Posted by chantal on Thursday, November 24th, 2011 , Posted in Blog, Family and Couples , No Comments »
Investing in your community is a great way to give back to those who have helped support your business and has a lot of advantages. It brings personal satisfaction, makes the world a better place and if you have a small business like mine, you appreciate the visibility.
Every November, the daughter of the photographer who trained me, will call me to donate a gift certificate for a family session, because one her children is raising funds for their hockey team. How can I say no, her mom gave me so much, plus it’s a great way to give back to others!!!!
The Brimacombes were the bidders on last year’s certificate. Chris, Glen and their son Shane came in accompanied by their 2 chocolate labs, Max and Gunner. Their last family portrait had been taken 12 years ago, so this auction came at a very good time. Their images will also be used as Christmas gifts to people who have everything.
We took a variety of poses, Glen was impressed with this particular photo because it was casual and because of the interaction and decided it would be the chosen photo for his wall.
There is nothing more gratifying than having a professional wall portrait that shows the character, charm, emotions and that freezes a moment in time. Not only will it make people turn their heads when they walk into your home but it is also a very personal and unique gift that will last forever.
Had I not given this gift certificate I would not have met this wonderful family.
Posted by chantal on Thursday, October 27th, 2011 , Posted in Blog, Family and Couples , No Comments »
Autumn is a beautiful season for family portraits. The foliage is breathtaking. A destination with lots of trees is a good place to have the photos taken.
This is exactly what the Cronk family wanted. Their family portrait was captured at the Experimental Farm. Melanie had been wanting to refresh her family portrait for a while and decided to take advantage of this season so she could make it, her Christmas gift.
The air was crisp but that did not stop the kids from having a blast, by playing in the leaves and running everywhere.
Large or small, trying to organize a family portrait can sometimes be stressful. Melanie made sure everyone looked great. The kids hair were perfect and everyone was color coordinated. Their choice of clothing complemented the scenery.
The wall artwork she chose along with other photos will be displayed in their living room for everyone to look at. These images will be cherished forever.
Thank you for choosing me to help create this keepsake for you.
Posted by chantal on Tuesday, October 11th, 2011 , Posted in Blog, Family and Couples, Tutorials , No Comments »
Another fall is upon us. It’s the best time of year for great outdoor family portraits. It gives you plenty of time to have your portraits ready for Christmas gifts.
A studio consultation is recommended to discuss clothing, location, subjects and style. However, if you are not able to arrange for a consultation, here are some tips that could help you make a better portrait.
The best way to prepare for a family portrait is for everyone to wear a similar style of clothing. Clashing styles and colors should be avoided, since they won’t add anything to the photo. For children, again try to pick plain clothing with few patterns or logos – the emphasis should always be on the people’s face and not on their clothing.
If the portraits are done at your home, wear colors that coordinate with the room.
Clear glasses are preferable to avoid reflections or darkening of the lenses at an outdoor session.
Shoes might show in some poses so they should be taken into consideration along with the choice of clothing. Bare feet also work well if weather permits or indoor portraits.
Pets are welcome to join in!!!
Treats are allowed! Having chocolate or candies for the children is perfectly permissible.
Do you realize that your children, you and your pets can be the art that hangs on your walls? Why invest in art that is not personal to you? Make your walls beautiful! You will smile every time you walk into the room. Watch your guests as they gasp and say “WOW, what a beautiful family”. Call today at 613-841-1469 to book your session as time and availability is running out.
Posted by chantal on Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 , Posted in Blog, Family and Couples, Uncategorized , No Comments »
Send your photo, in a JPEG format (4×5 100 dpi), “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING’?'” to cbp@travel-net.com . Whether you were oddly dressed, trying to make a fashion statement in a certain decade, a bad hairstyle or makeup or even an weird location or pose. Basically anything that represents the title will do.
(No professional photos please due to copyright law).
Photos will be posted on my Facebook Fan Page in the album “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?” Invite friends and family to “Like” my fan page at this link http://www.facebook.com/chantalbenoitphotographer so they can then “Like” your photo. The photo with the most “likes” will win a complimentary studio family portrait session and one 16×20 mounted and laminated. Value of $300.00.
Contests closes: September 30, 2011 at noon. Winner will be announced on September 30, 2011.
Session must be done at Chantal Benoit Photographer’s studio by November 30, 2011. Not negotiable, not transferable. Cannot be combined with any other promotions or specials.
Don’t miss your chance!! Submit your photo now before it’s too late.
Good Luck!
Good Luck.
Posted by chantal on Thursday, September 1st, 2011 , Posted in Blog, Family and Couples, Tutorials , 2 Comments »
Even though it can be a pain, in the end, it really is worth it to document your family in each life stage. Use the Christmas season as your excuse to take that photo so you can use the images as Christmas gifts to people who have everything and you never know what to buy for them.
Here are some ways to make the entire family photo experience a positive one.
1. Schedule the photo shoot when kids are at their happiest. You can’t always get the time you want but if you have any control over this aspect at all, I highly recommend working your appointment around your kids routines.
2. Coordinate your clothing. While color coordination is by no means necessary for group shots, it can help the overall flow, avoid patterns. It’s okay if one family member has a simple stripe or a basic design, but too many intricate patterns detract from their faces. If in doubt, go with a simple, solid-colored shirt/top. When the whole group is in the same color, it keeps the focus on their beauty.
3. Go casual, especially if you have little ones, so it looks like the family is relaxed, having fun with each other. Make sure everyone’s hair has been brushed.
4. Sleep well, eat well. Make sure that you and your family have had something to eat and are well rested.
5. Think “mini-groups”. It is nice to have a family photo of everyone but don’t forget “mini groups”. While everyone is together, take advantage and do all the children with their own family, the grandparents and grand-kids, etc. A combination of photos can fill a large wall or make a nice wall composite.
I hope these tips were useful. Call today, 613-841-1469, to schedule your appointment.
Posted by chantal on Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 , Posted in Blog, Family and Couples, Tutorials , No Comments »
It seems today’s question is “Can I get my images on DVD”? For some specialties, the answer is yes. Some of the specialties, the images are artist rendered, cropped in either 4×6 or 5×7 and ready for printing because the clients are interested in printing their own images for scrap booking or small frames. Larger formats are purchased.
Family portrait, in my opinion, is more attractive as a wall portrait since the faces and features are better define. Of course almost everyone today is on Facebook and want to showcase their photos and I am more than happy to provide smaller version of the family portrait so people can upload them to their Facebook page and share with friends and family. It’s also an excellent promotion for me since my company name is on the images.
Have you ever thought of, what if Facebook closes tomorrow morning? What if your DVD is scratched or damaged and you loose these precious photos? How many times do I hear people say they never had the chance to print their photos. Wouldn’t it been easier to save some time and let the professional do it?
Just imagine the people’s expression when they walk into your home to find a 16×20, 20×24 or even a 24×30 artwork hanging on top of your fireplace, a wall composite on top of your sofa, a beautiful scenic family photo at the end of your hallway.
When you leave with your DVD, do you know how to properly manipulate your file to expand the image to a wall portrait? Can the image be expanded to a larger size or was it cropped to a specific size? Was the photo retouch, the skin soften, the blemishes, the glare in glasses remove? Are you able to cut and paste people’s head from different photos to make the perfect group photo.
My goal is not to sell the biggest size but to sell you the size that will look good on your wall. A 24×30 would not be appropriate for a corner wall like a 5×7 or 8×10 is too small for a fireplace wall but excellent on the mantel, a table or dresser.
Whenever I photograph a family, I send them home with a booklet guide with examples of artwork and furniture to help them make their selection on the sizes and space. These have been helpful to the clients to visualize how to display their images.
The proofs are viewed in the studio from a big screen monitor so they can see the expressions and see the images in a large format. Appropriate size and retouching is discussed. All images are then printed on professional photographic paper by a professional lab. They are not printed by an ink jet printer.
In my opinion, there are services that should be left to a professional.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Any comments are more than welcome.
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