The Trouble With Being the Photographer

I hear it is like a lot of other professions where people go into business for themselves--your own stuff takes the back burner! Yes, I love to take photos, especially of my own kids and of the things we do together as a family, and I think everyone should have gorgeous photos of their children on their walls! ...which is why it is ironic that our walls have been mostly bare, and the last snapshots I actually had printed are from August of last year (and they aren't in albums...they're still in the boxes they were shipped in! *cringe*), and that is also why, I'm sad to say...I have only JUST gotten around to converting our 4th of July pictures from their RAW file format! Shameful! I know I shared a few in the days following, but those were the only ones I'd had the chance to look at, and I hadn't touched them since. :(

I'm going to make it a priority, though, to get caught up on my own photos...I hope I can keep up with it, but I realize my family's memories shouldn't be left in unprocessed RAW digital files because I'm too busy working on everyone else's! :) So, I recently ordered a canvas for my living room, of my two lovely daughters, and I am going to share my 4th of July photos with you all now...the ones I should have shared months ago! Wish me luck that I can keep this up, and that soon I will have many beautiful framed prints of my kids on the walls, and plenty of albums full of recently-printed snapshots of the fun stuff we've done together!

So, without further adieu, I hope you all had a wonderful 4th (*wink*)! We really put a lot into that holiday, and I'm happy to share a few of the 258 photos (no, I'm not kidding) I took that day:

We started out at the park, where the kids played on the equipment for awhile


Unfortunately, the strong sun gave me lots of deep shadows and bright sunspots, but I did manage to get one nice shot of my younger daughter when she sat in the shade for a few minutes. Love the skinned knee and pout face!


After the park we put the kids down for naps, then everyone gathered at our house to watch the parade. Here they are, waiting for the parade to start:






This was unfortunately one of those days where my daughters were doing everything in their power to avoid looking at the camera. I did manage to get some cooperation out of the younger one, but I have this vague recollection of saying to my older daughter more than once (as I often do when she will not allow me to photograph her), "Fine, but when you're 16 and wonder why there are no pictures of you, don't come crying to me!" :) Ah, parenthood.


Getting her candy fix :)


Love this expression!


Next we returned to the park to ride the ponies! This is their favorite part, although my younger one had never ridden before--the last time we tried she chickened out. So I was THRILLED that she did it this time and loved it!


My little nephew got his first pony ride too!


Teasing the sheep. LOL


(guess she was saving the rest of the food for the goat!)





Feeding the llama...


...and of course we have to brush the calf. Actually my oldest one was pretty much chasing down every animal she could find, waving that brush. Poor things, hehe




After a fun-filled afternoon at the park (and following the trailer fire I posted about back in July), we headed to my parents' house for a meal and to hang out a bit before the fireworks (fireworks pics were also posted in July). Here the girls are begging their daddy for more of those snap-poppers that you toss on the ground. They loved them!


Watching Daddy get some "smoke bombs"




It was a fun day! I'm so glad I finally got a chance to go through the pics, and can't wait for next year!

Before the Storm

I like to randomly pull out the camera when the kids are playing in the backyard, just to see what I can get in a few minutes. This night we were about to get a storm, so it was very overcast. We went out into the yard for a little bit and I grabbed a few shots before we had to head for the house. I love these of my older daughter:






This is what I got when I asked her to give me her "best smile". LOL She was trying perhaps too hard.


The younger one just wasn't in the mood. She did nothing but sit on the picnic bench with a ring pop in her mouth and stare at me. Oh well.

Expecting

I've finished proofing a maternity session and wanted to share some of them. I did not have the opportunity to have maternity photos done, and I wish I had. Not that I'm photogenic by any means, but now that she's over age 2 and changed so much I am wondering where the time has gone, and trying to remember what it was like expecting her...9 months can seem like an eternity at the time, but really it is just another one of those fleeting things in life that is quickly forgotten after it's past. I guess the best part about being a photographer is the ability to stop time and preserve the feelings and experience of a moment that will be gone all too quickly. I'm so excited for this couple, expecting their first baby!

More Senior Fun

I love working with seniors--they are always excited about new ideas and up for anything, and L. was no exception! We spent the evening running around the little town where she lives, and she was a great model for me. :) Here are a few from her session:

Before we went out, I was asked to get a few shots of her with her cat. The cat, unfortunately, was not nearly as thrilled about the pictures as we were, but I love the little tongue sticking out in this one!


Some nice, golden evening sunlight






I had entirely too much fun with the brick wall!






I'm going to have to use this spot again--I saw a photo of a train car online while doing a search for parks in this town, and asked her if it was still there. It was! My fav pic was taken on the tracks behind it...










...and last, but certainly not least, the drum set! This was my "brainchild" in the initial planning stages of her session...I told her we had to do some of her with a drum set (yes, she plays them!). The WHOLE drum set! Many kudos to her wonderfully patient father, who lugged them around the park for me. :)

It Doesn't Take the Best

It's not always easy to lug around the big camera and lens, so unless I'm headed to a session or an event that I know will yield many "Kodak moments", I leave it at home. But, I know that sometimes opportunity will present itself in the most everyday stuff, so I keep a little point-and-shoot in my purse at all times. It isn't the best camera in the world and doesn't allow the photographer a whole lot of control, but when the moment presents itself, it will do!

The other night we were getting in our car in the parking lot after church and...WOW! I immediately wished I had my camera, but remembering my P&S decided it would do. I turned off the flash (because using the flash would yield nothing but darkness with some lit-up dust flecks), and took the following shots. Yes, my other camera on a tripod would have done a better job, but when the moment presents itself you don't always have to have the best to capture it!