Sycamore Lane Photography

Why I Document

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 10:00:00 +0000

I got my first digital camera in April of 2006 two months before my daughter and last child's birth. My three son's were nine, seven, and five. In a heartbeat my photography world was transformed. I went from struggling with a hand-me-down 35mm film camera to brand new world of digital bliss.

Five days after the birth of my daughter I glanced out my front window to see my three boys laying in our front yard in the midst of gorgeous crop of white clover. That day and these photos marked the beginning of my quest to document the little lives that surrounded me. I didn't perfectly understand what it meant to document in all it's entirety, but I knew what I wanted. I wanted to save precious memories and so I took lots and lots of photos.

I have photos of the cowboy stage, the Daniel Boone stage, the wear your underwear over you pants, like Superman stage. I have photos of crayfish catching, bike riding, mud bogging, wrestling, and first hunts.

None of these photos are professionally perfect, but they are mine.

Mine to cherish, to hold close, to look back on.

They make me smile, laugh, cry, reminisce, and above all else they remind me of the blessings that have been bestowed upon me by my loving God.

My photography goal hasn't changed much over the years, but I have grown in my understanding of the beauty and necessity of documentation. It really is a lifestyle for me.

My family + Love + Authenticity = TRUE BEAUTY

Typography

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 12:31:00 +0000

ty·pog·ra·phy

/tīˈpäɡrəfē/

noun: typography

the style and appearance of printed matter.
the art or procedure of arranging type or processing data and printing from it

This weeks prompt pushed me to think and think hard. I was going to wander through town and see what I could come up with, but my time was so limited due to my work schedule. When it rained in torrents for hours on end my decision was made for me. I was going to have to find something around the house.

I set up several different items I found that had interesting typography, but didn't fall in love with the results. The photos were okay, but didn't really capture my attention. So, on a whim I decided to make something. I got out the watercolors and paper and set to work.

My final result caught my eye and I am glad for the push this prompt gave me to go beyond the normal still life photo I would have taken.

For more amazing photos head on over to our website:

February 5-on-5 Documenting the Dancer

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 10:00:00 +0000

Getting ready for dance class has been a weekly routine of ours for five years. Last week I realized that she has taken over almost all of her dance preparations herself.

I used to help her struggle into her tights (dislike is not a strong enough word for how she feels about those things.) I would hold her leotard as she stepped into it. I would gather all her dance gear, a snack, and a bottle of water. We would end our routine with me brushing her hair and pulling it back into a ponytail or bun.

This year things have changed. She does everything by herself except her hair. However, of late, she has even taken that job on.

I watched last week and realized rather abruptly of the changes that have so subtly taken place. Her independence is shining through. I adore her for it. And although a part of me misses the days when she needed me a bit more, I wouldn't trade this time for anything.

5-on-5 with a 6th photo as an added bonus, because it was a big part of the story.

For more amazing documentary photography about life, love, memories, and family head on over to Melissa Kayser: A St. Charles, MO Documentary Family Photographer.

Details

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 10:00:00 +0000

Detail:

extended treatment of or attention to particular items
a part of a whole: such as the small elements that collectively constitute a work of art
in photography: the small elements of an image corresponding to those of the subject

To see the other artists rendition of the word detail visit our website;

Smith Family- Hillsdale Michigan Family Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 10:00:00 +0000

Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life! ~Albert Einstein

I have fantastic news for you! Family photographs do not have to be stressful.

If you have small children you know how important this tidbit of information is. All too often family photographs can quickly become a bribe and threaten theatrical production.

When I take photos of families I am very clear that:

it is okay if not everyone is looking at the camera for every single photo.
it is acceptable if your boys have the wiggles.
it is fantastic if your baby wants to nurse.
it is reality if your teenage son is not thrilled to have his picture taken (I have three boys. I can work a bit of magic).
it is authentic if your toddler needs to run, or taste the dirt, or just lay on the ground in an act of pure rebellion.

I want my clients to understand this important truth, the photos that you will treasure are not the ones of everyone looking perfectly at the camera. They will be the ones where you are interacting as a family.

Let me tell you the boys in the session below were not thrilled to have their photos taken. They thought it was going to be BORING and LONG and that they would have to sit VERY still.

NOT TRUE!

I had them hoofin' it all over the property we were on. And I kept them moving and laughing and gave them things to do. At the end of our time together they were ready to move on, but for the hour I worked with them they did fantastic!

Painless, it's what I'm all about!

52 WORDS. 4 PERSPECTIVES.

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 10:00:00 +0000

At the beginning of the year I joined a group of fantastically talented photographers. Together, Eboni, Danielle, Jessica, and I set a goal for ourselves. Each week for 52 weeks we would take a photo that aligned with a randomly chosen word.

The end product of this joint venture is to strengthen and broaden our photography skills, to help us see detail, light, and life more effectively, and to encourage us to shoot from the heart.

For the month of January we had the following words: Wood, Art, Ice, Shadows

January 5- Wood

January 12- Art

January 19- Ice

January 26- Shadows

Join us each week on Friday to see how we individually interpreted the word set before us. Click on the photo below to see the whole month of January as seen through the eyes of four unique and wildly creative photographers.

Mike & Kelsey~ Clinton Michigan Wedding Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 10:00:00 +0000

"Of all the things my eyes have seen, the best by far is you…" Andrew McMahon

Nathan 2017- Pioneer, Ohio- Sycamore Lane Senior Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 10:00:00 +0000

Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude. ~Ralph Marston

January 5-on-5 Documenting The Everyday

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 10:00:00 +0000

I recently saw a post on a photography Facebook page where a photographer mom was asking for tips on how to document the days and moments of her older children. My days of raising babies and toddlers is gone, but my days of teaching, loving and living with my "babies" isn't completely non-existent. Here are my tips for great storytelling images with older children.

Know your children's interests: Is it clothing, makeup, sports, art, dance, Legos, video games, cooking, friends, or cars? For one of my boys it is hunting. The other day I followed him and my husband down to their hunting "room" where they keep all of their hunting gear. A part of me got a little itchy when I thought about others seeing my guys (organized to them) mess and our unfinished basement, with sewer pipes and all, but this is storytelling, right? This is my real, so I stood back and took photos of him getting ready. Pretty simple really, but it is a routine that is extremely common for him and something I don't want to forget.

Make it painless: My boys (20, 17, 15) don't particularly like to have their pictures taken. However, when I ask them if I can take photos of them as they work, play, or learn, they usually will let me. My 17 year old (pictured below) especially does not like to have his picture taken. For about a year he told me he didn't want any senior portraits taken. I agreed with him, no portraits. Instead, I let him get dressed up in his camo and we went out back to our stream. He hunted. I took his senior photos.

Seek them out where they are: Getting my children all together for a photo at this stage in our lives is close to impossible. I have accepted that. At this age they often find quiet places to hang out away from the family unit. That doesn't mean they don't want to be with us. It just means they are striving for independence and their own space. Every so often I will seek them out and take a few photos of them (even if they are on their phone or playing video games).

Use your heart to see: Documenting means to take the photos of life as it is. A posed photo will never tell a deep story. Take the time to open your eyes and heart to what is happening in your children's lives. It may not seem much at the moment to take photos of your sixteen year old with his eyes glued to a screen and a game controller in his hand, but it is reality and it is your life at this moment in time.

Keep it real: Embrace the mess. All three of my boys share a room. Enough said. I need to photograph it. Document it. I need to tell the story of my boys and the life they have now in my home. Our house is pretty simple. Just a ranch home nothing fancy. There have been times I have been reluctant to share my images, because I was playing the comparison game. If you find yourself playing the same game it's time to STOP! Documentary photography isn't about the material possessions we don't have. It's about what we do have, family and memories and love.

Finally,

If it's happening right now, document it!

5-on-5 is a group of documentary photographers capturing the real in their lives through photos. To continue seeing more storytelling through photos head on over to the talented Melissa Clark an Iowa Documentary Photographer.

Alex- Pioneer, Ohio Senior Photographer- Sycamore Lane Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 20:39:00 +0000

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~Henry Stanley Haskins

Brand New- A Storytelling Session- Hillsdale, Michigan Documentary Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 18:09:00 +0000

I met Colin and Aby when they hired me for a maternity session in August. They were the happiest, most easy going couple I have ever photographed. They joked and snuggled and laughed the entire time. They made my job delightful.

So, when I received a text in October that their precious baby girl had made her appearance I was thrilled. I wasn't expecting to here about her birth, but here was a client sharing her joy with me. This is how I want all of my clients to respond. I want to be a part of their joy and memories. It is why I do storytelling sessions.

When I read the text that Aby sent me, I knew I wanted to document this time of having a newborn for them. It is only for a little while and parts of those early days fade from our memories too quickly. I told Aby, I just wanted them to be themselves, not to worry about what their house looked like or what they were wearing.

I was excited when she took me at my word! Too often clients think they need to dress up, coordinate their family, and have their home immaculate when all I really want is to record who they are in the every day. Colin was still in his PJ's after being up all night due to multiple feedings, burpings, and general fussiness of his little daughter. Aby was not dressed to the nines, but instead had comfortable clothes on and no makeup. Their home was clean, but not picked up and organized to perfection. It was them, in their home, just as they are in this moment in time.

It was life and tiredness, newness and learning, hormones and lots of love all wrapped up in a new little family.

It was perfection!

He Chose to Let Hardship Teach- Hillsdale, Michigan Documentary Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 17:26:00 +0000

My husband, Joel, unexpectedly became unemployed about three months ago. It has been an emotional and trying time, but it has also been a time of growing. Hardships give you a choice. You can buckle and crawl under the covers bemoaning your situation. OR you can see it as a time for change, for growth, for new opportunities and for learning.

I have had the joy of watching Joel take this time in our lives and use it to learn, grow and work. He still does not have a permanent job, but God has provided.

Last month he put metal on our elderly, neighbor lady's barn. I was able to take an hour one warm, November afternoon and document how hard he works to support our family. We are truly blessed by his tenacity and perseverance.

He truly lives this out..."Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, (Colossians. 3:23)

December 5-on-5 Hillsdale, Michigan Documentary Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 10:00:00 +0000

My husband became unemployed about three months ago. It was a very emotional and trying time, but God has been so GOOD. He has supplied work for Joel in various places and through various people. Every week he has had some type of employment and my hard working, high energy man has taken it all in stride.

Last month he put metal on our neighbor ladies barn. I was able to take an hour one warm, November afternoon and document how hard he works to support our family. We are truly blessed by his tenacity and perseverance.

He truly lives this out..."Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, (Colossians. 3:23)

This is obviously an addition to my 5 photos, but I had to include it. Joel was taking his scrap lumber up to the burn pit and I just followed along waiting, watching and occasionally snapping a photo. This is documentary photography! Because as I hung back on top of the hill, they began skipping. Nothing forced, no requesting, just them being themselves.

For more great life moments captured through documentary photography check out Melissa who is a Waterloo, Iowa documentary photographer.

Jaycie 2017~ Hillsdale Michigan Senior Photographer- Sycamore Lane Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 19:03:00 +0000

Hitch your wagon to a star. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Senior 2017~ Hillsdale, Michigan Senior Photograher

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 16:33:00 +0000

Don’t live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable.

~Wendy Wasserstein

November 5-on-5:: Southern Michigan Documentary Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Harvest time is the language of my heart. The colors speak deep volumes of a year well spent, the skies shout out moodiness and emotion that wrap around one's soul, the excitement of harvest and yields and dinners for weeks spent with grandma and grandpa call us to a better understanding of love and home.
It seems to be speak straight to my daughter's heart, too. Whenever the combine is running she wants to be out in the fields.
Our last opportunity to roam the dry, rattling, over the head corn and pick our way through the rows of broken stubble in search of hidden gold came on a glorious fall day. It was enchanting and glorious and as near to perfection as is possible.

For more 5-on-5 documentary, storytelling photography head on over to see Melissa Kayser - St. Charles, MO Documentary Family Photographer's 5 photos for this month.

Megan 2017- Hillsdale, Michigan Senior Photographer- Sycamore Lane Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 20:57:00 +0000

And this is the part where you find out who you are- Author Unknown

Aby & Colin- Southern Michigan Maternity Photographer- Sycamore Lane Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 11:37:00 +0000

I begin to love this little creature, and to anticipate his birth as a fresh twist to a knot which I do not wish to untie. ~Mary Wollstonecraft

I don't think I have ever had more fun with a couple than I did with Aby and Colin. When Aby first contacted me she warned me that they didn't not usually feel super comfortable getting their photos taken. I assured her I would make them as comfortable as possible.

Well our time together totally blew my expectations out of the water. Aby and Colin were so relaxed and natural. They laughed at one another and Colin was all about getting in Aby's space, so that made for some very intimate and beautiful photos.

These photos! This is what I want to capture at every session!

A Day on Grandpa Smith's Farm~ Southern Michigan Documentary Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 15:17:00 +0000

When the summer winds were warm and the sun was high, I met with my sister and her family to capture a day of her life with her husband and four beautiful children. We explored Grandpa's farm, checking out the fields and enjoying the coolness of the woods with a fun Kabota ride. Then it was time for dirt and bubbles and rakes and buckets and pine cones... lots of pine cones.

These photos capture the life of my sister's family perfectly telling a story of what it is like with three young sons and a brand new baby girl. It is the beauty of documentary photography. It goes beyond the formal and posed, capturing real life and memories as they happen.

October 2016:: 5-on-5 Southern Michigan Documentary Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 09:00:00 +0000

We saw summer out and autumn in last weekend with a little bit of camping. We did a lot of biking riding, campfire gazing, outdoor eating, and laughing.

It was fantastic.

The above photos count as my 5-on-5. This is just a bonus photo... because she sums our weekend up so nicely.

Follow along on our 5-on-5 blog circle to see what the talented Jennifer Krafchik, Maryland lifestyle documentary family photographer, documented this month.

Davianna & Sergio- Sycamore Lane Wedding Photographer- Mid-Michigan Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 16:54:00 +0000

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
– Maya Angelou

Libby & Dustin~ Mid- Michigan Wedding Photographer- Sycamore Lane Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 14:39:00 +0000

“Where there is love there is life.”– Mahatma Gandhi

September 2016 5-on-5

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Summer wouldn't be complete without our trips to Lake Michigan. Every year of my life, as far back as I can remember, I have spent time gazing, playing, and soaking in the perfection that is this lake. I couldn't imagine a summer without glimpsing the beauty and power of this great body of water. My soul is connected through memories and time.

This summer was no exception, even though our group was small in number, just my mom, two of my children and myself. The biggest thing I took away from our time in the sand, sun and waves was peace, blessed peace. It washed over me like the cold water that swirled around my feet.

It was what I needed and God knew it. Just a time to rest, enjoy, and be a family.

Journey on through our blog circle and see what wonderful stories are being told. Check out Melissa Kayser, a St. Charles documentary family photographer, who captures life's stories as they happen.

Taylor 2017 Senior~ Sycamore Lane Photography~ Hillsdale, Michigan Senior Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 18:45:00 +0000

She believed she could so she did.

Ryan & Sabrina- Hillsdale Michigan Engagement Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Bowers) — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 10:42:00 +0000

I choose you.

And I'll choose you over and over and over.

Without pause,

Without a doubt,

In a heartbeat.

I'll keep choosing you.