This afternoon, I told my kids if we could just knock out our Christmas photo against a red wall I’d found out at 5 Corners, I’d buy them ice cream. And to my surprise, they complied — well, after we got past their two-headed-four-armed beast series fun. :)
My son has been working very hard to earn his green belt in Tae Kwon Do. The deal we made early on was that I wouldn’t torture him with my camera every belt along the way, but instead would simply snap here and there with my iPhone and G11 when he wasn’t looking. In exchange, when he earns his green belt, he’ll stand for a couple of frames in-studio, no big deal.
It took us 15 minutes and more than just a couple of frames to get warmed up:
… mostly because my extremely talented, smart, focused and responsible firstborn gets unusually squirrelly in front of my lens. Like clockwork, he goes through all the predictable photo sabotage efforts, including (but not limited to) dead, zombie, head-hung-low, disinterested … :
So I pulled out my best trick I have in my bag: give me a good smile for the grandparents, and tonight after dark, we’ll go outside and practice with fireworks for my Fourth of July post.
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mostly unplugged this week, this is my shot of the day, from several days ago.
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Kenny is a shining example of one of my most favorite things about my job. I met him when he was still kicking around in his mother’s belly, again as a newborn and again a few weeks ago at almost-two. It is so much fun to witness the growth, changes and emerging personality in a child.
Kenny is about to become a big brother — I can’t wait!
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[Caution: scroll carefully, post is a visual spoiler for those of you on the Popeck's Christmas list.]
In the five years that I’ve been shooting family portraits, there are a handful of families I’ve come across who stand out in a unique and creative way. These are the families who deserve some kind of end-of-year award, a recognition of their offspring’s original traits, talents and temperaments. These are the families who come to me from the pool of many who have trusted me to preserve their children young for posterity and leave having imprinted in my mind that just when I thought I’d seen it all, there’s still so much to the world I have yet to experience and explore.
Like baby Paul. The little guy was nine days old and to this day holds a very impressive in-studio record. Justin and Penny, are you out there? Baby Nicholas gave his Daddy a run for Paul’s money, but in the end, Paul prevailed. Oh, the stories a camera can tell.
Since I’m still knee-deep in family portrait holiday Christmas card rush, and a little distracted lately, I’m going to table the very good and deserving idea of end-of-year awards until January. But tonight, I present to you my first nominee for the Just When I Thought I’d Seen It All 2009 award … the Popeck family!
There I was, calmly shooting along on an average November morning, when suddenly Nick mooned me! Quick as a flash and without warning, I saw it through my lens as I was coaxing a smile. And then he straightened up, faced forward and gave me the mischievous smile I was looking for, and continued on his signature-style way. The kid has one of the best belly laughs I’ve ever heard. The shot of Nick throwing his head back in a full-on belly laugh is one of my favorites of my photographer career. It’s authentic and raw.
So anyhow, back to the session.
A few minutes later when Dad showed up (he was a little late because he’d been attending parent-teacher conferences), Nick’s brother Jackson kindly recounted the whole story to fill in his father — mooning me again to be certain his Daddy got the full and complete effect of the scene!
Just when I thought I’d seen it all: two moons!
(I can neither confirm nor deny, but Mom says Dad might have been a “pants-dropper” in his youth so the boys come by the trait honestly. But I digress. Jack went on to give me some of his best smiles, best behavior and Gangsta Jax looks — very photogenic Jack is. Of course, The Moon & Gansta Jax didn’t make the Christmas card cut. It’s a Mom thing. I get it.)
I’ll tell you, I had so much fun photographing this family, it sort of makes me feel guilty to do this for work. Lucky for my conscience, the Popecks came to me for their Christmas portraits as high bidders from the school auction — so they paid well and the money was put to good use renovating the science lab for these beautiful boys in years to come.
So without further ado …
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Kayden is a sweet, thoughtful, textbook firstborn: she studies everything — including the adults around her — and you can tell by watching her that she is busy thinking/exploring the world/learning. Kayden’s Mommy was more sure about Kayden’s pink and green polka dot dress for Kayden’s first birthday party than she was about her own wedding gown! All she wanted was a picture perfect image of her baby girl in that dress, frozen in time for posterity.
Kayden was interested in polka dots, photographers and posterity for all of 35 or 40 seconds.
And then she lined up Bunny and Monkey for me, as she decided it was time for her to go outside and play.
Lucky for me, Kayden’s Mommy is flexible. We followed her outside until long into naptime…
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It’s been raining like [west of the Cascades] Oregon here the last few months! Today the sun came out and made the humidity feel like just this side of an East Coast summer — which is too quick because I was still getting the hang of spring. As we turn the corner into summer, most of my pictures of spring sit unedited and unposted.
Like this.
And this.
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Sweet little Kathryn made her First Communion last weekend. She arrived outfitted and adorned with special gifts from her aunts and parents, including a handmade veil, a sterling silver rosary and gold earrings.
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It’s not that Daddies are opposed to being photographed; it’s just that in general, they’re busy working long hours and tend to think of photographs as furry, fluffy, frilly things that Mommy handles. Which is sort of true.
In my years of photographing children, I’ve noticed it’s also sort of true that when Daddies can be convinced to show up for photos, there are more funny, goofy faces and kids are more apt to appear upside-down. It makes for a very good balance.
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Ella’s Mommy bought material to make a pink ribbon quilt for her own Mommy — the chemo always made her so cold. But she only had time to wash the fabric before the family lost her to breast cancer.
“One of the hardest things about losing Mom is that she was such an amazing grandma to my sister’s kids,” Ella’s Mommy told me. “I know that she would have just adored Ella. And someone once told me that wrapping Ella in the quilt is like Mom giving her a hug. I know that I’m Ella’s strongest link to my mom and to me, the quilt represents this.”
Being asked to photograph love is an honor beyond words. When we finished with the quilt, Ella Bella brought out her favorite Bunny Lovey, and then Mommy’s keys, a book, some hats, and she’d clap and announce “Ta-Dah!” — truly one of the cutest animated 10-month-olds I’ve ever seen.
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The Cates family is on their way to a new adventure. We’re sad to see them leave, but know Washington state will be be a huge outdoor playground for them.
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© 2010 christine gacharna | a Northern Virginia photo B L o G
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