Brannen Maternity Shoot

In 1998 a cute little movie was released called “You’ve Got Mail” starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Basic premise: Two business owners hate each other but unknowingly fall in love over the internet.   At one point in the movie, as the relationship between the two is growing, Meg Ryan’s character says “I turn on my computer. I wait patiently as it connects. I go online. My breath catches in my chest until I hear 3 little words, "You've got mail." Do you remember the days of dial-up internet and America On-line? Do you remember the anticipation of hearing those three words? You’ve got mail…I used to LOVE hearing that. It meant someone wanted to connect with you. Someone thought you were important enough to e-mail. Now days our in-boxes get loaded with messages for tax help and foreign lottery winnings and the “you’ve got mail” rush isn’t as exciting. But I’ve found a way to resurrect that rush…

I’ve got a separate e-mail account for my photography business and my phone regularly checks for new messages. When there is e-mail waiting for me a little camera shutter sound plays and I know someone is interested in my business. I have to admit…I smile every time I hear that sound :-). About three weeks ago, while I was at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) with Asher and Cami that sweet little shutter sound played as I received an e-mail from a new client named Michele.

It turned out she and her husband Paul were in the Portland area for a week before heading back home to Alaska. Michele was 30 weeks pregnant at the time and was looking to get maternity photos taken. Since they were on such a tight schedule, I rearranged a few things and met them a few days later for the shoot.

Meeting new clients is always a little bit interesting. You see, being photographed just sits differently with people. Some have no problem at all. They’re fairly social, willing to let you into their lives a bit and bring out their personality for the shoot. Others are locked up like Fort Knox. You can crack jokes, act like a fool, try to target their interests, and if all else fails talk about the weather…and you’ll get nothing more than a grunt and a shrug. Michele and Paul were not Fort Knox…not in the least :-)

From the moment I walked into the house I felt at ease. Paul immediately cracked a joke about the photo session not really being “his thing”. He was more than willing to let Michele take the lead on this one because he knew just how important this shoot was to her. In fact, there were a few times he referred to her as “boss”. I got the feeling that this was a loving title Paul tends to use often when addressing his lovely wife:-). Michele had a couple ideas for images she wanted to capture and while we posed and positioned Paul told me about his dentistry work in Alaska. Turns out dentistry in such a remote area isn’t quite like working here in the lower 48. Paul regularly hops on little puddle jumpers and flies from village to village seeing patients and meeting their needs. By far the most amazing statistic he shared was the number of extractions (pulled teeth to you and me) he performed in 2011, are you ready for this…a little over 2000! Paul pulled a little over 2000 teeth last year, are you kidding me! I guess you’ve got to have a sense of humor when you are regularly diving into decade mouths.

Michele and Paul simply have a way of making you feel like family and I’m certain I would have invited them over for dinner…if it weren’t for the fact that they live nearly 3,000 miles away. Paul and Michele, thanks so much for a fun afternoon. Blessings on the new addition to your family and Paul…here’s to hoping that the extraction number drops a little in 2012!

Glaser Family Shoot

      With a hot Duch Bros. latte in my hand I left Oregon City around 9AM and headed out highway 26 toward Mt. Hood. Tucked back in the woods off a tiny road in Rhododendron is a cute little cabin by a stream, the location of the day’s shoot. As I turned off the main road, winding through the maze of trees I could see patches of blue sky, streaks of light through the trees and just the smallest bit of snow on the ground. The setting was perfect for some family shots with a new client. I had met both Brian and Jordyn Glaser previously but this was the first time I would meet their two children Davis and Rory.

     I walked through the door of the cabin, chatted with Jordyn and Brian a bit then directed my attention to their gorgeous children. I try to make the photography process as stress free as possible for kids so I tend to pull out my gear and let them examine it before we start shooting. I held my camera out for Davis, who is 2, to examine and he was immediately enthralled. He checked out the view finder, looked in the lens and twisted a couple dials. I pointed his finger in the direction of the shutter release and let him snap a few shots. While this seemed to be enough at first, eventually he wanted to hold the entire camera himself and his own little photo session commenced. Unfortunately his images didn’t make the final cut, but given his enthusiasm I think we may have a photographer on our hands in the years to come. As Jordyn and Brian finished getting the family ready I asked Jordyn about a comment she had made in a previous e-mail. Apparently both kids had given the family quite a scare at birth and I was curious about the rest of the story.

     Gastroschisis is a rare birth issue that deals with the wall of the abdomen. As a baby is developing in the womb the intestines make their way through a small hole in the abdominal wall and the child is actually born with the intestines outside their body. Most cases are corrected with a small surgery after birth but the whole process means weeks in the ICU while things are being sorted out. Currently the chance of having a baby born with this condition is 1 in 5,000. Davis just happened to be that 1 in 5,000 case. Doctors told Brian and Jordyn that the chance of their second child having the same complication was next to impossible. I can only imagine their shock when Rory came along about 2 years later with the same condition.  Now, four months after Rory’s birth, you would never guess any of it took place. Both children were all smiles (well most of the time anywayJ ) and giggles during the shoot. Davis especially likes it when you make farting sounds with your mouth…but then again, what two year old boy doesn’t. My time with the Glasers was a joy and you could tell as Brian and Jordyn held their children that they were holding something amazing in their hands.

     This life brings challenges to us all; some require a bit more energy than others. As Jordyn and I talked I was amazed at the level of peace reflected in her voice as she recounted the events of such trying times. My guess is one can only live day to day in moments such as these. We wonder what went wrong, how or if we could have changed things and pray that the outcome will be positive. I’m certain Brian and Jordyn would never want to walk through that journey again, but I also know they have come out on the other side with two amazing gifts. Their children are phenomenal and while it sometimes seems cliché to say that children are little miracles, in their case, it couldn’t be truer.