something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue...
I have been thoroughly enjoying having more time to dedicate to shooting this year, especially in the last couple of months since leaving the Photographer Studio in the hands of my former partner, who is taking it in a new direction with renewed energy and vitality - it will be exciting seeing what she and her new "work wife" do with the place! I, on the other hand, have had a very disappointing month looking for just the right space to fully realize my dream of opening a creative commune - a space that is dedicated to providing affordable access to a venue that is outfitted for those who need a place to dance, rehearse, teach, paint, sculpt, sing, and (of course) take pictures. I won't get into great detail, but let me assure you it has been a stressful journey navigating the world of commercial real estate - from negotiating leases to meeting tyrant landlords to viewing spaces with misleading ads (really, just call a fixer-uppper a fixer upper...) Anyhow, I have my fingers crossed that Tuesday's viewing works out and I will have a space to set up my costumes and my mannequins and mr paper drops and go to town.
Onward, onward.... Today's post, despite the title, has nothing to do with weddings.
~~~
Something old:
There are several sessions I shot earlier this year that I haven't had the chance to blog, so I want to share just a few images, starting with a couple of babies. And yes, I realize that "old" may seem a bit of an oxymoron but really, these guys are practically in college already...
Meet N. N was a disappointment because I had specifically told Mom and Dad to make me a crazy-haired Chinese baby. And what do they make instead? This perfectly round, adorable, sweet, chubby baby with downy-soft baby hair... (N is smirking in this picture because he knows I can't resist him in spite of his un-crazy hair...)
But I wore him down eventually - is this not the most adorable yawn? Don't you just want to hunker down and have a nap with him cuddled into the crook of your arm?
For obvious reasons, there are only a few pictures I can share as this is a very intimate process. Let me pause here for a minute and say that I have attended many births as a photographer and friend, and of all the people I know, watching this Mama through labour and delivery is the most amazing, uplifting, goose-bump worthy experience I have ever been honoured and privileged enough to experience. I think "organic" and "warrior" can peacefully co-exist when describing her.
I got the call just as I was stuffing my face with casserole... and being the third labour I knew I had to hustle. When I arrived, things were already well in progress. W was recording the process through art...
Within minutes of my arrival it was time to move to the birthing pool. J, smiling, singing, and bashing her head against a wooden chair, was steadfast and focussed, and her incredible supportive hubby J was never more than a few feet (or a smart-ass remark) away from the entire process.
When it was time for delivery, both the kids jumped in the pool. W's main job (besides making very detailed pictures of her Mom in labour) was to catch the baby. Which she did...
And handed it off to Mom, who, like turning on a dime, went from head banging and moaning and groaning with effort to that sublime ecstasy of delivering her child in a split second.
Ohhhh, the goosebumps! LOVE!!!!
Finally C's big moment arrived, and he operated those medical scissors like a pro. And after baby was cut free so Mom could get some post-partum attention, Dad and W took over, marvelling and basking in the new baby's arrival.
While their newest addition got a snack, the family rejoiced, made some calls, updated Facebook...
W, being such a big girl, was terribly helpful. She got to write out the official baby announcement (with a little help from the midwife.)
And make placenta prints (also with a little help from the midwife.)
Meanwhile, No Name Baby showed off his delicious lips and his hairy thighs and ears. (Mom tried to convince Dad to drop trou and prove that the hairy was from Dad's side but he declined...)
Time to weigh in. We made guesses and I think I won...
W wanted to see if she could operate the apparatus and this extreme confidence and comfort at being a big sister was so sweet!
No Name just laid around being cute, taking in the scenery. That's what fresh babies do best though, right?
After all the weighing and measuring and diapering was done, W surprised us all by confidently picking up the new baby and walking it over to Mom's waiting arms!
No Name's lack of a name is standard - this family had a few names picked out for each of their babies and waited a few days to see which name fit best. But a newborn baby by any name is just cause for peace and love and joy. This beautiful family, so close to my heart. After all the chaos and craziness, sometimes you just needs a good old whole-family cuddle.
Curious about No Name's now? Well, the name starts with "C" and big sister W had a form ready to fill in. X means "no" and check means "yes."
Congratulationss on the arrival of your gorgeous new son and brother, J, J, W, and C. He is as gorgeous and delicious as expected. I'm so glad I was able to be there for his arrival and thrilled that my talented colleague TJ Aneca was able to provide you with some stunning newborn portraits (I rock the chaos, she rocks the poses lol). I look forward to an invitation to photograph (and cuddle) C in the sweater made by the talented Mom of my other equally talented and very esteemed and loved colleague Helena of Apple Fresh.
And last but certainly not least, something blue:
I have been an active photographer for the charitable organization Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep for about 5 years. You may be inclined to think that I am blue about the organization but I am not - what we do is amazing. When there is no ability to come home with your newborn child, what we do is provide images from those precious few hours that our families are able to spend time with their babies before they must say goodbye.
No, what makes me blue is not the angels we photograph - I can accept that death is a part of life - but rather the decline in membership and lack of awareness and commitment for this group and the valuable service it provides to the community. Despite our efforts to recruit more photographers, in a city of about a million people we have a surprisingly small collection of dedicated souls willing and able to provide bereavement services to families in need and even less support from hospital administrators.
If you are a photographer, I urge you to consider joining this charity. Other than a very low and affordable admin fee (seriously you spend more on coffee in a week) it doesn't cost you financially, as you can claim your expenses, and the images you produce are both priceless and invaluable. There is a sporadic, short-term commitment required (my visits generally run 45 minutes or less once or twice every other months so that the family can resume its grieving process uninterrupted), there is no additional external fundraising commitment, and no pressure to take on more than you can handle personally. But, due to a shortage of volunteers, we often struggle as a team to find available photographers. After meeting so many families going through this process, I can assure you that the intangible paybacks far outweigh any considerations you may have.
Perhaps you are afraid to enter a room with a deceased infant but I assure you that after doing this for several years what I have learned without any shadow of a doubt is this one thing: a baby = love. These sessions are not gross or morbid or scary or weird, but rather full of the kind of pure and raw love than can only be shared between a family and a newborn. I beg of you to put your judgment and fear and hesitation aside and do what you can: donate, participate, celebrate the courage of those who never get to bring their children home after delivery.
So, something old, new, borrowed, and blue. Rather than end on such a sombre note I will leave you with this teaser of my next blog entry about B & A's incredible wedding...
Talk to you soon!
muchLOVE, ~H.
Onward, onward.... Today's post, despite the title, has nothing to do with weddings.
~~~
Something old:
There are several sessions I shot earlier this year that I haven't had the chance to blog, so I want to share just a few images, starting with a couple of babies. And yes, I realize that "old" may seem a bit of an oxymoron but really, these guys are practically in college already...
Meet N. N was a disappointment because I had specifically told Mom and Dad to make me a crazy-haired Chinese baby. And what do they make instead? This perfectly round, adorable, sweet, chubby baby with downy-soft baby hair... (N is smirking in this picture because he knows I can't resist him in spite of his un-crazy hair...)
He had perfect little fingers...
...which he had no trouble jamming in his mouth.
He was very alert for most of our visit.
But I wore him down eventually - is this not the most adorable yawn? Don't you just want to hunker down and have a nap with him cuddled into the crook of your arm?
I shot Mom and Dad's wedding a couple of winters ago, and I should have known that no session with V & J would have been complete without some seriously funny incorporation of entirely made-of-awesome kitsch. For their wedding, it was Hello Kitty. So I was not surprised in the least when they asked me to feed their child to a shark...
A very belated congrats, guys - he is simply perfect. P.S. you don't bring him to visit me at work often enough. I'm totally OK squishing him if you need... Just sayin'....
~~~
Next, we have something new, and it doesnt' get any fresher than birth photography which is commonly referred to by me as my preferred form of crack.
C, on the other hand, was very concerned.
Apparently, he is very concerned about his Lego. There are two problems with babies and Legos. One is of course the baby might choke. Two is of course that the baby might want expect to share. Both weighed heavily on C's mind as he watched Toy Story and waited until he was on duty to cut the umbilical cord.
Within minutes of my arrival it was time to move to the birthing pool. J, smiling, singing, and bashing her head against a wooden chair, was steadfast and focussed, and her incredible supportive hubby J was never more than a few feet (or a smart-ass remark) away from the entire process.
When it was time for delivery, both the kids jumped in the pool. W's main job (besides making very detailed pictures of her Mom in labour) was to catch the baby. Which she did...
And handed it off to Mom, who, like turning on a dime, went from head banging and moaning and groaning with effort to that sublime ecstasy of delivering her child in a split second.
Ohhhh, the goosebumps! LOVE!!!!
Finally C's big moment arrived, and he operated those medical scissors like a pro. And after baby was cut free so Mom could get some post-partum attention, Dad and W took over, marvelling and basking in the new baby's arrival.
(side note: C had again become terribly concerned about the baby's pending doom in relation to his Lego, and had retired to the rec room to sort that issue out...)
W, being such a big girl, was terribly helpful. She got to write out the official baby announcement (with a little help from the midwife.)
And make placenta prints (also with a little help from the midwife.)
Meanwhile, No Name Baby showed off his delicious lips and his hairy thighs and ears. (Mom tried to convince Dad to drop trou and prove that the hairy was from Dad's side but he declined...)
Time to weigh in. We made guesses and I think I won...
W wanted to see if she could operate the apparatus and this extreme confidence and comfort at being a big sister was so sweet!
No Name just laid around being cute, taking in the scenery. That's what fresh babies do best though, right?
After all the weighing and measuring and diapering was done, W surprised us all by confidently picking up the new baby and walking it over to Mom's waiting arms!
No Name's lack of a name is standard - this family had a few names picked out for each of their babies and waited a few days to see which name fit best. But a newborn baby by any name is just cause for peace and love and joy. This beautiful family, so close to my heart. After all the chaos and craziness, sometimes you just needs a good old whole-family cuddle.
Curious about No Name's now? Well, the name starts with "C" and big sister W had a form ready to fill in. X means "no" and check means "yes."
~~~
Something borrowed:
I have, in the past several years, been gifted several amazing props and pieces of furniture by clients. Meet Colin Dvorak, who has recently embarked upon becoming a certified home inspector. Needing pics for his new business venture, this knowledgeable and friendly guy generously offered (as I am currently studio-less, as I already mentioned lol) to let me borrow some storage space he had to acquire a gorgeous couch gifted by yet another incredibly generous client. I am excited for my couch, but even more excited for him and his spectacularly lovable family to embark on the next phase of his career as a certified Buyer's Choice guy in the Spruce Grove/West Edmonton area. Ask for him by name, and tell him "Hope" sent you :)
PS I need some carob, blueberry-oatmeal, and candy cane cookies, Mrs. Buyer's Choice...
~~~
And last but certainly not least, something blue:
I have been an active photographer for the charitable organization Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep for about 5 years. You may be inclined to think that I am blue about the organization but I am not - what we do is amazing. When there is no ability to come home with your newborn child, what we do is provide images from those precious few hours that our families are able to spend time with their babies before they must say goodbye.
No, what makes me blue is not the angels we photograph - I can accept that death is a part of life - but rather the decline in membership and lack of awareness and commitment for this group and the valuable service it provides to the community. Despite our efforts to recruit more photographers, in a city of about a million people we have a surprisingly small collection of dedicated souls willing and able to provide bereavement services to families in need and even less support from hospital administrators.
If you are a photographer, I urge you to consider joining this charity. Other than a very low and affordable admin fee (seriously you spend more on coffee in a week) it doesn't cost you financially, as you can claim your expenses, and the images you produce are both priceless and invaluable. There is a sporadic, short-term commitment required (my visits generally run 45 minutes or less once or twice every other months so that the family can resume its grieving process uninterrupted), there is no additional external fundraising commitment, and no pressure to take on more than you can handle personally. But, due to a shortage of volunteers, we often struggle as a team to find available photographers. After meeting so many families going through this process, I can assure you that the intangible paybacks far outweigh any considerations you may have.
Perhaps you are afraid to enter a room with a deceased infant but I assure you that after doing this for several years what I have learned without any shadow of a doubt is this one thing: a baby = love. These sessions are not gross or morbid or scary or weird, but rather full of the kind of pure and raw love than can only be shared between a family and a newborn. I beg of you to put your judgment and fear and hesitation aside and do what you can: donate, participate, celebrate the courage of those who never get to bring their children home after delivery.
~~~
So, something old, new, borrowed, and blue. Rather than end on such a sombre note I will leave you with this teaser of my next blog entry about B & A's incredible wedding...
Talk to you soon!
muchLOVE, ~H.
Comments