Congratulations to Lisa_Holloway for winning Feature Thread of the Week with 2 votes - View Previous Winners
Last June on one of our road trips north to our Montana cabin, we visited the ghost town of Bannack. Places like this have always fascinated me and stirred my imagination. I did a shoot with one of my older daughters, Octavia, last year. You can see her images HERE.
Last year, we had the weight of Sylvie's impending open heart surgery hanging over our heads. She was struggling to eat enough and gain weight, and would be admitted to the hospital shortly after we returned from this trip. It was, without a doubt, the scariest thing our family has endured.
Fast forward to this year - almost exactly one year later - and Sylvie is a healthy, thriving toddler. She's talking, eating well, walking, into everything, and an absolute joy. She's a happy, inquisitive, intelligent girl, and we couldn't be more thankful that she has done so well with the hand she was dealt. She totally earned her own little shoot in the ghost town this year.
Jeff was impatient to leave for our cabin, so I literally had about 30 minutes to shoot - and if any of you have worked with a mobile toddler, you know how hit or miss that can be. That said, I got some images of Sylvie that I think are thought provoking and I am in love with them.
Two things Lisa, besides great work as always, first, it is easier to shoot a NFL running back than a toddler and second, shooting toddlers is like trying to nail jello to a tree...that is me speaking from experience.
I really like the way you've used "negative space" in these images Lisa. The scale is so important here and these are so well composed, making best use of the environment.
Very good concept, wonderfully done. These images remind me of a saying credited to Picaso and one I prescribe to in every shoot I do: "Art is the elimination of the unnecessary."
#1 and #2 show Sylvie's curiosity;
#3 is my favorite because her lovely smile is sneaking out;
#4 and #5 are fantastic also, but make me feel sad and lonely. Maybe it's just me. Excellent work, as always, Lisa.
... Mike