stacie

Those I Love: Kim

by stacie
24 September 201422 September 2014

This post is part of a Portrait blog circle. Please click through to see the other talented photographers’ portraits that were taken in September. The next photographer in the circle is
my good friend Pamela Joye.

I cannot wait to keep photographing old friends.Â Kim is my oldest friend. Not by age, duh, but by the length of time I’ve known and loved her.Â When we moved to Mission Viejo, she was the gregarious girl who loved the classroom rat and happily showed me how to let said rat lick peanut butter off my finger.Â Classroom rat, ugh.Â But she WAS a loved pet.Â Now I am lucky enough to have Kim in my life, and because of Kim I get to know Lance too.Â I only wish I could spend more time with them both.Â I think one of Kim’s most obvious skills, at least when you are hungry and visiting from out of town, is knowing just where the best dumpling house or poke place or Italian or any of the best food establishments can be found.Â She also knows the art of gift giving.Â Every time she visits, our shelves are stocked with see’s or the best banana chips EVER… I think she out did herself when she brought us 20 avocados this summer from her Garden of Edan backyard tree.Â Seriously, her back yard is like the Garden.Â Someday I’ll photograph that.Â But really, Kim is the best at making me feel happy. She lets you know she cares and wants you around. All her giving shows how much she loves life and those around her. I consider myself lucky to have seen Lance and Kim twice this year.Â Kim, you are one of my very favorites.Â Ever.

Hey Mami

by stacie
22 September 201417 September 2014

My next installment into the Self Portrait section of this blog follows the lyrics of the song “Hey Mami” by the very talented Slyvan Esso. Check out the tune here, along with the rest of the album here. Cuz it’s all pretty amazing. Every time I hear that song I think maybe I could be as cool as that mami.
“But out here oh she don’t know the gravity she owns
As she pulls on the eyeballs of all the kids standing tall…”
Zach says mami means grandma… So I’ve got a few years to get this walk around town down right. But really, the part that says “Hey Mami, we want mami…” over and over really feels like my life. Although the cry for mommy has lessened this month since all kids are in school.
This Sylvan Esso song makes me think of its predecessor “Mama” by the Sugar Cubes, which was released in 1988.
These lyrics really describe everything about a mother. My images only scratch the surface. This is a project that could be explored forever.

Words, songs and images. Enjoy.

“I was watchin’ the woman that was walkin’ down my street
Walkin’ with grace, so beautifully, carefully
She’s a big and pretty mother, big and pretty mother
Swingin’ her hand-bag back and forth so joyfully
She’s drawin’ circles with her breasts in her jumper

Give me a big mother
Huge and loving one
I can crawl upon
And cling to

She’s a large woman, warm and cuddly
Wet lady strong mother
She’s walkin’ down the street in front of my window
Whistlin’ funky tunes in the ears of my neighbors

Give me a big mother
One that will always want me
Hot, embracing mother
I can crawl upon
And cling to

Can’t be safer, can’t be more secure
Than with a breast in each palm
Than with a breast in each palm
That is the way that I was born
And that is the way that I want to die

Give me a big mother
Yes, a soft and wet one
That would caress me
In all those special places
Where’s a strong mother
One that squeezes me
One that I can crawl upon?”

Newborn Session: sweetest little sister

by stacie
18 September 201417 September 2014

I photographed this babe just before she entered the world. Remember? She’s here and she fits right in with the rest of her siblings, looking so similar to both her big bro and sister. Wish I had a few shots of the three together. We’ll have to do that soon.

Dad took a minute from work to give a rub.

Documentary Session: At Moe’s

by stacie
15 September 2014

I have been photographing this family for a few years now… maybe 5? Not every year, but once the braces come on (or off) or the smile or height changes. The parents look pretty much the same, while the kids have grown up a whole lot.
This time ’round the goal was to tell a story. Have some fun at home and head to Moe’s BBQ where we all love to eat.This is a Documentary Session. If you haven’t noticed, I switched up my pricing and if you head over you’ll see that I offer a Documentary Session along with a Portrait Session and several other specialized sessions. Documentary photography, to me, is a cross between photojournalism with its minimal direction and story telling and art with a concept in mind and smiles not required. It’s a show-me-what-you-love kind of session.
When I arrived this print on their wall greeted me. This was the first portrait I took of the kids and is mounted on foamcore and put directly on the wall. Super simple. The key to make this sort of presentation work is size. It’s gotta take up a good amount of space on the wall:

We started at home and this porch had the best light and cutest swing

www.stacieannsmith.com #DenverPhotographer #UrbanFamilyPhotographer #GothicTheater

Then it began to rain. It rained almost every day this summer.

At Moe’s

At the Gothic I was excited to see Future Islands on the billboard. Oh, and that was the day I realized the Aquabats were coming to the Gothic. Ezra asked if we could have the Aquabats play in our backyard last summer. I tried all my contacts, which were pretty reliable (thanks Heather!) but their schedule would only allow a house party after their evening show at the Gothic. Too late.

Those I Love: Good Leaders

by stacie
31 August 20142 September 2014

This post is part of a Portrait blog circle.Â Please click through to see the other talented photographers’ portraits that were taken in August.Â The next photographer in the circle is
Linsey Stuckey

We need good leaders and teachers. This fact was made clear to me only after my survival of adolescence. Sure, having someone interesting teach a class is much better than the teacher who only talks to the overhead projector and doesn’t make eye contact (geometry… that guy next to me became a huge crush because of bad teaching). But I didn’t, and couldn’t, see the impact my teachers and youth leaders made on my life until years later.
A couple years ago I was asked to give a talk about mothers, on mother’s day. It was a disaster. I blubbered through the whole thing. Terrible. I shared about all the women in my life up to that point. When I took the time to reflect, Alana, who was one of my youth leaders at church, stood out. There were others. I remember eating a whole bowl of watermelon with one of my “mom” friends. We talked about life and it’s teenage frustrations. My own personal therapist. I wonder where she is today. I digress.
For Alana, it was the trust she placed in me when I didn’t feel anyone at church thought I could be good or spiritual… which was probably true, but still. Her faith in me helped me to see who I could become. I could see my worth, and at 17 self worth is somewhere between “I am so much cooler than that dumb girl” and “all the dumb girls are with the cute guys” (yes, I was pretty boy crazy). I felt like one on the fringe, disenfranchised, I didn’t fit into the Mormon mold… still don’t, really. Everyone needs love, even the weirdos. She gave it freely to the little girl in black baggy clothes and for that I thank her.
While in California for my 20 year reunion Alana gave me a couple hours of her day and allowed me to photographer her. Thanks, lady! It was so nice to catch up.