A photographic record of our 2013.
52 WEEKS (four)
A girlfriends getaway.
The last week of January was beautiful. A weekend on the other side of the island was the perfect blend of beauty, conversation, and laughter.
The west coast of Puerto Rico is stunning.
The ideal backdrop for fantastic food, good wine and the kind of friends that are rocks amid a turbulent sea.
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A photographic record of our 2013.
52 WEEKS (three)
Some weeks there are vacations or events that are photo worthy and other weeks are… piano lessons and car pools and trips to the grocery store. These weeks are not necessarily photogenic, but they are life and they are worth remembering.
This past week was perfectly ordinary.
We went to the movies (Guilt Trip – funny, but rent it) and (Parental Guidance – very funny, see it) and did a puzzle and played Apples to Apples (I won.) There were soccer games and walks on the beach (where I added to my obsessive collection of sea glass) and time set aside to write Christmas thank you notes.
The details of our real life captured:
MY ADDICTION
This was my assignment for September’s photography blog circle. We are a group of professional photographers who also happen to be military spouses. Together we challenge ourselves and each other to think outside the box and see our art in a different light. The fun really begins when you leave my blog and visit with Karen and her addiction HERE. You will be linked to a circle of creative visions. Enjoy!
And now back to my own imperfections.
Addiction. The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma. Me? An addiction?
I could imagine great photo shoots of someone else’s habits: rich, textured shots of coffee beans. A cold, coke beaded up with droplets of condensation. A mountain of sugar. The deep, burgundy of a glass of wine.
At a loss, I asked my family if they thought that I had an addiction. One daughter piped in about my overflowing collection of cupcake wrappers.
Let me justify: I have 4 kids. You never know when a child will announce at 8:42 PM that they need two-dozen cupcakes for school the next day. So I just see it that I am well stocked with a fun collection of baking supplies. Addicted? not to the wrappers. The cupcakes, perhaps. But the wrappers would be more of a hoarding issue. A completely different blog topic.
To make up for the cupcakes, I tend to run. Some days more than others. Sometimes 39.3 miles in a weekend. Some might call that addictive.
While I like baking and running and enjoy a cup of coffee and a glass of wine now and again, I couldn’t pinpoint an actual addiction.
What, if ceased, would cause psychological trauma? What do I do daily, sometimes hourly? What don’t leave the house without?
I suppose, that like much of society, I am pretty attached to my electronic gadgets. They are my means of capturing and recording life as I know it.
I enjoy my facebook fixes. I rely on texts as active family communication. I can’t imagine my world without the ability to shoot off an email. But my real obsession, the one thing that I simply can not live without: my cameras, computers and editing tools.
For the last fourteen years and 6 months, it has been my job to create a visual history for my children.
Why? because the house that we brought our first daughter home from the hospital to was 6 zip codes ago.
We have celebrated Christmas under real firs, fake ones, and a number of palm trees.
When you pack and unpack and purge and pack again, there is no attic filled with decades of memories. Saving baby shoes and beloved toys and dried roses from a first boyfriend are not a luxury enjoyed by military families.
And when one lives with a chronic illness, there is always that small, nagging voice that asks “What if I’m not around to tell the stories? Who besides a mother will remember the lost teeth, the self-inflicted haircuts, and first bike rides?”
And so I photograph. And I write. And I photograph some more.
I am addicted, obsessed, and compulsive about capturing each detail, because I want the following memories to be somewhere beyond my heart.
an eight-year-old’s favorite shoes
sheer awe over a new brother
coaching advice
wishes
red hair bows
squished love
laughter
rainy days
teenage beauty
Don’t forget to check out Karen’s addiction HERE!
You can also take a look at our assignments from previous months: DETERMINATION, COLORS OF SUMMER, & TEXTURES.
Let me begin with the fact that I would not enjoy having my rear view captured in digital imagery.
That’s why it’s lucky that I’m the one with the camera.
When it comes to photographing my kids, I really like to be behind the scenes.
Sometimes I am able to capture sweetness
Over the reality of insanity.
And sometimes, from behind, you can’t see them bickering.
When I am not staring them down , they tend to forget that I am there and their personalities and actions become less stiff and forced.
That isn’t always a good thing.
I like how you can pick up the mood with body language rather than faces.
I love how walking side by side, the images mark moments in time (height, hair cuts, clothing styles) and relationships.
In this one of the girls – Caitlyn(5) takes the lead, and pulls Grace along. Grace (1) tries to wander off, distracted by a duck. Victoria (3) refuses to let Caitlyn hold her hand and tell her what to do.
Here are the children, 8, 6, 4, 2 …. Harry still loves to hold onto his sisters.
Here is another shot from the same day. I love how Harry can’t keep up.
Sometimes shooting from behind is a better fit with the light.
If I had asked my two little girls who were anxiously headed to a Halloween Disco to turn around and smile for the camera – their faces would have been annoyed, harshly lit with a flash, or in darkness. Instead I have a warm memory of their fairy wings glowing at sunset.
When you capture an image from behind, the viewer gets to step right into the action of the moment.
They get to…..
Dip their toes in the Atlantic.
Ride a horse.
Absorb the monuments.
Ride a bike.
Look around.
Run down the beach.
Window Shop.
See the city lights turn on.
Watch the tide go out.
See Dad for the first time in a long, long time.
The next time you are begging for a cheesy smile, change your angle, and take in the entire scene. Even if it is of your little kindergartner heading off to school without you.
During our weeks of vacationing, my Fast Food Fri entires fell by the wayside. In the meantime, another month has passed and it is time to post my second entry with my photography blog circle; this months theme: TEXTURE. In a group of talented photographers who will also shoot their version of this topic, I am pushed to maximize creativity. I decided to combine the topic with my usual approach to easy, gluten-free food ideas, that are family-friendly.
Here goes it.
I love food. I love that summer brings fresh, healthy foods in abundance. I love getting my kids involved in choosing, washing, cutting and even playing with their food. They approach leisurely afternoons, like today, as a science laboratory. We look at the skin, the seed, the pits… we even had a lot of laughs as I cracked open my first coconut (thank you google for a variety of helpful techniques.) I got to do my photography shoot, and we all had a bright, juicy, crunchy meal.
Fruits and Veggies with some sliced meats and cheeses: a perfect summer meal. I am so happy to serve my kids foods that don’t have an ingredient list. So, so simple: carrot. grape. celery. pepper. strawberry…. no colorings or flavorings or difficult-to-pronounce-faux-anything. Simply, and naturally gluten-free. Based on Victoria’s lunch creation, I am pretty sure they had fun too.
Enjoy my photo interpretation of Tasty Textures. When you’re finished, take a walk through a Korean Garden with my fellow photographer, blogger and military spouse, Karen Davis. http://www.celebratelifewithus.blogspot.com/2012/07/texture.html
kiwi
strawberry
peppers
pineapple
coconut
grapes
avocado
tomato
blueberries
“Happy girls are the prettiest” – Audrey Hepburn
This week I have an abundance of new settings, different light and time on my hands. I also have cooperative, smiling children. My photography successes always happens when I let kids be themselves. Let them do things that put them in their comfort zone, even if it means I am shooting while chasing a bike, standing in the ocean, or lying on the wet, muddy ground. I also try to get them to laugh. Corny jokes and ridiculous behavior result in very real eye rolls, exasperated sighs, and eventually laughter. I will always cherish the REAL images over stiff, posed smiles.
In the last 3 days I have taken hundreds thousands of photos. I am trying out different settings on the camera, exploring different lenses, and playing with new options in Photoshop. Not every outcome is a success, but I am quite pleased with many of the results. Here are a few favorites of my lovely 14-year-old daughter. She prefers the more dramatic, serious ones. Not me, I love the laughter.
Occasionally my behavior gets a “seriously mother?” look. Someday, when her wrinkles freeze this way, she may regret it.
Eventually, she can’t hold back the smiles.
Overall, I have a variety of good shots, with lots of personality.
I know that I am biased, but my 5 ft 7 “little girl” is turning into a beauty.
Glad she is still a goofball, that might help to hold off the boys for a little longer.
Caitlyn and Victora share a few things.
Their due date: March 20th – each missed it by less than 2 hours - Tori late at night on the 19th and Cait just past 1 am on the 21st.
Obviously, they share the same parents.
Currently they share a room. But NOT the same tidying habits.
They share the same adjectives: smart, athletic, outgoing …..
Yet these two girls, whom we love beyond belief, could not be more different.
I like to mark each of my children’s birthdays with a photo shoot of their choosing.
Enjoy each of their bubbling personalities!
HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!!
I thought this Pinterest thing might be a passing phase. Something fun to browse through and then I would get back to reality.
Wrong.
I’ve been Pinteresting again.
And I feel so much better now that I went through and organized my boards alphabetically, with sub categories, all aligning with topics on my blog. I know, I’m insane. But I’m organized. I’m insanely organized. Or my insanity is organized.
I hear many folks complaining or commenting on what a time-suck Pinterest is. It can be. But it can also be a fabulous, FREE, tool that organizes recipes, crafts, ideas…. AND for me, it is just the spark needed to create some wonderful things with my kids.
Here are some of the Pinterest projects that have been taking place around here.
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GRASS HEADS
I have had a few requests for updates on our grass heads. They are still hanging around. Some are more cared for than others.
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HAIRSTYLES
The girls are finding some very creative ways to style hair – to include turning your own hair into a bow. I promise to take a photo the next time they turn themselves into a live Cindy-Loo-Hoo. I did snap this shot this morning of Cait’s Waterfall French Braid. So pretty.
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PARTY IDEAS
I got almost all of my Lego party ideas from Pinterest and subsequent party blogs. The biggest hits – the Lego party favors.
And I found some inspiration for Harry’s class cupcakes.
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PHOTOS ON CANVAS
Usually it is quite expensive to have your photos printed on canvas. I came across a pin that showed that it is possible to Modge-Podge a photo onto canvas. I tried it. It worked. Here is a combination paint/photo Modge Podge project of Grace and her best friend - a 2-part set of paintings as a birthday gift.
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RECIPES
So, one evening, while my quinoa was already cooking for dinner, I came across a pin for “mac & cheese quinoa.” The recipe had a number of ingredients and would take another 30 minutes to recreate. My dinner was going to be ready in about 10. I pinned it for later, but it sparked my imagination. As my quinoa finished up, right there in the pot, I added some cream and shredded sharp cheddar. Divine! It didn’t last on the table long enough to photograph it, so today I made some for my lunch. Seriously – just cooked quinoa, cream(or half and half, or milk) and cheese – add to your desired creamy cheesiness - that’s it. For lunch I threw in a handful of spinach. Are you jealous? It was wonderful.
Quinoa Spinach Mac n Cheese.
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PHOTOS
I have been inspired by so many different shots by professional and amateur photographers. What I have taken away from this are some creative thoughts on how to turn a photo-shoot gone wrong into an good image.
What was supposed to be a photo shoot at sunset turned into a rainy mess – or some interesting Umbrella images.
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In reality, this stairway is fairly ugly, mildewed with lots of chain-link fence. Yet, it can work with the right perspective and highlighting the existing colors rather than fighting them. I will always love these 2nd grade memories of Harry on the stairway to his school.
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MUG CAKES
This is just a teaser for the upcoming fast food fri. A cake – made in a minute in the microwave in a mug. I have multiple options: diverse flavors, gluten full, gluten-free, grain free….. get excited.
I am not sure how it happened, but somehow, someone is letting my little boy turn eight years old on Sunday.
My baby.
EIGHT!
This entire year has broken my heart. His teeth fell out, and before I even got a chance to enjoy that sweet, gummy smile, the one that I loved in his early months, BIG teeth started growing in. Those teeth that change their faces entirely. The ones that bring with them the belief that they know everything and parents know nothing.
And even though I have begged, and begged him to stay little, he is going to go ahead and have a birthday. So, with much resignation I will help him celebrate.
Enjoy the photo shoot that I worked on this week:
Yes. Eight is going to happen. But even when he is taller than I am (which I am predicting to happen sometime in 2014) I will ALWAYS think of him as this sweet, delicious, smiling little guy:
I am an artist. I married a pilot. I live in a hotel. On the beach. In the Caribbean.
Check all romantic notions at the door and join the chaos of this military family of six. From culture and cuisine to creativity and chronic illness - we've got it covered! My experiences in mothering, marathoning, moving and marriage are sure to amuse. Glad you're here, stay awhile!
