Eunice

Wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, friend, caregiver, volunteer, nurse. These are a few of the words that describe Eunice, a beautiful lady that I had the pleasure of photographing recently. But don't think that this is all there is to this youthful woman. She is also an avid biker rider and world traveler, in fact her motto on Facebook is, "stop doing it in your head....and just do it!".

Thank you Eunice, for your beautiful smiles and wonderful company.

Special thanks to Kayla Rae from Sun Kissed Beauty Bar for the amazing hair and makeup.

3 Different Outfits, 3 Different Looks - Women's Beauty Photography

This week I had lovely Shannon in the studio for a women's beauty portrait shoot. Shannon is one of the first people I had the pleasure of meeting when I moved to the valley a few years ago, and you'd have trouble finding a more sincere and genuine person.

Women's beauty is a new genre I am adding to my photography business this fall. What's it all about? Well, it is an experience that is meant to make you look and feel gorgeous! 

Shannon brought 3 very different outfits to be photographed in. So what I thought I'd do with this post is show how I can work with my client, the backgrounds, and the light to create 3 different looks.

The first was a casual grey outfit that looked great on a light background. This is a friendly look appropriate as a casual business portrait, Facebook profile, or gift for family and friends. 

The next outfit that Shannon brought was a bright red top and black pants. I knew that the red would look great against a black background. I actually got a couple of different looks here, one more "corporate" (a little more serious) and one fun.

Lastly, it was glamour time! Shannon brought in a beautiful black cocktail dress that I knew would look amazing in the backlight. This was where we really had a lot of fun!

Doesn't she look amazing?!!

If this is an experience that you would like to have for yourself, I have a special promotion until the end of October with a maximum of 5 openings. Your beauty portrait session consists of: professional hair and makeup, portrait session, viewing appointment, and 5 matted 8x10 prints, for only $325! This is half price! 

Please contact me at (250) 650-7389 to book your own beauty portrait session. I would love to hear from you!

Bailey - Courtenay Pet Photography

It seems like I haven't blogged in ages! Life just gets that way I guess. But I did a session a little while ago that I wanted to share, and it was with a lovely dog named Bailey.

Isn't she the sweetest? Bailey's mum Jan brought her to me for a special reason. You see, Bailey is really Jan's husband's dog and he has been out of the province working for several months. Jan wanted to surprise her husband with some professional portraits of Bailey when he got home.

Doesn't she look a little lonely? Bailey's dad even gave her one of his socks for comfort. 

Fortunately, the family was reunited around Easter, and now everyone is happy again and getting ready for a new adventure, moving up north!

Piper, who I photographed last year, was waiting in the car. I had go get a few shots of him because he is such a good boy. He doesn't look too enthused about getting left out!

I am so excited that spring is here so that I can start doing more outdoor portraits again. The studio is great, but there's nothing like letting a dog play to really bring out their personality.

In case you didn't know, I have an Instagram account dedicated to dog photography. My handle is @ssniderdogphotos. 

Until next time!

Pamela - Courtenay Portrait Photography

I am so ready for spring. This winter has been dark and drab, even for the "wet" coast. I even saw a Seattle tourism ad recently that proclaimed, "gray is just our backdrop", or something to that effect. Not sure if that really puts a positive spin on it, but ok, at least they're trying.

So over the winter I have been working on putting together a portfolio of women's beauty photography, and Pamela was kind enough to model for me. Pamela is a working mom with 3 kids, so she definitely deserved a morning to be pampered!

We were fortunate to have the services of Corynn, from Shabby Chic Beauty Boutique, for Pamela's hair and makeup. She looked awesome.

Pamela brought some pretty dresses along so I could get a few different looks.

Working with natural light on these gray days is a challenge, but we had success, and Pamela was great to work with. 

Is it time you got some beautiful portraits of yourself? Contact me for details.

Miley and Skyler - Courtenay Pet Photography

This past weekend I had the pleasure of photographing 2 Siamese cats, Miley and Skyler, owned by the Perry family of Courtenay. I had always thought of Siamese cats as aloof and disinterested (101 Dalmations comes to mind), but these two were friendly and ready to interact with me.

These cats have amazing blue eyes! 

Although we weren't successful in getting them to pose together (didn't want to start a cat fight!), these two kitties were great models. It isn't always easy to photograph dark faces on animals. My lighting setup gives me the ability to capture detail without the harshness of flashes.

Remember, Valentine's pet photo sessions are coming up on Feb. 13th! Contact me for details.

I'll leave you with this "outtake" of one of Skyler's tricks. I've entitled it, "White Cats CAN Jump":

Seeking Ladies for Elegant Women's Portraits

* Update: this offer is now closed. Thank you to the participants *

Hi Friends, I am starting a new genre of Beauty and Glamour Photography and am looking for ladies who would like to help me build my portfolio!

Here's the scoop: each Friday morning in January and February I will hold a portrait session at my home. These are complimentary and will last approximately 90 minutes. For your participation you will receive 5 small-resolution digital files to share on social media, and the option to purchase prints at 50% off.

What do I ask from you? Not much, just that you have your hair and makeup professionally done (I have a hair and makeup artist available for a reasonable fee), that you bring 4-5 outfits along (cocktail dresses are great), and that you sign a model release allowing me to use your portraits for promotional purposes. And since it's Friday, you should definitely plan an evening out because you will look and feel beautiful!

I am looking for women from a variety of ages, from 25-70. Since I expect that there will be lots of interest I can't guarantee that everyone who volunteers will be chosen to participate. I will be collecting a nonrefundable $50 deposit to confirm booking. This will cover the cost of my hair and makeup artist (it will not be returned if you do not show). 

Interested? Great! Please get in touch, preferably by phone, so that we can make arrangements. If you haven't already, please "Like" my Facebook page as that is where I will be showing off your beautiful portraits. I look forward to hearing from you!