gwendolyn waite photography :: blog

About two weeks ago, I read an article that was posted by a facebook friend of mine about a new birth center that is opening up in St. Paul. (Yes, all the best news I find on facebook!) My thoughts? IT’S ABOUT TIME!!! I’m SO excited that the Twin Cities is finally going to have a good option for families who don’t wish to labor in the hospital, but are not prepared for a homebirth.

Last week I met with the birth center’s owner, Amy Johnson-Grass, and took a tour of the location. It’s called Health Foundations Family Health & Birth Center, and it’s absolutely beautiful inside. Gorgeous. They took an older home on Grand Avenue and completely renovated it to accommodate the birth center, a yoga studio, and a family and women’s wellness center. The rooms are cozy, comfortable, and filled with beautiful natural light. Their website sums it up well: “Providing individualized natural family medicine from pregnancy & birth to everyday wellness.” This is going to be an incredible resource for the Twin Cities. Please visit their website for more information.

And I am incredibly grateful to be able to display some of my work on their walls!

They will be having an open house this Saturday from 1-5pm (visit this link for more info) and one of the door prizes is a free newborn, child or family session from Gwendolyn Waite Photography! I will be there for a little while, so please stop by and say hello. You can get a chance to look at some of my work, answer any questions you might have, and enter your name in the drawing.

And if you don’t win the free session, there’s still something in it for you – if you book a new session at the open house on Saturday, you will receive a $100 print credit. Your session can take place anytime before December 31st, 2010.

And rumor has is that Peapods will be giving away a baby gift basket as a door prize as well!

And of course I can’t post without a photo, here’s a newborn I recently photographed…

I am beyond excited to start offering birth photography in the Twin Cities. When I was pregnant with my third child, I knew that I wanted to document his birth. I only have a couple snapshots from my oldest kids births, but they are still some of the most amazing, beautiful photos of our new family. I knew that I wanted to capture this third and final birth for our family, and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. These photos still bring tears to my eyes when I look at them, reliving the amazing process of birth. They are one of my most cherished possessions.

All three of my babies were born at home, so I am very comfortable and familiar with homebirths, and now we have a new Birth Center opening up in St. Paul (I will be posting on this very soon – check back later today!) so I will be happy to document your birth wherever you choose to deliver. I use only natural, available light. No flash to disturb laboring mom or newborn. No matter how dim your room – candlelit, table lamps or overhead light, I will capture the mood and beauty of your labor.

Knowing how important these photos are to me, it gives me great joy to announce…

The Cherished Arrival
Birth Day Photography

Your child’s birth is an unforgettable occasion.   But trying to photograph the experience can be a tall order for new parents.  Birth Day Documentation begins with a personal consultation prior to your due date that helps acquaint me with your needs and answer any questions.  Then, whether at a hospital, birth center or in your own home, I provide unlimited coverage of labor and delivery, unobtrusively and quietly capturing moments from this extraordinary event.  Because I can only schedule a limited number of these sessions per month, please contact me as soon as possible for complete pricing, and to reserve your space on my calendar.

Here are some photos from a birth I photographed recently, and here is what the parents had to say about the experience:

“Gwen made what could have been an uncomfortable situation feel totally natural… she captured the absolute joy of meeting Katy for the first time.  Those first moments of awe at seeing this little wonder were captured on film, it is a gift I can never repay!  I am still brought to tears when I look at the photos from those first wonderful moments when she came into our lives.”

I met up with this amazing family last weekend at their home to capture some family portraits. They are the recipients of my Giving Is Awesome giveaway this year. As a part of their package, they have received a complementary session, as well as a $1500 print credit to use however they wish.

Their little boy, Ben, was diagnosed over a year ago with a genetic eye disorder. In September of last year, they received even worse news – he has a very rare immune disorder which will require him to get a bone marrow transplant. He will be admitted to the hospital sometime within the next couple months, and will need to undergo a full 7-10 days of chemo prior to the transplant, and then 4-6 weeks to recover. You can read more about them on my post here.

Ben is a spunky little boy – full of energy and determination. He had me racing around the house chasing him, and collapsing in fits of giggles. Then took turns snuggling in with mom and dad for some reading time, but only after sneaking a brownie from the kitchen!

And his big sister Lydia? Such a flair for the theater, this one! Loved romping in their snowy backyard and showing me her costumes when we got inside. Long live Queen Lydia! Full of stories and infectious smiles.

I felt so lucky to spend the afternoon with this family – when I left, I was greeted by a tumble-down-hug from Lydia, and its gentler counterpart by Ben (more of a lean, than a hug, and infinitely sweet). Their family has such a wonderful connection, and it’s so apparent how they appreciate every minute they have together. One of the very best parts about being a family and children’s photographer is getting the opportunity to meet such amazing families in the Twin Cities. I could not possibly ask for a better job.

Keep this family in your thoughts and prayers these next few months. And also please visit the National Marrow Donor Program website to find more information about donating bone marrow. You can give the gift of life to someone like Ben.

This is my absolute favorite type of family photo – one with a whole body belly laugh! Bring on the tickles!

Life changing. That’s what our challenge this week for Project 52 is turning out to be. Not that a focusing technique is truly life changing, but it’s certainly going to make a huge difference in the way I shoot. I have wanted to try out Back Button Focusing (BBF) for a while, but it’s a pretty major change, and I needed some motivation and some pals to try it with. Our Project 52 group decided to do it together. It is going to take many more hours of practice to perfect it, especially with moving targets, but it has already made a huge difference in achieving dead-on focus.

Essentially it means separating the focus from the metering and shutter function. You program your camera to move the focus control to the back AF-ON button, leaving the shutter function free to just meter and fire the shot. The results? Much better focus accuracy and consistency. No longer does one button have to do it all.

These blogs were instrumental in figuring out BBF:

http://www.melissajill.com/blog.cfm?postID=690&f-a-q-back-button-focusing
http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=2286

It will definitely take some time to get fully comfortable with this new technique, but I know it’s going to make a huge difference in my photos.

I love this shot of Beatrice – wearing her school uniform, with her winter coat slouched off her shoulders as she so often does now, her big-girl teeth which have finally come in after so many months of a gaping-wide hole, and her loosely braided hair. My sweet girl. Getting so big.

Happy Sunday to you all…

ISO 400
f/4.0
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I cannot even begin to comprehend that my youngest nephew is already one. He was just born, I swear. His newborn photos, here and here. He had a pretty rough entry into the world, but has thrived in this last year. He’s beginning to take his first steps, starting to babble, all that good baby stuff. Such a sweet, mischievous little guy. I couldn’t resist… more little piggies. Enjoy.