All in the family

How a photographer makes a family picture with herself in it:

1. Line everybody up, making sure there's room somewhere for herself to jump in

2. Take several frames of everyone without her (doing a silly dance so the baby will look at the camera)

3. Get in a good aerobic work out setting the camera timer and running to get in the photo, several times

4. Combine several photos to get everybody at their best (I'm not telling how many!)

Here's the result—my gorgeous family:

Careful, careful

It's always nice when a client shows concern for your welfare. It's especially heart-warming when she's not even two years old. As we climbed around on the banks of the Bow River for a family shoot, Molly was safe in her daddy's arms. But I, on the other hand, had to look out for myself. "Sha-sha (care-ful), Romi," she said, over and over, as I stepped from rock to rock. Thankfully we all made it back to safe ground without any mishaps. Family photos with two children under two is a challenge, but they were so cute, and we had fun making pictures on the rocks, in the grass, at the playground, and on the train tracks. I loved their look of denim and white. The whole feel was so fresh, fun and summery.

In the nick of time

I took some belly pictures for Tina a couple of weeks ago, and apparently it was just in the nick of time. We squeezed in the shoot in the midst of them finishing off their new house. Little did her parents know that baby's arrival was only a few days away. Within a week of the shoot, Tina was in labor. I just know they're going to be a beautiful family, and make a great new home.


I can't wait to take pictures of little Naiya!

Expectation

Amy and Paul are naturals in front of a camera. And with almost no direction they expressed their love for each other and all the excited expectation they have for their first baby. After a beautiful evening at the lake, I can just picture what a great family they will make.

Yucky grass

How do you get a little boy to crawl towards you on the grass when it looks like he'd rather crawl on nails?


I don't know...

Milestones

Following a family through milestones is an honor. I've made new friends taking family photos year after year, and I've had the opportunity to document the major events in old friends' lives.

One of those great friends is Andrea. Since I was actually in her wedding party, I didn't get to shoot the wedding, but I did manage to pull out my camera for a couple of in-between and reception shots.

A little more than a year later, I documented the arrival of their first child. Then came a family Christmas photo and, most recently, one-year photos with the little guy crawling and taking assisted steps.

This kid smiles with his whole face. From his sparkling blue eyes, to his crinkled nose, and his toothy grin. He's a great kid, with a sweet personality, which I think he gets from his mother (although his dad's a good guy, too!) I look forward to more fun times with these friends, with and without the camera, in the future. Who knows, I may even be around for the little man's wedding.

Uganda Part 3—Picking up the pieces

Watching War Dance recently, reminded me of my trip to Uganda three years ago. I was shocked to realize how quickly I had lost sight of the situation there. The media has forgotten about the tragedy in Northern Uganda, and in a way so had I. As I looked through many of my pictures from that trip, I was compelled to look into what's happened in the last couple of years.

If you don't know about the situation in Uganda, a rebel group called the LRA has been terrorizing Northern Uganda for the last 20 years—killing and mutilating villagers, and kidnapping an estimated 20,000 children to be soldiers and sex slaves—forcing hundreds of thousands of people into government protected camps. The Juba Peace Initiative is making steps to end the conflict and resettle the displaced. But with the Final Peace Agreement yet unsigned, the situation is precarious. Families struggle with the decision whether to remain in the camps in relative safety but completely dependent on international aid, or to move back to their ancestral lands to try to make a living and put themselves at risk for more violence.

Life is hard for children in and out of the camps. Former child soldiers struggle to integrate back into community life, children are left to fend for themselves while their parents walk long distances every day to farm, and all are vulnerable to abuse and lack of education. When I visited some camps around Lira three years ago, this was already the case, and I'm afraid that not much has changed for many of the children there. Here are a few more images from that trip.


The look on this boy's face still haunts me. I saw him at a food distribution at an IDP camp outside of Lira. What hardship has he seen in his short life?


Former child soldiers at the Rachele Rehabilitation Centre. Used as slave labour they likely witnessed brutalities that we can only imagine.


It's estimated that over 2,000 children have been born in the LRA. This baby was fortunate to be born at Rachele Centre rather than in the bush. His mother will have many challenges to overcome.


Babies caring for babies, while surviving family members work long hours to eke out a meagre living.


This little girl carrying her sibling on her back shaded from the hot sun by the gourd.


Hope for the future in these curious boys.

I stole my title from an excellent video posted on IRIN. Visit www.irinnews.org/film and look for Picking up the pieces (Northern Uganda)