Like I said in my blog about my post postpartum……..I have the best job and the best clients.
But I didn’t realize how amazing my clients and friends were until I bared my soul. I have never received so many emails and Facebook messages in my life.

Many of you reviled that not only had you struggled….but went through a very similar situation.

Which made me realize…..we all have dark days. We all have moments of weakness and despair. We are NOT ALONE!!!!!

I think this message was enough to kick my ass……get my head out of the water long enough to realize that I have a good life. I have people that love me. A home which I love and a career that makes my heart sing. I needed your support to get out of this….and for that I will forever be greatful

Now I have a favor to ask. If you are suffering from depression…….or just having a bad day….sing it from the rooftops!!!!

I had people tell me that if I went public with this I would become know as the “depressed” photographer and that saddened me. I want to live in a world where depression and just general malaise isn’t a taboo……..we all have struggles in our lives….why do we hide them? We are made stronger by them.

Speak about it. Tell your friends your family…..your clients….your neighbor…..the more we speak….the more normal all this will become and maybe we can save someone that didn’t need to dive  deep into the cave of darkness. Chenin Boutwell, a woman I admire greatly. Recently wrote a brutally honest post on one of her blogs Fudge Banana Swirl. It was amazing to not feel alone.

THANK YOU again….. for you saved me from that downward spiral.  I couldn’t have gone there……because I have a son and an amazing family and group of friends that I need to love with all my heart. And that is just what I will do from this day forward……love the people that love me….with all my heart.

That being said…….here is a picture of my heart and soul….Henry aka Hanky Pank.

Saturday June 2nd, 2012

It’s dad’s turn! This time our mini session is in honour of Father’s Day.

A 30 minute session at the barebonestudio.

Included in your session fee are 5 fully edited high resolution images on a DVD.

$195, limited sessions available

To book your session, contact us at info@barebonephoto.com or call the studio at 519.841.7840

Details ~
The session fee of $195 is due at time of booking as a non refundable deposit. I will have up to 30 images to select from. Each additional image above your top 5 picks will be available to add to your order for $40 each OR you can buy your entire gallery of images for $150.00 total.These sessions are best for up to 4 people. If you have more we can book a longer time slot and each additional person will be $25. Please be prepared for indoor or outdoor photos.

If you’re looking for a great gift idea… why not give the gift of memories?

We have GIFT certificates available in $50/$100 denominations.

As well as a MOTHER’S DAY photo package which includes:

* Photo shoot approximately 1 hour long

* DVD of 15 images from the shoot ready to print

* Set of 3 identical mini accordion albums

(THESE ARE FANTASTIC GRANDMOTHER’S GIFTS… THEY FIT RIGHT INTO ANY PURSE AT AN ADORABLE 3X3 SIZE!)

* 3 8×10 prints

All for $550 {$800 value}

Contact us at info@barebonephoto.com or call the studio at 519.841.7840.

DETAILS ~ THE PACKAGE FEE OF $550 IS DUE AT TIME OF BOOKING AS A NON REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT.PACKAGES MUST BE PURCHASED BY MAY 10, 2012. EACH ADDITIONAL IMAGE ABOVE YOUR TOP 15 PICKS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ADD TO YOUR ORDER FOR $40 EACH. THESE SESSIONS ARE BEST FOR UP TO 4 PEOPLE. IF YOU HAVE MORE WE CAN BOOK A LONGER TIME SLOT AND EACH ADDITIONAL PERSON WILL BE $25. PLEASE BE PREPARED FOR INDOOR OR OUTDOOR PHOTOS AT OUR STUDIO.

I have always prided myself in being a strong and confidant woman. Often to a fault. I have trouble asking for help and if I don’t perfect something, I do it until I can.

My business has always been my baby and I couldn’t imagine not spending 24/7 trying to perfect it.  Our original decision not to have children was because I couldn’t fathom how they would fit into my hectic and often all consuming business life.

Then that fateful night happened…….I jolted up right and said F*$@ I need to have a child.
Well right then and there my world changed. { three weeks later I was pregnant….see post here} And it wouldn’t be completely apparent how much it had changed until after Henry was born.

I LOVED being pregnant I honestly believe it was possibly the happiest I have EVER been.
But with such highs come MAJOR lows.

Bill and I talked a lot before Henry was born. He was worried. He knew that I had had a bought of depression when I was younger and had struggled with it all through college.

So we were going to be on top of it. I had check ins with the midwives……the hospital was even aware of our concerns. They called every couple of months just to make sure everything was ok. And I believed it was. I didn’t “feel” depressed. I even felt optimistic about being a mum and how I had handled all the stress.

At three months I started back to work and if I want to be completely honest with myself I was answering emails 2 WEEKS after giving birth to Henry. And as you know…….photography is a fun and creative industry……and I LOVE my job. But it is also an all hours of the night, intense kind of job.
Well, I shot 13 wedding and 40 portraits last year. For me this is pretty much fully booked. And I was raising a son………..and running that full time business { adding 2 staff and starting 2 new ventures }, oh yeah and teaching at Conestoga College one day a week. Talk about overachiever. Even as I type this I think……..what the hell was I thinking.

All this considered…….I didn’t have time to notice I was depressed. Post partum post shmartum.

Then my down time started. At first I thought FINALLY I get to cuddle with Henry on the couch! I may actually get to take a “partial” maternity leave.
But things were just as busy……..if not busier. Booking season was upon me. The Christmas rush was the biggest I have had to date. So my weekends were spent meeting with potential clients and signing contracts and weekdays fulfilling print orders and approving albums.
But something was off. I wasn’t feeling myself…….I was forgetting times and getting the days wrong. I struggled to ask the right questions and get as excited about someones vision for their wedding as I usually do. At first I thought it was my learning disability rearing it’s head { post coming about this later }

Then I had two personal / business events happen that just rocked my world. Nothing I could fix or change……..just really bummed me out.

And that is when it all came to a crashing halt. I just couldn’t stop thinking negatively…….I couldn’t put a positive spin on the situation for the life of me.

I started napping with Henry in the afternoons……sometimes three or four hours. I didn’t want to go out. I didn’t want to eat. I didn’t want to look at work or even think about booking a client.

I was slowly shutting down…………I didn’t even want to talk. { Which if you know me…….is freaking CRAZY!!!!!}

I finally had to admit it……I was depressed.

So I got some help……..family and friends have been unbelievable and medication is my best friend.

And now I’m on the mend. ( 2.5 months in } I’m optimistic again.

But if I have learned anything from my past experiences, the climb to the top is twice as long than the fall to the bottom.

Now with all that being said { thank you for listening } what does this mean for barebonephoto?

I will be spacing my shoots out more. No more than 2 weddings a month.
Probably until Henry is in school and I can go back to working my crazy hours.

I will still be shooting portraits but mostly at the barebonestudio. Were excited to be adding some new landscaping and backgrounds this year.
We will also be shooting more mini sessions, likely it will become a monthly event. With different locations and styles to keep things interesting. I really want to have fun with theses!

I will be teaching more. My time at Conestoga College has taught me that I was made to teach. I love interacting with students and learning as much as I teach. So keep an eye out for  more workshops and one on one sessions.

But mostly what will change is me taking time for myself and my family. I have invested the first half of my life in building barebonephoto………I want to invest the second half in enjoying my family,friends and working for the love of it.

I think this says it all ~>

XOXO  emma

After A LOT of requests for a group workshop for the basics of DSLR photography, we finally have a date scheduled! The basics are the same as our one-on-one barebonebasic workshop, but instead we’ll do a group setting and it’s at a deal of a price! Bring a few friends if you’d like, or come on your own… it will be an afternoon of good times and a crash course in digital photography basics.

barebonebasic ~ group workshop

Saturday April 28, 2012: 1 to 4 pm @ the barebonephoto studio

barebonebasic… 101 of DSLR photography. For everyone just getting to know their camera! Learn to take better photos of your children, family events and special moments.

* Basics: Shutter Speed ~ ISO ~ F-stops

* Colour and Composition

* Lighting

* Lens selection

The lesson will end with a session with a model.

You’ll also walk away with our Field Guide that will give you all the basics in a cute little package on the go.

Requirements:

DSLR camera  { DSLR = digital single lens reflex }

Working knowledge of your camera.  { you can turn it on and find your settings menu }

$95 per person, limited spaces available

To book your session, contact us at info@barebonephoto.com or call the studio at 519.841.7840. See you there!

Saturday March 31st, 2012

Mothers Day sessions ~ short and sweet style!

30 minute session at the barebonestudio.

Included in your session fee is a choice of ONE of the following:

1. A set of 3 identical 3×3 Mini Albums. Perfect for gifts… mum, mum in law, grandma! More info and samples here.
2. 5 fully edited high resolution images on a DVD.

$195, limited sessions available

To book your session, contact us at info@barebonephoto.com or call the studio at 519.841.7840

Details ~
The session fee of $195 is due at time of booking as a non refundable deposit. I will have up to 10 images to select from. Each additional image above your top 5 picks will be available to add to your order for $40 each OR you can buy your entire gallery of images for $150.00 total. These sessions are best for up to 4 people. If you have more we can book a longer time slot and each additional person will be $25. Please be prepared for indoor or outdoor photos. 

Some times when you shoot a wedding the hardest part of the day can be shooting the bridal party.

Were talking anywhere from 6-26 people that need to be attentive……listen to direction…..and be willing to work with you. And most of the time……that doesn’t happen.

You just roll with it.

I got some great shots of the bridal party at Miranda and Patrick’s wedding at The Ancaster Mill. But if my memory serves me correctly……..as usual the boys gave me a hard time.

The best thing to do in that situation…….let them have fun. And this photo is all about just capturing the moment as the bridal party has a little bit of fun.

Just a quick capture of the bride and groom……Love this shot!

I have been know to find a perfectly covered pallette factory in a rain storm and a funky little tapas joint is a town that only serves burgers and fries.

Just ask my assistants……they will tell you.

The day of Justin and Kaitlyn’s wedding was no different. They got married in an amazing Church in St. Thomas. And the reception was at The Oaks in Delaware.

I was vaguely familiar with the area.

On the way to the church from the bride’s house we got a little turned around and stumbled onto an abandoned house and barn in the middle of nowhere. I quickly put it in the memory banks. And on the way back we stopped for a quick shoot.

But when we turned the corner around the barn and found a pink door and some golden rod……..I squealed with delight! Yep, I get excited about the weirdest things…….including old barn doors with cracking pink paint on them.

Below are the results of this said find.

Oh and why the shot of the shoes? When you have shoes this cool…..the best ones I have EVER seen…..they need to be shown at every opportunity.

Enjoy.

Don’t forget to come back next week for another best moment of 2011!

I’m going to post my top 10 favorite moments and images.

This first set of image, I have talked about before…….but I think it deserves a second mention.

This first look between Christina and Pat makes me cry every time I see it!

I truly believe that a “first look” on your wedding day can be one of the most emotional and exciting things you can do as a couple.

Christina and Pat wanted the first time they saw each other to me intimate and personal. It was only them, the maid of honor and best man for this moment…..and of course me!

The passion that came out in the moments after…….was awe inspiring.

This is a moment that makes me love my job.

Come back soon to see more of my favorite images from 2011!