Be Still

Re-post

I have nothing new to post with photography.  I haven't used my camera in at least a month.  This photo from a couple of years ago has been on my mind a lot lately.  I also came upon the song, "Be Still" by Kari Jobe. It is so simple. But, it is so beautiful to me.  It carries a message that I need to lean into time and time again.  It is soothing and as I sing it, my inward tensions uncoil and are met with tender mercies that nurture and restore. The picture-- the song-- they belong together.

...For burdens that seem too big, for worries that sneak in during the night, for thoughts that swirl too fast and too long, for decisions that demand sight beyond our scope....

https://youtu.be/jY_csMVzvgo

"Be Still"

He is here for the broken and life to the one who is undone
He is peace to the wounded and hope for the helpless one
He is here, He is here

Be still my soul, be still
Be still my soul, be still
Wait patiently upon the Lord
Be still my soul, be still

When the waves rise against me and the wind tries to draw me away
I will stand on the mountain, safe in Your arms I will sing I will sing

Be still my soul, be still
Be still my soul, be still
Wait patiently upon the Lord
Be still my soul, be still

Be still I know He is God
He is here, He is here
Be still I know He is God
He is here, He is here

So be still my soul, be still
Be still my soul, be still
Wait patiently upon the Lord
Be still my soul, be still
Wait patiently upon the Lord
Be still my soul, be still

solace

From the song "Shelter" by Sandra McCracken

"In the arms of a good Father
You can go to the deep water
Where the questions, we have left unspoken
Come out in the open
We will find shelter here

So I lay down, what I cannot hold in my hands
Every sorrow and hope spinning out of control
And here I find sweet resolution comes in letting go
And we will find shelter here"

"Solace"

B & W Baby B

I love this one.  He already looks so different.  I think my sis will come to love this someday.  With mine a month a way from teens and as tall as me- I have an acute understanding of how quickly they grow.  During this shoot for her I didn't do a good job of getting close-ups of hands and feet.  I regret that so much.  I was trying to hurry up and get the shots, sweating buckets, and thinking about getting dinner cooked for her before I jumped back on the road to come home.  She probably would have rather had pics of fingers and toes than dinner. Too bad I didn't think of it sooner.

Lil slugger

Did this one for his daddy.  It's his daddy's hat.  Had to change the color of the blanket in photoshop to make it look better.  I was worried the grey tones would make his skin look unhealthy. I added a rosy toned overlay and masked off the blanket.  Of course, standard edits with crop and healing up spots of baby acne, etc.

Instagram challenges

It's been nice this summer to have a little time to devote to a few Instagram challenges. Each time I feel like I grow in knowledge a little.

For my Jacob

Heat

"Natural"- taken on the morning hike at camp.  Wish I could go there again by myself.

Loved the silky, soft yellow

Yellow- (done in water with food coloring)

Baby B

This weekend I headed back up to help out my little sister.  It has been such a rough bit of time for her with having this little one and also balancing her health and my niece.  Things seem to be smoothing out, though.

As I walked out the door to head up, I grabbed my camera and 2 lenses.  I wasn't sure if there would be an appropriate time in the day to try to photograph that little hunk- but wanted to try.  It turned out, in the afternoon that I got some time.  I have read over the years bits and pieces of newborn photography advice. I looked around for some props and didn't come up with anything.  I was hoping for a cool basket.  I found my niece's bean bag.  However, a newborn bean bag needs to be very full.  I flipped it over and used clothes pins to tighten it up.  Ideally, a nicely textured blanket is what I would use to cover the bean bag and use as a back drop sort of sloping away from the baby.  The only thing available that was large enough was a fuzzy, bluish blanket on the spare bed.  Soo we used that.
I had also learned that the room needed to be very warm to keep the baby asleep.  I begged my brother-in-law to turn off the air conditioner. I opened a window in the living room and set up about 3 feet from the window.  The challenge was using my new 85mm lens in that small space.  I ended up having to use my 35mm.  A 50mm would have been perfect but I don't have one.  I used natural light from the window. I used a white sheet draped in front of the coffee table to reflect more light onto the baby.

I was able to position him- though I have soo much to learn in that department.  Each time I moved him and he began to fuss, I would just cup his head with one hand and his bottom with my other hand and just slightly bounce his bottom. It was MAGIC! Each time he just settled down and went back to sleep and then I could move his hand or adjust the blanket, etc.

I learned I need to position the baby all the way forward on the bean bag.  I need to continually smooth out wrinkles in the blanket.  I learned that the hands are used to prop up the head.  And I learned that it is really hard work to photograph a baby! I was drenched in sweat when I was finished!

I don't think my sister really loves any of the shots I got. :) They still plan to go to JCPenney.  But, I am glad for the experience and learning I got to do.  I think the lighting is kind of flat here, but I was hoping for a good picture of him, and the ability to fix the jaundice in post-processing.  As I have saved this into JPEG format-- the vignetting looks too strong in my opinion.  It's hard to say how it will look in print. I think she might use this for the announcements.
Here it is- first try

the girls

The Lord really blessed me.  He answered my prayers with this photo shoot and gave me my heart's desire.  I wanted to be able to recall everything I had learned so far.  I wanted the sky to not get overcast like in so many other photo shoots I have planned.  I wanted my family to be settled enough for me to leave on time for the shoot.  I wanted all the little details to work out on site- camera, location, lighting, mood. The girls were great.  The mom was great.  Nobody was stressed and I was able to keep things moving along and changing my settings according to the changing light and also according to the pose.  I have learned so much over time-- I knew this time that I couldn't shoot wide open when the girls were trying to do an acrobatic lift-type pose because I KNEW I would only have a depth of field of about 2 inches or less and that most likely- they were going to be moving and not on an even plane.  Little things like that.. I'm so thankful for where I can see growth. On one hand, I know some professional photogs could give me a list of criticism for some of these shots, and that one day I might see a whole bunch of mistakes..  but, I'm pretty happy with them.  They are my best yet, I think.  I see a few things I could change. Yet, I see a bunch of things I did right and while the editing process sure gives them a nice, finished touch- the SOOC shots aren't that far off! It's exciting!!!

I just realized I haven't watermarked any of these on export.  Hopefully nobody steals them! People are crazy!