Rick Hawkins Photography

down to the lake

<>><><<><<><><>><<>><<><><<<><><<>><<<<><<<><<><>><<<><><<<<><><<><<<><<><><<<> It's not hard to get me down to the water. I am a water guy. When the Duffs wanted to shoot down at the lake I was down for it. They spend a lot of time down on the water. Once again my job is easy with friendly folks and happy children. I like these two of the young one! I'm fond of the shots of kids mugging for the camera. This comes easy for them at this age. How quickly it goes from boy posturing to teen attitude. I like to catch it while theres still some naivete. ><<><>><<>><<<><<><><><><<><><<><><><<><><><><><><<><><><><<><><><><><><><<<<> <><><>><><<<><><<<><<><><>><><><><><<><>><><<>><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><<><

old wood... young skin

<>><<>>.<<><<><><><<><><><><><><><<<><><><><><><><><><<>><<><><><><><<<><><> I met the Herods down at Cannonsburgh. Cannonsburgh is a unique spot because of the various backgrounds that you have to pick from. The more I shoot there the more the more I remove Cannonsburgh from the picture. I have found several small patchs of ancient wood siding that are great. Specifically when you put a child's beautiful skin in front of it. The combination of the texture and coloration of the wood makes the child almost pop out of the picture. Of course it doesn't hurt when you're photographing beautiful and receptive children! <>>><><<<>><><><<><>><><><><<>><><><><><<<><<>><><<><><<<><><><><><><><><>< <><><><<><<><><><><><><><<>><><><><><><<><><<><>>><><><><<><>><>><><<>><<>>< The last thing Isaac said me before I left was.."I had fun". That maybe one of the greatist kids quotes I have put on here relating to what I do. Heres one for you Isaac.."You're making me look good"!

Josie meets Lucy and other adventures

<><>><><<><<>><><<><><<>><><<><><<><><><>><<><><>><><><><><<><><<><><><<><><<>>< I met Josie and her parents out in Lasscassas for a photoshoot. Josie was ready to get to work. We shot a few pictures at the landscaping business outside the McFarlin's farm. We then proceeded into the farm where Josie met Lucy the farm boxer and some beautiful horses. Josie was energetic, expressive and easy to work with. Her energy made me realize that the years I spent doing rock and roll photography has come in handy. ><<>>><<>><><><><><>><<><>><><><><<><><><>><><><><><><<>><><><><><><><><<><><>< <><><>><>><><>><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><<<,><<<><><><><>,<><><><><><<><><<> We took many pictures. Mom is going to have a difficult time picking shots for prints. I have picked several to display here in the child and family portraits folder. This folder acts as an ongoing portfolio of my current adventures in children's portraiture. The folder is growing daily and probably is overwhelming to look through but I believe its a more accurate example of what a photoshoot delivers than if I simply displayed what I thought were my best shots over time. ....thats what most photographers do! <>><><<><>><><<><><><><<>><><><><<><>><><><><>><>><><><><><><><><><><><<><> <><>><><><><><>><><<><>><><<><><><><><><>><><><><<><><><<><><><><><><><<><><><

Ella and the incidental portrait

><<<><><><><<<<<<><><<<><<><<><<>><<>><<<<><<>><><><><<>>><>><><><<><><><><><<><< Incidental portraits come from a different place. They are influenced more by time and place than the needs or expectations of paying clients. They aren't taken with a goal of being framed or ending up as part of a families story. Ironically they may at times be more illustrative of a persons story than traditional portraiture. I take alot of incidental portraits because my camera is connected to my hip. I recently went over to visit my friend David Adkins. We were going to play some music and I was going to shoot some pictures of some sculptures he was working on. Then I met his daughter Ella. Ella was all about the camera and showing me her drum set. I have a fondness for kids starting music early. And like I told Ella when I saw the set. Oh honey...somebody loves you! Giving a young one a real working drum kit is a sign of love and patience! <><>><><>><<><><><><<><><>><<><>>><><><><><><><><><<<>><><><<><><<><><><< <<><><><><><><><<><><><<>>><<>><<><<<><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><>><><<><>< I often talk to clients and potential clients about attempting incidentals at their homes. I like the idea and hope people will open up to the idea of photographing kids amongst their own stuff in their own comfort zone. I think it opens up some interesting possibilities. ><<><><><><><>><><>><><><><><><><><><<><><><>><<<>><<><><<<><><><<>><>><><><><< <><><><<>><><>><><><><<><<>><><><<>><><<><><><<>><><><<><><>><><><><><<><<><<>

roll with punches

<><>><><>><><><>><><><><><<>>><><><><><><><<><<><><><><><<>><><><><><<><><><><>>> I took young Jax down to a wild part of the river. Jax's mother said Jax was game for adventure. Apparently my idea of adventure is not what he had in mind. Granted the woods had grown up a little bit since I had last been there. There were also huge fish in shallow water around where I wanted Jax to stand. I tried to impress him by catching a crawfish. It wasn't a positive impression that I made. "I'm not going in there"! When a child starts calling his Mom by her first name its time to re-boot. We finished the shoot at the trailhead. I wouldn't have normally shot at this spot. What was I thinking? Jax got comfortable with the camera....real comfortable and took direction well. Thanks Jax! We won one at the bell! <><><>>>>><<>><><><>><><><><><><<><><>><><><><><><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><> ><<><><><>><><><><>><><>><><><><<>><><><><>><><<><><><><><><><><><<><><><><><> ><><><><><><><><><<><<>>><<><><<>><><><><><<>><><><><><><><><><><><><<>><><><> "you have to roll with the punches to get to what's real"-V.H>

nocturne 4

<><<><>><><><<><><><><>><><><<><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><< More nocturnes! I like building themes. These are some night shots from another farm. Well...almost night. It was about 8:40 p.m. The cusp! I positioned the camera on the camera bag and used the timer. Same goes for photo number 2. The yellow streaks are fireflies. I like the painterly quality. Photo number 3 is hand held and the camera was very gently shaken...with intent. ><><>><><><>><><><>><>><>><><><>><><><><><><><><>>>><>><><><<><><><><><><><><<> <>><><<>><><><><><<><><>><<>><><<><><<>>><><><><><><><><><<>><><><><<><><<><><>< ><<><><><><><<<><><<>><><.,.<><<<><><><>><<><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><<>< click on photograph to enlarge and see more in the dispatches from the road folder.