This post will have to be short on words because I’m a one-woman show this week and lots of photo sessions to run around to! Here’s my week in pictures:
The events that unfolded this week in Seal Beach have left us all a little shaky. Knowing that the future is uncertain. Wanting to hug our spouses and kids just that much tighter.
My heart aches for all the families affected. It makes me look at all these family photos from this week in a whole new light…
Not to make the rest of the country jealous, but our southern CA weather is kind of amazing right now. I mean who has beach photo session after beach photo session…IN OCTOBER. It’s crazy. Especially for this Montana girl, who grew up with the first frost at the end of August. You better start packing up your shorts in July, because winter’s a comin’. Anyway, lucky us. We get to enjoy the sun for months on end.
In an effort to make the blog a little more interesting, I want to include a thought or two on how I shoot or the reasons why I do things. So, every Monday will be a ‘tip’ of sorts. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m no expert. I explain it this way…I went to college to be a teacher, but the artist was knit inside my mother’s womb. 🙂 I come from generations of creative people and photography just happened to be how it manifested in me. I have a vision of what I want to create and the camera just happens to be the medium. I often refer to the camera functions as ‘thing-ys’ but it all makes sense in my head. 🙂 So, that’s the long disclaimer that you may roll your eyes at what I have to say, but if anything it will give you a glimpse behind the camera.
Kids are pretty easy to photograph. I’ve never had a kid ask me where they should put their hands. It might take them a minute or two to warm up, but once they do, they’re relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera. When I want siblings to interact, my favorite method is hugs. Sometimes hugs are timid and gentle…other times they end in a pile of giggling children on the ground. When I ask kids to do something, it’s not so I can photograph the initial request, it’s so I can photograph the reaction that ensues.
So, whether you’re a photographer or a mom trying to get better pictures of your kids…be an instigator. Ask them to do something. Maybe it’s a hug, maybe it’s a kiss, a jump, a tickle…but get ready for the before and after. Those are the best and most authentic moments.
Here’s a few before, afters and in-betweens that I love.
This has been quite a week! Thank you for all the well-wishes for the inquiry to use my images from Martha Stewart Living magazine. Sounds like it’s for a January issue, so I’ll keep you all updated! Other than that, I’ve been shooting like a mad woman.
I started the week with a cute little girl in the park on a perfectly sunny day.
Then I had a few sessions in downtown Long Beach. That was quite an adventure….I showed up to the location and the city had put up a giant fence around the perimeter of the building I was going to shoot in front of. Sooo, after sweating it out, I decided to approach the security guard and he was nice enough to let us all in AND a few props. Big shout out to Amer, the security guard!
Then it was off to the beach for a slew of sessions on what could have possibly been the sunniest morning I’ve seen in Long Beach! We started at 8am to get that early morning fog and the sun was out bright and early instead. It was a make-it-work moment and I am loving the vibrancy from these sunny photos!
That’s a jet tour of what I’ve been up to. Cheers to a great weekend!
I think Fridays might be the hardest day to blog…and this is why it’s always been hard for me to blog. I can’t narrow things down. It’s hard for me to choose just one or two images to share from a whole session. I feel like we need to sit down, have a latte and let me give you a play by play of all the cute things that happened and all the gorgeous images I shot this week. Instead you get sentence fragments…
The excitement of discovering a dandelion for the first time..
The lovely fields in Long Beach…
and 2 new babies this week…a 5 day old little doll…
and a 5 week old adorable premie…
Fall 2010
The weather was still balmy…so warm that the sweaters might have been a little uncomfortable. But, having a new puppy seemed to distract a little!
I love a good close up…especially in black and white.
I recently read a quote that said, “I don’t want to survive– I want to thrive.” To be honest with you, this week was not a week of thriving. It was survival. It was photo sessions every day, sometimes two…lots of designing albums and planning for future shoots. I’ve said it before, but this week drug me by my hair! I am taking a little time this weekend to take a breather and start off this next week a little better than the last!
So, here’s what I was up to…
Another fun weekend at Rascals to Rebels!
Attention photographers: I’m selling this backdrop for $100…email me (info@kristineldridge.com) if you’re interested!
Oh and then there were the one year olds! I think I lost a pound this week running after one year olds!!
And some ADORRRABLE family sessions!
Cheers to a great weekend and an even better week ahead!
Kristin
Spring 2010
It was so rainy and windy, we had to duck in for shelter in the cars a few times. You wouldn’t know it from the bright cheery spring colors. But, we were determined to make it work!
Fall of 2010…they took off all pressure and expectations. “Just whatever you want to do…you’re the expert. We don’t mind of they’re not looking at the camera smiling…just capture them playing.” Those are the best kinds of sessions. Life unfolds and it’s always beautiful.
This week was full of…
gorgeous sunset lighting. happy one year olds. kisses from mommy.
sweet smelling newborn hair. cuddles. more mommy kisses.
a trip to Balboa island for the first time. sister hugs. all kinds of colorful dingies.
another brand new baby girl. more love from a big sister. cuddled up like a bug.
AND a first day of school!
