Sleepless in Ottawa

Last night was yet another sleepless night that I thankfully cannot blame on the kids. All I could think about was a particular image (which turned into other images) that I just couldn't get out of my head. How to get this image into pixels was the problem to solve for the night.
This morning the little fella and I searched around town for clothing for him to wear. Among other places we went to a local costume shop. Besides being way over my budget they just didn't have what I was looking for. The girl who was helping us though was also getting excited about the idea which got me going more! It is amazing how working on an art can elicit so much passion in people. Photography is *not* all about getting people to stand in front of a pretty tree and say cheese. It can be so much more than that. (Of course, that type of photography definately has it's place)
I have never had a passion for an art before this - now I understand! Many more sleepless nights are coming so please excuse the red eyes.
The image hasn't come into pixels as of yet. We still have wardrobe issues and have to wait for the right light.

Since we can't have a post without an image, here is one. If you read this far (sorry for the book) you will see that you can mouseover to see two different versions. I couldn't decide which one I liked best but they both had a different feel for me.


{and for those fellow coding geeks out there - GRRRRR javascript - I don't miss you (the javascript, that is) at all!!}

some action shots

Sarah (aka, Ella's Mom) was kind enough to take some actions shots while I was working.
Thanks Sarah!

wearing my preferred work clothes and hair-do ;)

Ben(ji) ~ Ottawa Pet Photographer

Hence the name ... What a gentleman of a fella who is completely spoiled by his family (as well as he should be!). It is hard to believe he is 13 years old.




He may be 13 but he still has 'it'.


Miss Patches, trying to bribe me to let her out

Details, details, details ...
Where: Some secret location to be disclosed at a later time. Some place with a lot of colour that will cry SPRING!
When: Sunday April 25th, late afternoonish. Please call or email with session/retainer payment to reserve your slot
Who: Under five people or creatures. Come with your family, your friends, your motorbike or your dog, come by yourself. If you are looking for a lot of closeups, interaction shot and family shots please consider booking a full session. 8-10 shots go pretty quickly.
How long: 30 minutes of shooting time. Please arrive early to get yourselves ready and adjusted to the environment.
Details: $75 for your 30 minute session which includes a $20 print credit. This does not include the cost of images. Please see the image pricing section of my website before you book. I will put 8-10 edited images in a private online gallery for you to choose from.
Bookings: Give me a call to chat at 613.882.4650 or send me an email at info@donnalarmour.com

A $50 non-refundable retainer must be paid in full to reserve your time slot. Time slots are limited so book soon. Sessions may be rescheduled based on weather.

part-time photographer, full-time mom ~ Ottawa Child Photographer

I am extremely fortunate to stay at-home with our children. Until the summer, it is only our youngest who is home with me a couple of days a week (I only work two days a week). Our day is usually all about going on some sort of adventure, somewhere. I can honestly say that I have *never* spent this much concentrated time with one person. And what a wonderful little person to spend it with (and two more great little ones that I am looking forward to spending time with this summer)!

I admire people who are able to balance having young children and working full-time (my husband included). We tried it for a bit and it just wasn't for any of us. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely excited that my new career is taking-off but I am holding back on the reigns a bit so that this time with the children is not lost. I think my husband needs to stay home soon - he would definately make an awesome stay-at-home dad :)




Disclaimer: There may be days where you will hear me complain and the morning-getting-on-the-bus confusion is not the prettiest (I am not fully awake until 9:30 and the one-coffee-a-day addiction does not help!)

Spring marathon event to be posted tomorrow!

I am just in love with these faces ~ Ottawa Child Photographer

The 80 lb guard dog. ~ Ottawa Pet Photographer

Just a few more. ~ Ottawa Newborn Photographer

An outtake - poor little thing. I swear she barely cried the whole time!

the week of sickness ~ Ottawa Child Photographer

We have been pretty lucky this year with sicknesses so this week was our turn. Thankfully it is all gone now but so is the March Break :(

~ Ottawa Child Photographer

I just got a lens back from repair - happy day! I went through a few weeks of frustration, self-doubt and banging my head against the wall until I realized it was the darn lens.

Brooklyn

My sweet little niece.

It's raining sweet lil' baby girls lately!

Despite being 12 days old, it was Ella's due date this day! She was such a little darling, rarely complaining but happy to be awake. I actually used to babysit her mom when she was two years old so it was so nice to see her all grown-up as an attentive and loving mother. Thanks for sharing her with me!
Just three for now. More are coming on here and the website.

SPRING!!!!!

To celebrate Spring there is currently 40% off session fees for regular sessions that occur during this March. To reserve a spot please contact me to discuss a time and make your payment.

Engaged couples casting call!

Lots of casting calls lately. I doubt I will settle on one age group for photography since I love variety. I am currently searching for fun-loving engaged couples.
These couples must be getting married later than July and must not, as of yet, have a photographer for their wedding. Please contact me and tell me a bit about yourselves (spill it!). The lucky couples will get the complimentary session (2+ locations, outfit changes, ~1 1/2 hours long), one 8x10 and a watermarked webphoto. Photos will be put in an online gallery for 10 days for them to choose from (additional photos can easily be purchased). There are no other obligations to the couple but they will receive a discount if they book their wedding with me.

Mackenzie ~ Ottawa Newborn Photographer

Talk about a bright-eyed baby! This little sweetie managed to keep herself awake for four hours before she finally fell asleep. She was content the whole time though and mom was extremely comfortable in her job despite being brand-new at it.


Super baby!

Mikaela ~ Ottawa Children Photographer

This little girl was so sweet and quiet during her session. We had to cut it short because it was a bit colder than we had planned for that morning. Mom has the most amazing taste in clothes!

She looks so much older to me in this picture.

One last hooray for mittens. GO SPRING!