She and mom are adjusting well to their new roles and new demands. Aiden is a beautiful pudgy boy, with his own very distinctive grunt, his hands in perpetual motion when awake. He downs a bottle eagerly.

When I visited them, Zenaida had just woken up from a nap, her hair tousled, but she was very eager to make friends.

Aiden is quite the darling; I'm sure that Zenaida will make a great older sister, and that he'll be a captive audience for her antics.

After the ceremony and the family portraits, the couple, bridal party, and I, wandered through the busy downtown streets. People shouted their congratulations. Young girls, especially, excitedly pointed to Danielle and oohed over her dress.

We dismissed the bridal party, and then I had a few moments alone with the couple in the backyard garden at a historic house. Arthur and Danielle were so very low-key and fun to be around. They were up for almost anything, and took direction very eagerly and naturally.

It's so marvelous to be a part of someone's special day, especially when they're relaxed and enjoying themselves; that energy transfers to the pictures while at the same time helping to make the day a beautiful memory.

I've photographed this event since 2005, and always enjoyed myself. Photographing an event like that presents a technical challenge and unique pressures, similar to that of a wedding: low light, active subjects, and a one-time-only chance to catch the moment.

Taking pictures of people while giving speeches presents a unique challenge: you want to catch the person talking, but not in a part of a sentence where their mouth appears odd or makes them look awkward. And some folks have more dynamic speaking faces than others, which you want to exploit whenever possible. This requires listening to what they're saying, and also reading their body language to anticipate when they might next move their hand a certain way, or even turn their head towards or away from the camera.

Event photography, for me, is people-watching on steroids.

For those who are interested, you can view a small gallery of the photographs, and see for yourself!]]> http://www.studiomathewes.com/blog/2008/05/2008_fatherhood_awards_gala.html http://www.studiomathewes.com/blog/2008/05/2008_fatherhood_awards_gala.html Events General events general Mon, 05 May 2008 19:50:54 -0500 Sylvia and Mike have been married for about a year, and asked me to take their portrait this spring, while all the blooms were coming alive in Sherwood Gardens, near where they live.

The tulips were in full bloom--an amazingly varied array of color. The park was quite crowded, with tons of people flocking to picnic on the green grass. It almost looked like one of those French impressionist paintings from the turn of the century!

Their affection for each other is clear. Of course, it took a little loosening up for them to be less conscious of me, and to relax and enjoy each other. That's the toughest part about being photographed--knowing what to do with yourself or your hands. It's a bit like being an actor trying to portray one's self.

I wish Sylvia and Mike many more years of wedded bliss.]]> http://www.studiomathewes.com/blog/2008/05/sylvia_mike.html http://www.studiomathewes.com/blog/2008/05/sylvia_mike.html Couples Portraits couples portrait Fri, 02 May 2008 14:50:07 -0500 The other day, while running through my stacks of old prints and negatives, I found these self-portraits I took during the heat of the Baltimore summer.

The idea I was working with was that I would take self-portraits in clothing and surroundings of matching colors, and strike poses that evoked emotions that I associated with each color.

So far, of course, I only got to red and blue. Perhaps more colors are in order this summer.

Lately the weather here in Baltimore has fluctuated between Extremely Awesome and Very Blah. Today, unfortunately, it is the latter.

But cloudy days have a quiet mystery about them. I feel less energetic when the sun's not out, but sometimes an overcast sky can remind me to slow down, to be more observant of my surroundings; with no dramatic shadows to create high-contrast imagery, one has to find other ways to make a photograph interesting.

This particular image was taken while wandering around with a friend on a cloudy day. I noticed the newspaper, shredded and clinging to the fence. As I passed by, the bike lock, grill, and newspaper aligned like an astrological event.

I like it when things like that happen; incidental objects creating an interesting pattern.

They keep you on your toes by having another agenda.

And sometimes capturing people at just the right moment...

...can be the most fun thing in the world.

It was a short ceremony and an intimate reception of maybe 30 people. On record, the smallest wedding I've ever photographed, and for the shortest amount of time--only two hours.

An interesting sidenote: Melanie's dress is one of the first strapped dresses I've seen in recent years! She also mentioned that she bought the coverup separate from the dress. When photographing Melody's wedding just a few weeks ago, she too was noting how difficult it was to find something with sleeves, and had to get her long sleeves specially made. Could this be a new trend in bridal fashion?

Since I've been photographing smaller weddings lately, I've found that I really enjoy these smaller affairs. They tend to be low-key, but highly demanding and exciting for a photographer. With no down time, there's always something to photograph and do, and it's a neat challenge to remain unobtrusive when you're one out of thirty, versus one out of a hundred.

The new baby that one family member brought along, of course, barely noticed me.

As many of you know, I'm a new mom.

It's strange to think that this person entered my life a mere 4 months ago (give or take a few days now). It's cliche to say it, but it's true: they grow up so fast.

Ruth's latest trick is not only to hold herself up on her tummy, but to fold herself in half (contortionist-style) and suck on her toes (photos of this feat are forthcoming).

I'm learning so much about her as each day passes, but more than that, I'm learning so much about myself. Parenthood seems as though it was built to tell us hard truths and give us beautiful moments. It tests our limits (and our tempers). It teaches us self-sacrifice.

And I hope I'm passing its tests.

Melody and Christopher had their legal marriage on the Wednesday before their wedding date, so that their Saturday ceremony was a casual gathering of friends and family for a handfasting.

Most everyone brought various kinds of ribbon with which to tie the couples' hands together. Each person had something different to say; some sang a song, some wrote or recited poems, others had well wishes, verses from the Bible, or some other blessing to bestow on the happy two.

Afterwards, Melody and Christopher and I escaped out behind the church hall to take photographs in the woodsy area nearby. Melody specially requested that I incorporate the fallen birch tree somehow; "I love birch," she said, "The bark is just so lovely."

It's plain to see that she and Christopher will be happy for a long, long time. They are so at ease with each other, and made conversation with grace and comfort while I photographed.

The two of them are returning to Ireland (Christopher's native land), where a small house with a bright red door awaits them. I wish them the best.

This portrait was taken four years ago.

Four years ago I was newly married. Four years ago I worked mainly in film, and loved the grain from 1600 speed film so much I'd buy it by the case so I could shoot in the dark. Four years ago I graduated college. Four years ago my grandmother was still alive.

Amazing what time does to your life!

A preemie at birth, and newly adopted, Peter is adjusting well, and growing fast.

You can tell that he's tiny; he fits beautifully in his mother's hands.

I love his beautiful eyes, and his cute little underbite (that you can see in the first shot). His gruntings were the music to accompany the portrait session.

My table was a rather small affair, featuring the new folios, brag books and prints that I really loved.

Best of all, it enabled me to feature my latest treasure: the sample album!

Not to mention mini-folios!

I'm really looking forward to this year's wedding season.

This photo won 17th place in WPJA's Artistic Guild quarterly contest. Follow the link, click on "Engagement Portrait" at the bottom, and you'll find my little shot among some of the most admirable photographers around! I'm so honored.

My favorite part about these contests is that you get to see the judge's comments. Knowing why the judges chose a particular photograph gives so much insight into what makes a great shot. I look forward to trying to better my work so that in the future I can create more award-winning work!