For this family, our story goes way back. Grade 8 homeroom late 1990s. (It doesn’t make me any younger.)
For this couple, family portraits are important. Every year, I receive Christmas wishes from them that include updated portraits of the growing clan. 1 dog. A belly. A dog and a newborn. A second belly. A dog, a toddler, and another newborn. You get the picture. *Pun intended.
This time, the crew I photographed was made up of three young men and a busy couple.
We set out to do Fall portraits that included casual attire of flannel shirts, jeans, and boots. We didn’t expect the temperature to rise to the high 20s and low 30s Celsius. Hot, it was. Busy, it was. Priceless it is.
In getting ready for the photo shoot, Supermom had planned for two sets of clothing: a coordinated outdoor wear theme, and another sportier look.
Miss Fantastic had also planned out cold drinks and snacks. These turned out to be lifesavers considering the travel time between the different locations we visited and the warm temperatures. The boys were remarkably cooperative. We were then able to go to one final location.
Once home, we were able to prolong the photo session just long enough to create a few more images of the three little monkeys in their natural habitat.
Wall of some of their family portraits (work in progress).
There are very few images of my mother. Even fewer of us, her children, with her. Like most mothers of her generation or mothers in general, delivering, nursing, potty training, and raising children was/is an all-encompassing vocation.
Pierrette, Caroline & Isabelle, Iron Hill Circa 1976
Excuses. Oh, they are numerous. I’m too busy. I’m too fat. I’m not dressed up for it. Just the kids this time. I have no makeup on. Maybe next time. Or, perhaps mothers end up being the official family photographer and, although phones and cameras have timed delay options, that still doesn’t seem to help.
Left: a portrait from the garage portrait series. Open garages make awesome lightboxes.
Ask people to shoot you along with the family. Ask your partner to take photos of you. Take selfies. Book a shoot. The time is now. Your clan loves you now, as you are. Please stand on the other side of the lens. Often. Whether you do it for you or for them, just do it!
The studio will open up again. Whether you choose to get photographed alone, with your partner, your own mother, or with your children is entirely up to you. Whether we create portraits in the studio, outside, or both, I will be ready to make that vision come true.
“Birth is the epicenter of women’s power.” –Ani DiFranco
This woman has had to wait for baby no. 2 less so than other women but more so than most. It hasn’t been an easy adventure, to say the least, but, at last, “Audrey” is on her way. In order to document this life-changing milestone, G came into the studio to immortalize the delicate and raw beauty of her pregnant state.
In-studio, we created a number of different looks with a flowy sheer maternity dress, some taupe taffetas fabric, and then black, body-hugging dresses, tops, and leggings that she selected from her wardrobe.
It is easy to get carried away in the photo studio with props and accessories while creating a magazine-style shoot because there is so much excitement attached to this moment. However, we tried to keep it simple yet elegant. Emphasizing the bump and classic body poses enhanced by natural and studio lighting.
Ideally, for comfort and ease of movement, weeks 32 to 37 are the ideal time frame to schedule the photo shoot. After that, moving is more difficult and your energy level starts to run low. We may have been a bit late to schedule this one but G is strong and flexible. We scheduled two different sittings and took breaks during each session. The results speak for themselves.
Most women feel self-conscious during their pregnancy and hormones sometimes get the better of the self-talk. Feeling fat and unattractive is common for expecting mothers. So, this session attempts to push the self-inflicted negative self talk away as it is simply that: negative self-talk!
Also, many of my readers will look at the finished portraits and believe they could never look this good. I started photographing women in 1999 and have created portraits of close to 1000 women and the feeling of inadequacy is universal. Let’s put an end to it, Sistahs!
I am extremely grateful I got to participate in creating these timeless studio portraits with G. The memories will stay with me forever.
Social distancing and the shutdown of non-essential services had Abelle Photo Studio, like the rest of the world, at a standstill. I reconsidered the future of my portrait and wedding photography business. I dabbled in stock photography and fine art landscape photography. It enabled me to improve my study of light crafting and bending and my technical skills. In the end, there was a silver lining to this. I realized just how important creating portraits and playing with light are to me. How contemporary portraits are priceless to families. How essential professional headshots are to business owners and entrepreneurs, and how cherished wedding photo albums are to couples and their families.
Time didn’t stand still, though. Children grew up and families shared more and more intimate moments. Some businesses disappeared yet others evolved, streamlined, and redefined themselves while new businesses were born during these unprecedented times.
Naturally backlit. Fall-style. The. Best. EVER.
Meet the Fortier family. They decided to document the announcement of the future member of their family in a fashion similar to their firstborn, Oli. We discussed the ideas and general feel of the session ahead of time. What types of images did we wish to create? When was the best time for our busy schedules? For Oli’s schedule? He is 3 years old, goes to daycare, and has decided to skip his afternoon naps.
With the help of a valiant helper, I tested various lighting situations. I got my light readings ahead of time and when the crew arrived, we started shooting, wasting no time.
A toddler’s attention span is short. Very short. But we rolled with what Oli was willing to give us. The images aren’t posed. Much. The images were directed. I decided on the best angles and sunlight position. The rest was taken on the fly in rapid-fire fashion. The results are images that convey a sense of joy and elation and tell the story of the day mom, dad, and son officially announced that Audrey would soon join this family.
To view more images of this cute family portrait session, click here. To book or inquire about family portrait sessions, write to me.
This next photo shoot, actually photo shoots, is of a gorgeous family of 5. Made up of three little boys who are full of beans, a mom and a dad, a dog and chickens. There is never a dull moment in this household.
Only a few weeks after delivering baby number 3, she was out on the ski hill with the two oldest boys.
Then came boy number 3: Grayson.
When I met them this Fall, they were just finishing some major home renovations including an entire addition. Where they find the energy, I don’t know. All I know is that this family is GORGEOUS, friendly, funny and authentic. I love them to bits.
People often ask What do you do? “I am a photographer’ isn’t enough“. This is what I do: I photograph connections and love and give families heirloom images of moments. Portraits that will stand the test of time. It is an honour and a privilege to do this for people and their families.
In early April, we carried out a Mother’s Day Portrait promotion. After seeing the ad in the local paper, this young woman (Jody), mother of two little munchkins and professional massage therapist, contacted me. She needed to update her family portraits. I convinced her to come early and get portraits of her done as well. We had the phone consultation; went over Abelle’s Getting-Ready Guide and set a date. She gets an A+ for having selected great outfits and accessories for her and her children.
The session was split into two parts. First, we took care of her. Kathy worked her magic with Jodys hair and makeup. We photographed her in various outfits. Her grace and beauty in the portraits are remarkable. She got more and more comfortable in front of the camera as the session progressed.
Secondly, her two precious munchkins arrived. We then set up a fast paced portrait session that included giggles and a snack break.
Family Portrait photography studio: Abelle.ca
Lastly, I saw Jody again for her reveal and sales session. She went home with a set of precious portraits for her home.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to take part in creating these priceless portraits for your family.
Rewind to July 14, 2012. One of the warmest days on record. A & C tied the knot at Auberge des Gallant. I went through 2 sweat wristbands and drank 3 liters of water in one afternoon photographing their wedding.
Fast forward to 2015: V is a newcomer to this beautiful, funny and endearing family. It was time for new family photographs so that’s what we did last Sunday morning.
These images were created with the wonderful help of dogs, a bubble gun and a sippy cup.
C’est le cadeau parfait: il ne requiert aucune pile, chargeur ni mise à jour. Il est ajusté à toutes les tailles et il plaît à plusieurs différents types de personnes. La session de photographie professionnelle fait toujours énormément plaisir. L’expérience est déjà très agréable en elle-même (demandez à nos sujets) et le résultat, des souvenirs indélébiles de qualité, l’est tout autant. Les services de photographie de portrait sont disponibles dans la grande région de Montréal (Montérégie, Estrie, Rive-Nord) que dans celle d’Ottawa. Un coup de fil ou courriel suffit pour réserver un chèque-cadeau.
We met at the Elegant Wedding Show in 2010. They were married at Chantecler, near Montreal, in January of 2012. Their real-wedding story made it to the pages of Wedding Bells. They attended my 40th surprise barn-dance birthday party, and now I’m pleased to introduce their son Liam. We spent most of the day together and between feeding, diaper changes and giggles, we created these amazing family portraits. How cute is this?
She’s sweet, delightful, bubbly, genuine, talented, sophisticated and passionate. She is the queen of The Queen’s Crumb. Her name is Melissa and she is the talented artist behind Ottawa’s premier cake and confectionery company operating in Ottawa’s Westboro district. She left a paralegal career to pursue her passion. To top it off, she also has great marketing and business flair! http://queenscrumb.ca
We met at the Millisle Bed and Breakfast in Merrickville, Ontario on a super hot and muggy Summer afternoon. The Millisle B & B is a historical three-storey Victorian mansion. Check out this elegant Bed & Breakfast here: http://www.bbcanada.com/millislebb
We had to stay focused on the corporate portraits we wanted to create as we could have easily photographed for days in this sumptuous historical gem. I was thinking that a Boudoir photo shoot there would be absolutely divine!
Although I mostly photograph people in intimate settings such as weddings, anniversaries and family portrait sessions, we were trying to create portraits that were not too square. The goal is to portray a person’s personality through the images. Here are some images of the woman and artist behind The Queen’s Crumb. How did we do?
Melissa Doherty enjoying High Tea and some of her sweet creations. A sample of The Queen’s Crumb’s wedding cakes.
