Happy Mother's Day

Consider Mother's Day a victory for all mankind. Despite the commercial greeting card bombardment of the modern age, Mother's Day can still be called an official holiday. Call it a celebration of maternal bonds between mother and child. You can also call it a last minute gift scramble for your number one fan. How does an adorable 14 month old praise her mom? Simple...rare moments of photogenic smiles for Daddy's camera in the studio.



Watch out Hallmark! Quilling is not for the birds and aristocrats anymore. This decorative paper art form makes full use of your shredded sensitive documents or you could just order a fancy colored set from Amazon, just like my wife did. Nothing says Mother's Day like curled strips of paper from the shredder.



Like mother like daughter, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The creative juices are flowing with my oldest daughter. From Kids Arts Fair at school to contemporary Quilling at home, my daughter became mommy's new art assistant. Truly a Mother's Day gift of heart and free child labor.



Like father like son, the apples are eaten before they even hit the ground. For my son, this motherly holiday is an exercise of strong will and hapless determination. Difficult describes the gifted effort for my son this honored day. His inner "Christmas everyday" soul is challenged with the phrase "giving is better than receiving." Of course with the help of his first grade teacher, this Mother's Day came with barely a smile wrapped in a homemade frame with a loving card. Priceless!



You can view more adorable smiles and quilling delights in my Mother's Day 2012 Gallery shot with the new Canon EOS 5D Mark III full frame DSLR.



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Canon EOS Rebel T3i Video: Serenity

Routine is never routine. Any planning, organizing and reading cannot mentally prepare you for the unexpected. Meet my new addition to my family, Serena Soriano. Scheduled as a routine natural delivery like the two previous siblings before her, minor complications preceded mother nature and my wife was quickly whisked away to the operating room for an unscheduled C-section.



Caesarean sections are performed on a daily basis in hospitals across the world. My world was visibly shaken because this was my wife's very first major surgery in her entire life. Overwhelming concern for my wife and undelivered daughter filled my mind. I have been previously planning for months a well orchestrated and produced child birth video of our third child. My hands were trembling from worry but I managed to preserve the glorious moment.



At a healthy 8 pounds and 3 ounces, Serena emerged to a welcoming family and a Canon EOS Rebel T3i in the operating room. My oldest daughter finally has a younger sister to nurture and guide to everything Apple and Justin Bieber. My once youngest son and now middle child is outnumbered and has no comment on the matter.



Forgive me Father for I have sinned, it has been a long five years since my last child birth experience. 4 hour feedings, burping, diaper changing and the dreaded infant car seat installation quickly comeback as a harsh reality. A happy harsh reality.



The "boss" is slowly but surely recovering. I could not wait for my wife's heavy narcotics from surgery to wane because she can finally hold her newborn child in her arms. Anticipation of her baby daughter's touch pulled her through the worst of times. I am personally looking forward to the good times.



Welcome to the "Modern Family". iPad, iPhone 4, WiFi, HD DSLR's, 1080p video and Facebook connected child birth announcements invaded the maternity ward of the hospital, as if we never left home.



With the "all clear" from Pediatrician and Obstetrician, child in mother's embrace head home for some well needed rest in comfortable serenity.



I captured the entire journey with the Canon EOS Rebel T3i paired with the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens. With the small, lightweight and versatile T3i/600D around my neck, I easily documented my newborn daughter into this world. I could not think of a more practical and realistic test of a digital photographic tool than real life. The T3i/600D exceeded my expectations in versatility and image quality just like my previous Canon EOS Rebel T3i Verdict and Video Review.

You can view more pictures and videos in my Canon EOS Rebel T3i Serena Soriano Gallery.

Maternity Mayhem

Just like the latest Canon gear I review on my ChadSorianoPhotoBlog, I wish my wife's upcoming special delivery had a tracking number. Billing information received, origin scan and finally a scheduled delivery date to my front door. Somehow the folklore of UPS and FedEx deliveries of newborns seem unfit for fables and fairy tales.



My family maternity photo shoot of Serena's arrival continues after the debacle at Fort De Soto Beach, FL. Hair trimmed and flattened. Bangs cut and layered. A father's photography patience tested repeatedly.



The Stork is the harbinger of child birth and my kid's cooperation leads to a successful maternity photo shoot. The proper pose, the perfect smile and the glowing expectation of many good things to come make good pictures that last a lifetime.



Happy Valentine's Day to my beautiful wife of almost ten years. Very long years. "Heart" day is here again for intimate companions showing their affections and for going broke in the wallet. My love is never ending because my "Parlement of Foules" rest in my family.



This tumultuous yet fruitful maternity photography session is shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L and EF 100mm f/2.8L IS lenses. You can view more in my Maternity and Family Gallery.