Category Archives: Children

Ottawa Children’s Photographer :: Taking Risks

One of the best things about photographing my own kids is that it’s one of the rare times I can be truly creative and experimental. I find that with client work I’m less inclined to take on-the-spot risks. It’s not that I never do, it’s just that with my kids I always feel more free to make mistakes since they aren’t exactly paying. ;) I can shoot and shoot and shoot as many frames as I like. Some things will work, some will not, but that’s how I learn. And now that they are finally at an age where they actually enjoy letting me take photos, it makes it that much easier for me. Dare I say even fun sometimes ;)

I shot most of these indoor images using my 50mm 1.4 lens, which is not usually my lens of choice. I wanted these to have a very shallow depth of field though so I shot with the aperture wide open at 1.4 (the lower the aperture, the blurrier the background and the smaller the area in focus). Shooting this way, particularly with fast moving kids is usually not a good idea. And I’m not gonna lie…I came away from this experience with a number unusable shots since it’s extremely easy to miss your focus with a depth of field this shallow. What I love about these though is the fact that they represent a creative risk. In this case, it’s one that feel that it paid off because I’m happy with how the images came out. But even if they hadn’t, they still represent something that I see so few people actually doing in photography today. Taking risks, whatever they may be, and despite any imperfections, just putting it out there for the world to see. Generally speaking I live my life pretty safely (I really need to work on that ;) ). But I’m glad I have an outlet like photography that let’s me step outside of myself every once in a while.

My kids love the library. So today we took some time out to just enjoy a couple of hours at our local branch. With the start of school less than a week away for my kids, we’re trying to squeeze as many day time activities in as possible! On our way back to the car I couldn’t resist snapping a few fun photos against the brick wall. It’s funny how you can walk by a place a million times and see absolutely nothing. But given the right moment/mood/day it can suddenly be inspiring. That’s definitely what happened here. :)

Hope everyone with kiddos are enjoying what’s left of summer! To book your family or children’s session with me, contact me today! It’s still only August but I literally only have a handful of dates left for September and October!

 

 

 

7 Comments

Ottawa Lifestyle Photographer :: Beauty in the Everyday

One of the biggest traps I think photographers can fall into these days is to only shoot what they think people want to see. I’ll admit, I really struggle with this. It’s one of my biggest struggles being in business as a professional photographer actually. It’s finding that balance between developing and showcasing my own creative voice, and creating an image that that people will hire me for. Sometimes they are the same thing…and sometimes they are not. I guess that’s the balance that anyone who creates for a living has to find. I feel very lucky to do what I do. But not always. I’ve turned something I really love into a source of income. I’ve opened up something to the public that’s very close to me. They now decide how much they think I’m worth by making the decision to hire me or not. As an artist, it can be hard not to take it personally. It’s hard not to let it effect my own sense of self worth. I celebrate the joys (and there are MANY), but that there are also a lot of lows. Especially in an industry that is so suddenly full “Professionals”. At first their existence really bothered me. How can I compete with people charging a fraction of what I do? Are they ruining our industry? And while I do have some of my own opinions on the subject, I am glad to be able to step back and take a look at the big picture. Thankfully these photographers do not, and cannot offer what I do. I am not a commodity. I am not an assembly line. My costs of running a legitimate, professional grade business are not low. The time I have with my children actually being children is fading day by day. And I enjoy so much more in my life than just photography. I want to have time for me. To grow as a person. To explore different creative avenues and to see the world through my own eyes, not always through my viewfinder. The more happy, fulfilled and well rounded I am as a person, the more this will benefit my clients. It’s win-win and I believe that whole heartedly.

 

On this ever-evolving photography adventure, I am really pushing myself creatively to start shooting in a more documentary way. This is hard for me. In many ways, this style of shooting forces me let go of some level of control. In my usual style I’ll give my clients/subjects at least some general direction on what to do. Documentary style photography means that I don’t have any of that! I just literally document what happens. It means thinking on the fly, reacting quickly and always keeping alert to what’s going on so as not to miss the exact moment that I want to press the shutter. As challenging as it is, it’s also very liberating! It feels good to just let go of all of my own ideas and to let things just naturally evolve the way they are going to. In many ways I still feel like I have a lot to learn about this style and all of it’s perfect imperfection. But I hope that the more work I put out into the world like this, the more people will see the beauty in the every day and in the details that are often overlooked in favour of getting that traditionally “perfect” photo.

 

These photos I captured while visiting my mom and siblings a few weekends back. My daughter and I took a little train ride adventure and spent a week in Bowmanville, Ontario where we had the opportunity to do TONS of neat stuff. One hot sunny evening when the light was just perfect, I pulled out my camera and grabbed a few a lot of photos of Zia and my 9 year old brother while they were having fun in the sprinkler. Here’s what happened. :)

 

 

To book your own lifestyle photography session with Danielle Lynn Photography, please contact me today! Let’s capture the beauty in YOUR everyday! I am now booking sessions for FALL 2012!!!

 

2 Comments

Ottawa Children’s Photography :: At the Market

One of my family’s favorite Ottawa spots to hang out during the summer is the Ottawa Farmer’s Market at Brewer Park. And I can’t decide what I love more – all of the delicious fruits and veggies, or the various other handmade yums available! Either way, I am HUGE on supporting local businesses and farmers. We live in a society where so many wonderful things are overlooked in favor of what’s cheaper or faster or more convenient. It’s nice to stop and appreciate the hard work of local business owners, farmers, bakers and artisans. Ottawa certainly has no shortage of these fabulous people!

A couple of weekends ago the kids asked to try one of the delicious hand made ICICOOL ice treats being sold by the fab folks at Karumba. If I’m being completely honest, we had no idea this little company existed before our visit on this particular day but we were happy to have discovered it. You can read more about their delicious, organic, natural ice treats here. Seen below, my kids are gobbling up what I *think* were Strawberry Basil. You can view the full list of their (super fun and interesting!) flavours here. We hope to take a trip back to the market in the not too distant future to give some other flavours a try. There’s GOT to be a coconut and a pumpkin pie one with my name on it! ;)

To book your very own lifestyle photo session with Ottawa’s Danielle Lynn Photography, email me today! I will be booking fun, unique, candid portrait sessions with Ottawa and Gatineau families, kids, couples and pets throughout the summer and fall of 2012.

2 Comments

Ottawa Children’s Photographer :: My Urban Kiddos!

It’s always funny how life just happens the way it does, isn’t it? At the end of March it marked FOUR years since we brought our daughter home as a wee babe from Ethiopia. And when I sit and think about it, I can’t even imagine it possible. SO much has happened and changed in those 4 short years. She’s grown into a beautiful, smart, charismatic little girl. She’s in full time French kindergarten. She has friends. Interests and opinions of her own. A deep love for animals. A sweet fashion sense and a sense of humour that is a lot like mine (which may or may not be a good thing. LOL!). And as wonderful as it’s been to be a part of her growth, it’s left my husband and I feeling a little old! ;) In May we’ll also be celebrating THREE years with our son. This may be even more unbelievable to me. Adopting him as an ‘older child’ from the foster care system, just over a year after becoming first time parents to an infant created a MASSIVE mountain for our family. One that on my darkest days, I thought I’d never be able to climb. But time has a way of fixing things. It heals some of the deepest wounds of the heart. It provides time for thought and reflection. And it makes the impossible seem possible…even if it takes a while.  Our son loves Beybaldes, Star Wars, Taekwondo, eating pancakes and bugging his sister. He’s currently experiencing his first crush on a girl at school and he’s learning to speak, read and write french at a neck-breaking pace. He is handsome, clever and silly. Mostly though? He loves his Mom. He frequently tells me how beautiful I am and how I am the best mom in the world. I feel lucky for this and to have made the progress we have. The road has been a long one…and we still have a ways to go. But in three years we’ve accomplished so much.

I’m going to admit that I am a bit embarrassed at how long it’s taken me to photograph my own kids! Even my son (who previously, couldn’t care less about photos) asked me last week why I hadn’t taken them out for a session. So I knew it was time. I had a location I wanted to try out, a nice, evenly lit day and two eager participants…so I seized the opportunity. As I finished up the photos I remarked to my husband about how easy this process has become over the course of the past 3 years. Gone are the days of coming away from a session with them exhausted and frustrated. And as I sorted through the images on my computer afterwards, my heart fluttered at what I was able to capture. These photos are so very THEM. And not just the happy them. The serious them. The goofy them. The sassy them. The loving them. These images show the connection that I am so grateful they have.

 

If you are thinking about booking a professional photography session for your child or children in Ottawa – I’d love to speak with you! As an award winning child and family photographer, I am please to offer one-of-a-kind photography experiences that allow your kids to have fun and express who they are! Book your session today and document this wonderful time in the life of your family! :)

26 Comments

Ottawa Children’s Photographer ~ A New Life

I remember the day very well. I had set out to capture some very specific moments with my kids but came away frustrated that I hadn’t. The kids weren’t cooperating, the sun was too harsh, it was hot outside and when it was all said and done I actually felt a bit like crap. Not only did I not get the images I had hoped to, but I probably got a bit more frustrated with the kids than I should have.

I was going through some 2011 images last week and came across these which were taken last Summer. They immediately spoke to me when I looked at them because they brought up my memory of that day. So I decided to go through them again, this time with totally fresh set of eyes…no expectations…and I saw something different. I saw my kids having fun. I saw the chalk dust on my kids hands and faces. I saw my son Isaiah’s newly grown tooth and boy-ish scrapes and scars. I saw my daughter Zia’s mischievous grin and stare of concentration. I saw the portraits of our two dogs lovingly drawn on the pavement. I saw the shadows dancing. I saw tiny hands. I saw the scruffy winter boots Zia insisted on wearing. I saw the way Isaiah wrapped his arm around Zia in the loving way he always does. I saw love and connection and emotion and fun.

What would have been a throw-away set of images ended up with a new life today.

They aren’t perfect. But neither are we.

I find that one of my biggest personal struggles in my art is being able to let go. To let go of the ‘rules’, let go of what I think an image should look like and just let the moment just be what it is. That doesn’t mean ignore what makes a good image. It just means really learning to see and and document the perfectly imperfect beauty in my every day life. One of my many goals for 2012 is to capture more of this exact thing. Because photography isn’t about silly props or backdrops, or even equipment for me. THIS is what its about, and I’m on a mission to find more of it.

 

 

 

Chalk drawings inspired by some similar ones I saw on Pinterest several months back!

 

 

 

 

 

To book your very own Children’s or Family photography session with Ottawa’s Danielle Lynn Photography, please contact us today!

:: Ottawa Family Photographer, Ottawa Children’s Photographer, Ottawa Children’s Photography, Ottawa Photographer, Lifestyle Photographer Ottawa ::

14 Comments