So any photographer will tell you - when we’re not shooting, our eye is constantly roving for things to incorporate into shoots. Bowls, baskets, blankets…
My style isn’t very ‘prop-heavy,’ but I do like to use specific pieces - baskets and bowls for my newborns, bigger baskets and stools to keep my toddlers still for a few seconds, bigger stools for seniors and teens.
(I’m making this quite a long ramble, and I apologize…but you know me!)
I’ve been on the lookout for a little chair for a long time - but everything I’ve found is painted. And I want wood. I LOVE wood grain because it’s so perfect for black and whites. And what is it with today’s furniture? Everything is so derned wobbly! Try getting a toddler to sit still on a wobbly chair. Ummm…no.
So today I wandered into a local antique store I hadn’t visited before. 5 minutes in and I find the perfect chair:

Beat up? Yes. Wood? Yes. Sturdy? Yes. Simple? Yes. Happiness reigns.
So then I wander around a little more, turned a corner, and a beam of light shot down from the sky to illuminate this:

I do believe my hands came to my mouth to cover the <gasp> of glee and tears sprung from my eyes. As a former landscape photographer, in my eye this wagon was transported to an open space with woods behind…a newborn lying on it, nestled in a wool blanket…or one of my sitting babies…or a toddler in a dress with her legs hanging over the side.
There was no way that wagon wasn’t leaving with me.
Look at it in black and white:

It’s so beautiful it makes a perfect image all on its’ own, doesn’t it? The wheels, the rusted steel, the texture, the faded text.
I’m just a wee bit excited about incorporating this into some of my upcoming shoots. I have a newborn on Saturday, but sadly it’ll be too cold to be outside. But come April? Oh yeah…