1st Edition Smile For The Camera - The Carnival's In Town

Welcome to the 1st Edition of Smile For The Camera - A Carnival of Images, Mothers' Day, 11 May 2008.

The topic for the 1st Edition is:


We have all given it, or experienced it - Mother Love - Love of Mother. In this inaugural edition of Smile For The Camera we show it, through those treasured photographs. So take a seat, grab a latte, and a Crispy Creme (everyone except the soon to be unfat), and enjoy the carnival of images that is the 1st Edition of Smile For The Camera.

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First up, let me introduce you to one of my favorite non-GeneaBloggers, Patti Digh of 37 Days. Patti shares an article in which every mother will recognize herself. And if you're not a mother, you will undoubtedly recognize the love a mother once lavished on you. Eat raw tarantulas in hot sauce for someone is filled with Mother Love and some beautiful photographs.

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Janice Brown our favorite humorist shares a touching photograph of her mother Mary who once remarked that, "having two in diapers was a challenge" in Mare, Smile For The Camera! posted at Cow Hampshire. Now combine two in diapers with the knowledge of more on the way and you have a glimpse of Mare's love captured in a photograph.

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Fellow Pacific Northwest GeneaBlogger Sue Edminster combines a haunting portrait of her ancestor with a lovely Scottish children's song in Jeannie Arbuckle. Sue is the author of the family history blog Echo Hill Ancestors Weblog. The depiction of Sue on the left comes from one of her many posted advertisements, the one about what to do when you become a shadow of your former self.

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L.H. Crawley shares the serious business of life in her photograph and article titled On The Porch, A Long Way From Home posted at The Virtual Dime Museum. While there are no smiles in the image, our smile comes from Laura's reverence for their lives and the absolutely wonderful way with words that has become the mainstay of this blog. The photograph is very touching, for if you look closely you will see that Laura's great grandfather has put his arm around his mother. Love of Mother captured in time.

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Jasia our "Queen of the COG" has created a beautiful scrapbook tribute to her Mother in A Mother's Love is Measured in Many Ways posted at Creative Gene. Her Mother was a contradiction balanced between the tender, kind, and loving caregiver and the woman who was uncomfortable with signs of affection and the words "I love you." Jasia shares a story of both Love of Mother and Mother Love complete with a beautiful scrapbook page.

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Oh Thomas, what a poignant poem you have written to accompany the photograph of you and your Mother in That Month of Three posted at Destination: Austin Family. Nothing I say can touch the depth of emotion Thomas has shared with us in his poem. This is the type of tribute envisioned when Mothers' Day was proclaimed in 1914.

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Jewelgirl presents SMILE FOR THE CAMERA # 1 posted at Searching For Family Branches. The perfect photograph for that perfect love, Mother's adoring love. Thank you Jewelgirl, you have captured the essence of Smile For The Camera.

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Randy Seaver's photograph not only qualifies for this 1st Edition, but is absolutely adorable to boot. You will certainly recognize Randy musing in Mom and Me - I Smile for the Camera posted at Genea-Musings. His proud Mother makes for a perfect image of Mother Love.

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Becky Wiseman treats us to several photographs of family celebration in She did it with Love posted at kinexxions. A very young new Mother cradles her first born with love in her eyes, a love that never gets old, as Becky's photographs demonstrate.

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Donna Pointkouski features a pictorial view of her maternal ancestry in A Mother's Love posted at What's Past is Prologue. Donna is fortunate to have several photographs of the women in her family in the arms of their Mothers. This is a very attractive group of women whose love is evident in each and every photograph.

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Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective presents Honor Your Mothers on Sunday: Label Your Photographs at The Photo Detective. Maureen introduces us to her maternal grandmother, Nana, and asks us to honor the women of our family trees by labeling those photographs so they won't be forgotten.

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Denise Olson shares The story behind the logo posted at Family Matters. It is an intriguing article about the picture that is the familiar masthead of Denise's blog. Meet the Mother and daughter in full photograph with all the details of Love of Mother and Mother Love.

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Margaretann posts a beautiful photograph that shows the pride and love of a new Mother in Mother's Love for Her Three Girls posted at GeneaDiva's History, Genealogy and "Stuff". The joy captured in this photograph is infectious.

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Terry Thornton at Hill Country of Monroe County Mississippi shares a wonderful photograph of a camera in the hands of a woman and a woman in the hands of a camera in his article A Camera And No Smile. That woman was his Mother and our resident word-smith has given us one of his vintage southern Thornton articles.

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Lisa posts a beautiful pictorial tribute and story for Magdalena in 100 Years in America: Remembering Mother Magdalena: 1860-1957 at 100 Years in America. A sad story of Love of Mother and Mother Love separated by seas and time never to be joined again.

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A warm day, a trip to the park, a new baby, and a mother who would much rather stare lovingly at Steve than at the camera can be found at Steve Danko's A Mother's Love posted at Steve's Genealogy Blog. Great photograph!

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Elizabeth O'Neal shows us in one photograph what many of us have come to know - that connection to our Mothers we experience when we become a Mother in How Much Your Mother Loves You posted at Little Bytes of Life. As the photograph shows Elizabeth, she loves you that much!

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George Geder shares a photograph of his first precious days of life and the woman who most obviously adored him in I Smile For The Camera posted at George Geder. You'll notice that George was always photogenic.

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Ken, this photograph immediately created that mental image no words could, "mom could always make it better." Ken Spangler has captured the essence of a Mother's Love and Love of Mother in this photograph featured in A Mother's Love? posted at Beyond Fiction. So glad you are here from the beginning!

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Miriam Robbins Midkiff presents Images of Mother Love posted at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors. The fact that Mother love doesn't end when a child becomes an adult is the most compelling photograph in this post. A Mother is a Mother forever and we are forever their children. Loved the photographs, Miriam!

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A. Lee presents The Artist’s Mother posted at eArtFair.com. Honoring motherhood, this article depicts how world famous artists have chosen to depict their mothers as well as motherhood. A key feature is David Hockney's work using photo collage.

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And rounding out this 1st Edition of the Carnival is my Four Generations Held In Their Mother's Arms in The Hand That Rocks The Cradle posted at footnoteMaven. From my Great Grandmother to my daughter, we're all here to Smile For The Camera.

Thank You All!

I would like to thank everyone who participated in this inaugural edition. You have certainly made it a success. Smile was always meant to be a celebration of the images we hold most dear, and looking through your posts you have certainly embraced that celebration. From the impact of a single silent photograph, to a poignant poem, message, article, or scrapbook page accompanying your photographs, you have demonstrated what we all know in our hearts - Mother Love.

Now The Call For Submissions!
2ND EDITION
Smile For The Camera ~ A Carnival of Images

The 2nd Edition of Smile For The Camera takes its word prompts from the romance and weddings of the month of June. So, show us your belles and beaus. Choose a photograph of an ancestor, relative, yourself, or an orphan photograph that shows a memorable wedding, courting/dating, or a photograph depicting young/old love.


Your submission may include as many or as few words as you feel are necessary to describe your treasured photograph. Those words may be in the form of an expressive comment, a quote, a journal entry, a poem (your own or a favorite), a scrapbook page, or a heartfelt article. The choice is yours!

Deadline for submission is midnight 10 June, 2008.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

There are two options:

1. Send an email to the host, footnoteMaven. Include the title and permalink URL of the post you are submitting, and the name of your blog. Put 'Smile For The Camera' clearly in the title of your email!

2. Use the handy submission form provided by Blog Carnival, or select the Bumper Sticker in the upper right hand corner.

See you at the Carnival!