Todd Oldham's House of Cards

I love this idea from designer Todd Oldham's book, Kid Made Modern, inspired by the Eames House of Cards. Not only is it a unique take on the classic cardboard box house, but it provides lots of "canvases" for kids creativity and can be reconfigured again and again.

Max's Jet Box

I knew when I walked into Max Gibbons' house for a portrait party that his family was hosting, I had found a friend. Upon seeing the jet plane that Max had built out of cardboard with his dad, I was reminded of the hours of fun I have had racing down the track, soaring through the sky and sailing across the ocean in cardboard boxes, first as a child and now with my children. I don't think any of my creations have been as impressive as Max's, but in my imagination (and in the imagination of my children) they were the real thing.

Not a Box

What better way to start a series of posts about the creative reuse of boxes than with a book about a rabbit with a box and an active imagination.

Not a Box is a simple and engaging book (think Harold and the Purple Crayon) that encourages imagination and thinking outside the box.

Save the cardboard

Grown-ups often joke that children like the box more than the gift that came in it. While this is certainly not always the case, an empty box holds enormous potential for imaginative play and creative art projects. If your home is anything like ours, you have a bunch of new cardboard sitting around - from online orders, gifts sent by distant relatives, empty tubes from wrapping paper, gift boxes, etc.

With this in mind, I will be posting lots of creative reuse ideas for all of your cardboard boxes, tubes, bags, and more over the next few weeks. So, before putting your cardboard in the recycling, save it for a little creative reuse first.

Giving Gifts

Photograph by: Lynn Johnson

Words of wisdom from Mister Rogers:

"If you like to make things out of wood, or sew, or dance, or style people's hair, or dream up stories and act them out, or play the trumpet, or jump rope, whatever you really love to do, and you love that in front of your children, that's going to be a far more important gift than anything you could ever give them wrapped up in a box with ribbons. And what's more: the last thing in the world you have to be is perfect at it. It's the spirit that gives that kind of gift its wings."

Plan Ahead for the Holidays

As October begins, it still feels like school just started, but I am always amazed at how quickly the fall months go by. Soon Halloween will be here, and then the holiday season begins. Don’t forget to plan ahead and book a family portrait session for your holiday cards. In addition to the holiday cards that you can purchase through us, we can work with nearly any card vendor of your choice. We want to make the process as easy for you as possible, so choose your favorite vendor, your card and we will do the rest. For those of you who may not have a favorite vendor or may not be familiar with the many options out there, we can help you create the right card to match your photographs and your style.

Tiny Prints is one of our favorites. This site is easy to navigate, and they have an extensive collection of styles and types of cards. Here are examples of cards I really liked as I browsed their collection:

There are MANY more to choose from at Tiny Prints.

When you have selected the images you want to include on your card and the design from the Tiny*Prints website, simply place your order on their website, and contact us with the order number and the image numbers you want, and we will take care of the rest. The pricing works as follows: $50 usage fee for up to four images, $10 for each additional image, plus the cost of the cards, sales tax, and shipping and handling.

Refer back to our site, http://dodgenphotography.com/products/cards, for more details.

Portrait Party at Rossmoor Park Postponed!

Our portrait party scheduled for Wednesday, October 14th has been RESCHEDULED for Wednesday, October 28th from 9:00am to 11:30am at Rossmoor Park!

Enjoy a relaxing morning in the park while Jeremy photographs your children playing, in his ususal, non-instrusive way.

There is no cost, but make sure to RSVP at the event's website at:

http://dodgenphotography.pingg.com/party1009

Meet Erin

Hi! My name is Erin. I am excited to be the newest addition to Dodgen Photography! I will be helping Jeremy and Judy with the administrative tasks of the business. I would like to introduce myself as I will be contributing posts to this blog as well.

I am a senior at Biola University, majoring in Psychology. I hope to work with families in a clinical setting after I graduate. I am from Portland, Oregon. I come with a few years of administrative experience, as well as experience with kids. I enjoy reading, writing, swimming, spending time with my three younger sisters, and being outdoors.

I look forward to bringing you the latest news and events of Dodgen Photography through this blog. You may also see me at portrait parties this fall!

Oregon Photo Ops

Jeremy is making one last trip to Oregon in 2009. If you live in the Portland area and are interested in portraits, here are a few opportunities:

Thursday, September 24 at 3:15 pm
Gymboree Cedar Hills Shopping Center
Call 503-384-0542 to reserve a space

Monday, September 28 at 9:00 am - 11:30 am
Portrait Party in the Park
E-mail or call for details

Monday, September 28 at 3:45 pm
Gymboree Lake Oswego/Bridgeport
Call 503-670-1683 to reserve a space

Gymboree is a great location for portraits of the five and under set. Take a look at some Gymboree portraits from earlier this year.

More Fun and Photography at Gymboree

I will be photographing a Gymboree Play + Music again next week. It is always a fun time and a great opportunity to get portraits of your young ones (five and under). They are so busy playing on all of the slides and climbers, tubes and tunnels that barely even notice me. These photographs are from my previous session at Gymboree in the spring. If you are interested in attending, or getting more information, contact one of the Gymboree locations below:

Lake Oswego/Bridgeport
Monday, August 17 at 3:45 pm
Call today to reserve your space, 503-670-1683

Cedar Hills Shopping Center
Thursday, August 20 at 3:15 pm
Call today to reserve your space, 503-384-0542

We choose the moon

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum has launched a new website to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing and President Kennedy’s grand vision that made that achievement possible. The goal of the site is to allow visitors to experience the Apollo 11 mission in real time, utilizing archival photographs, video, audio and "real time" transmissions.

The site is really well done and a wonderful way for children (and adults) to experience this moment in history.

The site is live now, with the launch of Apollo 11 scheduled for July 16 at 9:32 am (EST), exactly forty years after the first launch. There will real time updates throughout the mission, which you can even receive on the website or via Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

Judy Dodgen, Mom of the Year

Motherhood is often a thankless job. If you are looking for a way to honor your mom, or a mom you know this weekend, get her on the national news, thanked by President Obama, and envied by Angelina Jolie. Check out the video of Mother of the Year, Judy Dodgen, or go to momsrising.org and "nominate" your favorite mom.

Thanks to Jana for passing this on!

I (Heart) NY

Photograph by Todd Heisler

The New York Times has a beautiful series of photo essays about some of the characters that make New York great. Each profile is accompanied by audio from interviews with the featured New Yorker. It is a wonderful example of the storytelling power of black and white photography.

Facebook Fan Photographs

As I mentioned recently, I have been too busy to blog much lately. That is partially due to the fact that I have been posting so many photographs on our Facebook page. We have 37 albums so far. Check them out and don't forget to become a fan while you are there!

Fun and Photography at Gymboree

I love photographing children involved in a favorite activity, in their environment. It is the best way to capture their personality, and much more fun than sitting in a studio (for everyone involved). That is why I enjoy photographing at Gymboree Play + Music. It is a perfect location, with its rich blend of activities, equipment and music, specifically designed to challenge and engage children five and under. The children, if they notice me at all, are generally having so much fun that they are not concerned with forcing their fake "cheese" smiles.

I will be photographing at two Gymboree locations in a few weeks. If you are interested in attending, or getting more detials, contact one of the Gymboree locations below:

Cedar Hills Shopping Center
Tuesday, April 28 at 3:30 pm
Call today to reserve your space, 503-384-0542

Lake Oswego/Bridgeport
Friday, May 1 at 3:30 pm
Call today to reserve your space, 503-670-1683

Photo Op: Photograph your favorite star(fish)

Photograph © Andrew Reitsma

The Aquarium of the Pacific is hosting a special photographers night on Tuesday, April 7 from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. "On this night, the Aquarium will be available to photographers for the sole purpose of getting their dream photos without having to worry about the general public either getting in their shots or being bothered by their equipment." Those who attend can also enter the Aquarium's photo contest. The grand prize is an Animal Encounter of your choice.

Tripods, lighting equipment, and screens to block reflections are allowed (but not required) on this day only. Tickets are limited (to provide everyone the best opportunity) so be sure to contact the Aquarium ahead of time if you are interested in attending.

Thanks to Susan for passing this along.

Too Busy to Blog

There comes a time in every bloggers life when he must write about being too busy to blog. Now is that time for me. For those who follow my blog, you know that I am, at best, an occasional blogger - posting every few weeks or so (I can't begin to fathom how people maintain a Twitter account). It is not for want of things to post - photographs from recent sessions, fun art projects, great art and music I've seen and heard...lots of ideas in my head and in my list of bookmarked websites, but no time to write (I can't begin to fathom how people with three or more kids get anything done). With that said, I was sad when I just realized that after posting at least once a month for fourteen months straight, I didn't post anything in March. Oh, well! Here's to new beginnings.

Heart-shaped paper clips

Here's a simple Valentine's Day project that I saw over at the How About Orange... blog. Click the link for more images and the one step instructions.

We're on Facebook

We recently set up a Dodgen Photography page on Facebook. You don't have to be a member of Facebook to see our page, but why not join and become a fan!

Livingston Park Grand Opening Pictures

After eighteen months of planning, fundraising, and construction, the newly renovated Livingston Park in Long Beach finally opened last week. Nearly 1000 people attended the grand opening, fitting for the project which was a real community effort (lead by the dedicated Tot Lot Committee). It was so fun to witness our neighborhood come together in support of children, family, play and community. We are thankful to be a part of this community.









I don't think it was planned to have the local flock of parakeets fly over just before the ribbon cutting, but it was so fitting - like releasing doves, but with a sound that foreshadowed the children at play.