share : my newest friend

And now here's my chance to share. You saw him here, now here's more of that little cutie...

Happy family day :)

show : my newest friend

I'm changing a few things in how I run my business. First off, I'm going to push in-person gallery viewings. Partially for selfish reasons, I'm asking clients to come and have the first viewing of their gallery in person at my home office (or I can travel with laptop to my client's home). Half the fun for me is seeing the reaction of the client when they first see an image. I've received emails right after I post an online gallery from clients telling me they cried when they saw the pictures - I've had quite a few of those actually and without sounding awful, I want to see those tears - they mean more to me than a purchase. They validate why I'm doing what I do. A client screaming via all caps in an email just isn't the same as hearing it when they see their images for the first time. 

During this in-person viewing I can also show samples, help with ideas and answer any questions. I will also offer an incentive for orders placed during that meeting. I do understand however that there are always grandparents, friends, family that may also be interested in purchasing images and for that reason, I will also post an on-line gallery for 7 days, during which time all additional orders must be placed. 

I want to be part of the entire process - from the initial contact to the product delivery and beyond - and this (the initial viewing) is a major part. 

That said, it's not always possible to do an in person viewing. Approximately 40% of my clients are out-of-town and to travel one or two hours to show the gallery is out of the question. In those cases, an on-line gallery will have to do.

This client is one of those. Why am I telling you this now? Well, another change is that I'm going to show just one or two images per sneak peek. I don't want to spoil the surprise that awaits clients in their gallery. These posts will be labelled 'show'. After the gallery goes live, I will then post more images from the shoots and title those posts 'share'. Show and share... that's how it's going to work.

This is my first 'show'. This little man kind of stole my heart. I travelled to Toronto to see him the other day, fought rush hour for over two and a half hours on the way home and smile the whole way. His happiness must have been contagious. He's the most content wee dude I've had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours with in a long time. And who am I to resist a red head... 

More to come from this shoot in a few days once the gallery goes live.

Sample share

Just thought I'd share a few pictures of some alternatives to framing. Frames are great - they come in all shapes and sizes, different finishes, colours, with and without mats, you name it - but it's not the only way to display prints.

One option that looks gorgeous on the wall is the gallery wrap. Your photo is printed on canvas, UV laminated for added protection and wrapped on a 2 1/4" stretcher frame. These are stunning as a stand-alone or as part of a collage of canvases. They're available in many sizes - the larger the better in my opinion - and come ready to hang.

The flush mount is another option. Great for storyboards (more than one photo) and look especially good in kids rooms. They're laminated, so they're easy to keep clean, and come ready to hang.

And one of my favourites, the float mount (just had the one below printed - 20x30). Your image is printed and mounted on masonite, laminated to protect it from UV and fingerprints and then attached to a frame that brings it out from the wall so it appears that it's floating. Very modern.

There are more options than what I've shown here and I'll hopefully be able to share more samples soon.

So when it comes time to order, don't just think standard prints and digital files... there's lots more to consider and I can definitely help out with some ideas. And think BIG. I consider 5x7s and 8x10s desk prints - go larger for the wall. Hang something that is going to have an impact. A 24x30 canvas has much more of a 'wow' factor than a small framed print. It's art!

This little guy sees a lot of love in a day...

You've met the mom and the wee man, now here they are with the 'big sisters'...

and just so you don't think this was all staged or that these are models (because life with three kids can't be this easy and no family is this perfect), I threw in a shot of real life...

A quick share...

In the midst of editing, I came across this shot I had to share. I posted a few pictures the other day from a newborn session and promised more of him and his gorgeous sisters. Well, the sisters are up next but this one's with his beautiful mama.

Smiling Eyes

I'd like to use this post to introduce a great project I've recently become a part of...

The Smiling Eyes Project is a group of professional photographers donating their time and talent to photograph people/families dealing with cancer. Christine Kufske, an amazing photographer from Kitchener, started Smiling Eyes four years ago and from then it has grown to a team of 19 photographers all donating up to two shoots a month to those fighting cancer. I'm now on board and so looking forward to the journey.

On this day, four years ago I lost my stepfather to cancer. My mother lost her husband. My boys lost their grampa (a grampa one never had the chance to meet) and many others lost a friend. It was less that two months from the time we found out what we were facing to the time we said our final goodbyes. That time was too short. My oldest son Quincy was only six months at the time so he unfortunately will not remember spending time with his grampa. All I can do now is keep his memory alive in the minds of our boys through stories and pictures. This is why photographs are so important. I so wish we had more pictures of him. I regret not taking some even in those last weeks. Pictures of Quincy with his grampa so he see the smile on his grampa's face when they were together.

I want to give this gift to other families, not only to preserve memories but to make them. I want to give people dealing with this awful disease memories of a fun hour or two spent doing something other than dealing with reality. A well deserved break.

If you know anyone who might be interested in a Smiling Eyes shoot, please pass this along.