Tina-Tina Bo-Bina and a new box of Delta 3200

I got a new shipment of delta 3200 in 120. In 35mm format it is not my favorite, but in 120 it scrumptious. I used to use it all the time but for some reason had not used any in over a year. I smartened up and ordered a batch. Glad I did. It is just as scrumptious as I remember. Delicious grain in the 120.

I had a new batch of film and had to use some right away so took it to Mother Goose.

This is Tina. My mother Goose co-teacher. Playgroup facilitator extraordinaire. My friend who won't let me take pictures of her but I did anyway. Tina.






It was her birthday. Cake!!

The Birth Book

I am very excited to finally officially offer . . . Birth Photography!!

I have always been a bit of a birth junkie. In fact it states in my high school yearbook caption that I had planned to go to medical school to be an obgyn. While I never carried through on that plan I did continue to be utter captivated by birth.

I am a trained Doula. What is a Doula? A doula is a woman who offers various forms of non-medical support (physical and emotional) to a woman in labour.

I have finally merged all of these things with my photography to offer an amazing product . . . The Birth Book!!

The Birth Book is the story of your baby's birth. It has three main parts: A maternity session prior to the birth, the birth session itself, and a family session about a week after the birth. I then take all these images and create (layout and design) a beautiful leather bound art book. The books are assembled by an outside company that caters only to professional photographers. They are top quality books that will last a lifetime.

I have attended a good number of births both as a doula and as a photographer. I am committed to being as discreet and as respectful as possible. I consider it a great honour to be there when a new baby is born.

Yay!

Two siblings and the photographer who jumped on the bed.

These were really great kids. Sweet and well behaved. I think we were all friends at the end.

What's this about jumping on the bed you ask? You can see the kids on the bed . . where am I? Jumping on the bed! We need a pull back shot on that one. Maybe next time.

Boy



Girl



Siblings



Holga shot for good measure!!

Take Your Holga to Work Day!!

Take your Holga to Work Day . . . is that a thing? It should be.

Obviously as a photographer I do take my Holga to work.

Since I like getting paid to spend time with my kid, for a few hours every week I have another job. I am a certified Parent Child Mother Goose teacher. What is that? From the site: "The Parent-Child Mother Goose Program® is a group experience for parents and their babies and young children which focuses on the pleasure and power of using rhymes, songs, and stories together. Parents gain skills and confidence which can enable them to create positive family patterns during their children's crucial early years, and give their children healthy early experiences with language and communication."

So basically it means I get paid to teach songs and rhymes to kids and their parents and I get to do this with my own kid on my hip. It is the best job in the world (next to being a child/family photographer!!).

One recent day I took my Holga to work. A small room with nary a window in sight. Flash it up.

Let me sing you through these photos:

♪♫ Look at all the bunnies sleeping
'Till it's nearly noon
Come and let us gently wake them
With our merry tune
Oh so still
Are they Ill?



Noooooo!
Hop little bunnies
Hop, hop, hop
Hop little bunnies
Never stop ♪ ♫



Listening intently:



♪ ♫ Here is a beehive
but where are the bees
hidden away here nobody sees
see them come creping out of their hive
1, 2, 3, 4, 5! ♪ ♫



♪ ♫ Shoofly, don't bother me
Shoofly, Don't bother me
Shoofly, Don't bother me
I belong to somebody
I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star
I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star
I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star
Shoofly, don't bother me
'Cause I belong to somebody! ♪ ♫



Since I've done it once I just might do it again. ;)

Mummers Parade

So just before Christmas this fair town held a mummers parade. What is a mummer you ask? Well, according to an online dictionary it is "A masked or costumed merrymaker, especially at a festival." In Newfoundland this definition needs further explanation. Around these parts, it was tradition to dress up in any random clothes, underwear and sheets and go visiting house to house at Christmastime. The idea is to hide ones identity, knock on a door and ask "any Mummers 'lowed in?". If the answer is yes then in they go, to dance or play music and generally carry on. Usually the host will offer a drink or treat. The host is to try and guess the identity of the mummers. Then on to the next house they go.

Today this tradition is dying away. In this era of making an appointment to visit three weeks in advance, and text message confirmation, the idea of dropping n unannounced is losing favour.

Well a mummers parade is the next best thing. So a group was formed and people came out, dressed as foolish as they could. Myself and the family joined in the fun. My kids were so into it they must have had a hundred extra items on. We had about a 1/2 hour parade through the streets, ending at the Rooms for snacks and music. It was a blast and I hope that it becomes a yearly event.

P.S. I'd let mummers in at Christmastime. ;) No text messages needed.

Here are my kids and my husband and myself. I can't tell you who is who, that would spoil the fun.









There were a dozen or so great horse puppet things. If I can figure out what they are called I'll come back and edit this post!! This wooden one was a standout.






March march march.



We arrive!

Bookworm and c-c-c-color

This session was a repeat client. I love repeat clients because nothing says *happy customer* better than a new booking. It is also nice to see kids grow up. I'm like an auntie: pinching their cheeks and clutching my pearls at how much they've grown since I saw them last!

This little one is a real bookworm. Mom wanted that captured and I was happy to oblige.




She also has some great toddler hair.



Since this was a repeat client I thought we would do something CRAZY!! Colour. Colour in the Holga. What fun!! I just might think of doing more colour once in a while.

Our friend Olivia

So a while back my boy dropped my Bronica. That's right. Like a scene from a movie I dove in a slow motion attempt to catch it . . . and missed by a centimeter. I gasped and cried when I saw it fall into pieces.

After scooping up the bits I laid them aside and refused to deal with it. I thought by putting it out of my head I'd manage to save my relationship with my kid. ;)

Well a few weeks later I was growing very tired of tiny 35mm negatives and thought it time to deal with the Bronica. I pulled it all out and sat down and sized up the damage. The viewfinder and the lens were a loss. Busted. The body though, I thought I'd try and repair. It took some very tiny screwdrivers, a pair of pliers and a hammer . . . but I fixed it! I ordered another viewfinder and waited for it to show up.

One day Olivia was at my house with her brother and mother for a playdate. Having recently received the viewfinder I used her to test the newly repaired camera . . . lo and behold it works! I am very excited.

In an ironic twist one of my 35mm bodies went on the fritz at a recent session. Luckily I have more than a couple of 35mm bodies and it was fine . . . but it pushed me to order more medium format gear. And with that I thank every photographer that goes digital and sells their medium format gear on ebay for a steal. You just made my day.

Anyway . . . here is Olivia, so big that she can hold her bottle. That IS big!