Holiday Gift Guide 2010 is Here! | The Intrepid Lens

We've had our photo session (or will be over the next few weeks) , and now you're starting to think about holiday gifts. The Holiday Gift Guide to the rescue!

Image gifts start at under $50 with a few splurge ideas too. Traditional prints, gallery canvas wraps, photo jewelry, photo bags and more.

This Gift Guide is only available to past and booked clients - drop me a quick note at sandy@theintrepidlens.com and I'll send it along to you promptly by email.

Holiday Gift orders of $200 or more placed before Friday, October 8th will receive a complimentary set of ten Fine Art Notecards valued at $40.

"That's the Face!" Storyboards

I can't tell you how many times clients have contacted me after seeing their session proofs to let me know that I captured an expression that is simply classic for their child. A face that they make while telling a story, wondering about something new, or even getting a little frustrated at the big ole' world.

An expression that certainly wouldn't appear when asked to smile for a more formal portrait, but just a natural reaction to what's going on around them. That's the beauty of a longer, more casual photo session. A playdate where we just let a few hours unfold and everyone forgets that I'm clicking away.

This gave me inspiration to try something new, a way to present images with consistent lighting to really show off a range of expressions that your little one makes throughout the course of a day.

Introducing "That's the Face!" studio sessions and Storyboards. Here you'll see the results of a recent session with Mr. J. We spent a lovely hour together talking about all sorts of things!

Sessions take place at my studio in Burlington on specified weekdays, including some afterschool time slots. Two upcoming dates are Wednesday Sept. 29th, and Wednesday Oct. 13th (leaving time to order prints for the holidays!).

The costs for a nine photo layout (including the session fee) are:

$425 for a 20" x 20" mounted "Standout" print, ready to hang

or

$275 for a 12" x 12" traditional print

Storyboards for additional children from the same family are 25% off. Prints of individual images from the session are also available at a 15% savings.

Other configurations are available, custom quoted.

For more information or to book a session, please either email me at sandy@theintrepidlens.com, or call 416.888.4230 (cell).

Just too cute for words...

Sneak peek from a session earlier today, Mr. J. has the "pat your head, rub your stomach" act down much better than most adults!

One Really Fun Street Party!

Two days of blogging in a row, I'm hoping that it's the start of being a bit more consistent with posting. :-)

Today I'm sharing images from a fun day last month on our street. Thanks to the hard work of several neighbours we had our second annual Street Party and I was pleased to be able to take snapshots throughout the day.

A different approach for me, with portait sessions I have more control over what's in the background and consult with my clients on location, outfits, posing etc.; but this was lots of fun nonetheless. One thing remains consistent with my portrait sessions though, I prefer to catch my subjects just being themselves and not necessarily posed. Plus getting the close-ups of kids, and there are so many cute ones on our street!

Here are just a few, to see more visit my Facebook page for The Intrepid Lens - and click "Like" to be updated whenever I post new images there!

The Adorable Miss C - Part II

Catching up with the adorable Miss C!

I know, I've been a terrible blogger the last few months. It's been a busy summer and I need to do some catching up!

Starting with this lovely family, we spent a really fun morning at Bronte Creek Provincial Park playing, feeding the peacocks and running around. And I do mean run, the lovely Miss C. is a track star in the making!

More to come, I'm limited to five photos per blog entry and there are just so many sweet images of this lovely family.

Need a Very Young Victim (Um, Subject!!!!)

In my last newsletter I alluded to a new product - a very cool storyboard for little ones, and I need a volunteer to make a sample for you all to see.

I'm looking for a young child age 2 - 3 yrs old who takes direction well, and when caught at the right time of day has a fair bit of patience (gummy bear bribes notwithstanding!)

My volunteer should be able to sit easily on a low stool without assistance, be quite expressive (I promise that I'm willing to do anything myself that I'm asking this little one to do!) and isn't shy once having had a chance to get to know someone new (past clients who already know my fondness for photographing this age range are welcome to contact me too).

I ask that other children in the family are cared for at home to avoid distractions during the photo shoot. The session would take place on a weekday (flexible timing) and take about an hour in my northeast Burlington studio.

Mom & Dad will get a 12" x 12" print within four weeks, with a discount rate on duplicates if desired.

For more information (or to let me know that your little one is a perfect fit for this session!) please email me at sandy@theintrepidlens.com.

I can't wait, this will be lots of fun!

Reflections on Motherhood

For my blog readers, clients & Facebook friends who are moms (or about to be!), enjoy!

Why I Do What I Do

I started out my photographic career as a capturer of the inanimate. Landscapes, flowers, architecture. Of course I took photos at family events and was usually corralled into taking a snap whenever a group photo was required.

Taking portraits however was another story. It intimidated the beans out of me! I felt like I was invading personal space, that I wouldn't be able to make my subject feel comfortable. That I wouldn't do justice to the loveliness that can be found in a gentle smile or the twinkle of the eye.

Years ago I decided to face my fear (as I suppose one should with anything that makes one anxious) and signed up for a five day photography course in Savannah, Georgia with a photographer who's work I'd come to admire - and had heard wonderful things about his seminars. This wasn't to be a specifically technical course, this was to be a journey in discovering who we wanted to be as photographers.

I could write for pages and pages about what transpired over those five (and unexpectedly frigid!) days one April in Savannah, but for the sake of brevity I'll just tell you about one key outcome for me.

One of our assignments was to journal our experience, and we started off on the first page with a request to write down what we hoped to get out of the course. Mine was simple. Capture Joy.

And with every person I've since photographed this has been my mission. Yes, sometimes with the little ones I'm also capturing a pout, frustration or the start of a meltdown...but that's what little ones are about! But for the most part, it's about love, affection, humour and above all joy. My absolute honour to be there with my camera to capture it.

The photos attached to this blog were taken a few weeks ago on our street. One very lovely neighbour and her adorable daughter Miss L. As a mom to a teenaged daughter heading off to university very soon, those mother - daughter moments warm my heart like nothing else can.

Pure Joy. For these two, and me.

Thank you to Craig Tanner for helping me to open this door.