Happy Valentines Day

Sea Lions in Love on Pier 39

Happy Valentines Day to all!

Meet Max

Meet Max – our Hypoallergenic Siberian Forrest Cat.

I’d love to tell that he usually looks more like this.  .  .

All regal and stately. But I’d be lying. Especially if there is anything in the vicinity that might pass for food.  I wonder where he gets that from?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Wait.  .  .  What’s that? What’s that you say? You say its February 9th, not January 1st?

Well that’s a bummer. I feel like 2012 is just beginning, and yet, I am already weeks behind on my New Year’s resolution for this blog – to post something, ANYTHING, every day. A picture, perhaps? You wouldn’t think that would be too hard for a photographer, would you?

So, I give you my inaugural Photo of the Day.

Appropriate for the first truly wintery day we Dallasites have seen in a while, don’t you think?

Enjoy!

And check back tomorrow, would ya?  Just to keep me on track.

Santa Portraits

I know.  I know.  It seems a bit early to have your letter to Santa all ready to go when most of us are still thinking about turkey and dressing. But believe me, you will be thanking me on December 3rd when you already have your Christmas card photo ready to go.

So save yourself a trip to the shopping mall and let your kids be among the very first to get their holiday wish list in to the North Pole. Come on out, this weekend November 19th and 20th, to the Cozy Cottage Children’s Boutique in North Oak Cliff’s Bishop Arts district and get your (or your childrens) portrait made with Mr. Clause.

All Grown Up

See that sweet tiny girl in the front row?  That adorable angel who scattered all of those rose petals that I glided over twelve long years ago on my way to meet my prince?  (Yes people, I do mean Dan even though he is not pictured. And yes, that skinny blonde in the big white dress really is me.)

Well, my friends, her name is Kourtney and here she is – all grown up.

I mean high heels and prom dresses grown up.  Not the kind that is going to land you on the cover of People magazine in the middle of a national debate on Toddlers and Tiaras, but the beautiful, appropriate, kind of grown up that occurs as a teenage girl begins to cross that line into lovely young womanhood.

This girl is the real deal, and she graciously offered to round up a friend and come spend and afternoon in and around my studio while I figured out what exactly I could offer high school seniors looking to capture the magic of their senior years for posterity. We covered a variety of looks from formal wear in studio to boots and jeans in the alley behind Eno’s, and everything in between.  And we had a ball doing it.

So that got me thinking.  .   . what is so special about senior year, anyway?

Its about friends.

And fun.

Its about dreams,

growing up,

and, ultimately, about saying goodbye.

I guess its about books and homework and college applications, too, but those things don’t actually make for very fun photographs, so I opted to skip that part.  Photographer’s prerogative. Check out the entire shoot below, and see of you think we captured the rest of it, anyway.

courtney9_web

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Desperately Seeking Something

Maybe its the dog days of summer or just a routine rut. Call it what you will, I have been suffering from a complete and total lack of motivation of late. With the notable exception of the Fascinator project, I have found it almost impossible to get my creative juices flowing. This has been as true of my photography as it has of my writing. So I decided to use this 4th of July (and all of the cute subjects I would have at the lakehouse) as an opportunity to see if I could stir anything up.

Let’s face it. I have always been partial to a tight headshot, and Zack Arias, photography guru, says that it is always good to start with what you know.  So I did.  Close up kid portraits all around. And, as I reviewed my results, overall I was pleased.

Then I saw this image.  .  .

And, for the first time in a long time, I feel genuinely excited to pick up my camera.

So grateful.

Photo Friday: Just Do It

“What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it.” — Gabriel García Márquez

For years now, Nike has been telling us to “Just Do It.” Just do what, I’ve always wondered? Run a marathon? Jump off of a cliff? Buy their shoes? Well folks, today I, too, am here to tell you to “Just Do It.”  But unlike Nike, I plan to give you a little more insight into exactly what I mean.

This post marks the kick off of Photo Fridays at capturedbychristy.me where, at the request of some of you, I will be posting my favorite tips for improving the quality of your everyday family photography. I firmly believe that we owe it not only to future generations, but also to ourselves, to take the time to create a visual record of our daily lives. Hopefully, this column will give you the motivation you need to do just that. So, let’s get started.

Just Shoot

OK.  What I am about to suggest to you runs contrary to the advice given out by almost every professional photography instructor I have encountered over the past couple of years.  .  . take lots of pictures.  And when I say lots I mean LOTS.

The modern age of digital photography has presented us with an opportunity we have never had before.  Unlike film, which was both physically consumable and had to be developed, digital memory is cheap, reusable and requires nothing more than your computer for viewing.  Now we have the freedom to experiment, shoot as much as we like, without all of those costs.

I took this shot on a random Thursday night. My kids were tired and cranky, the light was fading fast, and I did not get the shot I was looking for — a traditional image of the three of them sitting in and amongst a clearly visable field of the bluebonnets. I just kept shooting, however, and I came up with this sweet shot. Nothing award winning, but a keeper for sure. (more…)

The Ride

There are certain defining moments in a child’s life that, as parents, we both long for and dread: rolling over, crawling, first steps. We anticipate these steps as concrete evidence that our littlest ones are, in fact, actually going to be OK, and yet we eschew them because we know with each milestone our child becomes more independent, moving ever so slightly farther away from our protective grasp.

As children get a little older, those defining moments are fewer and farther between: potty training, starting Kindergarten, and of course, losing those training wheels. For the past couple of years, my oldest has struggled a little with that last one.

Santa brought Caleb a Trek when he was five, but it just never called to him. What can I say? He is his mother’s child, and as such, harbors a healthy fear of falling. I, for one, totally get that. Some risks are worth taking, but only when your desire for the the promised payoff is sufficient to overshadow the potential pain.

Example: I have zero interest in hang gliding, scuba diving, or skiing (of any kind) because, simply put, I do not have a death wish.  However, give me a chance to ride an 18 hand Hanovarian (think VERY tall horse) that outweighs me by more than 1000 pounds and might spook any minute throwing me to my death, and I would saddle up in a heartbeat. It all comes down to that intensely personal analysis that is the fine balance of risk versus reward.

Until recently, as far as Caleb was concerned, bike riding was at most a take it or leave it proposition. Consequently, Santa’s Trek sat idle in our garage collecting dust until well after he had outgrown in. Over spring break, however, Caleb got bit by the bicycle bug (laced with a little peer pressure, I’m afraid), and just like that his need to ride overpowered his fear.  Suddenly, a new bicycle was all he could talk about.

So, thanks to a really good run on Dan’s part at a black jack table in between meetings at a conference last weekend, we spent this Saturday morning at Bicycles Plus in Snider Plaza. Three kids bikes and all of Dan’s winnings later, and we were off to the races, so to speak.

I’ll have to admit, I was really nervous. Previous attempts to teach Caleb to ride had produced exponentially more tears than success.  With another new bike in the mix, I knew we were going to have trouble if we couldn’t manage it this time.

Following the guy at the bike shop’s advice, we started with the seat low and the pedals off, letting Caleb just get the feel of balancing on the bike as he coasted downhill, feet close enough to the ground for a quick save. First five feet. Then ten. In no time he was begging us to put the pedals back on, and before I knew it, he was peddling his new bike across that empty parking lot.   .   .   a bit wobbly and with a death grip on those handle bars, but still, he kept on peddling.

As I sat on the ground shooting this picture, I realized that, while I couldn’t be happier for his accomplishment, it managed to leave me a little melancholy too. This weekend we checked off one more stop on Caleb’s trek to adulthood, experienced one more triumphant moment we can never get back. It got me to thinking.  Perhaps its time to spend a little less time worrying about this and that, and a little more time enjoying the ride.

Valentines Day Redux: Part 3 – The Pioneer Woman

My Journey Through the Blogophere

I have been following blogs for about four years now.  First there was scrapbook designer, and now exercise fanatic, Cathy Zielske’s blog (aptly named Cathy Zielske’s Blog). I discovered Cathy when using her book, Clean and Simple Scrapbooking – The Sequel to design the “Look How Great We Are Please Give Us Your Baby” book we submitted when adopting our second child.  Cathy is a sharp, funny, modern woman with super creative kids and a gift for teaching the art of minimalist design. She also bears the distinction of being the one who introduced little old me, Christy Roseveare, to the blogosphere.

Set loose in the world of blogs, I discovered endless avenues for entertainment and education. Among my favorite blogs are those put out by (1) national photographic superstar and my personal photography mentor, Zach Arias; and (2) Melissa Hill, the author of  a long way from the Theta house who is both an active participant in Mercy Street Dallas (a group of Christians living out their faith by living and working in and around one of Dallas’ toughest neighborhoods) and the mom of one of my son’s classmates. I’m telling you, there are some really cool people out there if you take the time to look.

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Valentines Day Redux: Part 2 – The Party

I am pretty sure I took up protesting Valentine’s Day (which I deemed to be nothing more than an attempt by Hallmark and the candy industry to bilk millions of Americans out of their hard earned money) sometime around the 5th grade.  By then, I was well aware of the fact that I was not going to be one of those girls who got a carnation from their secret admirer, and I decided to don head-to-toe black mourning attire in defiance of the whole silly mess. Every year.  Until my mid-twenties.

Oh how things change.  Now, it seems, I am Mrs. Valentine’s Day.  It started a few years ago when my first grader was still in preschool.  Back then, Pottery Barn Kids was making these little retro looking felt envelopes to hang on the back of kids chairs for holding those jewels of wit and charm that little kids give each other on Valentine’s Day. The kitty cat proclaiming, “You’re purrrrfect!” and the like.  Now I am a sucker for all things retro kid. Throw in personalization – embroidery no less – and I am hooked for sure.  I am also extremely susceptible to “I Could Do That” syndrome, have a mom who sews, and have a buddy with an embroidery machine. Translation – Danger Will Robinson!

Have I mentioned that I was a copious over achiever in a former life?

Well, I was.  And every once in a while that Type A monster rears her ugly head. . . usually when there is crafting involved.  So, for the next two years I put everyone I know to work making Valentine’s Day envelopes for my oldest’s classes.

(We moved to the Covenant School of Dallas after preschool. Yippee for me!  In addition to being the best school EVER, Covenant meant whole new audience for my crafting genius!)

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