Life Health and New Year

Hello, I have purposely been out of touch or should I say made to be out of touch.
So many things happened in my life and therefore the life of my craft as well.
It would be too long to detail everything. Let's just say, I am getting a new lease on life .

My family, my work and my creativity are re-inventing themselves.

I am not so sorry to say, I will be on an introspection adventure for the next year and maybe even 2.

I am re-thinking practically everything i have worked for and lived for the last 10 years of my life.
I think I am coming out of this all smelling like a rose... or maybe a gardenia (a little more subtle)

I know what my ultimate goal is but I have no idea what road I will have to take to get there.

Forced to move quite suddenly and then having major issues with my vision. my whole world was thrown off its trajectory. Not just me but my whole family. This couldn't come at a worse time we all thought.
It's never the right time to have to re adjust to everything. Just like it's never the right time to start having children. We all know that it is a major life changing situation and no one likes change. And how do you prepare for something you've never done before.  Right?

My vision will take 2 years to settle and so, I will take that time to RE... Re-examine my goals, re-invent my career, re-new my beliefs, re-acquaint myself with my self, re-focus my photography.

I am hoping that my destination will be what I see in my mind photography wise and life wise. But before I create any more Tattle Tales Story books, i want write a few pages in my own story book.
So this end of year no looking back, and no new resolutions for 2014.
No pressure... That's a first!

Let's see where life takes us :)
Wishing all of you out there to find yourselves and change something

Merry Chrristmas, and Happy New Year

Désirée

Accréditation en portraits d'enfants et de nourissons

Salut tout le monde!

Depuis que je me suis membre de l'association des Photographes Professionels du Canada, l'année passée, un des buts que je m'étais fixée pour cette année 2013 était de réussir une accréditation.
Ceci signifiait d'être reconnue par l'association.

Et bien voici mon but accomplit!

Je suis très fière et heureuse d'annoncer que j'ai mérité une accréditation en photographie pour enfants et nourissons.

J'ai ajouter à la page le communiquer de presse en anglais et j'ai aussi ajouter les 10 images qui ont été acceptées.

Je n'aurai sûrement pas put accomplir cette étape très importante dans la poursuite de me parfaire sans l'aide et l'appui de mes collegues photographes. D'assister à nos reunions mensuelles s'est avéré être toute une discipline et m'a aussi fait prendre conscience de mes mauvaises habitudes ! En ce qui concerne la photographie bien sûr...

Je continue à relever des défis qui m'ouvriront la porte à d'autres accréditations dans le futur.

Merci à l'association PPOC et aussi à tous les membres du  PPOC!

Accredited in infant and child photography

Hello all!

Since joining the Professional Photographers of Canada last year, one of my goals for 2013 was to achieve an accreditation from the PPOC association.

Well, goal accomplished! I am proud and excited to announce that I just received my first accreditation from PPOC in  infant and children portraits. The official press release is posted below with details as to what this entails.

I have also posted the 10 images that were accepted.

I certainly could not have done this without the guidance and support of my fellow photographers at PPOC. Going to branch meetings every month has proved to be an incredible discipline and eye opener in regards to my photographic habits.

I am striving to achieve another accreditation as it just pushes me this much further.

Thank You PPOC and PPOC members!

Cathy and Don's Wedding at the Royal Ambassador

Here are some teasers from Cathy and Don's wedding from July 29th,
Congrats you two!!
Enjoy!

Picture This Badge - Update Story

This was the original story from March 2nd 2012. 


"Last night, I was hosting the Camera Badge night for our 1st Caledon East Girl Guides here at the studio.
I had spent some time planning the evening centered around the 8 criteria required to get the girl guide camera badge. I wanted to make it fun and hands on so the girls remember more and have fun learning. I decided to cover the theory part first so we can do the fun stuff later.

Not even realizing why, I had chosen for the hands on part,  #4 on their Girl Guide of Canada sheet which was "Use five pictures to illustrate a children's book or a poem".  It did require a bit of research. But this is what we did.

After printing a few short stories, poems and fables,  I set a simple scene at the studio with white background and a few props as a base. We had a fence, some flowers and a butterfly. I picked out a few more props, and accessories like hats, feather boas, umbrellas and suitcases that the girls would be allowed to use.

We made 5 teams. Each team had to read their story or poem together and decide on 5 pictures that would illustrate what they had just read. Then, they prepared with a few props and we proceeded to taking the 5 pictures. Each girl got to take at least one of the pictures. so they experienced holding and shooting with a professional camera hooked up to the studio strobe lights. And shooting looking through the viewfinder...

After everyone had their turn shooting and being in the picture, I got all the photos printed. They each received their five pictures and their printed story. They took those home to physically cut and paste, decorate and put in their scrapbooks. 

The irony of it all is that I picked that particular activity because I thought it would be the most fun for them. I wasn't even realizing that this is the type of "pictures" I love to do. Illustrate a story with pictures is what I do all the time here at the studio with the Tattle Tales and even when I cover a wedding or event. This IS really what it is all about isn't it? It's all about the story... I haven't just been saying that. I have been meaning it too.

I had just as much fun as they did. It was an absolute joy to see their faces all lit up throughout the whole experience. 

I was also very pleased with how they left the studio. All tidied up and clean. Thank you girls!

I really hope this gives you a good sense of what could be possible to do with a camera :) "




Now here is the update:


The girls went on to complete the other items required to obtain their "Picture This" badge. And now a month later, we get to see the work of one of the teams. 


Here is the story of team: Isabella, Paisley and Stephanie. By Stephanie

Their story was "A child of spring"  They illustrated it beautifully!
They decided on their 5 images, went on taking pictures of each other and put it all together in their scrapbooks.

Here is another example from the same team.

This is how Paisley put her story together. 

It is really quite rewarding to see the finished story ! 

I hope to host "Picture This" again next year :)

Now on with the Pathfinders and their "Camera Crazy" badge .

Thank you to all the beautiful girl guides!

Desiree

Do kids still use their imagination?

I was having a conversation with a Mom and Grand mom about how we as children used to have to provide our own imagery.

We used to play outside a lot more and in doing so, we invented stories in which we were all participating as characters. Mostly they were super heroes or thematic representations like a mom, a teacher, a pirate etc.... We did not consciously know this or even cared. the only thing we knew was that it was fun.

When friends were not available or when we couldn't go outside, I remember reading a lot. We had at our house, those large illustrated books that were big and heavy. As soon as I started reading, I embarked on the adventure. I imagined I was part of it. I am not so sure our kids get much chances to do this any more.

I think that subconsciously, I kept the special places from those adventure books that were close to my heart alive. Now, I have the chance to share all this and maybe give the opportunity to a few kids to experience the joy and the fun of role playing. Of course at my studio it is done with flair... The kids come in, get costumed, step onto a scene and play. While doing so, they get photographed. I must admit; I have just as much fun as they do throughout the whole thing.

Tattle Tales Portraits are about being the illustration in the story. I try to bring to the experience the way I felt while reading my big books. I have had very favorable feedback from the children and from the parents too. And now, the children can be their own illustrations.  have their own story books with their name and images inside.

See for yourself the different stories your children can be part of...

Happy Imagining!

Desiree

P.S. You're in luck. There are three different themes on throughout March Break

How I taught a small group what I truly love to do

Last night, I was hosting the Camera Badge night for our 1st Caledon East Girl Guides here at the studio.
I had spent some time planning the evening centered around the 8 criteria required to get the girl guide camera badge. I wanted to make it fun and hands on so the girls remember more and have fun learning. I decided to cover the theory part first so we can do the fun stuff later.

Not even realizing why, I had chosen for the hands on part,  #4 on their Girl Guide of Canada sheet which was "Use five pictures to illustrate a children's book or a poem".  It did require a bit of research. But this is what we did.

After printing a few short stories, poems and fables,  I set a simple scene at the studio with white background and a few props as a base. We had a fence, some flowers and a butterfly. I picked out a few more props, and accessories like hats, feather boas, umbrellas and suitcases that the girls would be allowed to use.

We made 5 teams. Each team had to read their story or poem together and decide on 5 pictures that would illustrate what they had just read. Then, they prepared with a few props and we proceeded to taking the 5 pictures. Each girl got to take at least one of the pictures. so they experienced holding and shooting with a professional camera hooked up to the studio strobe lights. And shooting looking through the viewfinder...

After everyone had their turn shooting and being in the picture, I got all the photos printed. They each received their five pictures and their printed story. They took those home to physically cut and paste, decorate and put in their scrapbooks.

The irony of it all is that I picked that particular activity because I thought it would be the most fun for them. I wasn't even realizing that this is the type of "pictures" I love to do. Illustrate a story with pictures is what I do all the time here at the studio with the Tattle Tales and even when I cover a wedding or event. This IS really what it is all about isn't it? It's all about the story... I haven't just been saying that. I have been meaning it too.

I had just as much fun as they did. It was an absolute joy to see their faces all lit up throughout the whole experience.

I was also very pleased with how they left the studio. All tidied up and clean. Thank you girls!

I really hope this gives you a good sense of what could be possible to do with a camera :)

Désirée