Archive for the ‘People’ Category
Toes!!!
Posted: January 23, 2014 by Judy Licht Photography in Children, Families, General, People, Portraits0
The Elephant in the Room
Posted: January 22, 2014 by Judy Licht Photography in Brothers & Sisters, Children, Families, General, People, PortraitsGreat family shoot the other day in my studio. Zach is two and he was pretty agreeable, but let’s be honest, was he interested in sitting in a chair and posing? No! What he liked was the stuffed elephant my husband found for him in our old toy basket. His mom liked it, too, but she wasn’t thrilled with the tusk circling up into his chin. Standing behind me, she was fretting a bit, controlling herself from forcing the elephant out of his hands — either through reasoning or brute force. I planted myself in front of her, and she loosened the crick out of her neck, which was great, because kids sense their mom’s tension, and they focus on their parents’ moods instead of playing to me and the camera. So the elephant stayed, and in three quick moments, Zach’s face changed showing a priceless range of expressions. 
Studio Shot
Posted: January 2, 2014 by Judy Licht Photography in Children, General, People, Portraits, Teens
Usually, I like to take our family photograph outdoors. Last year, the shot was off a catamaran in Key West; other times, we’ve gone to Rock Creek Park or found a nice spot near our house. This year, on vacation, we were all too busy to get dressed for a portrait, so we spent an hour or so in my studio after we got home. It was strange, treating my kids like clients, inducing them to act naturally under lights. Marlene sat on a red chair in the middle. My sons leaned in, curling around her, balancing on posing stools. They were all good sports, and they were spontaneous and fun and kind to each other. And as my own customer, the mom, reviewing the quality of the photograph, I don’t micromanage the little stuff. Jake wanted to wear checks, Adam chose a striped shirt. The boys’ shoulders could have been positioned a tad straighter…none of that matters to me, though, because what I see is the affection they have for each other, and what I will remember is that my husband and I were both in the room sharing a nice moment with them. For me, the photograph is always about the relationship…so I guess I am a pretty satisfied customer when it comes to this product. Happy New Year!
Engagement!
Posted: December 12, 2013 by Judy Licht Photography in General, People, PortraitsTags: lovebirds, White House
The Hay Adams rooftop is a great place for a party. Here are two lovebirds celebrating their engagement overlooking the White House and monuments on a beautiful fall day. Being a photographer means sharing happy times and translating them into lasting memories. Congrats!
West Side Story
Posted: November 19, 2013 by Judy Licht Photography in Children, General, People, TheatreRumbling, dancing, loving…a star-studded cast from Wilson High School. Love the colors, great acting. More photos at www.pictage.com/1515031
Pet Portraits
Posted: October 28, 2013 by Judy Licht Photography in Dogs, General, People, PortraitsLove photographing pet portraits — great holiday gifts. Here are a few more photos from my shoot for the 2014 calendar for Critters for the Cure. It’s a great organization — crittersforthecure.org — that offers help for women with breast and gynecological cancers.
Critters for the Cure
Posted: October 14, 2013 by Judy Licht Photography in Cancer, Dogs, General, People, PortraitsMy friend Sandi died a few weeks ago. We were friends — real friends — for less than 10 months. It was too short. She called and asked me to photograph her when she found out her breast cancer had returned…stage 4. On the last day of last year, she came to my house and in two hours, I shot her in six different poses in six different outfits. Serious, sexy, sitting, standing. She ended the session in a black leotard on a black velvet cloth on my floor cycling through yoga moves, calm, flexible, and balanced. I was marinating curried fish for a party that night; she was processing the news that she would have to undergo chemotherapy again.
The photographs preserved her image. She was a beautiful woman. She radiated energy. She looked smart and happy, confident, and she had plans. Cancer was not going to defeat her. She called herself a Cancer Diva and wrote a blog. The pictures we took that day became her banner.
She smashed her car, her arm swelled up, she broke a wine glass at her friend’s beach house. She turned every day mishaps into funny stories, and when her oncologist said he could no longer treat her cancer, she moved on to plan B, researching alternative treatments. While she was fighting to stay alive, she was busy. Busy working, writing, volunteering for organizations helping cancer patients, setting up appointments to photograph her beloved pup, Lulu, and finding work for me.
Sandi loved to network, and she hooked me up with Clancy Kress, the founder of Critters for the Cure, an organization that offers financial assistance, transportation, wigs, and other help to women with breast and gynecological cancers. What makes the organization unique is that it focuses on the relationship between women and their pets. Every year, they publish a calendar with patients and doctors and their pets. Sandi was not only determined to model — she is Ms. December 2014 — she made sure Clancy gave me the photography job!
Sandi came back to my studio in July, and she looked marvelous. Well, actually, she looked a little tired, but she put on a tight black dress, painted her face, fixed her hair, and we had a fun afternoon. Serious, sexy, sitting, standing. And smiling. Still busy, still planning, still networking. Throughout the months of my great friendship with Sandi, she was always looking ahead, and I believed she was going to be okay. She died in September and I miss her for her friendship, her optimism, and the way she went to bat for me. Thanks, Sandi.
Here are a few photos from the calendar…to learn more about Critters for the Cure, go to http://crittersforthecure.org
Judy Licht Photography 