Twenty-four years ago today, Caitlin Rose (aka rosey-toes) came into my world. No one on earth like her, we’ve had an amazing journey together. Learned so much from each other. Live each day to the fullest, my love. Mama.
LOVE the beach!
watermelon girl!
in the sandbox...
Caitlin Rose
There’s something about a new life…that takes my breath away, that refreshes me, that reminds me of all the wonder and simple beauty in the world… Ecaterina is as beautiful as her name, and welcomed by her adoring family. Happy spring!
Ecaterina
Welcome to the family, Ecaterina!
Eight little feet, ready for adventures
Two families from Michigan came together with two from California to create these amazing portraits that captured those moments in time…with truly magical light!!! It was such a pleasure to work with the children and adults alike, not just because they’re really cool people, but because they value great photography and the preservation of moments like this. I love love love what I do! …and am so blessed to work with such special people!
The entire family!
The Grandkids
The Parents & Grandparents
Eli, Samantha Kate, and Jacob
Ben, Andy and Laura Kate
On February 5, I had the pleasure and privilege of photographing baby Julia and her family. Julia had just come home from Stanford’s Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital the day before…where she had spent eight of the eleven weeks of her life. With her mom, dad, sister, and two grandmothers watching over her, she enjoyed three more days with her family. Her memorial is this Saturday, and friends and family from around the country will be in attendance to celebrate her short but valiant life.
As you might guess, this brings up so many different emotions for me. Not while I’m photographing, because then, I’m totally in the moment…like an ER doc, doing what I need to do to get the job done, in the most brilliant way I can. But later, when I’m editing the images in the wee hours of the morning…looking at their faces, and feeling their pain, their joy…their profound sadness. I think of my kids…how healthy and alive they are. I think of kids around the world…so many in desperate need of food or shelter, or loving parents. And I think of the challenges that we all face as we live our lives.
Yesterday, a photographer friend posted a quote that had been shared with me almost fifteen years ago by my dear friend Carol Carnevale, beautifully hand written in purple ink on floral paper…and I’d like to post it here to share with you. It’s just as true today as it was fifteen years ago…enjoy!
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company – a church – a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past – we cannot change the inevitable. The only things we can do is play on the one thing we have, and that is our attitude – I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you – we are in charge of our attitudes. Chuck Swindoll
Julia in her parents' hands
Julia with her family
Like many kids, my son had been wanting a dog for some time. As Chris approached his 12th birthday, I figured he might be ready to take on the responsibility, and could benefit from the experience…little did I know! After a bit of searching, we found Roxy, or rather she found Chris. While sitting in the yard with several puppies from the litter, Roxy was so curious and attentive, she and Chris hit it off right away.
As soon as she was old enough to attend puppy classes, we were there…me (the driver), Chris (the owner and trainer), and little sister Cait (the assistant). Roxy loved school and did well…heck, there were treats whenever she did what Chris wanted! Eventually we graduated to more advanced classes, and Roxy and Chris continued to tighten the bond between them. In one class competition, Chris was instructed to give consecutive commands to Roxy…and the winner would be the dog and owner who reached the highest number. Every other dog in the class had gotten bored and wandered off, but when Roxy exceeded 100 consecutive commands executed perfectly, the instructor (tired of waiting) declared that Roxy and Chris were the undisputed winners!
Aside from the dog obedience classes, Chris walked Roxy every morning and after school, fed her, bathed her, and trained her to potty in one spot outside (to make his job easier)…as promised! Admittedly, Roxy had to cooperate with this regime, so kudos to her, but the boy had to follow through. And they became the best of friends. She joined us in the car for after school and sports pickups and all his friends came to know Roxy and crowded the car to shower her with love.
Friends and neighbors took notice of Chris and Roxy…”what a dog!…what a boy!” One day I got a call from a friend, telling me of an eight year old boy who was dying of bone cancer. His parents wanted to grant his wish of a puppy, and had heard about Chris and his dog. They wondered where we’d gotten Roxy so they could get one for their son, Matthew. As we chatted, I realized this little guy had no more than six months to live, and that time would include many trips to Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital for treatment. I didn’t see how a puppy was going to fit in that equation. When Chris and Cait got home from school that day, I told them about the phone call. They agreed that a new puppy would be a handful for a boy with only one leg…who would also be busy going back and forth to the hospital. We agreed that we would share Roxy with Matthew and his family…so Matthew could enjoy training and playing with a dog, without having to raise a puppy!
Roxy adapted well to her second family and to Matthew’s limitations. She was patient as Matthew walked her in the neighborhood, waited at the bottom of the stairs for him to come down every morning, and would rest her head on Matthew when he was too weak to get up and play. Matthew’s wish to have a puppy became a reality, and Roxy was the perfect fit.
Sadly, after about four months, Matthew passed away. I can only imagine how it feels to lose a child, and this little guy had such an amazing spirit and positive outlook…I know he’ll never be forgotten. And for the last ten years or so, Roxy has often reminded us of Matthew…and to be thankful for the lives we’ve been given. She continued to love her walks, treats, affection…and Chris.
Last week, after fifteen special years, our beloved Roxy said goodbye. She will be remembered as a remarkable dog…who had a good life…with two very special boys. We miss you, Roxy!
In the last 50 or so years, there have been numerous advances in our understanding of how to preserve our treasures for future generations. These ‘treasures’ are our photographs and other works of art, books, documents, and physical artifacts. Essentially, we try to control environmental factors that would otherwise contribute to the deterioration of these ‘organic’ materials. These factors include temperature (cooler is better), relative humidity (between 30-50%), pests and pollutants (protection from), and light exposure (limited, including UV and IR).
We might choose to display photographic prints in frames on our walls, in an album for viewing, or a box for storing. [Preservation of digital files will be discussed in a coming blog.] In all cases, we want to select ways to display or store our photographs that stabilize them and sustain their survival as long as possible in the original form.
When framing, look for mount board and mats that are made from cotton fibers or wood pulp that are acid-free and lignin-free, with a neutral or alkaline pH (7.0 or greater), including the sizing compound used. They should also be buffered with something like calcium carbonate. I use Alphamat and Alpharag ArtCare by Nielsen Bainbridge for mounting and matting. For storing photographs in either a matted album or a box, make sure these comply with the same standards.
Glass or acrylic are often used to further protect wall art from the environment. Depending on the size of the framed photograph and it’s location, I use either Museum Glass or UV Resistant Acrylic. Museum Glass is picture framing glass with conservation grade UV protection that has a nearly invisible finish and effectively blocks up to 99% of harmful indoor and outdoor UV light rays. This is my first choice, except for large pieces or art that resides in high traffic areas. My favorite alternative is UV Resistant Acrylic, which filters out 98% of damaging UV rays that exist in both natural and artificial light sources. Both provide superior protection from fading and aging due to light exposure. Note that Museum Acrylic is available, but the cost is still prohibitive for most uses.
Obviously, the worst situation is to do nothing – to stuff your photographs or other treasures in an old shoe box under the bed or in the attic. The chances are great that they are deteriorating, beyond repair. For these images, I suggest you find some archival storage boxes and relocate the images in a location with stable temperature and humidity, away from pests, pollutant and exposure to light. Someday, I hope you’ll find a way to display them so you can enjoy them!
The next worst situation is to intend or assume that you are preserving your treasured art, when indeed, you are not. This is the case with framing that may look good, but was actually done using inferior (not archival) materials and handling.
Going forward, take the time to find a framer who understands archival preservation and is willing to help you with this ‘functional’ aspect of framing. ‘Form’ or design is also important [yet another coming blog] but design won’t matter if the framing doesn’t preserve and protect your art.
Master framer at S.F. Framing, Sunnyvale, CA www.sfframing.com
Whenever I choose my favorite images, or have a client do so, it’s apparent that something more than a pretty face, a smile, a beautiful setting, or amazing lighting grabs our attention. There is something in certain images that makes our hearts sing. It causes these images to rise above the others.
The ’something’, in my view, is emotion. Whether it’s the emotion we observe among the subjects in the image, like the playful affection of father and son below…or the emotion we feel as we notice the familiar twinkle in the eye of a loved one…emotion is the element that takes a picture showing what we look like, and elevates it to an image of who we are.
When taking pictures of your own family and friends, keep this in mind. Three suggestions that make it more likely you’ll get those special images:
Previously, I wrote about a wonderful family I’d photographed last year while mom was battling serious illness. Sadly, Cammy passed away on May 9th, 2011. She leaves behind her amazing smile, her faith in God, sense of humor and positive attitude…for all, but especially her children. Rest in peace, Cammy.
Last week I was introduced to this bright young gentleman who shares his passion for ensuring a sustainable future by speaking on behalf of an organization called ‘Inconvenient Youth’ www.inconvenientyouth.org. Inconvenient Youth is a place where teenagers can share their inconvenient actions and ideas to help solve the climate crisis. Check it out for yourself and your kids…pretty cool! The garden, next to the pond, was the perfect setting for his business portrait. And, he’s as impressive as he is handsome…made me think twice as I handed him a bottled water. My action: I’ll start serving water in reusable water glasses and ditch the plastic bottles.
It was such a pleasure to photograph this graduating high school senior! The temperature outdoors was a little cooler than the days before (thankfully) and the dappled sun in the garden provided the perfect backdrop for this delightful young woman. Her smile was amazing and set the mood for the entire day. We had photographed her older sister five years ago and wanted to capture her unique personality in a similar way to display in their home. Our very best wishes for Clary and all graduating seniors set to make a difference in the world!
