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CM Monthly Challenge: Up Close Portraiture

  The Anatomy: Single Frame Self Portrait Stage One: Conceptualization I started the process of conceptualizing the frame by journaling what kind of tone/mood I wanted the image to have. The words bare and fresh, kept coming up during this process, so I knew that it would be a bare image of my face. Pores, creases, dark circles and age spots–nothing would be cosmetically retouched. Once I had the basic idea, I began to sketch out the image and how I would incorporate theView full post »

My Dear Sweet Pickle, I felt the most profound connection with you, my last baby. Maybe it was the way you snuggled so tightly to me from inside, or how simply closing my eyes and thinking of you brought on a sense of calm. My sweet baby, you knew. You knew the loudness and chaos that are your brothers and sister, and you preferred to be still. So still, that I would often worry. It wasn’t until we were alone again that you would wiggle and move. It was then, in those quietView full post »

Sullen

Crash Test Kiddos (because I couldn’t bring myself to use the word “dummies”) Part One: Marshmallows

So what do you do when you’re a photographer and you need to try a few different things? Well, if you’re like me (a little impatient and you just so happen to have a house full of kids) you throw everything at the wall in one session and see what sticks! I should start by saying that my kids were not happy or cooperative models this time around, so much so, that I had to break the ONE session into TWO. What I learned from my use of marshmallows: Marshmallows are sticky–View full post »

Sometimes things don’t go as planned…

For months I had planned every single image that I wanted to capture of my newborn when she arrived. I wanted them all–the posed, the candid moments between my 3 other children and her, and the sweet still images of her in her daddy’s arms.  I’m a planner–that’s what I do.  But what I do not do well, is improvise and think “outside of the box”. I was not prepared for my absolute inability to capture any images of my newborn daughter.  I was not preparedView full post »

Macro Monday

Macro Monday: Sweet New Baby Ears

I can still remember the odd look on the ultrasound techs face when we asked during our 3D ultrasound if we could see our sons ears. She remarked that in all her years, no one had ever specifically requested to see the baby’s ears before. Sure, they asked to see to see fingers and toes, but not the ears.  I have to admit when my husband asked, I thought it was strange too but what a remarkable feature to have been so ignored.  During the ultrasound we discovered that his ears areView full post »