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Ottawa Pet Photographer ~ Peanut

By daniellelynnphotography | Published: January 13, 2012

My family has two dogs. The older of the two is Emma. A full-bred, loyal, sweet, super diva Pug. The younger of the two is Peanut. An extra tiny Pug/Shih-Tzu mix who is hyper, full of personality and borderline nuts. At 1.5  years old, she’s still as Puppy-ish as they come in both looks and activity level. And as a result, Peanut and I have a complicated relationship. I love her dearly….but I’m sure I could put my kids through college if I tallied up the dollar value of the things this dog has single handedly destroyed. ;)

This is the first real opportunity I’ve had to photograph Peanut. Typically when I get down to her level to take a photo I end up with a dog lunging at the camera, thinking that I must be crouching down to play. A couple of days ago I just happened to have my camera ready just before she decided to go for a nap though. I quietly approached her, sat down ever so softly on the floor in front of her and was able to snap a few photos while she was still relatively groggy. I, of course, did not have the opportunity to clean the gunk out of her eyes or bathe her in preparation for her blog debut, but this shows you the real Peanut. The true face of the little dog that brings us so much stress…err…I mean joy. ;)

 

 

I’m grateful that I did seize this opportunity. Our dogs are very much a part of our families and our every day life, yet sadly they both end up forgotten when it comes to pictures. I hope to spend more time photographing our furry family members this year. Animals are only with us for such an incredibly short time, yet they have the ability to make such an impact on our lives. I never want my kids to forget the faces and personalities of the animals who’s lives have helped shape theirs. That’s why photography is so wonderful. It allows us to never forget.

 

 

 

 

To schedule a Pet Photography session with Ottawa’s Danielle Lynn Photography, please contact us today! Pet photo sessions are the perfect way to honour and capture the true personality of your furry friend!

Posted in Pets | Tagged Dog, ottawa pet photographer, Ottawa Pet Photography, Pug, Puppy, Shih-Tzu | 6 Comments

Andrew, Gail and Baby Molly ~ Ottawa Family and Newborn Photography

By daniellelynnphotography | Published: January 11, 2012

The first session of 2012! And I couldn’t have asked for a nicer, more lovely family to photograph. With the chaos of having a new baby, I am grateful that they welcomed me into their home to photograph the newest (and first!) addition to their family – baby Molly! First, I have to say that I LOVE her name. It’s totally adorable and is up there amongst my own personal favorites. Molly herself was a delight too. She was awake the entire time and didn’t seem at all phased by cameras or being the star attraction of the day. ;) Such a beautiful little princess and at just under one month old, its clear as day that she’s got Mommy and Daddy wrapped around that itty bitty finger of hers! ;)

 

Oh, and did I mention that Barley the cat decided to join the fun? ;)

 

 

In-home sessions are quickly becoming one of my favorite ways to photograph families. A big part of the reason is because of the intimacy it creates. Where are you most comfortable? Where are you able to most comfortably be yourselves? Your home of course! And the more I do it, the more I see how this comfort, emotion and intimacy translates visually in my images. If you’ve just had a baby, are expecting a baby or would love to have fun and cozy in-home family session, I’d love to hear from you! I have a special offer I plan to share in a few days so be sure to check back here for those exciting details!!!

Happy New Year everyone!!!

 

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Posted in Baby / Newborn | Tagged Baby Photography Ottawa, In-Home Photo Sessions, infant, Ottawa family photographer, Ottawa family photography, Ottawa newborn photographer, Ottawa Newborn Photography | 4 Comments

A Reflection of 2011 ~ Ottawa Photographer

By daniellelynnphotography | Published: December 30, 2011

Wow 2011. Way to bring it.

Seriously, 2011 has rocked. Its been the year that I’ve started to see things truly flourish and there’s nothing quite as exciting as feeling the joy of your hard work paying off. This has reinforced to me that setting goals for myself is crucial to my success. Its not even a question really. I have to do it. It holds me accountable. It puts the success or failure of my business squarely on my shoulders. And I hate pressure. I complain about it. But boy oh boy, do I work well under it. ;)

This year was hard for me in many ways too. I was busier than previous years, which is WONDERFUL but also challenging when it comes to the family/work balance. Another challenge came in the form of a local individual who had attempted to replicate something I had done for my business. That situation alone provided months of frustration while I dealt with their never-ending wrath after standing up for myself. I am thankful though. During some of my hardest moments and most challenging of situations of 2011, I had support from so many wonderful friends and colleagues. I learned a lot about myself, my industry, my friendships and I have come out feeling so much stronger. So come to think of it, maybe the bad isn’t all that bad after all! ;)

Some of highlights and reached goals of my year include:

~ Having my work published in print. This ended up happening for me in more than one instance this year. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to shoot semi-regularly for Ottawa Parenting Times Magazine. I have also had the opportunity to be featured in Ottawa Citizen‘s ‘The Wrap’ newspaper and last but certainly not least, I’ve also had my work featured in PAWSH Magazine. This is VERY cool for me. I was hoping for at least one opportunity. I’m thankful to have been given so much more than that.

~ Being offered the fabulous opportunity to write a little series of articles for The Dedicated Photographer, which is a fantastic resource for the professional photographer. Bookmark it photographer friends!

~ Working commercially. Again, my mind was blown when I was contacted by the Canadian Red Cross for a shoot that involved producing images for a nation-wide campaign. My images were featured very extensively in all Canadian Walmart stores. And as if that wasn’t enough, one of the models I used for this campaign was my own daughter. A proud photographer moment AND a proud Mama moment!

~ Joining and being accepted by not one, but two highly respected professional photography associations. I’m SUPER proud to say that I became a member of WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) and also the NAPCP (National Association of Professional Child Photographers). To have such highly respected organizations backing me was kind of a big deal. I look forward to working towards becoming a part of more associations in the future.

~ Winning an image award. WINNING AN IMAGE AWARD. Ya….that took a while to sink in for me too. Much to my surprise and delight, one of my images placed 3rd in the Tweens age category of the July 2011 image competition with the NAPCP.  I know its totally cliche to say, but it was truly a dream come true for me. In fact, it took me COMPLETELY by surprise! But when the results were in and I saw my name up there with the other handful of winners, there I was. Placing amongst some of the most well respected photographers in Child and Family Photography and chosen out of potentially thousands of images. WOW. If that isn’t motivating me to rock 2012, I don’t know what will!!!

2012 will have its work cut out for it, that’s for sure! But as I continue to work towards my goals I am reminded that its not about how many props I buy or how many sessions I shoot. What’s important is loving what I do. Its discovering myself through my art. Its connecting with people authentically. Its nurturing the unique qualities that I bring to the table as an artist. Its the ever evolving skill that motivates me to do what I do and its my wonderful clients who trust me with their family memories. I am so very excited to see what’s in store for 2012!!! I also look forward to meeting those of you who I will have the pleasure of working with. :)

Much love, health and happiness for 2012 everyone! I want to leave you with you a slideshow of just a small number of my favorite images from this year.  Enjoy! :)

 

Posted in Personal | Tagged Award Winning Photographer Ottawa, New Years 2011, Ottawa Photographer | 5 Comments

Ottawa Photographer :: Shopping and Sweets 2011 photos!

By daniellelynnphotography | Published: December 19, 2011

As many of you already know, I was happy to be included once again in the fabulous Shopping and Sweets event held at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans on Saturday December 3rd. I’m pleased to say that the event was a huge success in many ways! It was announced not too long after the event that $1566 was raised for two Ottawa charities: The Christmas Exchange and The Caring and Sharing Exchange! You can read more about the the charities here.

On a more personal note, what a great experience this event has been for me! I’ve met lots of fantastic Ottawa business owners, lots of lovely potential clients and of course, indulged in the delicious (and gorgeous!) cupcakes. I also managed to snap a few photos of the event and I’ve blogged the majority of them here. For those of you who’s photos I was able to take, I’m hoping to contact you by email at some point over the next little while to send them to you (likely after the holidays). If you don’t hear from me, feel free to send me a quick email. I may not have your contact info! info@daniellelynnphotography.com

Thanks again to the fantastic organizers Becky and Gwen, and huge congrats on all of the money you guys raised for some much deserving local charities!

If you would like to keep up to date on when next year’s Shopping and Sweets event is, they have a Facebook page setup with all of the details! https://www.facebook.com/shoppingandsweets

 

 

Between the chaos that the holidays bring, finishing up client work as well as having had a few visitors and family events these past few weeks I’ve been SUPER busy and kinda slacking in the blog department! Hoping to have a few more blog posts up soon including a year end/year beginning post! :)

Posted in Events | Tagged 2011, charity, Cupcakes, Ottawa Photographer, Shopping and Sweets Ottawa | 1 Comment

Ottawa Food Photography :: Quinoa Chili

By daniellelynnphotography | Published: December 6, 2011

During this time of year, I am ALL about making my family these types of simple dinners. Not only are they extra delicious on a cold day, but they are so easy. And when it comes right down to it, for someone who has 2 kids, 2 dogs, a husband and a business, easy is pretty much the most important thing. Always. ;)

This chili recipe is one that I created myself based mostly on my memory of recipes I’ve followed in the past. Like most things I make, its really versatile. You could definitely add or take away any of the ingredients and substitute them for others depending on your tastes. For this one I decided to use Quinoa. If you aren’t familiar with this wonderfully healthy and delicious grain, you can read more about it here. We really love Quinoa, but don’t often use it because I either forget or struggle to find things that it works well in. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a fantastic addition to chili. I may even go so far as to say that it really completes this dish, both for taste and texture reasons. I’ll let you be the judge of that for yourself though. ;)

 

Quinoa Chili

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Quinoa (we buy the organic stuff from Costco – best price!)
1 Pound of ground beef (we buy from Aubrey’s here in Ottawa)
1 diced red pepper
1 diced green pepper
1 medium onion diced
1 can of corn
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of black beans
1 can of crushed tomatoes
2 tbsps of chili powder (or more/less depending on taste)
1 tsp cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste

1) Cook 1/2 cup of Quinoa according to package instructions. Set aside in covered pot.

2) Brown ground beef in heavy bottom pot and drain off any excess fat. Add in spices, diced onions, peppers with a glug or two of olive oil. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes.

3) Add in the full cans of tomato, corn, kidney and black beans. Add in Quinoa as well, mixing chili well to blend ingredients together.

4) Let cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes before serving. Top with whatever you like. I like mine best with sour cream and sometimes Fritos. ;)
* Note – I think this recipe could very easily be adapted to suit a vegetarian. A couple of options would be to omit the meat and substitute it for the ground tofu stuff (not sure what the correct term is but its that stuff that looks like ground beef. LOL!), or even just more Quinoa, beans and veggies to bulk it up!

 

 

I’m also VERY excited to share that my Food Photography site is reaching completion!!! Yes, that’s right…for 2012 my food photography will have its own dedicated website and it’s own name. Sort of a division of Danielle Lynn Photography if you will. I plan to offer a fully styled food photography service as one of my specialties and since it’s so different from portraiture I figured it needed its own space. My sites will share this as a common blog though so fear not! You won’t miss a thing! ;)

Posted in Food | Tagged Chili, dinner solutions, Food Photography, Healthy, Ottawa Food Photographer, Ottawa Food Stylist, Ottawa Photographers, Quinoa | 3 Comments