52 Weeks of 2014 - Week 5

They grow up so quickly, but watching them sleep takes me back in time. I can see them, once again, as they looked as babies. It is an amazing thing.

This one is, of course, way past needing naps, but after a couple of very late nights last weekend, when forced to be quiet and still she actually fell asleep. I know she needed it. I watched her as she snoozed, so pretty and peaceful and I marveled at the girl she was and is becoming.

Such hopes and dreams we have for our children, that they will be children for as long as possible, that they will grow into confident and strong adults.  The years we fully have with them are so short and precious. I hope we grow to be great friends, moving beyond the parent daughter roles we have today. I hope she will always know she is loved and beautiful. I hope she will speak her mind, even when she disagrees with others and not be afraid to be different. I hope she will take risks and laugh at her mistakes and try again.

I know that she truly has the ability to move mountains, not only in her life but in the lives of others and I hope that she will believe that for herself and be an encouragement to others.

I love this sweet (and spicy) girl!

52 Weeks of 2014 - Week 3

Last week I accompanied my daughter's kindergarten class on a field trip to the Lawrence Hall of Science, in Berkeley. It was so great. Their group had a 'Fizz, Pop, Wow!' science class where they learned about mixing different ingredients and watching reactions, observing the properties of solids, liquids and gases. Then they got to explore the main halls, full of exhibits and hands-on displays. It really was a place that showed how fun learning can be. The groans when it was time to leave, were heartfelt and everybody agreed that the time had been too short.

It is so wonderful to see children's eyes light up as they learn and get excited at discoveries they make for themselves. The joy of understanding something new and feeling empowered. If you live in the Bay Area and haven't already visited, I would thoroughly recommend it.

52 Weeks of 2013 - Week 2

Ok - so I may be slightly biased, but I happen to think my son is incredibly handsome and he's a total sweetheart too!

Goodbye 2012...

And just like that, the year is almost over! I have no idea how it happened, I swear time is somehow speeding up, please let me know if you know a way to slow it down. I notice it most in my kids; this time last year both of my girls had all their teeth and were definitely inches shorter, my boy too, was much shorter and maybe a little quieter and more reserved. This has been a year with highs and some low-lows.

Parenting is no easy task and that saying about wearing your heart outside of your body once you have children has felt very true. There are hard things that they have to go through, that we just can't fix for them and as a mother, with all the love that I have, it breaks my heart. To share in their joy and excitement though, is just so much fun. This week of celebrating Christmas, remembering Christ's birth and how that has changed our lives forever; the best gift...time together as a family, the anticipation and the presents and their exuberant gratitude, it is priceless!

As I reflect on this year I see growth, I see and feel the ways I have changed and I have hope for the coming year.  I know that at the end of next year we will be moving and I have no idea where to. My husband will have finished with his degree so we will need to move off campus, even if we remain in the general area. The uncertainty and unknown can be scary, especially for a planner such as I, but for now I am content to take it one day at a time and cross that bridge when we come to it.

Heading into 2013 I plan to continue my Day In The Life Series and am thinking of doing another 52-week project as I feel I have not been shooting as much as I would have liked to this year and want to get back into the habit of carrying my camera around with me more again. Let me know what your plans are and where I can follow along.

If you are on Facebook, I would really appreciate you 'liking' my photography page if you haven't already (http://www.facebook.com/JuanitaCannanPhotography). I would love to start picking up more work and 'likes' not only help get the word out but provide legitimacy. Thank you so much for reading and following and enjoying my photography as well as your ongoing support and encouragement.

Special thanks to my husband for being my biggest fan and always being prepared to jump into photographs with me and my son for capturing this one once I had all the settings correct :)

 

From me to you, Happy New Year!

Happy Father's Day!

How does one describe a Father? I know there are many examples all around us and, unfortunately, some of those are far from inspiring. Yet it is such a vitally important role. I see my children and the love they have for their Daddy. He loves them unconditionally, he wants the very best for them, he has sacrificed for them and prayed for them, he encourages them and teaches them, he is present, he is there for them!

Nobody is perfect and I am sure as we reflect on our own childhood, where parents who loved us just as much, still made mistakes, we sometimes wonder what our children will think of the job that we do. When they are parents themselves, then they will of course understand. We love our children, we do what we honestly feel is best and we trust God to take care of the rest.

There are times of exhaustion but also of pride and pure joy. What is better than to see their sweet smiling faces? Sure there are challenges but the rewards far, far outweigh any hardships. To all the fathers out there, do not undervalue the importance of your role in your child's life.To my own father, thank you for the years of friendship.

To my wonderful husband and partner in this parenting journey, thank you for all that you do and all that you are, you continually give above and beyond what most would consider more-than-reasonable and we are eternally grateful. I love you, your children love you, you are amazing!

Happy Father's Day.

52 Week Project - Week 24 {Marin Child Portrait Photographer}

Aaaah summer is in full swing for us. School has been out for three weeks and we have been hiking and playing at parks and going to the beach and meeting with friends. Life is more relaxed and much less structured.

Any time there is water to counteract heat it is a huge bonus, the kids could not be happier. We spent time this week visiting friends and playing in the San Anselmo creek, which my friend's mom's house backs onto. Water, sunshine, shade, friends, snacks...they really make for the best of times.

How is your summer shaping up?

52 Week Project - Week 20 {Bay Area Child Portrait Photographer}

Light is not just light. There is harsh light and there is beautiful light, and timing is everything. The first and last hour of sunlight, when the sun is low in the sky, bathing everything in a golden glow...well it can be quite magical. Turn your subject around to back light them and the end result is gorgeous, hazy light wrapping around them.

My sweet mischievous girl gave me a few minutes of her time, which with this light was all I needed, then she was done. I love the results, I love that these photographs capture so much of her personality, the person she is, right now, so fun and full of joy, yet obstinate and stubborn, she is three!

And just because my girl and the light both take my breath away, I have to post a few extras.

52 Week Project - Week 15 {Bay Area Child Portrait Photographer}

I love the relationship my kids have with each other. They truly enjoy each other and have fun together. The girls really are each others best friend and the time they have spent together since their brother started school has only served to strengthen their bond.

Yesterday I made a new dress for Bryttain - a pillowcase dress. I have been looking for something simple and classic, for the longest time and it just has not materialized, so I decided I would just have to make it. I ran to a local thrift store and found one pillowcase that would work, ran to Michaels for some ribbon to make the ties and an hour later she had a cute dress, perfect for a little shoot. She was pretty excited and all of a sudden all three of them were excited. We were losing light rapidly but they were insistent! Arran (kind of) helped me drag my bench out into the field and I just started shooting.

I love to catch them interacting and this fun stage of their relationship. I know that in the years ahead they may not always be this close, but I will have proof that they were and I know in my heart that they will always have an undeniable bond, that I hope will come full circle.

Love the natural outtakes too.

Of course we have to have some fun too, we cannot be all serious when it comes to photographs, otherwise how many do you think I would really get? Love, love, love these little people!

52 Week Project - Week 14

We, or maybe I should own it and say "I", can be my own worst critic. We so easily see our flaws, the places where we are far from perfect. We see ourselves as nobody else can, because we are the only ones to know the internal dialogues, the struggles that we hide from the rest of the world.

I am on a journey. I want to be able to see myself as I was truly created to be. I want to humbly be able to recognize my areas of strength, my talents, the gifts that I have been given, the things that make me unique and different from everybody else...from every other photographer out there.

When my children look at me they see my heart! They know that I love them, and will fight for them to the end. They see my loyalty and that I truly want the best for them. They see that I am beautiful and fun and creative. They see me at my worst and my best, the highs and the lows...and they love me. Their little eyes see ME! They are a gift to me and teach me new things each day, I want to be better for them and for that to impact everyone that I come in contact with.

This past weekend I 'attended' a live, online photography class. If you are a photographer, or aspiring photographer, I encourage you to check out Creative Live, it is such an amazing resource. They provide free classes, as long as the timing works with your schedule and you can attend the live event. If that does not work, then you can buy the class after the fact, to watch at your convenience. There are many workshops out there, but they cost a small fortune; through Creative Live you can have access to amazing teachers for a fraction of the cost.

This weekend's course encouraged more searching of myself and challenged me to be prepared to take risks, to try...and do things 'wrong', because in that process I might find the 'right' way to do something.  To try to let go of my perfectionism, because all that does is encourage me to procrastinate. None of us will ever be perfect - yet how many of us strive for that, or to appear to be that? To think about what makes me different and use that to my advantage.

Take a moment to step back and see yourself as someone who loves you sees you...you might be pleasantly surprised!

52 Week Project - Week 6

52 Week Project - Week 2

This beautiful child does nothing by halves. She feels things so deeply, whatever it be from frustration or anger to joy, humor or excitement, it is without restraint. It is a trait she most certainly inherited from her Father, who is a man of passion.

The negative emotions can be hard to deal with, of course, but when she laughs it is hard not to laugh with her. There is something so real and so raw about laughter that is refreshing and contagious. Her days are most certainly not wasted as she brings joy to our household. What a gift!

Time Flies {Bay Area Child Portrait Photographer}

It amazes me how fast my children are growing up. I seriously can remember bringing this boy home from the hospital as though it were yesterday, how he completely changed my life forever. I look at him now and he is a big boy! He seems so grown up and mature and I, unfairly, expect so much from him, forgetting how young he really is. How can he be so big and little at the same time? It is very confusing.

He had my undivided attention for two whole years and we went everywhere together. Then we added some sisters into the mix and now he is in school and our times together are limited, as well as shared. It was definitely time for a little one on one photo session, with no little girls in the picture. Daddy likes his caps, so I recently bought one for my boy too and it was just the incentive he needed.

I love this wonderful little boy who likes to grow his hair long each year, whose teeth are falling out and growing in and look a little goofy. He has such a sweet heart; everybody in the whole world is his best friend he tells us, there is no favoritism here. I love that he is sensitive and that he can still be silly and have fun, like every child should.