Giving Blood

<center>

<img src="http://www.sljus.lu.se/People/Struan/pics/ullamagnus.jpg"

width=400 height=600 vspace=5 alt="Ulla and Magnus"></p>

<i>Magnus giving blood.</i></p>

</center>

<p>

I have two new models in my life. This is one of them, Magnus, having

a blood sample taken about four hours after birth. More to follow,

but true baby addicts can look <a

href="http://www.sljus.lu.se/People/Struan/twins/">here</a>.</p>

Many congratulations, to all four of you, I hope everything goes well.

Good Luck.

<p>

Jack

I envy your sense of joy and happiness in photographing your growing

family. I wasn't into photography much when my kids were born, and I

hardly photographed my first, my daughter who just turned 21 the other

day. I regret not taking many pictures of her during her growing up

period. I've done better with my son, but... ya just never take

enough snaps of your kids. I harp on people all the time that they

ought to be taking a roll every week of their childhood. It pays off,

for sure. The fact <b>alone</b> that you're taking shots this early

makes this photography pertinent now, and ever more valuable in the

future.

Yes, Congratulations! Nice page too!. Don't forget to get in the

photo's with your daughter and son too!

<p>

Tony, I should introduce you to my wife who snaps close to a roll a

week of our son... and she's kept this up for 21mths so far!

<center>

<img src="http://www.sljus.lu.se/People/Struan/pics/magnusam.jpg"

width=400 height=400 vspace=5 alt="Amningslektionen"></p>

<i>Three million years of evolution, and it still takes six hands to

feed one baby.</i></p>

</center>

<p>

Yer all a bunch of big softies. For which much thanks.</p>

<p>

The twins are doing fine, the mother is doing fine, and the father is

smugly scanning the best images of the best babies in the whole wide

world.</p>

<p>

Tony: he <i>is</i> that pink sometimes, especially when concentrating

hard on filling his nappy/diaper, but I think doing the editing on my

laptop screen helped a little. I'll re-do the scan before he's old

enough to complain.</p>

Congratulations on the twins!

<p>

My fourth child turned out to be twin girls. Lots of work, lots of

rewards. They just started Kindergarten this year, what a

milestone! Now we only have one more left at home all day long.

<p>

I'm with Tony and Nigel on encouraging you to take lots of informal

portraits of your kids. I average about two rolls a months and have

been doing it for 14 years. Ever since my firstborn showed up. It's

a lot of fun to look back through them. I'm sure when I'm 60 or 70

I'll enjoy them even more.

<p>

I've perfected the method of using window light and higher speed film

(400 and now 800 ASA) for natural light portraits. I've also found

that a 50mm (normal) lens works well with kids until they get to be

teenagers. Usually the recommendation for portraits is a longer

lens. But young children have such small noses and features anyway

that you don't mind the "roundness" that a shorter lens produces. It

actually seems to add a feeling of closeness and intamacy.

<p>

It also gives me a working distance (for a head shot) of 1.5 to 2

feet. Which is still within arms length so I can reach over and

straighten up their hair or clothes or whaterver while oftentimes

still looking through the viewfinder.

<p>

I don't have any of my photos on the web yet so I don't have a way to

show you my ideas. Maybe someday I'll be able to contribute more

than just comments to this forum.

<p>

Enjoy the parenthood rollercoaster, it goes pretty fast sometimes.