We went to my parents’ for Christmas Eve. We ate, opened gifts and then the dancing began. All the girls are now taking Irish dance lessons and we had an impromptu recital.
Atticus doesn’t take dance lessons, but that doesn’t stop him from joining in when the dancing begins.
My brother doesn’t take lessons either, but like my boy, he joined in and his performance was a show-stopper.
Happy New Year!
For years, I got a Christmas card from a college friend with a photo of her kids. They were two (perfectly adorable) kids I had never met. She never included a picture of herself and it was my friend who I really wanted to see. I thought, “When I send cards, we will include ourselves for our friends.” I didn’t entertain the thought of sending cards without a picture. Growing up, I had looked through my parents’ stack of Christmas cards separating them into piles of Boring Cards (no pictures) and The Good Ones (photos included).
Well, our oldest is almost nine and just once we’ve sent a photo of all of us. Three years ago we sent this very red photo of everyone.
The next two years, I didn’t get a family photo but this year I wanted to try again.
This Thanksgiving when we were together, we tried to get one.
In my quest for good light, I waited until my little boy was beyond reason.
After this, I had several ideas for a family photo, but the weeks got away from me and soon, it was the Monday before Christmas. I’d given up on a Christmas card picure for this year. Then, the kids gave me an early Christmas present.
It was the first morning they were off from school and they were still in their jammies. I busying around when I came into the living room and saw them all squashed in the (empty!) laundry basket. I quickly grabbed my camera and we had a picture. (I did try to take a few more that included the star on the tree, but the energy of the first photo was gone.)
I got some printed and sent them to friends and family. I had my idea of a perfect holiday photo. That idea almost kept me from sending anything and making a little connection with loved ones. We’ll try again next year to get everyone in a photo, but this year our basket photo was perfect enough.
There’s lots of merry making going on here.
I hope you are enjoying the holiday.
I’m looking forward to sharing photos from ours next week.
Almost two years ago, I took this picture of Avery’s teeth. When my oldest lost those little milk teeth I missed the way she’d looked with them. I wanted a picture of Avery before they were gone. I didn’t know I’d have so many more chances.
But now, finally she has two loose teeth.
In fact, the adult teeth are already coming in behind but the baby teeth are holding on for a little longer.
I’ll miss them when they go. But, we’ve got some more baby teeth to look forward to.
We woke up and saw a carpet of fresh snow. What followed was a frantic search for the winter gear still stored in the basement.
Hats, gloves, boots and snowpants were found and we were out to enjoy the thin layer of snow.
In the middle of December, snow is novel and fun. I wonder what kind of winter is in store and how we will feel about snow in early March. Will we rush to the window and throw on our coats? Or will we sigh and wish we could go out without all the fuss of mittens and boots?
My girls had their Christmas program this week. Their class acted out scenes from the Christmas Story while their teacher read. It was simple and beautiful.
My daughter, the angel here, asked me to take a photo of each scene so she could see what it looked like.
The photo above was taken at ISO 400, 1/125, f1.6 with a Canon 7D.
Everyone brings a camera to programs like these, but getting a decent photo of kids on stage isn’t easy. My kids love to perform so I have had some practice. When I started, the kids were always overexposed in my photos. All the details in their faces were lost. I tried a flash but it didn’t improve my results. The answer was manual exposure. This is a situation that the camera’s metering system just cannot make sense of. So, set your camera to M and take some test shot if you have a few minutes.
If possible, I’d also recommend taking pictures at the dress rehearsal. I didn’t do that for this progam, but wish I had. That way, you don’t have to worry about getting in anyone’s way so you can move around freely. Also, the night of the performance you can just sit back and enjoy.
Here is another photo from last week’s visit to Phipps Conservatory. I was running after my boy through this tunnel and thought, “The light is great in here today.” I had been through the tunnel before and I knew that the light may not be coming through the tunnel like that later in the day or next time we came. But, my three year old was on the loose. After I caught him, I asked my sister in law to watch him while I got my neices to stand in the tunnel and play a clapping game.
I had a vision of the tunnel framing the girls and the light making them glow. The light did work the way I hoped. But what I love about it is the way they are looking at each other: a big sister’s patience, a little sister’s adoration.
On Friday, Virginia and I went to the Winter Flower Show at Phipps Conservatory. Between us, we brought five kids. I love taking my camera to Phipps. Sometimes, I take a picture or two of the flowers. More often, I use the show as a background for our little flowers.
I love the possiblities when Christmas lights in the background. I was happy with how soft the lights on the tree behind my niece looked. For soft, round lights in the background, open the aperture wide. This photo was taken at f1.6.
“Who does she look like?” is a question I hear almost every day. Looking down at her in my arms, to me, she looks just like Augusta.
Recently, the kids have been interested in what they looked like at her age. This led to some rummaging through photos in boxes for the older two and searching an iphoto library for number three.
Who does she look like?
