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{Child Portraiture} Reflections on Getting Back to Childlike Joy.

I’m going through files to update my children/family portfolio and this is one of the first photos I came across. Photographing children is one of the most rewarding things I do. Their expressions are of pure joy and happiness and always serve as a reminder to me to get back to that radiant place. Children are unapologetically emotive for good or bad so when they laugh it comes from a deep place, the belly, and when they cry they really feel it.

Remember how free you felt riding your bike in the summer evening as a child, wind in your face, hands off the handlebars. You were happy to be moving independently, you were happy to be taking a risk, you were just being you.

For this little girl collecting sticks was her new and exciting experience of the day. What will be yours?

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{Weekly Portrait} My Sister, Stillwater Mn

This week’s portraits are of my little sister. My sister is remarkable. She is expressive and creative. I try to drill in her head that being smart and compassionate trumps physical beauty. She is at the age where she still has her childhood innocence and has no clue about her own beauty, she refreshingly loves to play sports, care for animals and play outside in the dirt until sundown.

Sometimes when I photograph my sister I get criticism that she looks too ‘sexy’ the thought of this repulses me. I am not ever here to objectify anyone I shoot. Because of her beauty she will have to deal with other people’s projections all of her life. When I’m with her we play as children do; we run, we jump off of the rope swing, we laugh and holler–of course I have my camera and I photograph her silly and sometimes pensive nature. I never tell her to be a certain way, I will at times try to get her to look at the camera or do something silly, but that is it for direction. The rest is all her own theatricality and expression.

I would never compare myself to Sally Mann, but I would say her photographs will always be archetypal to me and I think she hit on something real when she photographed her own children. I think with the flurry of child beauty pageants Americans have really tried to doll up and age their young girls–whereas Sally Mann’s photographs capture a truth about the freedom and innocence of her children for example when they swam naked in the lake–Mann was not trying to sexually objectify or exploit her children like many people do in pageantry and often in mainstream dance competitions.

Enough on the politics of female objectification let’s get back to portraits. I think my sister is incredible and I love bouncing around with her, she constantly inspires me and has me laughing until I cry.

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Paula Hammer - Crystal.. you are so talented.. and as your Aunt.. WOW !!!! You have captured your little sister’s spirit !!!

Crystal - Awe, thank you Paula. My sis is a unique and spirited child for sure.

{Weekly Portrait} Sol and James Exploring the Bog, Northern Wisonsin

Week two of my new challenge of making portraits for myself/not for pay. All shot on Minolta SRT 101 35mm Film camera. These are scans from the actual prints so not the best quality, but I love the muted velvety tones of the Fuji film on this overcast day in the north woods. At first I thought this challenge would be creating just one stellar portrait of someone every week, but I think I’m drawn to a more documentary approach to portraiture and I need more than one photo to give a complete sense of a person and their immediate environment. If any one has any ideas for next week’s portrait let me know. Typically, I like stumbling upon a possible portrait which allows me to be completely in the moment, but I’m open to some premeditated collaboration.

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Dimitri - Wow, Crystal. These photos of Sol and James took my breath away!

Suneeta - Thank you so much! What a gift. Can I purchase a print from you?

Crystal - Thank you Suneeta & Dimitri! Wow, you have a beautiful child. No need to buy a print from me. I have a 4×6 or you can take my negatives and get a larger print at Costco, which surprisingly has great prints!

{Engagement Session} Joanna & Matt, Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN

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Nancy Healy - I love these. The black and whites are amazing. The ones in front of the Peace wall are very creative. Can’t wait to see the prints.

Lola Flamm - I agree with Nancy, especially about the black and whites. Too bad one can’t bottle all that happiness! But these photos will at least preserve some of it.

Love, Granny

{Weekly Portrait} Friday Spring Bliss, West, St. Paul

I wanted to share the infectious carefree and curious nature of these children on a somewhat hectic day. It seems everyone in my house woke up tired and feeling overworked, my husband is a high school teacher and teaches after school as well as certain Saturdays, and usually he grades until 11pm nightly, he is stressed. My dear friend Margaret and roommate is working double shifts and weekends at her new engineering job. I want them to look at this Buddha baby below and feel happy, because I know I do.

This was another random meeting with a neighbor I only just officially met yesterday. My dog ran into the street again and there they were on the sidewalk. I asked if I could take some quick photographs as the sun set. In college, I started a challenge for myself to make a portrait weekly, and not for money. It was a short lived challenge, but I’m trying it again. I have only begun to scratch the surface of this family.

 

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