Hands of a 100 Years Young Woman

I stated yesterday on my facebok page I had the privilege of photographing a wonderful woman name Edna who will be 100 years young on Tuesday.  I will also be photographing her birthday party along with her friends at The Garden Gate Tea Room in Mt Dora. 

http://www.thegardengatetearoom.com/ 

I am looking forward to it.

Since Edna could not move around as much as my other models I normally have in my studio I had to think of ways to photograph her without being the same photo over and over again although I did enjoy photographing her pretty face.  One of things I definitely wanted to photograph were her hands. 

Imagine the hands of a woman who has been around for 100 years.  

Those hands, those beautiful hands...

As I was photographing her lovely hands I started  to think about all the things she has done in her life with those hands from the time when she was a little girl growing up in Maryland, netting crabs for a living, raising her children, holding her grandchildren, taking her great-grand children into her arms, all the way to posing in my photo studio.  She has witnessed our country going into two world wars, a depression, with each decade bringing constant change around her.  She doesn't seem ruffled about what she has gone through.  She continues to live her life quietly with grace and dignity.

It just boggles my mind that this sweet lady Edna will be celebrating her 100th birthday on Tuesday.  
Just don't tell Edna she will be 100 years old though.  
She will look at you for a moment and then tell you she is 19... with a wink.   

Saving the good china

When I was growing up we always had a "formal" living room and a "formal" dining room.  Those special rooms were for guests only.  We had fine gold china too that was for only special occasions.  Funny thing is I remember having people over but I don't ever remember using the formal living room to entertain.  We ate in the formal dining room on Thanksgiving and Christmas and sometimes we used the good china and sometimes it was the every day dishes.

When we moved into the house where we now reside my mom was pretty excited.  I have a "formal living room" she told me and a family room.  We need to go shopping so I can purchase the stuffy furniture where only guests are allowed to sit and we'll keep the old furniture for the family room.  No, the living room is exactly what it is... a living room where the family and friends can sit on the worn but comfortable furniture and my family room became my photo studio.  You know, children these days... especially adult children.... they never listen to their parents.

I have a nice large dining room as well.  My mom suggested we put a table and chairs in the kitchen for the eating area and make sure I put a cover on my dining room table.  It's a rather large table that can hold up to 14 people.  Imagine trying to find a table cloth that large?  You know, I can't imagine covering up my dining room table.  It's a beautiful table with lots of intricate details in the wood.  I know some friends and family were worried with three children it was going to get messed up and it is... with finger paint, various glues that have permanently adhered itself to the wood, various colors of glitter but to me it's a well loved used table.

I had purchase some very nice china from our church's rummage sale for a really cheap price some years ago.  Back in the day it was a pretty nice set too.  It's a place setting for 16 and it's gorgeous with gold trim.  It almost reminded me of the gold china my mom has.  I remember when purchasing it my mom told me I needed to put it up and use it only for when company came over.  Unlike my parents, we have company coming over quite frequently.  Company.  Well I say company but no, we don't have company.  It's more like we have extended family and friends that come over a lot.  I knew I was going to get a lot of use out of my "good china" and I'm not afraid they are going to get broken even though I can no longer buy replacements as Crown Potteries that made the plates went out of business back in 1962 but that's okay.  Unlike my mother's good gold china that sits in her fine china cabinet looking at the empty formal dining room table that no one sits in my good china is being used because I don't want my children to wonder why our family didn't use the good china for us.

Love of Photography

©Bonnie Whicher Photography

©Bonnie Whicher Photography

Whenever I get a photo assignment from a magazine, photographing a wedding, taking pictures of first time parents or snapshots of my children just hanging out, it's a thrill every single time I pick up my camera even though I've been doing this for years.  

I just can't imagine doing anything else for a living.

©Bonnie Whicher Photography

©Bonnie Whicher Photography

I mean, I'm certainly not into photography to become rich.  I've been told I practically give my product and services away but that's how I roll.  I really don't see myself charging exorbitant amount of money but than again, that's not the reason I became the photographer I am. 

©Bonnie Whicher Photography

There are lots of great photographer out there that do charge and should charge the big money but as for me, I'm a stay at home mom that became a professional photographer who happens to be blessed with a photo studio in our home and over the years I accumulated lots of photo equipment.

©Bonnie Whicher Photography

Next time you are at an event, take pictures and take lots of pictures or better yet, hire me. ☺