Baby number three and why you too, should get maternity portraits taken

In one week I am due with Baby #3.  I have had a few moments of panic thinking for sure she would come before I finished some very important things on my to-do list.  I decided to share this with you all because one of those items was to have my maternity portraits taken.  I had them done with both of the boys and I would be such a terrible parent if we missed doing them with her right?  Well, it got me thinking.  The other day a fellow pregnant water aerobics attendee asked “should that be on my to-do list?” and I’m thinking – of course!  I do realize though that it is not necessarily the popular line of thinking.

First, I would begin by addressing the why not to’s – what are the big reasons I’ve heard the “no, not me”s:

#1: Not all maternity pics are created equal.
I agree, if you’re judging them by the majority of what is out there, I’d be turned off too.

The reality of pregnancy doesn’t always feel so miraculous.  It takes a toll on our bodies and there are definitely effects I don’t want to remember.

Even amongst true Professional Photographers there are a smaller number with expertise and specialization in maternity portraits.  The benefits of those that have this expertise are knowledge on proper clothing selection, skilled posing, and lighting techniques that will flatter and highlight the beauty of the pregnant body and minimize or downplay our “battle scars”.  Basically, if you’re going for art, select an artist.

#2: Many people, especially women, do not like having their picture taken. 

My response for this would cover more than maternity portraits, but first read #1 if you skipped it and then I challenge you to try.  Maternity portrait or otherwise, every woman should have the experience of an individual portrait session.

I love photographing a sleeping newborn, capturing a still expression from a wiggly toddler, and freezing family moments in art.  However, I cherish the opportunities to reveal to a woman how she is more beautiful and amazing than she ever believed.  Just like with my kids, I say “you can’t say you don’t like it unless you try it”.

Why to have maternity portraits taken:

So, I suppose it boils down to the reasons to have maternity portraits are not really that different than the reasons to have any portraits.

• To celebrate a time or milestone in life (this case the most amazing miracle)
• To capture a moment
• To tell our story, the normal person, who may not be recorded in a biography or a documentary

I believe, to celebrate how we value our families and children and their relationships by displaying beautiful artwork in our homes is to share a piece of us – to make a connection.  To connect in these days of technology and to really get to know each other is not a small challenge.

This brings me back to the intimacy of pregnancy.  Maybe that is another reason  for the great hesitation.  For many, the experience (however many times you have to drop your pants) is private and special, but please celebrate it.  Now, culturally more than ever before, you can be proud of your miraculous year!  You are a hero.  The soon to be tiny life that grows up so fast, could not become without you.  Along with Jackie & Anj, I would love the opportunity to help you celebrate this maternal blessing.  Either way, I hope everyone understands a little better why I so passionately say “YES” posing for maternity pictures is a must.

Here are a few of my images from this time around.  Now, I’ll let Baby Girl know this note was the last item on my must-do list so she is good to go.

 

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Anj’s Worldy Adventures

We have finally arrived! After a surprisingly uneventful journey
across the world and giving ourselves pats on the back for beating jet
lag, I find myself wide awake at 1:00 in the morning with no chance of
falling asleep. Our arrival in Bangalore, India was everything we were
assured it wouldn’t be. We went from Des Moines to Chicago, Chicago to
Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf to Frankfurt, and finally from Frankfurt to
Bangalore. The trip overall was about 24 hours and the first extended
travel of Marty and I’s marriage, and in my book we passed the test
with flying colors! I’m laughing at my cleverness, and invite you to
as well,but my excuse is sleep deprivation:-). Upon leaving Des
Moines, we were warned by my very experienced parents that it would
take hours to get through immigration, our luggage would take some
time to make an appearance, and we would be overwhelmed by the amount
of people and the crazy traffic. To our delight and surprise, we had
just the opposite. Not only was our flight 30 minutes early, it took a
whopping 10 minutes to get through immigration and we immediately
spotted our luggage (which was one of the best wedding gifts we
received!). After our aunt and uncle picked us up, we were then met
with quiet roads with minimal traffic and an easy transfer to our
destination, the Bangalore Club. We are glad, however, that we had
such low expectations to make all of these events seem miraculous! Our
flight got in at 1:00 in the morning and we were tucked away in bed by
2:30. Because we slept through 2/3 of our last flight, we actually
ended up fairly on the right side of the world with our sleep
patterns. Marty and I woke up to a beautiful 75 degree sunny day and
ready for some authentic South Indian breakfast. And authentic South
Indian is what we got! At our complimentary breakfast we had a buffet
of uppema, idli (soft rice cakes) and sambar (tomato gravy of sorts)
vade (a savory donut), and puree (not to be confused with purée, but
could be compared to a fried pancake) with chutney. Also alongside
that was cornflakes, milk and toast, which were not an option as the
man sitting next to us at the airport took one look at us and said we
were CLEARLY  native to India. So do as the natives do.  The breakfast
was delicious and slightly spicy, and a perfect introduction to the
indian pallet. Now to describe the Bangalore Club. The Bangalore Club
was built in 1895 and is reminiscent of the British presence. The
buildings are quaint and columned, and painted a cheery baby blue. The
palm trees intermingled between the buildings give a tropical feel to
it all, and the people are ever ready to help with anything or simply
say hello! Also on the grounds are tennis courts, a swimming pool,
exercise facilities, a grocery store, 2 eating areas and a coffee
shop. The most important obviously the last mention, the coffee
shop:-) pictures hopefully to follow! My goal since all of this is at
our fingertips is that we return better than when we left! If this
doesn’t happen, please refrain from mentioning it to us when we see
you.  We both enjoyed our first day in India, visiting and introducing
Marty to all of our lovely relatives and having a mini tour of
Bangalore as we walked between our destinations. We visited my
maternal grandma’s sister and husband, Ratna Aunty and Doctor Uncle,
who fed us a meal with more new dishes for Marty to try, as well as my
maternal grandmother, who in our language of kannada is our Ajji. We
then went to my aunt and uncle’s (Sandhyachikkamma, her name is
Sandhya and chikkamma means “little mom,” since she is my mom’s little
sister, and Thammannachikkappa, his name is Thammanna and chikkappa
means “little dad”) home,  where we were again given a delicious home
cooked meal. It was so wonderful to finally introduce Marty to people
who have always opened their home to me, helped raise me, and with
whom I have such fond memories. The traffic and population of India
was much clearer in the day time, however not unpleasant in the least.
At least not yet!  Today we learned that if we are going to visit
people we should go on an empty stomach, and that brings us to Day 2.
I hope there is snow in Iowa and the temperatures are below freezing!!
Just kidding;-) Kind of.

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The Wedding of Anjana & Marty Olson

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On May 21^st, we woke up to rain and clouds.  Not out of the ordinary for May in Iowa, but a sense of nervousness set in as this was the day for the outdoor wedding at our studio of Anj (JP team photographer and friend) and Marty (my brother, Jackie’s son).  As if it were meant to be, by noon it was sunny and beautiful.  The day was ready and Anj, surrounded by her mother, aunts, and cousins, was dressed in a beautiful sari.  We (the bridesmaids) loved our dresses, each designed with our own style by our favorite dress designer, Sarah at Dornink’s.  Anj helped each of us and gave us the parameters of cocktail length and celery green fabric, bright and beautiful to match Anj’s personality.  We had found the perfect plum Nine West shoes and matching cardigans on our girls’ trip to Vegas the month before.  The rain’s only casualty at the end of the day was our very muddy satin heels.

At 3pm, the cocktails began and guests filled the drive.  The desired casual start to the festivities had commenced.  My two wild hooligans even made it into their “Indian Prince” attire and were ready to go.  The mingling was wonderful, the weather perfect and guests made their way to the back yard for the ceremony.

A portion of the preparations for the big day was to clear a view of the creek which framed the platform Marty built for the two to stand on while exchanging vows.  During the ceremony, the couple exchanged rings Marty had made of Indian rosewood. He  had a diamond mounted in Anj’s and kept it unseen until that day.  It turned out beautifully.  The ceremony concluded with Anj and Marty walking off the platform taking seven steps each representing a different blessing, an Indian tradition.

Anj then changed into an ivory wedding party dress and along with the guests continued the mingling out on the front lawn, where dinner was enjoyed under the tent and yard games were played alongside.  With desserts and drinks served throughout the night, all had a wonderful and relaxed time well into the evening.

A few days later, Anj convinced Marty to get back into their wedding attire for a few more portraits in the good evening light. Coincidentally, as they were getting ready, Denny Eichner stopped by to let Jackie know that his car she had wanted to photograph was ready.  It was the perfect feature to begin the shoot that evening.  We are so happy to have been connected with the Rao family and look forward to many wonderful years ahead sharing the bliss with Anj and Marty.

An Art Perspective, Lee’s Summit, MO

Jackie (Jacquelyn Olson) has spent some time traveling this winter and early spring to a few much warmer places and to one slightly warmer location, Lee’s Summit, Missouri.  In this quaint, not too small town located adjacent to Kansas City, resides my brother (Jackie’s son), Tony. 

Tony Olson, fell in love with the Kansas City area while golfing for UMKC.  The slightly warmer temps allow for, so I’m told, a more than slightly extended golf season.  Tony, along with business partners, has recently reopened a Lee’s Summit mainstay, Neighbor’s under the new name Neighborhood Café.  Expect the local small town diner fare in better than most of us whip up, homemade fashion.  Bring your appetite, as when you are seated, you start with the famous cinnamon rolls (instead of a bread basket) and cannot leave without a piece of pie.  Fortunately, decisions are the only things that are not easy, as the choice of 30 pie flavors hints to and breakfast is, of course, served all day.

You may be thinking now, why, other than pumping up my brother’s must-eat-at café, am I including this in our blog?  My purpose is to share a little history behind the connection to Lee’s Summit.  Let’s dive into this new art collection, Jacquelyn’s perspective of Lee’s Summit.  Here is a quick glimpse with remarks from Jacquelyn herself.

“The collection of Lee’s Summit scenes was inspired by the small town feeling in a growing city.  I fell in love with the Longview Farms area and a big focus of this exhibit was given to it.”

“You can feel the history of the area by the setting and the imagination of what was.” 

“The downtown area is such a great draw with the many thriving businesses and the old town look.”

Jacquelyn is a Master-Craftsman photographer residing in Ames, Iowa.  Jackie has had a fine art photographic studio there for 27 years. 

Auction Item: The Ultimate Family Portrait Package

Auction Item: The Ultimate Family Portrait Package

For the Mary Greeley Medical Center Annual Benefit (May 7^th, 2011)

Off to the Races, is the theme for this year’s MGMC Annual Benefit and Auction.  All proceeds will benefit the William R. Bliss Cancer Center. The center provides inpatient care, radiation oncology and educational resources, open to the public through the Cancer Resource Center.

We are very excited about this year’s package donation: The Ultimate Family Portrait Package.  The winner will get a little of our personal passion and extra creativity along with the generally outstanding JP experience.  We’ll dream up the ultimate finished artwork with you in your home to start and then help you create it all – personal shopping, A-List type styling, and even installation of the finished collection.  No worries, or excuses here, all you have to do is show up and bid high- it’s for a great cause!

FULL PACKAGE DESCRIPTION:

Ultimate Family Portrait

Don’t miss this unique opportunity for an ultimate family portrait session and large custom fine art wall grouping! This package will ensure that you have all your bases covered for the best family portrait you’ll ever have – from photo setting and theme, personal shopping for new clothes, and even a complete makeover, Jacquelyn’s Photography has you covered every step of the way!

This package starts with an in-home consultation to determine the setting, theme and visioning of your final art piece for your family portrait. Then you’ll be taken shopping to Moorman Clothiers with a $200 gift certificate to pick out the perfect clothing for your photo session. The Salon in Ames is also providing a total makeover – hair color, hair cut, makeup application and brow wax – for the day of the photo. This exclusive package includes a weekend session, custom-designed wall portrait grouping and portrait installation.

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Front Porch Romance

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A little background on this super special couple is incredibly necessary, and as your narrator, you will soon see why I might be a little biased.

So, we often begin with the how they met, or the story of the proposal, and I will get to those in time, but let’s start at an earlier beginning.  First, a little background on my younger little brother, Marty.  Marty can be described as a California boy – where he made home thru college and was drawn back to after, but he is cali to a Midwesterner in the sense of riding the waves in a different direction because he can.  A little bit hippie, a little bit too smart to know what to do with, and a little bit bleeding heart.

I met Anj at an ISU photo club meeting in which mom and I were guest speaking.  She was the cute one with the hat.  Later she applied to the studio and won the interview with a curious resume in which I had not ever seen so many words squeezed onto a single page – a little bit scientist and a little bit artist – we clicked.

A little bit later…

Aha!! I had a great idea.  Anj and Marty have a lot in common a little brainy, a little quirky, a little antiestablishment, some common friends, well traveled, and both had been done with previous long term relationships for a while and were not dating enough for my entertainment.  Also, conveniently, Marty was due for a visit.  You see where this is going right?  Well, I had to suggest it.  I assumed they would immediately and passionately reject my crazy idea.  The responses, instead, were very calm and casual.  They almost eerily both responded with a “why not”.

Basically the rest is history…

They met, they spent Marty’s entire trip back together.  We didn’t see Marty but coming and going and Anj’s work was showing of her serious sleep deprivation, but we didn’t mind.  They were excited and we were very entertained.

Marty moved back, they officially quit dating other people, and last Thanksgiving came the engagement during their trip to Chicago.

Of course, I have an opinion: I am ecstatic!  I get to have one of my best friends join our family – THANK YOU MARTY!  And to Anj: Now you are really stuck with me!  That means shopping, dinners, holidays, vacations and two nephews.  (And you’ll probably be asked to reciprocate that last one.)

So, back to today, we are finishing preparations for the May wedding and will share those details as they come, but for now please enjoy some images from one of their engagement Love Sessions.  We focused the session around the front porch of the house where Marty lives with several friends.  They have spent many hours getting to know each other on this porch and I think you’ll enjoy getting to know them a little better in this story.

Welcome, welcome, welcome!

Every day at JP we are revealing life’s beautiful stories.  We invite you to step inside, as we REVEAL a bit more of ourselves, our insight, and our experience.

A brief introduction (more detailed ones to come…); Jacquelyn’s Photography, opened by Jacquelyn Olson in Ames in 1983, specializes in award-winning, fine art portraiture.  The studio was rebuilt in 2006 and is located at the Olson residence just north of Ames.  It features beautiful indoor natural light spaces as well as the extensive signature outdoor settings.  In 2009, we opened our lounge and gallery on Main street to provide a convenient location to serve our clients and showcase our art.  By May, we will be a team of 15 and I look forward to introducing us all.  My name is Cari Hague, I am the manager of JP and I will serve as your tour guide on this journey.  Please send me any questions, comments and suggestions for topics.

Here we go…