gwendolyn waite photography :: blog

amazing family :: twin cities children’s photographer

gwendolyn waite — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:56:23 +0000

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!

project 52 :: week 9

gwendolyn waite — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:57:10 +0000

Week 9’s assignment was “texture.” Love this old, peeling paint, and the prickly “stickers.”

I’ve got a sick 9-yo and a squirrely toddler home with me this morning, so not much time to write. Happy Tuesday!

ISO 400
f/4.0
1/150

project 52 :: week 8

gwendolyn waite — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:41:30 +0000

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
1/400

one :: minneapolis baby photographer

gwendolyn waite — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:47:35 +0000

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.

project 52 :: week 7

gwendolyn waite — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:21:16 +0000

I bought some local raw honey at the coop this morning, and was really taken with the golden color, especially with the light streaming through from behind.

Hope you all had a good weekend!

ISO 400
f/2.2
1/640
50mm 1.4 lens