Bravery and Empathy

Two qualiites I learned today to a much greater extent.

I needed to have a photo of myself for the book. Publisher needed it by Sept 1. Ever since gaining weight, I have a phobia of having my photo taken. Therefore, this was a very difficult struggle. I faced my fear head on!

I set aside the entire day for getting ready and doing the shoot. The shoot itself took 3 hrs because I had to set the camera timer for every shot. Guess how many shots it took to get one “good” photo? 120! I learned how difficult it must be for my clients to not know what their photos will look like and whether they will turn out. I was so stressed out today. Kudos to you guys and gals!

 So here it is. I wanted a photo that showed my adoration for this wonderful project. Do you see the heart? Do you see the butterfly necklace? The butterfly is a symbol of rebirth, when you see the book, it will make sense why I chose these two symbols. With no further ado…my mug shot…

Trista

Birth Announcements

This summer has been filled to the brim with newborns. I want to make sure that my clients know that I offer design services for their birth announcements. I will take a couple photos from the session and design a beautiful card that I feel reflects the style and personality of the new family.

Here is an example. This little girl and her parents were gentle and with their last name being a variation of the word “flower,” I thought a soft, flower-based card would be appropriate.

The above is the front of the card. Inside on the top had a nice poem and the bottom had the following:

I would love to design a card that is perfect for your family and their style.

Trista

Carrying on the legacy

This is Garrett. He lost his best friend Steven in a freak accident last year. They both enjoyed skateboarding and wanted a place to enjoy it. At age 13, Garrett has single-handedly organized major fundraisers in honor of their shared mission. He has carried on the torch, memories of Steven keeps him focused. His story and photo will be included in our book coming out in November.

Trista

Cousins

Every once in a while I photograph an extended family. On Saturday I photographed these beautiful blue eyed cousins.

 

Milestones in the first year

I’ve had friends say to me, when did your daughters first start to crawl, walk, sit-up, etc. I have to rack my brain to remember. I was very bad at writing down dates. Then I remember that I had a photo taken at that stage and I go back and look at the date. That is how I remember, that is when the emotions of what I was feeling because of that milestone come back to me in vivid waves.Clients often ask me when they should have me photograph their baby during the first year. I point them to the milestones: the first time they sit-up, their first smile, their first steps… Those are times when we stop and reflect on the bittersweet nature of our babies growing up. If we can get those moments captured, then, when we want to remember the emotions of those milestones, we’ll simply look at the photos and let the feelings come back to us.

This beautiful little red head was right at the pinnacle of sitting on her own. Do you think her parents will ever forget that her daughter sat on the dock unsupported for one of the very first times? Not now.

Trista

  

Light

Normally, I meet a client in their home prior to the photo session. This appointment gives me the opportunity to examine the lighting conditions in the home. Unfortunately, because of time constraints, I wasn’t able to do this with this family. I needed to photograph the baby before he left the newborn stage. Anyway, I decided that instead of bringing my strobes, I would rely strictly on natural light. I would force myself to work with the god-given light sources.

Here are some of the photos that resulted.

This one had a very high ISO so it has a very grainy, film look to it.

This photo is obviously without a front fill light, but I love the way it has an angelic feel to it.

And finally, this one was photographed in the window seat, the light bathed the baby from all sides in a very delicate way.

Trista

Old soul

In working with this guy this week, I saw an old soul emerge. He always seemed like he was thinking about something deep. Look at these photos and see if you don’t agree.

Trista

Beautiful grounds

One of my friends has a beautiful home on Bayou Texar that she has freely offered me the use of for photo sessions. Her name is Ellen Vinson. Along with her husband, they have worked very hard to create a beautiful home for their friends and extended family to enjoy (including their lovely grandchildren). Their generosity is extraordinary.

I got the opportunity yesterday to photograph a beautiful little 18 month old girl as she discovered with fresh eyes the beauty of a red flower, a roaring lion, a kitty cat, and a foot bridge at the Vinsons. Even though it was very warm outside, she enjoyed exploring all the niches of the property. She even wanted to climb up into the tree house! I just love my job.

Trista

Trista

Smart from day one

While I was working with this family yesterday I was reminded of a scientific study that showed that newborn babies will mimic their parents’ faces. Parker was very responsive to his mom’s cues.

Simply amazing. Now if only I could mimic him and curl up into this size at night:

First day of school

Tomorrow is the first day of school for my “babies.” There I said it without crying again. Nobody told me that this was going to be so tough, I didn’t see it in the Guide to All Things Tough About Being a Parent. I have this strong urge to hold them tight, I feel in control, and as my husband can attest, I am a control freak. Letting another person, heck, a classroom of people influence them is very scary to me. So wish me luck as I loosen my grip tomorrow. I will need all the positive thoughts you can muster.

Here is Liliana (age 4), starting Pre-Kindergarten:

And here is Sophie (age 5), she is starting Kindergarten: