Search this site:    

I love children photography!  There is something about capturing the true child………you know what I mean?  Unposed, natural, completely innocent and free.  Photographing children is not easy as many mothers out there can attest to.   I have been asked on numerous occasions to help moms capture what I capture.  I started in photography by photographing children and to this day I still find it the most challenging session especially the young ones 12 months to 18 months or so.  You just have to let them go and do their thing and capture them as they are.  Getting them to sit still and smile  is out of the question and you will rarely see me go that route.   Family sessions with children that age will almost always have a toy in hand or treat, but the best way is to have an interactive session where you can capture the family having fun, walking, tickling, or playing with a pet.  I rarely use props, but will be sometimes bring or use a clients unique chair or sofa.  I have been scouring the antiques markets lately for really funky furniture.   My favorite age is 6 to 10 and then high school students 16-19.  This age group really allows you to be creative with clothing and locations which is the most fun.  I ask all my clients to bring a suitcase filled with items they never wear or items from mom and dads closets.  I have been known to take clothes off of mom and dads backs for the child’s session.  The kids really hate that, but the images usually turn out incredible and all is well.  I always bring along my own suitcase of goodies as well.

This image of two little girls was photographed some time ago and overlooked during proofing.   After a session, when I’m proofing I pick 75 of my favorites from about 200 then end with a final 40 or so images, so sometimes when I go back to a session months later I can actually find one that I initially overlooked for whatever reason.

Photoshop is not one of my strong suits.  I’m an old school photographer, and learned back in the 80′s the old fashioned way…….with film and a darkroom.   I went to school at Sheridan College for the 2 year photography program in Oakville, Ontario where I made my decision early that natural light photography was what I wanted to do.  Studio lighting was just not my cup of tea, nor was industrial, commercial, or product photography.  I loved people and especially photographing kids.  Black and White photography was a passion and I mastered the art of hand coloring the images……..again old school.  I actually painted on fiber based black and white images with a paint brush or q-tip and oil based photo paints.  My camera of choice has always been Nikon and I still have my Nikon F100 and don’t think I will ever get rid of it.

Years and years later, after saying many many times that I would never go digital………….LOL  I took the plunge.  It just got more and more difficult to get film, drive to the lab (numerous times to drop off, proof, and pick up prints.)  and available darkrooms to work in were becoming scarce.   So I bought my first digital which was also a Nikon (D70S) which I still use as a backup to my newest addition (Nikon D700),  off I went.

Going digital was the hardest thing I had to do.  It not only involved the camera, but now I had to learn how to process the images myself on a computer with photo imaging software like photoshop.   Anyone who knows me knows that when I put my mind to something I usually go at it 100%.  So, I bought the computer, bought the software, bought the camera and all the extras that come along with it and off I went.  Needless to say, I still spend hours and hours on the computer working, researching and learning my craft.  If it wasn’t for photography forums like ilovephotography and countless others and photographers offering mentoring programs like michellekanephotography and briannagraham and the secret workshop to offer guidance then I wouldn’t be where I am today.  I love what I do and I will continue to challenge my skills, grow and educate myself until I can’t anymore.  So , as of today here is a sample of my work before and after.  I have been asked countless, countless times to show what an image of mine looks like straight out of the camera (sooc) and then after I have worked on it.

So here is a sample:

SOOC with minor exposure tweak

Final Image

SOOC with minor exposure adjustment

Final Image

This is a professional photography session including children photography, engagement photography and family photography all in one location.  After booking a session I take a drive and scout different locations.  When I’m given the opportunity to choose the location I try and go somewhere I have never been before.  This Orangeville, Ontario family including six kids, two adults, two dogs, a car and a guitar agreed to meet me in Erin, Ontario and I was very excited.  Now, I have been to Erin many, many times and this time I arrived a half hour early so that I could take a look around.  I had the option of photographing in a park, city street, waterfront, fields with barns and old abandoned cars or streetscapes.   I decided to photograph this family in one amazing location in Erin, Ontario just outside of the Orangeville city limits.  I had to try and find a place where I could contain the whole family and still get a number of different backdrops.  So I  took them to a place in a park with a beautiful rock wall, a creek, huge trees for shade and stone steps and all without distractions from the very busy town of Erin, Ontario.  Normally, I would have used the urban part of Erin, Ontario as well as the parks, but in this case I decided to keep it all in one location.  We photographed this session on a weekend and given the amount of small children I felt it best to keep the distractions to a minimum.  I had decided to meet this family in an ice cream parlor parking lot, but changed it at the last minuted to the parking lot across the street.  No telling what could have happened had they seen the ice cream parlor prior to the family photography session.  I love elaborate family sessions like these where there are numerous scenarios to shoot.  While I focused on the engagement photography,  the children played in the creek, and while I photographed the children , the parents sat and played guitar.  The dogs ran around while the children played with dragon fly’s  and crayfish in the creek.  What a day for a professional engagement, family and children photography session.  !!!!!!!

It was a busy weekend for Frances Morency Photography, but you have to take advantage of the weather right?  We could not have asked for better days than this weekend.  Here are two completely different locations and styles.  Hope you enjoy!

The Bloor West Village Family Session was taken in and around their home.  Although their home is under renovation they still opted to stay home for their photographs.  Sometimes with little ones it’s just easier for them to be in their own environment and these images just go to show that your home does not need to be perfect for a photographer to work their magic.   So, if you’re putting off having professional images until your home is just right……..don’t because children grow up so fast.

This is one of the models from Brianna Grahams Workshop which I attended in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  We photographed so many models that weekend that I never really got around to processing all of them.  I absolutely love this girl and I am so glad that I went back to these files and had the chance to work on them.  Better late than never!!!

Since my 2009 Highschool Seniors Promotion went so well last year I’ve decide to continue the tradition.  This year it’s going to be focused on TWEENS!!  So if  you are or know anyone between the ages of 8 and 12 contact me via my contact page on this blog and book a date.  Sessions will be limited to 10 models and all sessions will be taken on location.  I’m looking for trendy, hip, outgoing tweens with personalities galore.

The session!!!

Approx. 1 hour on location, 2-3 wardrobe changes and in return you will receive 1~8×10 and 2~5×7 prints, be focused on my website and possibly be chosen for display in a local boutique/office.

Sessions will go fast, so contact me as soon as possible to secure your date and time.   Sample URBAN session with multuple locations and wardrobe below:

Well, I finally decided to lighten my workload.  Updating a blog, a website, facebook, working 40 hours/week and shooting sessions on weekends was starting to get the better of me.  However was I going to fit in Grey’s Anatomy, Modern Family, Brothers & Sisters and my husband……….So Voila’ !!!!!!!!!!

This is my new site.  It’s a website with all the galleries and information just like my old website and it’s a blog where I can let you know about news and promotions and this and that about me.  I hope you all enjoy it and stay tuned for upcoming new Collections and Pricing for Fall/Winter 2010.

New Favorite from recent family session in Dorchester, Ontario.

This is a recent new favorite from a session in Belfountain Conservation Park.e LOve LOvthe Stone with the blue jacket and of course Kaitlyn is gorgeous.