Another amazing day with the lovely Hope Sebastiano. After Hope’s first workshop with me she inquired about getting deeper into the workings of Photoshop. I love how passionate Hope is about her images, she wants to fine tune her skills as a photographer so she can take amazing photos of her own family. There is no better reason to learn how to turn an image into artwork then to document the inner workings of your family life. Time is a gift and it goes by quickly, the moments we love, laugh and live are essential to capture!

Hope captured the following images. We spent the first couple hours shooting this adorable pair and then the rest of the day working on editing. Understanding how to edit an image in a way that allows it to come to life is as important as knowing how to take a technically sound photo. When I was in school for photography we were still in the world of film and the same applied, from developing the film to working in the darkroom to come up with a perfect print. Photoshop is a digital darkroom.
The first image shows a colour version and a black and white version. The photos on the right are classic examples of my editing style. The photos on the left offer subtle variations. We felt the colour version needed slight warmth. The B&W image has a silver fill, reducing the contrast marginally. Editing is a huge part of creating your unique style.
Thanks Hope for trusting me to teach you how to discover your inner photographer!
I would also like to thank Trina, my assistant for the day, it was great having you there to help with the kids. A great Sunday spent!

HOW TO ENTER:
It’s simple!
Share this contest with your friends, spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog.
Example of what you might say “Check out this awesome contest for a chance to win VIP tickets to the Original Baby Soiree and a free session with ALT Designs Photography http://www.altdesignsphotography.com/blog/original-baby-soiree-giveaway/”.
Then come back here and comment with a link to show us where you shared. You can enter once a day until March 5th at 12pm EST.
We will be checking each entry to ensure a fair game.
Winner will be chosen by random.org and will be announced on March 6th.

PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE THE LINK FOR YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE OR TWITTER PAGE SHOWING US WHERE YOU SHARED OUR CONTEST

BONUS POINTS:

The following can be done to earn one more entry each… every comment left on our blog counts as ONE entry so be sure to comment each time you do one of the following!

*Like ALT Designs on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/altdesigns, come back here and leave a comment letting us know that you have liked us.

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GOOD LUCK! Let the fun begin.

It is such an honour to be featured, especially when you are the first feature on a new blog! If you haven’t been to Mama Loves U yet, you must check it out. You will also find info about the Original Baby Soiree taking place in Toronto in March. Stay tuned to my blog for a contest to win VIP tickets for the posh event in Yorkville!

Thought I would share this beautiful family on Family Day. These handsome boys keep their mama busy and life exciting. One of the most memorable moments of the day, Noah’s wrinkle nosed smile when holding his stunning wife, Lindsay in his arms… plain to see the love in that marriage!
I’m keeping it short and sweet so I can go and enjoy the afternoon with my hubby, daughter and dog. This gorgeous weather calls for a good walk in the park.
Happy Family Day!

Just for fun and that’s exactly what it was! Our trip down south, Savannah, GA first then Sarasota, FL was nothing less than enjoyable and relaxing. After a busy fall and winter season, it was nice to get away from my computer and have some down time with my family.
Savannah is always a favourite place to visit, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while you may already know that I called Savannah home a few years ago. My dad, brothers and stepmom still live there so whenever we can get it together long enough to pack a bag and take a vacation, it’s one of the first destinations on my list.
Sarasota is home for my mom and stepdad for about five months of the year so we have another great excuse to get out of town. Who wouldn’t want to sink their toes into the white sand that makes up Siesta Keys beach, it is possibly the silkiest sand I have ever come across. Last year Em had fun watching us play in the sand but she was a little reluctant to get her feet “dirty”, this year she couldn’t get enough beach time. We went to three beaches during our trip, Tybee beach, Siesta Keys beach and then a third beach close to Em’s Grandma T in Gulfport, FL. Amazingly, Em saw all of her grandparents and great grandparents on this trip, nice of them to make it so convenient for us to visit in one shot!
Family, beaches, shopping, good seafood and two weeks away from winter… not too shabby. It is nice to be home though. I was back at my desk editing the night I got home so if you are waiting for your images, I promise they are coming very soon!
Thank you to my Mom, Ger, Dad and Flo for having us and cooking up some wonderful meals. We miss you all already. xxx

Photographers and families, coming together in the fight against cancer.

“The fight begins with an initiative called Not Just Skin Deep. The goal is to raise $10,000 in one day for the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund. Over 20 photographers in Southwestern Ontario and British Columbia have volunteered their time and talent to support this initiative! On May 26th, we will come together to provide portraits for over 100 families, with 100% of the proceeds supporting the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund.”

I am honoured to be a part of such an amazing cause. If you haven’t seen the youtube video “Dear 16 year old me”, take the time to watch, it is an eye opener. My dad has skin cancer so I know that puts me at a higher risk. As a fair skinned young girl, I didn’t want to bother with sunscreen and I naively burned many times. It is my goal to make sure that my daughter is my 16 year old someone, that she takes the time to protect herself from the sun!

Sessions will run from 4:30pm – 7:00pm on May 26th, 2012.
The session fee is $100, with 100% going to support the David Cornfield Melanoma fund.

Each family or couple will be provided with a 20 minute photography session along with a disc of 5 retouched, high resolution images with full printing rights. The number is limited to 5 people per session.

If you would like to book a session date and time, please click here to fill out the contact form.
I will be photographing family sessions in Kitchener, location to be announced. Session times are 4:30pm (booked), 5:10pm, 5:50pm, 6:20pm, and 7:00pm.

A glimpse into our trip so far. I adore Savannah, since moving back to Canada a few years ago, I have never gotten used to the cold winters. I also miss family, friends and some great southern food so I’m taking it all in while I’m here.
We also managed to get all four siblings together for the first time since I got married. Em is so lucky to have three amazing uncles and I, brothers!
I’ll have more to share when I get home as I can’t stand editing on this tiny laptop screen but I wanted to give a peek in the meantime.

I finally get to share one of my favourite images from a maternity session I did in November, you may remember the one I’m talking about – it involved lots of twinkly Christmas lights, see here. Chris and Scott are gamers and love Scrabble, so we had the idea of placing Scrabble tiles on the belly to spell out baby names… all three potential baby names, one girl and two boy options. The baby names were a surprise for everyone as was the sex of the baby! I’m not allowed to share the other names because who knows what other beautiful babies will come into their lives in the future, but I do get to share the name of this handsome little boy! Xavier, only 10 days old here and totally at home in the arms of his loving parents.
Sleep may be a luxury these days but I think Chris and Scott are soaking up every precious baby roll and baby coo they can handle! Who can blame them, this big boy would have anyone wrapped around their finger with one glance.
Chris and Scott, it was such a pleasure documenting this monumental time in your lives. Enjoy every wonderful memory you make together!