3 Littles | Film Love | Alliston Children's Photographer

Another month of joining some other awesome film photographers and showing off our new work! This month I decided to share a few of each one of my 3 little munchkins. Its been awhile since I blogged about them.  I think Tri-X is my favourite black and white film stock. A little grainy goodness but overall it always looks pretty awesome.

In order of appearance - my second (hilarious, independent, free-spirited, loving princess tomboy), my newest (sweet-as-pie go with the flow dude), and my oldest (athletic good natured sensitive old-soul)

Head over to Erin's page and check out her film goodness from DISNEY and then follow the circle to see more!! Awesome work!

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Beach Bums | Film Photography | Port Stanley Child Photographer

Did I ever tell you I am sort of a procrastinator when it comes to my personal photography work? (And many other personal things)

So obviously these images are not "new" but seeing as they were shot on a roll of film - Ilford 3200 black and white to be exact- they are new to me! It only took me about 5 months to get the roll processed. I think I need to start processing at home! After falling in love with photography in high school I always said "One day I will have a darkroom in my house".  Maybe that someday should be now? Yes, another example of procrastination.....only this time it was about 15 years overdue! (wow..totally just aged myself there!)

Anyhoo...here they are and I am pleased how these turned out with all that grainy goodness! We spent the day at Little Beach in Port Stanley, (my childhood hometown) with some of my best friends and their kids. Good times were had and I love how timeless these images feel!

Head over to another Filmie Friend's site and check out Nicole's monthly film post!

Thrifty Thursdays | Simple Ways to Improve your Photography on A Budget | Photography Tutorialsl

I often have people asking me questions about photography - what camera should I get, should I take classes, can you teach me?  I wish i could teach everyone everything I know, but the truth is, I don't know even half of what others know, and I basically taught myself.  Success comes from hard work and determination and consistency - stepping outside your comfort zone and doing the hard stuff to make it happen.   It takes a willingness to keep learning even after you think you "got it". I love taking courses and workshops and continue to do so. Not only do I learn new techniques, I also make new lifelong friends and find inspiration from new artists. 

I have been thinking for awhile about ways to make my blog more personal and hopefully more helpful for other aspiring photographers - whether you are just beginning, using any camera or device to record your moments, and for any reason.

Any Level, Any Camera, Any Reason.  Slogan?!

When you are new to photography, or even just new to digital photography, there is a lot to learn and it can be super overwhelming.  There is a great tendency to spend more money than we really need to as often we believe that more money means better equipment which in turn means we take better pictures. Not true. An amazing artist can take just as great photographs on a lower end camera and I personally know many talented photographers who use crop sensor "starter" DSLR cameras and you would never know it! So how can we rock what we got?

I am going to list some of the budget friendly ways I grew as a photographer and maybe some of these will help you grow as well!

1. Learn your camera! Cost: FREE!

Read your manual, study the little CD guide that often comes with some cameras, and if you bought second hand and do not have a manual, guess what? I guarantee you can find a copy of your camera's manual online as a free download! Just search the make and model and save to your computer. I promise that just knowing the ins and outs of the camera you have will improve your knowledge enough and you can start taking photos outside of "auto" mode! 

I shot with my Canon Rebel T3 for years! And actually I still pull it out as a back up now and then and the more I got to know it, the better my images became with it!

Taken on Canon Rebel t3

2. Google Search Cost: FREE!

Mr. Google knows everything doesn't he?  Well, maybe not everything, but he can USUALLY help us find out what we need to know! When researching our cameras, how to use software, a particular editing technique, or maybe you just want to view images that others have created with the same camera or lens as you, Google will lead the way. Search different keywords, follow links found on other pages.  Just spend a few moment to look around, read and learn! I will say that Google has been a great tool for me especially when i was just beginning. It lead me to some of my favourite sources of inspiration, tutorials and has even convinced me NOT to purchase items I maybe did not need :)

3. 50mm prime Lens! Cost: 100-150$

You can purchase a 50mm 1.8 prime lens for under 150$! This "nifty fifty" was the first lens I purchased when I first bought my DSLR. It takes some getting used to as most of us have only used zoom lenses, you will quickly learn to use your feet to zoom by moving closer or farther from your subject! Compared to the lens that comes with your camera, which is usually a 18-55mm lens that changes aperture as you zoom in or out, the nifty fifty will stay put at the aperture you set it at. This will help you learn what settings you prefer and give you more control over the pictures you are taking. The glass in this lens is much better than the kit lens, giving you more clear images. Not to mention you can shoot with an aperture as wide at 1.8 which will give you that blurry background most of us strive for (called bokeh). 

Taken with a 50mm 1.8 Prime lens on Canon Rebel t3

4. Join a Forum! Cost: Prices Range

Forums are awesome! You can learn so much from photographers from all levels, from brand spanking new (as in, they haven't even taken the camera out of the box!), to seasoned vets. The only problem may be choosing the right forum for you as there are so many! Personally, the first one I joined was Clickinmoms.  I think it may have the largest membership and is chalked FULL of information! I am also a member of The Bloom Forum, which is smaller but I love it for totally different reasons such like the inspiring photographers and all the film talk!  Most of the forums offer a free trial so I would suggest trying them out first to see which one speaks to you!  Most of them offer workshops which can be pivotal in your learning!

Some suggestions are Clickinmoms, Bloom Forum, In Beauty and Chaos, Light Inspired, Rock the Shot, and so many more! 

Taken during FAVE - a workshop offered on the Clickinmoms forum

Hopefully this helps just one of you before you go out and spend way too much money on something you do not need quite yet!  Feel free to leave a thought or question below! I would love to hear them! Or let me know if you have a topic you would like to see on a future "Thrifty Thursdays" post!

Check back in two weeks for the next Thrifty Thursday post! 

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One Minute With Molly | Children Portraits | Alliston Studio Photographer

what else can I say? These were just too good not to share.  She was helping me test the light in the studio for some upcoming sessions and this is what we got in literally one minute!

Baking Cookies for Christmas | Alliston, Ontario Lifestyle Photographer

Who ever said baking Christmas cookies was a clean event? Especially with two kids...

It was messy, and fun, and an adventure for everyone!

Cookies made with love, heart and soul ♥

I am absolutely loving our new home in Adjala Township (I know, where the heck is that?!) It is outside of Alliston, Ontario.  East of Orangeville and West of Newmarket.  They call is "God's Country" out here - come visit and you will see why!!!

All images are freelensed with a Canon 85mm 1.8 lens

To book your own documentary session, click the contact link below!

Thankful For A Whole lot of Summer | Personal

Yes I am a little late. Actually I have been very neglectful with blogging lately. Its busy season, everyone wants those lovely fall photos and then it moves right into holiday cards! Which, I do not usually do but this year I thought why not do a few?!

Oh and did I tell you we bought a new house and are moving in TEN DAYS!? Crazy. But our new home is a photographer's DREAM.....I cannot wait to explore the property and the possibilities!  The sun sets behind the cornfield behind us, (and behind our new pool!!), there is conservation land all around, a little ravine, woods, and more...I am sooooooo excited! Oh, and there is an extra room that is PERFECT for a studio! I am not a studio photographer really, but with cold Canadian winter it will be great to have that option!

OK..back to the blog.  Last summer, yes SUMMER, I shot a lot of film.  And got it developed and scanned but then it sat on my computer. So I have decided to join a blog circle this month with some AWESOME film photographers and finally get those images displayed online! They are all just shots of our family, doing summer things. A trip to an Amusement park, playing with cousins that we only see like once a year,  hanging out at home.  Every day summer stuff. Nothing special. But its my life ♥ And I am thankful for these kids and family and adventures every day.

These were all shot with a 35mm Canon with Kodak Portra 400 film and scanned by the FIND Lab

After this - head over to check out Amy's AWESOME film photography! She rocks! I have a LOT to learn from these filmie friends of mine ♥

Embrace the Grain - A Workshop Review - Georgetown Film Photographer

I recently participated in a workshop entitled "Embrace the Grain" taught by Joyce Kang and assisted by Heather Chang.  Both are amazing film photographers, and of course, this course was about shooting with, and developing film.  Since I learned all about photography with a simple Pentax K1000, shooting with film has a genuine spot in my creative heart.  I thought I knew how to shoot film but little did I know, Joyce and Heather would teach me so much. And I am still absorbing and learning more each day but reading and viewing their work, plus the other magnificent film photographers out there!   If you ever thought about jumping back into this "dying" genre of photography, I truly recommend Joyce's class as a great starting point!

NOTE: I said "dying" as an exaggeration, as many do not realize how popular film photography really is! It actually seems to be growing in popularity lately and shooting both film and digital I can see why. Film has a real rawness about it.  The images feel almost nostalgic, reminiscent of childhood and our own family portraits.  And there is nothing better than getting back your scans weeks later and totally forgetting what you shot! Its always a pleasant surprise!

Embrace the Grain will take you through 5 weeks of learning. Starting with black and white photography, colour photography, film stocks to use and when, camera types, how to process, how to work with a lab to get the results you want, instant photography (think: Polaroid!} and so much more!  Joyce and Heather are open books who enjoy teaching so much they will answer all your rookie questions enthusiastically and with passion!  I want to actually take this course again so I can learn more!

And of course, some shares from the work I did in this class. I still have more film to sort through but here are my favorites so far...

Letters to Our Children Monthly Circle July 2014

My dear little O

Three months you are already.  Where has the time gone? Days go by and I wonder if I held you enough or laughed with your or taught you enough that day.  Being the third baby, and having your two big siblings home every day since its summer break, I feel you do not get the quality time you need (or maybe that mom needs?).  And if I hold you too much I feel the others do not get enough Mom-time. Ah, the joys of having 3 children! (wink).

Actually little one, it is a joy. You are AMAZING. You eat well and sleep awesome and I have not felt that overwhelming-too-tired-need-a-break feeling that I had with the other two at this point.  You are making this transition pretty darn easy and I love you even more for that.  As does Mommy's sanity ♥

My dear Oscar, how much I love you I cannot express. You fit into our home as though you were always here and we enjoy you in our own ways.  Some of us (Miss M) may be a little too rough while others may be a tad too protective (Big O).

But we love you in our own ways. And are happy you joined us.

Love Mommy xo♥

Now head over to read Carrie's letter to her children!

My Littles on Film | 10 on 10 Monthly Blog Circle | Georgetown Children's Photographer

Another monthly 10 on 10 post and this time all my images are shot on film. Yes, FILM! Like that old school stuff you used back in the day..remember? I actually am really loving film lately and for sure you will be seeing more of it on my site!

Why I love Film :

- No, or little, post processing of images. They come straight out of the camera looking awesome.

- Film always seems to have this "look" that I love. Its simple, and raw.  And totally reminds me of my childhood photos.

- Film makes my heart sing. It is like Christmas every time I send in a roll and have no idea how they will turn out! I have had some disappointments (like Christmas?!) but mostly have been happy with my scans. Even the not-so-good ones are exiting as you often forget what you shot and its like a little surprise!

- It makes you a better photographer. You HAVE to know your settings and how to manipulate light and understand the how and why of creating a great image. You only get one shot, not 100 like on digital!

- the creamy dreamy bokeh far exceeds anything created digitally

I can go on. Every time I shoot I discover another reason why I love Film.

I promise - film will be making an appearance in many a wedding or portrait shoot coming up! ♥

Once again there are a few more than ten images...but they are all my babes and I couldn't narrow it down!

Follow along the circle with the other amazing photographers starting with the talented Hope Davis

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Love Bee Photography is now booking into Fall 2014. To book your session, please contact me at lovebeephotography@gmail.com

Letter to my Children Monthly Blog Post June 2014

This month a couple of us in the blog circle decided to try something a little different. We chose a word and we get five minutes to talk about it in our letter.  This month the word is Discover.

Five minutes. GO....

Dear Miss Magoo

I call you my threenager. Three going on thirteen. Anyone who has ever been a teenager or raised a teenage will not need to ask why.  They will understand.

However, Miss, you are only three and as much as I love you and want you to grow up, you have a LOT of time left until you reach that stage. Lots to discover, lots to learn, lots more to do and see and be.  Please just stay Mommy's baby girl for as long as you can! I promise you, there is no rush to grow up.  There are paths to hike, mountains to climb, waters to sail.

You are a wonderful big sister, this role suits you perfectly. It amazes me to watch you play wiht your babies in the same way I take care of your baby brother.  Your babies are swaddled and rocked and taken for walks. And yes, even put in "time out" now and then! You are patient and kind and have taken to this new position in your life gracefully. We have our moments here and there where Mommy and Daddy must tell you to be a little more gentle with the baby, but who doesn't want to squish and squeeze a cute little baby, right?! :)

Well, my five minutes is up. My sweet girl, all Mommy wants is for you to slow down and enjoy every moment of your little life...the world is yours. ♥

Love Mommy xo

Now head over to Jen's site to read her Letter - she always has awesome eye candy photography to go with it!

10 on 10 | Monthly Blog Circle-June | Georgetown Fine Art Photographer

10 on 10 is back for June! I have been experimenting with the macro converters on my Lensbaby Composer lens. At first I did not "get it" and was discouraged but kept at it.  Now I love playing around with macro!

Why I love macro photography - it allows me to slow down, focus, be creative and not worry about capturing specific subjects. I can take my time, just me and whatever I am shooting, usually nature.  As a mom of three it is almost therapeutic, giving you time to yourself to just spend quiet time with nature!  Every macro "session" I shoot usually lasts only 10 minutes or so, it is short but sweet and I often love the results. Its just different than the usual. Out of the norm.

Shooting macro on my Lensbaby adds even more depth and interest to my work. My Lensbaby is my go to lens to get out of a rut, explore my creativity or just have fun.  It differs from a standard macro shot as the Lensbaby gives you added blur in unexpected parts of your image and I cannot get over the bokeh created with a Lensbaby!! ♥

Now click over to Rachael's blog for June!

Painting Party | Georgetown Lifestyle Photography

Warm weather means painting outside....in jammies. ♥

This post is inspired by a Breakout I recently read through on Clickin Moms. It is called All in the Details. It was written by Kristy Dooley, a photographer and mom. In her mini class she talks about making the details count, how to do macro photography, and how to make food look pretty! (which I am still working on!)

I have always been a detail lover but after reading Kristy's Breakout and admiring all of her gorgeous images, I learned some tips to make those details stand out even more and be a major part of the visual story.  Check it out! You do not have be a pro photographer, or be in business to get a lot out of this class! And its all downloadable, so you read through it on your own time!

Letter to my Son | May 2014 | Georgetown Family Photographer

Dearest O, my oldest son. 

Just over a month ago you were a big brother to your sister, but now, you are a big brother to a sister and brother! It is amazing to watch you with your baby brother. You are so sweet and gentle with him. You protect him from danger, from his sister, from anything that may bother him. Just the other day I had placed him on the couch for a second and you were so concerned he may roll off that you sat beside him, guarding and talking to him!

You are more than willing to help mom or dad with changing diapers, or getting us something we may need.

Every free second, whether its for a moment before school or just before bed, you are always asking to hold him "for just a sec". Every minute counts buddy and you have already discovered that precious time!

What amazes me most is watching you watch the baby.  Your eyes are full of such love and wonder and amazement. You also felt that with your sister as a baby, but I think now that you are 3 years older, it is even more prevalent. My wish is that you continue this love for your brother, you continue to protect him as he grows up, that you two are the best of friends, teammates, family and soulmates. It makes my heart so full to see how much you love Oscar already. 

I also wnat you to know, you are still my baby, my first born, my first true love (besides Daddy!), and you will always fill that special spot in my heart ♥  Keep on being you kiddo, as you are the best big brother, son, and child I have even known!

Love Mommy xo

Head over and check out Michelle's letter! Then follow the circle to see all the awesome May letters!

Freelensing Tutorial - The Basics

After getting so many questions about freelensing I wrote a tutorial for Clickin Moms.  I thought I would also share here for those of you who are not a member of the forum! PLEASE do not hesitate to ask me questions!

What is Freelensing?

Freelensing is when you detach your lens from your camera and hold it very close to the camera body to shoot.
This will create a really cool tilt shift effect! You can also use freelensing to create some cool macro shots, night photography, intentional light leaks and blur, and more! (But those are for a different tutorial! )

This technique takes practice and if you are like me, you will try it a few times and get discouraged and give up.
DON'T! Keep practicing! Eventually I went back to it and am now IN LOVE with freelensing! Embrace the challenge and love the flaws!


To Start:

1. Select a lens. A good lens to start with is a 50mm. It is light and you may feel more comfortable holding onto it without dropping it! Anything wider than 50mm is tough to focus however I have gotten some great results from my 35mm!
I also love my 85mm for freelensing, it seems to be my lens of choice lately! it is heavier though so make sure you have a steady hand!
You can use a zoom lens as well but be careful as they tend to be heavy. If you use a zoom, make sure it is zoomed to the distance you want to shoot from, try 50mm to start!

2. Set your exposure and settings
It is easier to get the photo you want if you set your exposure before taking off your lens. Once you remove the lens, the auto exposure will not work. Set your ISO and shutter speed. Don't worry about your aperture as it will not matter once you take off the lens.

3. Change your lens to manual mode and set your focus to infinity (the little sideways "8" symbol. You can find it by turning your lens clockwise as far as it will go. TIP: if there is a little line beside your infinity symbol, make sure you are lined up with it! You may need to move your ring back slightly to line up correctly!

4. Take off your lens. (Make sure to turn off your camera before detaching the lens)

5. Start shooting by holding your lens in front of your camera. The distance from the camera will create different effects. The farther you move it, the more light leaks you will get.
I suggest starting really close and moving your lens slightly. Move it to the right or left and you will see blur on the edges. Same if you try to move it slightly up or down. You can create some really cool subtle effects by moving your lens only slightly!

Some tips:
- When you are first learning this techniques its best to learn in a controlled environment, like indoors. When you take your lens off the camera you do run the risk of getting dirt in the camera or on the the sensor. So don't try freelensing outdoors on a windy day or when dirt or dust is prevalent!

- Cup your hand around the base of the lens while holding it to prevent some dust or dirt from getting into to you camera.

- Practice on a non moving subject! My newborn has been a great subject these days as he does not move too much yet! This will allow you to try different angles, and discover how much you need to move your lens to create the look you want. Getting focus on moving subjects is difficult and takes a lot of practice!

- Use the Live View function to help you see the focus

- Wear your neck strap!! You will be using two hands and do not want to drop your camera!

- One thing I find helpful is moving your body to find the focus spot, rather than trying to move your lens around too much!


Play around and have fun! The more you practice, the better you will get!
You will never create two images that are the same which is the beauty of freelensing! And you can get a cool tilt shift effect without spending thousands on a tilt shift lens! Have fun and embrace the light leaks and blur!
Freelensing is definitely a fun way to get out of a creative rut! Try it out!

I added some images to a slideshow to give you an idea. And note...for each of these shots, there were likely 10 that did not work!

10 on 10 Freelensed | Georgetown Ontario Photographer

Every month I participate in a monthly blog circle with some other wonderful photographers from The Bloom Forum.  On the tenth of the month we will post 10 images. Anything we want.  This month I have been experimenting a lot with Freelensing.  This is a technique where you take your lens off of your camera body and move it around until you focus. It gives sort of a tilt shift effect, with some blur and beautiful bokeh! (

I wrote a tutorial for Clickin Moms forum, if you are a member, click here!

If you are not a member, I also posted it here on my blog!

Here are some images I have taken this past month using Freelensing. Most were shot with either a 50mm 1.8, or 85mm 2.0 lens.

Have I mentioned how happy I am that there is finally something pretty to shoot around here, rather than snow and ice?!

Head over to Mandalyn's blog to see her beautiful 10 on 10!

Me and Mine | April 2014 | Georgetown Lifestyle Photographer

Me and Mine is a monthly blog circle where a group of photographers post an image or group of images of themselves IN the photo. I recently have been cleaning up my hard drive and discovered I am in hardly any photos for the entire last year. That is sad. We went on a family trip in December, and of over 1000 photos, I am in literally one or two. That breaks my heart that I am so vain or insecure or stuck on "looking good" in a photo that my children will not even have any photos of themselves with their mommy.  Sad :(

Very grateful for this group, and this project. Project "Get in the Frame".

I did not get all three munchkins in there with me, but I did get my newest one ♥

Now head over to the next awesome photographer's blog and see her image!

Letters to our Sons | April 2014

Dear Oscar,

This is the first month you get to participate in my monthly Letter! Only 2 weeks old, but at the same time "eeek, two weeks old already!"

I do not even know what to write. How can you express in words how much love a newborn brings to you, to the whole family? What words will even describe that feeling? I do not think I could do justice to how the four of us feel about you so this letter may be short and described more in images, less in words. You fit right in immediately. Your big brother and sister adore you. ADORE. They want to help change diapers even! Or just hold you and maul you and kiss you and grab at you when you are nursing, which I am sure likely drives you nuts :) (it drives Mommy nuts! Who wants to be poked while they eat... come on!)

Anyway, dear Little O, we love you to pieces, we are so happy you finally graced us with your presence.  I wish for you to grow and develop and thrive and become an amazing little guy, with big brains, a kind heart, and a giving soul.  Those three things are all you need my love♥

PS...I apologize for such a big share of images....when its your baby, its hard to narrow it down!

Now head over to Fiona's site to read her letter and view her beautiful images!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to all, from my family to yours ♥

Oscar | Fresh 48 | Credit Valley Hospital Mississauga | Mississauga Newborn Photographer

I cannot take credit for all of these photos. My wonderful husband took over the camera to document me with our new little guy, right after he was born. I think he did a great job for being a non-photographer. Well, I should not say that, he actually loves taking photos. But when the camera is on Auto mode only :)

I love them. I love that he captured those first moments that I held my new child. I love that I now have these images forever and I can oooh and aaah over them just as my client`s tell me they do when they see the images I took for them. And now I understand when they tell me they cry or get teary when they first see the Fresh 48 images of their own birth experience.

The second group of images I took from the confines of my hospital bed. Having my third c-section, I was stuck in bed until the evening, so I did what I could from there! I still have hundreds of photos to wade through from that first day of Oscar's life, as well as the next 4 days at the hospital.  I will get to them but for today I am going to post my OWN Fresh 48 session. Or I should say, Fresh 12....since they were all taken immediately after birth for the first few hours!

To my hubby...thank you ♥

To my new little man...I ♥ you.

Xo

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10 on 10 | My View from the Bed

Another installment of our 10 on 10 Blog Circle. I spend the beginning of the month in the hospital giving birth to my new baby boy! For this month I choose 10 images that I took while stuck in bed, (due to a cesarean section),  within his first 12 hours of life. 

Some freelensed images, my new passion!

Without further ado, Id like to introduce the world to my newest muse, Oscar.

Once you have looked through this post, head over to Mandalyn's page to see what she has been up to this month! Some more amazing photographers are part of this group, you do not want to miss their posts!