Seattles Family Photographer

Letting go

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Have we talked about letting go. Or should I say, have we talked about it too much? I try to come to each sitting sort of blank. Happy. Excited. But blank. If I don’t, if I try to envision specific shots, prearrange something “cool”, or devise a certain mood I get totally obsessed. I seriously almost can’t move or interact because I’m so busy battling my expectations. If I’m blank I can see the surroundings but more importantly I can see the people I’m with. I can delight in the uniqueness, the silly, sassy, cuteness.

The nice thing about photographing Owen (for me…maybe not his parents) is that I really don’t need to actively practice letting go. He’s outside my experience not in a regular way but in an extreme way. In the regular way he’s like all kids. Wants to be in charge, wants to do things he wants to do, wants to repeat the same joke (it’s my superpower to endlessly delight in this). No, Owen is outside of my experience in a more extreme way because he is autistic. I don’t know a lot of autistic kids and the ones I do are all so completely unique. It makes letting go so much easier. I can’t create an agenda, I can’t predict his response, I can’t plan and scheme and manipulate like I might normally do. I just have to wait. And listen. And follow. And enjoy. And that’s the best part. I can just enjoy what Owen is going to offer me. And let me tell you, in addition to my little life lesson, the actual experience of Owen is really pretty great.

Posted in Families, Kids

by libbylewisphotography

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What I do

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

I have a friend that likes to take photos of kids. As a hobby. So when she goes to shoot her friend’s kidsI like to send her pithy emails about the age groups and their corresponding parental expectations. It’s amazing the knowledge that I’ve amassed in 15(!) years on photographing kids and families. Yikes. Saying that number out loud shocks me a little.

It’s amazing the sense of accomplishment these emails fill me with. I come and go out of some of the most sacred parts of people’s lives, experiencing the love and joy and silliness (and frustration and compromises and limitations) that is their family. And I have to negotiate all of that and also complete the task at hand which is to make beautiful, special, moving (and in focus, properly exposed, artistically composed) images. I don’t often really stop to articulate what, exactly it is that I know. But when I do it makes me feel like such an adult. Such a professional. And that is an amazingly wonderful feeling.

Here’s some shots from a “training” session this friend and I did of a friends 9 month old. And before you get any ideas let me tell you straight out, I am a terrible teacher. I love what I do. I love that it is second nature. This does not translate to anything digestible for a 3rd party. So breathe a sigh of relief that I will not be forcing you to buy my dvd (I’m sure there’d be one hell of a blooper reel though….). Here’s one of my pre-sitting teaching gems, “There is something really nice about the looking off/up, happy baby shot….really shows off the cheeks and the eyelashes. It should be noted that I am not saying any of this with irony. At this stage in the game I am totally in love with this age of babies. They are over the fish-like boringness of infants but before the tyrannical fickleness of the 18 month old.”

Posted in Babies, Families, Personal

by libbylewisphotography

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No grand proclamations

Monday, May 14, 2012

I feel like making grand proclamations today. Which is probably exactly the time when such things should not be done. It’s probably best on days like today to sit tight, stay the course, take small steps. And so instead of declaring that I will be a better blogger I will instead simply blog.

It’s shocking to me that it’s May. It feels like I should have been so much further along in this year. There are things that I’ve done, small things like finally making a wall of family photos and learning to play the fiddle, beginning another quilt and organizing my office. But it feels like there are so many bigger things that are still undone. Bigger thoughts that I should have sorted out. I imagine that my thoughts are universal struggles…searching to identify and create the life you want to live, the places and people that make up that life. And most importantly the accomplishments that will have made it all seem worthwhile.

I’m going to blame the books. To combat my personally perceived intellectual decline I resolved this year to read 3 decent, proper, smart books. The effect has been profound. I feel energized, disquieted, confused but engaged. I feel like making grand proclamations. Instead I’ll continue the small steps and hope that thereby the prophesy fulfills itself. I will continue to create the life I want to live. Accomplishing the things that will make it seem more worthwhile.

Here’s some photos I took of Jennifer Egan backstage before her Seattle Arts and Lecture talk. I started with her book “Look at Me” which was amazing (and decent, proper and smart)

Posted in Events, Personal

by libbylewisphotography

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Big Changes

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

I know it’s not exactly true but it sure felt like one week he was a sweet little long haired hippie boy and the next a swaggering recalcitrant man child. And all because of a haircut…

this is pretty much how I’ve known him for the past 7 years…

Posted in Kids, Personal

by libbylewisphotography

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Happy We are a Family Day

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Some people call it St Patrick’s Day. But a year ago, these 3 began the process of becoming a family. And a year later we got together to celebrate. Happy We are a Family Day.

Posted in Uncategorized

by libbylewisphotography

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Stealing the kid

Thursday, March 22, 2012

I have to worry sometimes, when I get past that person that he wants the world to see and to believe that he is, that I’ve stolen something from him…his toughness, his 7 year old bravado. I know that even in just another few years though I won’t even be able to catch it in his unguarded moments. And so I keep stealing them when I can….the joy, the kid.