I like to think I adapt well to change... but maybe I fool myself to some degree. This is the first time in 7 years (there was one more year before this) that I've not had my high school gal pals together on our annual vacay, and the first time we've abandoned our beloved Siesta.  A year's break due to new babies, pregnancies, surgeries, and hosting kids from other countries.  This means Speem and I are off to our own adventure in the Virgin Islands!  So while it is bittersweet in some ways to be missing a few of the besties, I am ready and stoked for R&R with the girl who says getting her drink on is "natural." (Fave quote ever!)  We are going to have some downright FUN!

This little gumdrop just turned ONE!  Of course, Auntie had to document it in photos.

The day after she was born, I fed her for the first time in the hospital, and she immediately puked up her entire bottle on me.  I remember feeling sooo bad (I don't think I propped her up high enough) and thought my brother and sister-in-law would never let me hold, feed, change or watch her again!  Turns out she had a weird form of reflux, so some of my guilt has been lifted, although they did tell me not too long ago that I should probably never have kids. This was in response to a discussion about how much I enjoy sleep.  :)  THIS IS WHY IT IS GREAT TO BE AN AUNT!

It's been quite a fun year of buying dresses, shoes, boots, jean skirts, leggings, hair accessories and all the other sugar and spice that little girls are made of.  Boys are fun, but if you are a Pinterest-loving shopaholic, you need a mini female in your life, no doubt about it.  THIS IS WHY IT IS GREAT TO BE AN AUNT! (**Note that the flower in the hair was crafted by yours truly, "rosette"-inspired, from Pinterest. Yesss indeedy. Want to make one?  Go here and here and here.)

You may remember this backdrop because we used it in several of her newborn pics.  It's one of my faves - some random find at IKEA that I bought on a whim.  It photographs really well thanks to the texture.  HEART!

We created an "at-home" studio for these most recent pics by hanging the blanket from my backdrop stand on Mark & Mandy's covered porch.  One end has french doors so we could open those up to let the light shine in, and that's where I shot from.  I wish I had a pullback so you could see the whole setup, but I forgot to take one.  Boo.

Anyway, here's a SOOC (straight out of camera, for all you non-photog peeps) shot showing the partial setup; she's sitting on foamcore that I laminated with faux wood paper, believe it or not.  I can get crafty when I need to. :)

We ended this session with her falling flat on her face (on the concrete) after trying to get her to stand and use a stool for support.  What Mandy and I failed to realize is that the back of the stool also collapsed forward... and when it did, Alice went boom.  That was the end of the photo session.  I will spare you that picture.

Is she not the cutest?  I suppose I'm biased, right?  Have I mentioned IT'S GREAT TO BE AN AUNT?! Happy Birthday to the little pop tart!

 

Attending a photography workshop has been on my bucket list ever since the day I created a bucket list (which, naturally, was right after I saw the movie The Bucket List.  Novel, I know.)  Earlier this year I realized that most of the Bucket List bullet points were things that I had mentally stowed away for a much later date in time.  I guess I unconsciously think that someday the heavens will part, and suddenly there will be an overabundance of vacation time that I can't figure out what to do with, or a windfall of money that I am struggling to spend, and that will be the prime opportunity for Bucket List Checking-Off.  Perusing my list this past winter, I realized this reasoning was seriously flawed, and I righted myself, saying "Self, it's time to make things happen.  Pronto."  So I did.

That's why when I found out Laura Siebert was hosting an outdoor workshop in Dallas in June, I didn't think twice about carving out some much-needed vacation time or depleting the savings account a bit more on the heels of a seventh-month run of unemployment.  I also managed to shrug off the notion that Dallas might be sporting ungodly hot temperatures of, like, 104 in an attempt to serve up a hearty dose of southern summer.  Nope, I didn't worry about any of that.  I just signed up.

I've long been a fan of Laura's blog and her breathtaking ability to capture pureness & authenticity in emotion, relationships and interactions.  It's something that's hard to describe in words, but when you see her images, you'll understand what I mean.  As for me, I've been struggling for a while with my style, trying to figure out how to define and position my "look."  I'd see other photographers doing cool things, and I'd try to adopt ALL of their techniques and wrap them into mine.  One minute I'd be crazed over fresh, flirty, highly saturated images, and the next minute I'd find myself drawn to moody, less processed looks.  I'd go from traditional, posed, fill-the-frame smiles and then want to break out of the mold and shoot only candid, carefree shots with unexpected crops.  I bought I-can't-even-tell-you-how-many sets of Photoshop actions.  I was all over the place.  I think every photographer goes through this for a period of time, particularly when starting out.  Problem is, I didn't feel like I was making much headway in cruising out of this funk.  I know we're always our worst critics, but truly... I was a hot photographer mess.

As I thought more about my style, I started to find that I really wanted to develop classic, timeless images.  I always kept coming back to Laura when I thought about someone I'd want to learn from.  I realized that so much of her lure was not about her photos themselves, but about the way her subjects were connecting with one another in her imagery.  So, a chance to be mentored by her was truly Bucket List worthy.

All of this build up to say, of course, I was not disappointed.  Laura had so many tips and tricks for getting subjects to "engage" in front of the camera, which has always been one of my main struggles.  She also spent an entire day on post-processing, helping me recognize that more is not always better.  i think most exciting of all is that I feel inspired to get out and start shooting again (yes, I'd been in a slump, if you couldn't tell.)  I will leave you with the images from the workshop, which in my opinion speak for themselves.  

Three cheers for Laura. Take her workshop if you ever get the chance.  xoxo.

P.S. "AUNT" TAMMY, IF YOU'RE READING THIS... I EXPECT A COMMENT BELOW!  I posted this just for you. :)