Journal

May 17 - Norway Day once again

2012-05-15T04:18:17Z

It's that time of the year again. May 17, Norwegian National Day, with all that that entails: the children's parade, hot dogs, ice cream, cakes, games, flags, speeches, anthem, national costumes, bells and whistles, uncomfortable shoes and ironed shirts, red-white-and-blue, blisters, messy faces and sticky hands. Possibly the most anticipated day of the year, or a least a solid runner up after Christmas and birthdays. Here are some glimpses from the Houston celebrations, which took place a few days early on the 13th. Hope you enjoy! If you see your own kids in here, 'like' the link and show it to your families at home. Sx

Confirmation and family portraiture

2012-05-07T00:49:31Z

It was Magnus's confirmation last weekend, and to mark the occasion, all of his grandparents and his uncle and a cousin, had flown in from Norway to help celebrate. Not a bad turnout, considering the 12 hour flight time. They also wanted to mark the occasion with a family photo shoot. In order to catch that soft morning light and avoid the heat, we were in the park at 7.30am. Good decision, - the light was beautiful. Though there were some calls for breakfast afterwards :) I hope you enjoy the photos. And as always, if you have a family occasion, or you just want some lovely memories of your family or your children up on the wall, let me know. Sx

...and it was all yellow.

2012-05-04T03:25:16Z

Sometimes you just get lucky. I was in the park a couple of weeks ago, and it was lush and green. When we showed up for this family shoot a few days ago, the landscape had completely transformed. It was all yellow, as far as the eye could see. Millions of pretty flowers covered the fields. It looked like someone had just spread out an enormous yellow blanket for us to sit on. Thank you! Having not lived through an entire Texas spring season yet, I'm not sure how long they will last, but I'm definitely making a note in the calendar for next year, and so should you :) I had so much fun with this lovely family. If you want to have photos like these taken of your own family, email me, so we can stick a date in the diary. Maybe we'll still be in time for the spectacular spring flower show...

A box of memories.

2012-04-29T00:01:26Z

I have a box of memories. It contains a collection of my childhood drawings, old family letters bundled together, music that had significance to me at some point, a copy of my Masters thesis (the most cohesive things I ever wrote), video tapes, the decorational flowers from my wedding cake, photos, negatives, wine corks from special occasions... Basically, it's the box I would grab if the house caught on fire. The kids love to fish through it, amazed that I wrote letters at the tender age of four. And they are mesmerised by the photos. They love guessing who's who, though they often miss by a generation, which amuses me. (They sometimes miss even within their own generation, and will sit and argue over whether the baby in the picture is Emma or Selina). This box means even more to me now that I have kids, because it helps them piece together their own life puzzles. I still remember most of the people in the photos, but the kids never got the chance to meet some of them. The photos and letters gives them an insight into their own history, and as they get older they will come back to them and research and rediscover them until they have a fuller picture of who they are. This is what I cherish about photography. It's like a long arm stretching back into your own past, helping you get to know your 'young parents' a little bit better, or seeing a resemblence with a grandmother or auntie. Some of the prints are so washed out, you can barely make out who their depicting. But having a bad photo or no photo at all makes all the difference. It's a memory saved, and I'm glad for each and everyone of them.

Me with my dad. Me with my beloved grandmother. My grandmother's mother with one of her 11 children and a granddaughter. 4 generations right there on my coffee table.

Her mother's footsteps

2012-04-22T01:52:50Z

What do you do when you have a beautiful dress and you need a pair of red shoes to go with it? Borrow some, of course. They might not fit right now, but who's looking? There's been a lot of clickety-clack going on at our house today, and I haven't checked, but I'm guessing my shoe closet is not looking like its normal self anymore.

Visit from the grandparents

2012-03-27T18:25:24Z

Stopping by our place on their long drive from Weslaco, TX all the way to Brandon, Manitoba, the grandparents came and spent the weekend with us. The timing was good, - we just bought a house, so we took them over there to have a look. We then watched Selina do gymnastics, followed by a delicious lunch at Flora & Muse (perfect for cheat day, - I recommend the Nutella pancakes. I finished off both Thomas' and Selina's). We did a little bit of shopping, and then there was just enough time left for some family photos before the sun disappeared. Sx

What I'm reading this month...

2012-03-23T17:02:38Z

...or rather watching. Movies are a great way to get an intro into somebody's life and photographic career. I am also reading biographies and photographic books, but the movies are an excellent starting point, a quick and accessible way to get an overview. A good documentary film, or a gripping interview, can be such an inspiring experience. And I get a lot out of actually seeing a person and hearing them speak. I remember things differently then. It becomes more real in a way. This month, the idea was to find out about some of the photographers who inspired Annie Leibovitz. The project will be ongoing because there is a lot of ground to cover here. So many books to read, and some of them are hard to come by. Robert Frank and Henri Cartier-Bresson were obvious starting points, both huge influences on Annie Leibovitz (and the rest of the photograhic world!) for early documentary/reportage style photography. Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton were giants in the magazine/fashion and art worlds. This is what is so interesting about Annie Leibovitz; she's covered so much territory. So many genres of photography; reportage, music, dance, formal portraits, nudes, fashion, war, editorial, commercial, celebrities. And most recently, landscapes. Inspired, of course, among others by Ansel Adams. I also revisited a book I bought last summer in London called Magnum, giving a brief introduction and selection of six photos of each of the 69 Magnum photographers featured. I will be revisiting this book many, many times in the future. It's just a great reference book and a source of inspiration. What are you reading at the moment? Leave me a message and share with me any great tips you might have. Sx

My little man

2012-03-05T23:22:49Z

This is him right here. Dressed in his cutest little shirt and tie. Totally edible. That's all. Sx

Day at the rodeo

2012-03-05T04:52:38Z

We went to the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo today. Without mentioning names, as a group we owned more hats and boots going home than we did when we arrived. Some of us were very happy about that. And some of us plan on using their newly acquired hat as sun shade on a lazy Floriday beach in a week's time. Which reminds me, I need to get some more reading material. It's going to be one of those holidays. At least that's the plan. Minimal effort, maximum relaxation. Aaaahhh! But back to the rodeo. We didn't actually ride any horses, but we did ride camels. Seemed counter intuitive, but the kids loved it. I ate a jumbo turkey drum stick for lunch, and I'm still full. It was huge, - I really felt like a character out of Asterix and Obelix (if anyone can remember). We lined up quite a bit, looked at pigs, cows, bulls, sheep, hens and horses. Went on a few rides, browsed through cow hides, bling-y belts, boots, hats, long horns and hot tubs and cars. In the end, predictably, we were all exhausted, and we could not get the kids to bed fast enough when we got home. The sign of a good day, I think. Here is a little series of Selina digging into a plate of french fries (she had to ask for them twice, since no one understood what chips were). And one of the monster drumstick. And one of some random boots that came my way. Hope you enjoy. Sx

Perle Amies custom jewelry

2012-02-20T03:52:40Z

My friend, Hege Nolop of Perle Amies, is a talented jewelry designer. Having spent several years in Paris, it's fair to say that her artistry has been influenced by the culture and history that surrounded her on a daily basis. The unique, handmade pieces often make reference to Paris. Sometimes overtly by including such things as mini Eiffel towers in her charms, or colourful Champagne caps in her bracelets and necklaces. Other times more subtly, by the use of original crystals from Parisian chandeliers. These components are handpicked from antique markets in France! You'll be guaranteed to find something that interests you in her collection. And what you can't find, she will custom make for you! Hege called upon me recently to give her some pointers for how to photograph jewelry. We talked about everything from camera settings to editing, lenses, backdrops and lighting. We both liked the idea of photographing the pieces on a natural backdrop to compliment the style of the jewelry. Below are a few examples, both of the jewelry and the photography. I'm so exited to see where she will take it from here. Be sure to check out her online store, or better yet, go see her and her art in person at the First Saturday Arts Market in Houston Heights. I know she would love it if you stopped by for a browse and a chat.