When I heard about the Getty Museum Challenge where people re-create works of art using only objects lying around house, I knew we needed to create our own portraits. The challenge was inspired by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and a brilliant Instagram account called Between Art and Quarantine. With somewhat willing models and access to Grandma Bon Bon’s extensive fabric stash, everyone in the family chose a painting to re-create and I took the photos (my photos were taken by my 9 year old).
When we started hearing news reports about coronavirus, it was all so far away. We were busy helping our 9 year old do research on various public figures for his biography unit, eventually choosing Jim Henson as the figure he would portray in the Third Grade Wax Museum. We were celebrating the final basketball games of the season, enjoying our Sundays up skiing at Alpental, and had just tried out for the first season of kid-pitch baseball. We were taking turns getting the boys to swimming and chess club and soccer practices. And then before we knew it, school was closed and social distancing became our new normal. Last week we ran our final errands, stocking up on groceries, books and school supplies, we filled prescriptions, saw our friends in person one last time, and got in one last yoga class in the studio before hunkering down at home for the foreseeable future. The boys went out to Grandpa’s property and each earned $5 to clear wood, Viggo started helping out with some cooking, we all enjoyed some rare moments of quiet as the boys built a lego city after being inspired by the TV show Lego Masters, and luckily we’ve had a nice stretch of weather in Seattle so we could all get outside. I took my first yoga and dance classes virtually from my bedroom and it wasn’t terrible! Tomorrow online learning starts with a 9am check-in so that means Grandma Bon Bon’s School for Boys is officially open - wish us luck.
FIFTY years. Holy smokes, my parents have been married for 50 years. Marriage isn't easy, but I feel fortunate that my parents stuck together all those years and provided a home for my brother and I full of love, support, adventure and endless laughter. They have set the bar high for my own marriage and I'm constantly in awe of everything they've accomplished together. We all traveled to Hawaii where they honeymooned FIFTY years ago, only this time the kids and grand-kids were there to celebrate as well. The kids collected fallen plumeria blooms so I could string them together with dental floss to make lei's for everyone, we decorated the cottage, Uncle Nate manned the BBQ, and the kids ran around and climbed tree stumps with their Grandma Bon Bon and Grandpa Dino masks while we sipped champagne and watched the sun set. Happy anniversary mom and dad.
It was another hot night so instead of fighting bedtime, we threw on our suits and went for a twilight swim.
It's been far too long since I've blogged, but spring has arrived and I've been shooting a lot lately. I'm also *very close* to fully recovered from major knee surgery last year (more on that coming in another blog post) so I'm ready to start photographing families again! While Viggo competed in his very first chess tournament last weekend (you can see my Instagram post here), Leo got some quality time with his cousins. Documenting the day with his cousins was a great reminder that we can include extended family and cousins in your photo shoot. I would love to spend a morning or day in the life with your family, your littles, and their cousins. The cousin relationship is pretty special, whether they are all close in age, or years apart, it's such a fun, unique dynamic. I'm not sure which was more fun - 3 cousins in a bathtub or 3 cousins in a hammock. We have a bathtub (but the light isn't nearly as pretty) but I'm convinced that we definitely need a hammock. Back at the house after a long day of chess, Viggo sat proudly for a photo with his trophy before we all jumped into the converted horse trailer that is now a mobile sauna. We warmed up in the sauna listening to the pouring rain on the metal roof of the trailer, snacking on bowls of goldfish, when Leo shouted "chicken bawk bawk!" and sure enough we looked out the little windows to see one of chickens running down the alley. The kids all jumped out to chase the chicken but he was long gone, leaving four sopping wet cousins scrambling to get inside and warm up in front of the fire. It was everything that a day with cousins should be.
We kicked off the Halloween festivities at my aunt's house where the boys discovered my cousin's old rope swing. The kids got dressed up in their costumes and they all got to pick out their own pumpkin from my aunt's garden. Pumpkins were claimed, rolled, carried, gently placed in wheelbarrows and accidentally dumped out of said wheelbarrows. While the big kids played basketball, Leo ate the last of the tomatoes from the vines, and once he discovered my cousins stash of old star wars toys, we couldn't get him away from them. I don't blame him - the Ewok treehouse was amazing. The boys wore their vampire capes and my niece wore my little brothers old crayon costume, reminding me of the year we went trick or treating down 10th Street, me in the purple crayon and my brother in the yellow crayon. Growing up my mom sewed all of our costumes, and still helps me create costumes for my boys today. Maybe that's where my love of Halloween came from.
You know it's going to be a good session when you wake up to dark Seattle skies and a slow drizzle but instead of canceling, your client embraces it and wants to document life in their new city, rain and all. And even better is when you're greeted by smiling, giggling girls who can't wait to show you their baby sister. This beautiful international family recently moved from London to Seattle and the girls still have an accent that will melt your heart. The laugher that fills every room of their house is infectious, and families that embrace the silly will always have my heart. As a mother of boys, I love documenting life with girls and I'm always curious about the differences and similarities and make no mistake, these girls could give my boys a run for their money. They jumped, wrestled, danced, and scaled rock walls in the mud and rain. It was my kind of morning.
Another summer, another Doe Bay Fest in the books. This year presented not only the challenges of a wild toddler, but my own physical limitations after having major knee surgery just 8 weeks earlier. We've been coming to Doe Bay since Viggo was a baby, twice I'e come pregnant, and even though this year was the hardest, it was worth it. There was tons of walking on uneven dirt paths, rocky beaches, and hills that felt like mountains, but I managed to walk steady and avoid falling. I may have missed the late night yoga studio sessions and the midnight shows under the big tree, and just bending my knee enough to fit inside the porta potty was comical, but the beach, the music, the friends, and the wild kids that make up our Doe Bay family made it all worth it.
We met at t-ball, standing on the sidelines chatting and watching our boys clumsily chase after the ball, learning to throw and catch, all while being cheered on by their coaches and parents. My family quickly fell in love with Coach Caleb and his sweet demeanor, always patient with this gaggle of 4 and 5 year old boys with an easy smile. Sharsti and I fell into the habit of walking up to the coffee shop, with Abbi volunteering to push Leo in his stroller. I was thrilled that Sharsti asked me to photograph her beautiful family this winter at their gorgeous home in Montlake. The weather was terrible, utterly and absolutely atrocious. It was dark and gloomy and I didn’t think it was ever going to stop raining. I considered canceling - but this is what I love so much about this family - they just rolled with it. We do live in Seattle after all, and this is what life looks like in November in the Pacifc Northwest, and they totally embraced it. The rain let up a bit so we decided to take Bailey for a walk out to the Montlake cut. We watched boats go by, the kids hid in the weeping willow branches, jumped over puddles, and sang Macklemore songs with voices much better than my own. My kind of afternoon. By the end of day I felt like I knew the kids so much better and was able to see their different personalities (and voices!) shine through. I left admiring Caleb and Sharsti for how beautifully they embrace and nurture Max and Abbi's different personalities, loving them for exactly who they are. I can’t wait for more lingering mornings on the t-ball field with these guys this spring.
I was lucky enough to spend the morning with Erica, Dudley, and Ellis in their gorgeous new home in Queen Anne. It took Ellis a few minutes of hiding behind his mom, but before I knew it he was proudly showing me around the house and giving me the best hugs. Ellis reminded me that sometimes you just need to put the camera down and hug it out. This may be my new motto in life. He showed me his big boy room and his favorite books, and even made me "toast". I loved watching the three of them cuddle in bed, giggle, and play under the covers. Dudley is an excellent gently-toss-the-baby-into-the-bed kind of guy, FYI.
I've known David and Alana for several years and I've even been on some pretty grueling bike rides with David. I was beyond excited to finally meet sweet baby E and see how well they've all settled into their new house as a family of three. They made it look effortless! Seriously though, they were such naturals at this new parenting thing and they had the calm demeanor of seasoned parents. I loved seeing David in his new role as dad and how E has already captured his heart. E is such a sweet baby and is already a great sleeper - no wonder Alana looked so gorgeous and refreshed. Of course no family session would be complete without a guest starring role from the family pets, in this case their hilarious cats "Chicken" and Max.
Documentary family photo session with family of four in the Montlake neighborhood of Seattle, WA.
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One day new, in the hospital with baby Linka.
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