Ottawa Photographer - Family, Children and Engagement by Danielle Lynn Photography » Ottawa family photography

Ottawa Children’s Photographer ~ A New Life

daniellelynnphotography — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:13:23 +0000

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 ::

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Ottawa Headshots ~ Martha…and family!

daniellelynnphotography — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:45:30 +0000

Martha contacted me a couple of weeks ago hoping to arrange a headshot session for both herself and her son JP. Both of them needed them for completely different reasons but figured it was probably easiest to arrange for each of their sessions to happen at the same time. The thing I enjoyed most about this session is seeing the look on Martha’s face when I let her peek at the LCD at some of the photos I had captured. See, when Martha and I got chatting it didn’t take long for her to mention that she is a lot like me in that we are not always a fan of ourselves in photos. For clients like this I really like to think of how I might feel if I were the one on the other side of the camera. I like to be sure and take the extra time to really get their input on the headshots either before they even get to the editing stage, or before the go online. It only takes a few seconds but can really mean the difference between a client feeling unsure about the session, and a client feeling at ease and excited to view their images!

The thing is, I think she rocked it! She was tons more natural in front of the camera than she gave herself credit for.

Thank you Martha, JP and Caroline for having me into your home last week! I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent photographing you!

And then we snuck in a family photo too. Just for good measure.

To book either a headshots session or a family portrait session with Ottawa’s Danielle Lynn Photography, please contact me today! Sessions are available in-home, outdoors/on-location or both! I look forward to meeting you!

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How I am using Pinterest! ~ Ottawa Family Photographer

daniellelynnphotography — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:04:37 +0000

Most of us in the photography and creative world are becoming all too familiar with the wonderful world of the newest social media site, Pinterest. But from what I seem to be hearing when I talk to friends who aren’t necessarily in creative professions, Pinterest is still a relatively unknown thing to a lot of people. What exactly is Pinterest you ask? I’m going to tell you all about it…AND, share with you how I’ve been using it to help my clients!

Pinterest is basically an online inspiration board. Once you’ve created an account, you’ll be able to create boards of different categories on which you “pin” things that you find around the web. You can also access boards of people whom you follow and “Re-pin” things that they may have pinned. Its popular with photographers, crafters and other artists because its so visual and allows us to share ideas, learn new things and be inspired. It also has a strong social networking component to it which allows you to comment on other people’s pins as well as tag people in pins, all in a very user-friendly way. It’s visual bookmarking at its best! At the moment, Pinterest is still by invitation only BUT, if you’d like an invite please leave a comment with your email address and I’d be happy to send you one!

What can YOU use Pinterest for if you aren’t a photographer or a creative at all? Well…pretty much anything! Use it as a place to visually organize some of your favorite online recipes (that part alone has made my life SO much easier!), use it to save articles or books you’d like to read, organize some home renovation project ideas, collect ideas for your wedding or new baby arrival, discover endless numbers of ideas of activities to to with your kids and even use it as a place to post all of your funny or swoon-worthy celeb photos. Wait…maybe that’s just me?

Here’s what a few of my boards look like (and once you join, you can follow me HERE!):

Yes, that’s correct. At the time of this post I have 33 boards and 3689 pins. Some might say I’m easily inspired. I call it ADDICTED. Down right, utterly, completely and totally addicted. So its also worth noting that once you start pinning you won’t be able to stop. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!

Now for the part I’m very excited about!!!

One of the most common questions I am asked from clients is ”What do we wear for our session?”. Most often I simply refer them to the page of my website where I indicate a few suggestions of what would work. The problem is, its not very visual. And if you are like me, visual is important. Its so much easier for me to see and understand something when its shown to me. So in an effort to make this easier for my clients to understand exactly what types of outfits photograph nicely, I created a board called “Client What to Wear Inspiration“. On this board I will be pinning anything and everything I can find that will help you determine what to wear for your session. If applicable I will also make note under each photo about what specifically works about the outfit(s) so that you as clients will see exactly what I think makes it awesome. And if you happen to be on Pinterest yourself, please feel free to ask questions or comment on any of the photos and I will happily respond!

I am thinking that over time, there is also the possibility that I could add additional boards for my clients too. Easy hairstyles, accessory ideas, helpful articles to read before your session, even local location possibilities! The ideas are endless! To find out about any of the new boards I create you can follow me on Pinterest or become a fan of my Facebook page, since I’ll likely announce it there too!

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

daniellelynnphotography — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:00:58 +0000

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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Ottawa Family Photographer :: Just in time for Christmas!

daniellelynnphotography — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:45:55 +0000

This lovely Ottawa family contacted me a couple of weeks ago hoping to squeeze in a photo session to have images ready in time for the holidays and for Christmas cards. Thankfully, I was able to accommodate them because they really were a LOT of fun! We started off their session at their home and then headed down to the Downtown/Byward Market area for a few outdoor family photos. Their sweet little guy Luke was fantastic to hang out with as well – such a ham for the camera and such a cheeky smile. His mom Candace told me that the day before he was actually excited for my arrival to take his pictures! If that doesn’t make me feel like a million bucks, I don’t know what would! I love being an Ottawa Family Photographer!

Thank you SO much Binette-Sherwood Family for welcoming me into your home yesterday!! I thoroughly enjoyed our time together and I’m so pleased with the resulting images of your beautiful little family!! On a side note: Candace is a local real estate agent and while visiting with them we also did a few business headshots! So please keep an eye on the blog as I’ll be posting them here at a later time!

To book your very own in-home our outdoor family photo session with Ottawa’s Award Winning Danielle Lynn Photography, please contact us today! Family Sessions are now booking for Winter 2012 and I look forward to meeting some new Ottawa and Gatineau area Families!