A new computer and a new baby (but only one is mine)
So my tired but trusty five-year-old iMac, bought just months before the arrival of my now almost five-year-old boy is about to be relegated to general family use, which, if you ask the almost five-year-old would include looking at pictures of toothy sharks and growling panthers online (nationalgeographic.com) or watching race cars, scuba divers, excavators and footage from the Iditarod (youtube.com).
Still a perfectly wonderful computer for documents, Internet use and viewing fierce panthers, it has been lurching and groaning through my image files for months, and now that I shoot almost exclusively in RAW, it whimpers and just about plays dead when it sees me coming with a loaded 4G Compact Flash card. Sometime in the last week it decided that launching Lightroom was a signal to move in SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW motion, like maybe if I move this slow you’ll stop using me for photos.
I got the hint, and a replacement iMac is on its way, all glorious 24″ inches of it soon to be hand-delivered* on a cloud, covered in a silken cloth and flown to my home by a multitude of silver-winged angels with the Apple logo embossed in their gowns. But in the meantime, I met with this lovely family and took photos of their newest little love, and I can’t make them wait another day for the results.
So old iMac and I had a heart-to-heart. I told the iMac how much he had meant to me over the years, processing and revealing the first images of my own newborn babies, my first digital SLR images and my first professional images. I told the iMac he needed to fire up the processors just this one last time, long enough for me to extract enough images to tide these new parents over until I send them the whole shoot.
And so the iMac complied.
Meet baby Owen, less than two weeks old, and his mom and dad, Jen and Thor, plus their four-legged baby, too. And bid a fond farewell to the old iMac, because you are looking at the last photos ever to be processed on it.
This was at the beginning of the shootโand he’d already had enough?
Owen and dad
There’s a reason for all the interest, and it isn’t just Owen. (Owen is good at hiding doggie treats in his blankie.)
Owen is either singing a sea chanty or expressing his opinion of hanging out in a bucket. These parents were great sports, and came up with this when I asked them to find some meaningful object for our shoot. When Owen is eight and swinging this bucket down the dock to his family’s boat, everyone will love looking back at these photos. Even Owen.
Utterly calm once back in mom’s arms.
And there’s more than one star of the show here, just in case anyone forgets.
*Free shipping at www.apple.com
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Anna Sawin is a Connecticut-based portrait, wedding, and editorial photographer. She lives in the shoreline town of Stonington with her family and has discovered the perfect cupcake. Just ask, she is willing to share her secret.
What a beautiful baby boy! (And dog, of course.) Those shots are great. And have fun with your new computer! At least the Mac made it five years – my old Dell laptop lasted about three in good condition and then barely sputtered its way through one more. Now I have both a Mac and a PC for every occasion.
Welcome Owen!
I wonder what you will be writing about in 5 more years?
What lovely shots! Owen is soooo little! I’m having my second in about a month, and almost forgot they come pretty small.
Congrats on your new computer, and your old one for working hard for you one last time ๐
I love your blog, I love your photos – Anna, you are truly an amazing talent! What you captured of Owen and his family is wonderfully indescribable – well done!!
Such a beautiful Boy!! Great photographer, Great couple and Amazing boy!!!
Someone needs an Island onesie!!
Love to All
These are some really great images. Especially like the bucket. And who knew you did doggie portraits, too!
๐
Wonderful shots Anna!
My old laptop was showing me his wrath at the image files, too. I swear it took me 20 minutes just to open up CS3 to transfer my license to the new computer Brian built me. Now I’m a happy camper! Well, except that my computer is all unhooked due to new countertop installation. Amazing at how much I miss it when I CAN’T USE IT! ๐
Loving Owen, looks like a guy who knows what he likes and dislikes! ๐ Congrats on your new “family member” A, enjoy!
Ovaries. Aching.
Owen is one precious little bundle. Love the thought of an older Owen looking back at himself squalling in the bucket. ๐ As always, you rock, Anna! Hope you’re enjoying your own new baby now, you so deserve it!
GREAT shots Anna!
Welcome to the world Owen and ‘MAC!
Love the shots Anna! And congrats on your new baby! ๐