365 People Photos: Numbers 131-134 -- Water Babies

365 People Photos: Number 114 -- Rain, Rain Go Away

Where Brielle and Evelyn had been happily playing in the driveway an hour ago, now a deluge has begun. Little Evelyn was fascinated by the downpour.

365 People Photos: Number 113 -- So Summer

Evelyn and Brielle playing in their family's driveway this morning as I weeded the front gardens. God is so good to give us the warmth and color of summer! Shorts, sundresses and flipflops. Life just doesn't get much better!

365 People Photos: Number 109 ~ Love...Laughter

Auntie Zhenya and Evelyn (20 months) at the zoo in April. This photo makes my heart sing! I am such a blessed mother and grandmother!

365 People Photos: Number 108 ~ Courage in a Small Package

I was surprised by Evelyn's willingness to walk bravely up to this alligator statue at the zoo this week. I don't think I would have approached all those teeth ~ even if they were brass ~ at a year and a half old!

365 People Photos: Number 107 ~ In a Toy Store

Recently Grandpa and I visited Ohio. On a rainy morning, our best bet for an outing appropriate to our two-year-old and one-year-old granddaughters was to just go stroll around the local mall. Of course, I took my camera along and was looking for all possible photo opportunities. I loved when little Evelyn absent-mindedly picked up a teddy bear from a basket of the cuddly creatures. This little pixie was so overwhelmed by the wall-to-ceiling contents of the store that I'm not sure that she even realized what she had in her hands. I eventually had to rescue the bear because little Evelyn was tugging at the tag as she stood in awe of her surroundings. This little girl is truly a masterpiece lovingly crafted by the Maker of All!

365 People Photos: Number 105 ~ With Grandpa

Just real life this time. Last week the we traveled to Ohio. Just the two of us. An awesome trip! While we were there, we took our two grandgirlies out all on our own. It was raining so our "adventure" was just a stroll around the local mall. We had a blast! Here Grandpa is pictured with 18 month old Evelyn.

365 People Photos: Number 98 ~ Safety...Security...Love

What an orphaned child misses out on.

365 People Photos: Number 96 ~ Multigenerational Loving

One of the God-given glories of being an extra large family is that we already have grandchildren while still having young children. Here one-year-old Evelyn is getting some tender affection from her Aunt Eliana on the toddler's birthday. I remain amazed that if Eliana hadn't been adopted she never would have had nieces or nephews because she was an only child as an orphan. God is so good. she is the most attentive aunt imaginable!

365 People Photos: Number 95 ~ With Help

One-year-old Evelyn was able to open our family's birthday gift of Duplos with help from her daddy. The birthday girl received assistance in assessing the new toy from her intrigued sister, two-year-old Brielle.

365 People Photos: Number 92 ~ Those Eyes!

Our granddaughter, Evelyn, at about 10 months.

365 People Photos: Number 87 ~ On the Move (With Photo Tip)

One of the suggestions which I've read repeatedly in my books about photographing children is to get down on their level. Obviously, I did just that to capture this picture of my granddaughter.

In this photo, I love the implied movement in the photo as Evelyn rises from her crawling position to a stand, emerging from under the family's kitchen table pushing a chair. I love the take-charge look on this one-year-old's face. I also love the wee bit of green on the far right in an otherwise pink-and-brown picture. Evelyn's parents do their best to keep older sister's crayons away from their little tyke because at this stage Evelyn's preference is to eat crayons rather than utilizing them to make art. This toddler must have felt like she'd found treasure when she came upon the "forbidden fruit" as she crawled under the table.

Photo tip:

For more compelling pictures of children, 
get down on the child's level.

365 People Pictures: No. 76: Seeking the Right Light

Lovely, even light is thrown on baby Evelyn's face in this photo because of a window that was just behind me, which cast soft light on her face. Natural light is a photographer's friend. When indoors, making use of window light is the secret to flattering photos. On the other hand, using the on-camera flash will produce harsh, unflattering shadows. The first step to revolutionizing your photos? Turn that flash off!

365 People Photos: No. 62: A Rosebud

Granddaughter Evelyn Rose at 3-1/2 months

I have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams!

365 People Photos: No. 57--A Redhead's Coloring

This is our second granddaughter. With just two grandchildren, we're already relearning the lesson every parent of more than two kiddos knows; they're each unique. Our Creator has fashioned Evelyn Rose to be wonderfully, marvelously unique!

As a still fairly-unpracticed baby photographer, I do have to confess that my skills are being stretched by Evelyn's coloring. She doesn't have much hair yet, but the little bit she has is definitely reddish. And with that red hair has come red eyebrows and fair eye lashes. All this is set in skin so fair that at times, this sweet baby seems almost see-though.

As a photographer I've been challenged because the same lighting that worked for close-ups of her sister overwhelm this little princess. She washes out. To this grandmother, that is a no-no because this little peach is full of personality. While her fair features may cause a photo fade, her bright smile won't let her recede in a room. Her ready laugh is a constant reminder that she is a remarkably happy baby.

My hope is that this photo captures the wonder God placed in the coloring of this delicate redhead. I have much to learn about how to best play up this little one's features, which leaves me praying I will get to see her often as she grows.

365 People Pictures--No. 49: A Father's Tender Love

I thank God for my son-in-law's sacrificial love for his daughters. As an adoptive parent, I have a glaringly clear understanding of a child's need for security. Aaron provides that for Brielle Madelyn and Evelyn Rose. Here he is swaddling his littlest wonder on day four of her life.