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Baby Portrait

Today's half of the Maternity/Baby Portrait workshop we had a 10-day-old newborn and the family.

The students had the chance to photograph the infant.

What a precious baby and what a great keepsake this will be for the family.

Another Test

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The phone rang.  I don't usually answer it until I hear who's calling.

But the phone was right next to me, so I looked at the caller ID.  It was the hospital.  Uh oh !

I had a mammogram yesterday.  "This can't be good news",  I thought.  I heard the voice saying, "we see something and we want you to come in for another test".

I've already started planning how to get rid of my possessions so the kids won't have to do it.

I'm over-reacting.  I know it.

We made the appointment.  Next week.  Too long, but the soonest they could get me in.

God is in control.  I can rest in His Hands.  Thank God I can do that !

I had already planned on trying a new recipe for dinner and making cookies.

So I got busy doing that.

A good distraction??  Kind of.  Not good enough though.

But when I got to the cookies, and thinking about how I was going to photograph them, and then actually photographing them...yes !

God and photography, the cheapest anti-depressants I know.

the best gingersnap cookies ever

Storm Aid

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Last year at the end of August, a hurricane ripped through our area.  Very much out of character for the weather here in upstate NY.  It devastated several communities, leaving them in severe shock and overwhelming destruction.

Clean-up efforts began immediately and once that was taken care of, the rebuilding began.

Ten months later, some of the homes and businesses have been put back together, but some are still in various degrees of restoration.  Fundraisers continue.

Today the Altamont Fairgrounds hosted one of those fundraisers, Storm Aid. Various vendors, a bouncy house, bands,  face painters, a caricaturist, horse show & competition and an old car show were just some of the activities on site.  

Sadly, it was not well attended.  But there will be more, and I guess any amount of money donated to the rebuilding of the community is better than none.

It occurred to me as I was walking around taking photos that I could use my images to give a completely different story.  I could make it appear as though there were scads of people, that the action never stopped, and that the funds raised were significant.

Instead I just photographed what appealed to me and what I thought would give

a good representation of the afternoon's event.

Today's Tattoo

Jackie and I were sitting outside Starbuck's this afternoon, enjoying our coffee, the weather and our conversation. While we were talking, I watched about 1/2 dozen guys pass by with awesome tattoos, but since I was "talking story" with Jackie, I didn't chase after them.

Eventually her phone rang and while she was taking care of the call, two young men walked by, and I noticed that one had an awesome tattoo on his arm that I just couldn't resist. So I trotted after them, shamelessly I might add, and asked permission to photograph the artwork. The guy I was talking to indicated that his friend also had a tattoo, so it was a two-for-one opportunity for me. I just happened to have my camera in the car, along with a notebook and pen--so I was able to get some background information to go along with the artwork.

This is the tattoo that first caught my attention--a Celtic cross.

The guys were very nice and very cooperative--I was even able to get a model release from them. They're military, need I say more?

Posted at 7 pm on Monday, March 9, 2009