From Albania, With Love

Help me choose...

So for more than a month I've needed to photograph Ellie and Reni for the A Caring Touch Pediatrics 2012 wall display... Given that I had an offer from Caitlin to help me photograph the kiddos this afternoon, we took advantage of her and the dreamy weather and drove across the street to the University's semi-circle to finally "snap a few pics."  The first two are my favorites, but I can't decide which I like better!  Any thoughts?

I was SO sad that the sun went behind a cloud for most in the next series, after I finally got them settled down and cooperating again... and that even with Caitlin's help I couldn't both direct them into the right positions and take the photos at the same time (I was shooting on my stomach to be nice and low)!  For a boy with no feet, Reni doesn't stay in the same place very long!

Here's one with the sun:

Then it's gone... see what a difference?

By this point in time... they were done for!  But all in all, I thought this year was much easier than last!

In keeping with the fun of "Sunday Snapshot", I'll share a bit about I how took these images... they were shot on a Canon 5D Mark II, 70-200mm 2.8 lens.  I positioned the kids with their backs to the sun to provide a nice rim light (it's so much more interesting and dramatic!). My camera was set to 200 ISO, f-stop of 5.6, at 1/200 of a second, using an off-camera flash at 1/4 power with umbrella to provide fill light (fired using Pocket Wizards).  To finish the images, I added vignetting in Lightroom and ran a skin retouching filter in Photoshop to even out their skin and cover up some mosquito bites (removed some marker on Reni's hand with the patch tool) and sharpened their eyes with a Pioneer Woman free action.  Whew!

"Sequence"

The first photo, and my favorite.

Okay, folks.  This photo challenge thing is HARD!  I mean, I can photograph a 'thing' pretty easily, but a 'concept' or an idea takes more time and creativity than this busy mama has on her hands these days.  I'm taking the easy way out and for my "sequence" I'm posting a sequence of photos of the kiddos.  Funny how when I want to take their photo, they're not in the mood.  But when I'm photographing something else (like a wedding album that arrived today), they get jealous that they're not the object of my attention.  So here goes... Ellie and Reni on Thursday afternoon, just before naptime (and right after playing 'ambulance' -- that Kenyan bracelet was Reni's bandage).

Straight out of camera, shot on the 35mm 1.4. ISO 2000, f/2.2, 1/320. This lens might stay on my camera for a long, long time.  Slight vignetting added in Lightroom.

Now to go packing the car!  Illinois, here we come!

Anatomy of a Blog Picture with my Children

The other day I was photographing something (not my children) and Ellie all of a sudden requested that I take a picture of her!  This doesn't happen very often (that kids pictures are her suggestion) so I happily agreed.  She suggested that we recreate the portrait of Reni and her which is now hanging over our fireplace.  You can see it here.

The following is what ensued.  I share it here to show that before I can get a good snapshot, there's usually many, many that fall prey to the 'delete' key.

Could Reni look more bored?  He's thinking, "C'mon!  Let me get back to my Christian biographies!"

Now he's smiling because he still doesn't mind his photo being taken.  Ellie's forgotten how to smile naturally.

Reni has realized that Ellie's older sister tendencies have really started to manifest themselves after 7 months of emerging and he doesn't like it.

Ellie realizes she can't 'hug' his arm, so she goes in for a kiss.

Does this need a caption?

Or this?

Reni leverages his accumulated upper body strength and throws off his sister.
Ellie, just wait til he gets bigger!

Not bad, but Ellie's a little overly excited by something her daddy must be doing behind me.

Aren't you just a little curious to know what Nathan's doing to elicit this reaction?

This might be our winner of the set.  Love how they're holding hands.

And this is what came right after it.  Gotta love those smiles!

Daddy's sillyness continues to tickle them...

And this, friends, is the smile that we celebrate learning of, almost one year ago... a big anniversary is approaching!

"Beloved...

... let us love one another.  For love is of God, and everyone who loveth, is born of God and knoweth God.  He that loveth not, knoweth not God for God is love..."  I John 4:7-8