SHOOT: B. Toys

Two things were important to me for this shoot: getting my almost-two month old to sleep so I could focus on shooting this amazing little girl and to become best friends with Lola in about a minute. Both were accomplished. After the shoot, Lola asked me if I could come babysit her.

   
[ client: B. Toys ] The client asked me to capture playfulness without any toys. Funny for a toy company to ask that right. These ran in their 2012 toy catalogs.
   

The Nursery (final touches)

The idea behind the nursery is this: my son's room is on the top floor and our house is on the highest point on our street. When I was pregnant with him, I'd look out his window and see blue sky all around. I then pictured his crib floating outside amid trees arching, hovering, protecting; with birds singing, fluttering, celebrating. So I painted the entire room, top to bottom, in blue to match the sky, pulled specific birds from illustrations by Melissa Sweet, and painted in trees and grass for the birds and other critters to call home. All the birds and their friends have become my son's friends. He says good night and good morning to them every day.

Sign on the door reads "Trees, bugs and little boys growing behind this door. Enter at your own risk."

Potato-stamped leaves; birds cut out and pasted up; trees and grass painted.

A real branch crosses over the window frame. I still need to find or make the curtain that will hang from the branch.

Other details: Smart-alicky Mrs. Robinson stands watch over the changing table, she's always got something snippy to say; grass and birds cover the built-in drawers; a spiderweb is being crafted by a clever spider in the reading corner, etc. (more pics to come later)

This smaller tree is the growth chart and will have bugs, frogs, snakes (anything really) at different heights on the tree when I can find time to paint them in. Then the room will be ready for a photoshoot. I need to finish the reading corner and the growth chart and then find the perfect little boy as my model (think I have that covered though).

To view more photos of the nursery follow this link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/septnoon/sets/72157615804435282/

A Little Busy

The reason I haven't been posting much lately is because I popped out a second little bird. Now we've got ourselves a family. I'm taking some time off to tend to this wonderful family of mine. But I'll be back with a whole new site with the new year. 
  
http://www.kimlowe.com

Northern Flicker

These are terrible photos shot through a window screeen and through the lens of a photographer without a cup of tea in her system at 6AM. But this is a Northern Flicker in Maine last week. Then this morning in our pear tree in Boston there was a beautiful female Northern Flicker, we never get these birds in the city, not in my backyard. But maybe I never noticed before.

Bicolor Butterfly Bush (Buddleia x weyeriana)

This bicolor butterfly bush was planted last year and didn't do very much blooming. It grew and must have gotten settled because this year it has the most beautiful, fragrant flowers! It might be my favorite plant this year. It could so easily be passed by in the yard and I never would have seen the details in the small petals. Plus it's so fragrant up close! The bush is pretty big now, about 4-5' tall and 3' wide after only getting to be 2-3' tall last year.

Flowers Blooming (July '09)

Liatris (white gayfeather) are beautiful and attract bees like crazy. Then I've got Echinacea (pink and yellow coneflowers), also very popular with the bees but more so with butterflies. Lastly, Achillea (yarrow) which has pretty flowers but the plant is not as attractive. Just some of the new plants I've added to my garden recently.

Why aren't garden centers inspected?

Why aren't garden centers inspected when greenhouses and farms are (by law)? Late blight could have been caught and the devastating Northeast late blight outbreak could have been totally avoided. Instead of tomatoes costing $15/bushel, they'll now cost about $40-50/bushel. Not to mention all the home gardens that have been ruined. So a big THANK YOU to Bonnie Plants, Walmart, Lowe's and Home Depot for selling infected plants!

NY Times article/Outbreak of Fungus Threatens Tomato Crop/June 2009

Mimosa

For a short couple weeks in July it snows in our yard. We have two beautiful Mimosa trees who shed their flowers like snow all over the garden. Not only are they beautiful but they smell just as wonderful. I wish I could wear it. It's close to a honeydew melon but magnified. There are very few Mimosa trees in the Northeast. We already lost one a few winters ago.

On a Thursday afternoon, before a huge rainstorm comes in and shakes most of these flowers free, I've parked a chair under this tree in my backyard. I only get this chance once a year.

(Be sure to click on the image to see the detail in the flowers and leaves.)

Coolest Video on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfBlUQguvyw

Vacation, Maine

   

I just got back from vacationing with my family in Maine. Here are a few shots from Camden and Acadia National Park. We haven't been to Maine in so long. Don't know why. It is absolutely beautiful all along the coast!