Michelle Barbeau Photography

52 Week Challenge - Week 7

2012-02-20T09:15:00.000-05:00

I've always wanted to get a picture of everyone's eyes in my family so was happy when I saw that this week's theme was "Body Parts". I love seeing the differences in everyone's eye colours especially my human son...his are so cool, they look like a mix of my blue on the outside and my husband's green on the inside.

My kids want me to print them out and hang them in our washroom but I think it might be too creepy for guests! :) If you would like to play along, next week's theme is "Romance"

52 week Challenge - Week 6

2012-02-13T12:07:00.000-05:00

This week's theme is "Quiet".

I spent this past weekend at a cottage with some great friends. I was one of the first ones to arrive so I was able to do a bit of relaxing and start the next book for my book club. The quiet was wonderful!

If you would like to play along, next week's theme is body parts...should be an interesting one! :)

Pick Your Favourite Belly

2012-02-13T08:36:00.002-05:00

Let the voting begin!

Check out the pictures below of all the adorable bellies then scroll down to the bottom and click on the number of your favourite photo in the poll box (make sure you pick the number that is above the photo). Voting will end at 11pm on Monday, February 20th and the winner will be announced the following day.

please note: Only one vote is allowed per person

#10

#11

#12

Beautiful Two Year Old

2012-02-08T20:33:00.001-05:00

I look forward to my annual Birthday shoot with my adorable God-Daughter. This year she turned two so I thought it was going to be a challenge...she made me work hard but we had a lot of fun and got some adorable shots. Check out her First Birthday and Newborn pictures...she's grown so much.

She's so photogenic and has lots of great expressions!

what a character!

I brought along my lovely helper that has the magic touch with young kids...they love her!

Happy Birthday Cutie Pie!

Love Auntie Shell,
xxoo

52 Week Challenge - Week 5

2012-02-06T09:10:00.002-05:00

This week's theme was "sleep". I had big plans of getting a beautiful angelic photo of one of my kids sleeping. It didn't work out well with my two human children so I had to settle for my furry one.

Buddy loves to sleep on my office floor when i'm working at the computer. I often forget he's there then get startled when he's having a dream and starts moving his legs in his sleep...I think he's dreaming about chasing squirrels. The photo isn't sweet and angelic but at least it makes me laugh! :)

If you would like to play along, next week's theme is quiet.

Have a great week,
Michelle

ps. stayed tuned in the next couple of days for a sneak peek of an adorable 2 year old that I had a photo shoot with on the weekend

Alphabet Project

2012-02-01T15:04:00.000-05:00

A project i'm working on for fun this year is an Alphabet project. It's my goal to take random pictures of things that resemble the letters of the alphabet. I'm hoping to get at least one photo of each letter. If anyone would like to play along with me, just let me know...i would love to see what other people come up with. I'll be posting all the pictures on my personal family blog if you would like to check them out.

Here's my first installment:

Can you guess which letter it's supposed to be?

52 Week Challenge - Week 4

2012-01-30T09:14:00.001-05:00

This week's theme is "Winter"

I hate the cold but when it warms up a bit and we get snow, I love the winter! I especially love it as a photographer...the snow works well at bouncing beautiful light onto people and really makes colour pop. The Winter is truly a wonderful time to get portraits done if you're willing to brave the cold!

If you would like to play along with the challenge, next week's theme is "sleep"...would love to see what you come up with!

Belly Contest 2012

2012-01-25T13:49:00.002-05:00

I had so much fun with last year's contest that I decided to do one again this year. For something different, this time i'm looking for Bellies.

How to enter the contest:

If you're pregnant (or know someone that is), live in the Ottawa area (or willing to travel to Ottawa) and due before June 2012, email a picture of your belly to me at michelle@barbeau.net and you'll be entered into my contest to win a Free maternity session, a Free newborn session and an 8x12" Storyboard that includes one image from each session. That's two free sessions and a storyboard, an over $400 value...how great is that?! For more info about Maternity and Newborn sessions, please visit my website

Important Notes:

The picture must be taken by you or a person in your household and you (or the person that took the picture) must agree to have it posted on my blog. By emailing me the picture, you're accepting these terms and that the picture is okay to be posted on my blog for this contest. No professional photos please.
Only one entry per household
Pregnant Bellies only...thought I would put that in there because I know a few guys that would think it's funny to send me a picture of their beer bellies! :)

I will be accepting entries until February 10th then on February 13th will post the entries on my blog. Visitors to my blog will then vote on their favorite picture and the photo with the most votes wins.

Easy eh?

So, go get your camera and have some fun. Take a picture of yourself in the mirror or get your spouse or kids to take a picture of you. Feel free to decorate, paint or anything else you would like to do to your belly. Don't like your picture taken then leave your head out and get a belly only shot. Get Creative!

Can't wait to see all the entries!

Here's an example of a storyboard

Michelle
xxoo

52 Week Challenge - Week 3

2012-01-23T07:09:00.000-05:00

This weeks theme is "Breakfast"

Breakfast was pretty boring this week. I usually have cereal during the week because it's really fast and i have to get the kids out of the house for 7:30am (i'm not a morning person!). My husband usually cooks a fancy breakfast on the weekend but he was away on a work retreat...i did make pancakes but the kids ate them faster than i could take pictures of them! :)

on another note: I've noticed that when i've been in western Canada and also in Arizona that you can only buy milk in jugs and cartons in the store. Is Ontario the only place that sells their milk in bags?

If anyone would like to play along with the weekly challenge, next week's theme is Winter...would love to see what you come up with!

Favourites of 2011

2012-01-18T09:12:00.000-05:00

I want to Thank all my clients for making 2011 a fantastic year! I feel so honoured to of met you and have you trust me with freezing a special moment in time for you!

I thought I would share my favourite photos of 2011... I had such a hard time narrowing it down that I decided to do it in 4 categories! :)

Newborns

Children

Families

and Couples

I'm looking forward to all of you that I will meeting this year!

52 week project - week 2

2012-01-16T08:54:00.000-05:00

This week's them is "Cold" which is really appropriate because we're in the middle of a cold snap here in Ottawa!

It's seems like the most beautiful, sunny days around here are the coldest. You wake up to the gorgeous sun, get bundled up to go outside and think...what a great day, then it hits you! The wind chill!! The cold isn't so bad if you have on your winter gear but there's no escaping the dreaded wind chill. For this weeks picture, we were taking the dog out for a super quick walk and found some shelter under a big tree to escape the wind. It was -17C outside but with the wind chill it felt like -27C (about -17F). This past weekend, there was a frost bite warning which pretty much means that you better cover up any exposed skin when you're outside or it's going to freeze.

As i'm sitting here typing this, the current temperature is -33C with the windchill....brrrr! It sounds like it's going to warm up tomorrow thank goodness but unfortunately we're supposed to be getting ice rain and a huge dump of snow.

My Turn in Front of the Camera

2012-01-13T08:53:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to get some family pictures done for awhile now. I've tried to do the camera on a tripod with a remote thing but I just couldn't get the type of candid pictures that i love....natural pictures that show our personalities and the connections between us!

While we were in Arizona visiting my parents for the holidays, Jill Candland (you may remember the feature I did on her last year) was kind enough to do a family shoot for us. I met Jill through an online photography course I took a couple of years ago and she's such a sweet and amazing woman! It was so much fun to see her in action...check out the family picture of us with the cactus, she was laying flat on the ground full of rocks.

She posted some of the pictures here and here if you would like to check them out.

Thanks so much Jill...these pictures will definitely be cherished and I can't wait to get some of them printed out and put on our walls!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-09T21:39:00.000-05:00

I had a great and relaxing holiday season and am now trying to get caught up on my blog. I just thought i would pop in for a bit to share a project that i'm working on this year. It's a 52 week project that i'm doing with a group of other photographers and will be posting my picture every monday (and will hopefully have links to the other photographer's photos when we figure out how to set it up :)). I usually do a picture a day project which you can see at http://mbarbeau365.blogspot.com/
(i'm a little behind updating it but hope to catch up this week). I've found the picture a day too time consuming so this year i'm doing a few projects instead....the 52 week project which i'll share on this blog and an alphabet and a "glimpses project" which i'll share on my picture a day blog. Now that i think of it, i may even be busier with 3 projects rather than 1! :)

Here is this weeks theme "Newness":

We spent our holidays in Arizona this year (quite a change from our usual snowy Christmas) and everyone assumed my daughter was a teenager so she ordered from the adult menu in the restaurants. She's still 12 but has grown a lot in the past year. I'm with her all the time so don't notice it as much so it was strange to see her through other people's eyes. I think this year is going to be interesting as we enter into a new stage of life as parents of a teenager.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-22T08:45:00.000-05:00

Another Birthday

2011-12-19T14:16:00.000-05:00

I just celebrated my 39th Birthday this past week. At first I was kind of depressed thinking about it being my last year before I turn the big 4-0 but then I thought it's no big deal. I'm actually happy to be 39! Someone jokingly asked if i'm 30 again but that age seems so young and immature to me now.

I decided to celebrate by having a quick photo shoot with myself...not an easy task! It was a dreary day outside but i pushed some furniture around and found some nice window light (try to see if you can find where i hid the remote in each picture :)).

Buddy is really nosey and doesn't like to feel left out so joined me for some photos

My husband and kids made me feel really special. We went out for a nice dinner then we had this delicious camera cake that they made me...isn't it awesome?!

Family of 7 / Orleans Family Photographer

2011-11-30T14:17:00.000-05:00

The children of this family were so adorable and well behaved...it was such a pleasure photographing them!

It was pretty cold out so we let the kids have a little break to play at the park while Mom and Dad snuggled :)

Talented Kids / Bridlewood Family Photographer

2011-11-24T13:46:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of taking pictures of another great family on the weekend! I don't want to spoil the surprise of their Christmas cards so won't post any family photos but i just had to post a couple of pictures of the talented kids.

It was pretty cold outside but the kids were wonderful and put up with the cold so we could get some nice photos...how amazing is that?!

Baby Fix/ Kanata Newborn Photographer

2011-11-14T14:35:00.000-05:00

My kids are older now (12 and 9) so I love it when a newborn comes to my studio so I can get my baby fix. Cute little "J" didn't disappoint...what a sweetie pie!!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T17:04:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween full of fun & treats!

Here are a few pictures of my little goblins:

Lucky Man/ Ottawa Family Photographer

2011-10-25T20:20:00.000-04:00

I met this family when their middle daughter was a baby and have loved watching their kids grow over the years. They are so sweet and are a blast to hang out with. How lucky is Dad to get to be around these four beautiful ladies?!

They still have so much love for each other after 15 years of marriage!

these are three of the nicest kids you could ever meet!

I got so many adorable pictures of these two that I had to put another one in the post...aren't they the cutest?! :)

It was great seeing you guys, thanks for the wonderful time!

Gorgeous Weather! Last minute mini sessions

2011-10-18T13:20:00.000-04:00

What a gorgeous day! I'm so excited that there is still some beautiful Fall foliage and will be offering a few more Fall mini sessions for the next week on some weekday mornings and early afternoons. It's a perfect chance to get pictures for holiday gifts and cards.

These are quick sessions that last approximately 20 minutes at a park in Kanata and include an 8x10 and 2- 5x7" prints.
Cost is $100

Send me an email at michelle@barbeau.net for availability.

I can't have a post without a picture so here's one of two of my favorite people! This one cracks me up, so cute!

Cute Couple / Ottawa Couples Photographer

2011-10-13T07:20:00.000-04:00

I met Karen years ago and was super excited when she contacted me to take pictures for her.

I love dogs and was very happy that they brought little Toby along!

aren't they sweet?!

Monkey Business/ Ottawa Children's Photographer

2011-10-11T09:28:00.000-04:00

I had so much fun with these adorable kids and their sweet dog "Gus"! They showed me some great spots to take pictures in and even ended the session with some tree climbing.

I just love that headband and scarf!

I know the kids are looking forward to seeing a tree picture so I had to include one!

Fall Leaves - Stittsville Family Photographer

2011-10-07T12:35:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of meeting this charming family at my Fall mini sessions. The kids were so nice and I especially loved their adorable dog Finnegan!

I love all the beautiful leaves on the ground

Family of 5 - Ottawa Family Photographer

2011-10-05T11:44:00.000-04:00

This was the first family that I photographed when starting my Photography business so I was really excited to get a chance to photograph them again...they are so beautiful on the inside and out and I had an awesome time with them!

A natural in front of the camera...look at that attitude!

The lovebirds hadn't gotten their picture together since they were married so I was excited to snap a few shots, aren't they cute?!

New Mini Session Date

2011-10-04T17:27:00.000-04:00

My mini sessions this past weekend were a such a success that I've have several requests for another date. I'm pleased to announce that I will be doing another day of Mini sessions on Saturday, October 15th.

You may be thinking....What is a mini session?!

Mini sessions:

are quick and casual...they're only 20 minutes in length.
are a great way to update your Family photos or get prints for Christmas presents or cards
include approximately 10-15 proofs in your private online gallery
include 1- 8 x10" and 2- 5x7" prints
are only $100 (that's $120 off a regular session and prints)
are done at one specific location of my choosing. A beautiful park in Kanata

I only have two spots left so please send me an email at michelle@barbeau.net as soon as possible if you're interested.

Workshop - Ottawa Family Photographer

2011-09-28T13:55:00.000-04:00

I love constantly learning new tips and techniques so decided to attend a workshop with the Professional Photographers of Canada on the weekend. I had the pleasure of working with these adorable families...they did such a great job and the kids were so wonderful and patient and didn't mind being moved around!

Look at those outfits and handsome boys....so cute!

This family was so much fun! I just love how they're cuddled in together and would like to try a shot like this with my own family some time soon!

Best Friends

2011-09-24T23:59:00.000-04:00

I wish I was 12 again, it looks like so much fun!

Fall Mini Sessions, October 1st

2011-09-12T13:30:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that Fall is almost upon us already! The good news is that it's the perfect time to have portraits taken during one of Ottawa's prettiest and most photogenic months!

Last year's Fall mini sessions were a great success so i've decided to offer them again this year.

You may be thinking....What is a mini session?!

Mini sessions are quick and casual!

They're only 20 minutes in length and include 1- 8 x10" and 2- 5x7" prints
They're only $100 (that's $120 off a regular session and prints)
They're done at one specific location of my choosing. The tentative location is a park in Kanata
Receive approximately 10 proofs in your private online gallery.

There are limited spots available so please contact me as soon as possible at michelle@barbeau.net or 613-599-0839 to book your session

Sisters/Ottawa Children's Photographer

2011-09-07T12:00:00.000-04:00

When I was little, I wished I had a sister and watching these two sisters brought back those feelings. It must be nice to have someone to share clothing with, confide in and even fight with! :)

Family Vacation

2011-08-20T14:55:00.000-04:00

My family rented a cottage near Sandbanks provincial park this Summer and we all had a blast! The kids really enjoyed spending time with their grandparents, cousins and Aunt and Uncle.

Here are some of my favourite pictures from the trip (I have so many but tried to narrow it down:)):

My daughter checking out one of the gorgeous beaches

My nephew was so close to walking and was very proud showing off his moves

There are lots of cute little towns, wineries, cheese factories and gorgeous scenery in the area

fun times!

it's not a cottage weekend unless you make s'mores over a campfire! The front of the cottage had a lake named East Lake. The kids enjoyed playing on the dock

The back of the cottage had a river. The kids loved hanging out on the floating dock and feeding the fish

This is the same beach as the first picture. We loved it when there were waves...it felt like we were at the ocean but without the salt water, so much fun!

There was a gorgeous sunset our last night.

Can't wait to do it again next summer!

Puppy Love

2011-08-16T22:52:00.000-04:00

Meet Daisy Dukes:

and her adorable Brother and Sister!

(doesn't Daisy look like Yoda?! She's such a sweetie)

Strawberry Picking

2011-08-04T23:53:00.000-04:00

What a crazy and fun summer it's been so far...I can't believe it's half over already!

It's our tradition to go strawberry picking every year with my good friend Jane and my adorable
God-daughter. This year she was old enough to get in on the action and had a blast!

here are a few of my favourite shots:

Silly Boys

2011-07-12T15:59:00.000-04:00

These two guys crack me up!

Aren't they adorable together? These handsome guys happen to be my Father and my nephew...they definitely look related!

Here are a couple of shots of my little nephew. He's on the go now and is crawling everywhere!

50th Anniversary

2011-07-05T07:41:00.000-04:00

The last month has been super busy in my family with lots of celebrations! One of the celebrations was my in-laws 50th Anniversary. We drove down to Toronto to visit them and go out for a lovely dinner at an amazing restaurant called Scaramouche.

Before dinner, I managed to get everyone to agree to let me take their picture...here are a few of my favorites.

Here's the lovely couple still in love after 50 years:

don't they have good looking Grand-children?!

My nephews loved this car parked outside the restaurant

The kids thought I was weird telling them to stand in front of this garage door. I love the way the picture turned out and will be printing it out big and hanging it on my wall!

my two lovelies (notice how they aren't touching each other? They were fighting right before i snapped this picture :))

Family of 5 - Ottawa Family Photographer

2011-06-05T19:42:00.000-04:00

This wonderful family is moving to Orangeville next month and wanted some family pictures taken to remember their time in Ottawa. We decided to head over to the Museum of Civilization....what a gorgeous location! We were there after museum hours so it felt like we had the place to ourselves

Aren't these kids adorable?!

I couldn't leave without getting a shot of Mom and Dad cuddling...so sweet!

Allison (the Mom :)) has a great contest going on right now on her blog for a free photo book (hardcover, 20 page photo book from Mixbook, including shipping)...check it out! http://www.minearehere.com

Save The Date / Ottawa Couples Photographer

2011-05-30T11:19:00.000-04:00

We had to reschedule this month due to the rainy weather but we were finally able to get together this weekend and I'm so glad we did! This couple was so much fun and they even brought different outfits, amazing props and their adorable dog Maximus. We had such fun getting photos for them to use in Save The Date cards for their wedding in the Bahamas next Spring.

Here's a little sneak peek...I tried to pick pictures that I didn't think they would use in their cards so I wouldn't ruin the surprise :)

I loved the location! We went to Brewer park and walked along the river by Carleton University.

Poor Maximus had to put up with me teasing him with squeaky balls and treats!

Precious Girl / Ottawa Newborn Photographer

2011-05-19T13:55:00.000-04:00

I loved every minute of photographing this beautiful little girl, isn't she gorgeous?!

I love how little she looks in the next picture.

Here she is trying out her Mother's ring...she can fit 3 of her fingers into it

Little baby smiles just melt my heart!

thanks for stopping by Baby "E"

xxoo

Two Weeks Old / Ottawa Newborn Photographer

2011-05-06T10:46:00.000-04:00

My kids are getting big so I love it when I get a chance to takes pictures of adorable little newborns like this guy.

He was such a poser and stayed awake for most of the photo session but couldn't resist a little nap in Mom's arms

He's already well loved by his two older brothers (he's actually wearing the same outfit that his brothers previously wore in photo sessions). One of his brother's was home during the photo shoot and was very curious as to what I was doing to his baby

I just love the next one, he looks so peaceful!

Mother of Three / Kanata Family Photographer

2011-05-04T06:38:00.000-04:00

Next up in the Mommy and Me Mini Sessions was this gorgeous Mom and her three children.

Isn't this location beautiful?! It's a little hidden park that I stumbled upon. Not very many people know about it so it's like my own secret hidaway :)

The kids were really great and put up with my horrible jokes!

thanks so much guys, I had a great time!

Three Generations / Ottawa Family Photographer

2011-05-02T10:38:00.000-04:00

We had a gorgeous day for the Mom and Me Mini-sessions on Saturday! The first group that I had the pleasure of photographing were adorable 4 year old twins with their Mom and Nana.

The girls were so cute and I loved their individual personalities! They sure love their Mommy and don't like to leave her side.

Isn't this a great looking family?

I love this next picture and it has inspired me to get a picture of myself with my Mother very soon!

Almost One / Ottawa Baby Photography

2011-04-26T11:35:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's almost been a year already since I was taking this handsome little man's newborn pictures!

Here he is a year ago:

And now here he is almost a year later:

we had a blast with an old mirror I found in my basement

Cute Couple / Kanata Couples Photographer

2011-04-13T08:54:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of meeting this wonderful couple yesterday. I went to high school with their daughter (I won't say how long ago that was :)) and she bought a photo session as a Christmas gift for them.

I had such a fun time and they even showed me a new pose (see below)...isn't it sweet?

Thanks for a great session...hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Six Year Old / Ottawa Child Photographer

2011-04-05T14:20:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to an adorable little six year old!

Mommy and Me Mini Sessions

2011-03-28T13:39:00.000-04:00

So often we Moms are the ones behind the camera and we forget to include ourselves in the pictures with our children. But when our children are older, it's the images with their Mom that will mean the most to them!

In honour of Mother's day, I will be offering special Mommy and Me mini portrait sessions for Mom's and their children. These mini sessions are the perfect solution to focus on you and your relationship with your little ones (or you with YOUR mom if you'd like...Grandmother's are welcome)

I only have a few spots available so send me an email at michelle@barbeau.net or call Michelle at 613.599.0839 as soon as possible if you would like more information or are interested. Gift certificates available if you would like to book a session as an early Mother's day gift. The prints make great gifts for Dad's

Friday Inspiration - Featured Photographer

2011-03-25T11:04:00.000-04:00

This week i'm excited to introduce you to Lee-Ann Dueck of Ginger Snaps! Natural Light Photography. We started our photography businesses around the same time and it's been so fun to have her to bounce ideas off of. You can see her website here

City/Country of business : Leamington, southern ontario

Favourite Subjects to photograph? Why? I don't know if I actually have a favorite. I couldn't tell you a favorite color or food or smell either! Maybe I'm just indecisive? I love working with expectant moms because of the hope they have in their eyes, new babies because they ARE hope, children because of their innate ability to be themselves, families because I love that I can get a sense of the connection between everyone, people in love, well, that's just romantic!

Type of camera you use: Nikon D90 but I have my eye on the D700...

Favourite lens: I really like to use my 28-105mm. It gives me more room for creativity, plus it's a macro so I can get those lovely shots of newborn lashes and toes!

Studio or Natural Light? why? Right now, natural light. I am a pretty simple person. Using natural light lets the only thing between me and my subject be my camera. I am also a realist, in that, I like to be very sparing with my editing. My goal is to have the picture's colour and light be what I saw it as I took it. I hope to have a studio someday, a dedicated work space outside of my home. With four kids, the interruptions and the guilt tend to pile up like the laundry. It's natural to want to be with your mom, and me with them, so separating work from family time can be tough, especially when under a deadline. A studio would alleviate some of that.

tell us a little secret about yourself that nobody knows: Ok, but don't laugh at me! I recently discovered that I LOVE a peanut butter (the natural kind) honey and olive sandwich! Before you say "gross" go try it. Delish!

Where do you look for inspiration: I find inspiration all around me! Colours and lights, conversations with people, nature, but mostly people. I see something in everyone that is beautiful, absolutely everyone. It may sound a little airy fairy, but when I connect with others I can see their potential, their light, and if they are on the other side of my lens somehow this shows up in their images. I love this, it's almost magical to me, like a little surprise when I open up the files.

Where would we find you when your not busy taking pictures? Either taking care of my family, or reading about how to take better pictures! Or if I'm lucky, sitting on a beach listening to the waves. It's like meditation. I can send all of my worries out over the water and they are carried away.

Who or what would you love to shoot that you haven’t already? This summer, I am shooting my very first wedding. I can't wait! Weddings are like a day long stylized shoot. All the details have been attended to, everyone looks their best, plus, this Bride to be is stunning! This wedding is overlooking Lake Erie and is going to be so beautiful!

Favourite TV show or movie? AH! Very good question! Every time I admit to really loving a show, it gets taken off the air! I'm not kidding! Felicity, Party of Five...since I started studying photography, I haven't really watched tv. It's been a blessing, really.

Thanks so much Lee-Ann!

Friday Inspiration - Cute Headbands

2011-03-18T14:44:00.000-04:00

I love little headbands on babies and girls (could be because i hate seeing hair hanging in my daughter's face :)) so thought it would be fun to make some for my upcoming photo shoots. With the help of my daughter and my good friend Jane, we made some adorable flower ones this week...I'm so thrilled with the way they turned out!

They were so fun and easy that we ended up making a whole bunch

Lucky for me, my two favourite models were on hand to try them out

this one is my daughter's favourite and she has claimed it as her own. I think it looks cute with the triple flowers

The colour of the flower really pops when using this seventies action on the photo

Friday Inspiration - Featured Photographer

2011-03-11T14:41:00.000-05:00

As a photographer, I'm always on the search for new inspiration to keep my photography skills growing. I feel so lucky to have had the chance to get to know other photographers all over the world and share ideas. As a new feature of my blog, i will be posting a section a couple of times a month called Inspiration Friday. Hope you enjoy it!

Today i'm excited to introduce you to Jill Candland...I just love her fun and candid style. I actually had a chance to meet Jill In Arizona last year and she's so sweet! If you would like to check out her work, please visit her blog at: http://littlejillsmemoir.blogspot.com/

Without further ado, here's Jill and some of her amazing photographs.........

City/Country you call home:
Mesa, Arizona

Favourite Subjects to photograph? Why?
HMMM I love high school Seniors because they are at such an exciting time of their lives--and I can do more creative things with them. But I also LOVE super laid back families that I can capture candidly.

Type of camera you use
Canon 5D

Favourite lens

My favorite lens is my 50mm 1.4, because I can get such a shallow depth of field with all of the dreamy bokeh. But the lens I use the majority of the time is my 24-70 f 2.8. I love it because I like to shoot wide--and also it gives me versatility.

Studio or Natural Light? why?
Natural light. Because I love to go anywhere--and shoot in fun locations

tell us a little secret about yourself that nobody knows
I always go into the first stall of public bathrooms because my best friend's mom did janitorial work when I was in high school and she said that that was the one that she had to change the toilet paper in the least. So I think it's cleaner.

Where do you look for inspiration
I like to check out other photographers work. It challenges me to keep up on my game.

http://shannonsewell.com/theblankpage/
http://www.purplenickel.com/offthegrid/

Where would we find you when your not busy taking pictures?

Ignoring chores around my house. I have a husband and 4 kids--and I love to chill with them. I also love to bake.

Who or what would you love to shoot that you haven’t already?

I would love to shoot me with my family--I would like to be in the pictures without having to set a timer and run. Is that possible? If someone figures it out let me know.

Favourite TV show or movie?

I am a fan of 30 Rock--except for when it gets too trashy--I turn it off. And Modern Family. those two shows make me laugh out loud. And So You Think You Can Dance--who DOESN'T love that show?

Jill...thanks so much for taking part in my Friday Inspiration Feature!

New Website

2011-03-01T09:16:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to announce that the new Michelle Barbeau Photography Website is up and running! Go on over to http://www.michellebarbeauphotography.com and let me know what you think.

Fun in the Snow/ Winter Portraits

2011-02-24T10:03:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like the feeling of fresh snow falling on your face! I just love winter portraits...the colourful clothing, adorable hats, beautiful snowy white background and the nice rosy cheeks!

Brothers

2011-02-02T13:16:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing these handsome young men. They were very cooperative even though they were kind of forced into it. :)

thanks so much guys!

And the winner is......

2011-01-24T14:13:00.000-05:00

I would like to thank all the entries and voters for such a successful contest. The votes were so close that I counted 4 times to make sure I had it right!

Congratulations to the winning picture....picture #3 which won by just one vote!
I'm looking forward to photographing this little cutie!!

The winner voter of the gift certificate is voter number #37

Pierre said...

I vote for number 6. :)

January 15, 2011

If this is you, then send me an email at: michelle@barbeau.net and i'll get your $100 gift certificate to you.

Thanks again everybody!
Michelle

Voting is closed

2011-01-21T06:44:00.000-05:00

Voting is now closed! It looks like it's going to be very close so i'm going to count the votes carefully and announce the winner on Monday.

Have a great weekend and Stay tuned....

Let the Voting Begin

2011-01-14T08:17:00.000-05:00

Contest now open for voting

I had so much fun looking at the entries as they came in...we sure do have lots of cute kids & families in Ottawa!

You may now vote for your favourite photo and the winner will receive a Free photo session with Michelle Barbeau Photography for up to 5 people plus an 8" x 10" print (a $180 value). Voting will be open until January 20th at midnight.

To vote:

go to the bottom of this post and click on comments
click on the spot that says name/URL and type in your name
in the comment box, put the number that appears above the picture you would like to vote for
comments will appear on the post once approved

Notes: only one vote per person and your name must appear in the comments (no anonymous)

Bonus....i will be randomly picking a winner from all the voters and they will receive a

$100 gift certificate to be used towards a Michelle Barbeau Photo Session or print purchase...how great is that?! Winner must live in the ottawa area or be willing to travel to Ottawa to redeem certificate (certificate may be transferred to someone in the ottawa area)

Please check back after the 20th to see if you're the winner.

Ready, start your voting......

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18

#19

#20

First Birthday

2011-01-10T13:27:00.000-05:00

It feels like just yesterday that I was doing a newborn session of my beautiful little God-daughter! For her First birthday, we decided to have a little session in which we gave her a Birthday cake to smash and dressed her up in adorable little tutus. She's so much fun to dress up...hopefully she'll let her mother and I do it for a few more years. :)

Happy Birthday Beautiful Girl!

Not too sure about the cake!

Contest: Looking for Ottawa's Cutest Family/Kids

2011-01-07T10:06:00.000-05:00

Contest

To celebrate the new year, I thought it would be fun to have a little contest! I'm looking for Ottawa's cutest kids or family and I will reward that family with a free photo session and 8" x 10" print.

How to enter the contest:

It's very easy.....all you have to do is email a picture of your family (or children) to me at michelle@barbeau.net. Did you take pictures over the holidays? How about your summer vacation? Perfect! Please, no old pictures...I'm looking for pictures taken within the last year.

Important Notes:

The picture must be taken by you or a person in your household and you (or the person that took the picture) must agree to have it posted on my blog. By emailing me the picture, you're accepting these terms and that the picture is okay to be posted on my blog for this contest. No professional photos.
Only one entry per household

I will be accepting entries until January 13th then on January 14th will post the entries on my blog. Visitors to my blog will then vote on their favorite picture and the photo with the most votes wins. The winner will receive a Free photo session by Michelle Barbeau photography for up to 5 people (additional charge for more than 5 people) and a Free 8" x 10" print. That's a $180 value, how great is that?!

Easy eh?

What are you waiting for? Go to your computer/camera....pick your favourite family picture....email it to me at michelle@barbeau.net

Can't wait to see all the entries!

Michelle
xxoo

ps. Here's a picture of my gorgeous family :)

Michelle's Favourites

2011-01-02T21:15:00.000-05:00

I thought it would be fun to make a collage of my favourite pictures of 2010. Originally I was going to pick out my top 10 but just couldn't narrow it down so you get 16. :)

Happy Holidays

2010-12-28T10:38:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Holiday season! Best Wishes from my family to yours for the New Year!

I am so excited and looking forward to all the amazing families that i'm going to meet in 2011!

Michelle
xxoo

Note: my family picture was taken by the talented Lisa Craig of LNC Photography (check out her website here: http://www.lncphotography.com/)

Mini Sneak Peek

2010-12-21T15:07:00.000-05:00

I was just going through the pictures of a photo shoot I did yesterday with one of my favourite models. This one is so adorable that I had to post it right away! Isn't she a sweetie?! Stay tuned for more pictures of this little cutie pie.

Happy Birthday

2010-12-14T07:13:00.000-05:00

My love of photography actually started with wanting to be in front of the camera when I was younger. As I got older and the wrinkles started to appear, I preferred to be behind the camera! :)

I'm always bugging my family to let me take pictures of them so i thought it was my turn to get some pictures done. I decided to have a Birthday photo shoot for myself (not an easy task! :)).

Here I am at the age of 38, wrinkles and all......

Christmas Card Outtake

2010-12-08T13:28:00.000-05:00

Every year, the kids and I have a blast taking pictures for our Christmas card. Thought I would share an outtake from this year....this one didn't make it onto the card :)

Remember

2010-11-11T20:54:00.000-05:00

My good friend Steve's father was kind enough to come and talk to my son's cub troop this week. He's a world war II veteran and it was so interesting to hear him talk. I can't believe that he joined the military when he was only 16 years old! He's such a sweet and caring man and I feel honoured to know him!

the boys were very interested in his medals

beautiful family

2010-11-08T23:20:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing the family of Marlayne Hardy, a consultant for Stampin Up! who is a successful business woman and very talented at creating gorgeous cards...you can check out her website here: http://sparkledaisy.com/

The weather was really cold for our session but you wouldn't know if from looking at these pictures...they had such great style and are so photogenic! We managed to find a fantastic location that still had some nice Fall colour.

Thanks Marlayne, hope you enjoy your sneak peek! :)

Future Rock Star

Love this location...it's actually a drainage ditch

aren't they cute?!

Pretty in Pink

2010-11-01T19:30:00.000-04:00

I love newborns....they are so sweet and innocent! This little girl is such a beauty...she was so good and was so full of smiles while she was sleeping. Thanks for the visit baby "A", come back soon! :)

I love little piggies! :)

look at those smiles...I wonder what she's dreaming of!

Kanata Family

2010-10-25T14:42:00.000-04:00

I had a great time with this family at Walter Baker park.....it ended up being a beautiful sunny day!

The boys were kind enough to teach me a new "knock knock" joke....i'll have to remember to watch out for garbage on my head when someone knocks at my door :)

the boys were getting tired of being models so we ended with some fun at the park

Fun at the Experimental Farm

2010-10-21T07:30:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of photographing these adorable sisters back in June and was thrilled to get to do it again! (here's the link to their previous session: http://michellebarbeau.blogspot.com/2010/06/sisters.html). They live down the street from the Experimental Farm so we thought it would be nice to check out the Ornamental gardens. We had a great time exploring, smelling flowers and climbing trees.

Thanks for the wonderful morning girls!

My Big Brother

2010-10-19T09:22:00.000-04:00

I did a mini shoot of my Brother's adorable family while at my parents house for Thanksgiving dinner. A couple of people weren't overly cooperative (I won't say who but lets just say we were interrupting someone's time on the Wii machine :)). My cute little nephew was being cooperative so we got lots of nice pictures of him...this will be a long post because he's just so sweet, look at those blue eyes and chubby cheeks!!

Miss You

2010-10-18T12:19:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of photographing some old neighbours of ours. They lived across the street from us for about 8 years and it was so nice to have another young couple around. We ended up starting our families at the same time...our kids ended up getting along so well and a lot of people even think our daughters are sisters. It's sad not to have them as close by anymore but at least they're only a 15 minute drive away and we get to visit them in there beautiful new house (and use there amazing pool :)).

Here are a few pictures of them at they're new place (well I guess it's not so new anymore :). Miss you guys!

Trading Places

2010-10-14T19:58:00.000-04:00

I've been loving all these wonderful family sessions and decided that it was my family's time to get in front of the camera. It's hard to take pictures of myself so I ended up trading sessions with Ottawa area wedding photographer Lisa Craig of LNC Photography (http://www.lncphotography.com/). It was so much fun to decide which outfits to wear and take my daughter on a girl's afternoon to get our hair done.

Here are a few pictures I took of Lisa's family and I can't wait to see the ones she took of us. Thanks so much Lisa, we had a blast! Hope you like them

isn't this location gorgeous?! I love the Kanata beaver pond in the Fall!

Stunning

2010-10-13T10:45:00.000-04:00

This girl's father is going to have to chase the boys away when she's older!

Beautiful Day

2010-10-07T11:16:00.000-04:00

We had a gorgeous day for the Fall mini sessions! The weather was beautiful and so were the families...I love my job!

Here are some pictures of the winner of my Free session. Thanks so much Melissa, I had a wonderful time and I hope you love the pictures as much as I do!

I thought it was so sweet how he put his hand up...he sure loves his Mommy!

There's something about seeing a Father play with his son....it just makes my heart melt!

Blast from the Past

2010-09-24T09:59:00.000-04:00

Another amazing family session! We met up at a gorgeous park in Carleton Place and the weather was perfect (it wasn't looking that promising in the morning). I actually lived on the same street as Mom when we were kids....it was so nice to see her and meet her beautiful family....they were so much fun!

I had a hard time narrowing the pictures down but here are a few (okay, maybe for than a few :)) of my favourites:

Aren't these girls beautiful?!

Mom and the girls

Doesn't this look like a Dad that feels loved?

The lovebirds

Winner

2010-09-20T09:11:00.000-04:00

and the winner of the Fall mini session is..............................

Melissa Norman! Congratulations Melissa, send me an email at michelle@barbeau.net and we'll set up the time for your mini session

I like to have a picture in every post so here's another example of one of the holiday cards that I offer.

Contest

2010-09-13T15:00:00.000-04:00

Win a FREE Fall Mini Session!

From now until September 19th, leave a comment on this posting and be entered into a draw to win a free Mini Session (a $75 value)...see below for info on my mini sessions. Make sure your name is in the comment so I know who you are. :)

How easy is that?!

Receive a second entry into my draw by going to Facebook and becoming a fan of
Michelle Barbeau Photography...just leave a second comment on this posting stating that you made yourself a fan

contest closes on September 19th and i'll be posting the winner on this blog on September 20th

Good Luck!
Michelle

Fall Mini Sessions, October 1st and 3rd

2010-09-13T14:51:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to announce that I will be offering 1/2hr mini sessions on the morning of Friday, October 1st and the morning and afternoon of Sunday, October 3rd.

You may be thinking....What is a mini session?!
Mini sessions are quick and casual!

They're only 30 minutes in length
They're $75 (half the price of a full session)
They're done at one specific location of my choosing. The tentative location will be at the Kanata Beaver Pond on Walden drive (I just have to confirm that the forest isn't going to be clear cut before then)

Receive approximately 10 proofs in your private online gallery.

Includes one complimentary 5x7 plus 25% off any additional prints.

Session fee includes up to 5 people

It's the perfect time to have portraits taken during one of Ottawa's prettiest and most photogenic months! The timing also allows for use of the best images for Holiday cards and/or gifts for family and friends.

There are limited spots available so please contact me as soon as possible at michelle@barbeau.net or 613-599-0839 to book your session

Miss H

2010-09-10T10:59:00.000-04:00

I've known this wonderful young lady since she was born...she's so beautiful on the inside and out!

Family of 3

2010-08-23T13:56:00.000-04:00

I get to photograph the most fun families in Ottawa! I had such a great time with this amazing family that wanted to get some pictures done before their son left to go back to University.

I hope you enjoy this sneak peek!

mother and son

father and son

The lovebirds! I got so many wonderful pictures of these two. I couldn't decide which of these two was my favourite...what do you think?

5 year old

2010-08-17T14:34:00.000-04:00

cute little miss C....a natural beauty!

Eye Challenge

2010-08-11T00:08:00.000-04:00

I wanted to play along with a photography challenge on a blog that I love to follow : http://willettedesigns.com/

The theme is eyes, so I entered one of my favourite recent pictures of my god-daughter...she's so adorable!

My Sweet Boy

2010-08-06T16:23:00.000-04:00

Graffiti

2010-08-05T23:26:00.000-04:00

I love graffiti walls and found a really cool skateboard park in kanata with amazing graffiti! My daughter was kind enough to be a model for a mini photo shoot trying out the location:

She knows I love red and asked if she could take a picture of me....I think she did a great job!

Family of 5

2010-07-12T23:54:00.000-04:00

I had a blast taking pictures of this wonderful family. We didn't realize that the Hope Beach volleyball tournament was going on when we agreed to meet at Hog's Back Park but I was able to sweet talk the parking guard into letting us in without paying. What a beautiful location! I love so many of the pictures that I had a hard time narrowing it down for the blog.

Isn't this background beautiful!

I love this wall! I think i'll bring my family and get a similar picture....love it!

The kids

we can't forget Mom and Dad!

Strawberry Picking

2010-07-08T22:59:00.000-04:00

Every Year we go strawberry picking with my good friend Jane...I think we figured out that this was our 8th time. Here are a few pics from our fun day:

Hey, what is this red thing?

Not too sure if she likes the taste

My kids weren't very cooperative but I managed to get a few shots I like:

I may be a little biased but I think my daughter is the most beautiful girl in the world (even when she's doing silly faces)!

The goods

Sisters

2010-06-21T09:35:00.000-04:00

Adorable little sisters:

Loving Family

2010-06-16T22:58:00.000-04:00

I really enjoyed taking pictures of this family and watching them play with their son...you could really feel the love!

Adorable Family

2010-06-12T11:14:00.000-04:00

I had a great time taking pictures of this amazing family....we got so many great shots that I had a hard time picking just a few for the blog

I tried out a new Seventies Action colour on the next two pics, what do you think?

Twins

2010-06-07T13:23:00.000-04:00

These adorable red-haired brother and sister twins are almost 3 months old.

I managed to get some smiles from each of them

I love sleeping baby pictures:

3 weeks old

2010-06-04T10:54:00.000-04:00

This little guy is so adorable...he looks like a little man

look at that blond hair!

I love this hat, he looks like a little elf

4 Months old

2010-06-03T22:25:00.000-04:00

Flower Girl

I took these pictures a few weeks ago at the Ottawa Tulip Festival:

doesn't she make a cute ladybug?

Her mom wanted some pictures of her with lilacs from her garden (lucky me got to take the beautiful flowers home! :))

Krista and Chris

2010-05-18T17:02:00.000-04:00

These two are so much fun...I had a wonderful time taking pictures of them! They're expecting their first child in early July, she's going to be a beautiful little girl!!

Here are some of my favorite shots from their photo session:

Open For Business

2010-05-12T14:24:00.001-04:00

I'm excited to announce that MICHELLE BARBEAU PHOTOGRAPHY is officially open for business!!

**Portfolio Building Special**

From now until June 15th: I will be offering a special Portfolio building session fee of only $50 including a free 8 x 10 print and 25% off any additional prints...how great is that?! If you would like more info or know someone that would be interested, please contact me at michelle@barbeau.net

Here are a couple more pictures of my adorable nephew...I was able to sneak him away from the rest of the family for a few minutes on the weekend!

10 days old

I found this adorable rug at Homesense and couldn't wait to try it out...it looks so soft!

One Day Old

2010-05-03T19:07:00.000-04:00

Meet handsome baby "P"! I think he's so adorable and he happens to be my nephew.

3 Months Old

2010-04-21T21:06:00.000-04:00

I can't believe how big my adorable little God-daughter is getting...isn't she a cutie?!

Girl Power

2010-03-31T20:27:00.000-04:00

My friend Janet is amazing at building cedar furniture...I had the pleasure of watching her in action today. I love seeing a woman using power tools!!

Here she is working on one of her latest projects, a beautiful table made out of Eastern White Cedar

Here she is showing off another one of her projects, a 10 foot long bench that someone has ordered from her to use beside his pool

Here's another one for those of you that like things less tilted :)

if you would like so see some of her other beautiful furniture, check out her site at: http://www.ottawacedarfurniture.com

Sisters

2010-03-31T20:03:00.001-04:00

Meet these two adorable sisters and friends of Buddy:

Ella

Haley

aren't they adorable?

Beautiful Family

2010-03-19T09:14:00.000-04:00

I had a wonderful time photographing this gorgeous family yesterday...thanks for having me over!

This handsome little man is 5 weeks old

Doesn't his Mommy look gorgeous?!

what a sweet little two year old...I just love her hat!

This little guy is so lucky to have two big sisters that love him!

My Future Nephew

2010-03-16T18:08:00.001-04:00

can't wait to meet my nephew (currently known as "Lazer") this coming May!

2 Months old

2010-03-16T18:07:00.000-04:00

Brothers

2010-03-10T22:00:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing these adorable brothers today! One was feeling a little under the weather...poor little guy!

March 10th

2010-03-10T20:35:00.001-05:00

***NOTICE***

Looking for my picture a day blog? It now has been moved here:
http://mbarbeau365.blogspot.com/

Please feel free to keep checking out this one as well to see my favorite pictures as well as sneek peek pictures for my latest photography sessions