I need some suggestions

Mary Sparrow · 07-22-2004, 08:47 AM

And I need them as soon as possible, like in the next few hours.

We got some really sad news the other day. Our labrador retriever,
Bailey has been diagnosed with Cancer. Bailey is our "first born", we got him the day we came home from our honeymoon, and is about as close to human as a dog can be. My plan was to paint a portrait of all of my children with Bailey. With this sad news my husband has pleaded with me to get some pictures before he gets too sick. We really have no idea how much time we have left with him so I can't really put this off.

My children are 2 boys ages 6 and 4, and daughter is 18 mos. I would like for the pictures to be taken on our front porch steps.

Does anyone have a suggestion as to how to pose this group?

Mary Sparrow · 07-22-2004, 08:51 AM

I am simply NUTS over this portrait Timothy did http://forum.portraitartist.com/showthread.php?t=3757

This is the feeling I would like to have in the portrait. (Now If only I could paint like that!)

Mary Sparrow · 07-22-2004, 09:00 AM

While I am pretty stuck on the thought of the front porch, I am not necessarily stuck to it being on the steps.

We also have a wicker sofa and rocker on the porch.

Joan Breckwoldt · 07-24-2004, 06:34 PM

Hi Mary,

I'm sorry to hear the sad news about Bailey. I just saw this post, otherwise I would have tried to reply earlier.

My suggestion would be to take some quick preliminary shots. Don't even get the kids dressed in what they would be wearing in the 'real' photo. Try some different poses, I would try all kinds of combinations. Try the porch, the steps, and then the wicker furniture. At this point I wouldn't care if one child is looking off one way, or another is pinching somebody else (!). This is just to get the lighting and composition figured out, the body shapes and sizes grouped somehow that is pleasing to you.

Then I would study those photographs, or post some of them on the forum, and see which elements you like about the different photos. I would be glad to help. Then try a second round of photos with everybody. I know this sounds like a lot of 'photo shoots', but I'm thinking it's a 10 minute session with the kids wearing whatever they have on.

When you have the composition and the lighting all decided (time of day and the place where you'll shoot from), then have them all dress up and take the photos.

Hope this helps,

Joan

Mary Sparrow · 07-24-2004, 09:02 PM

Thanks Joan, but it is too late. Bailey passed away this afternoon. Gosh, I just can't believe he is gone after almost 12 years. At least it happened fast and he didn't suffer too much.

I got several photos yesterday, but he felt so bad and just kept trying to get away from the kids that I just quit. Here is one of the pictures. While none of the pictures with all of the children are worthy of painting, I really liked some of the ones with Liza sitting on him, so maybe I can just do one of the two of them. The boys have already been painted a zillion times anyway.

Bailey was my first child and my studio buddy, he will be so missed.

Denise Hall · 07-24-2004, 09:21 PM

Mary,

I am so sorry to hear about your dog. I have a shi-tzu that is like one of our kids too and can't imagine losing her - but dogs don't usually outlive us, do they? I just wanted to say hi and also how sorry I am.

I think the picture you showed us is very endearing to your kids as well as a wonderful shot of the dog. He is beautiful. I hope you can find a way to paint them together.

Good luck to you!

Denise

Joan Breckwoldt · 07-24-2004, 09:39 PM

Oh Mary, I'm so sorry about Bailey. That was so fast, as you said, I think it's better that he didn't have to suffer.

I think the photo of Bailey with Liza sitting on top of him would be great. Though since Bailey has been part of your family for so long it would be nice to paint him and all three children, you have been wanting to do a portrait with all three children anyway, right? From this shot you have Liza and Bailey, you could maybe get the two boys from another shot you took? I think it would be worth it. Even if you put this away for now and take more photos of the boys in a week, or whenever you feel like getting back to it, all four of them would make a beautiful portrait that I think your family would treasure for years.

Joan

P.S. How could that cute little girl have ruined your Ben portrait? She's darling!

Garth Herrick · 07-24-2004, 10:22 PM

Oh Mary,

I am so sorry to hear of the sudden loss of your beloved Bailey. I just came upon your thread. How fortunate, that you were able to get those final pictures a couple of days ago.

When you feel up to it, I hope you can do a sketch of your daughter (or all the kids) with your dog while the image is still fresh in your head. If you want to do a painting something like Timothy's, maybe you can get some more shots of the kids posed on the porch with the camera twice or three times as far back from the porch to reduce the perspective distortions in the photo you have posted. I like your photo. Your four year old is so much closer to the lens than everyone else that he seems almost out of scale. This should not be too hard to adjust. Lots of good things are happening here to help remember this moment.

Envisioning the painting of Bailey is a wonderful inspiration, and I hope it comes to fruition for you and your family in the coming months.

Good luck and best wishes,

Garth

Mary Sparrow · 07-25-2004, 11:02 AM

Thank you all. Boy, this is tougher than I thought it would be

But Garth, your post made me laugh out loud. My 4 year old REALLY IS that much bigger than the other two. He is a GIANT. He wears a 7/8, while the 6 year old is extreme in his size still wearing a 4t.

Several months back I posted a question here about "changing the facts", now you can all see what I am talking about when I say my younger boy is truly larger than the older one.

Garth Herrick · 07-25-2004, 12:27 PM

Hi Mary,

I apologize for drawing attention to your kids heights. I now recall your thread about "changing the facts". I see no reason to change what's real. I was reacting more to the up close nature of the camera perspective with legs projecting out, etc. If you can get more camera studies from farther back, I think Bailey can be placed into a tweaked composition just fine as he is.

Sorry about that. At seven, my daughter is often so much taller than her close friends that I am frequently surprised when they are revealed by birthday invitations to be of the same age.

Garth