Daily Inspiration #352 by Gage Caudell

May 29, 2012 Daily Inspiration 49

Steve,

As you know, my baby girl was born a year ago. Since her birth, I started taking a picture of her monthly on our couch. I thought this would be a great way to demonstrate how much she has grown over the past year. It was easy initially but as time has gone, it’s difficult to get her to sit still. I think her mother has had a few panic attacks but each time we were able to catch a memorable shot. All these shots were taken with my Leica M9 and a combination of Leica lenses (28mm elmarit, 28mm summicron, 35mm summicron, and 50mm noctilux). I hope to continue this project in the future (every 3 months). Last, I’ve just submitted 5 shots, each listed below. Thanks again for providing us with a phenomenal website to post our pictures to the world and keeping us informed on the latest photography gear.

Gage Caudell

www.rangetraveler.com

Our Future

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49 Comments

  1. I love the concept of taking pictures with a certain interval, especially with children as an object! Well done!

    Vincent

  2. Again, I want to thank everyone for the comments. I like seeing all the positive comments. Even though I don’t try to inspire, hopefully this inspires more people to look at the good things and forget about the negatives.

    Gage

  3. Great concept, Gage! This is what photography is all about! Something that American philosopher Will Durant called “life on the banks.” We get so caught up in the celebrity/entertainment/sensationalizing of today’s world that something as simple as a growing child can bring a smile to just about everyone’s face.

    Thanks for the submission and keep it coming!!!

  4. gage, i remembered when you first put up the photos of your girls back last year. and that tiny bundle has really grown in between that! damn, how time flies… has it been truly a year already? i’m truly happy for you, mate! 🙂

    we can all talk from here to heaven and back and to hell again about the pros and cons of each and every camera system on this earth. each has it’s own unique properties, each has it’s own weaknesses. hell, if you want to be really anal about it, you can just scrap every single camera available and be never satisfied with what you have… it’s us being human. but no matter what system you subscribe to, nothing will beat the emotion attached to the picture taken… if you can’t feel anything at all from the pictures above, you might as stop being human.

    some go artsy fartsy. some take pictures of random strangers. some simply want to record their mundane, existing life. nothing wrong there. my life is mundane and non-existing. recently, everything is so hectic and depressing, i’ve stop taking pictures altogether. but this collection made me smile. it gave me hope that one day, i’ll be like gage, holding a child of my own, giving a new meaning and perspective to my life. i’m sure hoping for that.

    now… when am i going to develop that rolls of films? 😛

    • edzral,

      Your comments really hit me. I consider my self a giving person, always trying to help others. I don’t look at my self as some who inspires others. I’m appreciative that my pictures put a smile on your face and gave you hope. All I can say is life is full of peaks and valleys. All you can do is continue to strive, be positive, be motivated, and inspire to be better each day.

      If you ever need someone to talk to, someone to try to motivate you just send me a line and I’ll be happy to help.

      Gage

  5. These are the most beautiful photos I’ve seen in my entire life !!!
    Like Aswhin would say : Fantastic ! Fabulous ! Astonishing ! Amazing ! Awsome ! Brilliant ! Never seen before ! (should I go on ?)

    Irony left apart, even if I don’t like children, nice photos.

  7. These are absolutely fantastic, beautiful idea will be interesting to see the different stages of growing up. Well done and thanks for sharing……

  8. Great idea great outcome.
    You realise that the settee has now become part of family folklore and can never be replaced.

  9. Great photos and thank you for sharing! Really nice work. Based on all of the hostility around the previous article (“Leica rules”), I’m pleasantly surprised that some internet troller hasn’t entered a comment about you spending too much on your lenses and camera when ‘something else is just as good’.

    Keep sharing…great stuff.

    • Jon,

      Thanks. I’m sure before it’s over there will be someone that comments. This series really has nothing to do with what kind of camera or lens I used but I mentioned it the post only because I know I will be asked (just like I was asked specifically which lens was used for each shot).

      I didn’t post it here but I have one shot of her on the couch shot with my NEX-7 and 24mm Zeiss lens and you honestly can’t see much of a difference, especially when posted on the web.

      Gage

      • You don’t need any stories. This is what cameras were made for, what you used is not important, you made and got what you wanted, that’s all that counts. Any one not agreeing should take themselves off to fairy land and hand in their equipment.

    • Jon….typically the ‘you could have done this with a P&S’ comments are directed towards people who post shots of little skill or vision. Gage’s photo series here while simple, are brilliant…hence the lack of vitriol:)

      Great idea, great execution.

      • I wish that was always the case…there are numerous instances on this site where someone has posted their photos – often they are quite good – and armchair quarterbacks absolutely tear them apart, their content, the choice in equipment they made, composition, post production choices – you name it. It’s dismissive, disheartening and frankly downright disrespectful at times..it’s actually become the norm rather than the exception. I’m on this site daily and I can actually say this is one of the first threads I’ve seen in a long time where people have been pretty much consistent in their support. Perhaps it’s because the backlash would be so strong against someone ranting from the sidelines due to the content of these wonderful pics (i.e., lovingly and artfully arranged timeline photos of one’s children)?

  11. I love the photos, the first one especially.

    Further, its been a while since someones posted pics and not received criticism from the visitors haha.

  12. Wonderful pics! Without the reminder, one almost forgets they’ve been taken by a Leica!

    • Jose,

      Thanks. This series could easily be done with any camera. I only mentioned the camera because I knew I would be asked (just like someone earlier inquired about what lenses were used). Again, thanks. Gage

  13. Wow!
    The first pic is my favourite one. The baby looks so little and vulnerable but clearly daddy is behind watching out for him.
    This is in fact the best pic I have seen this year.
    Please don’t do time lapse pics, everyone is doing that, just keep the first pic as the best way to capture such an amazing time
    Well done again!

  20. Great pictures.

    I did something like this too. Good luck with it when she’s around 13 or 14, and you become (for a few years) the dumbest parent in the world. 🙂

  21. Love the realization of this nice idea – Just thought that you are now stuck with the same couch for some time 😉

    Ernesto

  22. Great work, Cage.

    I did the same thing when my daughter were born. But not with the same backgrounds. This is way way better. Keep it up (for the next 18 years 🙂

    Ole

  24. Great concept. Try to get the white balance the same for all the pics….

    • Johan,

      Thanks. Getting the white balance correct has been the most complicated part. I’ve literally spent hours trying to get all of them to look very similar.

  26. Fantastic idea and beautifully shot. Really stunning images, simple and elegant. Bravo!

  28. Nice work could you tell us from top to bottom which lens you used cause I am always interested in which lens gives a certain look thank you in advance

      • Thanks so much I really appreciate this I love the top one buts it’s just the god light hitting the baby was that the new summicron Apsh version or the 8 element sorry I’ve been so busy I didn’t get time to thank you till now for posting the lenses cheers

  29. From all parents who understand your love for photography and children – absolutely fabulous and inspirational.

  33. Haha, I love this. What a great set of images! How long will you keep it up, do you think? I’d like to pop back here in 10 years and see how she’s changed 🙂

  34. This photos are so simple and amazing at the same time 🙂 tx for sharing them with us here.

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