My Owen, Mr. Serious.
Such a good kid.
Strobist: Alien Bees 800 with 50 inch Westcott softbox aimed straight at subject, triggered by Cybersync.
How do you spruce up a boring old black background? You mop the floor and shake a ton of dust into the air.
And then try not to cough.
Strobist: Alien Bees 800 with 22 inch socked beauty dish camera right, Alien Bees 800 with 7 inch silver reflector behind subject, triggered by Cybersync.
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Isabelle and I joke that our washer and dryer look like something from outer space. They’re all modern, sleek… and bubbly. We both think that at the very least, you should able to drive them around the house. I had wanted to stick Ms. Belle inside but I figured it probably wasn’t the best thing to teach my kids, especially with Ben around. Maybe next time I’ll get inside myself.
I like each of these shots for different reasons. Which do you prefer?
Strobist: Nikon SB-800 with diffuser inside dryer (aimed away from subject), Alien Bees 800 with 10 degree grid camera right – up high, triggered by Cybersync. For the second shot, only the light in the dryer was used.
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I took this photo in our backyard, just before we left for my Dad’s memorial.
Ben cracks me up. Always.
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I tend to keep all my subjects camera right, it’s about time I explored the other side of the frame.
Strobist: Bare Nikon SB-800 at the top of stairs pointed down, triggered by Cybersync.
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We have had an unbelievable amount of rain these past few days. I wish I had a boat.
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Isabelle is in love with Zhu Zhu pets this year. This one is goes by “Jilly”.
Strobist: Nikon SB-800 with 60″ shoot thru umbrella camera right, triggered by Cybersync.
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Thank you, thank you, for the most amazing comments on yesterdays post! I can’t believe how heartfelt and beautiful each and every one them was. So great!
My family is surrounded by the most amazing people and we will not forget the generosity and love that has been shown to us. Thank you all!
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This photo may not be any good on it’s own, it probably doesn’t tell a story, and I highly doubt it would mean anything to a stranger. But to me, it’s the best of the bunch. This is the last photo that I will ever take of my Dad, and in this photo, his hand is still warm.
This post is hard. The most difficult one yet.
My Dad was taken off life support today (by our choice), and shortly thereafter, passed away. There was no suffering, no pain, and I feel such immense relief that he is finally at peace. It’s been over a year of horrible pain for him, and today, it’s finally over. There is beauty in that. I’m not going into more detail here, this isn’t the place. What’s important to know is that he did not die alone and that he was very comfortable when he did.
I had always thought that my Dad would see the end of this Project 365, but I guess it was never meant to be. I am OK with this, but it sure makes me sad all the same. Whenever I enter a hospital, a Ben Gibbard song plays softly in the back of my head. I can’t tell you how many times it has happened this week. The last few verses are what stand out for me.
“But I’m thinking of what Sarah said, that love is watching someone die”
If you know the song, you will know exactly how I feel. The song ends with “So who’s going to watch you die?” I feel blessed to have been able to hold my Dad’s hand, in the presence of of my brother, Mom and God when he died. We stood around him, comforted him, cried together, and read from the bible.
What makes this so much easier is knowing that there are no regrets or hard feelings between my Dad and I. We were friends, good friends, and we both knew it. The last time I saw him outside of the hospital was at my house. He had given me a high five and a big smile. That is how I will remember him.
If you are reading this and feel moved in some way, please leave a comment below and show your support. Say anything. Tell a whole story. Heck, try to make this blog crash! My Dad would read this blog every night and I know that he would have gotten a kick from knowing how many different people he has touched.
Thank you.
See you tomorrow, with another photo. A happier one I think.
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There is no one in our house who is more excited about Christmas this year than Isabelle. Maybe five is the perfect age. She sits and stares at the tree, talks about Santa this, and Santa that, comments on every Christmas light we drive past. All of this is done in a sweet, quiet manner.
What really gets me, is this magic twinkle she has in her eyes when she talks about Christmas, a scrunching of her nose, that somehow I lost when I grew up. What a shame
Isabelle told her Mom that last year she had peeked out her curtains and waited all night for Santa. She ended up falling asleep before he arrived. I can bet that “all night” to Isabelle is probably 10 minutes to you and I. I imagine that this little rug rat will probably try to out do herself this time round. We shall see.
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My Dad had over 17 people come to the hospital yesterday to show their support, here are two of the smaller ones that came to visit him today.
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I had a little bit more time to take a photo today so I experimented with a different lighting setup. Isabelle wasn’t in the mood to model for me so she only gave me 5 mintues of her time. It seems that she’s liking having her photo taken less and less. So sad. The background is our dining room window with a light outside.
My brother came by for a visit tonight. We had a few beers by a nice warm fire. I enjoyed it. Thanks, dude.
Strobist: Alien Bees 800 with 28 inch Westcott softbox camera left (up high), Nikon SB-800 (bare) behind subject, triggered by Cybersync.
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My day was different today, much more enjoyable, even if my Dad’s health hasn’t shown any signs of improvement.
My brother Kevin and I headed up to Penticton at 7:00 this morning. The plan was to go get our Grandparents and bring them back to the hospital in North Vancouver. We made good time and the scenery along the way was breath taking. When we finally made it to the Okanagan, my Grandma had homemade soup and sausages ready for us. Yum. My Grandma is an amazing cook, and has always been, but she never takes any credit for it. Seriously, my Grandma’s idea of lunchtime snack is an oven roasted turkey with all the fixings. I love her so much.
The drive back was spent gawking at the beautiful views, laughing, and talking about the good ol’ days. It really was fun.
When we got to the hospital, the look of relief on my Mom’s face at seeing her parents was magic. It was absolutely perfect.
This photo, even if it’s a little cliché for my tastes, will always remind me of a beautiful time spent traveling with my brother and my Grandparents.
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My heart wasn’t in my photography today, I imagine it shows.
We spent most of the day at the hospital and unfortunately my Dad hasn’t shown any real signs of improvement.
I want to say thank you again to all of my friends, family and strangers that have shown their concern and support, it has been nothing short of amazing!
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I spent the day at the hospital with my Dad. To make a long story short, there were complications with the insertion of a feeding tube, he ended up going into cardiac arrest and now is in a coma. I’ll be honest, today was a tough one.
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