The photography industry is up in arms!

I think this is probably one of the most entertaining moments the photography industry has had since I joined it 4 years ago. The instant messaging, tweeting, posting, texting of information has made anyone's opinion readily available to the masses. I say entertaining, because some of the drama is laughable, but also because some of the information that is being passed around is just as laughable. It's very much like reality tv on the internet. Is this stuff scripted?? Crazy.   On the other hand, it is a subject that is also quite serious. This is a real industry, not just a playplace where you can have some good laughs, try stuff out at the expense of other people's precious memories and then decide you're hanging it all up after making so many people regret their investment in you, no matter if that investment was only their time or if it was massive amounts of money. They invested their hopes and feelings in you as a professional, you BETTER have the chops to back it up!   If what I'm saying is out of the blue for any of you, please go ahead and read this fantastic blog post about some of the points of contention we are currently dealing with in this industry (and many other parts of the artistic industry in general I'm sure) http://www.photographersdonotbend.com/2012/03/27/what-i-am-and-what-im-not/. Everything that was said is dead on. Except for the *ten years in business* part, I could have written every word. I hope that by the time *I* am "ten years in business" we'll all be laughing about this point in our industry's history and how it was a growing pain that just had to happen, sort of like going through the *terrible twos... and threes...etc* with your children or anyone else's child you know.   Thank you to all my clients that DO value my work, not just because they LOVE it (thank you for that too!), but that they monetarily value it as well. All the love for my work in the world will not pay my bills. Those of you that actually put your money where your mouth is, I bow my hat to you as you truly know the value of what you purchased and I really don't have to defend my work to you. You make all the hard work and long hours worth it by standing beside my work.

Long lost Photographer??

Wow. I've been away for a LONG while! Seems like it wasn't all that long ago, but apparently it is! The last few months have been harder to go through than I thought they would be. After my mother's birthday in August (which I will talk more about as well), came the start of the school year. Then my eldest's 7 birthday, my dear husband's month of November crunch time and then we all know how quickly December goes once you start planning things! And this year, December was bitter sweet. All these and more, I wish to share with you all. I've got quite a few things to share about a few different topics. I want to talk about that great workshop I attended at the end of September. Truly revolutionary in my mind. I've got some preschool portraits I am just elated to share and a very recent family portrait I can't wait to show off.   I'm also putting together my very first true Newsletter! What out for that in the coming weeks! I ran a couple specials over the holiday, a boxing day/week thing. One was for past clients and the other for potential new clients. Here they are. If you fall into either category, call or email before midnight today!   http://mim.io/dd8122 & http://mim.io/4f7022    

Calling Montreal Photogs!

I've recently had the pleasure of receiving the Professional Photographer's of Canada (PPOC) Newsletter and within found a nugget of gold I tell you! I am forever looking for learning opportunities and if they also happen to be in Montreal, then I am all over it! It seems this very talented Photographer & Photoshop guru-esque Irishman, Guy Gowan, is coming back to Canada for a second tour with an all new seminar package.   Well, first of all, WHY hadn't I heard of him before??? Probably because I hadn't yet joined the PPOC (currently an observer level member) nor was I also on DWF (The Digital Wedding *and Portrait* Forum), where apparently he is talked about on several threads! Off I went to check out his website and search on DWF for more information about him. Wow, the reviews and comments I found were, of themselves, very convincing! Then I listened to his videos... Himself, sitting in front of a very streamlined looking computer setup, white background, no fuss, no muss, just telling it like he sees it, all about photography and Photoshop. I was sold at that point already.   Of course, being that I never (or at least try not to too often!) take a decision without tangible opinions, I asked a fellow DWF member & Montrealer what she thought of his seminar and she was gushing over it. :)   So, Thursday, September 22th & Friday, September 23rd, I will be attending this FABULOUS seminar and hopefully I'll be able to inhale as much information as I can and further my craft as well as my editing process. If I can spend less time sitting at the computer and more time either shooting or with my family, then that is money well spent any day!

Thank goodness for rainbows

I sit here wondering how to start again. I just reread my previous entry, from April, and wondered "how do I just jump back into this blog thing". Then something I read on Facebook today **What makes you smile everyday?**, from The Joy of Marketing, reminded me of something wonderful I saw yesterday evening. I was hurrying out to buy some last few things I needed to finish up the girl's "playroom" (converted bedroom) and I saw the biggest, hugest, brightest rainbow ever! It was the entire semi circle, ending just about in front of the street I was driving down.   And it made my day, my week, my month. Made my face hurt I smiled so much! As I walked into a hardware store, I couldn't help but wonder why no one else was smiling as broadly! Why wasn't anyone pointing it out to their kids, looking at it in awe. I just wanted to stand there and stare at it until it faded. It lasted for over a half hour, easy. It was still there when I came out of the first store. If I could see a rainbow like that everyday, life would be that much sweeter. Now, the sad part, I had NO CAMERA ON ME! Not even my phone!! But the image is imprinted on my retina and I will hold onto it for as long as I can. Hopefully, next time such a beautiful thing is laid in front of my eyes, I will have the means to still that image forever, to enjoy for a lifetime.   However, I do have many other beautiful images to share and will do just that in the next few posts!

Resting peacefully

[frame_left src="http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac198/NayannaArts/Helene.jpg"]It is with great sadness that I let you all know that Hélène Caron, my mother, passed away Saturday April 16th in the night. She is already greatly missed. Although we have been mourning her passing to come since her terminal diagnosis, it hasn't made this moment any easier to bear.   Her last weeks of life were not the easiest, both for her and us. She experienced a stroke that left her partially paralyzed and very weak. We each took our turns letting her know that, when the time came, we were ready for her to go on. Those days were the hardest. We all thought that that weekend would be her time to leave.   But then she regained some vitality exactly a week after her stroke, surprising all of us! She was finally completely painless and she grinned and joked until her last conscious moments, *hitting her forehead* at my inability to drive a stick shift and getting stuck in the bumps in her home's driveway. She ate  ice cream, jello and pudding as her last meals. Her best and last one was having some Ben & Jerry's Brownie Fudge Ice Cream!   She slowly sank into unconsciousness and passed away peacefully in the night of Friday to Saturday.   I share this with all of you because it is part of my own healing process and I think that, although this was hard, I feel that her very last week is beautiful to remember. Her sly smiles and jokes are what I want to remember of her in her last days and what I want all of you to remember of her as well. My mother was a grand person, full of generosity, smiles and the voice of reason to me and my siblings. She is greatly missed, but her time with us will be cherished on forever.   **In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Cancer Society would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.**

Family Health and limited sessions in 2011

[frame_left src="http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac198/NayannaArts/Blog/5D_01704.jpg"]Hello to all of you! I am writing this with a heavy heart. My family has been struck with some very sorrowful news. Earlier this week, doctor's at Ottawa General confirmed to my parents that my mother has Stage 4 Lung Cancer. Although this week's news came at a moderate shock, her hospitalization 3 weeks ago was completely out of left field.   Any thoughts and prayers are welcomed and you will all, current clients, friends, family and even you, who has newly discovered my site, understand that I will be limiting my availabilities to Sundays only and all viewing sessions will be during the weekday, either afternoons or evenings. In other words, this leaves exactly 2 availabilities a month for sessions and no more.   I love photography and everything that surrounds it, from giggling kids to their crying fits, sleepy to poopy newborns and everything in between. That is why I *need* to keep doing what I love and you will still see me smile and laughing at your session, each and every time. This is what will help me help my mom and dad through these difficult months. However, she is my first priority and therefore I am saving those Saturdays so that I can be there for her, for my siblings and my dad, for my kids and my friends.   Thank you for your time and patience, but mostly, thank you for your friendship and the opportunity to photograph your family and keep me smiling, reminding me why we are all here for each other.

Great article!

As I do most nights before I turn in, I do my "rounds". I usually quickly check my email, stop by the "patch" (private closely knit community of friends going on 7 years of online friendship!), then finish with Facebook where I quickly scan through everyone's posts and see if anyone I'm following has mentioned anything urgent or of particular interest. Well, as often happens, my great friend Andrea Burns always finds great things to share both personally and professionally. Tonight she posted a link to a great article titled {Do Photographers Really Make Money} that I thought was downright fabulous. So much in fact I had to highlight it here, Twitter and Facebook!   Whether you're a pro, amateur, current or prospective client, this article is a great read. Someone once told me the following (or I read it somewhere, I have a very fertile imagination and can easily imagine someone telling me something when I actually only read it!): If you aren't {making money; pricing appropriately; etc} with regards to your photography *business*, then it's a very expensive hobby. The essence of that has always stayed with me and it is part of what keeps my feet firmly planted on the ground pushing my business to where I want it to go. Making it a hobby is fine, but I honestly can't afford such a hobby, no matter how passionate I feel about it. This is my business, my last baby; not my part-time/weekend hobby.   And to be clear, I have nothing at all against anyone that does this as a hobby. They are very fortunate and I am very happy for them. My hope and  life goal is that it can be {just} a hobby one day, if I ever tire of the business of it, which frankly, I also love!

Shameless plug!

I just wanted to take the time to mention that I've added Wendy Mathews' website & email addy two posts down. So if anyone you  know or you yourself are looking for a place or wanting to sell, please check her out!

Wendy Mathews - Real Estate Broker {Laval Photographer}

Before the end of October I had the privilege of photographing this beautiful woman for her Realtor portraits. If you are looking for a place or wanting to sell, please check her out! She's a fantastic person all around! Visit her website here or contact her via email.

WELCOME!

Welcome to Nayanna Arts. My name is Andrée and I will be your photographer today. Keep following and you might stumble onto some great specials, irresistible sneak peaks and much MUCH more. Being a mother of two, you might find that it gets quiet between posts, it's not from lack of trying, trust me ;) On top of being busy with the household, working this great adventure that is photography, I also wear the toolbelt around here and I always have a new project at home that is taking up the remaining time I actually don't have. But stay with me and I'll show you what great people, places and things I find through my lens.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Just a couple hours shy, but with 2 sick little girls at home instead of with extended family, I think it's safer to head to bed early ourselves! However, couldn't go to bed before saying MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone, HAPPY HOLIDAYS & be safe! Our own family card, which would have been printed as a folded 5x7. Front:

Inside:

Season of plenty! {Laval Children Photographer}

Where to start? I'll post something about this fall every few days and into the new year. I have a lot to share, but had little time to share it! Let's start with Back to School! My eldest girl started Kindergarten! No seriously, no kidding, I'm a mom to a kindergartener! In hind sight, I can totally believe it, but I was still a little shocked some days in the beginning. It would take me by surprise in the middle of the day, especially around nap time. The house would be SO quiet. Not to mention the littlest one quite enjoyed the freedom of play. Well, she did start saying she missed her big sister after a couple hours. Thank goodness for imaginations :)

She also took her very first BIG YELLOW BUS ride! She rides a good half hour to school morning and night. Makes for some LONG days and some tearful evenings. Me thinks it might be high time to give them both a vitamin boost for the winter!

And then, my youngest went and grew up to start Pre-K! So not fair... then again, guess what I did the very first day when both of them were away... 2 hours of blissful NOTHING! No blogging, no working, no phone, no cooking, no cleaning, no nothing. I could enjoy a book without being interrupted, needing to clean someone, feed someone, etc. Good times. Of course, life goes on and all things do need to get done ;)

Lefebvre Family Portrait {Laval Family Photographer}

Hello everyone! I have been literally quite swamped with work/life/school/family for the past few weeks, heck, the last season entirely! Work wise, you will all get a glimpse in the coming days. I have quite a few things to show off and share and I am really holding myself back or I'd do one mega post and then have nothing to say! lol Life, well, it's always busy it seems, trying to consolidate everything you NEED to do, with everything you SHOULD do and still having time for those things you WANT to do. As for School, well, keep reading this week and you'll know ALL about that too ;) And also at home, you know me, always the renovator! I just can't stop "fixing" things around the house to my liking. Comes from loving to work with my hands and being an Interior Designer by original trade. I'll throw in some pics of the results in the new year in between other things. It should give me enough time to sew the window coverings! Finally, I give you, our own family portrait for this holiday.

Don't look for it in your *snail* mail box, I don't quite think I can make the cut-off, but I may try to get at least 2 dozen out the door if I can! However, I WILL post the final result on New Year's Eve before we leave to visit with family :) A few bloopers to let you all know how truly *fantastic* it is to photograph your own family (*denotes a sarcastic tone)...

You can bet that 2011 will mark the year we go ourselves to a pro to get our own portraits done. And I know just the photographer for the job! I met her in Toronto and became fast friends, Nathalie Lamy from Lilifoto. If you're in the Ottawa region, I highly suggest you schedule your own family/child portraits with her! What else is in store for Nayanna Arts in the New Year? Well, I know of two very pregnant & very beautiful ladies that each have a gorgeous family to boot! Hoping they both call for some maternity and newborn shoots sometime in January & February. *wink wink girls!* Sometime during the summer we will definitely get together with Lilifoto and get some great portraits done of our own family. Oh and saving the best, in my humble opinion, for last, our new website should launch in the new year! Cannot WAIT to share it all with you! So stay tuned!

Order Packaging {Montreal Family Photographer}

I've been putting together my latest order and was inspired to make it extra special as they were our first clients to order from our brand spanking new Investment Guide. I'm also currently translating it to French for everyone else to enjoy the benefits as well! The Ochoa Family are going to get SUCH a treat when I deliver their order! They are the very first to get Purchase Level Gifts! Yes, that's right! GIFTS simply for choosing Nayanna Arts as your personal photography solution! See for yourself:

Isn't it the cutest thing?? It's a 3" by 3" booklet with up to 10 full bleed images! I personally designed the template used to place some of their favorite images in there!

And then I place all three into these cute little organza bags!

All Gift Prints are wrapped in tissue paper and then packaged with cardboard & ribbon. Every order comes with a little surprise, which is also packaged within an organza bag.

Here you can see what a 16x16 mounted Storyboard can look like. I've gotten so many compliments on this, they are going to be amazed when they see it in person!

Their "pièce de résistance" an 11x14 canvas of their favorite image. I think it was THE item they couldn't pass up at their viewing session, and it turned out fabulous!

The fully finished backing all ready to hang!

New Year, New Schedule, New pricing!

This year is all new and fresh! Nothing like a good cleaning to start things off right! I've gone through the calendar year and selected the weekends I will be available to photograph your family. Be quick to select your day as there are only 22 session dates available this calendar year. Exceptions can be made, babies aren't born when we want them to now are they ;) so there is leeway, but for those that can plan, go ahead and call to reserve your weekend session! Also on this year's agenda, an upcoming Newsletter, if I ever figure those out, to let you all know about the latest specials and products and what's been happening around here. The new pricing is already in effect, just enough to cover taxes which I started paying being as this is a legitimate company and all :) Be on the look out for pre-made packages as well as BYO packages. What?! Build Your Own Packages! Yep! Lay down your budget and pick what you want at package pricing. Cool, right? And what was that about new products? How about accordion books, lay flat albums, full session albums?? Did you know we already offer Gallery wrapped canvas? How about framing, well that last one might be nearing year's end, but the thought is there. Talk about a full service photographer! All that said, I'm just looking forward to expanding the options, while still giving to eacha nd everyone one of you the personalized service you deserve! In home photography or location of choice, personal viewing session, private online gallery, choice of personalized products, custom photographic packages, surprises and gifts depending on your package selection and then to top it off!! Personal delivery of your order to your home. Yep. All true. Hope to meet you this year and photograph your amazing family and show everyone how truly beautiful you all are, inside and out!

HAPPY New Year!!

I'm wishing you all the very best, very happiest and very healthiest year yet! So here we are, the first of the new year, and where are my Holiday Cards you may be wondering... um, apparently in Toronto somewhere on some parked Purolator truck. I'm hoping they get here before Valentines ;) Me thinks next year, they will be done and ready to send come December 1st. There's my New Years resolution right there!

MERRY Christmas!!

Although the calendar has been staring at me all year, and the date never wavered, this Holiday season still crept up on me. After having a very full summer, then a quite slow start to fall, I was suddenly booked solid through November within the last week of October! Usually, November is shopping month for all those last minute gifts and ideas I didn't find throughout the year. This year, it was quite a scramble and once we hit mid-December, I realised I hadn't even done my Christmas cards!! Of course, as in all things last minute, I sent them to print a mere 48 hours after the print cut-off and may or may not receive them back before the year ends! We'll see, but since this IS Christmas, here you go, our Holiday Card! Hopefully it'll grace your mailbox before the new year, otherwise, well, it'll get there when it can *insert sheepish grin here*

Famille G & Q {Montreal Family Photographer}

Bonjour la jolie famille! I had the immense pleasure to get a phone call from this very French and very bubbly family. She had the sweetest voice and wasn't expecting anything from me at all when she called three days before my official "holiday vacation" was to start. After hearing her out, I just could NOT refuse. No way, no how. And how glad am I that I didn't! The only very sad part... that they must go back to their native France until further notice. I'm holding out hope that they'll be back within the year and hopefully for good :)

Nope, not quite done...

No, it's not quite done yet, but I've been meaning to post a pic of this project forever. We finally received the last drawer faces and have the trim at hand. All that's left if to install said trim and to tile the backsplash. After much HGTV watching, I think I've finally settled on an idea and need to sketch it out and make it happen. Meanwhile, here's the most up to date image of our Kitchen.

HAPPY HALLOWS-EVE!! {Laval Family Photographer}

The man in the Yellow Hat & Curious George {My husband and our littlest one, Gabrielle}

The Wicked Witch of the West and her Flying Monkey (well, she has wings! {Myself and our eldest, Evelyne) Trick or Treat!!!

Happy 5th Birthday!

How in the WORLD! Here we are, 5 years old. How can it be! Happy fabulous birthday my little lady.

*she wanted a Dora cake & Jelly Beans... but it also had to be Gluten Free!*

*she wanted face painting*

*she wanted candles to blow out, NOT the #5 sparkler I had lit in the first place*

You're only 5 once, right? She asked, and she received :)

*Ready for family party the next day*

*more sweet treats, with more GF jelly beans!*

*actual birth DAY, train track expansion set! Playing BEFORE breakfast!!*

September!!!

Does that mean summer is officially over? Can I go back to a semblance of routine for somet time?

If you aren't following me on Facebook (it's currently under my own name) then you wouldn't be aware of what I have been up to all summer. Goodness, it's been a long one. It all started way back in april or so when my husband and I finally agreed we were renovating our kitchen. After a not so perfect experience with our bathroom renovations back in February 2008, I decided that I would do most of the work. Yep, you read that right, I wear the toolbelt in this household ;) We each have our talents, and mine doesn't only include Photography! ((*Bear in mind 2 things as you view through this photos, they were taken with our wee point and shoot camera or even *gasp* with my phone. The batteries on the camera died and I took them out to recharge them and have yet to find them through the mess a renovation like this does to a home! So some of these are REALLY really sad looking. But in this case, they get the point across rather well, no?*)) So, June came around, we finally settled on a design through Home Depot's Kitchen designing team and everything was ordered, to be delivered near the end of July. Here are Before Pictures. These were taken, ironically enough, the week after our Bathroom renovations were done:

(As you can see, my now 2.5 year old was barely one in this photograph. Awww.)

So, if I wanted to have everything ready for the furniture delivery in late July, I had to start at some point, so demo started in late June. Approx. June 28th. I ripped out the old cupboards (which THANKFULLY were NOT glued to the wall, just really really well nailed into it) ripped out the old gypsum (on outer AND inner walls) and ripped out the old flooring. By then it was the end of the first week of July.

(you can see what I found underneath some of the cabinets here, ICK! BUT, I did find when these cupboard were made, they aren't "original" as I'd first though, but date back to early 80's. So that gave them 10 years less in age!)

(This is exactly what you think. Even with the valves turned closed, it still dripped. These pics were taken to help me buy all the parts to redo the drain piping, but in the basement instead) Our electricians from Drycore Electric came over and re-wired everything. Although not in our initial plans, it simply made sense to have them come since the walls would be open anyways. Of course, I was then (easily I might add) convinced to also tear down the ceiling. I would now decide to also sound proof the ceiling and put in new ceiling pot lights and decorative pendants/task lighting over the island counter and the sink. Mani & John did some AWESOME work. While they were doing that, I was busy finishing up a few odds and ends, like adding braces between the studs (so they don't bend or warp, they ARE holding the second floor up!!) and moving the stove's fan exhaust to a more convenient location for the new layout. Once they were done and gone, I started laying down the subfloor, as can be seen in these images:

(You can even see where I did some slight ductwork in that last image. It would make it possible to slightly reduce the height of the bulkhead)

I think we are now past mid-July at this point. And here in Quebec, there is a "construction holiday". Oh yeah, NO joke. Originally, without the electrical work and ceiling remodel, I had planned to be done, drywalled and painted by the weekend prior to this holiday. We were scheduled to receive our furniture the first week of that holiday as the Big Box Stores like HD don't honor that holiday. (Not that they should either). In any event, easy to see that we were NOT ready to receive them so a quick call to Home Depot and a note should have taken care of that. More on that later. Then came the drywall contractor (NO, I did NOT do this myself, even if I COULD do it, it would have taken me WAY too much time, seriously!) So I had the fantastic Neil Scott from Hunter Construction come in and drywall and plaster, not to mention share tons of stories from his boat outings with his son to his ancestry from the very first Scott settlers, which would be the original Scotts that came from Scotland no less! With the modifications to the original estimate he gave us, he ended up working much later than originally, but it worked out well for both our schedules. I think plastering was done and dry by early August. As he was finishing his plastering, he took the time to explain and subsequently actually SHOW me how to lay tile. He lit a fire under my butt and I got it done in a couple days (or rather evenings). Whatcha think?

Once that was layed down, it was painting time, I had a "little" help...

my eldest was just SO enthusiastic, which would explain why she's looking at me tape down the floor protection with wilting patience! (first weekend of August)

(And little sister looking on with longing, you can see stuff piled and behind the grey frame, that would be the refrigerator, in the dining room...)

Painting all done:

Meanwhile, the furniture arrived, actually, there was the first attempted delivery (apparently no one reads notes anymore) then the actual delivery the first week of August, which was missing quite a few items (everything longer than 5 feet was missing). Mind you, these were "build it yourself" cabinets, all in compact boxes, as we didn't purchase the extra installation package. Saved a few extra bucks there, but at the expense of massive sweating and, let's face it, swearing, although mostly under my breath or far FAR away from tiny ears... I started building the furniture, bit by bit and slowly, the space morphed into this:

Then this:

I also had to cut holes for both cold and hot water as well as for the drain. While I was at it, a friend suggested I have heating come through the kick space of the cabinets to heat our toes while we are in the kitchen. Would sure be nice, there was no other heating in the kitchen itself before.

At some point, I even found the time to research and buy lighting and once they arrived I installed them as well:

And even built a new one for the dining room, all from "scratch". Well, I did buy the shade ready made ;) Actually, that's the wrong shade, I bought another, dismantled this one and rebuilt it with the new shade. Need a new pic!

Then came the frantic research and purchase of our new undermounted sink and a one hole faucet, both purchased through Thalassa Domocile here in Laval (two weeks ago).

Once the cabinets were done (who am I kidding, we are still missing a replacement cabinet as it was damaged in the box, so I built it temporarily so we could call the Granit people), I placed a call to the Granit company, who came and measured our cabinets for a precise fit (last friday). (The guy had a laser measuring machine! Pretty cool!) Of course, since it's obvious things can't go according to plan here, I forgot to verify WHEN our sink would get here before sceduling the measuring. A few more frantic calls to the sink company had my husband leaving work early so he could be on their doorstep before 5 (how's 4:55pm?) to grab the sink so we would have it the next morning... I open the box before bed to bask in our new sinks grace... only to find it's the wrong model. No joke. It's a over counter mount, NOT an undermount. Joy. So, MORE frantic calls, and they are having one from the south shore's warehouse shipped to Laval. It's Tuesday night, September 1st, still no sink. The granit people are waiting on the sink's template to go ahead and cut the granit and can only guarentee a "before sept 17th install" if we get them the template before September 3rd. AND, through ALL of this, there has been a busy Photographic summer. Well, busy considering I had almost no time to spare! As you can see in my previous posts, I've had an early July session (they actually got to witness the grandeur of our work when they came to view their photos) and then a late July session. Between those two sessions, I had a special session for Kidscentive's marketing images and in early August I had another session, the ones with the dinosaurs :) Yeah, thankfully it wasn't the "nicest" summer weather wise, so I don't feel like I misssed out on too much. That said, my husband only took a couple weeks vacation time here and there. So I basically worked around the kids' schedule (which includes, three meals, two snacks, playing at the playground with friends, and a few bike rides & errands) and on weekends when I didn't have any Photographic sessions that needed my immediate attention. I'm looking forward to posting an "ALL DONE" photo. Check in soon, I'm counting on being D O N E before my girl's 5th birthday, mid October... Hmmm, my second "original" deadline was before school. NOT gonna happen it seems...

SUMMER!

It's here! And with a revenge, no? It seems like we've been waiting for the bright sunny weather forever and now that it's here, it brought friends... in the form of nice high temperatures and oppressive humidity! They do say to be careful of what you wish for. With July just around the corner and some very interesting work I'm doing for a very cool and highly anticipated Kidscentive project, I've changed up my calendar and added the few available dates I have, one in July and one in August. In the meantime, make a splash and enjoy your summer!

SUMMER! It's around the corner!!

At least some days it seems like it is. Sooner or later, it WILL get here and, 'tis the season, for Outdoor On Location Photography! The calendar is filling up, only a limited number of spots available, so if you've been thinking about it... well STOP! And give me a call! June has one weekend left, July is wide open but August is also half booked, ie, 1 spot left! Take this chance while it passes and take advantage... The Wee Wiggles Fair affair special has been partially extended! If you attended the fair, heard about the fair or are reading this post, you may still take advantage of the 20% off any and all prints. For the summer only, get 25$ off the session fee as well. Like I said, get crakin', this deal is only here for as long as we may call the upcoming season SUMMER!advert-small

And the results!!

Here's a play by play...

All ready to go:

Writing up tickets:

All there:

That's a lot of entries!

All in the jar (cookie jar too!)

Going for the winning ticket:

And the winner is: #39: Laurie Hartlen

And SURPRISE: #27: Danielle Rousseau! Yep, read that right, 2 winners :D Write back soon! For those of you with your Fair coupons, set up your appointments soon, April is flying by, I've got 1 spot left for this month, 1 left for May and then we're already into June! Check out my new Calendar for Available times. Take note that I will only be taking 2-3 sessions a month, there are more availabilities on the calendar, but once a session is booked, those availabilities disappears as I focus my time and energy on that one session.

I know! April 2nd came and past...

For some reason, I couldn't make it on here to do the draw yesterday, so I'm finally getting to it... well, check back in at 2pm (gotta have that 2 in there SOMEwhere ;)) I decided to get creative and to take pictures of the draw. And, to make up for getting to this later than I had advertised, I have a special surprise too! Check back for the result and the surprise in a few ;)

A Fair Affair, so much more than just "fair"!!

Simply saying it was a "fair" Affair is an understatement. What it was is, gosh, how to put it into words... Fabulous! Eye opening! Fantastic! Fun! Energetic! Joyous! and FULL! Full of little people getting excited over magic, music & great entertainment from parents, exhibitors but also from the hired "fun people" :D For myself, meeting all these people that genuinely fell in love my photography style was really what spurred me on. I barely had a minute to get a bite to eat from the catering (which I'll have to find out who exactly was there because it was SCRUMPTIOUS!) between all the attendees milling about and wanting information or just ogling the great looking subjects I had displayed. I have a very ordinary phone picture of my set-up (no, I didn't take my camera for fear of loosing it in the crowd!) so we'll all have to make due with that.

me-at-fair

I was also taking names for a special attendance draw I will be having April 2nd of this week. Hopefully all of you that signed up will be checking in between now and then, it'll take place at noon sharp :) I may have a few more "blog specials" in the future, so stay tuned. I was also pleasantly surprised by the number of you that signed up for our future newsletter! I'll have to get right on that and send the first one out for either mid-April or mid-July, whichever time allows. Here are the names of the exhibitors and for most of them, the link to their own websites! Of course, Wee Wiggles, the social group behind the event, Belle Mamans, Bebeccino, Beautiful Beads & Gifts, Bummis, Chef a la Carte, Crazy about Cupcakes, Creation Station, DoodleBug, eCause, Enfant et Compagnie, Equimonde, Laurie Hartlen Creations, Le Baby Shop, Le Petit Gym, Love Montreal, Kid Registry, Kidoo, Epicure Selections, Le Den, Leg Warmers (for baby's and tot's) by Katrin, Melaleuca, Minimod Sassy Sammy, She's Crafty. I hope I got all the names of the exhibitors on here, if not, drop me a comment with your info! This is my way to say thank you for being a part of the Wee Wiggles Fair and making it so much fun. Most of them were Wee Wiggles members as I am, trying to get their name out there for what it is they do in their "spare time" as SAHM (Stay at Home Mom's), if there is even such a thing as "spare" time. Others came in as either sponsors or simply because they couldn't let an opportunity to show off their wares pass them by :) To all of you, thank you for helping to make this event the huge success that it was. But, most importantly, I have to thank our dearest Organizer, Ariana Jaflen, for taking on this massive organizational monster and turning it into a smooth running, well oiled machine. Your contribution to my business being recognized by so many of our members will never be forgotten. Also, a big Thank You to all that helped in the shadows as well, since I volunteered myself to set up and take down tables etc (although I feel like I could have done more!), I know many more volunteers were responsible for making all of this possible too. I'll leave you with a mental picture of my absolute favorite part of the event... Imagine floating balloons held onto strings, bobbing up and down and around the venue in an eery detached way between all the parents... Then look down and realize that these balloons are attached to the cutest little people you've ever met and their eyes are as wide as dollar coins. You could tell where the kids were walking, just by looking at the balloons meadering around! It was the most precious thing you can imagine! Truly, if there was a moment I wished I had my camera handy, that was it!

A Fair Affair

Open invitation to this quite exciting event: I just wanted to get the word out to as many peeps as possible :) I will be having my first public exposure in this fantastic photographic journey at the end of march :) A huge mom & tot's group I've been frequenting the past year and a half is having a Fair where members of our group can expose their business to a larger group of people then WOM can provide by itself. There will be many more exhibitors, I think I heard about 25 tables. Many door prizes and goodie bags. This kind of affair is most likely directed at young families with children under 5 (but not exclusively!) so if you can't make it, that's totally fine, I'd be grateful if you could pass along this invitation to anyone you might think would appreciate this type of event. The event is free and a doorprize ticket is available as well as the exact location and complete description of the event at the following link : MARCH 29, 2009 > WEE WIGGLES FAIR AFFAIR > 9:00am-1:00pm > Tickets If you come to my table and I'm not there, take a look around, I'll be the one with the camera around my neck :D

Calendar

[lang_en]Hey everyone! Just wanted to stop by and mention that my 2009 calendar is open for appointments. Also wanted to let you know that I'll only be doing a limited amount of sessions this year. Family first, passion second ;) So about two a month and twelve possible spots for the year. One's already spoken for so hurry and email/call to get your spot reserved :)[/lang_en] [lang_fr]Bonjour tout le monde! Je voulais vous laisser savoir que mon calendrier 2009 est maintenant ouvert au rendez-vous. J'ai également l'intention de ne faire qu'un nombre limité de sessions cette année à raison de deux pas mois, pour un total de douze possibilités pour l'année. J'en ai déjà un de pris, alors réservé vite par courriel ou téléphone.[/lang_fr]

Fresh Faces Campaign :)

Apparently this little tid-bit was a bit lost in my site. I had it under another section altogether.

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For a limited time only, Nayanna Arts offers you their Fresh Faces Campaign 2008. As part of this limited edition offer we will waive the regular session fee in exchange for a signed model release form. To thank you for your participation, you will receive a complimentary 8×10 gift print at the time of your portrait viewing session. Additional prints/portraits and specialty products may be ordered with our current reduced rates at your viewing session, however we remind you that there is no obligation or minimum purchase required to take part in the Fresh Faces Campaign 2008. The Fresh Faces Campaign 2008 is designed specially for expecting parents/families and families with young children.

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What is this about... This is about building experience through hands on work. This is an actual session with all the bell and whistles as described in my Investment section.

~The deal is this, as mentioned, "we will waive the regular session fee in exchange for a signed model release form" Plain and simple, I am looking for fresh new faces to add to my portfolio. This is a complimentary session for me to "learn" and "add" to my experience repertoire. This is a Limited Edition opportunity, it will be running until I've compiled a pleasing variety of people and expressions to update said portfolio. Also note, I've been  selectively choosing people I meet/know to feature in my portfolio, hopefully why you are viewing this site now, or have been directed here by such a lucky friend :)

~"To thank you for your participation, you will receive a complimentary 8×10 gift print at the time of your portrait viewing session." Yes, that means a free 8x10 just for sitting down with me and viewing your images ;)

~"we remind you that there is no obligation or minimum purchase required to take part in the Fresh Faces Campaign 2008." is just that, it's all up to you :)

Hope to see you soon :)

A new addition to the Lefebvre family

Due to the circumstances, it is me, Andrée husband Yannick, writing this post instead of Andrée herself: For all those who have been waiting for the news, you'll be happy to know that our daughter Gabrielle Josée Lefebvre was born on February 15 at 11h51pm. Weighing in at 8 pounds, 5 ounces, Gabrielle is a healthy baby. She was also quite tall at 21 1/2 inches. Mommy is also doing quite well after the natural delivery (helped with some great epidural). I just came back home to take care of Évelyne and Andrée and Gabrielle should be release from the hospital tomorrow. We'll get pictures and updates posted as soon as possible. For now, Andrée kept the camera with her at the hospital.