how to prepare for the shoot. I may be taking a simplified approach by breaking it all down like this but the object is to think it through before you get clickin'. Or not. It's up to you. If you'd like the guidance this might help.

Revisit your goal. In the first post of the series I encouraged you to distill your card- giving-goal. Just remind yourself what exactly you want to accomplish this year with your holiday card and keep it in mind as your planning.

Sort through what you've got. Something tells me that many of you don't really want an excuse not to shoot for your card (give me one good reason to shoot more photos and I am there!) but for those of you who find it tempting to simplify, you'll be cutting out a lot of work if you use a photo that you already have. Ruminate on your summer photos, a vacation shot, something playful or candid, a family group or a meaningful landscape. There could be the gem you are looking for right in your own flickr stream!

Choose a vibe or theme. If you're out to shoot something new for your card, I encourage you to decide on what vibe you are trying to convey with your image this year before you start. Colorful, fun, festive, sentimental, vintage, retro, off-beat? The possibilities are endless obviously but if you pick a direction it will help guide you as you prepare and shoot.

Identify your object(s) of affection. For moms, this one is pretty easy. You'll probably opt to feature your children or a family portrait on your card. But you don't have to have children to incorporate a photographic image on your card! Pets make for delightful subjects (on a good day) and can be an excellent focus for a holiday greeting. So can objects like ornaments or holiday keepsakes both vintage and modern, still lifes, objects found in nature or picturesque landscapes. The sky is the limit! Have fun with it.

Find the right fit. If children are the subject of your photos you'll need to dress them. There are exceptions. Anyway, I know for my clients this can be a painstaking part of the process. To make it easy on myself I switch it up year to year. For example, last year I shot something a little more traditional so my girls were all dressed up in their holiday best because the year before I used a photo of them on a hike in the mountains from a weekend getaway. Believe me when I tell you they looked like quite a motley pair in those pix (note-botched hair cut courtesy me) but when I used an entire sequence of them acting up while perched on their chosen stump, it worked perfectly-albeit hilariously. Keep the clothing simple whether it's about dressing up or dressing down, simplicity translates well into a card with borders and text accompanying it. I always encourage my clients to find outfits that coordinate which doesn't mean match like twins. I think it's best to use coordinating colors and styles without being twins (see above photo for a perfect example) unless you have twins in which anything goes!

Scout a location. This can be another obstacle for some people but you don't have to let it be. If you've got your heart set on let's say a close up of your kids (because it fits in with your goal and your vibe) then location is moot. You won't even be able to tell where they are in a close up.

• Use your home if you want to convey a warm and intimate vibe. It makes it easy to shoot and re-shoot with little stress or pressure.
• Use a local park or nature center or your own backyard if it's like a farm or a nature center. I wish. The great part about a place with a lot of trees is that you can find nice open shade almost anytime of day and you don't have to plan around the light like you do at a beach let's say.
• Which leads me to...the beach. For those of you that have one, this tends to be a location of choice. Nothing can beat it really but in order to get that quintessential dreamy beach portrait try to shoot within the hour before the sun sets and use the suns soft light to illuminate your subject. Same goes for open fields or anywhere that is lacking in shady shots.

If children aren't the focus of your photo then consider your location from an artful perspective. Capture some kind of landscape or element of nature that will make your card sing. There are no rules to this game; it's just a matter of sharing something that is meaningful to you. Someplace that tells a story, a landmark, a little window into your world. If it stirs your soul, chances are it will do the same for those that are lucky enough to get a card from you.

Just do it. Now that you've thought about the details, it's time to get out there are start shooting! Our next installment will tackle the how-tos for a successful photo shoot. You moms out there won't want to miss it! And neither will those of you who are doing the honors of shooting portraits for friends or clients. So get your cameras poised and ready.

Until then pop over to the great greetings! flickr group to see other ideas from holiday's past and find out what everyone is up to this year and enter your photos too.

belly up

When Melisa asked me if I had any tips on shooting great pregnant belly shots, I jumped at the chance to share. As you all know, I do like sharing. A lot. And although it seems as if many of my clients have passed the pregnancy stage, big, round robust bellies still remain one of my most favorite subjects.

When I was pregnant the first time around I had only been wielding a camera for a year or so. And believe me when I tell you, hip and cool pregnancy portraits had not yet made an appearance onto the scene. It wasn’t really until Demi Moore hit newsstands that people began rethinking the pregnant body. I don’t have to tell you that amazing photographs of mothers-to-be are everywhere now days. It’s amazing and inspiring to see that we now openly celebrate the planetary curves that carry the future of the world. Even artsy little me viewed my first pregnancy with a shrouded lens (and body). Looking back I am disappointed at how few photos I took or had taken of my largest self. Thankfully, I took off my lens cap (so to speak) when I was pregnant with my second daughter. I had almost 6 more years of experience as a photographer and the world, and my body were entirely new planets. Seemingly literally.

Being stretched to capacity by what feels like an alien—and I mean that in an endearing way of course—doesn’t  happen every day. I clicked the shot above in the mirror of my bathroom less than 24 hours before I went into labor. Yowza. Now, that’s a belly. I’m just glad I had the permission and pride to let it all hang, er, pop out and the gumption and guts to get it on film.

Melisa’s post should be up later today at the new Pregnancy Buzz blog at CaféMom so be sure to check it out later, if it’s not up already. Hopefully you will come away with a few helpful hints if you are so inclined to shoot big beautfiul belly portraits. Please feel free to link to anything you may have that captures an orb-like experience. And if you’ve got any tips on the subject, you can post them at Melisa’s too. Enlighten us!