New Blog Address!

After 5.5 years of blogging at this address, I've moved Jaime Lauren Photography's blog to a new home!

Visit www.jaimelaurenphotographyblog.com for all the latest photos, news, creative endeavours. If you're new to my work, feel free to dig through the archives of this blog and catch up on how it all began! For those who've been following my work, THANK YOU for showing up so faithfully...please don't stop!

With that said, see you soon!

Jaime

www.jaimelaurenphotographyblog.com

Sneak Peek {Audrey + Ben's Engagement Shoot}

This past weekend I photographed Audrey and Ben along San Francisco's Embarcadero, and we spent a full two hours ducking into doorways, strolling along the water, and shooting in and amongst various nooks and crannies (actually, what is a 'cranny' anyway?). I've got LOADS more photos to share, but thought I'd save those to celebrate the launch of the new blog (http://jaimelauren.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-blog-in-works.html). I could not resist getting a few favourites online right away however, and while I easily narrowed it down to oh, a good few dozen shots or so, I knew from the get-go that I'd be posting these.

Anyway, I'll expand on the shoot once I put the rest up, but for now you'll have to content yourself with this teaser! Feel free to pass the link along or come check them out on Facebook at Jaime Lauren Photography.

Have a great week everybody and MANY thanks to Audrey and Ben for a shoot that left me grinning from ear to ear well after the shoot had ended! You guys were FABULOUS and I cannot wait for your wedding come this fall!

Jaime

New Blog in the Works!

Hey folks!

I know I've been AWOL over the past week, but I've got a new project brewing...a brand spankin' new blog! Time to get something a little more professional and time to stop wasting time with coding. Forevermore!

Anyway, if you're looking for a way to give your blog a full on overhaul without doling out too much cash and spending too much time, stay tuned for the GREAT REVEAL...coming to blogrolls by the beginning of May (I was going to say May 1st because it sounded so perfect, but who reads blogs on Sundays? Not me anyway...!). Plus this gives me a bit of leeway in case the new blog needs a tweak or two. If you'd like to be included in a little sneak peek shoot me an email and I'll invite you to the Soft Opening. After that, the month of May will feature a few giveaways and other goodies as a way to celebrate both the new blog and my fifth year in business.

Stay tuned and drop me a line if you'd like to be in on the first look at the new blog!

Have a lovely weekend!

Jaime

PS I'm shooting an engagement session for a really fun couple down at the Embarcadero in San Francisco tomorrow so check back next week for shots from our shoot!

Five Fabulous Resources for Wedding + Portrait Photographers

1) Get the Gear.

Just what every photographer needs...more gear right? Well lady-photogs if you find your man-ish camera bag is cramping your style or if you hate the hassle of carrying a handbag AND a camera bag, your chariot awaits. In the form of THE most heavenly camera bag gone incognito, designed and sold by Epiphanie. These luxurious bags are the antithesis of your typical camera bag; Strong and sturdy with enough space to carry one or two camera bodies and a few lenses, plus lots of room for extras, yet so gorgeous they would fool anyone. Will bought me the Ginger (black) a while back and it goes with me everywhere. Now I don't need to decide if my hulk of a camera is coming with me for the day...it just does. Along with the rest of my life. A friend of mine recently called it my Mary Poppins bag...which is really not far from the truth. Oh and one of the best parts: the padded velcro inserts are hot pink! So long man-bag! Anyway, a great find and one you can write off come tax time!

2) Get Inspired.

Photographers will find loads of inspiration at Style Me Pretty, one of the hippest online wedding resources out there. I love the coming together of couples, stylists, designers and photographers whose hard work and boundless creativity never fails to inspire. Need an idea for a shoot? This is a great place to visit just to get those wheels churning. Looking for a way to share your visual inspirations with your clients? Check out the site's Inspiration Boards...create one of your own and get the ball rolling!

3) Get Noticed.

And get down with Tofurious. To-wha? you ask? That's right, Tofurious, the online-home of the legendary photography marketing guru Lawrence Chan. Subscribe to his marketing strategies, install one of his blog themes, or purchase his e-Book "Creative Pricing and Packaging for Photographers". If you're thinking of doing the latter and wonder if it's really worth shelling out forty-ish bucks for, my opinion is that it's well worth it. Unless you're a marketing guru yourself. But if you're looking for some clear-cut answers and strategies to help market your business, it's chock full of great tips. Hey, if it helps get prospective clients turning heads and purchasing your products, it's all worth it right?

4) Get Gorgeous.

I've been on the prowl for some drop-dead gorgeous Photoshop actions over the last while...actions that would give a photograph a bit of a classic vintage look. Nothing crazy, (and believe me there is a LOT of crazy out there) just something that evoked a luxurious, timeless feel. Most of what I was finding left skin tones so grossly altered that it was impossible to focus on the beauty of the subject without being terribly distracted by the garish greens and yellows that overwhelmed the image. And then I stumbled across Red Leaf Boutique, a Canadian company based in British Columbia whose gorgeous site, photos, and actions made me swoon. I snapped up a few action sets and am LOVING the Film Shift Signature Series (only available to a limited number of clients) and the Vintage Soft Tones. This is DEFINITELY my find of the week! While you're visiting the site, check out their blog for stunning portraiture.

5) Get Your Blog On.

We all know that setting up photo layouts and templates for blogs can be a tedious, time-consuming effort. Building eye-catching layouts in photoshop is nay quick, but an east coast company (also from Canada) has put together a fabulous piece of software that's sure to save you precious, precious time--not to mention make your images look goood. Head on over to Storyboard for a taste of what time well spent can look like! Happy Blogging!

Got a favourite find? Share yours below!

Have a great weekend folks!!!

It's Here! {Jose Villa's new photo book}

Before finishing off some of my last photo classes at Emily Carr, one of the things our profs kept insisting upon was the fact that we would miss our 'crits' (in-class critiques that are de rigueur for art students) once we'd left art school. I was somewhat skeptical as I'd spent five years cringing as professors and peers alike picked apart my work. Five years of biting my lip and hoping that the crit would be over fast...somewhat in the fashion of pulling off a Band-Aid if you do it the way I do...rrrippp! But critiques if anything, are not fast in nature, and whole DAYS could be spent reviewing the work of an entire class. Yeah, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to miss those goodies.

*Just a note: I don't think any of us were downright mean to each other in critiquing our work...it's just that artwork comes from someplace deep and personal (unless you threw something together at the last minute which I'm pretty sure we were all guilty of at one time or another) and I found any criticism to be a bit of a blow, even if I knew it was well-meant and dead-on.

Anyway, a year or so after graduating (so, 2008) I found myself craving a good critique. Being self-employed wasn't easy and not having a community of artists to bounce ideas off of was a downright bummer. As I've spent the last several years in a somewhat transient state, finding that sort of community has not been as high on my priority list as I would have liked. Even less so has been seeking out seminars and workshops to attend within my chosen field.

(Okay, I know I'm starting to sound like a total downer, but just wait, it gets better. MUCH better).

So I started collecting books. Books written by photographers who are really, truly making it and not compromising their artistry. Of course now that I'm finally settled I have started building a community of photographers to network with, have found some GREAT photography blogs to follow, and have big plans to attend the 2012 WPPI event in Las Vegas.

But I still collect books. And today, just released and just arrived on MY doorstep was Jose Villa's new book "Fine Art Wedding Photography". It is gorgeous, chock full of great advice, and everything that old, stodgy wedding photography is NOT. {Cue the Hallelujah Chorus right about NOW}.

I was so mesmerized by the book, I totally forgot that I had steelhead fillets baking in the oven for a late lunch. Thankfully I saved them before they dried out. Anyway, back to class critiques and how they got me to this place...the advice of both seasoned professionals and peers is a thing to be treasured, no matter how painful it might be. And while nowadays I'd have to pay Jose Villa a pretty penny to review my work, I only had to pay $19.99 for 159 pages of the man's advice! Not to mention a collection of his glorious images to boot.

If you're a photographer, bride, member of a wedding party, a part of the wedding industry, or just a sentimental schmuck like me, I highly recommend ordering a copy of "Fine Art Wedding Photography" by Jose Villa & Jeff Kent. But especially if you're a wedding photographer...because here's a guy who's proven to be overwhelmingly successful in a very tough market, yet still maintains a beautiful sense of artistry, design, and timelessness. And that is something each of us in the business should seriously take to heart.

Have you checked out Villa's new book? Leave your thoughts below!

On Friday I'll be posting a list of some of my favourite resources for photographers

...stay tuned!

Beating the Winter Blues with Photos from Cuba

After reading several recent blog posts written by my fellow Canucks, (those living north of the 49th parallel) who are chomping at the bit for spring to arrive, I felt compelled to bust out some of my Cuba photos with the hope that the warm textures and vibrant colours would help to stave off the cabin fever just a wee bit longer! If you happen to be somewhere warm and sunny, good for you. Send me a postcard while you're at it! And if you're here with me in rainy northern California, well, perhaps you need a good dose of sunshiny-goodness too. Not to mention an extra shot of rum in that mojito that you're about to go mix up!

Happy Friday folks...enjoy your weekend and ¡Viva Cuba!

Albert + Jaimie at the Palace of Fine Arts

I've been dying to do a shoot at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts since we moved out here, and finally got the chance with Albert & Jaimie recently. We met at sunset, braved the chilly ocean air, and shot like crazy try to sneak in as many shots before the sun could dip into the Pacific. Well, more than likely it sunk below the Golden Gate Bridge and the surrounding hills before that, but the Pacific is most definitely the last thing the sun cast its rays upon before night fell in San Francisco!

Sigh...so I got my shoot at the Palace. I should be satisfied right? Nope. I want MORE!!! I'm so inspired by the endless possibilities for unique lighting situations amidst such dramatic columns, archways, and architectural detailing. I'd love to get there before sunrise to see the fog rise up off the pond and watch the eastern light warm the cool dome; I'd love to shoot there during a storm and photograph a couple taking shelter from the rain; I really want to go back once the summer comes and linger during the longest sunset of the year. Ideas...how great is it that we can never run out!!!

Got creative ideas to share? Locations you love? Leave your suggestions below!

Want to book a shoot? Come on, you know you do... Contact me and we'll drum up something fabulous and romantic!

Cheers to you all!

Jaime

Comings + Goings

I find I have not much to say about these photos only that I LOVE THEM! It's so rare that I get a chance to sort through, edit, and share photos from my personal life, but with so many visitors and visiting of our own lately I carved out time to make sure these received my attention.

Here are a few highlights from the past couple months' comings and goings:

-My parents' visit after the holidays. We had a great time showing them the city and our favourite wineries. We kill ourselves laughing every time we're together and I wouldn't have it any other way. I also bested them at Scrabble which was a lifetime first. They're fierce competitors and I was pretty proud that I'd finally schooled them!

-Bronwyn's 10-day visit on her way from Texas back to Calgary. Let me just say that we put away some pretty amazing food while that girl was in town. She's a truly inventive cook and a we spent a good bit of time not only cooking but talking about food and trying local specialties.

-Our trip to SoCal. Will had never been to southern California before, so we took the long weekend to go down and stay with the Jonkers...a family that's been like family to me for the past decade. On the Saturday I took Will out to Aguanga where I lived the year after high school (working on a ranch of sorts) and on Sunday we all went out to Anza-Borrego State Park. It was a quick trip, but a great chance to visit with good friends and get out on the road.

-Lauren & Elena's visit. My cousins from Saskatchewan (gorgeous girls with Disney princess eyes) came for a week during their school break and we had a great time bashing around the city, picnicking in the hills, and eating loads of great food. No wine-tasting though ;-) A favourite: Celebrating our Mennonite heritage and cooking beet borscht and baking rhubarb & strawberry platz. Oh. Yum.

Isn't my dad SO striking in this B&W pic!? He has the most piercing eyes!

I love deserts when they go through a brief stint as green and grey places. I especially love when late afternoon light hits the land and dark skies loom in the background...it's my all-time favourite lighting and I had to get a photo with it! I also have wanted to photograph this tree for over ten years and finally got my chance!

Talk about a stunning view from the loo ! And speaking of stunning...isn't Shannon just RADIANT?! And I have to say, my man looks pretty awesome too!

Oh San Francisco...how I love this newly adopted city!

I'd love to know which photos are favourites of yours!!! It feels so good to finally share them!

Carmen + Joni {A Post-Wedding Shoot}

So the great thing about a post-wedding shoot is that...well, there are SO many great things about post-wedding shoots! Want the run down? Nah, you probably just want to check out the rest of the photos! I'll catch you at the end of the set...

Gorgeous couple right? Yup. And relaxed as ever. Which is the main reason I recommend post-wedding shoots for couples who want the time to enjoy an extended, creative shoot, but don't want to see each other prior to the wedding ceremony. Other bonuses: No worries about getting back to your guests, the option of various locations, and my favourite--no pangs of hunger plaguing the expressions of the bride & groom!

For this shoot Carmen, Joni, myself and my husband Will, headed to the lakeside town of Arbon where we stopped at the 16th century castle for part of our shoot. As soon as we arrived I spotted the salmon-coloured wall across the street and in between our photos at the castle and on the shores of Lake Constance, I squeezed in a few shots along this gorgeous wall. Which of course was possible because we had all the time in the world (or at least as much time as Carmen could manage in the cold weather...we all were freezing, but that girl was a total trooper--Will had the luxury of staying warm in the car!). Anyway, the shots along the wall were my favourite and I had to share them with you. Sorry it took so long...it's been a bit of a wild month!

Carmen + Joni Tie the Knot in Switzerland!

The last month has been an incredible whirlwind! Will & I both celebrated our birthdays one week before Christmas, then we flew to Mississippi to celebrate with Will's side of the family, (and do some hunting of course!) and THEN we flew to Switzerland for the much-anticipated wedding of Carmen & Joni! I've been super-excited for this trip for a while and I know there are many itching to see photos from our travels, but I know the two MOST eager to see photos are Joni & Carmen, which means travel photos featuring snow-covered chalets and foaming glasses of beer are going to have to wait!

Here then, are just a few of the stunning couple on their wedding day! I'll be posting more photos featuring a few of the festivities as well as shots from their post-wedding shoot, but here are a few just to tide folks over!

There's nothing more romantic than candlelight, if you're the ones kissing by it, but photographing by it can feel a lot trickier. However, thanks to leaping into the world of full-frame with the Nikon D700, I'm able to shoot by dim, ambient light and not wind up with images saturated in digital noise. Okay, that's a bit of lingo, but basically, this camera (and the lens) SHONE in that dark castle tower and Joni & Carmen looked AMAZING. Anyone else using the D700 in dim light? I'd love to hear what you think.

After our shoot at Frauenfeld Castle, the limo pulled up to the reception location and there lining the entrance way were all the dinner guests holding torches and streamers...horn & trumpet fanfare ushered the glowing couple down the red carpet, but not before I hopped out of the limo first, cringing knowing everyone would be expecting Carmen & Joni! "Just me!" I cried, and the crowd feigned disappointment with a humourous sigh. We had debated who would get out first, but Carmen, Joni, and I decided that I needed to get the photos so out I went! Between the trill of the trumpets bursting through the crisp winter air and the firey display of the torch-lit processional, I turned giddy with excitement at the drama of it all! Of course, my own reaction was nothing compared to Carmen & Joni's, which I think was captured well here as they made their way to the reception hall. Aren't they GORGEOUS!!!???

Stay tuned for more!

Jaimes