This was something which caught us off guard. We knew a custom frame itself not only looked better and doesn’t get damaged as easily; the frames we had bought at a local craft supply business which were very affordable, were also very easily scratched.

What became immediately apparent was the glass itself was clearer – the enlargements just ‘look’ better. I’d always thought glass was pretty much glass – at affordable levels anyways. Yes, specialty coated museum glass is amazingly clear and cuts down on reflections. But the ‘everyday’ glass in the custom frames we bought were noticeably clearer and made the images more dynamic.

And these are the most basic frames and glass available through our supplier. By the way, our supplier is Frame Source.

So yes, when we first started up the studio we bought very budget frames as we had a large number of images to get up on the walls. But had we known how much better our photography looks with the minimal increase in pricing – we’d have gone with custom framing in the beginning. As it turns out, that would have saved us money.

A lesson learned.

We now include framing in all our wall enlargements – anything over 8×10 will come framed in our standard frame.

If you desire a different frame from our standard we can certainly provide several alternatives or even send you to our framer to pick out a frame choice of your own from their many samples.

In life, family is often the center of the biggest joys and happiness experienced. They bring uncontested joy and pride while being there for each other throughout thick and thin. Think to yourself a time when your family member really bailed you out of a sticky situation or a funny night that makes you smile every time. Why not immortalize the strength of the bond through large family portraits?

Benefits of Having a Larger Portrait

In photography, there will always be an emotional attachment reached for every photo you see. Take a look at photos of volunteers helping out those in need and you will automatically have good feelings. Now imagine that this photo wasn’t a 8 x 10 shot and instead was 30 x 40. The level of detail and sheer scale offer an amplified feeling unparalleled by smaller formats.

Have you ever been to a friend’s house and seen a large piece of artwork on their wall and remark how amazing it is? Then afterwards you see they have an 8 x 10 family portrait in a frame on their table and it just is not as impressive to you after seeing the large artwork? Having a large 30 x 40 piece makes a statement to everyone that views it. The statement being that family is important to you and these people are who helped shape who you are today and will continue to be there for you. Think of it as a tribute to the greatness of your family. When France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States, do you think the significance would have been diminished had the statue been only three meters tall?

It’s obvious that you want the best possible experience in your family photography here in Alberta. Let this Calgary photographer help you showcase your family’s excellence in the best way possible!

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Karolina and I prepared this version of Auld Lang Syne for you. We hope you enjoy it.

Neil

(If you’re on the “Blog” page – click the title to see the post and embedded video)

We had the great pleasure of working with Katarina in the studio recently. We got quite a few wonderful individual portraits of her with a number of moods and looks.

What I tell people is that I create an image that looks the way people would remember them – not what the camera necessarily captures, which can be an exaggeration of certain elements, for better or worse (usually worse.)

There was an interesting study done recently that showed people in videos and stills of the same person from the same video. The person in the video was consistently judged more attractive than the person in the still photo. Same lighting, expression, situation, clothing. The researcher explained that when you seen in motion (in video or in life) people pay attention to how you express yourself, the look in your eye, etc, etc. Not the blemish on your chin or the wrinkles around your eyes – but that is what typical photos bring out.

I don’t eliminate permanent features like crows feet or moles but I do reduce them to how I perceive the person when they walk in.

The researcher also commented that his study was a great example of why a good portrait photographer is worth the money because its not easy to make a good likeness of a person in still image.

I use studio flash in 80 per cent of my photography because I want to shape the light to bring out the best features and minimize the other features. I have nothing against natural light photography – it can be fantastic with the right location, but I also think a lot of photographers aren’t able to use flash and make excuses rather than understanding it and making the choice to use natural light.

As for makeup – most women use it anyways so make it work right for the camera. For guys I have blotting papers to minimize shine (something you really don’t notice in real life even if its there – another exaggeration of cameras.)

You can hear a sample of her music – which she explained to me was inspired by moments in nature – at http://hopelee.shawwebspace.ca/videos/

Hope and David are soon to release a CD of their music – watch for Secret of the Seven Stars to come out in the next few months.