Last Friday, I posted photos of my awesome three pre-teen neighbours (if you missed it, you can check it out here). When we went to the park to do the shoot, their friend Ava came along. Ava was super helpful throughout the shoot, carrying bags and making the girls laugh. She was also a natural in front of the camera.
Just in time for Mother's Day! Normally when I think about "mothering" my mind would wander to thoughts of spit-up and endless laundry, hours spent in the rocking chair in the middle of the night, the endless diaper changes (also known as wrestling matches in our house), heaving the stroller in and out of the trunk, cleaning every meal off of the floor... the list goes on. Because my own daughter is just 19 months, and most of our friends have young children, generally I can't think of life past age 6. But it's there waiting for us – life with kids, not babies. I spent an awesome evening last week with my neighbours (who also are 3 of the finest babysitters I know!), and it got me to thinking about life with kids. Kids who go to school everyday and bring home not only math homework, but their successes, challenges and fears. Kids who are in activities every night of the week (with parents who joke about being chauffeurs). Kids who fight with their siblings and argue over who gets to use the bathroom first. Kids who have sleepovers and stay up until 3 in the morning giggling and squealing. Kids who take up hobbies like skateboarding, and risk breaking their ankles and wrists several hours a day. Kids who play loud instruments like the violin and drums, and practice every night in the basement. Kids with heartbreaks like not making the team, failing a test, or losing a friend. Kids with triumphs like scoring a goal, achieving an A+, or getting the lead in the school play. Kids who ask questions, like: "Why isn't there enough food in the world for everyone?", "Why don't the other kids like me?", "How do you solve quadratic equations?".
Our roles as moms certainly change as our babies grow. All that said, I can only imagine how much more exciting life is as your kids get older. If I'm proud watching Robin learn how to use a fork, I can't even begin to think of how proud I'll be on her first day of school, or when she makes a team, or wins an award.
But back to my neighbours! Three fine ladies who I have gotten to know quite well over the last year. We spent a great evening together and what a fun change it was for me to work with some pre-teens! These girls are well-spoken, responsible, caring and always have something interesting to say. I love hearing about their activities and friends. And although they bicker (as sisters do), it's obvious that they care about each other and share an amazing bond. Their mom must be doing something right :-)
Happy Mother's Day weekend!
As a mom, one of the things I feel most guilty about is not taking enough pictures of my child. (Side note: What's with the guilt that comes along with being a parent!?! – a whole other discussion for another day). "Whaaaat!?!?" you say to yourself. How can you be a photographer and not take enough photos of your own kid? Well, it's actually pretty easy to fall into a rut of not taking photos. The light is bad. We're too busy. My camera is too heavy. I'm tired. The list goes on. So lately, I've taken a new approach to the photography of my own family. Quality, not quantity. When my friends ask for tips on taking better photos of their kids, this is something I always suggest. Rather than trying to pull your camera out for every occasion, set aside time once every few weeks and spend a couple of minutes capturing the moment. By "capturing the moment" I mean, choosing an activity or event, and taking the time to document all the details. I'm using Robin's lunch today as an example. She's 18 months (almost 19 months) and I've only taken photos of her a couple of times in the last few weeks. Every time I look at her, I feel a wave of emotion. Pride (she's growing so quickly and doing more and more each day), laughter (she looks a bit ridiculous right now with her chubby cheeks and bowl cut) and this achy feeling which I can't really describe in words (my baby is not really a baby anymore). I want to capture her, right now, so I can look back in weeks, months, and years, and feel the same way I do now. To most people, photos of a kid eating her macaroni and watermelon aren't that exciting or spectacular. But to me, it's a glimpse into my life. My real life. Right now.
So after all this rambling, here's my tip for moms (or dads!). Every once in a while, stop and spend a few minutes taking photos of an "everyday" activity or task. Take as many photos as you can in those minutes. Stand back and get as much of the room as you can. Get in as close as you can. Shoot from every different angle you can think of. One of my favourite things to do is to take a shot looking down through our chandelier in our kitchen. Be creative. Shoot the details. If you are inside, what's on the walls or the floor? If you are outside, what's around you? Trees, flowers, signs, cars. When it comes time to put together a photo book (which I recommend you do!), you will be able to create a beautiful spread using multiple photos, which together tell the story of that time, moment, or event.
Spring is upon us, and what a great start we have had! (up until yesterday... but don't worry, it's going to go back to being sunny tomorrow!). There has been so much beautiful sunshine lately, and the grass, trees and gardens are starting to come back to life. Everyone in our neighborhood seems to be out and about – enjoying the fresh air and looking forward to summer. And while most people pine for long summer days with sun, swimming, t-shirts and shorts, BBQs and drinks on the back deck... us photographers are looking forward to sunsets, green grass, blooming flowers, golden fields… and the busiest time of year! So in anticipation, I thought it would be fun to have a little contest before Mother's Day – to treat a much-deserving mom to some photos with her family. Which then got me to thinking about how nice it is for us moms to go shopping this time of year for new spring clothes... because we all need a treat once in awhile! And what better store to shop at than Trixie Boutique? (a neighbourhood GEM in my opinion).
So together, we are putting on a fantastic spring contest for moms, just in time for Mother's Day!
Treat yourself – let Trixie Boutique help you find a new outfit to feel great in this spring, and let me capture you and your little ones enjoying this beautiful season.
Enter to win a $100 gift certificate from Trixie Boutique and a family photo session with me!
HOW TO ENTER
To enter the contest, all you have to do is “like” both Trixie Boutique and Kimberly Walker Photography on Facebook, and let us know that you have done so!
The Fine Print: To be eligible for the contest, you must be a mom living in the GTA. Deadline to enter is Saturday May 12, 2012, 11:59 pm. The winner will be selected by random draw and will be announced on Sunday May 13, 2012. The winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to be used at Trixie Boutique before June 30, 2012, as well as a family photo session with Kimberly Walker Photography to be used before June 30, 2012. The winner will receive a DVD with digital images from the photoshoot. The winner’s photoshoot will be featured on this blog and the Trixie Boutique website.
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And in case you were wondering... yup, I featured myself in the promo photos for this. And yup, I'm sporting one of my new purchases from Trixie for the spring season, while Robin rocks a dress from The Children's Place. The sun better come back out because we are dying to get back into our dresses!
Check it out!!!
I recently had the amazing opportunity to work with Roots on a series of photos for their window displays at their Roots 73 outlet stores. We did the shoot back in February and I've been patiently waiting (and by patiently, I mean staring at the calendar and checking off the days) for the posters to go on display so I could finally share this exciting news. The shoot took a full day and I got to work with an awesome creative team from Roots and four adorable models. As much as I love to shoot "in the moment", I have to admit, it was pretty nice to have a stylist on hand to make sure the kids were always looking their best.
Robin and I made the trip to one of the stores yesterday to check it out on display. I'm sure the sales associates thought I was crazy as I took photos of the posters while attempting to hold on to my flailing toddler. But we were productive – in about 2 minutes, I managed to snap 30 or so shots, and Robin managed to take apart the sunglasses display. 
I've been practising with a new lens lately so Robin has of course been my muse! It's rare these days that I have to wake her up from a her nap at the end of the afternoon, but it's one of my favourite times we share together when I do. She is just like Kyle and I – she loves to sleep and does not like to be woken up by others. It always takes a bit of coaxing to get her to open her eyes – she sometimes rolls over and just ignores me. But after some gentle nudging I will get a few groggy yawns out of her, and usually she is quite happy to see me.
We've been so lucky to have such great weather the past few weeks so like most people, I've been taking advantage and enjoying as much time outdoors as I can with Robin. And I thought it was about time I posted some current photos of her. This was our first night playing outside after dinner a few weeks ago. You would think that it's late April or May, not March! Robin is more and more a little girl these days, and less and less a baby. It makes me swell with pride to watch her play and do more for herself; she is becoming so independent. But it also breaks my heart. I dragged her out of her crib last night so I could hold her asleep in my arms for a few minutes. Luckily she was out cold and slept right through the transfer. She barely fits into my arms now. As I felt her chest rising up and down against mine and listened to her quiet, laboured breathing (she has a cold), I was acutely aware that this is a time that I will look back on with so much fondness, but also with regret. As much as I savour these moments, I know I will always feel like I should have done more. More cuddling, more kissing, more squeezing.
More being-in-the-moment-and-forgetting-everything-else.
I took Robin for a haircut a few days later. Yikes, she really had a Justin Bieber/mullet look going on!
I had hoped to get this session posted in time for Family Day, but alas it was delayed a few days. So I'm very happy to finally have some time this morning to share these shots of these beautiful little ladies and their parents. Brena was just shy of her first birthday and big sister Taryn is 3 1/2. Both girls had so much great energy and lovely smiles for me. Back when this session was booked, I wasn't sure what kind of weather we'd be faced with at the end of January, but we ended up with a mild day, perfect for a trip to the park.
Happy Family Day! (Better late than never, right?)
I was lucky enough to meet with this lovely family twice this summer. Early in June I met the whole family together and we went to the park, and then again in late August to focus more on sweet little Lily. Being the baby girl of the family of course means that Lily is adored by everyone, especially her big brother Alistair. He is so kind and loving towards his sister – it melted my heart to watch him hug and kiss her, and at one point he announced that she is his favourite thing in the whole world... even more than lego.
Happy Friday! xx
I LOVE this family... and their love for one another. Other than my niece and nephews, I think Cooper was the first little guy that I started taking photos of (his mom graciously offered him up as a model for me to practice). Since then, we've done photos each year and it's amazing to see how much Cooper is growing and changing. He loves his hat, trucks, mom & dad, and on this particularly warm evening, his socks and shoes (he could not be convinced to wear sandals). It's obvious that Cooper's parents adore him (and it's easy to see why!) but what's more endearing is the way Cooper adores them right back. After a long day, the family was so happy to be hanging out and spending time together, and unless I instructed them to look at me, it was as if I wasn't there at all. They started the evening off with some football and it ended with some cuddles. Perfect.
This one makes me melt.
My favourite shot of the evening. Golden hair in the golden grass.
Who doesn't love (and isn't fascinated by) their belly button?
Did I mention that I love this family!?! xx