May 04, 2023 . Playing with shadows and reflections in photography.

As a photographer you can’t seem to help seeing things that maybe most people are not really paying attention to. It’s not that they are not paying attention necessarily but they just don’t see the things you see because it’s part of your job. I mean after all, that’s why people pay photographers. They pay for their ey and skill of seeing and creating images by using light, lines, shadows, reflections and other components all with the perfect composition.

Shadows.

Creating shadows in a studio space is like trying to mimic sunlight with your studio lights. As kids we all look and play with shadows on the pavement on a bright sunny day and it’s sort of the same in studio. To create shadows, you need a hard light. Soft light with a big light modifier helps to minimize shadows, so you definitely want to keep the light source a light harder. Just like the sun, when the sky is overcast, shadows start to disappear and if you shoot in midday sun on a very sunny day, the shadows are the most sharp.

The light source set at an angle to the wall, to cast a strong shadow. You can experiment with the distance and the angle of the light of your subject to achieve the desired effect.

Reflections.

You can find reflections everywhere but you have to look for them as they might not always be obvious. Look down and around to find them. They can add depth and a different perspective to your images. Experiment with angles and distance just like shadows to make the perfect composition. Nature provides lots of opportunities with reflections specially around any body of water. You can even find reflections in urban areas with building, windows or any shiny surface. Play around with perspectives and see what you can create.

A photographer's top tips for preparing a personal brand photoshoot.

1. First and foremost: Define who you are as a brand and have a clear vision of your photoshoot objectives. What are your values, mission, style and unique selling proposition? How to you want to present yourself and be perceived by your audience?

2. Make yourself a mood/vision board: Pinterest is a great tool for creating a clear visual communication that you can use for adding images that inspire you as you work on creating this vision easily sharing it with your photographer and other artists that might be working on the day of your photoshoot.

3. Select your photographer wisely: Look for a professional who specializes in personal branding and who’s style and aesthetics aligns with your brand and your voice. Find someone who has experience working with brands, entrepreneurs and professionals.

4. Plan your looks: Selecting clothing can be hard for some people and if you have the budget, an industry professional wardrobe stylist can be a great option. If the rates are out of your budget, asking for input from friends and even doing some shopping with the option to return the garments after your shoot is a good way to go. Photographers and stylist do it all the time. They shop, keep the tags on, make sure to be mindful with the items on the day of the photoshoot and then just return everything. Keep in mind to choose outfits that are consistent with your brand image and colors that will elevate your website if you have a color pallet associated with your products and branding.

5. Not all clothing translates well on camera: I always tell clients plan on bringing more than you need … just in case. Avoid busy patterns, large logos, or distracting accessories.

6. Strongly recommended: Since you’re investing into professional photography, at the very least, I highly recommend hiring a professional artist for your hair and makeup. Even if you’re used to doing your own and consider yourself well versed in makeup, having a pro on set is so valuable. Most photographers usually have a list of their favorites and having a team that is used to working together and understand each other’s cues can be so helpful.

7. You will need to select your location: Consider a location that can provide a visually interesting backdrop for your photos. Find a place or maybe it’s a couple of places that will be complimentary to your outfits, in your branding and speaks to your target customer.

8. Have your shot list: This is a must! Make sure you have list of shots that you want the photographer to capture during your shoot. It can be anything from headshots, product and/or lifestyle shots depending the type of business run or the brand you represent. If you provide a service, you may want to dedicate a portion of the photoshoot to lifestyle images of you actually physically interacting with your clients at the location of your business. This could involve more logistical planning but can provide highly engaging content for your website and social media.

9. Posing: Hopefully you have selected a photographer is good at helping people pose for the camera specially if you are someone who’s not used to being in front of the lense. make sure you ask. As silly as it sounds, practicing posing in front of a mirror can be very helpful in helping you see what you might be doing with your head and body. Watching the pros do on TV or Youtube is also an option. Mostly, just have fun with it! try to keep it fun and loose and move around. Most photographers are shooting in digital format and you only need a few great shots of the same outfit, so it’s better to try to give the photographer posing options then standing in front the camera and not moving. Don’t overthink it to much and don’t be shy to ask for guidance.

10. Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite: You want to show up well-rested and hydrated leading up to the photoshoot. An industry trick for women specially, is to ice your face before you head out the door. It will help reduce any puffiness. If and hopefully you have a makeup artist on set, all you need to do is show up with a clean, well moisturized face and dry hair. They will work their magic! And, a side note for those women who are not used to wearing much makeup, it never looks as heavy as it feel on camera. And a word of caution … if there is something you don’t like about your hair or makeup, please speak up and communicate with the artist. It’s much easier to fix or change something before taking millions of photos, then to try to fix things in post productions with photoshoot.

2023 . A new year! New hopes and dreams! New goals and challenges!

January, 5th 2023

Every January we seem to find ourselves reflecting on last’s years accomplishments, challenges, events and memories. We look forward to the new year as a new beginnings as if it was the new dawn that will allow us the luxury of recreating ourselves, our dreams and explore new ventures we’re forever longing for. It seems like the momentum towards a new future is always easier when you have the next 12 months ahead of you for really curating the life you really want and do all the things you’ve always dreamed of but never get the chance to because life in the now gets in the way.

We make lists of goals, we plan, we buy new calendars and personal planners, we join the gym and promise to give up all the nagging habits and transform into the very best version of ourselves in this new year!

Promises to ourselves, to other family members, to our careers and to the universe to be better, to achieve more, do more and stay focussed. On the radio, the hosts talk about new year resolutions asking the audience “ Tell us about your resolutions!” Gym’s send out the new year membership discounts which everyone jumps on thinking this is it: “I’m getting fit in 2023”. Yap! This is my year to get in the best shape of my life!

Admittedly, I’m guilty of it as I’ve decided this year is my time to get more consistent with putting out more blog posts and being more consistent with my email marketing. But what if there was no start to the new year, would we set out such goals and be in such a rush to hit the pavement running with so many dreamy expectations that we’ll stay the course and be consistent on all levels?

Now I’m looking back at the past couple of years in my work and life to dive into what areas of my life as a mother, commercial photographer and human being I need to work on to be better, do better and accomplish the dreams and goals that will help bring me closer to the future and the life I envision for myself and my business!

A few images from last summer’s fun down at the Jericho Sailing Center and Windsure Adventure Water Sports!

PORTRAIT PHOTOS DON'T NEED TO BE PERFECT. THEY NEED TO BE HONEST!

After being a photographer for over 10 years now, I can honestly say that some of my favorite portraits are the ones that feel honest and natural.

A good portrait is when you can feel the person’s energy in their eyes with or without a smile. As a photographer’s it’s my job to guide my clients on how to present their bodies and faces to the camera to look their best. If you ever wonder why a headshot session takes over an hour to two hours, it’s because it takes time for most people to learn what they are doing with their body and face until they get to a place where they understand the subtle nuances of their facial expression and whether they feel more natural when they’re smiling or not. Working with models is a different story. If they have experience, they know what to do and how to move. Actor’s are different. Although they are used to being in front of a moving camera, doing stills often feel foreign to them and need coaching just as much as the realtor or other cooperate headshot client.

I recently had the opportunity to do a headshot marathon day at Vancouver’s actor’s union UBCP with a bunch of various actors. It was interesting meeting so many actors in one day of all shapes, gender, ages and ethnicity. I look forward to working with them again.

I’ve learned over the years, that most people don’t love getting their picture taken to begin with and will avoid going to get a professional headshot because they’ve only ever seen themselves in snaps shots taken by family or friends in less then perfect lighting. I think most of us want to look our very best in profile photo for LinkedIn , but we also want to feel genuine and look like ourselves. So my job as a headshot portrait photographer is to put all the pieces together to create images that truly represent the very best version of that person in front of the lens.

Sometimes that means being a problem solver because not everyone is going to love themselves or understand what is it about the photograph that they don’t love or are no comfortable looking at. I mean lets face it, it’s really hard to look at a photo of yourself when you don’t love it.

I had a client once who came to my studio to get her headshots done. She hired one of the professional hair and makeup artists I use. After her hair and makeup was done, I gently guided her in front of the camera and started taking her picture. I was using very soft natural looking light mixing filtered window light and strobes. We looked at the images together and she did not like the way she looked. I have used this lighting on so many women over the years and the usual response is that they never seem themselves look so good. It wasn’t the lighting. We kept trying. We toned down the makeup and changed the lighting. After what seemed like an eternity, she still didn’t seemed to be in love with anything. I saw her start to get more and more uncomfortable and teetering on the verge of tears.

That’s when I decide, ok, nothing is working so I need to change my approach completely. I told her to go in the washroom and take off all the makeup. She was not used to wearing makeup and so I thought at least that might eliminate one problem. I turned off all the strobes and sat her by the window using only available light. I photographed her for about 10 minutes and then we looked at the images together again. Finally I was winning! She loved the images. I was exhausted but felt so relieved that my client was walking out the door with a satisfied heart and feeling pleased with the outcome.

CBC’s Heartland actor Jordan Burtchett

THE FAMOUS CANADIAN TUXEDO STARTED IN VANCOUVER

There's something about the Canadian Tuxedo!  I always wondered where the name came from, why it's a thing and not reserved to just cowboys.  So I did a little web search and found out that back in 1951, Bing Crosby was apparently almost denied entry into the Vancouver Hotel because he was dressed from head to toe in denim.  It was Levi Strauss who got wind of the story and actually designed a denim tuxedo jacket for Crosby.  Since then the Canadians have adopted the outfit and named it the “Canadian Tuxedo”.

I have to say there's a feeling that goes along with wearing denim with denim,  like you're some kind wonderful.  I mean how many models, Rockstars, celebrities and famous western characters have we seen wearing the jean on jean outfit.  The Gap, H&M, Calvin Klein and most other major jean brands have used the look over and over again in ad campaigns.  I guess you don't need to live on a farm or ride a bull by the horns to pull it off!