Lucas Alexander Mathewes, born August 27th: Portraits of a beautiful boy at one week old.

Things around here have been pretty busy lately! I've been wrapping up the latest business with Studio Mathewes, preparing for the arrival of baby #2, and our impending move to seminary.

For an idea of what my work has been like lately, I point you to a super-cute couple shoot and my last wedding of the season, back in July.

Because baby #2 is coming soon, I'll be on maternity leave through October. (You can keep up with the family elsewhere...) But if you know folks who have children and newborns to be photographed after then, by all means send them my way! I'll be starting up photographing regularly as of November 1st, and looking to build my portfolio of children and babies.

Lastly, our move is going well, although we've had quite a change of plans--rather than going to St. Vladimir's in NYC, we're headed to Holy Cross in Brookline, MA. If anyone needs a piano technician or a photographer in Massachusetts, let me know! We hope to be all moved in by the time classes start on September 7th.

So Steve has gone to Bonnaroo for his last hurrah before we have a second kid, pick up, move, and go to seminary. A very generous friend of his gave him a VIP ticket, which basically means he gets to pretend like he's a rich person and shower every day, instead of relying on the occasional washcloth wipedown we used to do to get by. I know he's having a fabulous time, especially since when we start having all those clerical obligations coming down the pipeline, it may make festival-going non-existent for quite some time.

So I took movies out of the library, made some plans, hired the babysitter a little more (so I could get work done), and am trying not to mope. Look at me, not moping! I'm watching Rattatouille and eating ice cream and trying to go to bed on time! Well, that last bit was probably a lie, I think. I may just give myself permission to fall asleep on the couch while watching the movie, because I hate going to bed alone. Crap, now I'm moping.

But now to distract myself (and you), I will post a few of my favorite photos I just finished uploading to Flickr. I'm basically trying to prove to myself that I'm awesome.

First, stuff from silly glamor and trash-the-dress type sessions.








Then, some seriously cute couples.

Okay, internet, now it's time for you to admit that I'm awesome.

I've been crazy busy with weddings and various photography projects. It's been awesome, but I haven't had much time to think, let alone post (or cross-post!). Most of my energy has been going towards studio work and my family, which is where it should be, of course. That's not to say I don't spend too much time noodling around on Facebook or Twitter, though. (wink)

Lots of new stuff on the horizon, photographically and personally. I will keep everyone posted once we get organized and I can screw my head back on!

It's great to have friends who are willing to do silly things with you. This is especially true if you're a photographer. Recently my friend Melanie came along with me to a big field to pose for me, with my friend Sig as lighting and equipment assistant. We had a blast in the afternoon light (such a wonderful luxury we have now that it's springtime!).

I had gathered up some interesting fabrics, confetti, a few sparklers, and an umbrella to provide some good props and offer us a bit of fun. Melanie took to them all very well.

I think we had the most fun with the confetti, though.

Sig manned the off-camera flash, diffusers, sheets, as well as a video camera, recording our antics. Here's a little mini-video from the afternoon, showing a little of what the light looked like and introducing my friends:

Hearing my voice on video is a little disconcerting (do I really sound like that?), I must say! Not to mention that I'm such a weird-looking shape at four months pregnant.

What I learned about myself through this session is that I work best when I'm loose and a bit playful. If I think about my work as play, things spring to my mind that otherwise wouldn't. It's great to get out with friends and do this kind of thing, because it really opens up my creativity and leads me in new directions.

Originally posted on my studio blog on April 24, 2009. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

Nathalie and Cory braved the misty rain in Baltimore this past Saturday to join me for an engagement session that spanned up and down Howard Street, went to Lexington Market, and into the Inner Harbor for a stop at Rita's Italian Ice. It was quite the afternoon!

Nathalie and Cory are artists; Cory, a painter, and Nathalie, a designer. The two of them have been working very hard to make their wedding as green and DIY as possible, in some of the most beautiful ways. That yellow flower pin Nat's wearing? That was a find on Etsy. Nathalie designed their save the dates and invitations, even letterpress printing them herself. They have a great list on their wedding website of all the ways their wedding is going green.

Cory has impeccable taste; he picked out Nat's engagement ring with a topaz in the center. It's a deliciously wonderful teardrop shape, and the two of them were more than happy to do a few zany things with it for the camera.

I can't wait to shoot their wedding at Woodend Sanctuary at the end of April. It's sure to be a gorgeous, joyous affair! Nat and Cory have told me that instead of traveling for their honeymoon, they're setting aside a week to do all the touristy things in Baltimore that they've never done as residents; sure to be fun! I hope they find a new, delicious restaurant for me to try.

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

Tara and Jeremy are getting married in the D.C. area later this year, in the fall. We met up this spring as soon as the weather started turning warm to take some engagement photos, spending some time on their rooftop garden and hanging out in the funky stairwells where they live!

They were great sports for this shot; I was wriggling around on the floor and adjusting my off-camera flash while they chatted with each other.

Plus, the two of them were so naturally affectionate; it wasn't hard to take a good picture of them together!

And that rooftop garden rocked; we had great shadows and architecture.

Such a sweet moment, no?

I wish Tara and Jeremy the best when they tie the knot this September! They have a whole summer stretching ahead of them of anticipation and beautiful weather; blessings to you both!

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

It's been awhile since I took my daughter out for pictures in a setting other than our home. My husband and I whisked her off to a local playground where some new faces and new playthings proved to be exciting and interesting.

She's hit the 15-month mark, walking, babbling plenty, and tiny as ever. She'll be petite, just like her parents and grandparents. And, of course, that hair is inherited directly, too. Both Stephen and I were quite blond when we were little, so it's only apropos that our little Ruthie is a towheaded adventurer.

We took these photos just around sunset on an overcast day; every now and again some golden light would peek through, generally just enough to warm up Ruthie's face. A breeze kept her hair all crazy and her dress blowing. Best of all, the soft crushed rubber playground surface made for an almost haunting backdrop.

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

Yesterday, I was making preparations for vegetarian chili mac, and noticed that yet again, the light in my kitchen is probably the most beautiful light in my house. The main preparation area is right by the window, meaning that while cooking, I can gaze into outdoor loveliness. The recent snowstorm meant that all of the sun's light reflected powerfully into my view, and cast beautiful shadows.

The flowers, given to me on my birthday a few days ago, sure help with the ambiance, don't they? Not so long ago, I didn't even know how to cook, let alone cook chili mac! Not to mention my fabulous picky-ness as a child.

Now that I'm cooking for a family, I find myself saying many of the things my mother used to say. "I'm not a short-order cook!" and "If you don't like it, make something yourself!" What goes around comes around, doesn't it?

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

Perhaps the theme of the week should be "putting strange things on my head" rather than a week of self-portraits. I like being goofy, and try not to take myself too seriously. And sometimes I get truly fed up with the tired trope that artsy has to mean edgy or depressing. And yes, perhaps I'm not smiling in this photo, but it's mostly because I'm trying to balance that doohickey on my head while I focus my camera. It's harder than it looks!

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

So... I've been neglecting my cross-posting lately, mostly because I've been doing the photographic equivalent of doodling.

...

Every now and then I like to give myself a little project when things slow down around here. This week I've promised myself that I'll shoot self-portraits every day.

I think the most challenging thing for me will be to find a portrait I like where my eyes are open. As with everyone, the first thing I notice about my face are the flaws--the very same things that add character and make me, well, me.

...

Today's portrait is a quick-and-dirty, reflecting the unexpected flow of my day--an emergency trip to the pediatrician. All is well now, thankfully. I like to think of this picture not only as a self-portrait, but as a snapshot of the haphazard life of a full-time parent trying to run a home business. I held the picture frame up to disguise my haggard face & disheveled hair. Flash off to camera right, on remote trigger, to cut down on reflections on the frame and on the frames in the background. I edited it out of the final photograph, but I didn't even change my shirt, which was covered with smears of graham cracker and kid ooze.

And even though it's quick-and-dirty, it manages to be meaningful. The photograph in the frame is me--a me from about eight years ago, when I had long flowing hair and more youthful skin. I printed it about eight years ago, too, on silver gelatin RC paper in my college darkroom. It was one of my first gifts to my sweetheart-now-husband, who hangs it over his desk. In the background are other college memorabilia: the giant senior show print, a portrait of Stephen from seven years ago in the upper-left, a framed letter from him beneath that, and then a small picture of Ruth, our recent history. It's a picture that looks backwards and forwards and presently all at the same time.

I promise I'll try a shot where my face is showing tomorrow, wink wink.

...

When I was little, when drawing a self-portrait, I always had yellow hair. Even in a box of 64 Crayola crayons, I would seek out the yellow that specifically said "YELLOW"... no other yellow would suffice.

Since then, of course, my hair has darkened quite a bit. Perhaps you could call me a light brunette, or a dark blonde. But in this photo, I decided to drape myself with a little yellow silk. Just as good as Crayola yellow, eh?

For the post-production nerds out there, yes, I did a little post-processing manipulation to bring out some saturation, but not much.

I'm a sucker for love, I have to tell you.

So, I'd like to be a little generous during this frigid winter season. If you and your sweetheart would like a portrait session, I would love to do it. If you sign up by Saturday, January 31st, you'll receive a free 8"x10" print from your session in a lovely candy-apple-red frame. Doesn't that sound like the perfect Valentine's Day gift?

It's time to spread the love!

True story about the pendant in the photo: it was given to my grandmother by my grandfather as a gift when he returned from a visit to Switzerland--it's edelweiss.

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

Hollis Elisabeth Roberts found me over the internet. She's a local violinist, graduated from Peabody, and was looking to update her website a bit as she breaks out into the world.

For our session, we chose the absolutely amazing Cloisters off of Falls Road. It's a gorgeous, four story historic mansion with amazing vistas and photographic opportunities.

The drama of the spiral staircase was, of course, a highlight.

Hollis' green velvet jacket coincidentally matched a beautifully painted wall.

The courtyard provided all kinds of interesting lighting opportunities.

Hollis was completely at ease with the camera, open to suggestions, and even suggested some fun things herself. She was a fantastic subject.

Oh, I neglected to mention that she can also be a goof.

You can hear some of her work on YouTube if you like, and see the full photo shoot as well.

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

Inspired by ramseysux...

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me. It will be about or tailored to those five people.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
- What I create will be just for you.
- It'll be completed this year.
- You have no clue what it's going to be or when its going to be. It may be fiction. It may be poetry. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you have to put this in your journal as well, if you expect me to do something for you!

*Please put your postal address & email address in your comment or email it to me at jmathewes at gmail dot com!*

A useful thing for any working creative is to look back on your work and evaluate it. This is especially fun when a particular project is long-term or complicated.

My self-portraits in colors have been a long-term project that I kept on the back-burner in order to always have something to work on, even in my down times.

It started with a pair of portraits I took way back in 2004, when I was newly married, and still worked primarily in film. Looking at this pair makes me nostalgic for my Nikon FM10 and Pentax SP1000 (my first cameras). Because these photos were taken close together, in the same format, and with similar ends in mind, that set in motion what I feel to be the "planned pairings" of colors in this series.

RED and BLUE couldn't be more different from each other, though processed similarly. BLUE is forlorn, alone, self-concealed and vulnerable, while RED is hot and dancer-like and confrontational. These portraits didn't really start out with the intention of going further than themselves. But that's the beauty of it, I think. Looking back at these two images, I think these are two poses that are most alien and at the same time most intimate and real to me. They're a little more honest, perhaps. But that's my reading; others may disagree.

GREEN and PURPLE are tertiary colors, much like RED and BLUE. The poses are similar; both look away from the camera. In one, arms are clutched tight at the sides, carrying a burden, with lush shadows. In the other, they are free and outstretched, fanning the light. I think they have a similar energy. It helps that I'm barefoot in each one. I love these images because of their compositions and use of light, but I'm not sure they succeed, and I can't quite pinpoint why. They feel out of touch.

ORANGE and YELLOW are analogous colors, and I think these are the odd ones of the bunch. They have a zany, fantasy-like flavor. Less grounded in reality, less "real," partly achieved by the illustrative approach to object placement, and partly by the use of flash to modify existing light. In both portraits, my body is cut off, with just my face showing. No eyes, just gestures to communicate. I feel these are very successful, especially ORANGE.

Another pair of analogous colors, BLACK and BROWN are brooding and menacing--quite the opposite of the previous playful pair. I am looking directly into the camera. You can see my whole body, although I am quite far away. I think this contributes to the feeling of estrangement. BROWN is my favorite of the two, and I think captures a little more of the "self" part of "portrait" than some of the others.

RAINBOW originated because poor WHITE was left without a companion, at the end of my shooting. The series felt lopsided to me, and so I decided that since all colors of light are contained within white, I might as well use my camera as a prism to bring them out. These two were by far the most fun to do--one involved donning my old wedding dress, and the other a bit of shopping to make sure I had enough material to create a real-life rainbow. One is more subdued than the other, but they're two of a kind; the silly and the serious sisters, side by side.

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

And now, I present my final self-portrait in my colors series, BLACK.

Black swallows you whole. It conceals and also accentuates edges. Black is essential and dutiful. It is both utilitarian and beautiful.

I feel similarly about BLACK as I do about BROWN. As the color series progressed, it seemed that the two of them had to pair well together out of necessity. Therefore, as with brown, I waited for a similar time of day and location in which to photograph. I had to wait, however, for the peak of winter instead of the last vestiges of fall. Everything needed to be as dead as possible. It could be as though I am grieving.

I photographed myself relatively far from the camera as well. Black can symbolically distance a person from the group, from one's friends. You can vanish in it, while at the same time sticking out like a sore thumb if you're the only one wearing it in a crowd.

I am relieved and excited that this series is complete, but as with many projects, there are always loose threads. I keep going over and over in my mind what I could have done differently, what will come next. I can see where the series is most weak, and where it is most strong. Perhaps it was an exercise in frivolity and self-indulgence, but at least it got me photographing!

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

I've been working on my color self-portrait series all year long, and as 2008 comes to a close, I'm happy to present one of the last two portraits in the series: RAINBOW.

My reasoning for including a "rainbow" in the series is due to a recent discovery: most of my color portraits can be grouped into similar pairs, with the exception of WHITE. After some thought and reflection on what would be the best pair for WHITE (besides BLACK, whose composition is forthcoming and will pair with BROWN), I chose a rainbow. After all, white light is merely the combination of all light frequencies at once. It only seemed appropriate.

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

Awhile back, my friend daysprings awarded me graciously for my blogging. According to Good Karma, Pay It Forward, the Golden Rule, and the like I'd like to note some of my favorite reads of 2008, both photography-related and non!

In the on the pulse of culture category: Seth's Blog. Seth is a rather famous marketing writer who has endlessly thought-provoking insights into customer service and trends. Worth the read, even if you're not a fellow business owner.

Conscientious fits under the obscure, perhaps? category, and is the source for interesting news and tidbits in the world of photography and art.

Every so often I find myself both challenged and angry with No Impact Man, who provides such an infuriating inspiration--I am always provoked to think more consciously about my environmental impact and the things I can do to both simplify and enrich my life.

Eye candy is always welcome from Mimi Haddon, one of my absolute most favorite photographers. Her work is so beautiful to look at. Period.

Among my friends, I find so many beautiful writers, full of deep reflection: daysprings, idlepen, and barefootpuzzle all shame me with their much more interesting and in-depth writings on their daily lives. And on the lighter side, I find horror_romance and my sister-in-law megparker77 to be some of the most hilarious moms I know.

Happy reading, and Happy New Year!

I am so fortunate to have family that is willing to visit me on a regular basis. Our parents get along well with each other, and my brothers treat Stephen as a long-lost sibling.

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A Merry Christmas to you all.

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

On a Sunday afternoon, the Kesslers had me over for a little while to photograph some of their family moments. Their three little girls were simply beautiful. The youngest, only a babe, cooed and laughed at her older siblings before succumbing to her nap. Liza was especially funny--I told her to jump up from the couch and run-run-run in place to get out some of her fidgets.

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Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!