Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Photography Quotes

A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know. ~ Diane Arbus

The camera doesn't make a bit of difference. All of them can record what you are seeing. But, you have to SEE. ~ Ernst Haas

We try to grab pieces of our lives as they speed past us. Photographs freeze those pieces and help us remember how we were. We don't know these lost people but if you look around, you'll find someone just like them. ~ Gene McSweeney

Maybe because it's entirely an artist's eye, patience and skill that makes an image and not his tools. ~ Ken Rockwell

You know what a camera is? A mirror with memory. ~ Author Unknown

No matter how advanced your camera you still need to be responsible for getting it to the right place at the right time and pointing it in the right direction to get the photo you want. ~ Ken Rockwell

Most things in life are moments of pleasure and a lifetime of embarrassment; photography is a moment of embarrassment and a lifetime of pleasure. ~ Tony Benn

Where there is perhaps a province in which the photograph can tell us nothing more than what we see with our own eyes, there is another in which it proves to us how little our eyes permit us ro see. ~ Dorthea Lange

Photograph: a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art. ~Ambrose Bierce


It's weird that photographers spend years or even a whole lifetime, trying to capture moments that added together, don't even amount to a couple of hours. ~James Lalropui Keivom


When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls! ~Ted Grant


Often while traveling with a camera we arrive just as the sun slips over the horizon of a moment, too late to expose film, only time enough to expose our hearts. ~Minor White


A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into. ~Ansel Adams


I think a photography class should be a requirement in all educational programs because it makes you see the world rather than just look at it. ~Author Unknown


A good snapshot stops a moment from running away. ~Eudora Welty


The camera can photograph thought. ~Dirk Bogarde


There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs. ~Ansel Adams


No photographer is as good as the simplest camera. ~Edward Steichen


The goal is not to change your subjects, but for the subject to change the photographer. ~Author Unknown


A photograph is memory in the raw. ~Carrie Latet


There will be times when you will be in the field without a camera. And, you will see the most glorious sunset or the most beautiful scene that you have ever witnessed. Don't be bitter because you can't record it. Sit down, drink it in, and enjoy it for what it is! ~DeGriff


Fear is a darkroom where negatives develop. ~Usman B. Asif


All photos are accurate. None of them is the truth. ~Richard Avedon


The camera cannot lie, but it can be an accessory to untruth. ~Harold Evans, "Pictures on a Page"


You don't take a photograph, you make it. ~Ansel Adams


Buying a Nikon doesn't make you a photographer. It makes you a Nikon owner. ~Author Unknown

If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera. ~Lewis Hine


A photograph is like the recipe - a memory the finished dish. ~Carrie Latet


Everyone has a photographic memory, but not everyone has film. ~Author Unknown


The negative is the equivalent of the composer's score, and the print the performance. ~Ansel Adams

The "B" Family

Last week, the "B" family came for a photo session. Derek & Christine have a fun sense of adventure & their daughters Heather & Allison were just so sweet! Thanks, guys, for the opportunity to photograph your family!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Family Photos

I follow some photographer's websites... one of those sites is Australian photographer's Joanne Faulkner. I just love her style!

Here's an excerpt from her blog that I really liked:

Sometimes, when I take family photographs, the parent or parents are not keen to be in the shot, or may not want to purchase any with themselves in it because they don't like how they look. Or the photos, they say, are about the kids and not them. But what about when the kids grow up? They will one day treasure photos of their parent/s in their youth. I agree with David Williams, www.davidanthonywilliams.com, when he says:

"We need to get into people's heads that the portrait of a child - whilst lovely - is not nearly as important as one of the family or with parents….because when the child grows up and has family of their own - they go looking for their parents as young vital people.

I know, I went looking."


Thursday, November 19, 2009

Christmas Templates are Here!

I ordered a bunch of Christmas templates for Christmas cards. Here are a few of the templates that have been ordered.

All templates are for 4x6 or 5x7 photos, but they can also be ordered as press print cards.

If you have a favourite photo, I would be happy to put a Christmas template together for you.

Please contact me at photosbywilma@gmail.com if you are interested in these Christmas templates or need for information.


I inserted photos of my nieces & nephew that my sister had sent me & used it as a sample for this card.

Kevin & Jeunine & Family

Last week I photographed a work colleague's family. Kevin & Jeunine have 2 very cute little fellas. Jordan just wanted to be funny, and Rocco was all smiles as long as he had a toy in hand. It was neat to watch the changing attitudes of these 2 dudes. I had fun photographing this family.

This photo of Rocco makes me want to title it "1-800-OH-SANTA"

Hmmm... wonder what he wants for Christmas??

New Photo Studio Equipment

Last week I purchased a new brown backdrop for my photo studio. I also purchased a child's chair.

My son was the first to sit in this chair - he was not impressed... but then, I don't blame him... he was getting hungry.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Brent, Jayda & Baby Hadley

22 October 2009

Brent & Jayda attended the same Birth & Baby class as we did. Their daughter Hadley was the first baby of our class to make her grand debut... she arrived 4 weeks early. At 2 months old, she is still so small & precious.

Hadley wasn't too keen on having her photo taken that evening, but we did get a few smiles out of her. She loved listening to her parents' voices.

I love the interaction between mom & daughter.
We tried a few photos on the towels, but Hadley was too hungry to smile. Still, I love this photo of Hadley as she was crying & trying to squirm up into a little ball.
What a beautiful family.
Little Hadley... such a gorgeous little darling!


Thanks, Brent, Jayda & Hadley for a lovely evening together!!

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Sidney

My sister & niece visited from BC this week, and we managed to snag a few quick pics of 9-month-old Sidney.

Sidney has such cute spikey blond hair, not to mention the oh-so-obvious big blue eyes!!























Fairy-in-training...










































































My beautiful baby sister & her sweet baby...

Nathan

New baby + photo studio at home = Many opportunities for photo shoots.

I just love taking photos of my son. Here are a few of the photos that I have taken of Nathan over the past month.

Six days old...














































































20 days old...
















23 days old...
I got the little cowboy hat from my friend Esther... it's so totally adorable... & it's very Calgarian!















Having your photo taken at such a young age is hard work!!


Our Bundle of Joy has Arrived!!

On the 3rd of September our little bundle of joy, Nathan Benjamin, made his arrival into this world.
Nathan weighed in at 6 lb, 2 oz (2778 grams).
We are so in love with our little fella!!

Presenting our birth announcement... and of course, our son Nathan...
Nathan is 6 days old in these photos.

Card design & photos taken by Photos by Wilma (Nathan's Mommy).

Friday, October 2, 2009

Realtor Photos

My second-cousin Pete is a realtor here in Calgary. I did a photo session of Pete & his work colleague Steve at the beginning of September.



Saturday, July 4, 2009

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

July 1 was Canada's 142nd birthday. Many people were out celebrating our national holiday, but there was one Calgary family who spent their Canada Day in hospital, mourning the loss of their stillborn son. Baby R had been diagnosed with Trisomy 18, a condition caused by a chromosomal defect, and he also had major heart defects.

As a volunteer photographer for the "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" foundation, I had the opportunity to be with Baby R's parents & family and to photograph their precious son, brother, grandchild, and nephew.

My thoughts and prayers are with Baby R's family as they journey through their loss of this beautiful child.

About "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep"

Pregnancy and birth are miraculous journeys. This amazing time of life is full of mystery, anticipation, joy, hope, and wonder. Feeling the powerful energy of birth and new life, watching as a new family is born unto each other. These things humble and amaze. These are the things that we celebrate when a baby is born.

Pregnancy: The state of being with child. [British Medical Dictionary] The beginning of a parent's hopes and dreams. The anticipation of the pitter patter of tiny little feet. A family being born unto each other. No parent ever expects their dream to shatter. But sadly, sometimes this dream can turn into a nightmare.

Each year nearly 3.3 million babies are stillborn, and more than 4 million others die within 28 days of coming into the world. [World Health Organization] With advanced medical technology, it is a parents expectation that those born unto us will outlive us. When a baby dies, it is outside the natural order of life and families are left devastated and forever changed, and a world is turned upside down. There is confusion, sadness, fear, and uncertainty that cannot be explained. There is sorrow where there should have been joy. During this time, it might be impossible for families to know what they might need in order to heal in the future.

This is the place where the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation gently provides a helping hand and a healing heart. For families overcome by grief and pain, the idea of photographing their baby may not immediately occur to them. Offering gentle and beautiful photography services in a compassionate and sensitive manner is the heart of this organization. The soft, gentle heirloom photographs of these beautiful babies are an important part of the healing process. They allow families to honor and cherish their babies, and share the spirits of their lives.

Every living being instinctually knows how to grieve. It is learning how to heal, that some need help with. Offering gentle and beautiful photography services in a compassionate and sensitive manner is the heart of the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation.

Remembrance Photography is a very important step in this healing process. Photographs are one of the most precious and tangible mementos that a parent can have, showing the love and bond that was given and shared with their baby. These portraits will last for generations, and will honor and remember a tiny life that is forever loved and cherished.

The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation (NILMDTS) administers a network of almost 7,000 volunteer photographers in the United States and twenty-five countries. At a family's request, a NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer will come to your hospital or hospice location and conduct a sensitive and private portrait session. The portraits are then professionally retouched and presented to the families on an archival DVD or CD that can be used to print portraits of their cherished baby.

Our entire network of affiliated photographers graciously donate their time and talents to our families and we are proud to be able to offer our services at no cost. Your Donations are greatly needed and greatly appreciated.

Please consider supporting the mission of NILMDTS

All proceeds from donations to the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation support our current programs, the day to day operations of our headquarters and the continued education of our affiliated volunteer photographers. We are a non-profit organization and could not survive without the kind generosity of donors like you.

Your donations are greatly appreciated. Please consider supporting our mission by making a donation TODAY to NILMDTS.

"Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" Foundation: www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org

Baby R had Trisomy 18, one of several forms of Trisomy, a condition caused by an extra chromosomal defect.

As a Registered Nurse & as a volunteer photographer for NILMDTS, I want to play my part in making the public aware of Trisomy 18.

What Is Trisomy 18?

Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards syndrome, is a condition which is caused by a chromosomal defect. It occurs in about 1 out of every 3000 live births.

Unlike Down syndrome, which also is caused by a chromosomal defect, the developmental issues caused by Trisomy 18 are associated with medical complications that are more potentially life-threatening in the early months and years of life. 50% of babies who are carried to term will be stillborn, with baby boys having higher stillbirth rate than baby girls.

At birth, intensive care admissions in Neonatal units are most common for infants with Trisomy 18. Again, baby boys will experience higher mortality rates in this neonatal period than baby girls, although those with higher birth weights do better across all categories.

What causes Trisomy 18?
At conception, 23 chromosomes from the father and 23 chromosomes from the mother combine to create a baby with a set of 46 chromosomes in each cell. A trisomy occurs when a baby has three #18 chromosomes instead of the normal two. This is something that happens at conception. And although many parents worry about this, it is important to know that
parents have done nothing before or during pregnancy to cause this disorder in their child.

What are the characteristics of Trisomy 18?
The genetic material from the extra eighteenth chromosome can cause a variety of problems with varying severity. Just as children with Down syndrome can range from mildly to severely affected, the same is true for children with Trisomy 18. This means that there is no hard and fast rule about what Trisomy 18 will mean for your child. However, statistics show that there is a high mortality rate for children with Trisomy 18 before or shortly after birth.

Typical characteristics of Trisomy 18 include:

  • Heart defects:
    • VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect): a hole between the lower chambers
    • ASD (Atrial Septal Defect): a hole between the upper chambers
    • Coarctation of the aorta: a narrowing of the exit vessel from the heart
  • Kidney problems
  • Part of the intestinal tract is outside the stomach (omphalocele)
  • The esophagus doesn’t connect to the stomach (esophageal artesia)
  • Excess amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios)
  • Clenched hands
  • Pocket of fluid on the brain (choroid plexus cysts)
  • Rocker bottom feet
  • Delayed growth
  • Small jaw (mycrognathia)
  • Small head (microcephaly)
  • Low-set ears
  • Strawberry-shaped head
  • Severe developmental delays
  • Umbilical or inguinal hernia
www.trisomy18.org


To make a donation to the Trisomy 18 Foundation, please call 810-867-4211.



Monday, June 29, 2009

Brock, Christine & Little Abigail

I had a photo session last week with Brock & Christine & their little gal Abigail. Doesn't little Abigail just have the most beautiful big brown eyes???!
A photo with mommy:
Abigail looks so focused on her entertainment!
Every little girl needs one of these photos in a real "girly" dress!
We almost got a smile out of Abigail...
Enjoying some cuddle-time with daddy:

Monday, June 22, 2009

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

A few weeks ago I became the Calgary "Area Coordinator" for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, a volunteer organization that is involved in Infant Remembrance Photography.

Please contact me by email - photosbywilma@gmail.com or by phone - (403) 249-5636 for more information about these services.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Late Spring in Vancouver

Every once in a while I photograph other favourite subjects: landscapes, flowers, or destinations along my travel journeys.  
Last week I was visiting the lovely city of Vancouver.  I grew up near Vancouver, so it has always held a special place in my heart.  
My Australian friend Eleanor who now lives in Vancouver also enjoys photography, so when we have the opportunity to get together, we go "shooting" with our cameras.  Last week's destination was the beautiful Van Dusen Gardens near the heart of Vancouver.  
Here are a "few" of the many photos I took that day: