BOSTON CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER, BOSTON FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER, BOSTON NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER

As most people know, I have very few images of myself with my family. I also have very few images of my family that are actually edited. I had the best intentions of producing a slideshow for the kid’s birthdays in July, but at 1,300 “fav” images and about 1/10 of those edited, having not even reached 2011, I had to throw in the towel. In short, I suck. When get into those “God Forbid something should happen to me” modes, one of the first things I worry about is “who will ever edit all those images for my kids?” [Don't you worry, some of you have been named for the task.]

Anyway, rarely do I plan a session for friends, in advance, and have it executed to perfection. Friends, and I love you dearly, often have a habit of rescheduling, not really prepping, running in on short notice, or waiting until the last minute. As you all know, I live and die for my friends and so honestly, I am giving you all the business, I love doing your sessions no matter what the time or circumstances. But for this, Jen & Missy really planned. They brought dinner for the kiddos (big yummy cups of Mac-n-Cheese), delicious foccacia and spreads fresh from the market, and of course a host of beverages that made our red Silo cups proud. With that, we had some insane early fall weather, the most perfect sunset, and accommodating kids (excluding, perhaps, some moments with mine). I have long since believed that pretty much any problem in the world can be solved if you are barefoot with a stiff cocktail at the beach when the sun is going down… and not that we had problems to solve, but there is something about it that makes you not want to be anywhere else in the world.

It was such a fun night, and I happily handed over my camera so the girls could shoot some of me… and once we established that the “red dot” goes on the face (not on Bandit chasing Brighton in the background), we were all set and I am so happy we captured what we did.

I should note that the most willing participants of the evening were the four rockin’ rescue dogs we brought with us. We love our dogs. We saved them each from a different fate, but surely one that would have had a terrible end, and I think we can all say our lives are better for having them with us.

Mine.  Did you forget what they looked like?   I will tell you that there is one thing that is way harder then them growing up.  And that is Brighton losing his puppy coat.  That soft hair is gone.  My boy is all grown up.

But look at these two belligerent faces. “Sit next to each other and smile” is so far out of their comprehension.

This one is simply evidence that not everything I plant dies.

And these two are my favorites because each image is the epitome of each child’s personality.

I have very definitively said that we are a good family of four. All along we’ve known that we’d be a family of four + one and the “plus one” would be a dog. When we lived in Brighton, we longed for a Coon Hound. We’d already named her Ellie (a female version of Elvis). We talked about all the places we’d take her. Then we met an amazing little spirited Chessie, Tequila, and though she was not with this world for long, she made an indelible impression on us, as did her successor Buoy. So we added an imaginary male Chessie, Brighton, to our conversations. In the next four years we moved, had another baby, left jobs, started new ones and after months of potty training training and wiping bums, we thought maybe we should wait a little longer before we had to scoop any more poop.

During this time I started following some rescue groups on Facebook. We started chit-chatting about the Myopia hounds. Still, not really the right time. But then I saw a listing for three male Chessies, possibly pure bred, found wandering down the street in South Carolina. We filled out the application. Who knows. Ten days later, no one had claimed them. Still, who knows. But we got to thinking… yes, our life is hectic. But when will it not be? Yes, our kids are little. But that also means we are way less scheduled then we’ll be in a year when they are less little (it also means that I am home with them two days a week). Yes, we work a lot. But we work from home most of the time, and my new studio (more on that later) is dog friendly when sessions are not in progress. We live in a great town, on a road with a river, and we have an acre. Why not?

And so Sunday morning, the lovely pups made their way to Topsfield, via some incredibly loving and caring people that helped to make it all happen: Heather, from New England Lab Rescue; Laura, the amazing driver who brought them to us; Terri Lee, such a good friend and confidante and protector of those who cannot protect themselves; Jen, who listens to everything I say and worry about, and Lyne, who selflessly agreed to foster the two brothers that we didn’t adopt.

Yes, I was gunning for two dogs, hell, three… no, we didn’t get more than one. It was a tough decision, but in truth, the very minute that I laid eyes on “Big Lumpy,” I knew that he was the boy for us. He was the biggest (perhaps tracking to over 80 lbs), the calmest, and the hairiest. He is a love. And so our “plus one” is here: Brighton Fudgie McNugget Big Lumpy Young.

If you happen to know anyone that knows about the Chessie breed and is looking to adopt a smart, active and wonderful 5-7 month old male, please email me for details… the brothers are still available and up for adoption.

[Brighton is wearing a red leash and a brown or red collar... the other two in blue and green are available].
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Apparently I can’t work on Monday mornings.  I sat down to try to finish the post I started LAST Monday morning and again started editing old images.  So I decided to give myself permission to edit my own images, once a week.  Monday mornings, when I can’t seem to get the ball rolling.

These are from a very perfect August evening last summer.  We sort of did house stuff all day and swam in the pool, and then around 3PM packed up some cold ones and snacks and headed to Crane Beach, one of our favorite beaches.  Owen was talking about how Long Island beaches have such tremendous surf (and they really do!), so it was a let down when he moved up here (he surfs).  However, now he understands the benefit of a gradual decline into the ocean, and lovely little sand bars that pop up at low tide — perfect for containing our children in knee deep water.

This was a lovely, dreamy day that probably ended with grilling or Clam Box takeout… I think everyone in town had the same night that night… summer-end perfection.

[Disclaimer: I will probably use the images of Christofer for a wonderful tutorial about blowing the red channel at sunset on the beach.  I see it over and over and it makes me cringe.  So although I love these for my own, there are technical reasons as to why  they probably are not good enough to show a client.  If you are confused  as to why I say that, stay tuned.]

I have a nice, long, informative post about decorating and displays in draft.  As I go searching for my example images, I find a folder that isn’t housed with my usual family images, but instead tucked away from the day I was testing my gear for repeated focus issues.  I remember the day and then remember that I need to send my gear into Canon for a quick check up.  I start looking for my Canon labels.  I come back to the folder and look at the images and think about how much I love my kids, and how unfair it is to them that the majority of their life is either captured on an iPhone, or stored in lost folders that are only opened by chance.  I start to edit.  I start to blog.  Photoshop freezes.  I reboot. I make a cup of tea.  I come up and start on my display post.  I remember these.  And finally I finish a task.  In case you ever wonder where you images go, now you know.

Just a day in September.  I’m having an existential crisis about gear.  They are just being intrinsically them.  Oh how happy they make me.

I was VERY close to not blogging these images of Christofer out of total embarrassment that he is again wearing that red Appaman t-shirt that is actually a hand-me-down from Teddy & Beau.  Clearly it’s the only thing I dress him in, according to my photographs.  Aren’t I going to be embarrassed when I finally make books and Christofer is wearing THE.EXACT.SAME.OUTFIT in every image?

That said, every single pixel in every single one of these images simultaneously makes me smile and breaks my heart into a million pieces.  They make me sing when I see my boy gripping his beloved trains, they make me scared because I love him so much and they make me hurt because I will spend my life trying to protect him and keep him safe.  I never imagined it was possible to have an extension of my soul in someone else’s body.

Then there is this girl. As Owen says, she is the Master of my World. My mother just laughs and says “You just wait until 8th grade when you are chasing her down the street screaming because she’s wearing blue eyeliner to school.” Honestly, my life is catering to her every want and need. Five nights out of every week she’s in the middle of our bed, stretched out, yelling her demands even in her sleep (“Where’s my nah-nah… get me my sophie!”). But really, how can I not love her with everything I’ve got? She is, after all, the most beautiful girl in the world. She is my “I-do-it-by-myself-changing-outfits-5-times-a-day-laughing-singing-screeching-teeny-tiny-pick-me-uppie-very-silly-girl” girl. She will be voted “most likely to jump into life with both feet.” She will break a thousand hearts I fear.

[Her outfit is courtesy of Estelle at Kenzie Kids. Don't you love it?!]