Peek-a-boo!
This was our third “year-in-the-life” shoot with Kirsten and her son. If you know this family, send them an e-mail to see their slide show. I love it!
Peek-a-boo AGAIN! Isn’t he SO cute?!
We spent the afternoon in Battery Park City, a gorgeous place to shoot!
The big sunflower, the city in the background, the soft, sweet light on the baby’s cheeks — I LOVE this picture!
Aren’t they so cute together?
Kirsten’s sister, Lesley, lives in Manhattan, so we spent the day with her.
Battery Park City has lots of cool things to do…
…such as exploring this duck pond at Nelson A. Rockefeller Park…
…and the fountains at Teardrop Park.
We got some fantastic pictures at Teardrop Park…
…most of which would embarrass our young man some day when he’s 12. The fountains were so cool, and we hadn’t packed a bathing suit, so birthday suit it was! (Kirsten is going to LOVE those bare bottom pictures of her baby!)
The light at Teardrop Park was just stunning. The picture above is straight out of the camera. The low afternoon sun is behind Kirsten, reflecting off the windows of the tall Wall Street area buildings behind me, and the rock wall behind her is in full shade. Wow. Amazing light!
I call that kind of light, “YUMMY!”
It was also very windy that day. Look at the baby’s hair!
This one was taken before the wind set in.
This one cracks me up. Mom stole his pacifier!
I love the angle of this one. Little ones are always looking up at us. So cute!
Those are the cutest Crocs I’ve ever seen!
The bronze statues of “The Real World” by Tim Otterness provided an interesting place for us to explore.
I bet this park is gorgeous in the fall! I was loving the sunflare through the trees on this one.
Speaking of sunflare, check this one out! (Can you tell I love sunflare pictures?) We had made our way north to Hudson River Park’s Pier 66. There, it was REALLY windy!
I didn’t include many black and white conversions in the blog post, but here’s one I really love. The baby insisted on driving the stroller everywhere we went. In this case, the conversion simplified the picture so that we can focus in on the driving.
This is Kirsten’s brother-in-law, Lesley’s husband, Tom. Love that picture!
Uncle and nephew LOVE playing together! That water wheel is a piece of art called “Long Time” by Paul Ramirez Jonas. It’s connected to an odometer which will count for, probably, a long time. You can read about it here.
Here’s the full group shot, taken in the courtyard at Lesley and Tom’s apartment building. Courtyards are great for photo shoots, especially in the late afternoon, because we get full shade, interesting shadows and contrast, and no bright spots in the background from the sun.
You might remember that pug from our last shoot.
Until next time, Kirsten, enjoy your slide show! It is SO much fun hanging out with you and your family!
Peace,
–jules
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 3:07 pm
This was the coolest family shoot yet! I drove up to Guilford Saturday afternoon, stayed with Courtney and Kevin overnight, and went home Sunday morning. I took the picture above at about 6 a.m. I LOVE sunrise shots! CONTEST ALERT! There’s a contest question in this blog post. Find it, answer it, win a cool prize!
If you know this family and would like to see their slide show, shoot them an e-mail!
We started out the afternoon walking around downtown Guilford.
This is their second shoot with me. At the first one, I had to spend quite a lot of time convincing Kevin that the whole photo shoot thing was cool. It’s not unusual for dads to be a bit uncertain about having a photographer hanging around. But Kevin knew what to expect this time! He was totally into just enjoying his family and letting me do what I do! Thanks, Kevin! You were great!
They are such a sweet family.
This is such a classic shot of a child peeking in the window of the little charming grocery shop. I didn’t tell her to do that either. I love when that happens!
The weather was gorgeous!
It’s nice when there are some clouds to help change the mood around during the shoot. Above: cloud covers the sun, adding softness to the mood of my subject looking at the ocean.
A smile changes everything! Pictures like this work really well in coffeetable book designs. The ocean makes a great background for a full spread.
One of the cool things about this family is that they travel to Guilford for summer vacation, and they’ve become friends with other families that come there too. I love that I was able to capture the playfulness of the neighborhood children. The pictures will be a great keepsake for all of them!
I was using a long lens so as not to interfere in The Force.
Courtney and Kevin’s au pair is from South America. She impressed me with her poise, her love for the children, and her well-spoken English, having been immersed in English language training while staying with Courtney and Kevin’s family. She’s also a law school student!
Settle down, boys, she’s engaged!
The kids really seem to love her!
The great thing about starting the shoot on Saturday afternoon, was, obviously, getting GREAT sunset light!
This one is in black and white in the slide show. If you saw the slide show, which one do you like better? Color or black and white?
Ready? Set? JUMP! (This was about the 15th take.)
Grandparents popped in for a visit too. I was shooting with two cameras the whole time. This shot is from my 135 mm lens with the aperture set wide to blur the background. I love shots where an adult is blurred in the background watching the children.
I took this one with the other camera using my 28-70 lens for a wider shot. I love how these two pictures are taken in the same place, but yet look so different.
But I wasn’t crazy about the harsh sun I was getting in the shots above, so I asked them to wait about a half hour for the sun to go down below the treeline.
VOILA! Beautiful sky, beautiful light resulting in a canvas-worthy picture of the family and grandparents.
See what I mean about the light? Gorgeous!
We had a huge audience for our “couple walk.” Another large extended family had come down to the beach to watch the sunset, and was hanging out watching our little photo shoot. I love how Kevin didn’t let this bother him! Courtney and Kevin, you ROCK!
This is my signature “family unportrait” for this series. Love it!
“Day in the Life” sessions usually happen in one day, but for this one, I really wanted to take advantage of sunrise and sunset light at the beach, so the family put me up for the night on an air mattress. That was totally cool since I got to also capture their evening activities.
We went to an outdoor restaurant called The Place for dinner. If you’re a seafood purist, this is, apparently, “the place” to go for grilled anything. I had grilled corn-on-the-cob, which was very tasty, and grilled chicken. I’m not a seafood purist.
After dinner, we went to Ashley’s for ice cream. I could spend hours reading the walls. And my butter pecan ice cream was perfect!
The beach house had no furniture at the time, but it was fun “roughing it” on air mattresses and watching movies on the little portable dvd player.
The next morning, I was up with the gulls. The early morning light was even more beautiful than the sunset light.
While I was editing these pictures, I was watching several episodes of a TV show that I love. Here’s a quote from the show: “Tiny fish are swimming through the leaves of a plant but then one of the fish realizes it’s not a plant, it’s the tentacles of a predator, and the fish says, ‘With friends like this who needs anemones?’”
For a $15 iTunes gift card, the fourth person to post a comment with the correct name of the show WINS! Strategy, people, strategy!
The sun rises fast! After breakfast, we headed back out to the beach.
She is so cute! Hats are practically a necessity for full sun beach shoots. The overall shade really shows off her beautiful freckles.
This is a standard posed portrait, but there’s something about it that I love. The shovel, that hats, the angles, and the fact that I made it black and white — it’s the classic, all-American family!
In an ideal world, I’d sleep from 9 am until 4 pm, and take pictures the rest of the time.
Until next time,
Courtney and Kevin, I hope you enjoy the show!
Peace,
jules
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 10:28 am
It was the last day of the summer my Grex was 7 years old.
Time to learn to ride a bike.
Once Grex learns to ride with no training wheels, he’ll be able to go all sorts of fun places with Brad…
…and dad. (He always wears a helmet when he’s on an actual road.)
Best place to learn: a deserted track. (Look at that, NOW Mike’s wearing a helmet! Too funny.)
Always smart to bring along an encouraging friend. Grex brought Brutaka, one of his favorite Bionicles.
After a little riding, we took a short water break in the shade…
…and we talked about the importance of balance. Me: “Ready to go again?”
Grex: “Nah…(pause)…Ok, but this time you hold me, mommy.”
“Keep your feet on the pedals.”
“Aaaauuuugggghhhh!”
“Try again.”
“I’m letting go now. Keep pedaling!”
“You’re doing it! You’re doing it!!!!!”
LOOK AT THAT SMILE!
YAY!!!!!
Feet are on the pedals…
…and NO TRAINING WHEELS!
“I knew you could do it!”
YAY GREGORY!
The celebratory milkshake.
Ahhhh, success is sweet!
We’re all so proud of you!
Gregory will turn 8 next week. The summer he was 7 was a big one because he also learned to swim under water this year.
Check him out!
Yay Grex!
Way to go, Big Cricket! We love you!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 2:00 pm
Today is Brenda Day’s 25th anniversary as Minister of Music at my church.
Congratulations, Brenda!
If you’ve not been hanging around our church for a while, a cake and a plaque might seem a little lame for a 25th anniversary celebration, so a little explanation is in order.
Five years ago, for Brenda’s 20th anniversary, the church went all out, hosting a celebration (and roast!) with speakers and singers from Brenda’s past, and lots of cool gifts, including a renovation of the choir loft wall and an extended leave of absence. It was AWESOME!
We also invited children of all ages to sing a tribute to her during Children’s Time at that day’s worship service to the tune of “The Butterfly Song,” a song she’s been teaching the youngest choir for, well, a very long time!
It went like this:
Thank you, Lord, for Mrs. Day
She teaches me to chatter and pray.
Once a week, Sundays too,
She shows me how to go ‘WOO HOO!’
She coaches me to sparkle and blend,
She’ll be my friend in the world without end!
So I just thank you, Father, for Mrs. Day!
We’ve all been blessed with five more years having the most wonderful music minister in all the land. Well done, Brenda! We love you!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 1:20 pm
Here’s the last installment in the “Meet Julie at the Metuchen Pool” Twitter posts. Here’s how it works: you keep an eye on the “what’s Julie doing today” column, and every now and then, on a beautiful day, I’ll write a “meet me at…” post, usually giving you a few hours’ notice. It’s a great photo op for me, since you know how much I love taking pictures. I love the one above! The water looks so refreshing.
Ahhhh.
I’ve been photographing this little dude since he played Jesus in the Christmas pageant as a newborn!
I love his curly locks.
But that’s the great thing about shooting with a very wide aperture. The background doesn’t matter because it’s so blurry!
I’m going to miss the Metuchen pool now that fall has set in.
In the cold of winter, I love to look back at my summer posts. It’s one of my favorite winter activities. I’m not really a winter girl. I love summer.
See you soon, little buddy!
Remember to bookmark my Twitter updates. You never know when I might post a “meet Julie at…” photo op!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 4:45 pm
Here’s the second installment in the “Meet Julie at the Metuchen Pool” Twitter posts. This one features my little buddy, Jack.
My kids went to that baby pool many times back when they were little. I have some fond memories of meeting friends there, relaxing in the shade and cooling Bradley’s heels in that fountain, above, when he was little.
I love this one! (But it’s probably one of those shots you have to see big to appreciate. Check out the “baby” portfolio on my main web site!)
There are so many great opportunities for different backgrounds there.
Off in the background of this one is the area where the big kid pool is. One day Jack will find it hard to believe he ever dared hang by the baby pool.
Bradley and I also spent many afternoons sitting in the shade of those old trees having lunch and napping.
But I was never as pretty as Jack’s mom!
Check out that “hunk” shirt! I love it!
Bye bye! And be sure to check back soon for another pool post.
Remember to bookmark my Twitter updates. You never know when I might post a “meet Julie at…” photo op!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 4:10 pm
One day a few weeks ago, I posted a Twitter update inviting blog readers to meet me at the Metuchen baby pool. I love this picture! Isn’t he so handsome?
Along with two other families, Eileen met me there with her three children and their babysitter.
It was a cool way to introduce people to the concept of the spontaneous “meet Julie at…” Twitter post.
I’m actually surprised that I got so many ADORABLE pictures of Eileen’s kids! I love this one!
The great thing about the Metuchen baby pool area is the fact that there is a little bit of built-in shade. He’s playing inside the little log house.
The babysitter was heading off to college in only a few days, so I thought it was cool to get some pictures of her with the kids.
It was a great day because there weren’t many people there that morning to clutter up my background.
There’s that little log house again!
Check back soon for another pool post!
Remember to bookmark my Twitter updates. You never know when I might post a “meet Julie at…” photo op!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 5:02 pm
The sounds of trucks idling and trains squealing prevented any semblance of silence at the 911 Memorial Service today.
Still, plenty of people paused in their morning routine to come to Freedom Plaza in Metuchen in observance of the moment of silence at 8:46.
Because of all the rush hour noise, and the fact that so many people are not able to come to the morning service, there was talk of moving it to the evening next year.
I keep hearing people say that the weather today is just like it was seven years ago. But I disagree. The sky was deeper blue. There was less humidity. The air was crisp with a fall smell. After a very short time, all hints of vapor trails in the sky disappeared. It’s strange how vividly I remember sensory details like that.
I was grateful for this morning’s prayer, remembering and asking God’s blessing on the families of the victims.
Firefighters from our town read the names of each of the firefighters who died in the World Trade Center that day.
Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of talk about marking 911 as a national holiday or perhaps as a national day of mourning.
But I like the idea of marking the day with a national day of charity and service. Close the schools and the banks, and allow people opportunities to spend time in community service on that day with organized projects planned all over the country. What do you think? Would it just turn into another excuse for a mattress sale? I hope not.
But regardless of how the country eventually decides to commemorate the day, Metuchen will never forget.
Freedom Plaza is located just outside the train station, where commuters pass through on their way to New York. The memorial plaques list the names of New Jersey residents who were victims.
“Amazing Grace.”
He didn’t finish the hymn though. Instead, after he played a verse or so, he kept playing, but turned and walked up the stairs toward the train, with the sound of the bagpipes mingling with the traffic noise, then fading away.
I think it’s a good idea to move the memorial service to the evening, when school children and more adults could come. But I still think a sounding of the townwide fire siren at 8:46 am, followed by a moment of silence wherever you might be, is important.
God bless the families of the victims. Grant them peace and healing. Amen.
To read about my journey of mourning, searching and redemption after Sept. 11, 2001, click here. Jump to the redemption part, my favorite part, by scrolling almost to the bottom of that page. (But a page search for the word “redemption” is easier.)
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 11:11 am
If you know Sharon and Mike, email them for the link to their slide show.
Lucybug was just six days old when we did the shoot!
I love this shot!
Love this one too.
This one turned out great because Lucy’s pretty close to the fetal position in dad’s arms.
One of the things I love most about this family is that they live in graduate student housing, which means, they won’t be living there very much longer. I think it’s way cool that they are documenting the baby’s first year here. I imagine the baby coming back to find the stoop in the photo above when she’s 21 or so, to see where mom and dad lived when she was born.
This one totally cracks me up because Mike literally fell asleep during the shoot! This is a total “pj” shot, that’s photographer-speak for “strictly photojournalism, not staged.” I was so happy I managed to take the picture before he woke up. And the best part about it is the look on Sharon’s face, as if she’s thinking, “Sleep now, while you can!”
It occurred to me that a little family nap might improve our chances at cute baby pictures after a little group rest. So I woke Mike up long enough to move him closer to Sharon. Then I said, “Close your eyes and I’ll get some awesome ‘napping’ shots.” Cool thing was they ALL fell asleep! I cleaned my lenses and sat across from them, waiting until everybody was soundly in dreamland, then clicked a few shots while they slept. According to my camera data, they all slept for about 20 minutes. Hardly a full night’s rest-worth, but not a bad power nap!
Then after I woke everybody up, the baby seemed more comfortable and much less cranky! Yay! She actually liked my little baby bed that I bring with me to newborn shoots.
She didn’t mind being put in her crib for a little while either! I love this shot because of her feet! So cute!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 2:27 pm
Above, a photograph of Mike Fuccile as little league coach, courtesy of Sophia Lashchyk-Tytla.
Nancy and Michael Fuccile’s son was in my son, Gregory’s, class for the last two years. I simply have no words for the terrible sorrow I feel for the Fuccile family. Other than donating to the children’s college fund, I was also at a loss for what I could possibly do to help.
Then, on Sunday, the sermon in my church was delivered by Justin Manley. Justin doesn’t normally deliver sermons, but our pastor, Sam Massengill, had yielded the pulpit to Justin because Justin had been working on an essay about his experiences in the World Trade Center on 9/11 for more than a year. But the sermon wasn’t really about 9/11. It was about Justin’s journey of healing.
He began the sermon with a brief memorial to his good friend, Mike. When I got home from church, it occurred to me that the one thing I have that I can share with the Fucciles is this blog. So I asked Justin if I could reprint his memories of Mike. And so, with permission from Nancy, here are Justin’s words:
“I want to take a brief moment to recognize my good friend Mike Fuccile. As I am sure most of you have heard by now either in the papers, on TV or word of mouth, Mike lost his life this past Thursday on his commute to work. There are simply no words to describe the void that has been created in so many hearts by this loss. I have yet to get through a day where I have not shed a tear for his wife Nancy, his three children, Michael, Jack and Brooke.
“Mike was a great man who was very dedicated to his family and this fine town. He coached baseball, basketball and soccer and even had two teams he coached in baseball and soccer, one for each of his boys. He always wore a smile, was quick to laugh and was genuinely one of the finest people I knew. He coached my son Jared all three seasons of baseball and I was lucky enough to get to be one of his assistants this past season. We had three rules for the team which were laid down and reinforced every game by Coach Mike.
“Number 1: Tuck your shirt in and look like a ball player.
“Number 2: Always try your hardest and do your best.
“Number 3: MAKE SOME NOISE!
“He wanted the boys to encourage their teammates by cheering the team and each other as loud as they could. They were to support one another and always remain positive. He knew that if the 6- and 7-year-old boys were allowed to get loud that they would most certainly also have fun.
“Now I seriously contemplated stepping aside for this sermon even though it’s been scheduled for months because I just wasn’t sure I could do it. But every day since, I keep hearing Mike cheering for me as loud as he can and telling me to go for it. So in his honor and with a gaping hole in my soul, I say to Mike, ‘wherever you are buddy, this one’s for you.’”
If you would like to continue reading Justin’s sermon, entitled “September 12th,” click here. It is a griping account of his experiences on Sept. 11, 2001, and the years following. Most of us were in tears beginning to end.
Click here to read Mike’s obituary or to sign the online guest book via Costello-Runyon Funeral Home, or, if you wish, you may leave a comment at the end of the blog post.
Below, some photographic memories of Mike. These are courtesy of Justin and Sophia, but if you’d like to send along your own, send jpgs to julie@juliewaltonshaver.com and I’ll add them to this blog post.
Nancy and Mike, right, with some Metuchen friends. Mike, you are SO missed by so many people. Metuchen is a changed community, with so much sadness right now. (More than 3,000 people went to the funeral home the night of the wake, and at least 500 were at the funeral.) But we know that our “September 12th,” — our day of healing, is coming. As Justin said in his sermon, we are incredibly blessed with our friends, our families, our community. May we be so bold as to realize it, tell our friends and family that we love them, be patient and kind, and love every day that we are given.
Amen.
In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate contributions to a college fund for the Fuccile Children. Please make checks payable to “NextGen College Investing.”
Mail to:
Costello-Runyon Funeral Home
568 Middlesex Ave.
Metuchen, NJ 08840
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 10:22 pm
