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 Misconceptions about In-Home Documentary Photography

1) You just show up and shoot

Although it may seem that way or sound that way when I talk about what I do, there's a lot more to it than that. There is a lot of planning even if I am there to capture spontaneous interactions. I like to know who I'll be meeting to get a sense of what is important to the family which helps me to know what I should be trying to capture. I send clients a short questionnaire before we meet so that I can learn more about their family, little details, favourite activities, what their everyday routine looks like. All of this information helps me to prepare and can also be used to help guide a session. For example, this family mentioned their son's love of trucks and cars. I used it as an ice breaker when meeting them to get them to interact together. The fact that it is something the child loves at the moment, makes it important and worth capturing.

I also need to anticipate what type of gear I will need to bring along. Depending on the type of session and location, I have to decide whether I need a macro lens to capture tiny newborn details or my flash if the lighting may not be ideal.

2) You just take pictures as they happen

This is partly true. I don't like to manipulate the situation too much. I like to gently give some direction if needed but for the most part, I let things play out and follow along. However, this doesn't mean that I snap away without intent. I move around to figure out the best composition or sometimes I compose the image in my mind first based on light, lines, reflections or whatever I have to work with and I patiently wait until the subject enters the frame where I wanted them to be. I see interactions happening and I move in to capture a detail or I move back to add context to the scene. The goal is to make the strongest image possible while playing off of the surroundings and subjects. In my work, I like to create images that make you feel something and this means watching and waiting for everything to come together in just the right way.

3) Documentary Photography is so much easier than studio photography 

Just as lighting setups and posing in a studio are not as easy as the pros make it look, documentary photography is challenging in so many ways. It requires a very specific skill set: you have to be flexible, be able to think quick on your feet, be a good observer. You walk into people's personal spaces as a stranger and have to be able to make people feel comfortable within minutes so that they will look natural on camera and enjoy the experience. Walking into people's personal spaces, their homes, can be a very vulnerable thing and you have to approach it as such. Each family is different which is what makes this type of photography so interesting. Each family has its own dynamic that you have to quickly gauge and adjust to. Lighting is never the same from one place to another and it can vary so much even within the same house. You have to be able to figure out how to use it and other elements to your advantage. As most people can attest to, taking photos of your own kids can be a challenge because they move so quickly. Imagine trying to get those moments together with trying to familiarize yourself with the family, the space, the light.

I love what I do. Working as a photographer challenges me every time. It's different every time. I love meeting new families and also shooting the same families year after year and seeing how they have grown and changed.

DEAR YOU: Your Childhood Documented - A Journal for Parents

Last summer it struck me that I needed to start a journal for my kids. I have tons of photos which help to bring me back to moments but I also wanted words to go along with that visual record of life. I went searching for a really simple journal, one for each of my kids. What I settled on was a day planner that I thought I could use to write a line or two about them each day. Those first two weeks were documented in great detail but after that, it was sparse and then, I just stopped. Life gets busy right? For me the pressure of daily journaling just doesn’t work. I felt guilty about missing a day or two and then just ignored the task completely to avoid the guilt. Or I struggled to write something, anything, just to say I did which meant those real moments got lost amongst words I wrote just because. 

I realized that I didn't want to document every single moment of life with my children because that has a way of pulling me away from being fully present with them now. I wanted to pick and choose the things that speak to me the most. 

I wanted a journal that gave me the freedom to pick it up when something happened that I needed to write down instead of feeling disappointed in myself for forgetting to write down the date of a given milestone. I wanted a journal based on moments. 

I wanted a quick way to jot down a line or two, or even a word that my children said that made me laugh. I didn’t want to feel bad about an empty page where I couldn’t remember what happened that particular day or what her favourite song was when she was 2 years old.

I wanted a space to write as much for me as for them to revisit moments again like our memories tend to be – maybe a bit disjointed but full of meaning and emotion. I didn’t want a big bulky book that felt childish in shades of bright pink or blue. I wanted a book that was easy to carry around and that would be timeless. One I could leave on my night table or put in my purse so that I could write whenever inspiration would strike.

The outcome of this process is 'Dear You: Your Childhood Documented', a journal for parents with 5 sections to separate your thoughts but still flexible enough to make it your own. Something you can fill up with everything from little details from specific moments to your own thoughts on parenthood, providing a record of childhood for you and your children. 

To find out more about the journal and to purchase your copy, visit:

https://www.amazon.ca/Dear-You-Your-Childhood-Documented/dp/1388916231

6 Activities to Document over the Winter Months

There is always a mad rush for Fall photos - and I get it, Fall is probably my favourite season too. The beauty of the leaves changing never gets old. But as Fall goes on and Winter settles in, there are still tons of opportunities for great photo sessions. 

I put together some ideas of activities in and around the home to help inspire you on what to capture this season right in your own backyard;  whether with your own camera or by hiring a professional photographer to document them for you. 

Build a snow fort, snowman, or make snow angels: a classic family activity that you have to do at least once each winter. 

Snowball fight: action shots and flying snow always makes for interesting shots and lots of laughter.

Sliding or skating: if your kids are lucky enough to have a rink or sliding hill in their backyard, how can you not want to capture that? 

Bring the fun inside: I love that in-home sessions can be done year round. Think about those rosy cheeks as the kids come in from the cold, hot chocolate and spending time relaxing together.  

Family game night: Does your family have a competitive streak? Winter is often when the board games come out in our family and is such a great tradition to capture.

Baking/Cooking: With the change in seasons, often comes new favourite dishes. Document the making of a winter meal or dessert. Especially around the holidays - this is one you won't want to miss capturing. Think about taking photos of hand written recipes, key ingredients and ask family to help prepare.

I hope you will take the time to document some of your family's moments this winter. One of the great things about in-home sessions is that there is no timeframe - you don't have to wait until the leaves are at their best or reschedule because it's raining. There is such beauty in the simplicity of everyday moments and these happen year round. 

What happens when I show up at your home?

A little behind the scenes look at in-home sessions with me

A client sent me these two photos that her mom had taken during our session (thank you again for these!). I had no idea that she was taking photos but I’m so grateful that she did because having photos that show me in my element, doing what I love, is really so special. Coming across these photos again recently got me to thinking that maybe some would be interested in learning a bit about how I work for in-home photo sessions. 

So what happens when I show up to your home? To answer that, maybe it’s better to back up a bit. Before a session, I have clients fill out a questionnaire about their family - a few simple questions that help me get to know them a bit and to highlight what’s important to them. Reading about clients beforehand is one of my favourite parts because I start to get a sense of what their story is and how I can capture it. I re-read the answers several times before the session and I’m not gonna lie, I have cried more than once when reading some answers. It’s very touching that some will share personal stories with me and I start to put myself in their shoes and imagine what their life may be like.

Getting back now to the earlier question about what happens when I show up at the door - after a quick introduction to put faces to names, I take out my camera and start shooting and following everyone around. It plays out differently every time with some falling into it naturally and others needing a bit of time to warm up or for the novelty of the camera to wear off. Sometimes I think clients may feel like they aren’t doing anything ‘photo worthy’ but it’s never true - the little things matter and that’s what I’m there to show. I always have the client’s answers to the questionnaire in the back of my mind and I wait to see some of those interactions or pieces of their story to show up in one form or another. It can be a glance, a smile, an object, a small detail that tells a bigger story. I ask questions, talk a little to the family and I wait for the moment I can see in my mind. I look for things like lines, light and shadows and think about how to compose the image to use those to shape the photo. I take a lot of photos, many won’t work - I try different angles, exposures. I don’t give much direction for the most part - you won’t often hear me ask “do that again” and instead I wait for moments to happen naturally. I may suggest that we switch activities or move towards a different part of the room for variety or light but most often, I let things unfold. Because of this approach, the majority of the photos that I will send clients will be candid, natural and real. I do include some more posed shots if the family wants those but I try to keep the feel more natural - for example, maybe not every shot shows everyone looking at the camera and smiling. Maybe the parents are looking at their child instead of smiling at the camera, maybe the kids are making silly faces. People hire me because I capture people in an honest way and so my posed work with families will be in keeping with that. 

Once I finish a session, my work has really just started as I start the culling and editing of photos.

So there it is, it may seem like I just show up and take a bunch of photos but there is more to it than that. I work hard to see those answers from clients come to life to tell their story in a way that makes you feel something. 

3 tips to get the most out of a personal photography project

Although summer isn't quite over, my #12weeksofsummer2017 project ended last week. This was the first personal project I've done in collaboration with another photographer (Myriam of Farah Photography). With the past weeks still fresh in my mind, I wanted to put together a list of things I've learned to help get the most out of these projects.

1) Stay on track by partnering with someone else
I didn't always feel like carrying my camera or taking photos. Knowing that I was doing this project with someone else kept me accountable - the buddy system really does work. The proof - since finishing this project, other than for work and a birthday this past week, I didn't reach for my camera. Myriam and I were able to bounce ideas off each other, push and encourage each other when we were struggling. I had tried other photography projects before but had a hard time staying motivated. Having someone there who was counting on me is what made the difference.

2) Get creative
One of the best things about a personal project is that you don't have to please anyone but yourself. You can be creative, try new techniques and challenge yourself. Take a few steps outside your comfort zone. This really helps strengthen your skills, develop your style and discover ways to breathe new life into your work.

3) Give yourself a constraint
Start with a clear idea of what story you want the project to tell and stick within those limits so that you don't lose focus. Myriam and I had outlined certain general criteria for the photos we were allowed to submit. They had to be taken within the week (no cheating) and they had to include our children. We also decided to limit the project to 12 weeks which seemed manageable (and it was even if some weeks were easier than others!). Constraints can really force you to be creative.

This project resulted in not just these 12 photos but many more that I plan to put together in an album. It really helped me to both document moments with my family and reminded me of why I'm a photographer in the first place - to tell stories and to find beauty in the everyday.

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!