photography | Jenna's Everything Blog

Hi friends!

So you know how I’m back-up vocals girl for my singer-songwriter friend Carrie?

Well last week she was interviewed by the RedEye–for those of you who aren’t in Chicago, it’s a free daily newspaper published by the Chicago Tribune. It’s more pop-culture oriented than a regular newspaper, and full of eye-grabbing pictures.

In order to supply a photo to the RedEye, after our last gig at CityGrounds we enlisted the help of my friend Sarah to take some band pictures. “Here Sarah, just press this button here,” I said, handing her my camera.

First, we thought we would just kind of sit and smile.

This picture says “We’re nice people, we really are.” And “We’re about to sing Kumbaya.”

NOT a cool band picture. Nope.

“Let’s smile, but not too hard,” I suggested helpfully.

Please take it away, Milfred. I don’t want to look at it anymore.

After a handful of pictures like this were taken, we started despairing. Why can’t we look cool?

“Try looking angry,” someone suggested.

Um . . . okay. That didn’t really work either.

“Let’s take a self-portrait!” I exclaimed, sure that this inspiration would provide the cool band picture we were looking for.

Nope.

Plus, the tendons and wrinkles on my neck were starting to look a tad monstrous. And do my teeth look slightly rabbity to anyone else?

As the uncool factor in the room reached epic proportions, we began to crack up.

Oooh, we were starting to get warmer.

“Cool” was just around the corner.

Loosened up by laughter, we started goofing off with a pink ribbon and a top hat.

Things finally started working.

Now it just became a matter of: color or black and white?

I tend to think black and white lends a classy timelesness. But what do you all think?

So lessons learned: when taking a band picture, don’t smile and look nice. Don’t try too hard. Do have fun props to play with. Do loosen things up with some laughter. Do enlist a friend who is willing to take a million shots.

Thanks Sarah for some awesome pictures, and for being patient with us when it seemed like there was no hope!

Unfortunately, there was a deadline for submitting these pictures that we weren’t told about until right before it hit. We missed the deadline by about 30 minutes, and the RedEye online article ended up using a slightly less flattering picture (with no Eric in sight) from a live performance. Carrie is looking soulful and musical, which is great–just try not to look at my mug for too long, for the love of mercy.

In conclusion, if you’re in Chicago, join us at our next CityGrounds gig on Saturday April 9th. They have a fruit tart that I can’t wait to dig my fork into again.

Oh, and the music should be pretty great as well.

Over and out!

During the prep for our cooking class, Bronagh and Ashling (Traci’s girls) wandered in and out either as themselves, princesses, or as a dog and cat.

Those freckles! Ah! They kill me.

Bronagh is in a delightful and hilarious stage–if she realizes you’re taking her picture and consciously smiles, this is the result:

As you may remember, when I was a wee one my smile used to resemble a grimace, so Bronagh is already two steps ahead of me.

I love this completely candid noble look that graced her face when she thought no one was looking.

And then there’s Ashling. She looks just like a little elf, and her explosion of curls just pierces my heart.

One of her most frequent expression is this dubious, semi-suspicious look.

Eyebrows slightly turned up, forhead delicately wrinkled.

You’ll go far in life with that ‘question everything, trust no one’ attitude, kid. I can already tell.

I asked Traci about her girls, and she confirmed what I already suspected: they are like dolls come to life. The’re in a loving, cuddly, trusting stage, which was evidenced by the fact that as soon as Traci sat down, Bronagh climbed onto her lap.