For those who love photographers...

...a website of us looking crazed and geeky and everything in between...

http://35mm.instantfundas.com/2008/12/photographs-of-photographers.html

Jane Photo; Vancouver newborn photographer

Here are a couple faves from Jane Photo yesterday when the dotter and grand-dotter were camping it up. This is Auntie and niece--too cute. It is snowing--again. Hard. Again. Good gravy. We had more than a dozen here for dinner (and some too snowed in to make it), and much revelry was had by all. All the young ones got into the studio props and were flouncing around in pettiskirts--too funny.

Thanks for all the nominations that are pouring in for Giving is Awesome. You guys are awesome. You are really reaching out about your loved ones and friends. The stories that are flooding in are compelling, and I really wish I could manage to gift a session and prints to every family nominated. Stay tuned for new years and the winner.

And cans for comments is still active, so please take a sec and comment on a post here, so I can make a great Food Bank donation this winter.

Giving is Still Awesome

It's Christmas Eve, and Jane Photo sends along wishes for a happy holiday to all our clients, friends and family. We have 16 coming for dinner...don't know how we'll fit everyone, or whether folks will be able to get here through all the snow. Digging out the cars has been a procedure indeed, and now they're stuck anew. But isn't the snow a hoot for Christmas?

Thanks to the folks who've sent in a story for Giving is Awesome. http://www.givingisawesome.com/

Jane Photo is donating $475 worth of photography in session fees and prints to a family who cannot afford custom photography, and a free mini session and print to the family or individual who nominated our winner.

You know someone.

You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, is watching their child suffering in the hospital or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty. Tell me about them!

You know someone. I guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography -- $475 worth, to be exact. Whether it's family portrait packages, prints for Grandma, or a full maternity/newborn package to capture those moments that they will treasure for a lifetime... it's in your power to give them the beauty they deserve this holiday season.
Oh, and another thing... The person who nominates the winner receives a $175 family portrait session and an 8"x10" print! So get nominating!

The rules:
* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a million-dollar-vacation-home does not qualify as sincere financial need.)

* The nominee must reside in metro Vancouver. Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my gift. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

* You must e-mail me the full story :
The winner will be announced on New Years Day -- get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season -- and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,

Jane


Oh yeah, and please leave a comment because I'm donating a can of food to the Food Bank for each one.

Here are some snow photos from around our place today. The one of me looking like a bumble bee is by Sarah. The one with the umbrella is our neighbour shovelling the walk with a dust pan. The others are of my first born, home from U of T law school for the celebrations. Soooo glad she's with us...(she's my best xmas present).







This is our neighbour clearing his walk with an umbrella and a dustpan (sooo Vancouver):

Jane Photo; Vancouver newborn photographer

Here are some wonderful sibs to go with the baby bambino in the post just below this one. I think the image of the three of them from above is one of my fave ever...it just melts my heart every time I look at it. I totally lost my heart to these two, three and four years old. They were sooo good and easy, and so photogenic, and they were just smitten with their new little brother.

Please leave comments here and I'll donate a can to the Food Bank for every one.

Oh, look at this chub...can anyone in their right mind resist this shot of babe on mama's shoulder? Adorable!


I wanted a shot that expressed how much love older bro feels for his new little guy, and this one for sure sums it up:


Oh, just yummy, isn't it? How wonderful to get such a fabulous shot of the whole kit and kaboodle of children:


Big sis was so loving to her new little brother, and she just looks like she is in thrall:


The little munchkins together...aren't they precious?

Meet an adorable munchkin!

This little fellow was a month old and pretty well awake during most of his session despite all the heat we were throwing his way in the hopes of sending him off to dreamland. He was such an adorable little guy, with a wonderful thinker's forehead, chubby arms, and deep, startling eyes. I was so surprised at his ability to track what was going on around him, and also by his neck strength. He was big at birth, and at a month a full 12 pounds. Isn't he just the sweetest?

Please leave comments below. One comment=one can of food donated to the Food Bank for the holiday season!

Nominate Someone in Need

You know someone.

You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, is watching their child suffering in the hospital or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty. Tell me about them!

You know someone. I guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography -- $475 worth, to be exact. Whether it's family portrait packages, prints for Grandma, or a full maternity/newborn package to capture those moments that they will treasure for a lifetime... it's in your power to give them the beauty they deserve this holiday season.
Oh, and another thing... The person who nominates the winner receives a $175 family portrait session and an 8"x10" print! So get nominating!

The rules:
* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a million-dollar-vacation-home does not qualify as sincere financial need.)

* The nominee must reside in metro Vancouver. Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my gift. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

* You must e-mail me the full story :
The winner will be announced on New Years Day -- get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season -- and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,

Jane


Oh yeah, and please leave a comment because I'm donating a can of food to the Food Bank for each one.

'Kay, everybody, Jane Photo is proud to announce that from Monday Dec 8 to Monday Dec 22 we will be donating one can of food to Vancouver's food bank for every comment left on the blog.

So get busy leaving your comments! We'd love to donate enough to make a difference to at least one family.

And just 'cause it's hard to post without a snap, here's a pic I may have taken myself as a very little girl of my mom and one of our newborn foals--just to show I was into newborn photography even back in Ontario in the sixties. We had a turquoise Bakelite intercom, and through this, mom would spend weeks listening for the sounds of the mares going into labour. What will it sound like? I'd ask. How will you know? Mom, can I watch? Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?

Finally, on one occasion, I remember my mother waking me up and carrying me in her arms out to the barn in the middle of the night. The air was chilly against my bare feet and I wiggled my toes, testing it, and could feel the hem of my long flannel nightgown. I'm guessing it was March or April. The stars winked as if someone had poked holes in black fabric, and I was enchanted by the sight--and by being in my mother's arms in the dark, still night. In the barn, where my dad was waiting, it was warmer, and smelled of manure and ammonia, and it was quiet in every stall except for the last one where a restless mare was down on her side, ribs heaving, nostrils flared. Mom tucked me into a corner, burrowing me in straw, then turned to soothe the mare, stroking her cheek and neck and cooing in a reassuring tone.

The mare showed the whites of her eyes, and struggled to her feet as the foal came slithering out hooves first in its white bag of cowl, falling gently to the yellow straw, and sending up plumes of steam into the chillier air. The foal twitched in her bag. My mother pulled the cowl open, and the mare licked the birth bag away. Minutes later, the little foal rose on shaky, spindly legs, fell, then got up again for good, nuzzling for milk.

I was beyond enchanted. I was in love with every tiny particle of this experience, and have been in love with birth--and mothers and babies whether animal or human--ever since.

I wrote a poem about that magical night once, though I don't think I included it in either of my poetry books.

Little Ms S was such a delight to have in the Jane Photo studio! She had such a wonderful look with her springy curls of dark hair--and her funny faces. She had me cracking up from beginning to end, that's for certain. I haven't met a single soul who can do a fishy face quite as well as the divine Ms S, and I'll just bet she's been endless entertainment for her loving parents, T and M. Here are a few to enjoy!

As always, feel free to leave blog comments below.

Take it away, mom:

S is the cutest patootie wootie in the western world. Do you just look at her and melt?
Ummm, yes. I can barely get anything done in the house, I am so busy trying to take in her every moment. I dont want to miss a single expression (except maybe the screaming ones). I think as every mom knows, you could never imagine before baby how obsessed you will become with them.
S is the only baby who has ever made me laugh out loud when I was editing her images.

I have a whole series of S making faces that just crack me up. I know you said she is known for making faces. Why do you think she does that?

Thats the big mystery of Sophie. Since the very day she was born, people have commented on the strange and funny faces she made, especially the things she does with her mouth. She has a whole range of looks, from Zoolander, to fish face, to kissy mouth and beyond. The more annoyed she gets, the weirder the faces she makes. Half of all the pictures I take of her are variations of her "funny faces"....maybe she likes the feeling of her mouth making interesting shapes, or maybe thats her nonverbal communication....if she still does it when she's older I'll be sure to ask!

How has it been for you and M moving from being just a couple to being parents? How has your relationship changed?
Well honestly, it was certainly a shock in the beginning. Sophie took up all of my attention of course and I dont know that Martin was prepared for that, but as the weeks past, he readjusted his expectations of me and of our relationship. Now he is completely in love with Sophie and our relationship is more layered and meaningful than ever before, but it took a few months to get there.

What is the best thing about being a mom? When is S at her most adorable?
Sophie is at her most adorable when she wants us to make her laugh and when she is first waking up in the morning. When she wants us to make her laugh, her eyes light up and start sparkling and she starts screeching and kicking her little legs and arms to attract our attention. I know right away that shes in the mood to laugh her little head of, so we entertain her until we are all laughing together. Also, first thing in the morning, her hair is standing in every direction and she smiles the sweetest, most contented smile when she sees my face looking over her crib. Her cheeks are all rosy from sleep and she lifts her little arms out to me to be picked up. I live for those moments.

How has it been getting up nights to feed little Ms S? Do you enjoy your quiet late night moments together, or are you mostly nodding off and hoping to get back to bed?
Luckily for us, Sophie has slept 12 hours straight pretty much every night since she was 3 months old. So the odd night she wakes me up, when shes teething or not feeling well, I try to enjoy the peaceful sounds of her breastfeeding, the quiet in the house, and her warm little half asleep body instead of rushing back to bed.

What are you looking forward to doing with Ms S as she grows up?
Everything! Listening to her talk about what she is learning, thinking and feeling. Watching her experience the world and trying to see it through her eyes. Sharing in her interests and trying to forge a bond that will keep us close for the rest of my life. Bringing her joy and helping her become who she wants to be. Well, and because shes a girl, perhaps a bit of mommy daughter shopping and spa adventures.

Any thoughts/suggestions etc for other new moms?
Every day, every passing month, It just gets better and better. Try to enjoy every moment, takes loads of pictures and videos, because they change so quickly and your memory for details you thought you'd never forget is remarkably poor.

I wanted--once again--to bring everyone's attention to the organization I vounteer for, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. This US organization supplies volunteer photographers to families experiencing an infant death, and has been featured in the Vancouver Sun and Macleans magazine this fall. I have written a brief article for Urban Baby and Toddler, a BC publication, for their winter issue. As well, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep will be profiled on Newsworld TV the evening of Dec 8.

I want everyone to speak of this wonderful organization, if you could, with one friend, and ask that your friend do the same with one of their friends. There are so very many BC parents experiencing infant loss, and I long for the day when each and every one of them will know about, and utilize if they wish, NILMDTS services. Professional photographers, volunteer all, provide sensitive in-hospital sessions and then provide a CD of images free of charge. As always, folks can find out more at: www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org.

I shot three new babies for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep this week, and one maternity for this lovely woman featured below, T, and her sweet loving husband, M. They lost their son, Jos, last Thursday, and I know they miss him more than words can ever express.