OttawaVentures

I started a new project recently called OttawaVentures. Mostly it’s a way to motivate me to go out and explore my own city and approach it with the curiosity of a tourist. I was born here, raised here and though i’ve spend some time abroad, and in other cities, I have spent most of my life here. Yet, I still feel like there is so much around the area that I haven’t seen and experienced. I think when people are from an area, they simply put off visiting their own town or city because they feel they can do it anytime and it doesn’t seem as exciting or as interesting as exploring distant places. My goal for this project is to put those thoughts aside and take the opportunity to explore as much of Ottawa and the surrounding areas as possible. The photos above are just a few of my favourite places along the Ottawa river and all accessible from the wonderful bike paths this city has. You can follow the project on instagram @OttawaVentures. Maybe you’ll even be inspired to get out and explore yourself and discover some new places.

When Things Fall Apart

Sometimes you can plan the perfect photoshoot, develop a concept, find the perfect model, location, clothing, props…everything. Then, it falls apart. The model isn’t available for the date you planned, the weather doesn’t agree with you, the lighting isn’t what you were hoping for. Lots of things can go wrong on the day of your shoot, so It’s important to be able to adapt. Plans are great, and you should certainly make them and try to stick to them, but sometimes the universe just doesn’t want to cooperate. In these cases it’s important to be able to not get frustrated, go with the flow and adapt your plans to your situation.

That’s exactly what happened on a recent shoot for me. Actually it happened twice within a week or two of eachother. Plans were made and circumstances changed. Most recently I had planned a photoshoot with a model named Crystal. The plan was to do a spring fashion type photoshoot in the Byward Market. Our first few attempts failed completely. One time the weather wasn’t looking good and we had to postpone and try again the week after. Then the model had to cancel because of prior engagements, and then finally when we did manage to find a time to shoot it rained. However. I was determined to do the photoshoot anyway and didn’t want to put it off any longer in case it just didn’t end up happening.

So, I got an umbrella, luckily it didn’t poor and we ended up getting some very cool shots. They weren’t what I had originally planned or had envisioned in my head, but I liked the results and still got some wonderful shots that worked with my spring theme in the end anyway. I had seriously considered canceling the photoshoot when I saw it would be raining, but I’m glad I didn’t. Sometimes getting out of ones comfort zone and working with the weather or the situation that is occurring can result in something just as good if not better than what you originally envisioned.

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5 Things to look for when choosing a photographer

Choosing the right photographer is an essential, and probably the main step in getting photos you’ll be happy with. It’s easy enough to just assume if the person has a good camera then the photos will be good. You might also think '“everyone’s got a camera and everyones a photographer these days. There’s no need to spend much, if anything on a photographer.” Many people get trapped in this mindset and miss out on photos they they could have been really happy with and loved. They may even have ended up disappointed in the product they got because they didn’t do their research or hire the right photographer for their needs.

That said, here are five things to consider when hiring a photographer.

1: What is their portfolio like?

This is probably the biggest thing to look at, and I think it’s one that many people who are simply price shopping for a photographer overlook. In fact pricing should be low on the list of priorities. Of course you’ll want to be within your budget, but like many things in life, you get what you pay for. The main focus really should be; What does the photographers’ portfolio look like? Do they have the kinds of photos you’re looking for? Do you even like their photos or their style? If you see that on their portfolio it’s all headshots, is this really the photographer you want to shoot your wedding? You have no idea if they’ve ever photographed a wedding before, or if they will get the kinds of photos you’d like. I’ve had so many times where someone who contacts me asks if i’ll photograph something that’s not even in my portfolio. That tells me they probably didn’t even look through my site and that they are simply looking for the lowest price they can find. This is not the kind of client I want and I know they can find a better photographer to suit their requirements. The portfolio should be the first thing you look at. It will give you a good sense of what to expect when you receive your photos. Remember, you’re paying for this. Looking at the photographers portfolio is the best way to judge the kind of work they do.

2: Are they a Business?

Now this one is a little tricky because there are plenty of people who freelance on the side and may take absolutely great photos. However, if the person operates an actual photography business, runs a studio etc, that tells you this is something they do full time or on a regular basis; meaning they have experience and are committed to doing a good job. They’ll likely have professional lighting, may have formal training and work with others such as hair and makeup artists. All this means a more professional and better experience for you as a customer. The cost may be higher than that guy on Kijiji, but you know they are serious about what they’re doing.

3: Do they have a website/what’s it like?

This kind of ties into them having a portfolio. Anyone these days can pretty much make a website, so there’s no reason a photographer with a legitimate business wouldn’t have one. Perhaps the more important question should be; what’s their website like? Does it look professionally done? Is it well laid out? Does it have the information you need like pricing, location, what’s included in their photo packages? Again, if the site looks well put together it likely means that person takes their business seriously, and they will want to provide a good product to their clients. I know at least for me, if a website looks bad I don’t want to spend time on it, I’m easily turned off by an unattractive site. First impressions count and if a website looks cheap, or has a strange layout, colours etc. I’m completely thrown off from wanting to do business with that person, or organization. A professional looking website makes the person look legitimate. Of course you can’t judge someone completely on this, but a good looking website certainly helps make a good impression and likely means the person cares and pays attention to detail. These are important traits in a professional photographer. Finally, you want to make sure the photographer is easy to contact and book with. Your experience with them should feel professional from beginning to end.

4: Is there pre-shoot Consultation (in person, on the phone, or even via email)

Good portraits and headshots capture a subjects personality or some aspect of it. How can a photographer do this if they don’t take atleast some time to get to know you? A consultation can be in person (which is best) or done by phone or even email. What’s important is that the photographer has asked you some questions to get a better understanding of who you are and what you’re looking for out of your photos. They should also be doing this during the photoshoot. A good photo sessions should be fun and playful, not something that feels serious or a drag in any way. Good photos don’t come out if you fee stressed or uncomfortable with the photographer. So while they want to try and get to know you a little bit, you also want to get to know your photographer so you can feel comfortable with them. That’s why discussions and or pre-shoot consultations are always helpful.

5: Are They Passionate?

Finally, does the photographer seem passionate about what they do? A passionate photographer brings energy and gets you excited about doing the photoshoot with them. You guys are a team and if you can sense their passion for creating images, it will translate to you as well thereby creating better photos. Basically all the points listed above will be good indicators as to weather or not the photographer you are looking into is passionate about their work. They’ll have a website, a nicely put together portfolio that clearly shows what kind of work they do, they’ll be a business and they’ll want to get a good sense of who you are. Their passion, knowledge, and experience is what makes them valuable as a photographer.

Experimenting in the Studio

One of my favourite things to do as a photographer is experiment. I love playing with lights and trying different effects. The problem is that when a client comes in I often don’t have much room for experimentation. Perhaps they want a headshot, or portrait for their branding, linkedin, or website. I’ll have a couple “go to” lighting setups and use those when a client comes in for their photoshoot. While I still enjoy those sessions, I do feel restrained creatively at times. So when I have a chance to work with a model or friend I know well, I like to take advantage of the opportunity. Recently Emily came in, who I’ve done a few photoshoots with her now. I had seen a photo online that I liked and wanted to recreate the look. I asked Emily, and she was happy to collaborate with me on it. My goal wasn’t necessarily to create an identical version of the photo I saw, but it inspired me and I think we ended up getting some interesting results.

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Should I Hire a Makeup Artist For My Headshot or Portrait Session?

First let’s think about all the places you might use a headshot. Could be for a personal website, a company you work for, social media, marketing purposes, or an article about you. The list goes on. Maybe you’re an actor, or a business professional. Ether way your headshot is a marketing tool, and a powerful one at that. It’s an investment, and admittedly can be a pricey one too. So, why spend extra on a makeup artist as well? Well, here’s a few reasons why you may want to, and some benefits to doing so.

Experience with makeup for the camera:

To me this is probably the main and most important reason. Makeup artists are experienced and knowledgeable about what looks best for the camera. Camera’s pick up everything, and I mean everything! Blemishes, chapped lips, bags under the eyes, oily skin, that unwanted pimple that just popped up the day before your photoshoot; all kinds of things. A makeup artists will not only help hide those things from the camera, but they also know what products to use and how to apply makeup in a way that translates well to the camera, yet still looks natural.

Will help you feel less stressed, and more confident:

It’s true that many of the things like blemishes can be improved upon in post processing, but the confidence associated with looking good and feeling good during the shoot itself will translate to better photos. If you’re stressing about how you’re looking on camera during the photoshoot, or how your makeup is looking, it’s going to be hard to get the best photos possible. It can become a major distraction. People can become very self conscious when they’re having their photos taken. If you’re too worried about how you look, it affects confidence and in turn, the photos produced. A Makeup artist who knows what they’re doing eliminates that stress and you can focus solely on posing, having fun and projecting your best self to the camera. Simply put, It’s one less thing for you to worry about. On top of that, since they will be present during the entire shoot, they are there to fix issues with the makeup as we go, or make adjustments as needed.

They will have high quality professional products:

Not all makeup is made equal, and not all products look good under studio lighting. So, while you may be perfectly able to do your own makeup and look great day to day, it may not look as good on camera. That is something you definitely don’t want. You want to look your best right? Especially if that headshot or portrait is going to be blown up to a large size. For example, let’s say you’re a real estate agent and your headshot will be blown up to a large billboard size and posted around town. I imagine you’d want to be looking your best in that image. A makeup artist will help to ensure that. They have the knowledge about what to use, what’s appropriate and will look good on you for the camera.

More range in looks:

Finally, with a makeup artist there is the possibility of achieving more range in looks and therefore more variety in the photos you’ll receive. As mentioned before, since they are there for the duration of the shoot makeup can be adjusted and changed as well as your hair. This means you will get more variety and depending on what you’re looking to get out of your particular photo session, something that may be desirable to you. If you’re an actor for example, you likely will want to have a range of looks in your headshots to showcase your range in characters and talent.

To Conclude:

While you can absolutely do a headshot session without hiring a makeup artist, I highly recommend it for the reasons listed above. While I certainly don’t feel it’s a necessity, I do think it will put the quality of your photos up a level. Now, If you wear makeup normally, i also highly suggest hiring a makeup artist, simply for the fact that they know what will look best for the camera. If you come in and your makeup doesn’t work well under the studio lights, nothing can be done about it at that point. If you come in and have a makeup artist available, they can apply as little or as much product as needed, and you’ll have the confidence in knowing that it’s meant for the camera and in studio use. In the end it’s all about feeling confident in front of the camera and looking and feeling your best will only help in that. In turn better photos can be produced since you will feel more relaxed and confident knowing you look good.

The Importance of a Headshot

When we think of headshots and those who need them, most people perhaps think of actors, models, or business executives. The truth is though that nowadays almost everyone needs one for some reason or another, or at the very least could probably benefit by having one. Perhaps it’s for your organizations website, a business card, branding, promotional purposes or something as simple as your Linkedin profile. In fact, so many of us these days have a digital identity or online presence to some degree. All the social network platforms for example require a profile picture. Whatever photo is on there will be seen by many, and often may be the first impression others will have of you. Therefore it should be impactful, and hopefully stand out from the rest. This is true of any headshot for any purpose. After all, it is in fact a marketing tool. You’re marketing yourself to others.

People want to know who the person is they are, or will be interacting with, whether they’re doing business with you, hiring you for a job, working on a project with you etc. Your headshot gives them a sense of who you are. That’s where having a good professional headshot comes in and having an experienced photographer to bring out the best in you.

Many people are not comfortable in front of the camera and when someone is uncomfortable in a photo, it shows. This is why a professional photographer is important. Not only will they know how to position you, get good lighting and take a quality photo and get the best shot possible; they can also help you feel at ease, and bring out your personality to get a headshot that looks as natural as possible. A good photographer will know how to help you feel relaxed and make you look your best; which ofcourse is what you want. Most of all though, they will know how to make it a fun and enjoyable experience for you. By doing that you will get a headshot that looks professional and feels like an authentic version of you and one you can be proud of.

Techniques To Look Your Best

Ever wonder how to look your best in your headshots? It’s all about projecting confidence. The problem is many off us feel awkward when there’s a camera pointed at us, which ofcourse works against that confidence we want to portray. Peter Hurley, a well known Headshot Photographer from New York has created a number of videos to help combat this exact problem. You can check them out below and use these techniques to make yourself look your best at your next photoshoot!

Practice Sessions on a Lazy Sunday

As professional Photographers, we do so much more than just take photos. In fact photography is probably only about 10-15 percent of what we do. The rest is business. That means things like marketing and promotion, accounting, reading, replying and sending out emails, paying bills, researching and educating ourselves about equipment or the industry. The list goes on I'm sure. However, even with all that, there are still times where one might find themselves with some down time. There are periods where business might just slow down for a while and it can be hard to deal with, especially when there are bills to pay or rent for that sweet studio space you've acquired. I'm more than aware of the stress this can put on a photographer. However, I think this is also a period of time that creates opportunity. How? Well, now you have exactly that! Time! with few or no clients to deal with or paper work to sort through, you now have the time to go out and take photos for the fun of it, or explore a new concept you might have had on your mind. I find slow periods to be the perfect time to brush up on my photography skills and explore ideas. A few weeks back I had this opportunity. Business was slow, I wasn't getting many injuries and I felt like I needed to get my camera out even if just so it wouldn't collect dust on the shelf. So, I went to my computer, opened Facebook and used it in the most productive way I know how. I put a call out on some FB groups for a model. I love social media for this, especially Facebook. There are so many groups you can be a part of and get involved in the community with. Anyway, I found a model to work with and set up a time to do a shoot. She had an AirBnB booked downtown which was perfect for a lazy Sunday morning type theme. Here are some of the shots from that session. 

Model: Drew Cathernine

https://www.facebook.com/drewcatherineofficial/

I'm a Portrait photographer and I do much of my work in studio with controlled lighting. It was nice to get away from that and get back to a more natural approach using the light available. Fortunately the apartment was full of natural light with white walls that  diffused that light beautifully throughout the room. It also really helped that Drew here was experienced in front of the camera, took direction well and was super easy to work with. She also had a huge wardrobe of clothes to choose from.