The Luck of the Irish
Trina and I go way back. We have know each other for over six years, starting when I worked for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC). There were many a day that I would head down to the Healthy Alaska Native Foundation office to chat with Trina and her supervisor, Carrie. It was a respite from the daily grid, and Trina always had some great story to share. Little did I know back in 2013 or so, that one story in particular would grow to become a focal point of her life.
Now I hadn't met James before the shoot, but Trina had mentioned him several times when we chatted during those "extended coffee breaks." She would tell stories of the two of them remodeling her house—woes that my wife and I too have shared. Given his handyman abilities, I had already begun to formulate that this dude was a man's man, a real Alaskan. Around that same time, I joined a Fantasy Football league at ANTHC, and through the power of touchdowns, extra points, and my running backs always getting injured, I met James—the guy I never met but always seemed to kick my butt on Sunday mornings. So although he and I had yet to be properly introduced, I pictured Paul Bunyan, and well...I wasn't too far off.
Even though I left ANTHC in 2015, Trina and I have remained close. When she called me asking about a pregnancy session, I was absolutely elated. Not because she and James were having a baby, but because I was finally going to meet the guy! Face to face, a nemesis in our fantasy league. Oh and I was a little happy for them too (smiley face). Life was evolving for her and her husband in new ways, and it was an honor she gave me a call. She picked the date for early February, and all of us were eager to get out in the snow to take some shots.
However...
That first scheduled day, the snow was coming down in a torrent closing the Glenn Highway rendering any hope of meeting up. I think we were all a tad disappointed because the snow hung on the low-lying birch trees offering a very beautiful backdrop. With some time to spare before her due date, we were able to reschedule—not without its own challenges.
I'll be honest, when James knocked on our door for the day of the photo shoot, I was pretty excited. Of course, I had all of these quips that I was planning on delivering, but you know...when a dog starts barking (Umbro, our dog) and a little girl goes running to the door...everything goes out the window. Controlling the chaos was the only thing on my mind. Frankly, as soon as I saw both Trina and James on our deck, I knew why she fell for this guy. Everyone was laughing at the chaos, the manic dog, the shy girl, and why I was wearing shorts in 10 degree weather.
The Weather Was Cold. Like I can't feel my butt kind of cold.
I don't know how Trina and James managed the cold. Of course I was bundled up (one of the perks being behind the camera), but with every take, Trina had the best smile. Given our familiarity, she was definitely making fun of me tramping around the snow, and pretty soon, so did James. Being comfortable in any shoot makes it so much more enjoyable for everyone—especially the ones in front of the lens.
So it was cold. If you left a beer out on the deck, it would freeze kind of cold. The weather, however, was excellent. Blue bird kind of day, and the portrait location continues to be one of my favorites. The challenge with this shoot was that the sun happened to be in the wrong spot for all of us. To get the iconic view that this location offers, it required Trina and James to stare right into the sun, thus squinty eyes and sharp shadows....UNLESS OF COURSE....you use off-camera flash. By positioning the flash to essentially block out the sun, we were able to generate a little bit of shadow for them, and the ability to control the light for me. We wanted to shoot the frames in the middle of the field, so shooting them in the shade was out of the question. All of these reasons offered a great opportunity to test the limits of the Phottix Indra 500 off-camera flash that I remotely trigger with a radio receiver atop of my Canon 1Dx MKII.
I think we lasted about 40 minutes in the middle of the field, and it was time to turn back. On our way back to the car, however, I noticed a birch stand that still had some hoar frost clinging to the branches. Now with some shade, we were able to control the light even better. I quickly positioned them right near where the sun was poking out through the branches. So a short 10 minute pit stop produced some of my favorite shots of the shoot. But the best was yet to come.
When we got back to the house, James and I quickly moved some furniture around and created a makeshift studio. By blacking out the ambient light in the house and using a giant Elinchrom Octobox to soften the light, we were able to create some intimate black and white photographs that capture Trina's pregnancy so beautifully.
Soon Trina's and James' lives are about to change for the best. Their sense of humor, patience, and willingness to try things new will go so far when they begin this new journey of parenthood. Just like my wife and I, Trina and James have no idea what bundle of joy we were receiving into this world. But with a little luck of the Irish, their child will be born with good health, and as close to St. Patrick's Day as possible--a tad ironic given their heritages. Let's hope he or she is a Giants fan (Sorry Trina, I just couldn't help it! Go OBJ!!!).