Dwimble.com

Last week I got a Canon 7D to replace my 10D, which in the digital SLR camera world is now almost equivalent to stone knives and bear skins (actually it’s not that bad…it is probably more like having a musket). It was the top-of-the-line “prosumer” camera when I got it about 6+ years ago, and I think it is still a great camera, but there are quite a few features that the 7D has that I wanted, and I figured is was finally time for an upgrade. I also got a new, more versatile zoom lens that’s pretty highly rated (an EF-S 15-85mm, just in case anyone actually cares). Although it’s not quite “pro” quality, because those lenses run about 3-5 times the price, I’m still pretty satisfied.

Several days ago I gave them a good test, setting up a white backdrop and some flashes, and did a mini-photo shoot of Nadia. I’ve never done this sort of shoot with her before. Seven months ago I did a little session for Christmas with the tree in the background, and well over a year ago I did a shoot of her at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens, which was fantastic. But I was anxious to see how this setup with the white backdrop would turn out, because it is my favorite style and I think it’s what I do best. She was NOT cooperative at all, but I pushed through it and I think they turned out fabulous. I’m quite pleased. I ended up with 47 shots that I thought were worth saving, and I’ve posted what I think are the top 22. Below are several of my favorites. Click on the first picture to see the whole album on the Photos page.

 
Click the above photo to view the whole album.

This one sums up her attitude through much of the shoot.

 
“Where’s Nadia?”      (Click the above photo to see the entire album.)

Nadia crossed two-and-a-half years old a couple of weeks ago, and we took her to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens to take some nice photos. It was an overcast day and getting late, but after a bit of color-correction and some prodigious post-processing, you’d never know it from the photos. I think they turned out wonderful. Turns out college actually IS good for something.

Nadia is a delight, and we still feel privileged daily that God saw fit to allow us to be her parents. She is indeed our great blessing. To watch her discoveries, her happiness, and her delight in almost everything around her is something that we could not have imagined, and it is beyond anything we hoped for. Not a day passes without us at some point wondering how we could be so blessed. She is truly loved and we are truly fortunate.

Here are a few of my favorites from the photo shoot; you can see the entire album on the Photos page. One last comment…I was thrilled that I was able to capture so many shots of her happy, playful smile and attitude. We see that joyful expression constantly, but because of her shyness at events and when around new people, many people don’t often get to see that side of her. That really is her demeanor most of the time, as anyone who gets to be around her for any extended period of time will tell you.

 
“Discovery in Solitude”

 
“Joyful Abandon”

 
“On Your Mark!”

 
“A Cartload of Fun”

“Double Blessing”