Inspiration

Fair warning: this is a wordy post. If you're a bit pressed for time, you might want to come back later. It's also a little disjointed, but hey, it happens.


As much as I love me some technology (if you know me personally, you know I do), I also hate it. The art of conversation seems to be falling by the wayside. Instead of talking, we text or email because it's faster and can be done privately while still in the presence of others. I get it - I really do - but the need to be constantly in contact with the entire world has taken over some of the most intimate parts of our day. Friendships used to be forged by hours of conversation and quality time, not 4,782 text messages. Love blossomed as a result of courtship and manners. There were rules and society (generally) stuck to them.

I spent a few hours with my Grandmother on Sunday. She's 89. No texting or emailing happening there. Shopping with Grannie and my Sister reminded me how important it is to solidify the personal bonds. Time is really all we have and when it's gone, it's gone forever. You'll never get a single minute back that you spent on the phone with someone else while in the physical presence of others.

In her 89 years, Grannie has seen some serious change and major shifts in the world. The Great Depression, the invention of the guitar, the rise & fall of the Berlin Wall, vinyl records, Woodstock, radios, televisions, the attack on Pearl Harbor, creation of the interstate system & roadways, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Sputnik, the Apollo Missions, the Mars Rover, touch-tone phones, sending her son to Vietnam, cars, airplanes, washing machines, microwaves, the internet, mobile phones, Harvey Milk, JFK, the Golden Gate Bridge, record players, Ranch Dressing, Y2K, Civil Rights Movement, Feminism, the technology boom, and countless other innovations and historical events have happened since she was born. It's very sobering to take a look at the timeline of your life or those around you, and I'd encourage you to take a moment and think about your parents or grandparents and their lives.

At any rate, all of this thinking has led to inspiration. What do you carry with you throughout the years? What says the most about a person? Their financial status? Their education or lack thereof? Their character & morals? And how do you capture it in a photograph?

I'm going to be working on a photography project for a little while. I might even call on some of you to help me out. When all is said and done, I'll be sharing it.

This is a first real "project" for me, and there's something so liberating about doing it for yourself rather than a graded assignment. Maybe it's because there is no wrong answer...


Follow my journey on Instagram: ladydphotography_ca or
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LadyD.Photography.CA

For now, I'll leave you with a photo of me and my Grannie having a glass of wine. Cheers!

Toga, Toga, TOGA!

Having a birthday party for you and one of your besties? Why not have a TOGA PARTY! That's what these girls did and they had a total BLAST, let me tell you! This was really a fun party to shoot and the guests had an absolute ball. They've already announced their Halloween party and I can't WAIT. The jury's still out on if I'll dress up or not...

Back to the togas!

Home

Time flies when you're having fun, right? I hope you will kindly forgive my prolonged absence. I've been a busy bee. Since we last "spoke", for lack of a better term, I've been busy. I bought a house, moved into said house, and had a portrait session at MY HOUSE!

It's been a glorious transition for me and if you know me, you know it's been a struggle and a constant series of ups and downs. There were days where I wasn't sure I'd ever wanted anything more, days when I wanted to give up and rent a house, days when I was seriously pissed at myself for even THINKING of giving up, and days when I was really excited inside but didn't want the world to know - just in case it fell through.

I've been HOME for a little over a month, and now that it's finally sunk in that no one is going to come by and say "Just kidding! Give the keys back", I can finally relax and regroup.

As with any move, it's been time consuming. It's also been exciting and monumental. I finally have a place to store all of my photography gear and props, and our back yard is lovely. I can see many a portrait session here in the future. Of course, the inside of our home is light and bright, making for a great photography space.

Matter of fact, I had a recent shoot with some awesome kiddo's in my yard over the weekend - spurring me to publish a new blog post. My lovely friend J and her kids A & K were great to work with. They were in and out on their way to Grandma's house - although they didn't have to travel over the river and through the woods to get there. Oh, there I go... turning into my mother again.

Here are some of my favorites from the shoot. Enjoy!

Molly's Portrait Session & My Softbox Experience

I recently purchased a couple of softboxes in advance of my session with Molly.  Boy, what a difference they made!  I can't believe what a difference it made - even outdoors.  It improved what I would even consider to be exceptional lighting conditions.



Molly was lovely as always.



She was patient, and so was Circa!



I am very pleased with how these turned out.



I love the way the colors of her tattoo stand out in this image.



This one was my favorite of the day.

Andrea, Kyle & Claire

Spending the afternoon with these three was great. They brought along Claire's bubble machine for a little extra bonus content in the images.

Claire!

Her dress was so pretty

"She's so hiiiiiiiigh, high above me, she's so lovely"  (you know you sang that)

 Happy little family

 She was really enjoying that bubble machine

Can't wait for the next session with Miss Claire!

Checking in!

Well, my "resolution" of doing at least 1 post per week is out the window and it's only March. Oh well, I'll start over again this week. Promise!

Since I last post, I've done another "how-to" presentation for my MeetUp group. It went pretty well and I am working on thinking of another topic to present on. I am a big believer that you learn by teaching others, so I'm anxious to continue.

I have a shoot planned for Sunday and may even get to break away on Saturday and go off and shoot on my own. Wouldn't that be exciting?

I have several photog-related events coming up in April. Until then, it's pretty much status-quo.

If you know me personally, you also know we've been searching and searching for a home to call our own. We've made several offers, but none of them stuck. I mean, how could they when the offer counts are in the teens & twenties for every house we've bid on?

We are signing another offer tonight and maybe, just maybe, this will be the one. I really need a place to store my ever-growing collection of props and other photo equipment :)

So, I'm still around but I'm doing a little less shooting than I have in recent months. Ta ta until about mid-week :)

1+1=3: Amber & Kriz

I was recently afforded the pleasure of shooting a maternity session for Amber & Kriz.  Titus is expected to make his debut in early April, 2013 and I can't wait to meet the little guy.




These two were a real hoot to hang out with.  Their fun-loving attitudes will no doubt lead them to be superb parents.





I would like to add that Amber didn't use the stairs to get to the top of that slide, she climbed up it - 35 weeks pregnant. You go, girl!


Amber and Kriz LOVE their books, so it was no surprise we needed to capture them in their natural habitat - the library they've built in their home.



The doggies love the library, too!



Amber was absolutely glowing, and Kriz was beaming right back at his bride.  There is so much love between the two of them.





I was so blessed to spend a couple of afternoons capturing moments with Amber and Kriz. Their warm, original personalities really made for a fun and honest shoot that I will remember for always.