Christmas Card ’06: Behind the Scenes
I hope everybody has gotten their christmas cards from uncle Plume McPlumey. If you are expecting a card but it hasn’t arrived yet then you might want to skip this entry, as it shall be mainly about the card.
First of all, for all the unlucky people who weren’t graced by my good fortunes (oh I am so full of it!) here is a PDF version of the card. In fact even the people who did get the card might want to check out the PDF. Because that is the original vision (full of it, full of it!). That’s how it should have looked. The printed version was a bit misaligned and cut and the photos too dark etc. The PDF is nice and clear.
Also, if you would like to see full size versions of the pictures from the card then they are here and here and here and here.
There were a lot of happy mishaps in making the card. On the day I had decided to take the pictures the goats just happened to be tied up on the front lawn at the playground. For the first time in months. That was quite handy, because I could take each goat in turn. If they had been loose then it would have been one big, chaotic mess. Now it was more orderly.
Another fortunate thing that happened was Bodil coming by. At first she didn’t see me, she just saw the goats wearing christmas hats! Haha. So she went inside and asked what was going on. I hadn’t told anyone about it, so suddenly I had a puzzled crowd.
That’s Magnethe in the foreground of course. Then it’s Bodil with her dog Lulu and Pernille and Shermin, one of the regular kids. And everybody was laughing and cheering. Even the construction workers who were working a bit up the hill. Goats wearing christmas hats, that’s not something you see every day.
Bodil said that we should get a picture of me with the goats. A good idea. But I don’t think we would have been able to get all three goats to stand still with me for a picture. So it ended up being just Mads and me. I hadn’t planned to be in the card myself, so it was a lucky thing that Bodil was there to take the picture. She tried taking a lot of pictures actually, but she wasn’t used to the digital camera. So only two shots happened. The one in the card, and this one:
While I was taking pictures of Mads and Magnethe, Shermin came over and asked if she could put a hat on Vanilje. And I let her try. It was more complicated than you’d think though. Vanilje’s horns are so small that you can’t really “pin” the hat on them. With Mads and Magnethe I just poked their horns through their hats and bam, hats were on tight. But it didn’t really work with Vanilje. Also, she was a bit upset I think. Because it was the first (and last) time that she had been tied up. So after I had spent some time taking pictures of Mads and Magnethe I noticed Shermin still struggling with Vanilje.
And then I went to help her. We did manage to get the hat on her and snap a few pictures before she tossed it off. And luckily the pictures turned out pretty good, for quicksnaps at least. One in the card and an extra here:
Then of course I made sure to give her some treats and I sat down with her for a while. To keep her company.
Mads was much better at modelling his hat. He’s good at posing. I think he loves the camera.
Look at him. He’s so working it.
Mads was easy and Vanilje was hard. Magnethe was a little in the middle. She kept turning around and following me. So when I wanted to try a different angle I’d move, and then she’d move with me and ruin my intended shot! In the end I didn’t really have any pictures of her that I liked enough to put in the card. So I brought the christmas hats again the next day. This time the goats were inside. And I put the hat on Magnethe. And what happened? Another fortunate circumstance. She promptly decided to stand in the bucket. I would like to say that I had planned the great shot of her standing in a bucket like that, but nope. Just luck. I love the picture though. Goats standing in buckets, that never gets old. Here’s another Magnethe shot:
The picture of Mads and Magnethe on the back was just luck too. I hadn’t planned that little joke. I just saw the picture and thought that it looked like they were conspiring together. So I had a lot of luck and circumstance, but I am really happy with how it turned out. And I am glad that you guys have enjoyed it too.
I think that is pretty much the story of the christmas card. I made some videos on the day of the “photoshoot” too, I shall look and see if any of them are worth posting.
And now, it is very nearly christmas. In fact it is 7 minutes from now. In Denmark we celebrate on the 24th of course. So tomorrow is the big day. I will have a nice day in with the family. Christmas is the one time of year when we all eat dinner together. And then we’ll have presents and … well that’s about it. Most of the traditions have faded away now that the kids (and by that I mean my brother and I) are grown. But it’ll be a nice day anyway. And I will go up to the goats and wish them a merry christmas. I’m going to make a mix of their favourite treats. Usually I’ll bring them one kind. And try not to give them too much because, well they aren’t exactly slim eh? But tomorrow I’ll give them so many treats that they’ll think I’m Santa, even though my beard ain’t white. We’ll have our own little christmas party. I’ll try and see if I can snag a dance from Magnethe. I’d bring a mistletoe, but you know… they’re goats. They’d pick it clean before I could find a place to hang it.
It will be a good time, and to all a merry christmas.
December 24th, 2006 at 5:23
Merry, Merry Christmas Plume! All the photos are wonderful, of course. Vanilje looks so funny with the end of the hat on her nose. Our goats wouldn’t have put up with such nonsense at all.
Have a good Christmas with your family and the goats!
December 24th, 2006 at 11:29
Deb – Merry christmas Deb! When I showed the card to Pernille at the playground she said “they are all posing so naturally with the hats, you’re the only one who could have gotten them to do that”. Hehe. I guess I have found my secret talent. Goat photographer.
December 24th, 2006 at 12:30
So that’s how you got them to wear the hats. I think they are so used to you that putting on the hats was just another fun thing for them. They get to hang around with you plus get some treats along the way. The photos are so very wonderful.
I’m glad you liked the Christmas card. The little tree in the front with all the funny faces is from childhood. Those glass ornaments shine in the light, and when you put your face to it, it becomes distorted like a funhouse mirror. So all those little faces represent the crazy faces kids like to make in mirrors.
As for the Moomin Family passage, it’s one of my favorite books. That particular one is favorite of mine because that’s how I like to think winter is. Out here in sunny San Diego, we don’t get snow except for way out in the mountains. I’ve never seen snow before, and only on tv.
So whenever I read tha passage, I just want to fall asleep while the snow falls outside. Denmark is so far away and I see it as a special place. So it was important for me to have those images in that card because all of it is you.
I hope the card wasn’t too abstract. I’m not good with feelings so I’d rather show people through the pieces that I do. And I’m really not an artist in the formal sense.
It’s flattering to think, but I’d be foolish to have that moniker attached to me. I just enjoy what I do, and to share it with people who might enjoy it as well.
It’s the same thing that you do with your blog. It gives me hope that there are good things in the world that still exist. We’re so used to be cynical that we forget that the world is a good place and that there are good people in it.
So I hope you and Deb have a wonderful Christmas. And eat lots of goodies. It’s the only time of the year where should give ourselves the excuse to eat until we’re full.
After all, Christmas only comes once a year. Let’s all be happy and merry!
December 24th, 2006 at 17:00
Merry Christmas to you to, Luis. Wish I could send you some snow next time it comes around. We have a 30% chance of snow showers on Christmas Day.
If you aren’t comfortable with the artist title, how about “very talented person who expresses themselves differently”? VTPWETD – that’s why we want to call you an “artist”!
December 24th, 2006 at 22:45
Luis – I find that if you want to get a goat to do something then treats usually help a great deal. Only there is also the risk that they get so obsessed with treats that they can’t focus on anything else, hehe.
Now I get the tree idea! That is really brilliant. I love it even more. I don’t know if you qualify for official “artist” status. Maybe you won’t get a government grant. But it’s just a name, a label, anyway. Like a “singer”. What is a singer? Anyone who sings? Britney/Christina/Jessica etc, they can all sing clean and carry a note forever and so on. But to me there is no feeling, what is the point of being a “singer” if there is no feeling? My hero is Billy Corgan. Lots of people would swear that he can’t sing. So what? Is he a singer? Is he a worse singer than Jessica Simpson? You knwo what I’m saying? I don’t know if you’re an artist but your card is so full of feeling and great ideas, to me that’s art.
I hope you’ll get to see real snow some day. Maybe some day we’ll go skiing. I’ll have to learn how to ski first though.
Merry christmas, old boy!
Deb – Hey, hey, hey now! Don’t promise all your snow away. I need some of it too! To quote the weatherman yesterday “Zero chances of a white christmas”. Bugger. Maybe I should get a ton of paint and paint the world white. Then I wouldn’t have to rely on stupid weathermen.
Merry christmas, again!