Happy 2 1/2 Year Birthday, Brayden!
Dear Brayden,
Today you are officially closer to being a big 3 year old rather than a 2 year old. In your own words, “That’s crazy!”.
I know I say this every single month, but I am continually amazed with how smart you are. I know every mom thinks this. That there kid is the smartest kid in the world. But, you really just might be. It’s hard for me to comprehend that only two and a half years ago you were this little blob who couldn’t do anything besides cry, eat, and poop (and you did all 3 of those things a lot!). And now you are this boy. A really funny and smart boy who can articulate thoughts and has a huge personality. You are a person. And it’s so weird to me that this person was the same alien in my stomach that constantly had the hiccups and made me eat so much I would cry.
You are a little sponge that just soaks everything in. Sometimes it takes awhile. But, then one day, you will randomly just start taking about things that I had been trying to teach you. You have a puzzle of the United States (because your Mama loves geography!) and you know that Aunt Connie lives in Washington, Uncle Don is from Maine, President Obama lives in the White House, and that you live in California. You can almost spell your whole name. When we were at story time making your name tag I asked you to spell your name as I wrote it. You said, “B R A Y D”. That totally impressed the little old lady librarian. Speaking of story time, you love it. On Wednesdays we go to two story times. One at the library and then we go straight over to the book store for a second story time. I’ve started buying you the Disney story books and you love them. We read one before bed every night. Your favorite is Dumbo (you don’t like it when Mrs. Jumbo gets angry) and also Peter Pan and Alice and Wonderland. You don’t like Jungle Book.
You also continue to get more and more funny. Your knock knock jokes are the best:
You: Knock, knock.
Me: Who’s there?
You: Brayden.
Me: Brayden who?
You: Brayden Mama Dada! Hahahahaha!
We think it’s so funny because you think you’re so funny. We try to teach you real knock knock jokes, but you don’t think they are as funny as your knock knock jokes. Then there are your random sayings like, “Aw, shucks!” and we have no idea where you get them from.
My favorite thing you said to me this month was when I told you that I love you so much and you responded with, “I love you so much too, Mama!”.
At the wedding that I shot this past weekend the mother of the bride gave an amazing speech. That groom had gone through a lot in his life and his mom realized one day that he had lost the sparkle from his eyes and it made her so sad. He got the sparkle back when he fell in love with his bride. I know life isn’t going to be perfect, Brayden, and that’s what will shape you to become the man that you will be. But, I hope you never have to lose the sparkle that you have in your eyes. I love it so much and I will do everything in my power to see that it never, ever goes away.
Love,
Mama
What’s In My Camera Bag – The Bag
For my everyday shoots (engagement, family sessions, etc.) I carry my Shootsac. The Shootsac is great, but it only carries 3 lenses and maybe your keys and chapstick. For weddings I need something more substantial. In addition to my Shootsac (which I carry the lenses that I know I will need right then and there, plus my phone and extra batteries) I also use the Airport Airstream Roller from Think Tank. I love this bag for some many reasons. Let me count the ways:
1) It fits in the overhead compartment on airplanes.
2) It has a lock.
3) Not only does it lock, but you can also lock it to something. That’s rad when you’re shooting a wedding and you need to leave it for a few minutes. As someone who is super paranoid about getting her gear stolen, that’s cool.
4) It has a special compartment for my laptop that can also be locked.
5) The dividers inside the bag can be rearranged.
I’ve just about outgrown this bag, but will be upgrading to the Airport International next.
And if you order through this link to Think Tank, you get a free gift with your order over $50. How rad is that! You can get an awesome gift like the Pixel Pocket Rocket, which is my fav!
What’s In My Camera Bag? – 16 – 35 2.8
The most recent addition to my camera bag is the Canon 16 – 35 2.8. I had been needing a wide lens for sometime and once I rented this one I knew I had to have it. Canon also makes the 17 – 40 lens, but it can only stop down to a 4.0. It’s about half the price, but I opted for the 16 – 35 2.8 so I could use it in lower light situations if need be. I love this lens and really don’t know how I lived without it. Especially with HUGE bridal parties like I had at my wedding last weekend:
This lens is so wide that there can be some distortion on the edges. If that look bothers you then you need to be catious about that when shooting with it at 16mm.
I use this lens for detail and dress shots:
And also on engagement shoots:
Family shoots:
And everyday with Brayden:
I use this lens for just about everything. I don’t really know how I lived without it before!
What’s In My Camera Bag – 100mm Macro
This week (and maybe next) I will be doing a feature on all the equipment I carry in my camera bag (and Shootsac) with explanations of why I use it and examples.
First up, the 100mm Macro. The Macro lens isn’t a necessity, but it sure is a lot of fun! If you’re shooting weddings it is the lens for shooting ring shots and details. I have used it on some newborn sessions, but honestly, it gets so close it kind of scares me. Too much detail in a person isn’t always a good thing! I use the Macro for ring shots, jewelry, and detail shots at the reception. Here is a shot from my wedding yesterday of the Bride’s Grandmother’s crystals that she wore.
I love ring shots. Always something fun to do if a reception is dragging a bit. Here’s one of my favorite
It’s just a great lens for capturing the really small details that you really want to focus on and isolate. At weddings it’s sometimes the small details that mean the most. Here is a ring that was the Bride’s Grandmother’s engagement ring tied to her bouquet.
There is a newer version of this lens that I’m dying to get my hands on! Looks beautiful! But, really for as often as I use this lens (not very often) it’s just not worth the money at this point to buy the new one.
Twinsies
This morning I watched Brayden’s BFF, Dakota, for a couple of hours while her mom ran to the dentist. Brayden is one day older than Dakota and when they were babies they looked so much alike. White hair, big blue eyes, and pale skin. So, they are practically twins. Except they were born to different parents. A day apart. And they aren’t related at all. So, I guess they are nothing like twins. But, whatever. You get my point.
This was my first time watching two 2 year olds by myself. I got a little dose of what it would be like to have two kids. Brayden got put in time out 3 times in the first 45 minutes because he didn’t want to share his toys (you see how carefully he’s watching Dakota’s every move in the picture above?). After that they had a lot of fun. Dakota was a doll. I really want a girl. But, what if I end up with another crazy boy like Brayden? Scary!
*** I used my Canon 16 – 35 lens for both of these shots.
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