Clennan Coffee

Original Photo-lovely but needs some tlc to make it come alive!

I love love love when someone brings me an interesting project to work on.  Annika had seen this AWESOME photo at her father-in-laws house and just knew that she needed to have it on the family wall that she is building. But she wasn't sure what she could do with it, or if it could be brought back to life.  Well did I have fun with this one! I couldn't wait to get my hands on it's vintagey goodness! I wound up creating two versions because I couldn't decide which one I liked more! And it's a good thing that I did because both she and her sister-in-law liked different versions.  Annika got the black and white version on metallic paper - tons of depth and cool factor.  Corina fell in love with the toned and hand painted version and we printed it on watercolour paper for a truly authentic, vintage look.  Which on do you like best?

 

 xo

Jen

Emily and Connor - Graduating!

 

This whole concept is both amazing and shocking for me.  It's a reminder of how quickly time flies.  Emily is graduating from high school.  As a bit of back story, I have know her since she was a wee tyke of two. We moved in across the street from her family and developed a strong friendship that has endured for the last 16 years. So I have seen her (and her brother James of course) grow, change and adapt through all the years in to the most amazing young woman that she is today.  Emily - I couldn't be more proud and happy for the person you have become.  You are truly beautiful and lovely and I'm glad to be a part of your world. These pictures show the beautiful smiles and enigmatic looks that are truly Emily. And of course,the lovely connection she shares with her boyfriend, Connor. Thanks for coming out to play on this lovely May weekend! And here's a funny little sneak peek vid too...

xo and love

Jen

Jewelle Colwell

 It has been a headshot fiesta lately! It is so awesome to see so many of our actors getting new shots and putting themselves out there.  Jewelle is the most amazing woman.  Incredibly talented and driven, she is truly an inspiration in the industry.  The series she has created is called Bluff and you can check it out here. For her new headshots, her manager requested a wide range of shots to market her in many different directions.  Here is what we created!

 

 

xo

Jen

The Power of Photography

 

 One of the things that I love about photographing portraits the way that I do, is that moment when a person sees the images I have taken and visibly relaxes.  95% of the people that walk through my door tell me they hate being photographed or that they aren't photogenic. I always tell them that it's just that they have never been photographed properly. My approach is to be relaxed and bring out that inner energy that gives you that spark. It's not always about the perfect pose, it's about connection.  And when you find that in a person's soul, and give them a picture that they feel amazing about, you have reached a place in them where their confidence grows. Most people feel some kind of trepidation about being photographed, or seeing pictures of themselves. And the BIGGEST compliment I receive is when they not only can feel comfortable during the shoot and through the whole process, but when they LOVE the images.  This image of Carter and her DD (her nickname for him) is a reminder of that for me.  He hates cameras - so of course dating a photographer is fraught with peril.  But during this shoot he connected to the entire process and actually had fun! Years later we still talk about this moment.  It changed his perception of me, himself and photography.  That's powerful.
Here are my two favourite shots from that day. 6 years ago, but still just as fresh as the day we took them.

xo

J

Grace Lu

Grace has the loveliest energy to work with and I had SO much fun with her, creating her headshots! I can't wait to see where all of this takes her - I know she is going to do so well!

 

xo
Jen

New Art Journal Pages

These are a couple of new pages that I created over the last couple of weeks.  The second one is going to be a part of a journal that I will be putting together for sale on Etsy, full of quirky backgrounds and journaling prompts and yummy stuff. I love the pop of red over top of the blue...and the semi-creepy doll heads... I have had a few people tell me that they love the creepy feeling pieces that I have in my journals, and that they would love a journal with some quirkiness. So that is in the works, but I thought I would share some of the pages as they develop!

xo

Jen

Ron Gregory

 

There are just so many cool things about being a photographer.  And I know that I repeat this often if you follow my blog.  But working with people more than once; getting to know them and what they are like, is one of the best parts. I had the pleasure of working with Ron Gregory again after many years and it was a fun afternoon. I dragged him through puddles, perched him against industrial equipment and made him shiver in the shade. But I think it was all completely worth it to get these images for his new headshots!

Oink and Moo!

I have been playing with a new series of paintings that are a complete departure from my Pretty Girls. And I should not be surprised how much I love painting animals - I am animal crazy! But I am surprised at how fun and loose it is.  Here are the first few from the series.  More details can be seen on my Etsy site as well.

 

Oink

  

 Daisy

  

Rufus

Knot

I LOVE DOGS!!!!!!!

Have you ever noticed that? I love their energy and unconditional love...and...their doggie-ness! So when I was asked to come out and spend the afternoon with Lori and Knot from Wet Noses, I was all over it!  We trudged through knee deep snow to get to the perfect spot on their beautiful property.  And let me tell you...it was worth it! There were these golden little areas in the bush, red brush bristling up through the snow; it was really quite magical. Or would have been if we weren't soaked to the hip! ;) It is so lovely working with a dog that is SO well trained. He ran thither and yon for us, with no complaint.  And after teasing him mercilessly with a pheasant, we released him to go back to his doggy ways. So, without further ado, here is the layout of the canvas installation we designed for their home. The other shots below are the individual pieces that make up the grouping.

 

  

And for something a little different...check out this video that shows some of the making of the canvases!

I hope you enjoyed!
Jen

Newborn Torrin

Is there anything sweeter than new baby goodness? Torrin came to the studio like a little breath of fresh air.  And brought his delightful older brother, Griffin with him too. (And of course mom and dad!) This is one of the amazing families that I am so happy to be a (tiny) part of as they grow and change. I love that they entrust me with taking cool shots of their journey and I'm excited to see where it goes next! So without furthur ado, introducing Torrin!

xo

Jen

Mixed Media Art Journal Video-"Rush"

A look at part of how I created the mixed media piece entitled "Rush".  I worked primarily in watercolours, but with a bit of pen work and a bit more pencil work to create the details the way that I wanted them.  This piece started off as a way to test my new Letraset AquaMarkers as well as my Peerless Watercolour sets. But as she developed I found myself falling in to a rhythm with her...swooping from one part of her to another.  Feeling the colour rather than forcing it.  Then as I added the chartreuse background (pictured but not in the video - sorry!) I fell in love with her lovely pink 'do and the flow of the ink.  This rhythm is why art has become so meditative for me. What do you do to breathe? Is there something that you do to act as meditation without actually meditation? I would love yo hear about it!

xo

Jen

The Shipleys

 

 So this is one of the loveliest families I have EVER had the pleasure to meet and work with.  Their children we so nice and you could feel the love emanating out of every pore of each of them.  There was a true sense of togetherness that seem to be so often missing these days and I came away feeling better about the world as a whole for having met them. So while they have some very real challenges in their lives, they have allowed it to build up their family instead of pulling it apart.  And for that I have SUCH mad respect.
Here are a few shots from a lovely fall day.

 

 

 

 

 

xo

Jen

Dave Stokowski

 Another fabulous session with a Company of Rogues student!  We had so much fun and connected over music and the arts and just great conversation in the middle of a fun shoot.  Here are the shots we went with. Break a leg Dave!

 

Jen

Griffin is 4 in 2012!

 

Griffin turned 4 this year so we celebrated with an awesome shoot in Griffith Woods! I love seeing all the different ways he's changed - including pure confidence on his bike! One of my favourite things about being a photographer is watching families grow over the years. Thanks for letting me be a part of this! 

 

 

  

xo

Jen

Meg Farhall

 I had the pleasure of doing Actor's head shots with Meg last week.  She was so easy to work with and I love that I can be part of her path as she re-launches herself! Here are the final images we went with!

xo
Jen

And Now For Something Completely Different...

So it's not photography, and yet it's related.  I love the feeling when things are organized and there is a place for everything.  I am not inherently organized, so the more systems that I can have in place, the better chance there is that things will find their way home. It's all about managing my mind as much as managing my tendency to clutter. I was browsing through Pinterest (yes working hard) and came across a very cool idea for displaying and organizing sunglasses.  And for once, instead of just pinning it, I thought - hey - I need a break and this is something that I can do that is immediately tangible, solves a problem in my house and gosh darn it....could make me feel good too! So I scrounged through my ridiculously out-of-control stack of extra frames that may never find their way back in to use again.  I found this beauty; it is a lovely gold/green tone that will work beautifully with my Bryant Gold walls. Some black paint to spruce up the inside and make it aesthetically pleasing, some repair jobs to the front (especially after I figured out the hard way that my staples from the first attempt went through the frame...duh...think first impulsive girl) with A bit of Tim Holtz lacey bits for the trim, and voila! I replaced the old, dated mirror that was on the wall and replaced it with this bit of loveliness.  I still have my little hat hangers underneath (which I may now paint),  and I love that all this storage space nice to look at, as well as functional.

I love love love the use of frames for an unexpected purpose - especially with some of my favourite pictures thrown in the mix too!

xo

Jen

Blake

Meet my nephew Blake. I can't even tell you how excited I am that this little guy has come in to our lives.  This is the first of MANY shots I'm sure I will take of him.  But I wanted to introduce him and give his parents a teaser as well. Love you little man!

 

xo

Anti Jen

Portrait Drawn in Time Lapse-so worth watching.

Ben

Ben is yet another of the amazingly talented actors to come to me from Company of Rogues. I love working with their students - there is a level of drive and professionalism that makes them a pleasure to work with.  And Ben was no exception! He was so consistent and took direction very well.  No doubt a sign of a successful actor in the making.  Here are the shots we went with!

Gravity Kidz and Chipperfield Photography

Our latest shoot at Gravity Kidz is live and hanging in the store! Every year we take real kids, our clients and friends and go play. It's a chance to show what we do and create an amazing experience for the children we choose to work with. What we have seen and heard from the kids is incredible and is a testament to why we both base our business on connecting with people!  We love the self esteem that is built when kids feel special and we love the sense of self that shines. Being a model makes them feel like a star. When they see the final pictures they have a sense of awe....wow- that's me! They feel like it's a window to their soul. Many of the kids have said it changed how they perceive themselves. That they tapped in to their inner cool.

So now with two shoots under our belt working with kids we are familiar with, we are ready to open this opportunity up to our customers. Our next shoot will be summer 2013. Keep your eyes open for how you can get involved!