Jillian Bickle Photography |Cobourg and Northumberland Area Photographer | illustrating your life story

Owen came back to the studio, and brought his smiles! Last time I photographed him, he couldn’t even sit, now he’s sitting and just about ready to move.  He made it a very easy session with his huge smiles and laid back personality, I would love to get him outside for a session, I think he would be so much fun to chase around!

I’ve heard that said a few times when the parents begin to pack up their children after a session. Their hair a little out of place, cheeks red from running around and jumping and dancing and singing, about ready to rip apart my singing duck……oh wait, that’s me! Some children come in ready to sit and smile, but that’s not usually the case. I mean, you can only expect so much from little kids. They are not really wired to be calm and sit when they are introduced into a new surrounding, especially one that has a motorcycle just calling to boys, or a blue couch that might as well be saying, “come jump and climb on me” or tickle sticks and teddybears strewn around. So when I do get the odd one that sits and smiles and laughs at my funny faces, I say a little thankyou. But when I get the usual child, I just get ready to sweat! 

For the angel session, I decided to bring my three youngest in early to do a couple shots of them. My mother in law was meeting me there so she could take them afterwards while I stayed and worked.  So she was the wing holder, (and Kaleb holder) and also helped with getting smiles. We had flowers falling, wings in the wrong spot, the girls looking every way but at me, Gracie talking constantly instead of smiling, me running around crazy (while constantly telling myself, don’t yell at them, they will just cry) and Kaleb making so many silly faces. My children have got a bit better with photos, because before it was not a pretty scene. I would yell, they would cry, I would threaten, they would cry more….it’s so much harder when it’s your own, I do admit to that. So when my mother in law was watching all of this she said “You don’t really realize what it’s really like. You just see these pretty photos with wings and everything looks nice….you don’t think of what it took to get that”.  Exactly.

Then I had these boys in, and being boys, they were ready to move, and ride my motorcycle and not look at me, and run around….you know, boys being boys. But when they were leaving, their mom said, “you work magic with them! I don’t know how you do it”. Some days, I don’t know either. Some days I keep my fingers crossed until my camera card goes into my computer and I start looking through. Most of the time I know the parents are leaving thinking “She did not get anything good. My child didn’t smile or co-operate at all”  But magically, there are some amazing shots. Sometimes it’s caught right in camera, sometimes I have to take one or two shots and make one.  Through years of teaching myself and different courses, I’ve learned these techniques….but you know, I’m sure if you went to the photo place in that big brand store that starts with a W, they could do the same as what I did on the photo below….

(SOOC means Straight Out Of Camera)

There are just a couple spots left for the Angel Art Limited Edition photoshoot February 3rd and 4th. If interested, please contact the studio to book your spot.

I just had Holly in here for her viewing….she is one of my favorites, she knows how important photos are, and how important it is to display them (wait til you see the one we’re doing up in a special frame for her!). She walks in today and the first thing out of her mouth “I’m not sure what to do for the canvas….” and I say “Hey Holly, how are you?”  Keith just smiles. (see, he knows she’s crazy! )  They are actually moving soon to a new house, so I will be going and helping to plan her masterpiece wall, which I am very excited about!  As I was doing up her bill, I asked her how many gift certificates she had (she loves when I have my gift card sales, and she got some for Christmas) so she said, “you should see the photo I had Keith take”. So I made Keith show me then told him he had to send it to me so that I could blog her. (Don’t you love how she’s having to help support the hand holding the gift cards?)  And I smiled because of the canvas on the wall behind her….when I mentioned that it was in the photo she says “I don’t know what I’m going to do. That one was ordered specifically for that spot….when we move I don’t know where it’s going to go!”  Don’t worry Holly, we will find a new home for all of your beautiful canvas’ and prints, and make sure there is still room for more (keep smiling Keith). So remember, gift certificates make awesome gifts!

I am looking for somebody to hire for workflow. You need to have photoshop experience, have creativity and an artistic touch. This job can be done from home, so you do not need to live near, but you will need to be able to come to the studio for a day of training. If you are interested, please email me and send some samples of your work.

Sometimes I feel like a broken record when I talk about this. But I feel like not enough people stop to think about it and realize how true it is. So I’m going to repeat myself again. There have been some things that have happened in my life these past few months that have really hit this home to me, so if I can make at least one person understand, then it will be worth repeating. And I will warn you now, this is going to be a long post, but I promise for those of you that read it, you might actually get something out of it.

I find that I am having to defend myself often about what I charge for my photography. It often makes me laugh inside when I have people come in and say, “well, what kind of deal can I get?” Do you go into Tim Hortons or Walmart, walk up to the cashier and say “ok, let’s figure out a deal we can make for these things”. No, you don’t. So does this happen with the photography business because it is not a necessity? Because let’s be honest, you could go through life fine without ever having a professional portrait done of you or your family. My job is not a need, it is a want. People come to me because they want to create timeless memories of their life at that precise point. And that’s awesome. Because let me tell you, you won’t regret splurging on yourself and your family with this, saving up to have a photo session done is not selfish, it is rewarding. In time, these turn into heirlooms and your children will benefit, and their children and so on. Well, that is if you don’t just leave them on a disc. I’m not trying to run down photographers that only shoot and burn. In their defense, the customer -and not being properly educated on the importance of printing photos – has caused many photographers around here to just throw them on a disc and that’s it. I even have heard of some pointing their customers towards the big W store to print the photos, because they are cheapest. Wow. Is that really why you had a professional session done, to go somewhere that is not a professional lab in the slightest, that you might get prints that are somewhat ok in color, but most of the time not? If you’re just going to go there to print them, you might as well just take them yourself too.

I work very hard to make it an experience. Time is taken to figure out the type of look you are going for. I try to make it as convenient a time for you as possible. A minimum of 1. 5 hours is spent on a session (sometimes for newborns 4 or 5 hours) and then going through each photo to tweak where needed. Then you come back for a viewing where we go over all of the possibilites, then time is spent workflowing those photos you choose and they are sent off to a professional lab where they will have the best printing done. And I have client loyalty cards, and referral programs, and if your child just is having a bad day, then come on back again so we can get them when they’re happy…no extra charge. Because I care about my clients, and want them to feel like the money they spent was worth it. Because I’m not niave, some of my clients save up for months, even a year to be able to do a session and order beautiful prints and canvas’. So ya, I want them to feel like I was the right choice. Not some photo place in the mall or big W that really don’t give you the photos you are hoping for.

Capturing moments with photography is priceless. Children change so quickly, they grow and loose that baby chub or that curly hair. And sometimes, family members aren’t with us for as long as we hope. This August, I was there photographing my nephews birth, and unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. I photographed him during his short 5 days with us, and then during his last moments. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know that I cherish these photos dearly. I held his hand while they struggled to make him breath, and then sang to him before he went home to heaven. I have his photo framed in my room. I look at it every day. Sometimes it makes me cry, sometimes it makes me smile. And I know that without that photo, I would begin to forget what he looked like. Over time his memory would fade from my mind. But with this photo I can say, he was here, he mattered.

I have photographed many babies that have not made it, for some reason they did not get their chance to live here on earth. I know many judge the fact that some parents choose to do this, but they are ones that have not had to face this situation. That have not had to say goodbye too soon. And it’s a pity that there is this judgement, because once again, these babies were here, they mattered. And for some, these photos help the parents move on.

We often take our lives forgranted, and those around us forgranted. We don’t say I love you enough, we don’t hug enough, we don’t just cherish time we get with each other. And sometimes life is short. Accidents, cancer, illness, you name it, things happen. And when that loved one is gone, with time, your memory of them starts to fade. It is a sad reality to face. But with photographs you can at least remember things about them.

I don’t want to drag anyone down. The fact that a person may not be around as long as you think is not the only reason you should have photos. I love photographing those milestones, because I know with my four children, I turn around and they just seem so grown up. I don’t know how many times I catch myself looking at photos of them to remember a certain thing at that stage. How much hair they had when they turned one, what age they started walking…..I love photographing families and showing their dynamics when the children are different ages. Or a highschool senior that is about to go off into the world and ‘grow up’. Pictures are a beautiful ‘want’.

A client and friend of mine posted this on my facebook page, and many of you have probably already read it. But if not, take the few minutes and read it. It is very humbling.

http://fototails.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/a-letter-on-my-doorstep-portraits-are-more-than-paper/

And for another photographer I know, she just did a session for a terminally ill little girl. Her story is here:

http://jennmunrophotography.blogspot.com/2012/01/lauren.html

Jenn is hoping that people will feel compassionate and donate $5 towards a canvas for this family. If you are interested, you can send a paypal payment to hughie_huge@hotmail.com OR Email money transfers can be sent to jennmunrophotography@gmail.com. If you have more questions, feel free to email her.

I hope I didn’t bore you with this ‘rant’ on why photographs are important. Maybe I didn’t change anyones mind, and you will still just hunt for the ‘cheapest’ photographer, or not have them done at all. I spend a lot of money every year on courses to keep myself learning new techniques, money on new equipment, on fixing equipment, on new props…..I know I am worth it. I just hope that next time you are thinking about photos, you find somebody that knows what they are doing so that your hard earned money isn’t wasted on the cheapest person. Go with a photographer that suits your style and is professional about what they are doing. And don’t wait! If you have never had a professional portrait done (whether it be family, or of your kids, or you as a couple) then make that a new years resolution. That before 2013 arrives you will have some beautiful prints on your walls and in albums!

This is our most recent photo taken by my mother in law….it shows our family very well

As many of you know, I love newborns, one of my favorite to photograph. Well, this year, I would love to photograph the first baby of 2012, so am giving the session complimentary. So if you are the person to have this baby, or know the person who has this baby, tell them to email or call me and get some adorable photos!

We had a wonderful dog named Daisy. She was a golden retriever and she was beautiful. Right after Kaleb was born, with four very little children to take care of, Daisy ended up not getting the attention she needed. She wasn’t getting her daily walks, and I hate to say it, sometimes I’d forget to feed her supper until 9:30 at night. She needed more attention and time given to her, so sadly I found a home for her. A very nice home that has given her the time and attention she needed….and from what I hear, she’s in the greatest shape she’s ever been in!

Well, the kids have been bugging and bugging for a dog. They are older now, things are more routined, and I felt like it would be ok to welcome another four legged animal into the home. But one that was smaller and a bit more mellow (one I could bring to work sometimes).  So my sister in law (she can find any dog) found me an ad for puppies. Nathan said no. So when Nathan was at work, Elijah and I went for a drive. When we got there we took a picture of the two little girls we liked and sent it to him and asked him which one he liked. He told me I was crazy and no. But said he liked the one on the right better. So we brought her home and so far, she’s been perfect. The kids love her, they fight over who gets to take her out to pee. Although this weekend I have lost track over how many times I’ve said, ‘put her down’. I love watching them play with their new doggie. Some of you might think I’m crazy….oh well….I don’t mind a busy household…and I’ve already got people saying they want first dibs to babysit when needed.

Meet Betty Bickle…

This mini session kept me laughing the whole time. Such personality and charm this little one had.  He was so much fun to photograph and gave me lots of expressions. It was very hard for me to pick a favorite!

Annie came in with her little girls. She was such a doll, I had to give her her own post!