I did a hospice shoot on Friday of an 88 year old woman. She had an incredible family there that day for Christmas and the shoot was magical. I captured Miss Sandy with her loved ones. It was more of a family shoot–intergenerational–than a hospice shoot. Here are a few samples of the shoot. I turned many into black and white. I like both of them because there is a different feel. To see more, go to my site: Marilynbottaphotos.com.
I was asked to take some photos of a lovely lady of 91 and her daughter recently at the Marshall Pines memory care facility. She is technically in hospice, but she is stable right now. I went there with the hospice coordinator who was familiar with the family. Rather than being a sad visit, it was really fun because there was such a sweet interaction between mom and daughter and I could just feel the bond and love they have for one another. I decided to take the photos without any flash equipment because I felt it would be distracting and intrusive. The original images were in color, but I turned them into black and white to create the mood I was looking for.
We did a Venetian photo shoot with some model brides in an old abandoned church in downtown Augusta, GA in January. I did the bride shot against the doors in color and in black and white. It was a lovely sunny, yet cold day, but the natural light streaming through the window was perfect and no flash was used. Also took pictures against the large windows.
My friend asked that I do a photo shoot of her boyfriend’s children, Gavin and Emily. Gavin is 16 and Emily is 13. We went out to Brick Pond Park, a lovely place in N. Augusta, S.C. It is really only about 20 minutes away. They were shy at first so we started out slowly. But as I continued taking their pictures, and talking to them, they really blossomed and became comfortable. This enabled me to get some great shots. These were Christmas presents to their family and they loved them. The kids were a real delight and it was a good experience.
I did a photo shoot at Phinizy Swamp on November 2nd with four lovely ladies. We started the shoot at about 4;30, and since it was Eastern Standard Time, it started to get dark about 5pm. By that time the sun cast that lovely golden color that create that sought after glow that photographers love. They were great subjects and we had a great time. I used my strobe light, which was carried around wherever we went.
I went to Brick Pond Park, in North Augusta, to do a photo shoot of a lovely family. I used my AD200 strobe and Flashpoint R2 Transmitter. This family consisted of 4 children, ages 14, 7, 4, and under one year. It was a bit challenging due to the sun still being high in the sky and bright, even at 4 pm. This was still daylight savings time. Luckily, the baby was good most of the time and that helped. We stopped at about 5:30 because the children were tired, had to use the bathroom, and were pretty much done. But I got many great shots along the way. It was a good experience.
I did a photo shoot of a couple at their home in Keysville, GA. It was a lovely day and the property made for an extra special photo session.
I went up to New Jersey to see my grandchildren and my son. On Wednesday I decided to take the NJ Transit train into Manhattan (Penn Station) to take some street photography. There are so many photo opportunities in Manhattan, especially in the 34th Street area, around Penn Station. I spent about 1 and half hours taking photos of unsuspecting people. A few people, especially a street vendor, objected but he let me go. I enjoyed soaking in the atmosphere and reminiscing about when I used to be one of those people, rushing around, and glad I am not that person now. It was still loads of fun and I think I got lots of great shots.
The Chicks that Click held a Roaring Twenties themed photo shoot using two twin models dressed as flappers. We also had a vintage car for them to pose with. The flappers were very photogenic and cooperative.
Donna, one of our favorite people, celebrated a Big Birthday. She is so well loved that I cannot even count how many friends came to wish her well. I tried to capture everyone in the party as best as I could, but it was almost impossible. I decided to at least get a group shot at the end of the evening. I gathered everyone who was still there on the front lawn, set up my camera on the tripod, and got in the picture. The evening was so lovely, the food was wonderful, and most of all it was in celebration of a specular lady. Happy Birthday Donna and many more.
