Anne Geddes makes it look easy.

 
So, I tried to put my niece on a pumpkin.

There are several reasons why it did not work.
1. She hated it.
2. little babies love being warm almost as much as they love being swaddled. Pumpkins aren't warm.
3. the pumpkin was not perfectly smooth, even though I put a napkin on it. which you can totally see.
4. I really needed a bigger pumpkin. Like one of those blue-ribbon-winning-oh-my-goodness-that's-a-big-pumpkin.  She was securely on there, but she wasn't able to rest on it and be happy.
5. Did I mention that babies love being warm?

I knew all of this going in, but the pumpkin was so creamy and lovely, and I just couldn't help hoping that there would be this magical Anne Geddes-like moment where I could capture her looking unutterably cute.
Anyway, we got a good laugh out of it. I still kind of love these pictures because of how they completely don't work.

We got her off of there pretty quick and snuggled her in cozy black velvet.  She was much happier.

The pictures I took on the black velvet have this odd, dreamy quality that I always love when I find it.  Even when she was momentarily upset and screaming her lungs out, there was just this passion to her movements.  Newborns are so awkward, ungainly, squashy, oddly proportioned, and yet absolutely perfect.

Never has anyone looked or felt so completely, completely alive as a newborn.

Fire and Fall

An emerald is as green as grass;
a ruby red as blood;
A sapphire shines as blue as heaven;
A flint lies in the mud.

 A diamond is a brilliant stone,
to catch the world's desire;
An opal holds a fire spark;
but a flint holds fire.
                           -Christina Rosetti

It is early fall, and the weather is perfect for layers of warmer clothing, baking, walks in the woods, and going to bonfires. It is so delicious to be able to wear sweaters again!
I miss my sweaters and scarves during the summer months.

Last weekend, I went to a bonfire out in the country.  We laughed, talked, drank beer and stared into the warm, comforting fire.  Some people played corn-hole while others put on music to line dance to.  My sister brought the last of the fireworks we bought for her birthday, and we set them off.  My sister and brother saw a shooting star.

I brought my camera, because I just like bringing my camera, despite its size.  Plus I wanted to try out my low-light lens while taking fire pictures.  I found that it was more responsive in capturing the subtler colors of the flames amongst the coals. lovely.

 

 

 

Photography Critique exchange 3: Greek Dancing

Two weekends ago, the only Greek orthodox church in town had its annual Greek Festival.  The music can be heard from blocks away as it wafts from a tall hill overlooking the river.  We went on Saturday night, the busiest of the three days. We laughed, talked, people-watched and tried not to lose each other in the densely packed crowds.

The primary activity at the Greek festival is waiting in line for food.  I think I spent at least an hour and a half standing line, which is kind of typical, but the wait is always worth it.  Delicious baklava, kadaifi, gyros, trigonas, moussaka, doulmades, dyples, olives, meats and cheeses.  We stuffed ourselves silly.  

My sister and I stayed to watch the last dancing group of the night, which is made up from the most experienced dancers.

I've never been at the festival that late at night before, so I've always missed this group.  It was wonderful.  Unlike the little kids, who are just trying to get it right and/or not be bored silly, these adults are clearly enjoying themselves.  It's clear that they practice together and enjoy each other.  They laughed at each other and passed comments as they snaked their lines of dancers around the dancing area.

I brought my camera, and was so entranced by the way that the lights from the stage created these mysterious color fields.  I am quite happy with these photos.  They have a strangeness that is sometimes hard to find in a photo.  Photography can be so obvious: the camera records what is in front of it.  The most interesting photographs to me are the ones that have a mystery to them, that record more than what was there, or record how something feels rather than merely how something looks.

Cousin Cate

Grace has been the center of attention of our family circle for the past 8 days.  She flutters her little hand, and we all coo.  She squinches up her face and three cameras come out.
But she is not the only petite grand-baby.

Catherine has pudged up a bit, and is all cute dimples and big blue eyes. She loves kicking her legs about, probably strengthening them for crawling in a couple of months.

A few days ago, Sarah and Catherine came over for a visit, and we got to compare the two babes up close.  Catherine seems so tiny, but compared to Grace, she really is bigger.  It's fun to see the similarities and differences.

These kids crack me up.  I'm sure they'll be friends...eventually. : )

Baby Love in the Afternoon

I must admit, I love having a baby within ridiculously easy reach of my camera.  It makes capturing all the details of her deliciously possible, on a practically daily basis.
It means I can wait for the right light to come through the window and pick up the tiny hairs that dust her skin and make her luxuriously soft.

She basically naps, poops, is coaxed into eating, naps, naps, makes languid hand gestures with her long little fingers, and naps some more. And keeps her parents up nights, all while barely opening her eyes.
She has the world on a string and doesn't even know it.

I know babies can't smile yet, but it makes it all the more wonderful to me that I caught that expression on her face.

Happy Sunday,
Joanna

PS. I took the picture of her ear because Rachel is especially in love with her tiny ears.