Video: Make a baby smile!

How To: A Sunny Day Tip

Making the Rules Together

As school has come back into session, I’ve noticed that the teachers are asking the kids to take part in setting the ground rules. I love this idea. I think we can all remember as kids what it felt like to be “bossed around,” and to not be in control of our lives. I can’t say those times were fun for me. It even made me want to misbehave because I wanted to have a say in how I would live my life.

I’ve taken that notion forward with me into adulthood. I find that people of all ages, everywhere, want to feel like they’re in control. I’ve learned to make my goals known, and let people figure out how they might be able to help me reach them. This is one of the ways I’ve been able to have so much fun with kids in photography. I let them know that I have plans to take their picture, and I ask them to help me come up with a way for us both to have fun in the process.

I remember during one session, a little boy I was working with decided he wanted to go to the basement of his house. I could tell he was trying to be difficult because he didn’t really want to have his picture taken. His mom and I had planned on outdoor pictures, but there was time to be flexible with him, so I decided to go with it and give him some control. I asked him what was in the basement, and discovered that it was full of toys. So, I grabbed a light, followed him down the stairs, and lo and behold we came out of that basement with some of my favorite pictures from that year! Later, we had a chance to head out to their back yard for more pictures, and everyone was happy.

Listening to children and giving them a little bit of control can be a great way to get them to relax and share their spirit with you. Do this when your camera is out, and the difference in your pictures will really shine through.

Einstein Time

Einstein time. What is it? I read in a book (The Big Leap, by Guy Hendricks) about an idea called Einstein time. It’s based on the concept that time is what we make it. The Newtonian explanation of time assumes that it is linear and constant, ticking by endlessly, without regard to anyone or anything. However, we have all experienced situations where time dragged on endlessly, or time flew by so quickly that we hardly knew it had gone. Is this just a feeling, or is it really time changing its speed?

When we tie ourselves to the clock, and focus on its ticking, then there never seems to be enough time in the day to get things done. But when we focus on our activity, not worrying about how much time has passed on the clock, it’s amazing what we can accomplish in just a short interval of measured time.

If you are engaged in life, enjoying what you are doing, yes the time flies by. But even so, there is plenty of time available to complete the project you are working on. When you disengage, and wish the time away, it takes seemingly forever for only a few minutes to pass. If you work on projects with this mindset, it’s nearly impossible to get anything done, and simple things can drag on incessantly.

I don’t have an explanation for this that I can put into words, but I do know that when I consciously engage, time does open up for me. I think this is another thing in life that we can learn from children. Kids always have time for a snack. They always have time to smell the flowers. They have time to tend to boo-boos, time to hug their moms, time to sleep for hours on end. Kids have time to do it all because they don’t care what time it is on the clock.

It can be difficult to put this into practice because schedules and appointment times are part of life in our culture. My goal is to be like a child, and do meaningful things between scheduled events. It’s not always easy to make it happen, but the stress it relieves and the openness it creates makes working on it very worthwhile.

How can you learn from the children in your life, or the child within you? Share your thoughts in the comments.

I’m a Performer

I began acting and performing when I was about 5 years old. I loved to dance, sing, and get up on stage and pretend to be someone I wasn’t. Today, things are different. I don’t act, I don’t dance, and I don’t sing. At least not formally. But I still feel connected to the performer in me. When I look at pictures from when I was actively involved in the performing arts, that connection glows a little. The familiar feeling lives again.

To me, Acting, Singing, and Dancing are like old friends who I haven’t seen in a while. We’re still buddies, and I can’t wait to see them again. I think fondly of them – and I definitely know them well, even if it’s been a while. After all, knowing a person’s current events is not the same as knowing a person.

I think we all have “old friends” from our past that live within us, and it’s important to keep in touch with them. These old friends are our connection to the children in us. Performing is one of many ways that I am able to get in touch with that child inside me. Photography is another. By being in touch with my inner child, I create a joyful and fulfilling life. How do you connect with your inner child?

Cutting away the dead stuff

What is important to you? When you look at your life, what are the things that stand out? Do you have a lot of dead weight that you carry around?

I have a fuchsia plant hanging over my deck in the back of the house. It was a beautiful plant on mother’s day. Someone had given it everything it needed to thrive before I took it on.

I’ve been watering it faithfully, and even fertilizing it as the label instructed. But after a while, my enthusiasm waned, and I began to neglect it a bit. When I came back from my 12 days in the Midwest, the poor thing was all but dead. There were shriveled up leaves, brown stems, and overall dilapidation. It was thirsty, and I was distracted.

When things like this happen to a plant, the best way to handle it is to cut away the dead stuff. Let it put its energy into the healthy parts, so it can grow again. So, that’s what I did. Now, when I look out the window, I see a fuchsia that is bright and healthy, despite its lack of volume. It might not look the way it’s “supposed” to look, but it still communicates life and beauty.

We all know that more is not always better. In fact, sometimes more is a burden and can bring you down. I think our lives are like my fuchsia. We can create big, lovely, brilliant lives. And people might look at us in awe. But sometimes pieces will get neglected, and as they die, we need to cut them out. There are times when we lose track of the important things and get caught up in the little details, only to find ourselves in a tangle of dried out stems and leaves.

I believe when those times emerge, we need to cut away the dead stuff and go back to what’s important. Go back to the things that are bright and healthy, even if that means our lives have less volume and don’t attract so much attention. After all, what is important? It’s family, friends, community, and relationships. That other stuff is just extra fluff. It might be beautiful and awe-inspiring, but maybe that’s because it’s more than what we can really sustain. It’s sensational, so it makes people look. When it comes down to it, if we just prune it back to those few stems and nurture them, we will see that our lives are beautiful even when they’re simple. No volume needed.

What I Love About These Kids

These kids are so fun! They love adventure. They love to be silly. They live life without reservation. Their home allows them to live fully, and inspires me to bring that energy into my life. These kids are not self-conscious. They live big and true. They love to hate each other, and because they do that so well together, they love each other. Their life is colorful and adventurous, caring, in touch with nature, appreciative, and exciting. They experience a full range of emotions and experiences. They have compassion for animals, eagerness for excitement, and a taste for adventure. They just want to enjoy themselves – it’s as simple as that.

These kids represent freedom! They have room to run – both in their physical life and in their spirits. They don’t feel self-conscious because it doesn’t even cross their minds to think of it. They are living perfectly, in their inherent perfection. They serve as a wonderful example for all of us by saying or doing whatever moves them. And no matter what, it’s always just right.

The day we shot our photos it was wet and rainy. They didn’t care. Nothing can stop them from living out their true identities because they are so deeply in touch with themselves. They don’t need labels or expectations. They just are who they are. And it’s beautiful.

They are fun and happy kids, and their mom allows them to express themselves fully. She truly appreciates the qualities that make them so perfect. With such an understanding for who these children are, she feels the need to express their perfection – to amplify it and project it back to herself and to the world. These free spirits are an inspiration to all of us. When I look at these pictures, I literally feel their energy. It’s amazing that we can bring photos of little people around with us and find enlightenment and happiness in their images. It’s the miracle of life.

Tame Your *&%#in’ Camera Returns!

I’m running another pilot workshop to show you how to use your camera. Sign up and learn some photography basics so your camera can get out of the way and you can get great shots. Learn more here.

Happy Birthday to the Old Photographer!

Today is my birthday. I had the realization that now that I’m 35, I’m half-way to 70. I’ve been joking about it since yesterday, and then wham! My back went out this morning. I’m not completely debilitated, I can move around. But my motion is restricted, and I’m laughing at myself.

Last night I had a major case of the hiccups. I felt like a little kid, and it got to the point I was laughing about it quite a bit. I was sitting on the couch with nothing to do but listen to my hiccups (hubby was programming the new universal remote… bo-ring…), so I started to play on the couch like I used to when I was a kid. I sat up on my feet and leaned my head back until I was leaning way over the back of the couch. I got my hands to the ground, but I couldn’t quite manage to kick my feet over. I wanted to end up standing behind the couch. I found my way back up to sitting, and sat there laughing for a while. It was such fun, and woke up my muscle memory from childhood! Of course I had to do it again.

Eventually – after a few tries – I found my way over the back of the couch and made it to my feet. It was like I was a kid again – flipping over the couch, laughing, and just entertaining myself when there’s nothing better to do. So I did it a few more times. No way am I old, right?!

Well, this morning, I came out from my bedroom – a little more stiff-in-the-back than usual – and saw empty suitcases all over the living room floor from our trip to the Midwest last week. I decided by golly, it’s time to put these things away. They belong in the attic, so up I went. And as I twisted to put one of the suitcases in it’s place, my back began to yell at me. Bummer.

So that got me thinking. Am I really half-way to 70?  Maybe I am in the mathematical sense, but I’m certainly not “old.” I’m convinced my back is yelling at me because it was a little worn out after all of the back-couch-walkovers and crazy tricks yesterday. After all the fun I had, I’ve decided to do more of that fun stuff and just get my body used to it again. I won’t back down! I’m a kid at heart anyway. I’d say a reminder to stay fun and playful is an awesome birthday gift! Happy Birthday, Me!

What have you done to make you feel like a kid again? Type your comment below!

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Sometimes kids love me for no particular reason. Like the time last week when I went to the zoo, there was a cute little boy at the meerkat exhibit who couldn’t get enough of me. He pointed at countless pictures of meerkats, apparently just to hear me say they were meerkats. Then, when his mom took him away to look at the animals, he just kept smiling and staring at me instead!

Other times, kids don’t want anything to do with me. I had a session in April where the little boy was happy to be there, but every time he saw me he whined and fussed. He would give me nasty looks and run to mom or dad when he saw me coming. It was a challenging session, but it just meant we had to allow space and time for some good pictures to emerge.

I’ve found over the years that getting honest pictures of children has little to do with whether or not they like me. And the same is true for you.

When you photograph a child, look for things that interest them. Do they linger when they see animals? Do they run to smell the flowers? Maybe it’s mom or dad that they can’t get enough of – or running up and down a hill! Whatever it is, notice it. Then use it to engage them. That thing you’ve noticed is the key to the essence that glows inside. When you let a child lead the way, you see typical moments. There is truth in what’s typical.

When you photograph this way, those who see what you create will feel the sparkle of life in your images. There is an element of patience involved in creating portraits; especially with children. I’ve developed my skill for capturing honest moments through many years of practice. I started working with kids when I was still a kid myself. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a kid to learn to see the sparkle. I often know I’ve found it when I feel a wave of “cute” through my body and I can hardly keep from laughing. It’s joy in its purest form.

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