As much as we want this winter to be over and green grass and warm breezes to take over, bitter cold, snow, and ice still prevail. And as much as photos of tropical locations are popping up on Facebook pages state-wide, I thought it might be more fun to celebrate the moment. As cold as it might be. I bring to you, Winter Fun.
And now, let it be over.
I recently joined a monthly photo gathering called the Photo Union at one of my favorite places, The Minneapolis Photo Center. This class unites photographers of all types to help stretch our creativity and how we bring it to life in print. As a person that frequently speaks in exclamation point, I can’t help but gush when I encounter something that I love. And I love these photo meetings. Gushing commencing.
Our first session explored what we love about photography, what we love to photograph, and what single word represents what we’re taking photos of, right now. My word? Childhood.
The twist came with our assignment: Take photos of your subject, without actually having your subject in your photo. DUNH DUNH DUNH
But almost immediately, ideas came to mind. I could photograph my girls’ room, in all of its girly glory. I could photograph what happens after a winter Saturday afternoon spent hanging out in our living room. I could photograph playthings all brightly lit, showing a youthful optimism. You get the idea and I set out to get the picture(s).
I included a benchmark image that showed some of my usual work. I love this photo because, to me, it captures something so childlike in such a naturally artful kind of way. For others, the attraction comes from a mysterious subject and from the study in colors, contrasts, and tiny details. It’s a photo of my youngest daughter going up a slide. This is a characteristic of her play at the park, something we don’t do very often anymore because her older sibling is too cool for school. And the park. But one day, last summer, we had a rare night with just the two of us. Sophie played in all her 8 year old glory and I got to watch (and photograph) it all.
When I look at this photo, I see that day. When others look at this photo, they don’t have that perspective so the photo represents something else.
When I reviewed the images below, I felt like a piece of that childlike optimism or spark that I try so hard to capture was missing. But thinking about it more, I think that’s because my usual subjects were behind the scenes with me instead of in front of the camera, as usual. These photos still capture a story, reflect a memory, and show elements of being a kid they just do it in a different way than I am used to. Which was precisely the point of the exercise.
So, this is what I ended up with, after careful editing of my 20+ images. A study in what it’s like to be a kid and more importantly, critical facets of childhood.
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Friendship
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Gamesmanship
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Make Believe
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Creativity
Hi, I’m Kaia and I bring you Wonderspark Images. This little labor of love is decades in the making and celebrates what I love most about photography; stopping beauty in its tracks and bringing it life for everyone to enjoy. Even though I take photos of a wide range of subjects I will focus this website on portraiture, bringing personalities to life, and showing youth and vibrance, whatever the age.
I’m a mom to two spectacular (and often photographed) girls. Being their mom has given me countless opportunities to not only fine tune my photo skills, but it also helped shape a philosophy that I carry through all facets of my life, including photography .
I believe life is a series of adventures; whether it’s a trip to the Grand Canyon or a walk to the neighborhood Starbucks. With only a tiny bit of effort, you can turn even the most basic of activities into something worth enjoying. Seeking out the magic in the everyday and capturing it in photographic glory is how I will share it with you.
I will document examples of kids being kids, of wide eyed wonder, and of living in the moment. I hope you enjoy the show.
