Organization

In an effort to get my massive camera roll of photos under control, I just reorganized into albums. I can tell that chaos has become my normal because the feeling that I got when I saw the albums, all in a row, labeled with "Month One, Month Two", etc. just made me so happy. It also helped organize my thoughts because I am WAY behind on my baby book. Thank goodness that I'm snap happy, so I can scroll back and remember what we've been up to lately. I just need to figure out what I'm going to do with these little snippets of memories. I'm really bad at printing and hanging, because I want to hang all of the pictures EVERYWHERE and never take them down. Maybe I'll load them onto a Flash drive and put them in my digital frames. Or maybe, I'll just scroll through them in all of their organized glory.

Baby's First Photoshoot

A few weeks ago, I saw a post on Facebook from Amy Clark Studios, about their Milestone Sessions, specifically mentioning 3 month old babies. I was curious, so I emailed and found out that this studio offers a package where they capture the milestone moments of your little guy (or gal's) life. The package includes three sessions. The first is when they have mastered tummy time, next is when they can sit-up unassisted and the third is when they are able to stand on their own. I loved this idea because it is both logical and practical as it captures all of the phases that Baby B is going through in his first year.

When I emailed the studio though, I had one mandatory element that I needed to have added to our session and that was a family photo. As cute as B is, I wanted to be sure that I had a family photo so that someday, he could look back and laugh at how young and unhip we were. I think every child is owed that opportunity - to laugh at his parents when they were young - and to see that they weren't always the "parental" type. Actually, someday when he's 21, we'll probably show him some of the photos of us being non-parental, but until then, I'm happy to let him think what he wants.

Anyway, adding a family photo, including Chino, was not a problem at all! They got us scheduled for February 8, which was a couple weeks shy of B's four-month birthday. It also happened to coincide with him pushing up on his tummy without a major hissy fit. 

So, on "Family Picture Day", we piled into the family truckster with the baby, the mutt and all of the gear and headed down to the Short North. I had never had an in-studio session before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Before the appointment, I had fretted about what to wear, what Nick should wear and what B should wear. Somehow, we all ended up coordinating. Luckily, Chino's wardrobe was already decided.

When we walked into the studio, we were greeted warmly by Amy and her assistant Jackie. They told us to make ourselves at home while we woke B up from his nap and while Chino explored the space. They didn't even skip a beat when I looked up and saw our well-trained mutt peeing on the floor. Yes. Peeing on the floor.

Once B woke up and shook off the crankies, it was time to get down to business. Amy, a momma herself, held him for awhile and talked to him, getting him comfortable before his time in the spotlight. I loved how her and Jackie took charge of the session and the poses, making the entire experience stress-free for me. You could tell that these two knew what they were doing, especially with the under 1 crowd. As Amy snapped, Jackie shook toys and clapped, anything to get his attention focused on the camera.

Baby B, modeling his blanket

A few days later, we received our sneak peeks and the only word we could think of was, "wow." Amy's talent for capturing expressions and moments is unmistakable. I'm not sure how we're going to choose our prints. If you want to check them out for yourself, you can visit her Facebook page - www.facebook.com/amyclarkstudios.

I'm so glad that we decided to spend the extra money and hand B over to a professional. The every day photos are so special, but these ones are phenomenal...the perfect memories of this tiny little time in his hopefully long and happy life. And the family photo? Perfect. I'm not trying to wish away any time, but I can't wait to see the next milestone as Amy captures it through her lens.

Peter Pan

Dear Baby B,

You don't know this yet, but one of my favorite movies ever is Hook, a story about Peter Pan. Peter Pan has always been my favorite fairy tale and someday I look forward to reading the book and watching the movies with you. Before we watch anything though, I'll have to reminisce about watching VHS tapes on a VCR and then I'll have to explain what a VCR was, then you'll roll your eyes and think I'm ancient. But I digress...

Daddy found the REAL Peter Pan statue in London!

Back to Peter Pan. In the beginning of Hook, Peter Pan runs away from his mother because she was making so many plans for his future, even though he was just a baby. Hearing her talk made him frightened and scared to grow up. Personally, I'm not a fan of growing up, but I am a fan of plans...BUT in your case I'm going to do my best to make an exception.

Instead of speculating about what sports you might play, I'm going to cheer you on as you work hard to roll over from your back to your belly. Instead of wondering what you're going to be when you grow up, I'm going to quietly save money for your future while focusing on enjoying the present. I'm not going to worry about whether sucking your thumb now will be an issue in two years, because for now, that is what brings you comfort. Your first words will come, but will bring an end to the coos and screams that you have been practicing. Someday, I won't be able to carry you, so for now I'm glad that I can.

Every day is a first for you and will be for a long, long time. It's hard for me to believe that someday, one of your firsts will also mark a last, so taking care to live in the today and now with you has become one of my top priorities. I promise to live in it, with you, enjoying every moment.

Love,
Momma

Sunflower

Since I wasn't able to post a photo for day 13 of the #30dayphoto challenge on Allie's blog, Show + Tell, I thought I'd post it here.  For me, the lack of color makes me think of the brightest sunflower up against the bluest sky. Maybe its because I always try to assume the best? What do you think?

Happiness...

...can be as simple ripping into a ball of tissue paper. 

#30dayphoto

When I found out that my (twitter) friend, Allie was going to host a 30 Day photo challenge over at her blog, I was thrilled! Allie is graphic designer and all around creative girl, which is reflected in her blog posts and photographs, so I knew that this challenge would push me a bit to become a better photographer AND a better editor (still using Picknik, need to learn Photoshop Elements). In addition to her creativity, which I expected, I've been blown away by all of the other submissions, each one with its own twist on the daily assignment.  My goal is to post a photo every day, even if its just editing a photo that I've taken previously and to see an evolution in my shots and in my editing techniques.

Day 1:  Me (Link to the others here)

Day 2:  What I wore (Link to the others here)

Day 3: Favorite Place (Link to the others here)

Day 4:  From a high angle (Link to the others here)

Day 5:  Whatever I want (Link to the others here)

Day 6:  From a low angle (Link to the others here)

Day 7:  Silhouette (Link to the others here)

Want to participate? You can jump in and out of the challenge at any time. Here's a list of the assignments. The rules are minimal (no nudity, and submit by 9am, the morning of...). After you submit, she compiles and posts the collection, providing a link so that you can check out all of the other photographers' work. Its truly been a fun week and I'm looking forward (and ahead) to the other assignments!

One of my favorites of my favorite

Captured with an old school flip phone. Without *gasp* internet access.  How DID we survive?

Unfortunately, I didn't find a leprechaun

I can't remember if/when I've ever seen a more perfect rainbow. Call me cheesy, but I feel like there was a divine artist at work here.

A blog about a blog

That pelican (why do I keep wanting to type penguin!?!) photo that I submitted to Canvas Pop caught the eye of one of their designers and they asked me to be their photo of the day!  I was so excited.  Check me out on their blog!!!!!  Also - check out the penguin pelican here:

Legit

Last weekend, I had the chance to assist a photographer friend of mine at a wedding, here in Columbus.  I was so nervous about it because this was SOMEONE'S WEDDING!!!  It wasn't just a backyard photo shoot or an impromptu Chino action shot session, this was the real deal and I (we) had one chance to capture so many important moments that this couple would look back on forever (hopefully).  If I wanted to move myself into "amateur" status, this step was necessary, if not inevitable.  But I was still apprehensive as to whether this was actually a good idea.

When my friend first asked if I'd be interested in helping her with a wedding, I was thrilled.  Then, the more I thought about it, the more I was worried about whether I actually KNEW what I was doing...or at least whether I could fake it 'till I made it.  What if I had the wrong lenses?  What if my settings were off?  What about a flash?  How would I know what to do?  What if I screwed up?  She assured me that things would be fine and that I should just have fun.  After all, the pressure was really on her, since she was THE photographer.  Despite her reassurances, I wasn't convinced.  I actually told her that I wouldn't do it and then realized that I was being a flaky idiot and recommitted.  After I recommitted, I went out and bought a flash.  I mean, if I have a flash, I'm legit, right?  Right.  Oh yeah and those lens hood thingys - I needed those too.  So now, at least I LOOKED the part.

Saturday rolled around and I was ready.  Batteries charged, flash batteries loaded (still only had 25% of a clue as to what to do with it), camera bag packed and nerves galore.  I think I know I bit Nick's head off multiple times that day, but that tends to happen when I'm nervous and he knows it, so no hard feelings.

My friend and I arrived at the venue and began to get the lay of the land.  We met the bride, who was as cool as a cucumber, and told us to just go do our thing!  We started by taking photos of all of the tables (they did a really cute numbering system where each table number was a photo of the bride and groom at that age).  Then we moved on to taking photos of the bride and groom.  Things kept moving smoothly into the ceremony and after.  We worked our butts off, running around, sweating and snapping in the sunshine.  Over 900 pictures later, it was time to head home.  I was sweaty, my hands were sore from carrying and snapping, but I had an overwhelming sense of relief that I had done it.  My first "professional" gig was out of the way.  All in all, it was a fantastic day!  I'm still playing around and editing some of the photos.  They'll be up on Flickr as soon as they're complete!  Its official, I've got the bug.  Here are a few shots from the day:

Some of the groomsmen were enjoying some beverages before "go time."

The bride's sassy pink shoes.

One of many beautiful peonies that decorated the venue.

Mother of the groom, getting him ready to go!

The weather was absolutely perfect for an outdoor wedding!

Editing Fun

The more I play around with my camera and photos, the more I love it.  I've had some fun lately, playing with Picnik and its free editing software.  The upgrade to "pro" is pretty inexpensive and I'm thinking of making the investment to hold me over until I can understand Photoshop Elements.  The mission I've been on is to find photos to use as art for our house by turning them into canvas (thanks to a Groupon and Living Social deal).  Here's what I came up with.  Since I'm still new at this, I'm not sure what settings I used - I just tweaked until I loved.

This picture is called "Pelican in St. Croix".  I took this photo after a fun day of off roading in a rented Jeep, followed by shopping at the local market, beer in hand.  Typical vacation adventure.

  

This is the view from the Rialto Bridge in Venice.  That day was one of my favorite parts of Europe.  Nick and I spent the day in a gondola, wandering the streets and eating gelato.

Power tool

Real men use Kitchen-aid mixers to make 8 layer casseroles and then squat down and let their wives take a photo of them in the reflection.

A Moment

This wasn't the reason that I brought the camera outside.  Its the reason I'm so happy that I did.

Project 365

Happy New Year!  'Tis the season for resolutions, new beginnings and extreme regret over holiday expenditures and calorie consumptions.  Now is the time when most people vow to make a change and promise themselves that the change will become their new reality.  I typically don't make resolutions, I set goals for myself that I may or may not accomplish, but to declare a sweeping resolution is a bit much.  The thought of doing something for a whole year is pretty daunting to me and I'd much prefer something that has a beginning, a middle and an end.  Maybe its because most of the resolutions that I come up with are negative (to me anyway);  lose weight, divorce carbohydrates, stay organized, save money, write thank-you notes, stop swearing, go to bed earlier, drink less, exercise more.  All of those in a list are daunting.  I'd rather just resolve to become a better person and/or set a big goal (1/2 marathon) and see what happens.

Project 365 is a little bit different, Project 365 is a resolution to blog, to share and to write.  Its a promise that I will pick up my camera every day and find a little bit of a story or an image to share and to look back on and to remember.  It will be an interesting journey to find the "interesting" in an otherwise mundane day.  It will also be a challenge to pick JUST ONE picture from an extraordinary day and call it the one.  It will also be an opportunity to me to track my progress and to improve upon a hobby that I find myself enjoying more and more every day. 

My theme for the project?  You guessed it..."My Life, His Life, Our Life and a Dog Named Chino", which basically means that anything and everything is fair game.  Although I'll only be featuring one photo here, feel free to take a deeper dive into my snap happy state of mind on my flickr page.  

Cheers to 2011, I hope its a great year, full of fun and life and happiness.  

Venus Fly Trap Inspector

Even though we had to get up early on a Saturday, even though there was an Ohio State game on TV,  even though he didn't really want to, he came with me to Franklin Park.  Even though he wasn't planning on it, he ended up having a good time.

Buzz

I had a mini-photo shoot with his little guy, finally catching him profile.  I'm still learning the basics of composition, but I like how the flowers frame the shot, with the blurred background, bringing your focus back to the bee.  I also think that the different shades of yellow and the different life stages of each flower.  I also liked that I had a zoom lens, which kept me at a safe distance from this little bugger.

Franklin Park Conservatory

My photography class met at Franklin Park Conservatory on Saturday.  It was an Ohio State game so I had to bribe Nick with the promise of Dirty Frank's hot dogs after.  We spent a couple of hours, playing around with the camera settings, taking pictures of plants and flowers.  I just looked back at the pictures and it was pretty cool to see the progress that I was making in only a couple of hours.  I'm learning about light settings and depth of field, which is really making a difference in the types of pictures I'm taking.