Tracy's Maternity Pictures

I will admit that I haven't been shooting much professionally these days. I just don't have the energy or desire to market myself right now, but I still like to try every once in a while and keep my skill set strong. I have a few pregnant friends and have offered each one of them an opportunity for maternity pictures. So far only Tracy took me up on the offer, but it was fun to get out there and shoot her that day.

It was a bit of a challenge, two young girls, a husband who would rather talk to the girls than just smile, and the time of day that worked wasn't ideal, but was good for the kids temperament. We decided to take these pictures at Tracy's house in front of her garden. It made the girls more comfortable to be home, but also Tracy has worked really really hard on her garden so I thought it would be fun to include those in the picture.

It was fun working with Molly and Keeley that day. They were a bit troublesome at some moments, but I think because they know me and are comfortable with me so they responded really well to what I asked of them. I did keep the session short and only chose one spot instead of moving around so the kids wouldn't get too bored. I also decided to use my strobes that day instead of a reflector as the fill light. Definitely need more practice working with the strobes, but every opportunity gets me closer to what I want.

Here are some of my favorites from my short session that day.

 

 

Annual Visit to Chicago

Every year we go to Sundog we always try to stop by and visit our friends living in Chicago and visit with Carl's grandmother who still lives there. We usually just spend a weekend, but it is nice to take a moment and catch up with old friends we only see once a year.

When we go, we stay with Carl's best friend, The Kantowskis, which is adventure all its own. We each have two kids and they are just young enough to get into a lot of trouble and wear us all thin, but also have a lot of fun together. Unfortunately for most of our visit my camera wasn't working. The first place was the Museum of Science and Industry which was a ton of fun, but the only lens I brought that day decided to break so no pictures there. We also went to a BBQ with a bunch of Carl's fraternity brothers, but I forgot to charge my camera that day so another miss fire. So only a few moments from our quick weekend adventure with the Kantowski, but they are fun I promise. I only wish our kids lived closer because I know they would be best friends. One of my favorite moments of the trip was watching Evan idolize Erik and copying everything he did. It was sweet to watch and fun to see Erik be the boss of all the kids. A big responsibility but someone had to do it.

So in the midwest they have something called humidity, us Californian don't understand it. As a photographer I am not use to adjusting for it. One morning we went to a park, but try as I might by camera kept fogging up. I think the trick is that I need to let it sit and get the same temperature outside before I start taking pictures, but man it was driving me crazy. Here are a few examples.

Once my camera finally got warmed up I was all set to go and it was a fun morning at the park. That' the thing with kids, its just spending time together and the simple things that get them going sometimes.

 

The kids at meal time, it was a bit chaotic, but it worked. Elliot really liked feeding Mia.

Then the only other moment I got was right before we left when it was raining and Tracy decided to distract the boys by making oobleck. Elliot was sad and sitting on my lap while I took these pictures, but Evan and Erik sure had fun with it. I have done it a couple times since we've been home. A great project for the kids.

Also every time we go to Chicago we visit with Carl's grandma and the visits are never often enough, but the boys get to know her a bit better every time. This day she got them cars and ping pong thingys that had fun with. Always a great time catching up.

A simple weekend visit, but nice to catch up just wish I got pictures of everything and learned how to beat the humidity with my camera.

Welcome back Lake Sundog

I have either been dating or married to Carl now for 14 years and almost every single one of those years I have been to Lake Sundog with him. Its tradition, and one I am getting sick of and complain constantly about how we have to go on the same vacation every year. Then we get there and I remember why we make the effort to go back. To the Johnson clan this is a magical place with lots of history, lots of love and lots of memories. My father-in-law has been going here since he was a kid so in my 14 years I only have a glimpse of what this place has meant to everyone.

Now I am raising the next generation of Johnson men who will revere this place. A new set of grandchildren fill the walls with laughter, creating new memories. Its also a different kind of fun since I first started going here. I think there are two philosophies of Sundog. Carl's sister was always one to get up and go and never sit still traveling to all the cities for adventures. Carl and I were always content to sit and read a book and just relax in the good air with the comforts of home, and maybe kayak the lake, take a canoe ride, walk through the forest.

With the boys I am mostly content to just hang out at the cabin exploring the woods, even letting them go outside by themselves so they feel like they are testing the limits even though I can watch them at every second. This year was especially different because it was so hot. It was the hottest, most humid I have ever experienced at the cabin which made it hard to sleep, but was great for swimming.

So there isn't much I can tell you about our trip, I have 133 images from our all fun times, but I'll highlight some of our favorite memories if you just want a glimpse into what Sundog Lake means to the Johnson family. Here is a link to all images if you want to check them out.

Sundog Lake means a glimpse into nature in its raw state.

It means kayaking on the lake, by myself or with a child aboard.

 

It means swimming in the lake. Sometimes it very cold so we only stay a few minutes just to say we swam. Some years, like this year, its almost as warm as a bath water so we bask in the sun and swim to our hearts delight.

It means taking risks and testing your boundaries because boys will be boys.

It means new traditions, for us its visiting the Michigami River in Republic. The boys really love the beach here and the ore makes the water orange. We always have the best time at this beach.

It means visiting family and there is a lot of it, but the same familiar faces always make an effort to come by the cabin for a swim and dinner.

This year it meant getting fireworks in Wisconsin so the boys could have a real experience. Erik LOVED it and kept grabbing more fireworks for us to light. Elliot buried his face in my chest because he didn't like it at all.

It means visits to town which this year was a park in Ishpeming and the Marquette Children's Museum.

 

 

 

It means taking the time to smell the flowers, or pick them and give one to every person around you.

It means, being spoiled by their grandparents and just getting to spend time with family. Its nice to take a moment to connect.

 

For all these reasons we keep coming back even though it takes us an entire day by plane and car to get there. Its worth it to keep these memories growing.