Leigh with her boys - Toronto Lifestyle Photographer

Leigh is an incredible mother, business woman and someone I am proud to call a friend! We met eight years ago when I was assigned to capture an editorial of her business Shot In The Dark Mysteries (which you should check out!!!) We quickly became friends as we chatted our passions for entrepreneurship. Soon after I met her family for their first family session and I've had the honour to capture her family since. Watching her boys grow is such a joy and seeing their personalities come to life the best part of the work I love to create. 

I asked Leigh after our session to share some insight on what it has been working with me all these years! She quickly said she may be bias and we both giggled. Giggles aside, I think it can really provide insight on those initial fears that exist when considering to work with an independent photographer. I can do my best in expressing my passion as an artist but sometimes the best advice can be given by someone who has experienced the process. 

1) What was your biggest fear in hiring me or even considering having a photographer capture your family? Did it come true, if not, what happened instead? 
You can focus ... Before the session, were you worried about how your kids would behave or act?  How did the session really go? Did you have concerns about spending money on photography?  How do you feel about the purchase now?

I'm such an advocate for you and your work, I had zero fear at all! Although I do always worry a bit about how my kids will act, but that day in the distillery district with the pic of them upside down (the octopus mom one) taught me that sometimes their "misbehaving" turns out to be the best pictures. It was that moment where I put away the pretense and just started having fun with my kids. This session it was the one of them smacking each others butts - haha it's just so THEM and instead of posing them, YOU captured the true joy of their relationship. It's not just about making a family picture with me and them, it's also about capturing their relationship with each other, which is totally magical, and you did EXACTLY that this time.

2) What did you enjoy the most about your session and why?

It's a bit of a whirlwind, but afterwards, we are always in such a great mood and feeling so close to one another. After our session, we sat down and just cuddled and talked. We set down tech, work, housework and everything else for time, not just to capture us together, but to actually BE together and to celebrate that. The rest of the day was wrapped in this dreamy softness of the three of us together. Thinking back to our previous sessions, it was the same after those ones as well. The session itself actually brought us together and gave us a chance to connect. Then, seeing the photos let us relive that - the boys were excited and saying "oh that was so much fun when we did that". They picked their favourites too, so in essence, the session itself turned into some pretty special family time that we get to cherish forever now.

3) If you where to tell your best friend about your photography experience, what would you say?!

Ha! I tell ALL my friends about my photography experiences with you! But if I had to sum it up (as I did yesterday while chatting with a girlfriend), it's so real, and logical to capture the reality of where we are right now. It's real life, not staged and posed. It's authentic - a true photographic record.

This Is Us - Toronto Lifestyle Photography

I've been capturing portraits of Jimi since the wee little age of 2. Every year, we celebrate how much he is growing and the beautiful bond mom and him have. Its so special and beyond an honour to be invited to watch, observe and document how I see their relationship grow deeper. This year our session landed on Jimi's actual 6th birthday! We decided hanging around the lively their Junction neighbourhood in Toronto was best. Here we are exploring the streets and being nothing more than happy to show off life just the way it is! 

Receiving mom's feedback after viewing her gallery, I was moved as my deep passion lies in creating art in your everyday moments.

OMG THIS IS SO US!!!!! YOU DID IT!!!!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THESE, WILL GO ON A VIEWING FRENZY TONIGHT
OMG OMG HE IS SO PRETTY

I CAN'T STOP ALL-CAPS I'M SO HAPPY WITH THESE
THANK YOU!!!!!

Talk soon, my friend!

How is Professional Photography Priced?

The cost of professional photography can be confusing for the average consumer. I wanted to take the time and go over a few key points to help you better understand how a professional photographer charges for their service and products. 

These three outlined elements determine how much a photographer will charge to complete a collection of images from any family session. The time allocated to each of the three is where you will see price difference evident, which in most cases is where the misunderstanding as to why one photographer can charge $150 while another is $900 or more. Photographers know that every consumer's needs can be a bit different, so as you review these areas keep in mind that what works for your family may not be the same for another. How you choose to invest your time when working with an independent photographer will also play a role in the end price point. 

Let's begin!

Style
You will find various styles of images when you visit a photographer's portfolio. Some will be taken in studio, with props, outdoors, in a home or simply in a documentary setting. Each of these styles have a particular way in which they are captured. For example, in a studio, a photographer has a controlled setting, they usually set up their lights to yield a particular constant light to their images. They have almost no changes to make from one session to the next. In contrast, an on-location photographer is working with a larger range of lighting conditions and will need to plan accordingly to create a desired look to their images. They have more equipment to bring with them and operate it dynamically at said location. As you browse portfolio's take note to what you are most drawn to and think about how you see yourself in their work, this can be either in their studio or a particular outdoor location. 

Experience
I believe this to be the most important one! I am personally a lifestyle photographer, it is very important to me to get to know a family or child before I capture images of them because it allows me to visually blend their personality to the art I will be creating of them. This takes time, I meet with each family/child before their session in a no stress, fun, chit chat and play environment. It allows me to observe my subjects in their natural environment and give them an opportunity to get to know me before I place my camera between us. This process is time consuming and I need to charge accordingly to how I produce the final product. In contrast, another photographer may choose to work with a family without ever meeting them before hand, with very little investment in time outside of the actual session time. This allows said photographer to charge a lower fee as they have a shorter workflow to how they capture and deliver their final images. It is up to the consumer to decide what they feel most comfortable with and budget accordingly. For studio environments, which in most cases have a higher volume model (where multiple sessions are booked back to back) very little interaction is in place. It is for that reason, how you choose to invest in your experience with a photographer will influence the time you also invest before, during and after your session.

Product
After the session is done, you are now left with deciding how you wish to remember your experience either through prints or albums. A newer trend I've seen over the years is copies of only digital files, as many are seeing the desire to share only on social platforms. Some photographers have began to include the digital files as the only add on to the session while others like myself find deeper value in providing albums and prints as a collection. The final product plays a huge roll to time allocated to creating them as well as the physical products cost from professional suppliers. It is very important you consider the effort that went into creating the permanent display.

This sums up the three areas that will influence the price of your photography investment. If there is one thing you should take away from this overview is the importance in doing your research. Every independent photographer is creating their own creative vision and its best you connect with one that meets the needs of you family. 

To get to know me more, here is a short bio and frequently asked questions about lifestyle photography.