One year later, babies & motorcycles

This past week as been one of two really wonderful memories for me. Kendall, our first "hanging angel" (the baby in the cheese cloth) well known to many of you through our website and books turned one recently. Her mother came to see me to pick up her first year images.

I can hardly believe that little baby with whom I photographed as she came into this world and all these months after is now a precious one year old with a head full of dark curls. I followed her mothers pregnancy, was at her birth, and several times after, but it seems her one year birthday snuck up on me. It reminds me very much how time flies as my own little one was born only a few months after Kendall.

This week I also got a wonderful reminder of how important good friends, who own amazing props, really are. A good family friend, and former solider of my hubby's, is training here with the Navy at Norfolk. Zach has an amazing blue Honda motorcycle, the likes of which I've rarely seen before. It's a beauty, and aside from his wife and children his pride and joy.

Many of you have met Zach has he often stops into the studio to help me as he is very creative and a fair hand with cranky toddlers. Zach was visiting this weekend, I think very much wanting a better meal than the mess hall and since it was nice rode his bike.

Upon seeing it again a memory flashed into my mind of an image done by another photographer of a baby laying on a bike. In this image the baby was very young and was laying on his back. I loved the image but couldn't help but thinking when I saw it how I would love to have done it with a little one draped on his belly on a large bike.

So I mentioned it to Zach, and always helpful he offered to help me photograph the bike and baby. Well then I just needed a little one. Although I photograph at least one newborn a week I couldn't bring to mind a brand new one whose parents wouldn't mind dropping everything and popping into my studio.

Then I thought of little Frank, our cookie jar baby. Although Frank is a month and half now, he's tiny since he was a preemie and his parents are real gems. So I gave his mommy a quick call and she was all to willing to bring him in for another close up. Thank goodness for great clients.

When it came down to it getting the little one for the shot and the actual image was nothing in comparison to getting the massive bike into the studio. Lucky for me Zach has been riding since he could properly sit on a motorcycle and with some gentle pushing, and lifting, and a great deal of gentle maneuvers the big blue Honda made its way into the studio.




The image created today is nothing like the one I had seen, and I'm very happy of it. Like all photographers we are often are inspired by other great photographers work, but hardly want to copy it directly.

So while not like the masters work this image is all my own, and good reminder that sometimes you scour the country looking for just the right prop for an image, and sometimes it rides right up to you!

Best wishes all!
Keesha

P.S. The images attached are our precious Kendall, Rocky and Zach with the bike, and precious Frankie posing for us.