Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.
Kahlil Gibran
Have you ever made something wonderful but were too afraid to share it? This is the question our friends at Apple ask in their 2018 Holiday ad. The short film created by Pixar features music by 16 year old Billie Eilish (“Come out and Play”) and follows a young girl who keeps her creations a secret until her dog accidentally opens a window, releasing the papers into the community where they are seen and enjoyed by everyone.
in Photography
I’m often asked how do I create my backgrounds for studio portraits. An easy way to add interest to images is by using a digital texture or overlay with Photoshop or your favorite photo editing software. By using digital textures I can avoid purchasing expensive canvas, fabric or paper backgrounds thus saving money and space in my studio. This keeps my photo shoot production costs down and enables me to offer more variety and pass along savings to my clients.
Inspirational Photo of the Day: Photography Talk
My fantasy image of a young girl exploring the dark woods was recently featured by the online photography forum Photography Talk as the Inspirational Photo of the Day. Recently I’ve been exploring ways to tell stories with my images and it has been such a rewarding experience and enabled me to express so much more with my photography. Photography Talk is an amazing resource for photographers around the world that helps photographers tell amazing stories with their cameras. Followed by over 3 million photographers around the world, they are the “everything” resource for photographers and it is such an honor to be featured on their website.
For the past few years I’ve been volunteering to photograph Santa and his friends at the Canadian Fire Fighters Museum in Port Hope, Ontario. After enjoying the annual Santa Claus parade in downtown Port Hope everyone (including pets!) is invited to join Santa for hot chocolate, cookies and have a photo taken with Santa himself. This year the Santa meet and greet, and photos will be held at the former Canadian Tire building at 100 Henderson Street, just across from the end of the parade route. Donations to the Canadian Fire Fighters Museum are welcome.
If I could give you one thing in life, it would be the ability to see yourself through my eyes. Only then would you realize how special you are to me.
Frida Kahlo
Essential oils are beneficial to humans, however, they can potentially be toxic to our beloved pets. What is safe for us might not be for them, so it is important to speak with your veterinarian before using essential oils either topically or in a diffuser when pets may be sharing your home or coming into contact with you when oils have been applied to your skin.
The CPC Portrait Awards are an international photography competition that recognizes the best in child portraiture throughout the world. This photo competition for child portrait photographers recognizes exceptional images based on a judging criteria that identifies the best quality in art. The judging panel scores entries based on technical quality, composition, artistic expression and overall impression.
Stella Pro LED Lights for Indoor and Outdoor Photography
Over the past year I’ve been searching for a continuous lighting source to use for my photography sessions. There are many options on the market for photographers but the one I found works best for me is the Stella Pro Lighting series from Light & Motion. Not only are the Stella Pro Lights rugged, small and compact, and even waterproof…but they run for an hour or more on battery backup. As a children’s photographer I love that I can work with the Stella Pro Lights in studio and not have to worry about having cords running through my set. The cordless feature of the Stella Pro lights makes them a wise choice when considering the safety of your studio setup.
Port Hope photographer Alana Lee is Finalist at Rise International Photography Awards
Over the past year I’ve been continually challenging myself to learn and master my craft, so that I can always be providing the very best quality images and service to my clients and grow and challenge myself as an artist. Part of this process has involved entering my work in a variety of professional international photography competitions. Recently I submitted 5 entries into the Rise International Photography Awards, founded by world renowned photographer Kelly Brown. The Rise Photography Awards aims to raise the standard of newborn and child photography across the world, and to facilitate growth in photographers through critique of entries by internationally qualified judges.