About Jill, the photographer:

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I’ve always had a love for photography, and my studio is decorated with every camera that I've ever owned - way back to a Brownie that I used in the 60's.  
 

I've studied photography and photoshop at SAIT, Mount Royal, and the New York Institute of Photography (winning a Dean's Merit Award in Portrait Photography from the New York Institute of Photography)  studying both digital and film photography.
 

I have volunteered for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep for two years, and my wildlife and landscape work has been used by the California Audubon Society, the Government of Minnesota, Bashaw Processors, on the cover of the 2016 St. Albert, Alberta Yellow Pages, and been featured in the Calgary Herald.  One of my photographs was also used by the Calgary Herald in the book "The Flood of 2013: A Summer of Angry Rivers in Southern Alberta".

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I've also taken many classes and workshops through The Camera Store and Vistek just to keep up with my skills.  My favourites were:

• Newborn Posing Photography Workshop with JAC Photography

• The Art of Pregnancy & Newborn Photography

• Bellies & Babies

• Newborns: Props and Posing

• How to Pose Family Portraits

• Lighting and Lenses with Darwin Wiggett

• Adobe Lightroom with Jim Slobodian

• Shooting what you love with Mike Drew, Calgary Sun

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F.A.Q.

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Are you licensed in Hanna?

We sure are!  Our Hanna Business License hangs proudly in our studio.
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I’ve booked.  Now what?  What do I need to do?

I’ve got a quick list here for you to help make preparation for your session easy and fun. See the “Session Prep” section at the bottom of this page.

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What types of payment do you accept?

If you booked online, you will receive a link to pay via PayPal.  Hate PayPal? No worries, I can send you an online link for a credit card where you don't have to sign up for any service, or you can pay in person using any major credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.  Debit is only accepted using the tap feature and for under $100 (a limit of my processing company).  Cash is also accepted.  

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When do you recommend newborn pictures?

Newborn pictures should be done in the first nine days after birth while babies are still bendy and new!  They can be done later, but the best results will be in those nine days.  Book a tentative date before you give birth, and we'll change the date once babe is actually here.

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What should my child wear?  What should we wear for a group photo?

Dark solids are always best with a preference of not black and not white. However, I can work those in if you’d like – I just need to know to make sure that I have brought a backdrop that can handle that.  Does this mean no pretty colourful outfits for babies? Never.  Bright colours look fantastic on babies.  In the end, it’s YOUR photo session, and I work to make you happy with the results.   Long sleeves on parents work better than short sleeves, especially on new moms.

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Can Grandma/Uncle Bob/the mail man be present at a session

Yes.  Once again, the session is for you.  I want you to be comfortable and happy.  Keep in mind though, that too many people CAN confuse a child and upset them, even if they’re used to these people.  I will honestly say that less is better, but I will accommodate what works for you.  Family portraits work better when babe is three months or older, but if you want, we can get some with a newborn.

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My baby/child has acne/a rash/something that won’t make my photos pretty. Should I rebook?

No!  Most babies and many toddlers often have rashes, chapped lips, scratches, bruises. I can remove these and keep the photo looking natural at no extra cost.

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Does my child have to “sit and pose”? 

NO!  I prefer your child to be natural – play, laugh, be silly. I’m a big child myself and will play right along with them.  I want to capture your child being their natural self, not some Big Box Store posed photo. You can get that for $9.99 at the store if you’d like.  For younger children I bring paints and a bubble machine!

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This is also a good time to mention, I do like to warn parents that the child will have more fun if they’re not forever being told to “sit down”, “stop that”, “pay attention”, “don’t touch”….  Your child is excited and a bit unsure of what to expect. They may act out/act up a bit more than usual.  That’s alright.  I prefer that you let them be and they WILL calm down over time.  If it’s getting out of control and I need someone to step in, I’ll then tell the child “please don’t touch that” or something similar as your queue to step in.  Don’t worry – we’ll discuss this in person before we start.

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PROPS

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I got tired of searching out and paying for all of those cute hats, blankets, and bunting bags that you always see so I learnt to crochet and have a huge collection to chose from.  I will upload pictures later, but feel free to ask for something specific or send a picture of something that you like.  If I don't have it, I can probably make it!

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SESSION PREP

How exciting!  You’ve booked your session and now you are waiting for the date to arrive.  As the time passes, you start to realize that there’s so much to think about when it comes to clothing, props and so on.  Here’s a quick prep list to help you get ready

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1. You’ve booked (you’ve booked, right?!).  If not, contact me and book your session or use our online booking tool.

2. Think of what YOU own that have meaning and you’d like in your photo.  Your child’s favourite toy, blanket, or shirt.  Mom or Dad’s guitar, cowboy hat or special item.  I’ve done some great shoots where kids are wearing the same clothes that Mom/Dad were photographed in years ago.  There’s just no limit in it – pick what’s special to YOU

3. Clothing – solids work best.  Also, since I really prefer the look of a white background, darker clothing works best. It is preferred that you do NOT wear white.  However, we can certainly mix up the background to allow for light colours if needed.  Denim – always looks fantastic on any age. I have a love for babies and toddlers in denim overalls and even have a few pair on hand.  If you have something that you think might work but are uncertain of what colour to go with it, email me and I’ll help out.  I have a multitude of backgrounds that we can work with any colour.

4. If there’s a time that your child usually sleeps/eats/plays/watches their favourite show, do NOT book your session near that time.  Sessions can go long, and a grumpy child who’s late for their routine is not a happy child. The only exception to this is a newborn.  We want babe fed, topped up, and sleepy.  We'll discuss this all when you book.  Outdoor sessions should be booked early in the morning or later in the day.  High noon sun does not make for good photography!

5. Most of all relax and have fun. I sure am going to!  Email as often as you’d like with any questions or ideas, I want to make sure you’re happy with the results so there’s never too many questions/ideas that you can throw at me!

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WHAT SIZE PHOTOS?

I can count endlessly the amounts of time that people said “Oh, a 5×7 is good enough” and later contacted me for bigger prints.  Take a moment to think about what you want, and there’s a good chance that you can get it in a package that’ll be cheaper than buying a “one of”

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The below picture of darling Easton is a good simulation of the different sizes that photographs come in.  That 5×7 on the wall, or even the 8×10 seem a little tiny now, don’t they?!

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