Showmanship

Today was a 3 ring circus at the fair.  Sounds silly doesn't it?  Really.  We had steer grooming, poultry check-in, and rabbit showmanship all happening under the roof of our one small barn on the fairgrounds. The good news is that meant we were pushed out towards sunlight, so I was able to get some great shots.  The kids had one on one time with the judge today - and the bonus is that there were no cages and high tables to get in my way.  This means great pictures all around and a few funny faces in response to the judge's questions.  I love the challenges of the fair.  Enjoy!

Rabbit Judging

My son is a member of our local 4-H Rabbit club.  We have 3 bunnies who have stolen our hearts and become a large part of our family.  So we are always excited when we get to tag along and use our photography skills to capture some of the events.  Today was the big event for the club, as the bunnies were being judged and shown at the fair. 

The problem with this, from a photographer's point of view, is that it becomes very difficult to make pictures interesting.  There's lots of people milling about, parents are also trying to get pictures of their children, and there's a giant table that I have to shoot around.  There is also the issue of lighting to deal with.  We are in a dark barn with bright light streaming in from one side.  This means lots of flash or lots of shadow.  Most pics end up being rather boring shots that are pulled back to capture everything that is going on.  The problem is they also capture all those other random people and some unflattering other things.  My way of dealing with it is to try to get as many close up shots as possible.  I use the lowest aperture setting possible to create blur to help me focus on the important aspects of the shot.  I try to get some details of the day in there, and any emotions too.  While most of the pics are ones I wouldn't write home about, I did manage to catch some beauties. Oh, and I had to sneak one in of my son with his ribbons!

My Muse

This is Tanya typing for those of you who haven't figured it out yet.  My husband loves to take pictures but hates to type, since he belongs to the hen-peck-at-the-keyboard-with-2-pointer-fingers-club.  So that leaves me to the typing and the weak efforts at being witty.  I figured I might as well clue you in on the secret, because I found myself mixing up my "I's" and "we's" several times in each of our posts.  It was so bad at one point, even I got confused.  I figured I would make my college English professor proud and try to keep all pronouns matching.  I can't guarantee much else though when it comes to grammar and such things.  ;)

On to photography related goodies...

Back in December, I had Kelly contact me about doing a few head shots.  Well it turns out that she would like to get into modeling and acting, and I would like to practice photography techniques on a person who can hold still longer than 2 seconds.  I am blessed to be able to photograph so many children and babies, but they are a challenge in their own right.  They require a certain skill and speed to be able to capture beautiful shots.  Many times, that leaves me relying on the same ideas, poses, and lighting that I know.  I am usually too scared to take the time to try out new things.  Especially when the little wiggle worms are old enough to get up and run!!  So here enters Kelly.  She will hold still and usually do it while I try out multiple setting on the camera, AND all while making a variety of facial expressions.  She was so much fun to work with, that we did another session a few weeks later that was completely different from this first one.  And we are going to do another one in the near future.  Here are a few of her more formal studio shots.  I think they are all lovely. 

Floyd & Bonnie

Floyd & Bonnie

This is another example of enduring love.  We shot this vow renewal several months ago, and we were so touched by this couple's story.  These two have been married for over 50 yrs, and they never had a wedding.  They have stuck together through thick and thin, through health and illness, and have always made it through.  It was their dream to finally have a vow renewal, and to renew their commitment to each other in their church in front of all of their loved ones, friends, and family.  They were going to do this for their 50th anniversary, but Bonnie was diagnosed with cancer.  It was just another obstacle to test their faith and commitment.  Three years later, this couple had made it through the storm and their vows meant more than ever.  Getting to witness this ceremony was as inspirational as it was emotional!  This couple is in love with each other even more now than they were ever before.  We are excited and happy to have been able to share in their special day and capture these images.



 

Congratulations Floyd & Bonnie!  You are an inspiration to us all!











A Few Ramblings

Well, we've managed to neglect our blog.  We've had a lot happen in the past several months that have kept us very busy.  One of the heartbreaking moments we experienced was when our sweet baby "Chili" was taken from us so suddenly.  She's the beautiful miniature dachshund featured in our last post.  We suppose our avoidance of the blog has not just been a time issue, but us not wanting to look at those images.  It reminds us that nothing is ever constant.  Loved ones can be gone in the blink of an eye.  Because of this, we should all make sure that we live life to the fullest, and that we tell those who are important to us that we love them. 

This was the last picture ever taken of our special lil Chili Pepper.  We are very grateful for the love she gave us and for the beautiful pictures and images we were able to get of her.  She will forever live on in our hearts.