2009 to 2019 Retrospective

Here we are, on the cusp of not just another year but a new decade. There seems to be a lot of retrospection going on amidst social media to commemorate this transition. I don't recall the same amount of scrutiny ten years ago when we fell into the "Twenty-Tens". And perusing my blog archives, there is no hoop-la surrounding this date ten years ago.

But I do notice some trends.

In 2009, I purchased my first iPhone, the iPhone 3G. I started taking more photos with that iPhone. Instagram didn't exist (I looked it up - initially released in October 2010 - I posted my first Instagram photo on December 30, 2010). I'm not sure when the Facebook iPhone App was released (can't find a definitive answer on the web). Since 2009, the explosion and usage of mobile phones (and the mobile phone camera) drove an influx of social media and photo sharing apps. People (myself included) document their daily lives via the camera on their mobile phone. And so rises the interest in seeing what we looked like in 2009 compared to 2019. And having digital photos dating back to 1999 (yes, I had my film negatives scanned starting in 1999), I can oblige.

December, 2009, we took our first family cruise to the Bahamas and spent the Christmas holiday with my parents in Florida.



The photo used for 2009's holiday card:


And here we are in 2019's holiday card:


My extended family, from our trip to Hilton head in August:


We've all gotten older, my kids are all grown up and fortunately, we all enjoy good health. I don't blog as much as I did in 2009 (I logged over 600 blog posts that year - yikes!) and I don't take my DSLR out except for special occasions. I feel like these trends may change in 2020. I feel like I could take my DSLR out more, and I feel like I could write / blog more. I know I can spend less time on social media.

For even more fun, here's the family photo we used for 1999's holiday card. This was the first year I sent out a family holiday card. I still have it (and the subsequent years').


Here's wishing everyone a great new year with continued blessings into 2020 and the next decade.

Golden and Frosty December

December blessed us with many sunny days, lifting our spirits as we enter the shortest days of the season.

Since I am presently unable to run, I've been hiking out at the forest preserve instead, and bringing my camera along.


I was lucky this morning as a light sheen of frost tipped the prairie grasses.





All this "slowing down" allowed me to discover new single track trails carved off the beaten path. I learned that local outdoor enthusiasts, keen on maintaining the health of the forest, worked to clear the area of invasive trees and shrub and in the process, created these new trails and built rustic bridges across the waterway that meanders through the property.



I'm finding lovely woodland elements to fill my camera's frame.


And getting my fill of the outdoors, complete with some of that white fluffy stuff.


So long to December, the Year 2019 and the Decade 2010's! I await the new year and decade with continued optimism and thankfulness.

New Photography Challenges - Engagement Session

As I look back at the years of photos I've taken, I see how the tools of my hobby have changed, I see how the sharing platforms have morphed, and how my abilities have grown. That growth only continues by taking on new challenges, constantly learning and adjusting.

I no longer carry my DSLR with me all the time. I no longer strive to take a photo every day. In reality, I'm less focused on photography and as a result, I feel less creative, but that's OK - it's where I am in today's stage of life. Even though I'm less focused on day to day photography, I still love the feeling of seeing and making an image. I enjoy working with people to create images they will cherish. So I've been taking photos of people via photo sessions. My subjects are long time family friends and sons and daughters of friends. My strategy is to photograph people I know, who have a personal connection to me or my family.

Last month I took on a New Challenge, an Engagement session with Andrew and Alessa



I had never worked with an engaged couple. Sure, I've done the high school prom photos, but these are certainly more intimate and meant to be treasured for years to come. Alessa is a friend of my daughter's, so there's the personal connection. I think I met Alessa once during a campus event (it was at a bar, and no, I don't recall meeting her, but she remembered meeting me).

I asked Alessa to use Pinterest to document and communicate her ideas and preferences for these photos. That was a tremendous help to me and allowed us to execute numerous poses in several locations at the venue, Allerton Park.





Alessa and Andrew were great to work with, even on this chilly fall day. I did learn something for the future - to make sure the subjects have appropriate clothes for the shoot. At one point, it became evident to me that Andrew was really cold and uncomfortable. This transferred to the photos in his stiff body language and forced smile. We adjusted by moving to a sunnier, less windy area and he put on his coat. I tell folks that if they aren't comfortable, that will translate into the photos.

I enjoyed the challenge of photographing this fun couple and if presented with another opportunity, will certainly do it again.