Family.....

Ann McRae

I had the opportunity to spend a day with my favorite aunts and cousins last weekend. Sadly, this was because my cousin died suddenly. My cousin was 54 and is survived by her 82 year old mother Grace, the lady on the left in this photo:


Also in the photo are cousin Jean, my dad and my dad's other sister Sparky. My dad is 70, all three ladies are 80 or older. None of them have had a particularly easy life - they all lived through the depression and have faced thier fair share of challenges. Remarkably, they have all been predeceased by at least on child, and all three ladies lost spouses at quite a young age.

I admire them all immensely; they are fantastic role models. I wish I could see them more frequently but we live quite a ways away from each other. I really hope that this will not be our last visit with each other.


Sentimentally.......



ann

wxwax

What a lovely photo, Ann. Your words bring it to life.

These ladies have such wonderful, warm smiles, you honor them well with this photo.

macmac

Very nice photo. You work the lighting very well with the degree of backlighting that seems to have been there.

Ann McRae

Thank You Sid. They manage to smile and stay positive and do so much for others around them. They are lovely ladies. I am glad that you can see this from my photo.

ann

Ann McRae

Thanks, Joe. Yes there was light coming through the windows but it wasn't strong, so I was able to work with it. And with all those different whites too!

ann

Yuri Pautov

I like it a lot, Ann!
Very tender and charming.
Spasibo,
Yuri

Ann McRae

Spasibo, Yuri - Thank You very much. I am pleased with your choice of 'tender' as a descriptor, very pleased.

ann

Skippy

Ann McRae wrote:

I had the opportunity to spend a day with my favorite aunts and cousins last weekend. Sadly, this was because my cousin died suddenly. My cousin was 54 and is survived by her 82 year old mother Grace, the lady on the left in this photo:

Also in the photo are cousin Jean, my dad and my dad's other sister Sparky. My dad is 70, all three ladies are 80 or older. None of them have had a particularly easy life - they all lived through the depression and have faced thier fair share of challenges. Remarkably, they have all been predeceased by at least on child, and all three ladies lost spouses at quite a young age.

I admire them all immensely; they are fantastic role models. I wish I could see them more frequently but we live quite a ways away from each other. I really hope that this will not be our last visit with each other.
Sentimentally.......
ann

Sorry to hear of your loss Ann, this is a lovely photo of your family.
I see you even have some snow happening in the background too
I hope you get to see them all again soon .... take Care.... Skippy
.

bauerman

Great Work Ann!
It's a wonderful photo without the background knowledge, but when you add that information to the mix it becomes a GREAT photo. I enjoyed viewing and reading this post.

Too many people these days look at senior citizens as a burden. It's too bad that is the case because they are such a wealth of knowledge, I can see that in your photo. This is the type of photography that I love. There is no more important thing that we can photograph, to me, in this life than the relationships that we build over time and those that we love.

Flyinggina

What a lovely photograph, Ann. Excellent use of natural light. It is perfect for these beautiful women of a certain age and your Dad. Thank you so much for sharing the picture and the story behind it. It is a great reminder that whatever life brings us, the ability to smile can help us through.

Stay warm.

Virginia

saurora

This is a very lovely photo, Ann. Sorry for the loss you and your family have endured. It reminds me of the elderly aunts I have who live so far away I may never see them again. The lighting is especially nice in this and your exposure was right on!

Ann McRae

Thank You Skippy.

Yes, we have snow - here in Edmonton about 3 feet accumulated and still on the ground.

We all met in Regina, Sask. My Aunt Grace is from Gravenhurst, Ont. My Aunt Sparky lives in Bellevue, Washington. They, and Grace's son and daughter in law, were to fly to Ontario with Bev's ashes on Thursday - huge snowstorm shut the Toronto airport and so they drove to Saskatoon Friday (in order to actually al be on the same flight)and flew, arriving in Gravenhurst about 6 hours before the scheduled memorial service.

Remind me again why people settled Canada?????

Thanks again skippy.

ann

heatherfeather

I love how the one lady has a coffee cup in her hand. Makes me think that they had been sitting there just like that a while, enjoying each other.

Very nice pic. It will undoubtedly be a treasure for years.

Ann McRae

bauerman wrote:

It's a wonderful photo without the background knowledge, but when you add that information to the mix it becomes a GREAT photo. I enjoyed viewing and reading this post.

Too many people these days look at senior citizens as a burden. It's too bad that is the case because they are such a wealth of knowledge, I can see that in your photo. This is the type of photography that I love. There is no more important thing that we can photograph, to me, in this life than the relationships that we build over time and those that we love.

Thank You very much, bauerman. I left your words here because I find them very inspirational - especially the line about photographing relationships. For me, this is the one area of photography that I really struggle with. I can take a pleasing landscape, a good macro, a great sports shot but rarely do I manage a great people photo. Yet what do I want to display and look at? People photos - and not usually posed portraits.

Thanks - you have really given me some food for thought.

ann

bauerman

Ann McRae wrote:

Thank You very much, bauerman. I left your words here because I find them very inspirational - especially the line about photographing relationships. For me, this is the one area of photography that I really struggle with. I can take a pleasing landscape, a good macro, a great sports shot but rarely do I manage a great people photo. Yet what do I want to display and look at? People photos - and not usually posed portraits.

Thanks - you have really given me some food for thought.

ann

No problem Ann - thank you for posting the great photograph. I will agree with you as well that people photography (like you mention - the non-posed variety) can be very difficult to capture properly. Not only from a lighting or focusing perspective, but from the perspective of trying to capture something meaningful about the person in the frame.

That is when I know I have a successful photograph - when someone can view it and learn something about the subject. This is also the kind of photography I like to view as well. You gave me an example of that here.

Ann McRae

Thanks, Virginia. I appreciate your comments.


(and it was above freezing today)

ann

Ann McRae

Thanks, saurora. I appreciate your thoughts. Send your aunts an email - mine always appreciate that.

ann

Ann McRae

Thanks, heatherfeather - my sister is Heather and was often called just that!!!

Yes, they were just visiting, there were many things to do but everyone was jsut overwhelmed. And cousin Jean had just arrived after driving about two hours for the visit.

Thanks for the comments

ann

Thiago Sigrist

Hi Ann!

I'm really glad for your being a photographer as good as you are, because you could capture such a beautiful memento as your photograph.

And I know (more or less) how you feel, I too have some really dear relatives (aunts and uncles) who are all around 80 as well, and I hardly see them.

Thanks so much for sharing with us your photo and your feelings. Your post really touched me!
All the best!

-- thiago

David_S85

Just finding this thread now. Very sorry to hear of your family's loss. The photo is beautiful, btw.

Ann McRae

Hi thiago

I am glad you enjoyed the photo. I am also really glad to see you active again on the forum. I missed you! Thanks for your thoughts.

ann

Ann McRae

Hi David

Thanks for your thoughts. And the compliment.

ann

David_S85 wrote:

Just finding this thread now. Very sorry to hear of your family's loss. The photo is beautiful, btw.