Jul
25
2013As a twin mama myself, I get super excited about Greenville SC newborn twin photography. A newborn twin photography session that a friend gifted my family was my introduction to newborn photography. I was so happy to give this session to a new twin mama.
This family’s everyday ordinary is nothing but extraordinary. There are 5 children 4 years of age and under: a four year old, two year old twins, and a set of newborn twins.
Two sets of twins in just over 2 years.
As I finished up my session, Jordan recalled the story of finding out they were pregnant with their second set of twins.
“The nurse knew we had a set of twins already. She calmly whispered, ‘Here’s baby A and here’s baby B.’
“I fell to the floor on my knees and just started crying and exclaiming ‘Thank you, Jesus!’
“Other nurses came in and a bunch of them were crying with me. They told me ‘I’ve never seen a dad so excited about his children.’
“‘Why not?’ I said. ‘Children are blessings from the Lord. I’m such a blessed man.'”
Jordan and Jennifer, it was such a joy to photograph your children. I know your days seem like eternities right now. I know how hard it is to mother twin toddlers and one baby and I can only imagine a four year old, twin toddlers, and twin newborns. Your level of exhaustion must seem endless, but hang on. Your work is holy work as those five blessings grow. Holy work often messy, but more rewarding than any other work.
Jul
24
2013
It’s Wednesday here at Quiet Graces and that means today is the day where wives are digging in to the dirt in our own marriage and, with God’s grace, growing it better wives. Today Elizabeth is sharing an important challenge to not let our days slip away without intentional contact.
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It’s a summer thing. The deck sit. We light tiki torches and a few citronella candles. We pull out the special reclining chairs.
We read.{Tablets and smart phones facilitate this, though we’ve been known to try to read regular books or magazines by the light spilling from the French doors.}
We listen to music, thanks to Bob, who’s wired speakers out to the deck, piping Sirius/XM’s “Spectrum” station {our favorite} out into the night air.
We talk, too. It’s something about being side-by-side like that without any expectation for talk that ironically draws it out.
But, this summer tradition has all but vanished. An unusually rainy season has enveloped at least half of our Friday nights — even if the day itself has been sunny, it seems the storms roll in right around 6 p.m. Trips and activities have taken up at least three or so weekends, and while fun, they’ve left us a bit spent. And, an extended family situation has come up that’s been taking much of my husband’s energies and attentions – and rightly so – when he hasn’t been traveling.
I’ve also been busy preparing a book proposal for a conference (link: http://seasonswithsoul.
In fact, I have to admit that I’ve failed pretty spectacularly at being an intentional wife since my last post here.
I haven’t had a goal {other than a really fuzzy, overly general, never articulated “serve my husband and support him”}. I haven’t memorized pertinent scripture. I haven’t journaled or meditated or even spent much time in prayer over it.
The summer days, so utterly without structure {except for a week of VBS or Girl Scout camp here and there}, have just washed over us, and by the time they end {as late as 10-11 p.m. – for my newly minted night owl girls}, I just want to cry “Uncle!” and curl up in a ball – rather than be there for my husband.
But, I miss him. It’s ironic because Bob works from home; his office is in our basement, and he pops up throughout the day for a coffee or bathroom break, or to grab lunch. We’ll exchange a few quick words – usually about the day’s activities or an errand we need to run. And though we’re around each other most days, we are passing each other, tossing directives or quick, distracted bursts of conversation. We look at each other, but we don’t really see each other.
So, this past Friday night, I was determined to have our deck sit, no matter what. Right on cue, the dark clouds rolled in around 6:15 while Bob was grilling dinner, and it was pouring by the time we sat at the table. But, the skies began to clear, and we let the kids veg, playing video games for a half hour or so inside, while we pulled out slightly damp chairs and sat together. All too soon, we were interrupted.
Being both a couple and parents isn’t easy. All too often, we submit to the tyranny of the urgent {i.e., kid and home duties} and tell ourselves it’s ok when we’re too tired to be lovers. We tell ourselves it’s okay to just survive the day, and look past each other at night, when we should be drawing close to each other – physically and emotionally.
It’s not okay to give up on our marriages by placing them at the bottom of our to-do lists. It’s not okay to use up all our energies being parents and household drudges and have nothing left for our relationships. (<–Click to Tweet)
So, while I have not been intentional this past month, I have been craving my husband’s support and attention and affection – even though I don’t always show it. {And, that’s big news for this fiercely independent and sometimes standoffish wife.} And, I’ve been proud of him, how he’s handling difficult situations, how he’s been building me up with support for this conference.
I’m hoping you’ll join me, fellow moms and wives, in intentionally desiring your husbands more this coming month. That will be my goal. Crave their conversation, their touch, their opinions, their input. Tell them about your plan. {Use the words “crave” or “desire” and earn bonus points!}
And, pray. Pray when your heart wants to tally up his wrongs. Pray when you are disappointed about his shortcomings. Pray after you lose it and blow up at him. And then, pray some more.
Jul
23
2013Class Notes
If you’ve been with me since the beginning, I miss you in the Flickr Pool. However, it’s summer. Life is busy and vacations are happening. I get that. Don’t forget to jump in again when life slows down. I really can’t wait to see the summer fun you’ve captured with your lens when things start cooling off again!
If you’re new to my class, welcome! Jump in where ever you want and start posting in the Flickr Pool. Just label your assignment so we know how to give you critique 🙂
Here’s where I’m headed. The rest of the summer will likely be spent on studying using light. In September, we’ll be taking a break from assignments and studying a few informative areas of photography. This will be your chance to catch up and just keep practicing. In October, class members will choose a final project (woo hoo!!) and I’ll talk about photo perspectives with a few little assignments. In November and December, I’ll touch on beginning editing. And during January, I’ll be showcasing each of my students’ final projects (which hopefully ya’ll can get posted in between drinking eggnog and enjoying Christmas cookies).
Now this is a week of really quick definitions and then sweet but short little assignments. We’re studying the types of natural light and how they’re used primarily in portraiture
Full Sun
I typically think of the full sun hours as being between 9 am and 3 pm. The sun is high overhead, bright and harsh, and casts unflattering shadows across noses and eye sockets. Honestly, I try to avoid full sun at all costs: instead I seek out open shade. Truth be told: adventurous preschoolers sometimes make the search for open shade impossible.
Here’s our little case study image. Do you see the deep shadows made by her hat, nose, and up under her hands? All those shadows are a result of the direct intense mid-day sun.
The best thing to do in Full Sun when you can’t find open shade is to look for natural light reflectors that will reflect light back into the subject’s face. Had I turned Aeralind to image left the lake behind her would have been reflecting light into her face to dissipate the shadows some. Natural light reflectors include water, concrete, and sand. If you wanted to modify the light with a purchased reflector that would work as well. Here’s a nice cheap reflector, but I’ve also used white poster board in a pinch! Again, we’ll go over the use of reflectors at a later point.
Full Sun Assignment
Take 1 photo in full sun. Do one of the following (or both for you overachievers):
- Use the shadows created in full sun to emphasize an aspect of your subject.
- Place your subject in such a way that a natural reflector is pushing light back into your subject. It might help to have an obedient subject who will patiently wait while you direct them in circles to find the best angle of reflection. Actually, images of annoyed husbands or wives would pretty much crack me up!
Shade
Open Shade
If I have to shoot during the day, I methodically hunt down open shade. Open shade is full shade, very near where the sun shines. Found under awnings or trees or the shadows of buildings, open shade is best used with a subject positioned so that they are side lit or front lit by the sun. Ready for my incredible graphic skills again? Here goes!
This would be where the photographer and subject would be positioned with either the subject facing fully into the light or turned at an angle to it. Got it?
This is my niece Brooklyn (isn’t she a doll?) playing under the open shade of a twisty slide and facing out toward the sunny parts. She how she’s evenly lit without any harsh shadows. I love open shade during mid-day (or early evening as was the case here).
Beware of Dappled Shade
Open shade is fully covered. It’s ideal and often easy to find. Dappled shade is not ideal. Dappled shade is when light is filtering through shade-creating object. The best example of this is when sun filters through tree leaves. This type of shade produces some parts of the image having shaded light and some portions brightly lit by sunlight. Avoid this for portraits. Use it if you like for dramatic landscapes 🙂
Dappled shade at it’s not so finest. Tree leaves filtering and it looks like a tree trunk across his sister’s back. 🙂
Open Shade Assignment
Find some open shade. Play around. Take some images. Enjoy! 🙂
Golden Hour
Golden Hour occurs twice a day: once about 30 minutes to an hour after sunrise and the second time about an hour an a half to an hour before sunset.
This light is magical. The sun is too low to produce dramatic shadows. The reds and pinks and oranges in the sky produce a lovely golden glow. It’s wonderful for back lit portraits and front lit portraits won’t find your subject squinting. I love everything about the Golden Hour.
Three images taken at Golden Hour on the same day (two by my husband who’s almost mastered the mechanics of manual mode and has no idea how to light images properly…. well, until after he reads this series :-p).
Enough said about golden hour. 🙂
Golden Hour Assignment
Go take images during one of the golden hour periods. Please try to post less than 10 images taken during golden hour, ok? I know it’s a hard task… enjoy that light though. It’s yummy.
Post all your images to the Quiet Graces Free Beginner Photography Class Flickr Pool and leave some critique for the others in the group! Can’t wait to see you begin to paint with light.
Jul
22
2013I’ve only been out of the Eastern Time Zone two times. So it’s sort of a dream come true to announce to you that I’ll be doing some traveling mini-sessions on the Illinois side of St. Louis, MO.
Julia and her husband Brad (that’s them in the photos!) have graciously invited us out to play and to mix a little business with our pleasure by photographing in her gardens. They’re gorgeous! Have a look-see by clicking here.
You’ll notice that this lifestyle family mini-session is only $150 where I’ve mentioned on my Investment page that these would be $200. Next year they will be (both local and if I travel again), but the fall sessions this year will be discounted 🙂 If you’re in Greenville and would love a lifestyle family mini-session, my newsletter subscribers are learning about that date today. Subscribe and you’ll find out, in addition to receiving a free copy of 7 Tips for Real Pictures of your Everyday Beautiful-Mess.
I’m looking forward to capturing these northerners playing in a beautiful garden and making fun of my southern drawl. It’s going to be a blast!
Jul
19
2013
When Your Temper Scares You: Some Suggestions for Defusing
“There’s no rage like the exhausted rage of motherhood.
These aren’t the things they don’t talk about in the parenting books, or play groups, or coffee dates. How you will one day lose your ever-loving mind because two boys sat and watched their sister pour an entire bottle of purple Motrin all over the beige carpet and didn’t think to stop her.”
Kill Anger Before it Kills You or Your Marriage
“Therefore, one of the greatest battles of life is the battle to “put away anger,” not just control its expressions. To help you fight this battle, here are nine biblical weapons.”
From Sinful to Sinless Anger
This is steamrolling me and my temper every time.
From Sinful To Sinless Anger from North Hills Community Church on Vimeo.
