Girl

My Kid Again

Just my own girlie hanging out in a field in a tutu. This is another in my “kids via holga” series.

Just My Little Dude

This child is almost four. This is hard to believe. My last picture of him at this spot he was reaching for the wind chime and couldn’t actually reach it. Now, older and taller, he is closer to the chime and a little further away from being my baby.

Mini Session Marathon Sneak Peeks

Last Saturday I held a series of mini sessions in what I confess is my favorite location, Westmoor Park. All the participants enjoyed (or, at least I hope they enjoyed) a 30-45 minute session with some shots in the barn and some in the fields.

I love barn light. Really really love it.

There were a variety of victims. Errr… subjects. Families, 3-year-old twins, 1-year-old twins, children with more fashion sense than I can ever hope to have, older kids, younger kids and special needs kids. It was a wild ride of photography and, for many people, playing in the park afterward. There are chickens to see, a free roaming rooster to ogle, a very friendly horse (and, no, my hair is NOT a snack despite what he seemed to think) much open space to run in, barn cats that like even young, active children. Westmoor Park is such a hidden treasure, tucked away in West Hartford, and I always like to be able to introduce more people to it.

Each mini-session guaranteed 5-10 images (though I’ve finished proofing one and thanks to my lack of self discipline there are 18 final pictures from which to choose) and the $100 fee is wholly applied to the initial order which, of course, makes the actual session free. I am thinking about doing one more set of this style of mini-sessions for the holidays. But, enough of my prattle. Here are some pictures…

Twins on Tuesday

My goal was a smiling, static picture of both children smiling at the camera to send to their grandmother. You know the shot, those boring big grins of your basic school picture. Instead I have a roll of delightful pictures that are filled with personality, laughter, funny looks, interaction and just about everything except smiling children holding still. I’ve found I’m happier, and get much more charming pictures, when I let go of the need to control the shot and just photograph the relationship.

Library Snapshot Week in West Hartford

I love the West Hartford Public Library and so do my kids. The children’s preschool room is truly incredible with fabulous comfortable sofa benches, a train table, doll houses, a puppet theatre, a play kitchen and more along with books galore. My kids ask to go there regularly and along with the basic “free-ness” of the library they also validate parking for the closest parking garage which is great in the winter when, well, I’m not walking the 4 blocks to the library with two three-year-olds if I don’t have to. They getting there isn’t so bad, it’s the getting them back home, tired, overexcited and grumpy, that’s less than fun.

Given how much I love the library volunteering for Library Snapshot Week was a natural fit for me.

The primary purpose of this community-based project is to showcase the library through photographic images. During Library Snapshot Week selected photographers will take pictures of our library, the building, patrons, staff, etc. Of the photos taken, some will be chosen for display in the Noah Webster Library Gallery, on the library website, or used for library promotional purposes, but all for the benefit of the community.

Over 30 photographers participated coming in both one Sunday morning for what I called “still-life day” and then taking pictures through the libraries during one week. Over 1,000 pictures were donated to the library for them to use promoting their services, 20 of which were selected to be hung in a gallery show.

Two of mine are there, including this one:

The exhibit will be up until March 31st and I encourage you to drop in and take a look.

Twins on Tuesday

Guess who was kind of cooperative and who simply wasn’t having it today…

Photo Shoot in Field and Diner