Just be you
This is my second daughter. Her turn to celebrate Shichi Go San – making it to be 7 years old. The whole experience with her was very different from what I had with my first daughter when she celebrate her 7th Shichi Go San. They are raised the same way under the same circumstances, but each personality and individuality is different. They are born with their own nature, and the inner nature gets more pronunced as they get older . . . how interesting!
I thought all little girls love getting dressed up, and excited about a magical make over experience . . . maybe not for her.
“Are we done?” this is what she is saying during the above picture.
Not quite yet! we got to take pictures! She has seen me taking pictures of the boys and girls, and requested “OK, mama . . .but only under a condition that I can use one of the Japanese swords!”. I was confused at the moment figuring out how I could photograph a girl in beautiful kimono with a sword. Before me finishing a sentence trying to convince her ” . . . but the swords are for the boy’s photo sessions. . . .” then my husband who knows better about her dead strong stubburness rushed to bring out the sword(and a glass of milk before she bursts into tears!), and things started rolling.
Amazingly and surprizingly my camera loooooooved what it was capturing! She is dead serious. The sharp look and strongly frown face and the lines between her eyes are pure and natural. I did not have to give her any directions . . . she looked really good with the sword.
Yes. She is roaring – loudly . . .
Sparkles in her eyes . . . I must say, I was impressed. She totally changed my expectations for the girls in kimono in a very good way. Someting new and it is YOU!
Something good about being 7 years old is that she could also answer my request and pose the below shots for me. . . to satisfy mama’s expectations. Thank you.
but please do not loose the baby cheeks . . .
Then, is is her turn to pose the way she wants ….
. . . and done.
Thank for Mrs.Mikko at Kimono no Kobeya. She did an amazing job doing her hair and dressing this tomboy in the kimono. My daughter wanted to wear a black kimono, and thanks to Mrs.Mikko’s variety of kimono collections, we could find this one with black in it. What a fun and memorable experience it was!
Akiko Whalen Photography 