Inessential Stuff

I have been thinking about getting into senior portraits, and I found a willing model in Hannah, who has for quite some time been Marcus’ preferred babysitter. She is graduating from high school this spring, as well as from SFCC with her AA degree. I told her to wear something that reflected her personality (having appreciated her sense of style when she has babysitted for us). Hannah chose an outfit that seemed to me somewhat Renaissance-ish, and in certain poses, I thought she looked a bit like Joan of Arc. Strong. Bold. Visionary.

Kudos to Hannah for the success of these pictures. She took my vague directions (“Why don’t you try looking, I don’t know, dramatic or something”) and infused them with her attitude and personality and created perfect poses. She was great to work with, and makes me think senior portraits might be a lot of fun.

I replaced my old camera bag (see post below), and I have to say, the new bag’s a beaut: smaller than my last, more padded, more versatile.

When I sling it over my shoulder, I feel as cool as James Dean (not sure why). And when I use it’s nifty belt feature, I feel … well, … then I feel kinda dorky, but it’s very practical.

Thumbs up for the Think Tank Photo Speed Demon.

(Photographs by Bonnie Brunt, Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved)

Stephanie and Steve wondered if I’d be willing to drive over to some railroad tracks, where they frequently go for walks, for their engagement pictures. They didn’t know that I love railroad tracks. They asked me at one point if I had ever taken engagement pictures on a railroad before. Only once: 16 years ago, when I took pictures that Bonnie and I would use for our engagement pictures.

So we met at the tracks at the end of a week, at the end of a day, on the kind of early spring evening where one might–lured by the clean, crisp blue sky after a rain–go out to take pictures, not quite prepared for the chill in the air. As best they could, Stephanie and Steve ignored me, and just walked along the tracks, occasionally stopping to look across a field or watch the sunset, relaxed and comfortable in each other’s company.

The other day, in an attempt to entertain Marcus, I showed him how to use my back-up camera. He was thrilled. He shot with an equivalent 135 mm lens, so the images are close-up and intentional; he knew what he was aiming for. The camera was heavy for him, so some shots sag a bit, but none have been cropped.

And the results, I think, are quite nice.