Life as ArT

Pictures in my Head

Today, my youngest child turned 30 (my oldest is nearing 40).  Acknowledging that fact can certainly make me feel old but I don’t want to dwell on my gray hair and what caused it, except … lately, I have been browsing through the photo album in my head.  My family will tell you that my memory is faulty (I attribute that to just too much stuff to retain, but maybe it’s because there’s not enough gray matter – ha!).  Nevertheless, there are some images I can pull from my memory and reminisce whenever I wish.  I’m sure you have those too.  It seems that even after decades, I can see the moment clearly, as though I was there again.  Some of these are snapshots and some are snippets of video.

I can still see my daughter, Amanda, on her first birthday.  She wore the special outfit I bought her- red tights and a white print top with red rickrack trim (it now resides in the cedar chest upstairs).  She was walking and pretty steady on her feet that day.  She didn’t yet have enough hair to look like a little girl. 

Jump to Monday of this week.  I added a new picture to the photo album in my head.  I stood in the parking lot of a clinic and watched Amanda, long, dark, silky hair swinging as she carried her sick six-year-old daughter in to see the doctor.  Evie is almost too big to carry now but she wasn’t feeling well.  Her arms and legs dangled as she rested her head on Amanda’s shoulder.  My baby was carrying her baby.  OK, sorry for the mush but sometimes, I think my heart will just burst with love and pride.  I know that picture will forever remain in my head, too.  (Evie is on the mend now.) 

In my head, there is a picture of my new baby daughter’s face the very first time I saw her.  There are pictures of her on the first day of school, waiting on the school bus with her name pinned to her new jumper; pictures from her first dance revue (she was a bunny and scarcely moved on stage); there’s a picture of her sobbing from watching “Old Yeller,” pictures of her laughing in her room with a group of girls at a sleep over;  then there was graduation, the wedding, and the births of her three children … the picture album in my head seems infinite, and yet, I wish I could remember all of it, every moment.  So many pictures are “out of focus” or missing.  That makes the images I do have in my head all the more precious and important.

So, it must be karma or fate or a natural extension of who I am or something, that I now make pictures of babies, children, young adults, so that their parents can remember how they thought their hearts would burst with love and pride.  This is the best job in the world – it’s what I was meant to do.

Happy Birthday, Amanda!

(Oh - Eric, my almost 40 year old baby boy, will have to wait for his June birthday to see what I have to write about him.)

They said, "Don't quit your day job." ...

… but I did.  And I am so glad I did.  Actually, I retired, a kind of quitting, I guess.  After 20 years in information technology at a local university, I retired (early) on August 14th.  Now I can devote all my energy to my studio, my customers, and the portraits I take. 

Quitting has such a negative connotation.  It’s a bad thing, right?  You know what they say, “Quitters never prosper.”  But, when you quit something, generally, it frees you to start a new chapter, start fresh, reinvent yourself.  That’s a good thing.  It also allows you to leave something behind that doesn’t suit you, doesn’t fit who you are anymore.  That’s not quitting, not failure, that is growth! 

Life is short.  Quit something that doesn’t work for you anymore and find your passion.   You’ll be happier.  Be happy!

This is what makes me happy:

 

 

Phoenix, Anne Geddes and My Passion

Phoenix, Arizona is like spring this time of year.  While pipes were freezing in Indiana, birds were singing and the grass was green in Phoenix.  I was fortunate enough to attend the biggest photography convention in the US in Phoenix a couple weeks ago.  Imaging USA is the annual convention for the Professional Photographers of America (I’m a member).  So, imagine getting to immerse yourself in your passion for 3 days.  It was so much fun and so inspiring!  I attended many classes where the “superstar” photographers shared their secrets.  And, the trade show was so BIG, I never did see it all.  I returned to Indiana with some really good ideas and new products for my customers and my studio, for example:

• New frames – I can now offer customers wonderful frames from 2 very different companies, including whimsical hand painted frames (the corner samples just arrived!)

• New design ideas for albums, memory books, and storyboards

• Ideas and software to improve my workflow

• Posing, lighting, and photo editing tips

• Oh, I bought a wonderful big, fluffy tutu for photographing little girls – so fun!

• And lots more…

Perhaps the best and most memorable thing I did while at the convention was attend the talk given by the famous Australian baby photographer, Anne Geddes (http://www.imagingusa.org/geddes.php).  You know her work on calendars and in books, I’m sure – babies in flower pots, in flowers, even in cabbages, etc. – amazing, touch-your-heart, make-you-smile images that compel you to appreciate the miracle that life is and how amazingly beautiful babies are.  She talked about how she was driven to photograph babies and how her career has progressed to the present.  I was mesmerized by her talk and the beautiful images she displayed on the screen at the theater. She is a fabulous and humble speaker.

Here are some images of beautiful 3 month old babies taken recently at my studio:

So, I’m working to make 2009 the best year yet at K. Weatherwax Photography studio.  Juggling two jobs has been a challenge, even more so than I expected.  I have worked at Purdue University (supporting computers) for 19 years.  I’ve worked full time at Purdue until the last couple years when I switched to a 4 day work week while building my business at the studio.  A few weeks ago I dropped down to 3 days a week at Purdue.  I should be able to do a better job of keeping up now – another day to be immersed in my passion – photographing people!

Digital Aspect Ratio

OK - a little education now.
*

The relation of the height of your portrait to its length is called the aspect ratio. Traditional 35 mm (film) images have an aspect ratio of 3:2 (a basic rectangle shape).  This has been the standard for years.  You will be familiar with some 3:2 ratio print sizes: 5X7 and 8X10.  Most of the photo frames you find in stores are manufactured in traditional sizes (5"x7", 8"x10" and so on) with the old film aspect ratio in mind (3:2).
*

We aim to change your thinking about print sizes! 

K. Weatherwax Photography employs digital photography exclusively.  Digital aspect ratio is 4:3 – 8X12 is in 4:3 ratio.  So, when you order an 8X10, some of your digital image is being lost.  Sometimes, that’s not a good thing.  So, we aim to change that.
*

If you have always ordered your prints because you want them to fit the standard frames in the store, you don’t have to feel limited any more.  K. Weatherwax Photography carries digital aspect ratio sized frames of 8X12, 12X18, and 20X30 – the new standard!  And, the good news is - we can order any size image and the frame to fit.

*
Personally, I LOVE the 4:3 print sizes.  They are longer (or wider) than you are used to seeing.  Come see for yourself in our gallery!

Little Miracles Baby Plan

Babies are such little miracles.  The first year of a baby’s life brings wonderful growth, changes, and milestones that parents will want to remember.  So, because I love photographing babies, K. Weatherwax Photography now has a baby plan.  Proud parents pay one price, $95, for a full year of photography.  Parents bring the baby in at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.  After the 12 month session, your little miracle’s portrait collection will be delivered to you in a panel of 4 images, your favorite from each age, matted in a beautiful 10X27 frame.  There is no session fee and no required purchase.  Prints purchased from any session are 15% off the regular price.  The total value of the Baby Plan is $300.  So, why do I offer such a great deal to new parents?  Because, I have so much fun watching babies grow.  I love helping parents get affordable images of their little miracles.  Besides, it makes me happy and sometimes, I even get to hold a baby! 

Ask about the Little Miracles Newborn Session, the Little Miracles at 18 Months Session, and the Little Miracles Toddler Plan for ages 2 and 3.  We also photograph bellies - maternity bellies, that is.

Visit my website to see more images:  www.kweatherwaxphoto.com

Photography School

As a photographic artist, I am constantly reminded of the awesome responsibility I have to do a good … no, great job of making wonderful images for my customers. And so I must work at improving my skills, keep abreast of the latest trends and find new and exciting techniques and products for those who trust me with their portraits.

Part of my education includes attending workshops, seminars, and photography schools. In early June I attended one of these schools - the Mid-America Institute of Professional Photography (MAIPP) at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa (a week before the flooding there). This was my second trip to MAIPP. This year, I studied under Michael Taylor and Monica Sigmon. Both are “superstars” in the professional photography world and award-winning photographers. Michael is a master of lighting and posing and showed us how to find the light in various situations. Photography is all about the light, after all. Monica, who is very successful at marketing her own portrait photography business, shared her “branding” philosophy, digital techniques, and marketing ideas.

The week in Iowa was enlightening and inspiring. I came away with so many new ideas that I could hardly wait to get back to Indiana to put them into practice.

Treading Water

I’ve been thinking for awhile about starting a blog for my business, K. Weatherwax Photography, and the inspiration came to me this morning, on Father’s Day, 2008.  The inspiration was a near tragedy in a local park yesterday.  I was there with a high school senior, her mom and little sister.  The senior girl wanted pictures from the suspension bridge that spans Deer Creek.  While on the bridge, we became distracted by the panicked cries from a little girl, maybe all of 6 years old.  She was in trouble in the water, struggling to keep her head about water and failing at that - and drifting under the bridge.  Her two brothers (maybe 7 and 8) were nearby, the youngest of them also struggling in the water.  Fortunately, some other swimmers in the area, 14-year-old D.J. and his 13-year-old friend (sorry, I’ve forgotten your name), pulled them all to safety.  (You guys are heroes!)  The elephant in the room – where were the parents of these three young children?  I later learned that the dad was home, didn’t know where the children were and was angry with them when he learned they had been swimming in the creek.  The person to blame, in my opinion, is that dad.  How was it that he didn’t know where his kids were?  He will never know how close he came to losing a child that day.

Well, I lost some sleep over this last night – images of that little girl panicking in the water – and I flash back to fifty years ago when I was a child (yes, I’m getting older (but wiser, too, right?)).  I can still hear the words of my father instructing my siblings and me on how to survive in the water.  “If you get in trouble, don’t panic.  You can survive a long time by treading water.  When you get tired, roll over on your back, relax and float.”  Then, he made each of us practice until he was confident we had mastered this.  I have never forgotten that lesson and can still hear his voice and feel the love with which he delivered his lesson.

    

It is not lost on me that I was very fortunate to have such a loving dad.  The last time I saw my father was on Father’s Day, 2005.  He passed away three years ago this month and I miss him very much, but he lives on in my heart – and his lessons helped to shape who I am.

So, if you can, take a picture of your dad today and tell him that you love him.  If you can’t take a picture, send him a prayer of thanks … and learn how to tread water.