Father's Day

I came across these two favourite photos of me with my dad. I don't have that many with him when I was younger - maybe because he often had the camera or maybe it's the third child syndrome where photos become more and more scarce as you move down the line in rank. It was also the time of film as opposed to having a camera at your fingertips. I love these photos because they feature two of his iconic outfits. That winter jacket was still in the rotation as of 6 years ago maybe (that photo on the Rideau Canal circa 1984). That tuque can still be found tucked away in my parents' front hall closet. Saving his clothes is something we all kid him about. That plaid shirt didn't last quite as long but it had a really good run and who knows maybe he's hidden it at the back of the closet where I can't find it. When I think of my dad and my childhood moments with him, he is wearing that shirt. These photos bring me back to these two days and without these photos, I likely would have forgotten the stories behind them. 

If you are searching for ideas for Father's Day that are meaningful, look no further than those photos that tell your stories - print them, frame them, get them off those devices and create something more tangible. 

3 Composition Tips to Help Strengthen Your Photography

You could be the most technically skilled photographer but without strong compositions, photos will fall flat. Composition gives you the power to lead the viewer's eye to what exactly you want them to see or feel in an image.

Have you noticed that some images draw your attention more than others? You may not even realize why but usually composition has a lot to do with it.  Photos that use elements of composition to allow the eye to move around the image are typically more pleasing. Here are 3 simple tips you can try when composing your photos.


1) Rule of Thirds
You may already have heard about this one and let me start off by saying that there are also exceptions to this rule. Sometimes a photo with the subject in the middle can be powerful depending on the message but generally photos that place subjects off center will be more pleasing. Avoiding the center helps to create a more dynamic image that allows the eye to move around and rest. By leaving some negative space around the subject, the photo will feel more balanced and it puts the emphasis on the subject.

You can test this rule by taking a shot with your subject in the middle and then another shot where they are off center. Which one do you like better? Why does it work?

3) Perspective and Focus
This is a biggie and can really bring your photos up a few notches. When I'm shooting, I rarely take photos from the standing position. I squat, sit, stand on chairs, lie down, I creep over people's shoulders, I move my feet almost constantly. I would love a video of this since I'm sure it looks pretty funny but it's a way to find the strongest angle and photos that tell the story of what I'm shooting. If a family is busy doing an activity, I'll take shots from every vantage point and shift the focus from one family member to another, take a detail shot of someone's hands or pull back to take the entire family. These are the shots that make you feel like you were in the room with them. Think also about what to include and what to exclude from the frame.

Challenge yourself to take photos in any position other than standing. Especially working with children, getting down low or up high opens up a whole other world of possible compositions. Take a scene and take shots from a wider perspective, close-up, from above and from below. See how they can work together to tell the story.

3) Lines
Lines are everywhere if you look for them. Diagonal lines in particular really have a way to lead the eye to the subject if you use them right. Countertops, patterns in flooring, walls, fences, windows, arms, legs, footprints, play structures, horizon lines - the possibilities are endless.

Try making images where those lines shoot diagonally up from the corner of your photo.

To see these composition elements at work, check out the photos below.

In this image, you can see the lines in the flooring, the lines created by the shadows from the window and the wall all leading back to the subject. Even the father's hand is angled diagonally which helps the eye move up to the scene. I was kneeling down when I took this shot so that I would be at the same level.

I got down low and used the table to lead the eye to this little boy playing with his puzzles. 

In this photo, the angel of the light/shadow in the floor, the bent arm and the leg are all drawing the eye up towards the subject and to her face. I composed the photo so that she was off center, allowing the eye to move around the photo. I was standing on a chair to get a higher vantage point for this shot.

The negative space here helps to keep the focus on the couple, you also see lines from the dress, mouldings and the railing in the back all pointing towards the subjects. I shot this from a crouching position to include all of the lines and to introduce a more dynamic perspective. 

It's all about perspective and lines in this shot. The lines actually work to frame the subject as well and the fun perspective adds interest. 

Take some time to study images that inspire you and see if you can figure out why - what elements of composition are they using? Examining images and understanding why the photographer chose that composition, why it works or why you like it is a great way to really strengthen your photography.

As always, I'd love to see your images and how you use these elements. Feel free to contact me or to ask questions!

First Birth

I still find it hard to believe that I had this amazing opportunity to shoot such an intimate and life changing experience. A big thanks goes out to Stacey and Cory who trusted me with these moments. I will remember it always.

I spent some time with the family the day before Piper joined this world while Stacey was in labour. The following morning I was asked to make my way to the hospital. I fought the early morning rush hour traffic to get back to the hospital, scrambled to find parking, ran through the hospital and when I approached her room, I was told by the nurses that she was delivering right now. I literally walked through the door and had time to grab my camera just as this tiny miracle was born. Not long after Piper was whisked away to be monitored and assessed as she needed some help breathing. That wait between the delivery and seeing Piper again is difficult to describe. As a mom, I can only imagine how that felt. When she finally made her appearance, so tiny, so vulnerable - I was so happy for Stacey to see her baby but also a little heart broken for her that she couldn't just hold her in her arms right away.

The one word that comes to mind when I think about Stacey is strength - from beginning to end. I think baby Piper was lucky enough to inherit this trait.

After a Photo Session / Après la session photo

(texte en français suit ci-dessous)

This week I thought I’d fill you in a bit about what happens behind the scenes after a session – so,  after you’ve had a session with me, what happens next? For me, the end of a session is actually the beginning of much of the work. Once I get home, I upload the photos as soon as I can and ensure they are backed up. I then take some time to sort through them, tag the best photos and delete any duplicates, photos that are under/over exposed, maybe not the strongest angle etc. I take a lot of photos during a session to test different exposures or perspectives and they don’t always work – it’s just part of the process. 

What are the ‘best’ photos? For me and how I work, the best are the photos that tell the story from details, wide shots to close ups; photos that make you feel something; angles that are flattering, compositions that are interesting and lead the eye to the subject; and photos that reveal bits of soul. 

From there, I apply some basic edits to the photos, for example, I change some that I feel speak more in black and white or apply a standard edit across all photos and then return to each photo and tweak them individually. This whole process can take several hours. When I’m happy with the gallery as a whole, I upload it to a photo sharing site (I use Pixieset) and provide clients with the link and password for them to view the photos. Because I probably get as excited as clients to see the results, I usually have a quick turnaround for this initial gallery. Depending on what other projects I’m working on or family commitments, I can usually have the gallery ready within a few days after the session.

Once clients have selected their favourites from the online gallery (the number is based on the package they purchase), I go back to these photos, enlarge them on my screen and refine them as necessary. I look for ways to make them stronger and remove distractions that pull the eye away from the subject. I use Lightroom and Photoshop to crop, straighten, lighten, darken, sharpen each image. I don’t smooth skin out, I don’t alter how people look which is in keeping with my philosophy of capturing people as they are and telling real stories. I will remove a blemish or two, a fly away piece of hair, lighten a shadow – things like that. I want people to look like their best selves without giving into that pressure of perfection. So much can be achieved with angles and lighting that using Photoshop to change someone’s appearance is just not necessary. All of these final edits take another few hours depending on the complexity of the changes to be done. I aim to have images as close to perfect as possible straight out of the camera but given my style which is to document moments as they happen, sometimes I have no choice to just shoot and capture the story over taking the time to compose everything perfectly. Anyone who spends time with kids knows how fast they move! 

Once the final edits are made, I send clients a link to download the high resolution files they purchased which they can then print as they wish. 

So there it is, a little look into the work that happens after a session! If you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you.

www.mathieu-photo.com/contact

Cette semaine, j'ai pensé vous expliquer un peu ce qui se passe derrière les coulisses après une session - alors, après avoir eu une session avec moi, qu'est-ce qui se passe ensuite? Pour moi, la fin d'une session est en fait le début d'une grande partie du travail. Une fois que je rentre à la maison, je télécharge les photos dès que possible et je vérifie qu'elles sont sauvegardées. Ensuite, je prends un certain temps pour trier à travers eux, marquer les meilleures photos et supprimer les doublons, les photos qui sont sous/sur exposées, peut-être pas l'angle le plus fort, etc. Je prends beaucoup de photos lors d'une session pour tester différentes expositions ou perspectives et Ils ne fonctionnent pas toujours - c'est juste une partie du processus.

Quelles sont les «meilleures» photos? Pour moi, ce sont les photos qui racontent l'histoire à partir des détails, des perspectives variées; Des photos qui vous font sentir quelque chose; des angles qui flattent, des compositions intéressantes et qui visent le sujet et des photos qui révèlent des morceaux d'âme.

À partir de là, j'applique quelques modifications de base aux photos, par exemple, je change quelques photos en noir et blanc ou j'utilise une modification standard sur toutes les photos, et ensuite je les modifie individuellement. Tout ce processus peut prendre plusieurs heures. Lorsque je suis contente de la galerie dans son ensemble, je la télécharge sur un site de partage de photos (j'utilise Pixieset) et je fourni aux clients le lien et le mot de passe pour qu’ils puissent voir les photos. Parce que je suis aussi excitée que les clients pour voir les résultats, j'ai généralement un virage rapide pour cette galerie initiale. Selon les autres projets sur lesquels je travaille ou les engagements familiaux, je peux habituellement préparer la galerie dans les quelques jours après la session.

Une fois que les clients ont choisi leurs photos favories de la galerie en ligne (le numéro est basé sur le forfait qu'ils achètent), je reviens sur ces photos, grossissez-les sur mon écran et affinez-les si nécessaire. Je cherche des façons de les renforcer et de supprimer les distractions qui éloignent le sujet. J'utilise Lightroom et Photoshop pour recadrer, redresser, alléger, assombrir, affiner chaque image. Je ne lisse pas la peau, je ne modifie pas l’apparence des gens, ce qui est conforme à ma philosophie de capter des personnes telles qu'elles sont et de raconter de vraies histoires. Je vais supprimer une bouton ou deux, un morceau de cheveux qui s’envole, alléger une ombre - des choses comme ça. Je veux que les gens se ressemblent sans qu’ils se donnent au pression de la perfection. On peut utiliser les angles et l’éclairage au lieu de se fier sur l'utilisation de Photoshop pour changer l'apparence de quelqu'un. Toutes ces modifications finales prennent encore quelques heures en fonction de la complexité des modifications à effectuer. Je vise à avoir des images aussi parfait que possible de la caméra, mais compte tenu de mon style qui est de documenter les moments qui se produisent, parfois, je n’ai pas le choix de simplement prendre la photo pour capter le moment et je n’ai pas le temps de composer tout parfaitement. Ceux qui passe du temps avec les enfants sait à quelle vitesse ils bougent!

Une fois que les modifications finales sont effectuées, j'envoie un lien aux clients pour télécharger les fichiers haute résolution qu'ils ont achetés et ils peuvent les faire imprimer comme ils le souhaitent.

Alors voilà le travail qui se déroule après une session! Si vous avez des questions, j'aimerais avoir de vos nouvelles.

www.mathieu-photo.com/contact

Welcome Baby J

With baby J's early arrival, this family grew from 3 to 4. When I visited, big brother seems to be taking to his role quite nicely and I'm sure as they grow up together, they will be best buds.