Favorites from 2012

As a photographer, it always seems that my most recent portrait session or wedding (or horse show, or reunion, or anniversary...) is my favorite. Perhaps that's because I strive to improve each time I pick up a camera, and see that reflected in my work. Hope that is the case.
   Following are a few of my favorites from 2012. Already have weddings and horse shows and other events on my 2013 calendar...can't wait!

Changes

   This is the time of year for transitions: summer to fall, greens to golds, warm weather to cool, t-shirts and shorts to jeans and long sleeves, sandwiches to soups.
   It's also the time of year that attitudes shift from the lightheartedness of summer to a sharper focus toward school, college studies, and careers. With the pending presidential election, moods are nervous and political.
   In my photography schedule, the shift is from horse shows, to autumn weddings, high school seniors, and family portraits in preparation for Christmas cards and gifts.
    Following are a few samples of what I've been doing the past 30 days...
 

 

Experience matters

   In the past 10 days I have been booked to photograph weddings on October 11 and  April 20. For each of those weddings, I met with the bride-to-be and her mom. The first question they asked:

HOW LONG have you been photographing weddings?

   I appreciate this question, and the underlying concern it reflects. The upcoming wedding is a huge event for the family. Friends and relatives will all be together to celebrate the uniting of the couple in marriage-it's a milestone in their lives. It's a memorable day not only for those in attendance, but for the children and the grandchildren yet to be-photographs of the wedding day showcase the day their family was founded. Each generation looks back at the photographs of the wedding of their parents, their grandparents, great-grandparents, and a fortunate few have a photographic history that goes even further. Wedding day portraits are a family's lineage.

   So, how long have I been photographing weddings?

22 years. 

Trained and experienced in how to pose the bride to flatter her figure and her wedding dress? 

Check.

Trained and experienced in arranging groups quickly and easily? 

Check.

Trained and experienced in all types of lighting situations, 

from candle lit churches to outdoor ceremonies in full sunlight?

 Check.

Trained and experienced in proper use of artificial lighting?

 Check.

Back up equipment in cameras and lighting and anything else that might fail? 

Check.

Fluent and competent in a variety of  photographic styles, from traditional to candid to photo-journalistic? Check.

Familiar with various faith traditions and rules? 

Check.

Ability to remain calm when the "wedding day whirlwind" is at it's peak?

 Double check.

   Consider this: How would you like for your wedding to be the first one photographed by a spentalotofmoneyonthisnewcameraandnowcallmyselfaphotographer photographer?

Do professionalism and experience matter? They do if it's your wedding.

The best part...

The best part of being a photographer? I get to "be in" on all the happiest times of life: weddings, babies, family reunions, senior portraits, and so on. This summer is no exception, thankfully. Recently I've photographed a 60th wedding anniversary, family reunion, newborn baby, and a wedding. Yes, each event had it's stressful moments-late arriving cake, lagging church air conditioning on a 109 degree day, but the joy of the day overshadowed those minor inconveniences.

   I like to remind brides that at the end of their wedding day, what matters is that she and the man she loves are married. If the flowers of the wedding bouquet are a slightly darker shade than what she envisioned, if the flower girl bursts into tears and refuses to cooperate, if the prime rib is carved ahead of time instead of the moment each guest goes through the buffet at the reception...don't worry about it. Those are the little stories to laugh and reminisce about later.
   The best thing to do on those once-in-a-lifetime days? Breathe deeply. Live each moment. Treasure every second.

First day of summer

   Today-the first day of summer. We think of hot days, hot dogs, going to the lake, swimming, vacations, 4th of July with family and friends, all the things that the simple word "summer" connotes.
   For me, I never think of weekdays, only weekends. My mind skips ahead to the wonderful activities that I will be photographing throughout this summer:  reunions, family portraits while the kids are home from college, weddings, horse shows, ball teams...the list is varied and interesting.
   My wish for you is that you enjoy each moment shared with those you love. Summer-savor it!

 

Our dog, Freckles: Losing my friend

 












   This week I lost a best friend. Yes, he had four legs and was covered in fur, but he was my loyal friend. Freckles showed up in our yard on a cold February Sunday, 2009. My husband, JW, and I came home from Mass and a short time later heard plaintive howling in the front yard, under the cottonwood trees. Evidently, someone had thought our place was the right place to leave a scared puppy. After all, we are "animal people" caring for  horses, cattle, dogs and cats a large part of every day. We scooped up the freckled puppy, who happily snuggled on my husband's lap, while I left to get a puppy collar and other necessary items.
   We tried finding a home for him--we already had two dogs and didn't want another. Especially after learning that the big puppy was not 4-5  months old as we thought, based on his size, but was instead barely old enough to wean. Our vet guessed him to be a mastiff cross, and said with a smile, "He will be big. Probably over 125 pounds." Yikes! Almost like having a pony in the house!
   We named him Freckles, and in a short time he was a beloved member of the family. He was my companion when I traveled to photograph horse shows, often garnering more attention than my photography. "Wow-he's huge! What kind of dog is that?" was a common question. "Shetland", became my standard response.
   Freckles was exceptionally devoted to me. No matter what I did-riding my horse, mowing the grass, vacuuming, working on the computer-Freckles was either at my side, or would position himself so that he could watch me at all times. He found a place on the hill in the pasture where he could easily keep an eye on me when I rode our stallion. Whenever I was away, he would wait patiently for me, head propped on the windowsill by the door, eyes fixed on the road.
   The brindle dog appointed himself my protector, too. When traveling overnight with me, he would rest between my bed and the hotel room door. I say "rested", because he never slept, just watched the door all night. Had someone tried to enter without permission, Freckles would have exploded in a 140lb. package of fury.
   Freckles looked after my husband, too. Once when JW was trimming the hooves of a nervous yearling gelding, the horse pulled back on the lead rope, then leaped forward. Freckles assumed the horse was trying to hurt my husband, and immediately jumped at the gelding's withers, placing himself between my husband and the horse.
   Freckles didn't like coyotes. Perhaps he felt they were invaders on his territory. If we slept with the windows open, oftentimes packs of coyotes would canter through our property during the night, yipping and howling. Freckles would bolt upright from his bed, run to the nearest window, point his nose straight up into the air, and howl back at them with all of his might. Once my husband and I got over the drastic awakening from sleep, we would simply listen to his howls, and chuckle at the goofy dog. He was, without a doubt, one of a kind.
   When Freckles was about one year old, I took him in for an annual exam and update on vaccinations. The vet commented on an unusual amount of arthritis in his right hip. The left hip was oversized, as it compensated for the weaker side. "This situation will deteriorate if the left hip becomes arthritic, also", our vet warned us.
   The huge dog and I continued sharing our days side by side. Freckles was so tall that all I had to do was open my palm toward him when I walked by, and he would tuck his head into my head for a quick caress. Often when we walked a lap around the pasture, our morning ritual, my canine friend would contentedly walk beside me, with my hand resting on his strong shoulders.
   Sadly, when Freckles turned three, his "good hip" began to weaken. He had to shift all his weight to his front legs and shoulders in order to sit or stand. Our walks became shorter, and he chose to watch me from the barn when I rode my horse. Within a few months, it was easier for him to keep vigil on my activities from the house, his big head with floppy ears resting on the sill, sad eyes following me.
   On May 22, 2012, when Freckles was only about three and a half years of age, we took our last walk together in the pasture. He picked up the scent of a coyote, or possum, or other intruder, and followed it with his awkward gait, back legs serving only to help keep him upright, his powerful front legs and shoulders pulling his body forward. After a brief swim in the pond, he plodded slowly to the house. By afternoon, he couldn't stand at all.
   The vet said that she come to our home after her clinic closed at 6pm. By unfortunate chance, one of our colts had gotten a gash on his head that we thought might require stitches-two reasons for veterinary services that evening.
    My anguished spouse and I passed the interminable hours until the vet arrived by preparing a grave for our sweet dog under the trees in the yard, where we first found him. I looked up once from my shoveling to see him staring at us through the window, as if he knew what was to come.
   About 4:30 in the afternoon we carried Freckles outside to rest in the yard. We took turns sitting beside him in the grass, with tear streaked faces and swollen eyes as we shared precious dwindling moments together, with our dog.
   When the white vet truck entered the drive, my husband went to the barn to have her take care of stitching up the colt first, while I waited with Freckles. The horse was upset, and Freckles and I watched the young horse rearing to evade their attempts to help him. I got up to see if I could assist.  Freckles wailed at me, and I told him I would be right back. By the time I got to the barn, they had things under control, so I turned to go back to my dog. Amazingly, that devoted, beloved dog had managed to drag himself about thirty feet, trying to go with me, thinking we were in need of his help, struggling to protect us one last time.
    Just outside my window, under the ancient cottonwoods, is a mound of freshly turned earth- Freckles' final resting place. I can see it from the pasture, the barn or the house. When I look at it I know, beyond a doubt, that wherever Freckles is now, he is still keeping an eye on me.

You are going to WHAT?

Let’s pretend that you want to start showing horses. You go out and buy a hat, show outfit, saddle, bridle, show halter-all the accessories, equipment and tools necessary to show a horse. Next you find someone with a high quality show horse, a horse that is the culmination of their lifelong hopes and dreams. We’ll say the horse cost that person $15,000, with every dollar carefully planned and saved for this special, once in a lifetime horse. The horse owner asks about your experience showing horses, and you explain that you bought everything needed to show the horse. “But what about your actual horse show experience?” the pesky horse owner persists. You say that you have attended several horse shows with friends who show horses, you really like horses, and have a natural “love and affinity” for horses. How likely is the horse owner to hand over the reins to you?

Yet, this is what happens week after week. An individual enjoys taking photos and decides to buy a nice camera. The next thing you know, that same person is scheduled to photograph someone’s wedding! A WEDDING! You know, that once-in-a-lifetime day filled with treasured dreams and hopes, each expensive moment carefully planned to the smallest detail.

At an event held to help engaged couples plan their weddings, I had a question posed to me and I quote: “My daughter has always liked taking pictures and is spending her tax refund on an expensive camera. She is booked to photograph a wedding in August-what kind of things should she do to get ready?”

SERIOUSLY? I was nearly too stunned to reply. What should she do? Where do I begin? How about enrolling in a photography class? How about working as a long term apprentice with an experienced, professional wedding photographer? How about learning the fine points of lighting (ambient, flash, bounce, etc.), flattering posing (how to pose the bride to showcase her attributes, minimize her weaknesses), efficiently arranging groups, like the high strung families or the nervous wedding party in an eye-pleasing composition? What about learning the rules and traditions of the various churches, synagogues and temples? The list goes on and on.

In considering the comment, “…AN expensive camera…”, I wonder if the soon to be “professional” photographer has considered that she will be doing her client a huge disservice by arriving at the wedding with ONE camera. What happens if the adorable ringbearer picks it up and accidentally drops it on the floor? What happens if the camera malfunctions at an inopportune moment? Don’t even get me started thinking about whether or not this “professional photographer” has budgeted or even given a thought to extra camera batteries, and more than one memory card!

Lighting. Such a small word, yet so necessary. If you are in a room with overhead lighting, look around at the delightful “raccoon eyes” of those people near you, created by the eye socket and brow bone causing a shadow on the eye. If the “wanna-be-a-photographer” doesn’t have something to add or reflect a little light to illuminate the happy sparkle in the eyes of the bride on her wedding day, then you can count on looking at those shadowed, dull eyes in all of the wedding photos.

I haven’t even begun to discuss the specific camera lens best suited for specific moments throughout the wedding day. Does this “photographer” know what happens if a wide angle lens is used to photograph the bride and groom full length? You’ve seen those caricature-like photos of a person with a large head and tiny feet? Wide angle lens…can be deadly in the hands of an untrained (unprofessional) person.

After the wedding day, you will have gifts to return and a dress stored in a box. Photographs of your wedding last-the good, the bad, and the hideously ugly.

Cottonwood Classic

Just wrapped up a new circuit of Quarter Horse shows, The Cottonwood Classic, held in Wichita, Kansas. The attendance was good, the facilities awesome, the show well run, and the atmosphere relaxed. On Saturday, the show staff offered a non-accredited walk trot class, just for fun. It included horses other than Quarter Horses, moms and daughters riding double, and little cowboys decked out in their coolest cowboy gear. The arena was ringed with parents and grandparents and fans, all smiling and watching the young exhibitors enjoying their horses. Make a note of it: March 2013, take your Quarter Horse to the Cottonwood Classic. You won't regret it!

Tricky Chicky

Quite the catchy name, huh? The talented young woman behind that title is Valerie of Caldwell, Kansas. She and her amazing horse, Flax, were wowing crowds at the recent EquiFest of Kansas. I enjoy riding my horse the traditional way, with one leg on each side of the saddle, but Valerie thinks outside the box!

Babies!

Is there anything more beautiful that the tiny fingers of a newborn baby? The perfectly sculpted eyelashes? Miniature toes?

I had the great fun of photographing two newly adopted baby boys last week. Their proud parents reveled in every moment.

Babies-what blessings!

Catching up

This is a bittersweet time of the year for me. Since not many brides get married in the frigid month of January, high school seniors are waiting for warm weather, and families have completed their holiday get-togethers, this is not a busy time for photography. It is, however, that delightful time of the year to organize files and info from last year, get information ready for filing taxes, and try to "unclutter" my life, by cleaning closets, sorting through clothes, and making several donations to Goodwill

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This is also the month when brides from last year finally have time to select their favorite images from their wedding so I can, at last, work on designing their wedding album.

All in all, I enjoy January. Both my birthday and our daughter's fall in this month, so it is a month of preparing for the year ahead, and celebrating!