Tony--Senior 2014

Tony is just awesome.  He is a Senior from  Clarinda, a nearby town, and he has very diverse interests and a completely relaxed attitude about having his portrait made.  He went along with whatever I or his Mom suggested, and brought some great props that truly represent his interests.  We ended up working in the Studio for about an hour and a half, then heading out to steaming Waubonsie for some great shots climbing trees, down by the small pond there, and up in the tall grass during sunset.  He even agreed to wear his leather jacket in a pile of brown, crispy leaves, although we were all dripping sweat.  A science fiction and horror fan, Tony was able to chat with me about Star Trek, Star Wars (sorry, Lucas, although I really enjoy your movies, Trek wins for me), The Evil Dead, and various other topics, as well as life in marching band (I was a band geek, too).  We had a great time, and, Tony, don't forget to watch the original Star Trek series episode Space Seed, then follow up with a look at the Star Trek movie The Wrath Of Khan to get the Kan Noonian Singh history...

The Nelson Family

Had a busy weekend (are they ever quiet?) and made some wonderful images along the way!  This first set is from the Nelson Family Portrait Session.  They chose Waubonsie State Park, and we were able to work during the Golden Hour (sunset) to capture all the activity a family with two small children can generate.  Wonderful formal, posed shots, and priceless candids were the result, all with some help from Mother Nature.  Waubonsie is gorgeous.  It was a little warm and buggy, but everyone held up well.  Enjoy!

Fascinating Saturday Part 2

So, this is Part 2 of my Fascinating Saturday tale, and we left off after I had taken pictures at a very loving 50th Anniversary Party.  The hubs and I drove an hour home, discussing what we had just experienced, and also talking a bit about the weather.  The morning shoot had been overcast, and while it had been humid and stuffy, the sun hadn't beat down on us.  It was a fortunate thing, because when I photograph in wide open spaces, bright sun can be a real enemy for good exposure and pleasant expressions.  And there were no areas of open shade at the lake house where the party had been held, so the cloudy skies gave me much more freedom to position the large groups of people without having to worry about them squinting in the sun.

As we made the drive north back to Sidney, we could see the weather was changing, however.  

Hard, bright blue skies revealed themselves, and we went from cloudy-humid to sunny in a matter of 60 miles.  It wasn't burning hot (yet).  The second task of the day was a Mommy-To-Be, and I really wanted to do some outdoor work.  I had chatted with the Mom earlier in the week, and we had decided to stay indoors initially, and then maybe zip out to Waubonsie State Park for a few shots at the end. We messaged and made the call to head out to the Park first, simply because it wasn't nearly as warm as it had been the past week (yet!) and the Mom was on somewhat of a time crunch.  We had a couple hours at most, and I didn't want to miss the opportunity for outdoor work if Mom got tired, as folks who have been gestating for 35 weeks or so tend to do.  

So, we met and did some outdoor work with a literally GLOWING Mom, Daddy-To-Be, and cute but not extremely enthusiastic Soon-To-Be big brother.  The photographs are beautiful.  Just what I had envisioned when we booked the Session.  Location, location, location is so huge.  And in the meantime, as we shot, it got warmer.

Sweat trickled down my rib cage as I worked, and even the shady spots we found were stuffy, buggy caves of dimness, not cool oases as I had hoped.  Consequently, I worked fast.  The Studio was waiting for us as soon as we got what we needed, and I didn't want to keep Mom hot and uncomfortable any longer than I had to.  Big Brother wasn't incredibly pleased with the day's activities either, but he did throw us a few bones.  

Then Brother headed off with Aunt to the family swimming pool (lucky kid!) and Mom, Dad, Mike and I took off for the relative cool of the Studio to finish up.   And when we got there, we did our thing again, this time without the perspiration, and made some more memories for this family.  During, we made small talk about our recent vacation to Colorado (I want to live there SO BADLY) and other things.  And then they were off to their evening's activities and I began to download and back-up files with a big glass of ice water in my hand.  

On the back of my piano in my living room, I have an 8x10 photograph of me, pregnant with my last child.  If you didn't know it was me, well, it could be anyone, because it is just a belly with my hands and a tulip, done up in black and white with a little tinting.  I was a few days away from delivery, and I set up the Studio for my husband to make a few shots, JUST OF THE BELLY, mind you.  I remember not even having my hair done for those shots.  I was enormous, gigantic.  I was a planet, with my own massive gravitational field.  I remember feeling heavy, lumbering, cumbersome, and clumsy.  I remember not being able to sleep for longer than about 2 consecutive hours during the last couple months.  I remember eating everything in sight (ah, so being hugely pregnant DOES have its compensations!)  I remember my 3 other children, small then, the youngest barely 3 and just out of diapers, circling me for attention and for reassurance that they would still be loved after the new one came.  And I remember thinking, a little crazily "Here we go again!".  It turns out that it was the last time.  I was 34 when my baby, Sailor,was born.

As I edit these images of this little family, getting ready to add another to their circle, all those crazy days come back.  The hospital, the births, the diapers and the feedings.  Getting NO SLEEP for days or weeks or months and I can't remember because from the time I was 26 til the time I was 34 I had 4 kids and unless I wrote it down, it was a blur, let me tell you.  And holding the baby afterwards, smelling of that baby lotion that comes in the pink bottle---when I smell it now, I am transported utterly back to baby bath-time.  

And that is where the entire day all came together for me.  Those two people who were celebrating their 50th Anniversary had started out just like the little family I had just photographed, and they had started out just like me.  They had lived through it all, baby years, teen years (where I am now), college, grand babies, fire, feast, famine, pestilence, and all the slings and arrows every marriage and family takes as they ride the gauntlet together.  And look what they did.  In this world of EASY buttons, of NOW, of ME, of MINE, they had navigated successfully.  

My Mom-To-Be---I used to be her, with a belly full of hopes and dreams and feet swollen so badly it hurt to walk down the hall.  And my Anniversary couple and their family---with a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work, I just MIGHT have that to look forward to.  That COULD BE me!  Someday.  

I love my job.

Fall Family Photography Special 2013

We have never sold files from Creative Sessions before, so this is a big step for us.  However, I am really wanting to do more and more artistic work---canvases, mosaic frames, hand-tinting, book-making, writing, stock photography--just to name a few types of things I'd like to focus on.  And as much as I'd like to think I can work 24/7 with no breaks and no family time, I simply can't. And I don't want to become "cookie-cutter"--meaning I drop all the really creative stuff I'm doing in favor of the simple portrait packages.  Now, don't get me wrong--there will always be Portrait Packages and Traditional Sessions for sale here at my shop for folks who appreciate my fine art print work and want to do business in that manner.   But by offering digital files as Packages,  some clients will hire me for that very cool specialty stuff that I am absolutely craving the time to do, and then they will have their wallets printed elsewhere, or do it themselves on a desktop printer.

Don't get me wrong---there is a huge difference between fine art giclee' printing that lasts 150 years and most desktop printing or consumer print labs as far as quality and longevity goes.  But for some folks, that isn't what is important, and I respect that.  Everyone has priorities.  I do as well.

 So, this is my FIRST Special to focus completely on Digital Files.  It is a Mini-Session Special, going on the entire month of October.  For those of you interested in this type of work, there will be other offerings, and even Print/Canvas/Digital File Packages coming soon.  For those of you that might wonder what we can do in 20 minutes, have no fear.  20 great images in 20 minutes happens every day at our Studio.  So, to book your Fall Family Photography Special (how many "f" sounds could I pack in there, right?) just email me at imagesbytracylovett@gmail .com, Facebook me, or call 712/374-6133 or 712/520-4772 to get on the books.

A Fascinating Saturday, PART 1

I had a fascinating day last Saturday.  I was able to photograph a family as they celebrated the 50th Wedding Anniversary of Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa.  I have had the privilege of working with this group before as I did Wedding Portraiture for two of the granddaughters a couple years ago (YIKES for their parents--two weddings in something like 4 or 5 months!).

 We traveled an hour south to do this gathering, which was a complete surprise for the honored couple, and did a bunch of Family Photography before they got there. 

When they arrived, they were totally surprised and incredibly struck at how much stealthy work had gone into this gathering.  There were enlargements surreptitiously made from their Wedding Album, a cake with their portrait on it, a banner, 50 Memories From 50 Years that had been written, compiled and printed, then strung up as an incredibly long banner across the porch of the lake house where the party was held. 

We even had them re-enact the photograph of the bride feeding the groom cake just as it was captured 50 years ago.

We photographed EVERYONE together.

 And there was a very beautiful video slideshow of the history of their lives together in pictures.  My husband always goes with me on these shoots, and I found great inspiration and gratitude in being able to see this big family as they celebrated their history together with him.  I hope that one day, he and I will be able to revel in a family such as theirs.  Coming up at the end of this month, we have 16 years in.  Still a long ways to go.  What is it they say?  "Do not regret growing older.  It is a privilege denied to many."  And I totally agree.  After seeing these folks all together, from the tiniest baby up through the generations to the happy couple themselves, it is very profound to experience the cycles and rhythms of life at all stages.

Thank you, Falk Family, for letting me not only express myself through my camera, but for allowing me into this very personal, joyous time. 

And this was my FIRST job of the day....the second one, which I will write about tomorrow, is just as interesting, especially when considered in light of the Anniversary I had just photographed.  Later!

Last of Summer With Kalyn

This is Kalyn, a beautiful blonde from a nearby town.  She wanted some striking outdoor work for her Creative Session to celebrate her Senior year.  We chose Waubonsie State Park here in Fremont County, one of my favorite spots in Iowa, and we were able to make a range of beautiful images from the branches of trees to sweeping views of the bluffs, and sparkling water shots.  We had a wonderful time on a warm August morning, which makes me even more excited for what is to come once the explosions of color commence in the Loess Hills.  We are on the cusp of autumn.....

A New Year...Old Resolutions

So, here we are, in 2013, and instead of running forward to embrace all the new, shiny cool stuff coming at me technology-wise, social media-wise, and style-wise, I am looking behind me.  I started this whole Images By Tracy Lovett thing to express myself artistically through photography, while still enjoying my family.  And, every year or so, it is time to take stock of my life, of how well I am succeeding at my business and creative goals.  So here I am, poking around in my livestock. 

What do I see? 

I see a photo studio that does a lot of things really well, but that has drifted a bit from my original goals.  Perhaps all businesses do this.  Perhaps all businesses run by families with small children MUST drift a bit to accomodate the needs of the kids.  Perhaps I'm ready for a shake-up, and I need to revisit my roots.

Whatever.

But, I'm looking back fondly at the days of medium format cameras loaded with silver halide B&W film, and at my collection of photo-oils.  Whatever are those, you ask?  Well, back in the day, when color photography was the stuff of legends and myths, photographers would take a black and white portrait print and hand-paint oil color onto it, giving it a dreamier-than-life appearance that is unmistakeable.  As a photo-shopper, digital tinting is something I do upon request, but I must say, it pales in comparison to the hand-tinting I did all those years ago.  So, I think I will break out those photo-oils and tint a few images the real way, the old-fashioned way.  I may even buy a couple rolls of B&W film and shoot away with one of my medium format cams.  Of course, I'll ship the negatives off for processing, at least for now, but if I enjoy it, I might invest in a developing tank and some chemicals....God, it has been a LONG time since I smelled developer and stop bath. 

Digital photography is wonderful, don't get me wrong.  But, it has, perhaps, taken the preciousness away from a single, perfect image captured on a strip of silver-coated celluloid.  Do you remember taking photographs with a machine that didn't give you real-time feedback on the little glowing screen on the back?  It is quite a trip, like dancing in pitch darkness, with invisible, elegant furniture placed here and there....

And no, I'm not getting out of digital.  I love it.  It is where my business model functions the best. It provides beautiful images at reasonable prices for my customers.  Even if I add a bit of film to the mix, I will never be able to get rid of my digital darkroom.  The tools residing on my computer's hard drives are just so precise, so varied....

I want to add more art to my work.  I want to hand-tint, hand-paint, add real gold and silver leaf to prints....I want to personalize more.  I want to create a unique portfolio of images tailored for each customer.  And speaking of customers....I want to create photo PROJECTS based upon their goals without pigeonholing them into specific packages and products. 

I want to do actual art portraits....in pencil, in pastel, in paint.  I love art--it is my first love and my emotional home.  I want to share that with others. 

I want to do story-based Sessions, where our goal is to really tell a tale about that child, that person, that family.  I want to document that moment in time for that family.   Families move through time, growing, changing, adding members, and, of course, losing them as well.  I want to honor the families that I work with in THAT moment in time. 

I want to tell stories with my books of images.  I love books--designing them, printing them, building them in different styles and constructions.  I want to share that love with my clients, to create image collections in one-of-a-kind book formats that are as much art as they are books. 

I want to excel at infra-red photography--I do a little of it every year, and this year, when the first hints of green emerge in the landscape, I want to hit it hard.  I love the haunting beauty. 

I want to publish new books---3 this year, if I can.  I write and illustrate children's books, for those of you who don't know.  You can learn about them here, at www.inclementiowa.com.  I may write a non-fiction one about photography as well this year.

 

I want to do more mosaic tile work.  I love mosaic tile.  It is like playing in the mud for me.  It seems to paraphrase many of our lives so well---something beautiful made up of all sorts of broken little pieces. 

I want to share my love for all things creative with my children, to teach them and foster in them this creative practice that so nourishes me.  And, perhaps eventually I will put together classes for others, to help them learn more about their own creativity. 

Oh, and the list goes on and on.  More nature work, more macro work, more art with my hands, more digital paintings, pushing the creative edge.  There are always more things to do.

And many of those things, I already do.  But, I want to do it better, with fresh eyes, outside the box thinking, and an appreciation for the perspective of the clients in my Studio.

This is my backward-looking yet forward-thinking list for 2013.  It's a lot.  I won't get it all done.  But, I'm starting.  I'm working on things already.  Stay tuned.  And keep creating.