Erica, with whom I share a love of both Harry Potter and Sailor Moon, is my fifth tattoo triptych.
Erica is besties with Sarah (they met in grade 1, awww!), sister of friend Meaghan. So, I generally see her at family dinners at Meaghan’s. =)
Once, while at a (freezing) outdoor family skate at Butchart Gardens, I heard, “HEY, BUD!” and turned to see Erica and Sarah standing expectantly under one of the rink lights.
Erica and Sarah: “It’s teapot weather!”
Bud: “Um . . . what?”
They both turned their heads up and whistled, their breath brightly illuminated in the rink light, performing their very best impressions of boiling teapots.
This was always the first image conjured up in my head whenever Erica’s name came up.
That is, until last Thanksgiving, when I noticed the most amazing new ink on her arm (see the centre shot above), and I vowed to capture Erica in my next tattoo triptych.
Of course, life being what it is, I needed the fire lit under my butt of her impending departure from the country to finally make it happen, but make it happen we did, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.
In the top shot, you’ll see Erica’s Marauder’s Map (from which the phrase “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good” comes).
It works. IT FRICKING WORKS. Tap the wand which came with it to the map, and YOU CAN SEE FOOTPRINTS APPEAR ON THE MAP. It’s like frickin’ magic.
And, in the bottom shot, you’ll see Erica’s Time Turner. It no longer functions as created to reverse the hours, as it’s broken, but once Erica gets it fixed, look out . . .
=)
Marauder’s Map: Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 23 mm · 1/250 s · f/2.8 · ISO 100
Strobist: Canon 430EX II, 3′ front/right of subject, 1/16 power, remote triggered
up to no good: Canon EOS 70D · Tamron 60mm f/2.0 macro · 60 mm · 1/250 s · f/2.8 · ISO 400
Time Turner: Canon EOS 70D · Tamron 60mm f/2.0 macro · 60 mm · 1/250 s · f/2.8 · ISO 100
Strobist: Canon 430EX II, 3′ front/right of subject, 1/32 power, remote triggered
BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!
Yup, there was too much awesome to contain with Erica, and her full story needs to be told. I’ll start with more of her tattoos. She got the moon on her back when she was 16 as part of her “passionate and everlasting love for Sailor Moon.”
I respect this no end, as I’m also a fan of Sailor Moon. Yup, internet. I said it. =)
The stars came three years later ’cause twinkly. You just can’t deny the twinkly.
Canon EOS 70D · Tamron 60mm f/2.0 macro · 60 mm · 1/250 s · f/2 · ISO 400
Next, a lighting test shot. We didn’t end up shooting on this side of the castle due to the white tent, but I absolutely loved how this quick test turned out so much that I turned it from an outtake to an intake! Those words might only make sense in my mind.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 18 mm · 1/250 s · f/4.5 · ISO 100
Strobist: Canon 430EX II, 5′ left of subject, 1/16 power, remote triggered
But now, we get to the good stuff: Erica’s family. In the back row with her is her husband, Zac Champion. Yes, she married into the family name Champion. How amazing is that??!?
And, in front are their boys, Spencer (16, left) and Tyson (11, right). I doubled Erica’s tattoo triptych session as a mini-family session because these folks are the world to her.
She and Zac went through the adoption process like anybody else but, amazingly, ended up adopting these two, who were being fostered in a house around the corner from them. Crazy, no?
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 35 mm · 1/500 s · f/3.5 · ISO 400
Which brings us to Erica’s blue/green (the boys’ favourite colours) infinity tattoo for Spencer and Tyson. Erica describes getting the tattoo as such:
“I remember laying there getting it done, and thinking that it was like my “giving birth moment;” lying there in tons of pain and permanently marking my body.”
So cool, right? Yeah, so cool.
Canon EOS 70D · Tamron 60mm f/2.0 macro · 60 mm · 1/500 s · f/2 · ISO 400
Final crazy Erica fact: as an Education Assistant at SD62, Erica has had occasion to hear my voiceover performances as all the water drops in this little production . . .
=)