When your shooting "Big Bellys with Little people in em"

   

I have never shot a pregnancy session until a few days ago and if they all go as this one did.... I never want to shoot anything but "Big belly's with little people in em."   Natalie Liccardello and Daniel Magill are a K.C. couple that's generally considered amongst most to be a very "cool coupla' cats"  no pun intended with the barrel... But seriously, they are two of my friends; and I know most artists in our community share those same sentiments when talking about them.  This is their first child, soon to be introduced to the world this July.  With the pure shock of what I can only imagine being pregnant for the first time would feel like.... Here we have Natalie - a fiercely talented actress with a wicked sense for writing and a penchant for being herself at all times!  Shes gonna me a MOMMY!!!  So, what do I do????... bombard her to get some photos taken of this life changing event... she finally caved, and this is some of what we got, or rather I captured... A whole lotta creativity from creative like minds, which equaled to one of my favorite photo shoots ever.  What a joy and what a wonderful message she will be giving to her daughter as she grows and learns.. To be FUN, HAPPY, SILLY, FREE and most importantly yourself.   That's gonna be one lucky kid.  It reminds me of the beautiful picture of my own mother on her wedding day:   In her wedding dress with legs tangled like a pretzel, her chest splayed forward with hunched over shoulders clamoring on to her bouquet of upside down roses ... and last but not least, her eyes crossed with a smirk on her lips.... Its perfect, and I am happy shes my mama!!!

When a child teaches me how to be an adult...and other lessons

Ok.....  Meet Cam... an 11 year old actor in town currently in the Rep/Living Room production of "Carousel"   We have an early morning shoot scheduled on a freezing day downtown. He shows up with father in tow... sporting a ready to shoot outfit and several options to boot.  He smiles politely, extends his small hand and says "Its a pleasure to meet you Manon, Thank you for taking the time to take my pictures  today."  This wasn't rehearsed as I found out soon enough... This kid is a real throw back, He was a gentleman in a boys body and had the manners and air of Clark Gable.... no kidding.  I am always struck by the folks who I shoot.  Everyone's personality is so different and unique in it's own special way.  I enjoy the people I shoot and I love their stories.  But it never ceases to amaze me how I'm always surprised by what people bring to the table and what is special about them.  For Cam... It was his quiet maturity that comes across so strongly in his photographs.  His folks did a good job as they say, and no doubt he will grow up to conquer whatever he puts his mind too.  He reminded me that simply being polite, kind  and appreciative is a strength I sometimes don't possesses if I'm in a hurry, or I'm impatient with life's demands, or just the sometimes everyday stresses life throws at us all. He owned his positive attitude effortlessly and you could tell he was content.  It nice to have that energy coming at you because you can't help but to absorb it, and I was thankful to share in that.  Thanks "kid" for reminding me of what its like to be an "adult" and how to act like one.

Dont shoot me its been forever I know... But Ill shoot you....

I was asked to shoot a production rehearsal for a play called shipwrecked the other night produced by the Spinning Tree Theatre Co. here in Kansas City, and after a long day of multiple shoots, a show to boot and just the overall fatigue of the day catching up to me.... I was honestly tired and run down. I had already decided that all I needed was nothing better than a nap and nice dreams to carry me through to the next day.  Its ironic how when you make up your mind to feel a certain way, your whole being will be sure to follow your instructions...  Suffice it to say - this shoot transported my sensibilities back to a time when I was full of imagination and making up story after story without a break from sunrise to sunset (perhaps this is why I wasn't the best student at certain times in my life.)  I was always a creative child, but sometimes forget the power of imagination as an adult and how it can lift you from your everyday ordinary to the possibility of the extraordinary.  How dreams can seem real and anything is possible if you just believe.  Now of course I wont go into a synopsis of the play and what I saw, because its a type of story that simply has to be seen to be appreciated and understood.  But I was thankful to be given an opportunity to be lifted from my day with the memory of what it was like to be a child again.  Thanks Spinning Tree...  Shipwrecked Feb 1-17th at the Paul Mesner Puppet Studio.  Take anyone who likes to smile.

When is a wedding fun to shoot???

A wedding is only really fun for me to shoot when the couple Im shooting are truly relaxed, having fun and a joy to be around...eachother!  Sounds like every wedding right?  Not so from a photography perspective... All too often weddings are set up like a fashion shoot and the photographers job is more about staging phony setups and poses that would belong in a bridal magazine rather than a personal wedding album.  These photos say absolutly nothing about that couple, who they are and what they really mean to one another. I have always steered away from these types of weddings because it becomes more of a production than a celebration of two people joining their lives.  I honeslty think that the heart and soul is missing in alot of wedding portraits of today.  In my view, the photographer is there to witness the event and capture it from afar, but with the close eye of a lens... This is what can capture those real honest moments; the moments that their partner saw in the first place that made them fall in love...  Wedding photography should capture all of those things and more... now of course you have to have those set ups with family, etc...but those shots can be a celebration too, and one in which everyone is alive, experiencing joy, having a good time and most importantly; a reflection of the couple they are there to honor...thats what I loved about shooting R&R's wedding.  They were just being themselves, and I just fleeted around that day.  I was a witness who happned to have a camera in tow.  Joy breeds joy and thats the energy that was flowing this afternoon and everyone was infected with that spirit.  I was smiling when I was taking these pictures because I felt the connection between these two, and it was powerful.  When that happens you capture magic, you feel what they feel, you see through their eyes forever.

Have something to say when you have something to shoot...

Its been awhile since Iv posted, and not because I don't have new pictures to post, quite the contrary...  I think I just have not had much to say, and why write something when you don't really have any new insight at the time? Today however was quite a new venture for me and one that is really inspiring and no doubt will fulfill another dream - mixing two passions and coming up with one fantastic piece of joy.   Animals (plus) photography (equals) joy.  To rewind a bit.  Some or maybe more than some of you know about my recent loss of my beautiful baby maine coon kitten due to a very swift and deadly virus called FIP which is thought to be caused by the corona virus.  Apparently lots of kittens are exposed to the corona virus...about 80% are carriers, and only 5-10% of those experience the mutation of the virus, and unfortunately there is no cure at this time. It was of course awful and no need to go into all of that except to say if you have ever lost a pet due to any reason you know the pain involved.  So I happen to "get adopted" by a new kitten a day after I had to put my baby down... yes one day...  It just happened and here I am with a brand new fragile furry life.  I took pictures of this beautiful creature thinking I was going to adopt her out... Well, that snowballed into taking pictures for a shelter that rescues orphaned / abandoned cats and kittens back to health in order to ready for adoption.  So today I put aside my human clients for a smidgen of time to focus on using my photography for a "cause" for the first time in a long time, and it felt like ... well it was what the big man put us on earth to do...to effect a change and do something in order to better ourselves and hopefully our fellow peeps.  I had a blast taking pictures of all these beautiful creatures and hope this will help spurn pet seeking onlookers to maybe take a pause at these beautiful  photos...why?  Because animals are mysterious, beautiful, loving, joy and speak to us through their  poignant honesty with just a look.  They are simple creatures made up, from what I have always experienced, of a few ingredients...  Patience, Forgiveness and of course unconditional love...  There was one doggie out of all the kittys today I happend to take a picture of, and this little guy really represents every shelter, rescue organization and animal cause out there... His name is Hero and he was beaten with a pipe on his head by his owner.  Thank god was rescued in the nick of time from the abuse.  He was the friendliest, cuddliest, cutest pup I have laid my eyes on and if I had  200 acre ranch (fenced in of course)  I would have taken him on the spot with all the other animals I met today.  He just wanted to play,  be a dog and please us silly humans.  I was apart of his getting better today by playing with him, loving him and letting him know all of us are not bad people and I also took his picture... a beautiful picture of a beautiful animal who maybe will get a visit so folks could see what I did through my lens with that silent strong spirit.  It was one of the best shoots I have ever had, and I will never forget what I learned and what I can do now with my photography.  It is art and that is beautiful, but it can also be a cause that can effect change.  For more information on Hero and all the other animals I met today please visit "Another Chance Cat Rescue" on facebook

Wedding day bliss for two beautiful peeps!

Ok ok... so I dont do weddings... anyone who know me, knows that...with one exception - friends and friends of friends... if your a stranger, fageeddaabouddit...  I had the pleasure of taking photos of my friends wedding and they could not have picked a more glorious day to do it.  Perfect weather, great location and of course my speciality... NATURAL LIGHT!  One of the main reasons I stear away from weddings aside from birde-zillas I have encountered on occasion and just the pressure and strain of a wedding, is because most people also like to have weddings in places that do not provide enough light for beautiful pictures without the use of flashes and such.  A distraction in itself as it takes away from the moments and can ruin a beautiful event.  I love shooting weddings with great venues that have access to great light... such as large windows or skylights or open churches that bounce light all around and I love just being able to have the freedon to point and shoot. Ofcourse you have to make some adjustmets here and there, but not once did I use a flash, a light box or any other equipment other than me, my camera and my eye....  So convienient, so easy, and ready to get every moment without hesitation.  I love these type of weddings, and Im up for those anyday.  Thanks for letting me share in your day Danelle and Ari, I love you guys as people, artists and I hope we work together again, on stage and behind the lens!!!

Ya GET what ya pay for... every time...

Ok, so yesterday was one of the HOTTEST days on record here in the ol midwest, so what a better way to spend it taking pictures???  That way, you can get out of your house you've been spending way to much time in avoiding the heat, spend some time in different environment and feeling confident looking so good all at the same time!  Brandon met me at crown center, then we hit union station and got some great photos.  I think I shot around 700 in all, but believe me he has tons of keepers and even more variety to continue to pick through and use for years to come.  This guy is 19, a young aspiring actor and he needed some pictures to begin to market himself.  (A brief story that relates.)  I was sitting in my agents office in NYC several years ago, and there was a pile of manilla envelopes full of hopeful young talent trying to get represented.  I asked if I could look at some of the pictures.  my agent replied, "Go ahead, most of them are horrible anyway"  So I got to looking, and unfortunately most of the pictures were slightly out of focus, not flattering, boring and just overall amateurish... not the first impression ya wanna make. But back to Brandon... this is a SMART guy, one who wanted to make a splash for his first impression, so what does he do?  He sets an appointment with me and we do it right the FIRST time. He brings colors that highlight his eyes,  skin tone and look. We take some time to get to one another so hes relaxed, and he was willing to let me spend as much time as we needed to get great stuff! Sometimes you don't get a second chance to make that first impression.  I pretty much can guarantee this kid will get seen by someone, I mean look at that face, those eyes...  You don't put that picture in a pile of rejects for sheer professional standard alone.  So, when you go to get professional pictures taken, don't sacrifice saving money for a crappy headshot... You ever heard the saying, "You get what ya pay for?" Well it's true.  Wait untill you have saved enough money to do it right the first time!!! I cant tell you how many agents,casting directors... clients will not even consider a meeting with you if you have a bad picture.  A picture can say a thousand words and you want those words to say who you are, what you stand for and what you have to offer! www.manonhalliburtonphotography.com