francesmorency.com

Toronto Children Photography ~ Urban Kids Session

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:55:29 +0000

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.

toronto children

Photoshop Mentoring with Michelle Kane Photography

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:30:48 +0000

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

Extreme Wedding Giveaway!

admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 23:22:19 +0000

The extreme wedding giveaway…………it says it all. One Duffering area couple will be winning the wedding of their dreams. THEIR WAY ON US.

I will be working along side some amazing business women in Dufferin County to create an incredible event . Evelyn’s Special Event Decorating, The Small Business Place, Personalized Perfection and myself Frances Morency Photography will be your hosting committee and we will be inviting the who’s who of local vendors to create an unforgettable event .

If you would like to sponsor this event please contact one of the planning committee members

Evelyn Patterson, Danielle Dubois, Personalized Perfection or Frances Morency.

This is definitely the event you will want to brag about. Send this link “The Extreme Wedding Giveaway” to all your friends and family and nominate someone today.

Professional family, children and engagement photography session

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:08:34 +0000

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. !!!!!!!

Toronto Family Photography ~ Bloor West Village Family

admin — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 22:09:28 +0000

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.

Senior High School session with gorgeous 16 year old, Brampton, Ontario

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 03:19:20 +0000

Senior High School Photography with a high school senior includes a minimum of 3 locations and 3 wardrobe changes. I suggest packing a suitcase with many alternative items and accessories, because you never know what I will bring to throw into the mix and you will be very surprised what looks great on camera may not always look great in public.

This is Ashley, a gorgeous 16 year old who was up for anything during her senior high school photography session. Ashley had spotted my website after viewing photographs taken by Frances Morency Photography of her friends. One particular session had caught her eye and that was the location she chose for her Senior Session. Senior sessions are multiple location photography sessions with numerous wardrobe changes and usually include a hobby or personal interest. In this case, Ashley is a black belt in Tae Kwon do and a very impressive young lady, who has travelled to many different countries and won many tournaments. We met in Brampton and the location was in and around the old train station. There were numerous backgrounds in the area to choose from………railroad tracks, abandoned buildings, fields and old train stations. These images are deep, dark, and the colors are very saturated. These are my favorite types of sessions and post processing.

The session begins with a few test shots to allow the model to get comfortable, give a few pointers and allow parents to see that their daughter is in great hands. Teens are usually most comfortable without mom and dad around and soon become very at ease with me and their surroundings. This age group is my favorite because it allows me to be the most creative with wardrobe and backgrounds. All my images focus not only on the subject, but the backgrounds and surroundings are extremely important in order to create a well rounded image. Natural light, on location photography rocks!

Field, B.C. Wedding ~ Marilyn and Bruce on Emerald Lake

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 21:07:59 +0000

I had the pleasure of going to one of my favorite places in the world……Field, B.C. and was so thrilled to be able to attend my aunts and new uncles wedding. One of the most original weddings I had ever experienced. It took place on Emerald Lake in canoes. There were approx. 120pp. or so in canoes to witness this blessed event. We all took off from the dock and paddled to the other side of Emerald Lake where the ceremony would take place. I can’t put into words how moving this ceremony was and it was very difficult to photograph while I was crying. I would love to take this opportunity to welcome Bruce into the family and to let Marilyn know that I could not be happier for her. You guys are absolutely wonderful together.

* the ceremony *

* here comes the bride and groom *

Orangeville Photographer High School Senior

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 23:01:41 +0000

Senior High School Session in the badlands, Forks of the credit area

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:44:42 +0000

This Senior high school session took place in the badlands near the Forks of the Credit. I have never photographed there and wanted to take a model with me for some time. This particular model was open to the location and was looking for some new head shots for her modeling portfolio. We started out in the badlands with the red clay dirt as a backdrop, and the light was absolutely stunning. The model was very comfortable with being photographed and with the 2-3 wardrobe changes we were able to get some incredible images.

Senior high school sessions involve 2-3 locations, multiple wardrobe changes and a very creative style of shooting. This particular session did not involve hobbies or props in any way, but senior high school sessions can and usually incorporate hobbies, sports, pets or locations that are relevant and important to the model being photographed. These session usually last approx. 2 hours.

Anyone interested in a senior session for the 2011 graduating year should contact me in the next couple months for booking. info@francesmorency.com

Toronto Highschool Seniors Photography

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:25:57 +0000

Looking for something other than the standard, studio images of you in your cap and gown? Well, here it is………really cool images of who you really are. The jock, the cheerleader, the rebel, the car guy or just simply you in your final year of highschool. Stop wasting your money on grad photos you are never going to show off.

Instead book a Senior Session with Frances Morency Photography and show your family and friends who you really are.