We are so busy at Linda’s Lenses, I can’t keep my head on straight!  And this morning I’m flying to Texas, for a week-long conference where I’ll be attending workshops and training sessions on Babies and Children’s photography.  The conference is called simply “The Texas School,” and it is probably the biggest photography training-conference event in the country.  I’m so excited!

But I still wanted to show you some of the things that have been going on at Linda’s Lenses.  About two weeks ago little Anthony came for his First Birthday photo session.  I like to have Mommy and Daddy both come along, because it’s ever so much more special for everybody.  Here’s a brief glimpse of everything that happened at his session:

Last Saturday and Sunday we participated in the 2010 Baby Bonanza and Kid’s Expo.  Lotsa people showed up, and we made some nice new friends.  There were many companies that participated in the event, everything from Kidzola to Sunshine Couture to Tupperware to Charity’s Create-A-Book.

During the two days there was the Diaper Derby Baby Race, a Dad’s Challenge, a Princess Tea Party, and Outback Ray’s Amazing Animal Show.

Here’s a few of the pics I took at the Expo.

“Except they’re not chickies any more…  They now look like full-grown (but small) chickens, feathers and all.  They had their first day on the grass yesterday.  Up till now they’ve been in the very large chicken coop with the heat lamp.  What a hoot!

“After a few tries, a couple of them figured out how to pull the grass out, and the others busied themselves stealing it back and forth.  They are too funny.  They are very friendly and trusting…  Which is nice.”

(From their new Mom in Coply.)

There’s a really neat event coming up soon that Linda’s Lenses will be at.  It’s the Baby Bonanza and Kid’s Expo, to be held Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25, at the Great Lakes Expo Center in Euclid, Ohio (where the Home and Garden show was in January).

And here’s a preview of what she will be presenting:

Today I met with Mark Tripodi, who’s the Executive Director of Cornerstone of Hope.  I was totally blown away when I saw the facility.  As you can see by the pictures down below, it looks like a beautiful, expensive home.  When I entered the building I thought I was in somebody’s living room.

I am so excited about this facility, and would be even if I weren’t a photographer or involved with Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.  It is truly awesome, and if you get a chance, you should stop by just to see it!

This is a caring place, a center for grieving children, teens, and adults, and they have a dozen or so programs for those in need.

Wow!  How exciting!  Here’s the story from the Plain Dealer about Irene’s North Coast Aesthetic Center, and right there in full view with my eyes shut tight is me!

I don’t know how to begin this.  But I know what I want to do.  I want to set up a voting area on my website, with pictures of all the adorable children who came to visit the Bunny and his Chickie Friends for Easter photographs — a place where visitors can cast their votes for their favorite photo — with all the proceeds of the voting going to Cornerstone of Hope and its Legacy of Love program, and a special prize to the family of the winning photo.  And I want this to be the First Annual version of this program, to be repeated each year at this time.

But first I have to tell you about Cornerstone of Hope, and the Legacy of Love foundation.  Let’s start with Cornerstone of Hope.  Cornerstone of Hope exists because, in this life, the unthinkable sometimes happens.  A child dies before his parents.  A husband or wife dies, leaving their spouse and children at a loss for how to go on living.  A student dies, leaving a school reeling over the shock and sorrow.  In our loneliness, we desperately need to connect with those who can somehow understand.  When we are left without the smile and the touch of the one who we loved so dearly, we need a hand to hold, to pull us out of the pit and the pain.  (You can learn more about Cornerstone of Hope by clicking here.)

One of the many services that is available at the Cornerstone of Hope is a support group called “Legacy of Love,” named after the foundation created by Jen and Mike Dell in memory of a departed child.  This support group is aimed directly at those who have experienced miscarriage, still-birth, neo-natal, or other infant losses.  (To find out more about Legacy of Love at Cornerstone of Hope, please call 216-524-HOPE or send an email to J_Dell@att.net)

As you all know, I am the Cleveland Area Coordinator for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, and in that capacity I am the person whom the hospitals call when a baby has died at birth, or life support for a newborn is about to be turned off.  My job is to find a volunteer photographer who can go to the hospital, photograph the baby and the parents, and make the images available to the family later on (at no cost, of course).  The number of available photographers is always smaller than the need, and many times I must go myself (over 140 times in the past 3 years).

You don’t do this kind of work without developing a huge personal connection to the suffering that these families must endure, and an awareness of their continuing needs after leaving the hospital.  That’s why when I heard about Cornerstone of Hope and the Legacy of Love program I became so excited.  And the Easter Bunny shoot seemed like such a natural way to connect these two seemingly so disparate areas of my photographic life.

So I’ve made it happen.  Out on my website there is a link to the voting area (click on my logo to go there right now).  There you can see all the images of delightful, happy children interacting with the bunny and the chickies — breathtaking, adorable youngsters, so ready for life — and then cast your votes for the photo you like the best, knowing that your votes will in some way help families who were not as fortunate as these families.  I hope you will go there and cast many votes.  Hey, vote for many different photos if you’d like!  The Cornerstone of Hope and the Legacy of Love won’t mind!

By the way, the photo contest will end on May 31, 2010, and the winner will be determined and the award given then.  But voting can still go on and on, all the way till the next series of images appears — and the dollars collected for the voting will still go directly to the Cornerstone of Hope and the Legacy of Love!

One other thing.  To the right, in my Links of Interest area, you’ll see new entries (A Caring Bridge,  Eleonore Rocks, and Grace’s Group).  I don’t normally put many links out, but these are important.  They refer to websites or efforts created by families (the Britzes, the Friedrichs, and the Walters) who have suffered a childbirth loss and turned to outreach as a way of memorializing their child.  Please visit those sites and do what you think is right.

Well, it’s been a busy few days.   Last night we got back from a visit to Filmet, the wonderful folks who make color prints and mugs and things from our images.    On the left is a pic I shot, with my husband getting into the act with all the super cute gals.

We had a really good time, and learned about so many new things.   Look for new possibilities on my website soon!  Many thanks to everybody, particularly Lisa (that’s her on the right).

Earlier in the week, after photographing session after session, I was really pooped.  Here’s what I looked like:

Now don’t get alarmed — that’s not a hospital bed.  That’s me at Irene’s place (the North Coast Aesthetic Center in Westlake) getting a wonderful, soothing facial.  Here’s a shot of Irene hard at work painting my cheeks back on:

After a facial from Irene I’m ready to face the world again!

One of my networking friends, Lana, stopped by with her brand-new baby boy, Adam. I tried some new props, and Adam did a spectacular job! I am so lucky to be able to do this…

Lana was amazed at what all goes into creating just a single image. I was not really quite sure what I was going to do with Adam when he arrived, but my wheels started turning, and I started formulating my plan. I got my brand-new metal pot, some stuffing for inside the pot, and some pouffy material for the backdrop and floor. This is what happened:

One of the great joys of my life is when I get to photograph a new baby.  Last Saturday morning dear little Brailey came to Linda’s Lenses, to get her first formal picture session.  She was so cute!  I had her in four different hats or headbands, and five different outfits.

Brailey smiled and cooed and stuck her tongue out and stared at everybody.  Then she wanted to stand up — oh, how much she wanted to stand up.  At three months of age!  And then when she was having trouble standing she got mad!

But you know, doing the photography is only half the fun.  Afterwards Bill takes the raw camera files and does his magic, adjusting the color and the density and the illumination levels.  (It’s wonderful because those become things I don’t have to worry so much about, when I’m trying to get just the perfect pose or smile.)

When he’s done then my second joy arrives.  I get to do all the Photoshop work, where I can move and crop and change to black and white or sepia and do spot coloring and add vignettes and fix skin blemishes and whiten eyes and blur and highlight and a hundred other fun things.  When I’m done, and look at the collection of perfect images, that’s when I thank God that I have this chance to make folks — particularly myself — so happy.

Anyway, the final step is when Bill turns those images into a cute little YouTube video.  You can see it below.

Some of my favorite photos from Brailey’s shoot are these: