Darkroom Fever

No pictures yet - just wanted to share what's to come.   This weekend I was fortunate enough to acquire a medium format camera body/back - it's an oldy...takes film, not digital so now I need to learn how to develop pictures.  All the developing gear came with the camera so there is nothing holding me back now except time and space.  A hugh thank you to Eunice for allowing me to carry the torch.  I hope I can learn this new format and take my photography to a new level.  In today's high tech digital age going old school and producing film prints is somewhat novel.  My kids are rolling their eyes again....Mom found yet another way to ignore them....sorry guys, I love you but I can't help myself.  If you would just agree to model for me we could spend more time together. 

Twilight Hour

Baby Crazy

How do you choose a favorite when each new picture steals your heart?   Baby Kezia.

Mixed Light Photo

Now this ought to get your attention... A special thank you to Fallon and Savannah for giving up their Sunday to spend the day modeling for our mixed light portraiture class.  Girls you did a fabulous job and I so appreciate your time and effort.  It was a long day but I think the results speak for themselves.  See you in two weeks when we address studio lights in the classroom.

Cosmo Splender

Exploring the lensbaby - Lensbaby is a specialty lens that allows the photographer to bend the light to create special effects such as this garden scene.  It has a somewhat Monet like feel to it and takes quite a bit of practise to master.  Artistic renderings such as this are best viewed from a distance as it can be quite disturbing trying to focus on detail in an out of focus photo.  The trick is to have sharp focus in one area (the sweet spot) to direct the viewer's eye.  This attached sample is my first serious attempt at working with this specialty lense.    

http://www.ezphototemplates.com

http://www.ezphototemplates.com/

Love the pics but not sure what product you would like?  I offer a full range of products from traditional standard prints to modern and edgy metal prints that will knock your socks off.  Birth announcments, Christmas cards, calendars, gallery wraps, splits, clusters, wedding invitations, magazine covers;  the list goes on and on. All items come in a variety of sizes and price range so there is something for everyone regardless of budget.  Check out the attached link for more information.

Searching for the light

Class started back this past week and today we spent 6 hours learning how to work with natural light - this shot was taken later in the evening as the sun was setting - back lighting with a silver reflector to bounce the light back onto the subject.  Thank goodness for Trinity - what a trooper - I can always count on her to stand in as my subject on a moment's notice.  Trin - don't ever grow up - you are perfect just the way you are.  Love you.

Just toooooooo cute!

Baby Zoe age 13 days - isn't she a cutie pie....love, love, love this pic.

Wedding Storybook

Check out the video slideshow I prepared to showcase the highlights of Bill & Reit's rainy day outdoor wedding. The weather may not have co-operated, but the pictures turned out great, we were able to capture lots of candids to document the festivities, and everyone had a great time.
Robina

Big Things Afoot

Top secret for now but stayed tuned - working on some big changes to the studio.  Very exciting...will let everyone in on the secret when it becomes official.

Max at the beach

Saturday July 2nd - Long Point   One of my favorite places to visit, Long Point on Lake Erie features warm water thanks to the sandbar and a beautiful sandy shoreline - perfect for building sandcastles or taking a romantic evening stroll.  I used to dream about owning a summer cottage on the point, but that was another lifetime ago and simply wasn't meant to be.  Thanks to Jeremy & Becca for taking Max & I on a day trip to the beach and a stroll down memory lane.  Max had so much fun playing in the surf and digging in the sand and I got this amazing picture of my precious little puppy.  Then home to a steak barbeque cooked by none other than Jeremy, my precious little boy...lol...he's rolling his eyes now.  Love ya baby.  What a great long weekend.

Cutie Pie

Sometimes smiling is just so overrated.

Fashion Show Shoot

This month I had the privledge to shoot two fashions shows - the spring clothing show which took place in Toronto May 28th and the graduating class fashion show for Gemini Models teen modeling class.  Here's a sample of what it was all about.

Happy Birthday Jessica

You rock my world - love ya baby.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photography

So just what is HDR photography and why does it look more like a painting than a photograph? 

Well, here's the scoop....The human eye is capable of seeing a much wider range of light and dark than the camera lense (even the really good/expenseive ones do not measure up to the human eye), so photographs that record scenes with exteme range variances cannot fully convey the true picture.  If the photo is properly exposed for the bright light outside the window, then the detail in the shadows will be lost.  Conversley, if we expose to pull out the details in the shadow areas of the scene, the highlights will be overexposed and all detail will be lost on that end of the spectrum.  The solution?  Multiple exposures overlayed to produce a picture that is properly exposed at both ends of the spectrum with no lost detail.  The final result has much more depth than a traditional photograph and therefore takes on a surreal look that surpasses the tradtional photograph we are used to seeing.  HDR photography is not new, it was around in the good old days of film, however it is much more commonly used today as digital photography and cost effective software solutions have made the process of merging multiple photographs as easy as 1-2-3.  The trick to a great HDR photograph is conservatisim.  These photos are such a joy to work with, and the results are so dynamic (no pun intended), that it's easy to get carried away and overprocess.  To sum it up - HDR photography rocks - so grab your camera and go have some fun.

Rain rain go away.....

Well, here we are in mid May 2011 and it's raining - again!  I am just waiting for a nice day to try out some back lighting shots.  In the meantime, back to Easter.  Yes I am still working on the Easter pictures for 2011.  This weekend - big push to get it done.  In the meantime, enjoy the sample pics posted here.

Short & Sweet - no rest for the wicked

I'm pretty sure I must be wicked because I never have enough time for everything I need or want to do - anyway here's today's post.....NEW BABY IN THE HOUSE - enough said?

Thought for the day

So I was wondering...if you write a blog, which is nothing more than written conversation, and you have no followers, is that the same as talking to yourself?  So please, please, please...if you are reading this could you sign up to follow my blog?  I will work hard to keep everyone up to date on upcoming photo shoot specials, and for those of you who are do it yourselfer's (bet that's not spelt right), I intend to add tutorials and free digital templates that you can use in your own photo designs - why should I have all the fun?  See pic of the day for an example of creative effects that can enhance digital photography.
Bye for now
Robina

Long time no post....ooops!

Turns out the whole blogging idea isn't working out too well with my super busy schedule - sorry about that folks, I will try and do better in the future.  Well, spring has finally sprung however it's anything but cheery - dull bleak rainy days with lower than average temperatures have left everyone feeling a bit down.  I did manage to get out for a Sunday afternoon at Webster Falls back in late March and that was fun.  Best part of the day was when I unexpectedly ran into a couple who were in the process of getting engaged.  I knew something was up when I saw the man down on one knee and the girl smiling.  Check out the pictures I was able to take to help them commemorate that special moment.  Then, in April I hosted an Easter photo session with live chicks in my home.  That was a blast - lots of young children and 13 baby chicks made for an interesting and busy photo shoot - still working on the post processing for those pictures.  They turned out awesome!!!! At least I think so.  Well, that's all for now - it's Friday and I'm off to work on my pictures yet again.

January 14th, 2011 - New Beginnings

Day One:  New site, new friends, new beginnings....2011 is going to be an awesome year!  Last weekend Jim and I exhibited at the 2011 Wedding Dreams Show held at Bingeman's Park in Kitchener, Ontario.  What an experience that was.  It was our first time exhibiting so we were a bit overwhelmed by the scale and sophistication of our competitor's displays.  In comparison, our booth was very simple.  We printed a few of our many wedding photos that we felt best represented our artistic vision and displayed a variety of post processing techniques.  To those of you who took the time to stop by our booth and offer your words of encouragement - we thank you.  To our lovely brides, we look forward to working with you to plan out the photographic aspect of your special day.  We may not be flashy but we are dedicated.  Check out our website at http://www.starlitealley.com/.