The Bar Mitzvah's sister

I love this of the Grandad and hope it's not the only good shot in the church temple. I kept having to stop myself from genuflecting at the altar. And I'm intrigued that the portraits of the sister and brother seem to be at exactly the same angle. I think that must be my comfort zone angle. The second image, that of the brother, is pretty good for me technically.

This I chose because of her lovely face which will be fondly remembered when I look back on this blipbook in years to come and it's a face which she always presents when you see her in fleeting moments each individually rushing out to our cars for school.

Rather an honour to photograph our neighbour's son's Bar Mitzvah today as her brother is a real photographer and since my knowledge of Judaism in our society amounts to an unhealthy obsession with Curb your enthusiasm, everything was new to me. I'm ever grateful for the opportunity we had beforehand to take some shots in the gardens. Me and absent natural indoor light are not the best of friends and inside the Temple had just that. The son has special needs and so this was actually a full dress rehearsal conducted by a female rabbi and with a host of therapists in attendance with the view that the actual service will not be photographed.

Doing my thing as I do, lying on the floor on my back to take shots when really I should be lying on my front, the grandad remarked:

"Does your boyfriend like you doing that too?" so thankfully his rather risque sense of humour put me at ease.

Reuben was up early for a Ph probe test, a ghastly tube inserted into his nose to determine his stomach's base level acidity having been off his reflux meds all weekend. This will then confirm whether the stomach twist (Nissen) surgery is required again as it has no doubt slipped after first being performed just after birth. When Jason brought him back from hospital, he had a wire attached by tape and wrapped around his stomach and on the outside, a large black monitor attached to a strap around his neck. Poor little love: he became very upset when it was put in but really carried on typically afterwards as if he had not a care in the World. So brave and noble. Although the strap was holding it in place, it was as if he felt he should hold it in his hands.

For Callum and me, school in the morning, then bathroom showroom with Callum who would lick make believe drops of water from the many taps on show whilst screeching with excitement, the Barmitzvah, shopping for cake and champagne for a certain person's birthday who still insisted on not being photographed today and editing away tonight til 2am. I guess tomorrow will be a little slower. Nicely sleepy on the bubbles...