The boys

Falling leaves

Heart Throb 101

Best of Show

These are children of some friends of mine, both of whom are very artistic.

I think they would both admit that these are their best works of art to date.

Golden princess

I've taken to hauling my camera about with most places I go and because it's so big it always draws attention, especially with kids. This afternoon this little girl was rather dismayed when I explained I could only take her picture if her mommy said it was okay. She didn't quite believe I needed parental permission (even with much and repeated assurance). After what felt like an official nod from the executive office, we got down to business. "One picture", she told me. We had differing views where the "one picture" should take place. When I said, "But right here your hair looks like the golden tresses of a princess sparkling in the sunlight", she was sold. She may not know what tresses are, but she got the princess gold part just fine. I don't think I've ever had a four year old be so professional and composed for me. I just may hire her to come work with me on family sittings to demonstrate to the adults on how to have their picture taken.

Chandra and Talmage

These are two of my wanna be adopted kids. If I could adopt them, I would. I love this picture of Chandra because all that she is inside just seems to radiate, kind, generous, patient. Chandra doesn't have any idea how beautiful she is.

Maybe this picture will give her a clue.

Talmage is my son's best friend. He's terribly savvy for an nine year old. Under his usual layer of grime, lies a mastermind of plotting and strategy. He may work for the CIA one day. He recently offered a trade, his nineteen year old brother for my son. The change of location would be very advantageous for everyone and since they have a lot of kids in his family, his mom surely wouldn't mind. I offered my home as a base for their home location, but that wasn't interesting. I guess I need to work on my bribing skills. It took some efforts of my own to convince him to let me brush his hair for this shoot. We both felt it was worth the effort.

Brenton and Bella

Brenton is a natural when it comes to modeling. He comfortably lounged as I adjustied my camera settings and I snapped this before we moved on to do any other shots. This was by far my favorite picture.

Bella, on the other hand, knew exactly what she wanted. She had had all sorts of poses prepared for me. My favorite was her maniacal bunny face which I didn't quite capture because her movements were far more frenzied than I had anticipated for a portrait shoot. If anyone is looking for a hyperactive happy hare, I've got just the gal. I took this shot as she was plotting her next character. This was by far my favorite picture.

Clean

One of my favorite photographers is the amazing Keith Carter. Inspired by a lecture by the author Horton Foote, Carter's mantra for photography became "photograph what you know", which is turn has focused the direction for my passion.

I tend to do a lot of people pictures so I decided to work on a "product" shot.

As a mother of two this is what I know.

Did you brush your teeth today?

Dinner?

Almost every time I see Lilian she grins wide and says the same thing,

"I'm gonna go to your house."

She's never content with a nod or smile or even a "yes". She will happily tell you the same thing over and over. One night, I stopped I counting after the eightieth time.

This would be annoying if it was any other child, but since she's not any other child, she's Lilian, you can't help but feel a measure of gratification and pleasure that this four year old has chosen your house to want to visit .

Gangrene Film Festival

What did you do this weekend?

Well, I hung out and took pictures for the Gangrene Comedy Film Festival this weekend. Did you know film festival's have opening acts? Well, this one did. The night started with Chuck Money, an Elvis Evil Kevnil wanna be and then Youtube superstar Gerry Phillips performed. He's a a manualist who plays his hands to songs like Queen’s "Bohemian Rhapsody". What does that have to with film? Nothing, but a lot to with comedy. The directors were welcomed on stage and invited to sledge hammered a car before they sat down with the MC and Gerry to field questions after their film was viewed. After the films were shown, the car was sold for of $9.99 to a group a very satisfied teenager boys (I moved their hats over to the side, not them), Chuck was available for autographs (mine is signed "Flames and Fire, Love Chuck") and a photo booth with Viking costumes was provided

(I did feel a meausre of remorse that I didn't get in).

It was much more than a film festival, it was a laugh-a-rama.

All courtesy of Craig Nybo and Gangrene Productions.

Missed it? Comcast has it on demand, but next year do yourself a favor and be there.

Craig and his team meeting with the directors and performers before the night kicked off.

Merry-Go-Round

I could have spent my whole summer snapping shots of kids on the merry-go-round.

Interestingly enough, I later found as I was editing my pictures, it wasn't the children who made the best shots, it was the adults. They proved to give much more to the cameras than the children did. The moms shooting away with their cameras and this man had more fun on his ride than any kid I'd seen all summer.

Labor Day

We woke up to a rainstorm this morning.

Our plans for a hike to the waterfall were cancelled and we spent a long quiet day indoors. We thrlled the sun was peeking though the clouds amd the winds had died down. We were in luck it seemed. We felt we had to get in one more trip before the pool closed for the summer so with only an hour before closing ,we threw on our swimsuits and braved the sixty degree weather.

It seemed the sun was shining just enough for me to get a few shots as the kids jumped off the high dive before the clouds hid the remaining rays. We kept swimming till closing time.

It's funny how that one hour in chilly wind was better

than all of others that day we spent so cozily inside.