Orange County photographer | Tara Whitney – Orange County's Leading Photographer. Family, Pregnancy, Maternity, infant, Newborn, Baby, engagement photography in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego

Anna sings 1 from tara Whitney on Vimeo.

Just in case anyone should give me a hard time about it. (AHEM RACHEL) (And not to make her fans feel bad, I am so not a snobby music person, but its just that Country Pop is not my favorite musical genre.) Miss Swift is on my ipod simply because of how her (pointing up to Anna) little voice turns up in the high parts. When she comes on in the car and I hear Anna’s voice pick up in the backseat, I slowly turn down the radio just so I can hear her better.

The other night we bribed her into doing this.

Gives me butterflies every time.

(It’s the plaintive “small town!” that does me in every time!)

Anna sings 2 from tara Whitney on Vimeo.

This is the second weekend challenge that I have been a part of with Dana Pugh at Short and Sweet Photography. Our first one is here. (her pick)

This weekend challenge was to take 1-3 self portraits. Of yourself. By yourself. Why in the hell did I come up with this one?!?!

Saturday morning came, looming, and all of my grand plans and ideas sounded either super involved or lame. We also had plans with Jason and Summer (Jeff’s sister and husband) and their kids so I had an excuse to forget about it until that night. As I sat outside in the middle of a war between the kids and the grown ups (the only neutral adult since I was carrying the camera) I realized with a start that I had forgotten all day, and the light was fading. It was basically dusk.

In the hopes of just warming up, I took this shot. Pretty standard fare, hold camera over your head and smile kind of shot.

After viewing it on the back of the camera I realized it was too dark to be taking photos and stopped. I had one idea that I had always wanted to be brave enough to try. I would need to do it the next morning. I was going to take a portrait of myself upon waking Sunday morning. No glasses, no make up, (not that I wear make up on a daily basis. I don’t.) no washing the sleep from my face. I love Jeff and the kid’s ‘just woke up face’ and have many photos of them in that state. All warm and smooshy and lined and woozy. I was curious how I looked to the outside world and wasn’t sure I could really tell just by looking at myself in the mirror. The camera doesn’t really lie.

I realized the next morning as I pulled open the blinds and reached for my camera that I wished I had made the challenge this, exactly. A ‘just woke up’ self portrait. Just one. Honest, warm, smooshy, lined, and woozy.

Here I am at 9ish Sunday morning. Little processing, and no skin editing (unfortunately for my grandma forehead).

I look like a sleepy little alien.

xo

Tara

PS: Sorry for the lateness of this post by the way. We had some really fun plans Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues and I am only now beginning the slow forray into the internet after four days “off”.

PSS: If you joined in on the challenge, please do link in the comments!

I woke up this morning to an email from Michel that our latest home movie was up. I ran over to the computer to watch, and as the opening notes started playing, my hand went up to my mouth as my jaw dropped and tears sprang out of the corners of my eyes. I have zero doubt that this family will do the same to you too.

During our session the same thing happened to me over and over. And over. I would be shooting and tears would spring to my eyes or I would get a lump in my throat as I watched how they connected and loved and played together. Their connection is INCREDIBLE.

Take a look for yourself.

Dalebout Family Film from Michel Sandy on Vimeo.

(by the way, you can watch it here, or you can click the vimeo link and see it in amazing HD)

Film: Michel Sandy
Images: Tara Whitney
Music: Everything by Micheal Buble
Gorgeous love: The Dalebouts

Scott and Shelley, THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Kids: YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!

xo

Tara