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

Two For One Blog Post

So this post is going to be a 2 for 1 seeing as how tomorrow we hop on the red-eye to Mississippi for Christmas. First off, the final December Giveaway...

I know that those who voted on the Jaime Lauren Photography Facebook Page are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the winner of the Best Kiss of 2010 award--especially those couples whose photos were voted on. So I'll get to the winner without any further adieu: Seija & Josh, the $100 gift card to your online photo gallery at www.jaimelaurenphotography.com is yours! AND, since so many people got online and voted, I'd like to spread the Christmas cheer by surprising the 3 other couples with the most votes (Becky & Bryce, Brooke & Andrew, and Benita & Cory respectively) with a $20 gift card to their client gallery. I sincerely appreciate the turnout, the enthusiasm, and all the awesome feedback that came with folks commenting on their photo of choice. I've also been really enjoying the interaction that comes from comments and votes...it sure makes the solitary aspects of my job (posting, editing, etc.) much more fun! Keep the comments and feedback coming folks...they're what makes my work better!

Seija & Josh

Long Beach Lodge Resort, Tofino, BC

September 2010

All right, Numero Dos for today is one last fall-related post (yes, yes, it's December 22nd, but here in the Bay area it still feels like fall, so I'm justifying a final autumnal posting! Beside, yesterday was only the first official day of winter). This was a shoot for my dear, looong-time friend Skye and her fiance Wes who are getting married this spring. My absolute FAVOURITES from the shoot are the first ring shot which you'll see right away, and the middle photo in the second-to-last spread--Wes & Skye cuddled up in a Scottish tartan blanket purchased on the Isle of Skye. Skye's really proud of her Scottish heritage (and is the only girl I know who can pull off a pretty amazing Scottish accent) and I love that this prop was incorporated into the shoot. It's not cheesy or contrived--neither the kiss or the blanket. Anyway, we shot these in Kelowna outside of a little boarded up heritage church and I thought the colours of the building brought out all the fall hues really nicely. And of course, Skye & Wes looked mighty fine as well!

So, as we leave fall behind, here's one last look at a shoot from the year 2010. You'll hear from me next either from Mississippi if I get a chance, or from Switzerland which is where I'm heading for the New Year. I'll be ringing it in with my husband (who will be missing his team play at the Gator Bowl, bless his maroon & white heart) in Switzerland where I'll be shooting a New Years wedding for an old friend and his bride. I am having trouble containing my excitement even now, so beware, because by the time I get back to the blog I just might explode with a jumble of words and images!

Thank you for all your contributions to the blog throughout 2010. I can't wait to see what the New Year will bring but before I get ahead of myself, let me wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Here's to the next week filled with Mississippi family & friends, hunting for deer, and meditating on the birth of Christ!

And the Winner Is...

In my blogging/posting rampage this afternoon I forgot to announce that I'd drawn the winner of the Morocco photo book. Thank you to those who officially follow the blog and have for some time, as well as those new followers who've signed up recently...I really appreciate your support and would love to interact more with you through comments etc. Feel free to add your two cents!

Anyway, I know you're all dying to know who the winner is so without further adieu...

Elizabeth Klauer, (otherwise known as 'Biz') YOU are the lucky winner! If you could email me with your preferred mailing address, I'll have your Morocco coffee table book shipped off to you asap!

And to all you other fabulous folks, feel free to check out the giveaway posted below and vote for the Best Kiss of 2010!

Adios!

Jaime

Wednesday December Giveaway #3

This week I've decided to thank all of my 2010 engaged & newly married couples with a giveaway that will be awarded to the couple with the Best Kiss of the Year! I've selected one kissing (or 'almost kissing') image from each shoot that I think deserves to be in the running and I'm letting YOU cast your votes to determine the winner. The couple will be awarded with a $100 gift card to be used in their private online gallery at www.jaimelaurenphotography.com

VOTING DETAILS

For couples: Head to Jaime Lauren Photography on Facebook, become a follower, tag yourself, and get your friends & family in on the voting. A comment on your image or a 'Like' will count as a vote cast in your favour.

For everyone else: Ditto...only no tagging yourself in the happy couple's photo...3's a crowd didn't ya hear?

Contest closes on Wednesday, December 22 at 12:00pm Pacific Standard Time.

I am SO curious to see which one gets the most votes...should be fun!

Jaime

100th Blog Post Celebration!

Well, today marks the 100th blog post! It's been just over 5 years of blogging and it all started as a way to communicate with friends and family as I journeyed to Spain & Morocco as a stock photographer during my internship at Emily Carr University. In conjunction with my December Photo Giveaways, I'm celebrating my 100th post by giving away a coffee table book featuring images from my time in Morocco. Some have never been made public before, and all have been freshly edited, which means even if you've seen these images before, you haven't seen them like this!

So how do you get yourself one of these snazzy numbers? Just become a follower of the blog before December 14 and your name will be entered into a draw for one of the books! (If you already ARE a follower of the blog, your name will be entered automatically as a thank you for your loyalty and interaction!) Alternately, if you'd like to order a book as a gift or just keep for yourself, shoot me an email at artbyjlauren@hotmail.com and let me know!

Enjoy the sneak preview!

Draw Winner will be announced December 15, 2010

December Wednesday Giveaways!

Hey guys!

So throughout the Christmas season, Jaime Lauren Photography will be featuring a few freebies. Every Wednesday until December 22, I'll be posting the latest giveaway on the blog and spreading the word via Facebook. Feel free to help share the love and pass the word on to friends and family!

This Wednesday I'm offering all brides & groom's to-be a FREE custom hard cover photo book when they book their 2011 wedding with Jaime Lauren Photography throughout the month of December. Every handcrafted coffee table book features exclusive designs, artful layouts, and accurate photo reproductions on premium archival, acid-free pages. Each book is 15"x11", 20 pages in length and comes with a protective slipcover to ensure your leather-bound, debossed book remains stunning no matter how many times you show it off!

Already booked your 2011 wedding and still want to get in on the deal? Refer a friend and receive $100 photo credit when they book!

So spread the word, drop me a line, and book your 2011 wedding now and round out your photo package with a free leather-bound premium hard cover coffee table book. Only a limited number available!

Offer expires January 1st at 12:00am PST.

Brett & Kelly: A Maternity Shoot

Every so often I get asked if I photograph anything besides weddings and engagements. The answer is always 'yes, but I rarely advertise'. See there's a school of thought that aligns itself with the theory that if you project yourself as a generalist, you'll never get taken seriously as a specialist in any given field. I've found that since I stopped promoting myself as a photographic jack (jill?) of all trades and started focusing in on weddings and engagements, I've been able to work on my craft, hone very specific skills, and settle into a niche (a very LARGE niche, but a niche nonetheless). And guess what? I haven't lost business as a result.

On those occasions when I'm asked if I do more than weddings, the follow-up question is usually one that includes a request for maternity/baby/family/corporate/promotional photographs. And if there's room in my schedule, then of course, I'm always on board. I enjoy the opportunity to branch out of my comfort zone, test other waters, and of course, build relationships with others through photography. As of recently, I've been getting quite a few requests for maternity & baby sessions, and since winter is a tad slower as far as weddings go, I've made room to honor a few of these requests.

Some of these shoots will be featured here on the blog, and since I wanted to put some space between featured engagement sessions, I thought I'd go back to an end of summer shoot that took place with our friends Brett & Kelly here in Livermore, California. Enjoy!

Isn't she a total rock star??? Kelly was a natural in front of the camera and is easily one of the most photogenic pregnant women I've ever photographed.

Don't they look great together?! Brett was pretty relaxed in front of the lens as well. They made my job ridiculously easy!

One word about Kelly's dresses: 'ruching' . All that lovely gathered fabric can do wonders for any figure, whether one needs it or not, but what I find myself swooning over in these two B&W shots is how beautifully the ruching leads the eye around Kelly's maternal curves. And both the rings and her necklace punctuate the flowing lines quite nicely. GOR-GEOUS.

(And they're just as fun as they look...we love having them as friends!)

Of course the shoot wouldn't have been the same without a glimpse of their little guy.

And since Brett & Kelly are major baseball fans, we headed to a nearby ball field for a few shots.

This last photo on the right was the result of an idea I had the night before the shoot. Love how it turned out with the white T's! Thanks guys for the awesome shoot. So glad that the little guy is doing well and growing like a weed!

I realise that these photos were all done 'on-site' and would love to hear feedback from viewers/readers as to whether they prefer maternity shoots on-site or in the studio. Which do you favour?

La Bibliothèque

Just after we received our first piece of mail at this address last year, I announced on Facebook that it was official: I could go and get a local library card. I did that--yesterday. I have no idea why I procrastinated so.

I love libraries...not just what you can get from them, (free books, old movies, audio CD's, back issues of Vogue, all without the pressure or commitment to buy anything) but the atmosphere within a library. The din and hum of visitors trying to be quiet, the odd child breaking out from the confines of the 'indoor voice' and then the turned heads as an embarrassed mom tries to shush her kid, (I'm sure that will be me in a few years!) the sheer volume of information at one's fingertips--I love it all. Even the exteriors can be pleasing, especially in larger cities. Vancouver's library is a stunning work of art; if you've never been to the Vancouver Public Library's main branch you should go next time you're in the city--from the outside it looks like a modern-day Coliseum.

So yesterday I finally treated myself to my first visit to Livermore's main branch and I was really pleased with how inviting it was. Warm lighting, (they went easy on the fluorescents, which I was happy about. I've always said fluorescent lighting is the devil's lighting) visible timber trusses, and neutral earth tones made the whole place seem more like a lodge than a library. If only there'd been a large stone fireplace at the end, soaring upwards towards vaulted ceilings...

Anyway, the last great feature of this particular library was it's automatic sliding doors. I never leave a library with just a book or two, and am usually weighed down to the point where if I were grocery shopping, I'd look ridiculous without a cart. So when the automatic doors whirred open I felt really grateful for not having to turn my back to the door, heave the door open with my shoulders, and leave the library backwards. Thank you Livermore for providing me with the opportunity to maintain my dignity here.

What was in my hefty stack of books you ask? A couple pictorial coffee table books, but mostly travel memoirs and guides. China, the Middle East, a couple about Iran. You know, docile, indifferent places...no troublemakers in this pack! Oh, and a guidebook to Switzerland, because that is where I'll be headed to shoot a wedding after Christmas!!! The most neutral place on earth! It's been a year and a half since I've been outside of Canada & the US and I'm dying to explore some place new, even if just for a week or so. Plus it'll be great to see an old friend get hitched, not to mention provide the newlyweds with a snowy photo shoot in front of a castle or something (fingers crossed!). Chocolate, snow, fondue, (CHEESE!!!!) castles, the Alps....I seriously cannot wait!

Oh, and if you have any favourite reads that might inspire my trip, let me know so I can hit up the library again :-)

Jaime

Bryce & Rebecca's Engagement Shoot: Part II of II

So a couple days ago I promised Part II of Becky & Bryce's Engagement Session would appear on the blog today and here it is folks!

If you know me well, you know I'm a fan of scarves. Summer, winter, in-between-the seasons scarves...I rarely leave the house without one. But one of the reasons I often suggest them as the perfect accessory for a photo shoot is that they can easily be used to draw the viewer's eye to the subject's face. I especially love what a fantastic punch of colour a vibrant scarf can lend to a shoot, particularly if the day is gray and overcast. (Wait, was that the Canadian or American spelling for gray/grey???) Anyway, I don't think I asked Becky to bring a scarf, but she brought a couple and they couldn't have fit better with the light, the backdrops, or her complexion and bright eyes. Gorgeous.

The B&W shot on the far right is one of my most favourite engagement portraits of all time. The tenderness revealed here gives me the chills...thanks Becky & Bryce for moments like this which I'll treasure always. It really is a privilege to be let in on intimate moments such as these.

All right, I'm still waiting to see if anyone can pick out where these photos are taken. What I'd also love to know is if you have favourite images from either Part One or Two of Becky & Bryce's shoot. It's always good for me to know what appeals to viewers and why. So if composition is what grabs you, I'd like to hear which one you think is the strongest. If it's emotion, colour, contrast, post-production techniques, or creativity that cranks your engine and one (or more) of these photos does it for you, please leave your comments below!!!

Oh, and have a fabulous weekend!