Mara Schantz – Mara Blom Schantz

Congratulations Class of 2017!

Mara Schantz — Wed, 31 May 2017 23:16:00 +0000

Another school year has ended and another class of young people have graduated and will go out into the world to learn about themselves and discover their purpose. Congratulations to these young men and women from the Class of 2017! What a special group of young people you are. I feel privileged to have been able to document this pivotal stage and can’t wait to see all they great things you do in your lives. The world belongs to you!

Mara

Olivia

Katie

Marissa

Jared

Emma

Shannon

Tatum

Annie

Mackenzie

Elliott

Annie

Josh

Avery

Cade

Patrick

Holly

James

Carter

Emma

John

Christian

Trey

Mikey

Joey

Brooke

John

Organizing and Displaying Your Family Photographs

Mara Schantz — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 22:42:00 +0000

Last month I hosted a mother’s night out event for North Central Parenting Group and gave a short presentation about how to organize and display your family photographs. The women who attended gave great feedback and made it apparent that the number of images they have of their children is overwhelming and causes them stress.

The perspective I have on this subject comes from having one son who is grown and in college and another who is two years away from leaving our home. My children were babies before there were iphones with cameras. In order to take pictures we had to plan to bring the camera, remember to get it out, load a roll of film in a camera and then take it to get developed which usually yielded about 10 acceptable pictures from a roll of 36. I know it seems like it was the “olden days”, as my kids like to point out, and that we have come so far since then. But, one positive of the old time technology of film was that we had far fewer pictures to decide how to display. We threw away the bad ones and stuck the rest in a photo album (maybe a scrapbook with cute sayings and stickers if we were crafty). Once every year or two we had our children professionally photographed, ordered one or two portraits (and maybe an album if they were really cute) and hung them up in our house. Even in my home, and as a professional photographer I only have portraits of my kids from about every year or so.

The dawn of digital has led to an extreme increase in the number of images that are produced documenting one child’s growth from newborn to adulthood. Whether they are snapshots that parents take of their child or professional images, it is likely the number is in the thousands by the time the child reaches the age of two. With the daily duties it takes to raise a child in today’s world (doctors appointments, parenting classes, play groups, feeding, shopping, bathing, getting them to sleep, getting them in the right music/gym/mom and tot class) this only adds to a feeling of anxiety. What I would like to do here is give you a way to organize and display the images of your family and children, and perhaps rethink why and when you have them photographed in the first place.

First, let’s address how many of your own snapshots you take of your child. Every time you go to a park, playgroup or the zoo, do you feel like you need to whip out your phone and document it? What is the purpose? Is it to share on social media? By the way, that is just fine, but it will lead to your device being completely jammed up and more work for you in the end. So, when should you bring out your phone or camera and document those fun, spontaneous moments so that you can remember? I would say holidays are a good place to start. And vacations. And family visits. And birthdays. But if you have 25 from each of those events you would have around 200 per year. That is too many. So here is a guide to get your existing snapshots organized. Then stop taking so many from here on out. Rather than pulling out your phone all the time, maybe just enjoy the moment. Childhood goes quickly.

So you have a year or two or three worth of snapshots of your child or children. Where should you start? What can you do with them?

1. Get all the images off your device. Do this once every month or so. Download them to your computer and also save on an external hard drive because computers crash and that is sad.

2. Put the images in a folder labeled with whatever event it is (Halloween 2016, Johnny’s First bday, etc.).

3. Work backwards so you are not overwhelmed. Since it is only March of 2017, 2017 should be easy and not overwhelming at all. Next do 2016 because you can complete that one and make a scrapbook.

4. Go through each image you have by labeled folder and delete the ones you don’t love. Be brutal and only save a few from each event. (you don’t need 25 from Halloween, First bday maybe that many, but not every playgroup). Go through again and delete more. Your goal is to end up with around 60 per year.

5. Once you are finished with one year, make a book. If you have a Mac, ibook is a really simple, easy way to make a scrapbook with text. And you simply click and order and it is delivered in about a week. If you don’t have a Mac, get one. Just kidding, but they really are best for consumers to organize and arrange their own images. There are other sites where you can make scrapbooks and albums like Snapfish. Now you have a year of images in a scrapbook and something you and your family can look through together!

6. Other ideas for displaying your images that you absolutely love are: a calendar (makes a great gift for grandparents who still use paper calendars), small frames around your home, bulletin boards, digital frame, prints to be put under glass on a table in your home.

Hopefully, that helps. This project is not meant to be done all in one night! And your scrapbook does not have to be a work of art or something you have seen on Pinterest. Just do the best you can. Work maybe an hour while the kids are napping or in the evening after bedtime a couple of times per week until you are caught up. If you start this now and limit the number of images you take throughout the year, it will never get out of control again! Now, onto what to do with the professional images.

If you go by what is all over Pinterest and Instagram and Facebook, it seems like in order to be a good mother, you need to have your children photographed every few months in some kind of very staged and themed set up. Whether it is a newborn wearing a hat to make him look like a bear cub, a baby smashing their first birthday cake or kids in their Halloween costumes, Christmas outfits, with Easter bunnies, or in a lemonade stand, it seems like a child is professionally photographed at least 8 times by the time she reaches her second birthday. What I challenge you to think about is, what is the point to all of these sessions? Do you have a goal from each one or do you just gather these hundreds or thousands of images on your hard drive and share them on social media, maybe print a few holiday cards or birth announcements and then feel overwhelmed about how to actually showcase your favorites (if you can even decide which ones those are)? If you are paying for all of these sessions, maybe take that money, save up and invest in excellent portraits of milestone ages (see below) and do all the other pictures yourself.

There are a couple types of professional photographers you may have encountered. The first will help you choose the images to display and deliver final portraits and/or albums to you so all you have to do is hang them up. That is super cool and leaves no work for you! If that is the type of photographer you have worked with, you can skip down to where I discuss milestone ages.

If your photographer did not help you to choose which images to print or print them for you, you have some work to do. First, you need to decide which one or two from each milestone age to have printed. I would suggest that you choose one larger and one smaller (one main wall portrait and one smaller, or a triptych that tells a story). You can do a smaller desk portrait of one or two and an album with the others. Once you have picked the couple of favorites you would like to have printed as portraits, you will need to choose the size and lab. Remember, cheaper labs like Walmart and Costco will look cheap. If you want to start a beautiful gallery, choose a quality lab. Tempe Camera is a local lab that will help you to size, crop, and print the images and offers different types of fine art paper options. I have listed contact info and other resources for this below.

If all that work stresses you out, going forward you might want to rethink your choice of photographer from one who simply gives you the digital files and doesn’t offer any help with regard to which images to have printed and how or where to print them. If you are like me, I don’t like to pay for a service only to have more work to do. I would rather spend a bit more and have the professional use their professional skills and resources to help me have something of excellent quality.

Remember, your child is growing and from birth to senior portrait if you have her professionally photographed once per year, you will have 18 portraits by the time she graduates from high school. Your goal should be to add to your gallery rather than replace precious portraits from the younger years. So, what are the milestone ages that you should have your child photographed? In other words, if I were not a professional photographer, what ages would I pay to have a professional photographer document my children and pay for beautiful portraits to add to my gallery?

Here is my list of milestone ages to have your child photographed. Obviously, space apart for development according to when you had your last session. These can be done as a separate portrait if you have larger walls or combined with siblings to accomplish two things at once (except maybe when they are really, really impactful on their own like toddler, missing teeth and senior portraits):

1. Infant (0-6 months) Some people like the brand newborn, but I prefer when the baby can actually track, is chubby and has a face that will be recognizable later in their life. Plus, you feel a little less stressed at the session when you are not one or two weeks post partum.

2. Toddler (12-36 months) Walking around, talking and able to communicate a little and engage. Has a variety of expressions and a developed personality.

3. Small Child (4-5 years) Still has a bit of a baby face. Very well developed vocabulary and interests. Usually preschool age before front teeth fall out.

4. Lost Teeth (6-7 years) One of my favorite ages and a great transitional portrait from a small child to the one with the big teeth.

5. Big Kid, Tween (9-12 years) Once you have an 18 year old, these kids will look little to you. I actually also like braces because the kids still look little while they are wearing them.

6. Teen (13-16 years) This is a good age because you have a kid who is still a kid but thinks and acts like they are not. They have their own defined personalities and opinions (whether you like it or not).

7. Senior Portrait (17-18 years) This is the last portrait of childhood. They are graduating high school and about to embark on their own life, away from you.

I find it helpful to think about creating a portrait gallery that you will add to over time rather than just do willy-nilly sessions with multiple photographers who all have different styles. For those of you who like consistency and would like a photographic style that will stand the test of time, choose a photographer whose style is more classic and will pleasing to you in the long term. There are many trends in photography. By definition, a trend will go out of style, so it is best to stay away from photographers whose bulk of work is made up of images that are very trendy. For example, one trend is to severely back light a subject, obscuring the face in favor of the sun shining behind her. Another trend is to dress up newborns in funny hats or contort them or put them in bowls or baskets or slings. Props are also distracting. If you want something in the image to represent your child’s age, I recommend something meaningful to you and them, like a favorite blanket, doll or book. I tend to gravitate toward a style that will be pleasing in 50 years or would have been 50 years ago.

One element of creating pleasing wall displays is to frame the portraits in an elegant aesthetic that will frame and highlight the images and blend with your décor. Professional framing can make a big difference in how finished your display looks. Cheap framing looks cheap and can ruin the actual portraits over time. Choose a professional frame shop (not Michael’s or Aaron Brothers) that specializes in framing art and knows conservation methods. It does not have to be expensive and you can limit the cost by choosing frames that are smaller and less ornate.

In order to determine what sizes and displays would be appropriate for the professional images of your children and family, your home décor and space should be taken into account. You don’t need to have a dedicated wall upon which to hang all of the professional images you choose to have printed as portraits. Here are some ideas for display that I have seen and use myself:

1. One significant size portrait in a defined space or over a piece of furniture (sofa, console table, fireplace, entryway, between two light fixtures).

2. Different sizes and orientations down a hallway or up a staircase.

3. Gallery wall as a showcase wall – small or large with multiple images in different sizes and orientations in a family gathering spot. (These are the images that make you happy so you should see them often.)

4. Casual leaning on top of a bookcase or shelving.

5. In a bathroom – water or beach images work well here.

6. Child’s bedroom – infant images for nursery and other happy images great in here as well.

I would also recommend having albums created from your professional images as well. As mentioned above, you will not frame all of the images from your professional images as portraits for your walls, but having albums and books will document these sessions for you so that over time you have a great representation of your child’s growth.

In my studio, I offer the full service experience because I believe you should have beautiful, timeless images of your children and you don’t need any extra work in your busy life. From talking with you prior to your session in order to understand your goals (or just help you define what those should be), to expertly photographing your child, to helping you choose the best images for display and where they should hang in your home, to printing your portraits in the most beautiful and archival manner, to helping you choose the frames that will best highlight your portraits, it is a full service, stress-free experience. The only thing left for you to do is pay and hang your portraits on the wall. I charge appropriately for what I give you but feel strongly that you definitely get what you pay for. When you account for money that you might spend on mini sessions throughout the year, where you don’t love any images and then your time you have to spend to figure out which one to print, where to take it and the cost of printing and framing, a full service experience by an expert photographer is well worth the price. But, if you choose to go elsewhere I will not be offended. Everyone has different tastes and different budgets. If you need resources to be able to print and display the images of your children, here you go:

Printing – I recommend an art paper for quality and timeless feel. If you choose to print on a canvas, framing it will look more finished and refined.

1. Tempe Camera will sit down with you and help you size and choose an appropriate medium to print images, either professional or your own snaps. www.Tempecamera.biz 606 West University Drive, Tempe AZ 85281 480.966.6954

2. Artifact Uprising – if the images are already sized and ready to go this is nice quality but no one-on-one help. www.artifactuprising.com

3. Cheap labs look cheap. You get what you pay for. Walmart and Costco offer cheap canvas wraps that will likely fade in a few years.

Albums – Create scrapbooks of your own snaps or of professional images that you are not going to hang on your wall (if photographer did not offer album).

1. Ibooks is a great resource if you have a mac. You can create book and upload right from iphoto. Perfect for your own snaps.

2. Snapfish and other online sites have album options perfect for you own snaps.

3. Artifact Uprising – higher quality albums for professional images. You have to do all of the layout and design work but not too complicated. www.artifactuprising.com

Framing – professional framing adds a finished element, incorporating your portraits with your hoe décor and personal style.

1. The Art of Framing 5018 North Central Avenue 602.277.3112. They have a wide variety of cool frames and will offer help in which ones will look best within your budget. Choose archival mattes and uv glass for great preservation.

2. Michael’s and Aaron Brother’s are not great. Not archival materials and glass with chemicals.

in a hallway

same family hallway

Family Portraits Help Children’s Self Esteem

Mara Schantz — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 22:22:00 +0000

Years ago, most people had portraits of their family and children hanging in their homes. Although some people went to very high-end studios and had beautiful portraits gracing the walls of their homes, not everyone had the most beautiful or the best quality portraits. Some people went to chain studios like Olin Mills, but most everyone had portraits hanging on their walls. It was what people did.

That is not the norm today. Although our children might be the most photographed generation in history, many people don’t hang portraits of their families or children on the walls of their home anymore. Many people don’t even print them or create albums. Is this lack of a portrait wall in our homes harmful to our children?

Many psychologists and parenting experts have confirmed that having photographs of your children, especially those where they are part of a family unit, helps them develop a healthy self esteem.

“I think it is really important to show a family as a family unit. It is so helpful for children to see themselves as a valued and important part of that family unit, “ says David Krauss, Ph.D., a psychologist, author and pioneer in PhotoTherapy since 1977.

A family portrait is a visual reminder that they are part of that family unit. Not only does the family portrait confirm that the child is valued within the family, but it gives the child a sense of history and belonging, which is paramount in developing a sense of self-esteem.

“Family photography lets children learn who they are and where they fit. They learn their genealogy and the uniqueness of their own family and its story. When a child sees a family portrait with them included in the photograph they say to themselves, ‘These people have me as part of what they are, that why I belong here. This is where I come from,’” explains Judy Weiser, Ph.D., a psychologist, registered art therapist, author and one of the earliest pioneers of PhotoTherapy techniques.

In this digital age we take hundreds if not thousands of images of our children every year. We have them on our phones, our computers, and all over our social media. But, how many are actually hanging on the walls of our homes? Even if you choose to have a professional photographer document your family, there are many photographers that only offer the digital files, leaving it up to you, the parent, to get them printed. This creates extra work for you and decreases the likelihood that portraits will ever be made. Because, let’s face it, how many of us love adding tasks to our already foot-long list of projects and things to do? And, how are you supposed to know where to get your portraits printed, which size is best and how to best display them. This is what the professionals are for, right? So, how much does it really matter if they are on your computer, Facebook page, and digital frame but not actually printed and hanging in your home?

“My bias is very simple. I think they (family photographs) should be on the wall,” says Krauss. “I am very conservative about self-esteem and I think placing a family portrait someplace in the home where the child can see it every day without having to turn on a device or click around on a computer to find it really hits home for that child this sense of reassurance and comfort. It says we love you and care about you. You’re important.” Krauss recommends having printed family photographs in living spaces where children can see them, the importance of which was echoed by other experts.

“My personal and clinical bias is there is something very powerful in touching your fingers to an actual print,” says Craig Steinberg, Ph.D., a psychologist and school counselor who used photography in his work with trauma and abuse victims to help them recover. “Touching the photograph where a face is smiling, it is the same thing as touching a book when you read it. There is a lot of stimulation of the brain when you have that sensory experience. That is a bit lost in the move to digital. You are touching a keyboard, mouse or a touchscreen but you are not touching the image.”

David Walsh, Ph.D., a psychologist, author and founder of the National Institute of Media and the Family, agrees. “One of the reasons that photography is so powerful is that we’re a very visual species. We have, of course, five senses but we have more brain cells dedicated to vision than all of the other senses combined.” For that reason, Walsh says, printed images are particularly powerful in reinforcing one’s sense of belonging.

The overwhelming message is to print family photographs and hang portraits of your children and your family in your home, in an area where the children will see them on a daily basis. In order to do this you need to find a photographer who will understand how important this goal is to you. Find a photographer who offers beautiful products. Find a photographer who will help you choose which sizes and products will work the best with your style and in your home. Find a photographer who will meet with you prior to the session and find out about your children and family so that the end result will be timeless and excellent and worthy of having a place on a wall in your home. Find a photographer who will help you create a beautiful visual legacy. Find a photographer who cares as much about helping your children develop a healthy sense of self-esteem as you do.

Lovely France, My Heart Breaks for You

Mara Schantz — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 18:28:00 +0000

I am so sorry for what is happening in our world. Every time I hear of an attack, mass shooting and hateful action against innocents, my heart breaks a little more. Pretty soon I am afraid that I will be sad more than I am happy. The church shooting in Charleston last year, the Boston Marathon bombing, the Orlando mass shooting this summer, the slaying of school children in Newton, the Paris attacks, Brussels attack, the police killings in Dallas, and now Nice. It goes on and on and on and on. It doesn’t matter who is doing the killing – angry teens, the mentally ill, terrorists, homophobes, zealots, or racists – it is all murder. I fear that as our children listen to the constant barrage of this news they become desensitized to it and it will just be a part of life in this world.

Last month I was in France. We flew into Nice and had one of the happiest weeks of my life. We spent a week in one of the most beautiful places in the world with wonderful, kind people, full of life and love. I can’t imagine their heartbreak and sadness in what has happened. The images below are from my trip and I hope convey the peaceful feeling and warmth that I felt during that week. My wish is that the peace of the South of France be felt my all, and that the hate and fighting and blame and rhetoric and anger and killing stop.

Remembering my Mother.

Mara Schantz — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 22:21:00 +0000

My mom with my boys a few weeks after she was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. She died about 11 months later. My goodness they look too young to watch go through something so sad. And, she looks so beautiful here, not sick. This is how I hope they remember her.

Today is Father’s Day. Today I celebrate my own father and my husband for their commitment to my boys and to me. But it is also the day my mother died. Last Sunday was her 70th birthday and today is the day she died. One week apart, a week after her 63rd birthday. Sometimes I forget she is gone. Even now, after seven years I will wake up in the morning and have to remember that my dream isn’t real, that she is not living and we can’t talk and laugh and cry and drink a margarita or some wine together and we can’t hug each other. But, most days I remember. It doesn’t hurt so much any more to be a motherless daughter.

I don’t usually cry anymore when I talk about her like I did in the first years. My sadness is more a dull ache, like the place where I cut my hand a few months ago and had stitches and healed, but still hurts sometimes. It is not the slice and throb that it first was when the glass sliced my hand and the stitches were new. The ache is more an abstract longing for her being able to see Nick graduate and her excitement that he is headed to Florida for college and new adventure. It is more the yen to hear her raucous laughter as she told something she thought was utterly hilarious. It is the hope that my boys will remember her voice as she told them something was “disgusting”. It is remembering what fun we had together when she came to visit me when I was studying abroad in Spain and we traveled around together, and knowing that we will never take a trip together again.

I often look at the photograph of my own grandmother who died when I was nine. I wonder about her. I wonder what she loved, what made her happy, and sad and angry. I wonder many things because I never knew her. But I feel like I know her through the portrait I have on my wall. I feel like I know a little something of her. I hope that my boys will remember their Gram through the image of the three of them together. I hope they will remember her laugh and her voice and the special things she did for them – like get Nick 11 scoops of ice cream on his 11th birthday, a few months before she died. I hope that Johnny will remember her because he was not quite nine when she left, the same age as I was when my own grandmother left me.

My mom and me on my wedding day almost 22 years ago. She was 48 years old – just a few years younger than I am today. It is still seems crazy that she is not here anymore.

Let’s Go to the Beach!

Mara Schantz — Tue, 24 May 2016 21:51:00 +0000

I know it is not that hot yet so it is harder to think about leaving Arizona and heading over to California to get some cooler weather and beach time. But, most schools are either out for summer vacation or will be out by the end of the month. So, now is the time to schedule your summer beach session. I will be in Southern California for the month of July and have some dates still available. It is a great time to have your family photographed. Such a fun and relaxed way to document your family. Whether you have small children, grown children or grandchildren, everyone has fun at the beach, even cowboys. It shows in the images. Here are some of my favorites from last summer:

Whether you are a cowboy or a hippie,

or have a very active little guy,

or littles and bigs and one in between,

or a sorority girl,

or an artist and a runner,

or are a father and son,

or a grandmother,

or sisters,

or a dancer,

are fun loving,

or contemplative,

or serious,

or are cousins,

or a family of five,

or a father and son,

or have a hard time paying attention,

or can’t sit still,

or you like to fly,

or like to laugh,

or you are a sister,

or a brother,

or have curly hair,

or a dog,

or like to run,

or walk in the water,

or feel a protective hand,

or you like to look toward the future,

or stay in the present,

or you are shy,

or still love to feel your mother’s hugs,

or like to walk your dog,

or hug your dog,

or you are intense,

or quiet,

or melancholy,

or calm,

or happy,

or a have a family of four,

or three kids,

or someone who lost his teeth,

or likes to run,

or stand still,

or can be calm,

or wild,

or feel the wind,

and get wet,

or have a pet,

or are family friends,

or best friends,

or three sisters,

the beach is one of the best places to have you family documented! Every family is unique and I am an expert at telling your story with the beach as your background.

Congratulations Class of 2016!

Mara Schantz — Fri, 13 May 2016 21:35:00 +0000

Class of 2016!

I am so proud to have documented the most from your class of any in my professional photography career (29 in total). From those I have photographed since you were babies to some new people who I just had the pleasure of meeting this past year, all of you are really very special individuals.

You are from many high schools across Arizona and even one of you from California. You will be going to schools from the East Coast to the Midwest to California to right here in Arizona. Some of you are athletes, some have started non-profits, some want to be business people, artists, scientists, engineer, doctors, lawyers, actors and one of you aspires to the presidency. I am very attached to this Class of 2016. Maybe because my son was among these very special young adults. I am excited for all of you and can’t wait to see the great things you do in your lives.

Best wishes Class of 2016!

xoxo

Mara

Olivia Rue

Poly High School

Riverside, CA

Mackenzie Cantor

Xavier College Preparatory

Phoenix, AZ

Julia Williams

Chaparral High School

Scottsdale, AZ

Carter Van Winkle

Brophy College Preparatory

Phoenix, AZ

Alissa Stanley

Notre Dame Preparatory

Scottsdale, AZ

Molly Murphy

Xavier College Preparatory

Phoenix, AZ

Mackenzie Kaup

Scottsdale Christian Academy

Scottsdale, AZ

Tara Dugel

Phoenix Country Day School

Paradise Valley, AZ

Royal Shoen

Xavier College Preparatory

Phoenix, AZ

Colin Thompson

Brophy College Preparatory

Phoenix, AZ

Elizabeth Schroer

Arcadia High School

Phoenix, AZ

Ellie Neff

Arcadia High School

Phoenix, AZ

Hannah Pai

Xavier College Preparatory

Phoenix, AZ

Samantha Wentworth

Sunnyslope High School

Phoenix, AZ

Libby Fleury

Sunnyslope High School

Phoenix, AZ

Anna Barry

Arcadia High School

Phoenix, AZ

Reilly Gerlach

Sunnyslope High School

Phoenix, AZ

Nicholas Schantz

Brophy College Preparatory

Phoenix, AZ

Michael Darby

Brophy College Preparatory

Phoenix, AZ

Makenzie Elick

Arcadia High School

Phoenix, AZ

Grant Schucter

Brophy College Preparatory

Phoenix, AZ

Michael Christensen

Home School

Phoenix, AZ

Jake, Alex and Drew Elbogen

Pinnacle High School

Phoenix, AZ

Tasha Nutley

Xavier College Preparatory

Phoenix, AZ

Annalise Cavender

Chaparral High School

Scottsdale, AZ

Katrina Snedden

Arcadia High School

Phoenix, AZ

Aiden Armstrong

Chaparral High School

Scottsdale, AZ

My Little Boy Grew Up!

Mara Schantz — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 14:41:00 +0000

My little boy is 18 today. We are about to experience another transition. He will soon graduate and go off to college to start his independent life away from me. This is what I worked to prepare him to do and I am excited for him. But, I am not sure I am ready to have him not at home with me. I really don’t know where all the years have gone. They have flown by, really. I remember when he was just a couple of months old and a mother with older kids told me to appreciate every minute because the time would pass very quickly. Of course, I thought she was crazy because at that time every day seemed like it was 72 hours. I was exhausted and couldn’t wait until nap times and bed times. But, how right she was. I am so glad that I have these images to actually remember exactly what it was like to have him with me and be his mother.

He was the most cuddly baby. He used to just nestle into me. That snuggly front carrier was his favorite way to travel around – and mine too because I could do anything while I was wearing him – including cook dinner (probably not the safest thing). He still gives the best hugs and doesn’t ever get embarrassed to do so, no matter who is watching.

He was and still is curious and thoughtful about everything around him – as long as it was/is to do with nature.

He loved to be outside, preferably without any clothes.

He was a little moody when things didn’t go his way. That is because he feels deeply. I remember how sad he was when his gram (my mother) died. And he is still sensitive about it, and hugs me if I get emotional talking about her. When his uncle died a year and a half ago, he wept openly at the service and was so kind and sweet to everyone who was also grieving.

But he was/is quick to smile and laugh and was/is a fabulous big brother. He was so proud when he his little brother was born and told everyone that it was his baby. He has a great sense of humor.

Everything was a new adventure to him and he still has the most fun just experiencing life.

He loved the ocean – still his greatest passion.

That happy, happy smile melted my heart and still does.

Happiest at the beach and in the water.

Sensitive and kind to people. He gives of himself to others without any reason other than because it is a good thing to do. He has coached a third and fourth grade boys basketball team for the last three years (the first was for service hours and the last two were just because they needed more coaches).

He has the best smile in the world, even with braces.

Never cares about being cool, just does what he likes and treats others with kindness.

He loves quiet places, fishing and anything to do with water. He was always obsessed with animals – as a small child he would watch (horribly boring) documentaries all the time. He would always choose those over any type of cartoon or Disney movie.

He definitely has his own style, not caring what others think is hip or cool – he prefers old cars, bow ties, Hawaiian shirts, and old time rock and roll.

Happy Birthday Nick! You are a great person and I can’t wait to see what you will do in your life. You are kind and sweet and smart and funny. It has been a pleasure watching you grow.

Transitions

Mara Schantz — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 21:29:00 +0000

Monday was the first day at my studio in twelve years where Megan was not there. Of course, while she worked for me she took vacations and sick days, but Monday was different. She is not on vacation or out sick. She is not here and will not be here as the studio manager and my right hand ever again.

I am feeling a little emotional about this. Of course I am so excited for Megan as she starts her new endeavor working full time for the candle company that she and another friend (and former employee) started. I am happy that her company Mame Soy Candles is successful. I am excited to see how successful Mame will once she can give it her full attention. But, transitions are hard – especially after twelve years.

Megan started working with me when my oldest was in kindergarten and my youngest was still in preschool and was still in diapers. Now both my sons are in high school and my oldest will be graduating in two months (that is another transition that will be bittersweet but I will save that for another post). She was with me when I moved into my first studio space (that was three locations ago). She was with me when my sister and I parted ways (both professionally and personally – sad but necessary). She was with me when the economy went into the toilet and I didn’t know if I would be able to stay in business. She was with me through the yearlong illness and death of my mother (and basically kept my business running allowing me to focus on helping my parents and saying goodbye). She was with me when I turned 40 and commemorated it beautifully. She was with me when my last studio flooded and I decided to buy the building for my new (and current) studio. She was with me to help me decorate the new studio and watch as I constantly change things up. She was with me to help me create all three of my books.

Megan was more than an employee. She was my friend with whom I talked about life and events and tv shows and books and friends and family and everything almost every day for the last twelve years. Now she will be my friend who will occasionally do design work for me and who I will see sometimes for a glass of wine or coffee and cheer for her success as her own boss and business owner. I will/do miss her and I am sure that my clients will as well. Cheers to transitions and new adventures and friendship! Cheers to Megan! If you see her, please wish her good luck and congratulations. Mame soy candles can be found locally at Urbana, LGO, Frances and also online at mame soy candles.

Why I Choose Film

Mara Schantz — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 16:51:00 +0000

One of my favorites, using the light to create a desired effect.

I have been a photographer for many years so it is a given that when I started out, I started working with film. Then, about 10-15 years ago there was a huge shift in the professional industry and almost every single photographer I knew switched to digital. I felt the pressure to go along with the masses, but I tried out some digital cameras and hated them. So I decided to just keep doing what I was doing. Then a few years passed, the pressure to conform was mounting, and I tried another digital camera. I was again disappointed. Maybe my expectations were too high but the images lacked depth and needed to be manipulated on the computer after the fact. That was not what I liked about photography. In fact, digitally retouching images after the fact is the thing I like the least. It is not photography, it is retouching. In contrast, I love everything about using film. I love the feel of the film as I am loading it in the camera, I love the sound the shutter makes on my Hasselblad – a big, loud, clunky noise. I love the sound that it makes as you finish a roll and it rolls through. I love the anticipation of getting my film back from the lab and seeing the images for the first time. I love the smell of the fixer in the darkroom when I print my own. I love when I get a delivery from my printer and open the package to see the beautifully printed portraits.

Creating impressionistic style images is possible by over exposing the right color film and use of soft focus filters. No photoshop needed!

So I kept doing what I was doing. Frankly, I didn’t see a reason to switch until I was around other photographers. I went to conventions and all I saw and heard was how much better digital was. But I just didn’t couldn’t see it or understand the draw. I was so happy using my film. I even got yelled at a few times by other professional photographers who told me that I was stuck in the dark ages. Thankfully, I had (have) a phenomenal professional printer who is himself an artist in the darkroom. He told me to keep doing what I was doing and he would keep printing for me. Then, I went to photography workshop in Santa Fe. There I met my soul sister. We are different in every way at first glance – she is 6ft tall, blonde and very outspoken. However, when you look at the images we create, they are very similar. I was happy to learn that she was still using film. I had found someone else to talk to, compare techniques, different film types, etc., so I decided to keep doing what I had been doing and not to be cajoled into doing what I did not want to do.

The right lighting and filter ensure that the reflection is apparent while her skin tone is soft and beautiful.

A dreamy effect can be achieved with a special effect film and red filter.

A technique known as pushing (done in the film processing) can give your image a more dramatic look and can be done when lighting conditions are on the dark side.

After all, it was the process that I loved and still love. It is deciding which film to use for a given situation, how I will set my camera to get exactly the look I want, which filter and lens will maximize or change that look, and what instructions I will give my lab to develop to make it what I want. That process is what I love. I love knowing in my minds eye how the image will look because of my years of training, but then getting the images back and being surprised that they look better.

Another more impressionistic color image made by over exposing color film and using a soft filter.

Since meeting my friend in Santa Fe and deciding that I would not switch to digital, I have fully embraced the fact that I can give something completely unique to my clients and to myself. In fact, I have gone in the opposite direction of the digital movement – I have learned to use large format cameras, print my own portraits, and have even built a darkroom in my home. (Though I continue to use my master professional darkroom printer for all my client work because he is still so much better than me!)

A masterpiece printed by my printer, Robert, toned to perfection.

Yes, with film you have to think about what you are going to do before you execute it, because you have a limited number of photographs you can take before you have to load more film. And, you really have to know how to pose and light your subjects in the most flattering way, because you don’t have the attitude of “you can just fix it later”. But, that is the challenge and the fun of photography after all. And, you can “fix” things in the darkroom through creative techniques like diffusion, darkening and lightening certain areas of the print, adding contrast, toning, etc. That is an art form in itself and yields a real one of a kind art piece for my clients that literally cannot be recreated exactly.

No retouching needed for these beauty portraits.

The ethereal look is created with use of a special lens.

Overexposing color film and the right lighting ensures a creamy and perfect skin tone.

It is ironic to me that the use of film has now become trendy among younger photographers. It seems like it is what all the hipsters are using now. That makes me happy because they are learning a magical process that you can only learn with film, but also gives me hope that film companies will see the trend, latch on and continue to manufacture all the great film! If not, I will have to become a film hoarder 🙂