my family

Wish You Were Here: Mornings

by stacie
24 April 201522 April 2015

www.stacieannsmith.com boy with his cat at home in denver

waking up gradually

kitty snuggle

www.stacieannsmith.com waking up in denver

come on boy- up!

Sometimes it is difficult to wake up. Sometimes mornings are horrible. Lately my littlest has been so funny and cute in the mornings that I had to start photographing his antics. These were taken while he snuggled on my lap. Of course Cleo the cat joined in. She can’t resist.
On Sunday I taught the 5 year olds at church and we talked about keeping the Sabbath day holy. This isn’t a difficult thing for our family; we know that on Sundays we don’t shop, go to the movies, friends’ parties, soccer games, etc. But when it comes to do in the best thing in the day, I feel like we could use some help. Watching a movie at home might not be the best use of our time.
While prepping to teach this class to the littles, I read a suggestion that scrapbooking on Sundays could be a nice family activity. I am not a scrapbook person, but I can bind a book and have plently of art supplies that are in need of use.
These morning photographs will be printed and my guy will be encouraged to put them in his book. We’ll see how it goes. I will also need to photograph the other two kids so they have something to scrapbook too. That’ll be tough. They are getting older and less willing to be in front of my lens.
This Sunday we will start by binding our albums. Wish me luck!

Wish You Were Here: Stacie’s weekly photographs in Colorado

by stacie
20 April 2015

Every week I try to photograph something going on to illustrate what the week was all about.Â Each week these images are grouped along side up to 20 other photographer’s weekly happenings on the Wish You Were Here website.Â It is fascinating to see the connections between images and happenings between photographers in different continents, hemispheres and even just different life experiences.Â All the women who participate in this project are connected.Â We are all communicatingÂ to ourselves, to each other, to our future.Â Each image photographing a memory to also communicate to our children or those who will follow us.

This image of my boy and his friend is last week’s submission.Â Tomorrow another week will have passed and I will submit my next image.Â This morning I photographed a bit of the wake-up routine… as much of it as I could before I had to make lunches.Â Summer time will allow for more photographing.Â Here’s to capturing the every day.

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?”

“Mommy? Why does everyone like disgusting food and bad music?”

by stacie
7 July 20147 July 2014

“At the Pool” after his 1st and last official little kid swim meet

“Disgusting food? What disgusting food does everyone like?” He said “You know like McDonalds?” Oh, that. So I explained how fried food is so tasty that people love it even though it is really bad for us. That, and the fact that advertisements and brand names are very influential. How super processed junk food is, for the most part, invented in chemistry labs by scientists, not chefs.Â I always figured American “cheese” was made to help keep the US populace from starving during the Depression… high in fat and calories… why else would anyone want to eat it?Â But, no, it was made as a convenience food (comes in slices, melts easily, shelf stable) in the 50’s and became a household name despite the flavor, thanks to great advertising, in the 60’s.Â Fake flavoring must have been so new and fresh. It was a novelty and sought after, advertised on packaging rather than hidden. Now it’s hidden in the ever popular “natural flavoring” which is code for chemicals derived from things of this earth.Â If you ever wondered why people are growing more gardens, raising chickens, goats, pigs and cows the loss of trust in our food system is the reason.

What about bad music? The music we listen to in our house is decidedly under produced and not super popular. Not top 40. Not the Frozen sound track (which my boys HATE with a passion). Â We listen to songs written and created by the performers singing and playing them. This was a bit more difficult to explain, but ended up sounding a lot like the discussion on food that we just had. Producers, music execs and people who have made formulas (music scientists?) put music together and advertisers (essentially) create the look of artists. They create mega stars, something that the masses will undoubted consume. I told them that it is difficult for me to connect (or trust) an artist that is singing someone else’s words or playing another’s tune.Â I think music, because it is art, should be made from an authentic place. It should be real and reflect an artist’s life experience no matter how absurd or silly.

That, more or less, was what I discussed with my kids while driving home from the pool the other night. Say yes to Indie Rock and Slow Food.Â

My Mom

by stacie
6 May 2014

It has been several weeks on my mind to share my thoughts on moms in photographs. Between gearing up for my Mother’s Day Mini Sessions to attending a funeral for a mother of 3 young boys, motherhood has been on my mind. What does it mean to be a mother, what will be said about us, the woman in our family? Who will remember how we laughed and loved and lived? Will there be photographs showing us? Because, let’s face it, we are behind the camera taking pictures of everyone else.
I keep thinking of this one photograph I took of my mom with my eldest. India was being a goof and my mom had her arms wrapped around her. My mom is always good for a hug. I think that just might be one of her best qualities. Her hugs and her love and her ease at which she tells you that she loves you. This image is actually on my fridge as a tiny magnet I made several years ago for Christmas.

Now, I know my mom. My mom does not enjoy having her picture taken. I think it helps when someone is standing in front of her, like in this photo. But, man, that photograph is one of my favorites. I am so happy she relaxed and gave a genuine smile. Actually, I had to dig out the photo I took of her with Zed, my littlest. Here too, not thrilled about being photographed, but such a special image.

My first Mother’s Day:

Every day there is a woman being photographed who would rather wait to be thinner, have fewer pimples, less cellulite, flab, more curves, could look and feel better about themselves. But the memory we leave behind, though our love may be strong, is only a whisper when there is no photograph, no portrait, no writings. So grandma, enjoy your time with your grand kids and ASK to be photographed. Write down your stories. Leave something behind for us to remember your love, strength and beauty.