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Who We Become - June 2016

Summer is coming! This one is shaping up to be a busy one, but after the fun I had last with my daily shooting project last year, I have decided to give my 75 days of summer (give or take, I haven't counted yet) another go. We are kicking off the summer holidays in Italy next week so it will start out on a high note that I won't be able to sustain, but so it goes. Stay tuned. 

In the meantime, this smiley person has been asking me to "take a picha, mommy?" lately, so how can I say no? Please click over to our collective Who We Become page to see everyone's monthly pick, or for a more personal look, take a spin around the circle, starting with one of my favorite local photographers, my very talented friend, Julie Mak. 

8 Days a Week - May

On Mondays, we head up to our old neighborhood for piano lessons. The stroller and carrier are things of the past, because the lesson's spectator is "big" now and needs no help whatsoever. Except she will accept the occasional hand up the stairs from her favorite older brother. Notably, recent schedule changes have opened up an opportunity for a snack stop en route...

Please visit the rest of the 8 Days a Week collaborative, starting with the beautifully talented Meghann Prouse.  

Who We Become - May

"I wanna ride da scoodah hemmet! I speedy, Mommy! I speedy!" Love watching this little human tackle the world. 

Our collective Who We Become blog post can be seen here, and if you'd rather peruse some lovely photography bit by bit, I invite you to make your way around the blog circle, starting with my fellow city mama, the incredibly talented Julie Mak.   

Who We Become - March

This one has two obsessions at the moment: her "scoodah and hemmet" and her "rainy boots." Today was not a day for the scooter and helmet but we managed to avert a meltdown when she realized she could wear her rain boots outside (instead of with her pjs as she is wont to do) AND bring her umbrella. While it stopped raining not long after we left the house, she felt rather strongly that the umbrella was still necessary. I had my camera on me, so wasn't about to argue the point. 

Did I mention she is almost two? She's going to be great at it, we can already tell. 

Please head over to Who We Become and see what else my friends have found this month, or take a leisurely spin through the blogs, starting with Julie Kiernan, who just got back from Hawaii and is surely sharing something stunning. 



City Kids (I Gotcha!)

Post-circus adventures: when we went in it was raining, but in yet another afternoon of unseasonable weather, we were welcomed by clear skies and a warm breeze when we exited. The current favorite game in our house is called "I gotcha" - it entails our small one running at full speed towards someone, throwing herself into their arms, and yelling "I gotcha!"  Her favorite catcher is her older brother, and they played this all over the always-picturesque grounds at Lincoln Center yesterday. Kid overshare ahead:

75 Days of Summer - Days 45-50

Perhaps my favorite part of this summer project is that I am sharing images that I would normally keep to myself. While I enjoy capturing the sense of isolation that New York can evoke, these personal photographs cause me to stop to consider, and be grateful for, the fact that my life is filled with laughter, love, family and friendship. How exquisitely fortunate we are to be navigating life with these incredible children, and from a moment in time where the circumstances of their birth afford them security and privilege unknown in other parts of the world. The onus therefore lies with us, I believe, to find ways to share this wealth. For what child is undeserving of safety and of joy?

Days of Summer: 45-50. 

P52.2: Framed {week 37}

This week over at Who We Become, we continue our exercise in portraiture - this week with full body portraits. Full body portraits are personal favorites of mine because of the amount of context these shots often include. I found my fabulous subjects at a summer street fair and while they would look awesome anywhere, I like how the hustle and bustle of the environment, as well as my tight shooting quarters, are evident.

Please head over to Who We Become to see everyone's work this week!

One {January 2014}

We are kicking off our second full year of the One Circle - six dear friends, one special shot and an excuse to do something together. Behind the scenes we are also embarking on an artist study and a few other projects but how those will be featured remain to be seen. For my One shot this month, there are actually two, but of the same moment.

I had a great visit with one of my oldest and dearest friends today, and as she conversed with my son over why, if he likes eggs and likes rice, he might have also enjoyed the fried rice they made to celebrate Chinese New Year at pre-school (he begs to differ), she noted that it was the Year of the Horse. This I knew. However, apparently the last few years have been water signs and the Horse is a dry sign, of wood or of the earth, which means this may be a year of great movement or activity. This seemed appropriate, given that after ten years in our old apartment, we have officially moved to a new location in the city. I love our new home but it does not have the views of the old digs, so I was thrilled that, on one of our last nights there, the clouds broke and I got to enjoy one final spectacular sunset. The images do it no justice but this little farewell will remain close to my heart. 

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Please continue around our little circle to see how my sweet friends are starting off the new year, starting in Chicago with the ever talented Jessica Remus! And if these seem to be a bit of an odd shape, they were shot in keeping with my P52 goals of playing with aspect ratios - you can read more about this in my next post.

P52.2: Framed {Week 15}

It is week 15 for P52.2: Framed and we continue our exploration of perspective and how our technical choices impact the viewpoint we present in our images. Our goal this week was subject isolation, either through the use of a telephoto lens or strategic shooting with a wide angle to render the subject front and center without a lot of context for storytelling. The first image is probably a more successful example of this strategy - it is a telephoto shot with minimal distortion, and the viewer can intuit much about my vantage point with only the evening sky as additional context.  The second image was taken with a wide angle lens, but all that is in focus is the shallow foreground - his face and his breath. The image does not need the background to tell its chilly narrative.

Please head over to Who We Become to see how everyone else interpreted this week's theme. 

One {November}

Of all the things I have to be thankful for - year round, not just during the holiday season - my family is at the top of my list. This guy especially. He is a laugher and a lover and, increasingly, a hot chocolate aficionado. 

However, this has not been the easiest month for some of my dear Once Circle friends. Please make your way around our small circle and leave some love if you have a moment. Next up is Krista, our gentle soul out in Seattle.  

Today

One {May}

I find that my "one" shot every month invariably is one that is close to my heart, as it should be. And this month, it is definitely one that makes me laugh, much like my dear friends who participate in this blog circle each month. The six of us had an exceedingly entertaining conversation the other evening and thinking about it still makes me chuckle.

​So for the month of May, allow me to introduce you to our subway superhero/Mexican wrestler/child who dresses himself. This mask was a gift from my aunt  and has been a tremendously fun accessory on the streets this past week. And apparently it also goes well with loafers.

Please continue around our short but sweet circle to see what other favorite shots my dear friends have found this month. Next up is my amazing friend Krista out in Washington, who still manages to pick up her camera despite her current status of graduate student/mom to two boys.​

Photo 52: A Play on Light {34} - Night Light

In our final week of April, Photo 52 members are focusing on night light. I love shooting at night so for our focus week I decided to attempt it with a lens that I don't quite love. It's a little too slow and a little too long for me to shoot the way I normally do on the crowded streets. But it was fun to try and allowed me to focus in on the details. I'm guessing the irony was lost on this particular individual, but I found this visual amusing. 

Please continue around the circle to my friend Jill Cassara in Ann Arbor. She has undertaken a light study on a local sculpture and her images for morning, afternoon and evening have been ​very unique and beautiful. I can't wait to see what she has in store at night. 

Photo 52: A Play on Light {24}

Week three of black and white. I got a fun new gadget this week and took it out to play. It's called a Lensbaby and it is a manual focus lens that gives a tilt-shift look to an image. Manual focus is not my forte so it was fun to practice. 

Please continue around the circle and see what else my talented friends are seeing in monochrome this week, starting with the lovely and talented Kennedy Tinsley up north of the border.