Yep, I’m probably starting to sound a bit like that mean magician in “Frosty the Snowman” who wants his hat back and says everything three times. Silly season is fast approaching and I’m running to catch up. It doesn’t help that I came back from a fairly relaxing vacation at the beach sick with a cold that’s left me feverish, hacking and physically worn out. Nor does it help that it seems all my Soap Buds are making soap when I barely have the strength to lift a spoon. It seems all I can do lately is be online to give guidance, encouragement, pithy comments and suggestions. The forced inactivity has given me the quiet time and space to edit and upgrade product pictures – with a little help from a young budding photographer.
She’s only 5, but already she’s showing an amazing talent for photography. It started last weekend at a wedding for my sister-in-law. My in-laws had put disposable cameras on the tables for guests to take pictures, and my daughter got a hold of one. We don’t know, yet, how they turned out, but she was certainly enthusiastic. Last night I decided to see how she does with a camera and (crazily) let her get her hands on our nice digital camera to take some pictures of my Natural Pumpkin Spice soaps. I helped her with the mechanics of operating the camera – a digital isn’t quite as simple as a point-and-shoot with a manual film wind – but once she figured that out, she was good to go. Later that night I was reviewing the pictures, trying to decide which one I wanted to go through the trouble of editing for my website. My husband was looking over my shoulder as I did this, admiring the photos.
Finally, we decided. All but two were good (one was badly off-centered and another one was out of focus as she was trying to get used to the behavior of the camera), so it was a difficult decision. I cropped, I lightened and the photo above of the soaps is her work. I’m very proud of her and pleased to see this manifestation of another of her Daddy’s gifts and talents in her.