Julia.revisited.in.b&w - Fort Collins Senior Portrait Photography

You might have noticed that I LOVE color images.  Love, love, love 'em.  Try as I may, try as I might, I just don't like my B&W conversions as much as I love my color images.  Here's the weird thing, though ... other photographers black & whites??  LOVE 'em.  I can't really explain this strange discrepancy other than to say that most of the time, black and white images just don't feel like me.  Lately, though, I've been wanting to enjoy my B&W conversions more and basically that means I've got to push through some of that uncertainty by doing them again and again ... until they feel right.  In other words, until they feel more me.
I chose a few unblogged images from a session I did several weeks ago and converted them to B&W.  I also included this side by side comparison
of the same image in both color & B&W.  You've seen the images and heard my side of things ...
What say you??

it's.all.about.the.fun - fort collins portrait photographer

{succulents captured with instagram app}

"Whether we are poets or parents or teachers or artists

or gardeners, we must start where we are and use what we have.

In the process of creation and relationship, what seems mundane and trivial

may show itself to be a holy, precious, part of a pattern."

{Luci Shaw}

Lately, I've been using the free instagram app to practice seeing things in a new way.  I also challenged myself to make images of things with the app that I wouldn't normally capture.  Too often, I'm too lazy/tired/apathetic {insert just about any adjective here}

to pull out my 'big' camera and I'm realizing that, as a result, I'm missing out on a lot of photo ops,

as well as missing out on practicing my 'seeing' skills on a more regular basis.

Just like the quote says, it really is about starting where you are and using what you have.

At it's most basic, it's just plain old fun and if you aren't having fun making pictures

then it's time to go back to the drawing board to discover what will make it fun again.

So far, it has done that for me and I feel like it has

unlocked some creaky doors in my creative brain

and, in my book, that is always a good thing.

{P.S.  My instagram username is focomama if you want to connect!

Try it.  I think you'll like it.  I really do.}

all.things.love - Fort collins portrait photographer

Happy LOVE Day to all my loveys

{instagram love}

but, especially this one.

{me and sweets courtesy of Jonathan Canlas}

 xo,
{me}

ava.in.winter - fort collins portrait photographer

One of the many things I love about this little chickadee:

She couldn't be serious if she tried.

Oh, Ava, I love you so.

our.lily.is.double.digits.today - fort collins portrait photographer

My dearest Lily,

It was exactly ten years ago that your bright little light shined it's way into the furthermost reaches of our lives.  So much so, that for the first year of your life, we suspected there might be something wrong with you because you were so exceedingly happy all the time.  You must forgive us for this error in judgment, you see, because this was a brand new kind of baby in our world, the likes of which we had never seen.  With a bald, oversized head and an ear-to-ear grin that revealed two big dimples in the center of those chubby cheeks, you were utterly irresistible to us.  We couldn't have been more smitten.

{see?? how could you possibly resist this little ray of sunshine?!}

You have surprised us at every turn since that first year of your life.  You slowly matured into a wise 'old soul' of a girl - intensely artistic, wildly imaginative and highly intuitive.  As a small child you once described yourself {and I quote directly} as being "an adult in a midget's body".  We simply couldn't have said it better ourselves.  That description is so you.

{you (and Ava) as 'old man' at the ripe old age of 5}

You've stretched me in more ways than I can count and thus, have taught me more about the peaks and valleys of love and life than I ever thought possible.  The challenges we've struggled through together have taught me over and again about the tremendous gift of the new day ... about what it really means to let go and begin anew.  Such a valuable practice for the whole of life, really.  As difficult as it may be at times, I am reminded of how our experiences together continually call me into

a newness of life - one of growth and transformation with all it's accompanying messiness.

It's true (even if my progress is slow) that I'm becoming a better person because of you.

My hope for your tenth year of life is that you always remember that even in the midst of all these 'learnings',

your megawatt smile never fails to bring a song to my heart.

It still gets me.  Every time.

You are ours.  And we are yours.

And we couldn't be happier about it.

Happy 10th birthday, my love.

xo,

{your mum}

  

Muchas.gracias.mr.canlas

My Christmas present was just posted over here.

Oh, happy day!