Family!

My newspaper career ended in 2014 but I’ll always have my family to document. In 2012, my first grandchild, Delaney, arrived. Delaney’s mother, Kristen, is a great Instagram photographer in her own right, but she often tried to get me to use my skills on posed situations with Delaney and eventually her brother, Rhys. Since I’m skilled as a “real moment” journalist, I balked at the idea of contrived photography. I did indulge her at times but Kristen understands me now. When I was photographing the little ones, she used to stand behind me and try and get them to smile. It wasn’t until she began to see the results of waiting, for moments and natural reactions, that she left me to my own devices. I do, on occasion, set up a portrait, but it’s not my preferred method at family history. Even in those situations, it’s usually the outtakes, when tears flow or goofiness ensues, that I appreciate most.

Photographing my own children, and now their children, has filled photo albums and now hard drives beyond what I can share. I’ve created a number of galleries here to highlight the grandkids, my three sons, extended family, and the most photographed person in my life, my wife Carole. Enjoy!

Family

Glorious Grandchildren

My grandkids call me “Dude”, short for Granddude, and from birth they have seen a camera attached to my face whenever they are being cute or interesting. Our family is very big on tradition and many of these images are from events that we repeat each year. To the grandchildren, this is the rhythm of life.

In the lead photo of this gallery, an hilarious outtake of our 2018 Christmas tree shopping portrait, you’ll find (left to right) Rhys, 4; Braxton, 4; Carole; Delaney, 6, and Isla, 1. They’re all a year older now and the opportunities to see them shine increases as they get involved with sports, drama, and school.

Family

Halloween

Halloween is my birthday and I look forward each year to seeing my grandchildren in their costumes. In the lead photo of this gallery, you see one-year-old Delaney buzzing her bee costume through my backyard garden. Each year after that portrait, we made a tradition of photographing her in the garden on Halloween. As new grandchildren arrived, the photo shoot became more difficult. I have found I need to work fast and furious, engaging all four grandkids, before they melt down. The green-branched palo verde tree, that I often find my grandchildren climbing in, has become a common prop. Each year we utilize whatever is really outstanding that season in the garden. It’ll be interesting to see what coming years bring as these munchkins mature and develop their personalities.

Family

COCO

My love affair with Carole Schaffer Chambers and photography started around the same time. My beautiful girlfriend and, now, life partner, nicknamed Coco, has always been my best friend and favorite photographic subject. She has weathered the trials of life with me and offered the best support a companion can give. I offer these images as a historic record of our adventures and as a love letter without words.

Family

Christmas at the Chambers

Christmas is the most important holiday in our family, and lasts at least a month of each year. The rafters of my garage groan under the weight of our Christmas decorations, collected over decades. The actual decorating can take several days, but the traditions are the heart of family life.

I am known as Spiderman in my neighborhood for climbing to the top of my second-story home, to string Christmas lights a few days past Thanksgiving. We gather as a family to buy our Christmas trees at The Home Depot. It’s not as glamorous as traveling to the forest with saw in hand, but it fits the bill of toddler cuteness. Carole makes Welsh cookies from her mother’s recipe. We’ve had a large Christmas party with friends every year for 30 years. A card and letter go out to family and friends, photo calendars are made for gifts, and a new family themed slideshow plays continually on a large monitor in the kitchen. The family Christmas music library is embarrassingly large. Many evenings are spent touring local neighborhoods to see “over the top” decorations, nativity scenes, and a visit with Santa.

Christmas is the time my extended family makes a great effort to travel and meet together. The reunion moves between houses but often takes place in our living room and kitchen. There are traditional gifts: maple sugar candy in everyone’s stockings, Uncle Colin buys Vans shoes for all his nieces and nephews, and almost everyone gets a new book.

The birth of Jesus of Nazareth, God incarnate, God with us, is the celebration that anchors each year with love and hope.

Family

My Three Sons

I am blessed with three sons: Ian, David, and Colin. They are amazing young men with special skills and gifts. Ian is the designer and artist, a wonderful father and husband. David is the musician, athlete, social butterfly, and also a wonderful father of two. Colin is the mechanic, the daredevil, and the bachelor uncle that all the grandkids love.

I’m sure I’ve taken tens of thousands of images of my sons as a proud parent and professional photographer, but here are about a hundred images from their youth and adult lives that make me smile.