Krishna Neale Photography: Blog

Halloween part 2

Tue, 05 Apr 2016 23:58:45 GMT

This is the second part and post from a session I did back on Halloween of last year. (Yes, I'm still behind on posting some of my favourite sessions from 2015). It was such fun to hang out with this family for a couple of hours and to capture the excitement and preparation for Trick or Treating. This photojournalist style session can be done at a special occasion, to capture a family tradition or even just to record a few hours of your daily life with kids. The images become more meaningful as time passes and are so special to look back on, especially as your children grow. If you would like to find out more about a Lifestyle Session, please give me a call.

Now a big sister

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 01:09:09 GMT

I'm still catching up on blog posts from some of my favourite sessions from last year. Blogging is hard….sigh.

Photographing this family on the other hand was not hard. Such a great family and it's always fun to have the challenge of capturing a toddler and a newborn together. This was my second session with them and I look forward to seeing them.

Here are some of my favourites from their session.

High School Graduation season is approaching

Tue, 08 Mar 2016 21:12:16 GMT

Are you or someone you know hosting a pre-banquet graduation event? I'm now taking bookings for the 2016 Graduation season. I'll capture the graduates with their families and friends so you can put your camera down and enjoy this wonderful occasion. I only book one session per school so spaces fill quickly. Please contact me at 604-916-2929 or [email protected] to book your session.

Celebrating four generations

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 00:39:32 GMT

It's not very often that four generations of family are in a room together and I felt honoured and privileged to photograph this family and their relatives during a holiday season visit from England. Dogs included of course, it was an afternoon of smiles and laughter. The session ended with some documentary style images of a visit over tea and cake and a family game. Here are a few of my favourites.

Some babies just don't want to sleep.

Thu, 14 Jan 2016 22:46:23 GMT

This beautiful 10 day old baby boy just did not want to sleep for his portrait session. He stayed awake and alert for hours, and even though we got some beautiful awake photographs of him, we persisted and finally at the end of the session I got some sleeping ones as well. I've recently posted an information page on my website to help prepare parents for their newborn photo session, so if you are expecting a baby or know someone that is, please feel free to send them this link. http://www.krishnaneale.com/faq-newborn-session

Pets are family too.

Sat, 09 Jan 2016 20:08:12 GMT

I've known this kind and generous family for many years, our children went to the same elementary school but now that they are older and I don't see them as often, it was extra special to spend an hour with them over the holidays photographing their family (including the four legged members) in their home. The small dog is a newly adopted addition to their family and in my opinion any addition of a new family member, absolutely warrants a family photo session. I'm finding more and more that I am drawn to the candid natural family shots, the real ones, the ones that show some emotion, some personality or that captures a glimpse into their life. So here are a few of my favourites from their session.

A Pirate Pumpkin Carver

Thu, 03 Dec 2015 02:11:09 GMT

This little man had some serious focus and determination while working on this pumpkin before he went out for Trick or Treating with his family.

Still time for holiday portraits

Thu, 26 Nov 2015 00:54:33 GMT

I still have space available for holiday portraits and you'll have beautiful photographs in time to share with family and friends. I've created new photography packages and the details can be found on my website under the Information and Pricing tab. You'll also find a couple of new documents full of answers to FAQ's which will help you prepare for you session and know what to expect.

Baby's first Christmas makes for a perfect holiday themed session and a beautiful keepsake. It also makes a perfect gift for grandparents.

Contact me to book your session.

Vancouver family of 5

Sat, 14 Nov 2015 23:56:56 GMT

It was a one of those special sunny days at the start of fall when I had the pleasure of photographing this beautiful family. I know the parents but I had never met the children until this day and you would never have known it, because they reacted to me like I was an old friend. Everyone was so relaxed and I think it shows in the photographs. I love doing sessions in and around a clients home because the images become more personal and I can capture awesome moments like a family dance party which they did at the end of this session. I had a really tough time narrowing down my favourite photos and I've tried to set a goal to display just one or two images from each session, but I'm failing miserably.

On that note, I've decided to restructure my pricing so that most of my packages now include all of the digital files. I know how difficult it can be to choose, so this way no photos get left behind and all the time and work I put into editing the images for the gallery, doesn't feel lost. I've also come to realize that as my children grow, the photos that I loved the most at the time, are often different to ones I love now when I look back. Images can resonate differently as time passes so I want my clients to have all the images from their session. You can find my new pricing on my website under the information tab. I've also created some FAQ documents to help prepare and get the most out of your session.

A baby of a different kind

Mon, 19 Oct 2015 19:12:51 GMT

While visiting family and friends in Australia recently, I did a photography session with a very special friend and her fur baby, Coco. She is a bit of a princess, so I got her a little bling to wear for the shoot. A few of my favourites.

Celebrating three generations

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 17:04:49 GMT

For most Canadians, this past Thanksgiving weekend was about sharing a meal with family and I imagine in many of those households they were giving thanks for their family members. Having photographs of extended family is a gift for yourself and your children. I know for myself, when I look back at photographs of my parents and grandparents it takes me back in time and renews my memories of time we spent together.

As with many extended families, just getting everyone together can be a schedule or geographical challenge and it was no different for this family. Then to add to the challenge it was forecast to rain, so we scrambled to come up with a location with some coverage so we wouldn't have to reschedule their session. Luckily for us, the rain stopped which gave us a little more flexibility and they have some beautiful prints that can be enjoyed now and digital images that can be passed down through the generations to be enjoyed.

Here are a few of my favourite images.

365 Grateful Heart Project - month of September

Mon, 05 Oct 2015 20:35:07 GMT

September was a busy month with back to school, strict routine & busy schedules. As a result, my project did fall a few days behind on a couple of occasions, but even then I still found myself seeking out the happy moments each day and appreciating the small things which I'm grateful for. We tend to be aware of the big stuff we are grateful for, but I've found that by noticing the little things, it has helped me focus less on the few negative or disappointing things in my life and to give more thought and attention to the positive .

Today I got a call from a writer for the Globe & Mail in Toronto. She is writing an article on Gratitude for next weeks paper and had come across my 365 Grateful Heart Project while doing research for her story. I'm so glad she found me and I hope that sharing my experience with this project helps her article and encourages others to take a few minutes each day or week, to pay attention to their happy moments and give focus to their gratitude. It doesn't have to be represented by a photo, it could be a few words, a creative written piece once a week or even as simple as a thought before you close your eyes each night.

Here are a few of my grateful and happy moments from the month of September. If you want to see more and read what each of them represent, go to my Instagram feed at https://instagram.com/krishnaneale/

A great deal on a Fall Photography Session

Fri, 02 Oct 2015 16:40:38 GMT

and what a party it was

Sat, 12 Sep 2015 15:50:14 GMT

I've been lucky enough to attend several events put on by this couple and wow, they can throw a PARTY! This one, which I photographed back in April was in celebration of their daughters first birthday. The theme, the decorations, the food and the activities were all brilliant, but what I admire most, is that it's not as much about the party for them, it's about celebrating life's milestones and sharing it with family and friends.

...and baby makes 5

Thu, 13 Aug 2015 16:24:11 GMT

I first met this couple back when their first child was born, he was one of the first newborn babies I photographed. Fast forward a number of years and they just welcomed a beautiful baby girl into their family. I was so excited to be asked back to photograph them. It's incredible how the pace and activity level around a home is SO very different from baby #1 to baby #3 and WOW, seeing this mom of two young boys and a newborn baby get things done, was super inspiring. And she looks amazing just days after giving birth. It was a really fun session capturing the boys at this stage (my favourite ages to photograph) but to also capture some sweet baby girl pictures. Here are some of my favourite shots.

A beautiful big baby boy

Sat, 04 Jul 2015 22:03:28 GMT

He must be one of the biggest newborn babies I have photographed. He was just 5 days old for his at home session (although he looked like he was several weeks old) and wow, what a dream subject he was. He slept soundly for most of the session and didn't mind the moving and posing. I captured a crazy amount of beautiful images which makes it hard to short list my favourites. If your planning to have a newborn session of your baby, the younger they are the better. The difference between a 5 day old baby and a 10 day old can be quite significant. At 10 days, they are more alert and don't sleep as heavily which makes it harder to achieve a variety of poses. They also tend to have bigger bellies and don't curl up as easily as a younger baby. Here are some of my favourites from the session.

Mini Sessions June 6th Whytecliff Park

Sun, 31 May 2015 01:31:19 GMT

A little girl turns two

Thu, 28 May 2015 20:44:58 GMT

This was a fun session and I was truly in my element. It was done in celebration of her second birthday so we incorporated some balloons and for the second part of the session she hosted a tea party. It was really hard to choose my favourite images to show so I've included some from the first half of the session here and I will do another post on the tea party portion. So adorable!

Spring babies

Wed, 13 May 2015 04:17:46 GMT

It's seems to be the season for new babies right now. Newborn photo sessions are best done within the first 10 days when they sleep heavily and curl up well. After 10 days their belly get bigger which makes it harder to curl them up and they are more alert to their surroundings. This beautiful newborn was just 7 days old and she didn't want to sleep for her session but we still captured a beautiful image of her and surprisingly this awake photo ended up being one of my favourites from her recent session.

365 Project month of April

Sat, 09 May 2015 20:04:06 GMT

This month's happy and grateful moments seemed to be largely based around warmth, sunshine, humour, laughter and remembering and honouring special people in my life both past and present. As work gets busier it did become more of a challenge to continue with the project this month, but I'm glad I did.

Below is a selection of my '365 Project' Instagram/Facebook posts for the month of April . If you want to see more and read what each of them represent go to my Instagram feed at https://instagram.com/krishnaneale/ and if you want to see some beautiful images from others taking part in the #365gratefulheart project, take a look at my friend Ute https://instagram.com/foto_ute/ and also https://instagram.com/mspurevanilla and https://instagram.com/tressavent .

365 grateful heart project - month of March

Fri, 03 Apr 2015 19:26:26 GMT

A big list of happy moments and things to be grateful for in the month of March, including an early start to spring here in Vancouver, a trip to my home country to visit with beloved family and friends, lots of laughter and memorable times, warm sunny weather, time to unwind and spend together, a successful achievement for my husband, did I mention warm sunny weather, and a wonderful dog sitter that took great care of our Brody.

Below is a selection of my Instagram/Facebook posts from March. If you want to see more and read what each of them represent go to my Instagram feed at https://instagram.com/krishnaneale/ and if you want to see some beautiful images from others taking part in the #365gratefulheart project, take a look at my friend Ute https://instagram.com/foto_ute/ and also https://instagram.com/mspurevanilla and https://instagram.com/tressavent .

Capturing a boys passion

Sat, 07 Mar 2015 05:42:54 GMT

I loved doing this photography session so much, quietly witnessing him create beautiful art, surrounded by his amazing works. This young man has been an avid and passionate artist for most of his life and his mom even showed me some of his drawings from when he was just four and five years old and they could rival that of my current drawing abilities. He is a quiet personality, we didn't talk much and I didn't ask him to pose or smile. I just wanted to capture HIM doing what he LOVES to do and I think we got it. I got a little emotional when I received this message from his mom after she saw the images. "Wow Krishna. I just had a look at the gallery. I am actually quite overcome with emotion as the photos are so beautiful and they really capture the true essence of Sam. It just shows what a good idea it is to photograph kids doing what they love - I've never seen Sam be "so Sam" on film before. I love all the shots of his paints and brushes too and all of the "mess" that can sometimes drive me crazy but is so totally incredibly beautiful at the same time. I love them all so much! Thank you for doing this."

If you would like to talk about having a photography session for your child doing what they love, please call or email me, I'd love to hear about your child's passion and how we might be able to capture those memories forever. Here are some favourite shots from my session with Sam.

365 grateful heart project - month of february

Mon, 02 Mar 2015 20:30:47 GMT

Two months into this project (where I take a photo each day of something which I'm grateful for or that makes me smile) and my observation so far is this….by acknowledging these moments of gratefulness, the feeling of happiness not only lingers much longer but is remembered with more clarity.

If you want to join the project, it's not too late. You find us on instagram, #365gratefulheart. You can see more of my images at @krishnaneale and if you want to see some beautiful images from others taking part, take a look at my friend Ute @foto_ute and also @mspurevanilla and @tressavent.

Here are a few of my grateful moments from February.

Beach Family Session

Sat, 28 Feb 2015 00:01:00 GMT

I'm not sure if these boys are just naturals in front of the camera or if there was some serious bribing that went down before they arrived ;-), but they were so comfortable, natural and just happy to be there. I loved meeting this family and spending the afternoon with them. Here are a few of my favourites from their session. I especially love the one when Dad made the boys laugh and they both put their hands up to their mouth the same way.

Spring weekend sessions are starting to fill up, so if your planning on getting professional photos taken this year, give me a call so we can secure your spot.

Whytecliff park family session

Thu, 05 Feb 2015 00:22:43 GMT

I feel so lucky to live near Whytecliff park and although I don't get there as much these days, we spent so many hours there when my boys were young. It's a great location for a photography session with it's beach, park and playground, and we decided on it for this local family because of their real love for the ocean. The morning light was lovely and although the youngest took a bit of coaxing to find his smile, we got it in the end.

A family of 6 from last summer

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 00:20:42 GMT

On a warm afternoon last summer, I had such fun photographing this family. At one stage the kids had me laughing so much with their Sears catalogue posing that I had to work hard to keep the images from blurring. Such a beautiful family in so many ways, and they all have the most radiating smiles. Here are a few of my favourites.

Babies first Christmas.

Thu, 08 Jan 2015 02:35:20 GMT

Well, things got a little crazy over the past couple of months, hence the lack of blog postings and I have some serious catching up to do. For now I'm skipping ahead to a Christmas style session that I did a few weeks ago with this beautiful little lady. Talk about co-operative, we had multiple costume, props and set changes!

Set one - Colour, colour, colour. (thank goodness for plastic ornaments because everything goes in the mouth at this age)

Set two - fun and bright but with a traditional red and green theme.

Often I photoshop the drool out of an image but sometimes it's so epic I just have to leave it.

Set three - warm and winter cozy. (The hat was a little snug which she indicated to us in that last frame)

We wrapped with a few cuddle pictures with Mom then she went back to her trailer for a nap ;-). What a star!

Why hire a professional photographer when I own a great camera.

Sun, 02 Nov 2014 23:56:13 GMT

With the invention of digital cameras and the fast growing advances in technology, it's not just professional photographers that have good cameras, the average Joe can take good photos using a very affordable camera. This is great for 'Joe' but it has a negative impact on the professional photography industry. People are more reluctant to hire a professional because they can get pretty good results themselves. So one of the things professional photographers have had to do, is get skilled at editing or what we call post production. They need to be able to create something that doesn't look like it came straight out of 'Joe's' camera. Over the past several years I have learned and practised my skills in Lightroom and Photoshop and I love what I can do now to create an image that looks like art, rather than a snap shot.

For an average child or family photography session, I charge $150 for the sitting and it will only take me 60-90 minutes with the clients, which may seem like a rather high hourly rate, but what people often don't realize is that I spend anywhere from 6-10 hours in post production working on that same session. I go through every image, delete any obvious bad ones, then go back and pick out the best ones. Once I've narrowed it down to my favourite 30-40 images, I adjust each and every one of them and do photoshop touchups on things like skin, flyaway hair, colour casts and even soften the odd wrinkle :-). I want the images on my clients gallery to look the best as they can and I want the client to love them immediately and want to buy enlargements to fill every wall in their house. Ok that might be a bit much but you get the idea.

So at this time of year, I do some cleaning up of my computer files and archiving of old photographs and recently I came across this photo I took a long time ago and early in my professional career. It was taken around this time of year in Stanley Park amongst the fall leaves. I didn't do much photoshop back when I first started out so I decided to work on this image again and see what I can do with it now. It's a wonderful moment taken of two adorable little girls, the 'before' photo straight from the camera is ok, but with some Lightroom and Photoshop work, it really transforms into fantastic photograph worthy of display, don't you think?

So that's one example of what a professional can do for you and a good reason to hire one every now and again.

Three under three.

Wed, 29 Oct 2014 18:52:06 GMT

It's hard to remember back to when I had two kids under 3 years and I'm not even sure that I fully appreciated (at the time) how adorable they were because it was so busy and all consuming. So now, I love to look back on photos and videos, especially the ones that remind me of their funny sayings, their favourite things, their habits and rituals. Photographing this beautiful family reminded me of how precious these memories and keepsakes are. Capturing the little boys love of Thomas the Train and of stickers. The way he sat with his feet tucked under him. His disinterest with his new baby sisters :-).

If I was to go back and raise my kids over again, I would take more short video clips, write down more of their quotes and I would have someone take photos of them WITH ME. I have oodles of photos of them but almost none with me.

I loved every minute with this family and I hope years from now, they look back on the photos and are reminded of their own special moments.

Krishna

How to get your camera off AUTO mode - Lesson 1

Thu, 23 Oct 2014 22:06:37 GMT

The first thing to understand in learning to use your camera outside of it’s auto setting is that 3 things control exposure (level of light).

1. The ISO (another lesson)

2. The shutter speed (also another lesson)

3. The APERTURE (AKA the hole in your lens) which is the topic for today.

Aperture settings are a number with an ‘f’ in front, e.g. f 2.8 or f 16. The tricky thing to try and remember is that the lower the number, the more light that gets to your camera. Take a look at the image below. At f 2 the hole is wide (lots of light) but at f 16, it’s very narrow (much less light).

The degree of aperture that you have to work within (lowest to highest) is based on your lens, NOT your camera. Generally, the more expensive the lens the lower the maximum aperture, that is, the more light it will let in and therefore work better in low light situations.

When you are looking at a lens it will either be a FIXED or a VARIABLE aperture lens. A variable aperture lens will be cheaper and you will see two aperture numbers on the lens. For example, a Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6. When you are zoomed out at the widest (70mm for this lens) you can shoot with an aperture of 4.0. However, when you are zoomed all the way in you will only be able to shoot with an maximum aperture of 5.6. Compare that to a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L which is a fixed aperture lens. It only has one number listed (f/2.8L) which means you can shoot at 70mm, 200mm or anywhere in between, at a maximum aperture of 2.8.

The other thing you will notice in your photos when you change your aperture setting is the depth of field.

Now take a look at the picture below.

When taking portraits, you often want to isolate your subject from the background by using the maximum aperture setting your lens allows. To do this, set your your camera to Aperture Priority mode, which will likely be ‘AV’ or ‘A’ on your mode dial. Then adjust the dial to the maximum aperture setting, i.e. the lowest number. Then focus on your subject (eyes if it’s a human) and click. Your camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed based on the amount of light available. Note: you should have your camera set to an ISO of 400 or lower while you are practicing.

The best way to really learn how this works is to get your camera, go outside where you have a good amount of light, set it to AV or A mode and take a series of photos. The subject doesn’t matter but for the purpose of learning choose a still object and either something close up or something with some distance between it and the background. Make sure you focus on the subject then take a series of shots, start with your maximum aperture, then dial it one click, take another shot, dial again, take another shot, keep going all the way to your minimum aperture. Watch how the shutter speed changes automatically as you adjust the aperture. Note, as your aperture number increases, less light will get in and therefore shutter speed will slow down to compensate. Once your shutter speed gets slower than around 1/60th of a second it becomes difficult to hand hold and you might get blurry images. Don’t worry to much about slight blur for this purpose. When your done, take a look at the images (on a computer is better) and notice how the background (or the stuff not in focus) gets more blurry as your aperture gets wider.

I can’t tell you how many times someone has asked me to help them figure out their “fancy” camera. It’s actually not an easy thing to do, especially in the few minutes most people think it is going to take. Firstly, you need to understand how a camera works and then the only way to master your camera is to try it and keep trying it. You won’t get there if you keep using AUTO mode or by using your camera twice a year. Commit to taking a picture (NOT in AUTO) every week or even every day if you can. Be creative, play with depth of field.

If you find this helpful, please leave a comment and share my facebook post or my blog post with your friends. It will not only make me feel good :-), but if I know at least someone has read it and benefited, I’ll be motivated to write the next lesson on Shutter Speed.

Disclaimer: I don’t claim to be a teacher of the english language or of the technology of photography, so please excuse any inaccuracies with either. I’m just going with what I know.

Krishna.

A newborn with a personal connection.

Mon, 06 Oct 2014 20:39:50 GMT

In July I visited this beautiful little boy who was 9 days old for his newborn photography session. I was extra excited to meet and photograph him and his parents because his grandparents are very special friends of mine and he is their first grandchild. The session was gifted from them and I was honoured that they asked me to record such a special time.

Getting ready for fall, in the summer.

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 20:28:10 GMT

For the past few years I have been photographing the product line for Path and Laftr, a boys clothing company owned and designed right here in Vancouver. In retail you are always working well ahead of the season you are selling in, so one of the challenges is shooting the summer clothes well before it's warm and sunny and as we did recently, shooting the fall/winter line in the peak of summer. Our models are bothers, both with loads of personality, making it a fun morning. We also managed to get a few portraits of the boys and even a few with their mum. The clothes are in stores now and available online at http://www.pathandlaftr.com. Some of my favourites from the session.

A Diamond Gala

Fri, 26 Sep 2014 03:44:54 GMT

Earlier this year I signed on to be a volunteer photographer with the Special Olympics BC North Shore. On June 7 at the Kay Meek Centre in West Vancouver, SOBC – North Shore celebrated their 30th anniversary with a “Diamond Gala”. It was a wonderful evening of celebration, acknowledgement and entertainment. The weather was perfect for the red carpet arrival, the guests were entertained by the talented Will Blunderfield and awards were presented throughout the night followed by photo sessions backstage. It felt wonderful to contribute in just a small way to this event and to be surrounded by enthusiastic volunteers and talented athletes and coaches, each one of them inspiring.

The longest summer ever!

Tue, 23 Sep 2014 22:33:37 GMT

It's been the longest summer ever…..for those of you in BC you will understand, for those of you from far and wide, I'll explain. Not only did we have the most amazing long summer weather this year, we also experienced a public school teacher strike. My kids have been at home for 14 weeks! That's 3.5 months people. 98 days of summer holidays leaves me feeling like I need a vacation. However, I'm happy to report that today was their first full day back at school (CHEER) which means I can get back to my photography blog. I have neglecting all things related to marketing, including Facebook and Blog updates, so starting this week I will pick out some of my favourite sessions from the past few months and get them online. Stay tuned over the next few weeks for a giveaway that's a bit different and because I am often asked, some tips on how to master your camera and get it off auto.

A summer photo of me and the boys in NYC after a bike ride around central park. Disclaimer: G is NOT really taller than me, he was standing on a hump ;)

Dundarave beach family session

Sat, 19 Jul 2014 16:27:14 GMT

What a beautiful evening it was at Dundarave Beach to photograph this lovely family. The weather is Vancouver has been spectacular and I just know it's going to stay that way for at least another 2 months (positive thinking right!), so if you are thinking of having photographs taken this year, don't wait until it cools off and we are back in sweaters and coats, book your session now. I have some spots still available in July and limited spots for August and September.

From faces to places….

Wed, 16 Jul 2014 21:32:15 GMT

I love beautifully designed spaces which has lead me to enrol in an architectural photography course at Langara this summer. Every 2 weeks we take a field trip to photograph a building and on the alternate week we present our best 10 images to the class for critique. For those interested in photography, the key learning for first few weeks is to keep the vertical lines of the building vertical. This is done with both the angle of the camera and the location you stand relative to the space. Architects don't to like photos of their buildings that look like they are leaning or distorted. These are some of my favourites from our first and second trips, Sunset Community Centre and Creekside Community Centre/False Creek area.

Another puppy welcomed to the neighbourhood

Sun, 15 Jun 2014 22:26:09 GMT

Another puppy arrives in our neighbourhood. She is a Vizsla and about 9 weeks old here. So very sweet and a bit of a challenge to photograph because her long legs get her moving fast. We look forward to many walks with her and our Brody.

A sweet angel

Fri, 06 Jun 2014 18:39:18 GMT

This beautiful little girl was 17 days old when I photographed her. We had planned to do it a little earlier, which is preferred for newborns, but something came up and so we rescheduled. It didn't matter, she co-operated completely and slept soundly. We incorporated some special items into her photo session, a special blanket knit by a relative and an amazing painting done by grandma. Here are my favourites from the session and yes I had many favourites.

Expecting a summer baby?

Mon, 02 Jun 2014 02:11:58 GMT

If your expecting a baby this summer and are interested in having a newborn photography session, it's best to do it within babies first 2 weeks and to contact me as early as possible during your pregnancy so I can keep your due date in mind. Then when baby arrives all we have to do is schedule the session, all the other details have already been taken care of. If you leave it until after baby arrives, chances are you'll be tired and too busy to make it happen. A newborn photography session makes a unique shower or baby gift and it gives the new parents a beautiful memento of these precious early days that go by so quickly and from personal experience, in a bit of a blur. This beautiful little lady below was 17 days old when I photographed her recently, but we still managed to capture her newness. There are many great photographs from her session, so stay tuned for another post this week to see more. The cocoon and diaper cover was knitted by my very talented mother, Thanks Mum!

A different kind of baby photography

Tue, 27 May 2014 16:59:52 GMT

There should be a new english word to describe the feeling you get when you see a 6 week old puppy in the flesh! It's a unique feeling and should have it's own word. I was lucky enough to have a visit with this gorgeous guy last week. He is a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever and he is one lucky pup because he has joined a pretty awesome new family.

Family of (almost) 5

Wed, 21 May 2014 17:00:00 GMT

I've photographed this family a couple of times before but this time it was to capture some maternity photos (baby #3) as well as some relaxed and casual moments of the kids. They are a beautiful family and it was easy to get carried away, which resulted in a gigantic gallery of images. There were many shots that I loved and I had a hard time picking out my favourites for this post, hence the large number included below. We started the session inside, next to a big bright window, then we moved to each of the kids rooms for some reading and jumping on the bed (them, not me), then we ended up in a hallway, then the playroom, then finally outside to their awesome big, flat, sunny and fenced back yard (can you tell I have backyard envy). This is the kind of session that would make a great photo album. Stay tuned for the newborn session with baby #3.

Little visitor

Sat, 17 May 2014 18:47:47 GMT

A friend of my step sister's is living for a while in Vancouver and so we got together recently for a visit and she brought along her adorable little boy. My boys (13 & 11) just loved hanging out with him and I couldn't resist pulling out my camera for a few shots.

Local company "Path and Laftr" has released it's spring line exclusively for boys.

Wed, 16 Apr 2014 21:41:44 GMT

I photographed the spring line of boys clothes for local company Path and Laftr in two sessions. The first in Horseshoe Bay with two of our seasoned models and the second at Eagle Harbour beach with a new addition to the modelling team, and man what a fantastic job he did. The clothes are for sale at select boutiques across Canada and online at http://www.pathandlaftr.com. Many of my boys favourite clothes are from Path and Laftr and I know for my youngest son, it has a lot to do with the super comfy and soft fabrics. Here are a few shots from each session.

Indoor maternity session with a beautiful mum-to-be

Tue, 18 Feb 2014 21:58:06 GMT

This beautiful lady and her husband were an absolute delight to photograph. We were not able to get any outdoor photographs as the weather was not co-operating in West Vancouver that day, but their home was a beautiful backdrop for us to capture a glimpse of their life together before babies arrival. Ideally, maternity sessions are best done during month 7 or 8, when your belly is nice and round but your not uncomfortable, which can happen during that last month. Maternity sessions take between 60-90 minutes and can include a couple of outfit changes. I try not to over pose or over style my maternity sessions because I'm a big fan of natural looking, realistic images. However, I do try to encourage a few shots of an exposed belly, even though I know most of us don't sit around our house with our shirts up during pregnancy (unless your lucky enough to live somewhere super hot).

Harbourside winter family session

Wed, 15 Jan 2014 17:17:56 GMT

A few of my favourites from a session at Eagle Harbour beach with a super family. Winter sessions are not very popular, especially with Vancouver's notorious grey skies and drizzle, but I think this proves that with a added bit of colour pop and tone adjustment in photoshop, it can work really well. I have worked with M and A (mother and son) quite a bit over the past couple of years photographing her line of boys clothing called Path and Laftr. The design and quality is fantastic and I can personally recommend them as my boys have accumulated a good supply. She is currently having a huge end of season sale so please check it out at http://www.pathandlaftr.com.

Does my photo look big on this wall?

Tue, 03 Dec 2013 23:57:58 GMT

It's difficult for most people to envision how a piece of art or an enlarged photograph will look on their wall and often clients will underestimate the size that is right for the space. Well thanks to Jill Levenhagen of http://www.jilllevenhagenphotography.com, it's now much easier. She has developed Lightroom templates that help photographers show their clients how different sizes will look in a room with furniture. Take a look at these examples. Many people think that an 11x14 print is big and that it will really stand out, but as you can see, on a large wall it does not. What looks great is a 20x30 and you could even go larger for an even more impact. Next week, I'll show some examples of her templates designed to show clients groups of prints hung together as a collage. Thanks Jill!

Something a little different.

Mon, 18 Nov 2013 06:43:54 GMT

Ok, so this is not so much about showcasing my photography work as it is me showing off a bit of my creative side. I love succulents and particularly love seeing them all huddled together in a wonderful receptacle of some kind. I wanted something for my bathroom counter that isn't too high that it will block the nice view of the trees but is big and bold and a bit modern. The hunting and gathering began.

I found a fairly inexpensive succulent hanging basket at a local grocery store. It had some nice big and bold plants which are tough to find at this time of year. Then I came across a wonderful concrete bowl at my favourite local florist called Limelight in West Vancouver. http://limelightfloraldesign.com. It wasn't cheap but it's perfect for what I wanted and it's big! I picked up some succulent/cactus soil, drain rock and a few smaller succulents from a local nursery that actually had a pretty good selection. http://www.mapleleafgardencentre.ca

For those of you that know me, know that I don't tackle the unknown without doing a fair bit of research on the internet, so of course I did that. You really can find out the answer to just about anything on the web. A good tip I got the internet, is to place lots of drain rock first, then place the plants into the bowl (still in their containers) and play around with the layout until your happy. Good advice! I didn't have all my plants in containers because I had to remove them (carefully) from the hanging basket, but I still played around with the layout before adding the soil. Once your happy with the look, you fill all the spaces with soil. I had some smooth black rocks that I sprinkled on the top in any free areas, but there weren't many. Second helpful internet tip; use a soft paint brush to brush off dirt that will inevitably fall into the plants. So here it is! Overall, I am pretty stoked with my first attempt and I think it meets my goal for big, bold and modern. Now, the hard part is keeping it alive.

Below is a before and after photo plus a few shots in it's new home. Don't you love before and afters?

A not so spring like, spring session.

Fri, 08 Nov 2013 23:39:56 GMT

A late spring session at Whytecliff Park with such a lovely family. They purchased one of my donated family sessions at a local fundraiser and it turns out we live in the very same neighbourhood. The day was not overly warm or sunny, but they didn't let that bother them. It even started raining during the beach shots and it just made them smile more. Talk about making my job easier. It was an absolute pleasure.

Cliff jumping Oroville, Washington

Wed, 14 Aug 2013 16:30:50 GMT

While vacationing at lake Osoyoos, our friends took us to a beautiful lake for some cliff jumping. For those of you that don't know me well, of course I didn't jump. I had a camera to hold.

3 months CUTE.

Fri, 26 Jul 2013 15:53:16 GMT

At 3 months, they don't sleep curled up like newborns anymore and sitting up is still a few months away, but they sure have cute expressions and are very interested in what's going on around them.

Summer session at the farm.

Fri, 12 Jul 2013 00:35:07 GMT

I have great memories of berry picking with my boys back when they were a little younger which is one of the reasons why I really loved doing this session at Krause Berry Farm http://www.krauseberryfarms.com/. The other reason is because of the awesome family I got to capture.

Girls Only Mini Photo Session June 22, 2013

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:20:44 GMT