Diane Jarvis-Schuller

When I have time, I pop by Shutter Sisters to read an entry or two and one of my favourite things they do is their Six Questions. On an intermittent basis, they invite a photographer to answer six stock questions. I love reading the responses. A few months ago some of my readers said they appreciate when I share some of my personal thoughts or insights, even though the main intent of this photo journal (aka blog) is for business purposes. Since I will never be asked to be a guest at Shutter Sisters, I thought I’d borrow their questions from my favourite segment and answer them here, for the fun of it.

1. What’s the story behind this photo?

If I gave the whole story it would be very long. Part of the appeal for selecting this one is because it’s a simple snapshot taken with a point and shoot camera — nothing fancy. This hoe once belonged to my mother-in-law. She loved gardening. I love gardening and gardening is what my mother lived for. I don’t have the same shine for gardening since my mom died. This is more symbolic. It’s that rusty hoe, not being used much anymore, not even being well kept (thus the rust and being left out over winter). There’s a relationship between the hoe, the rust, the gardening, and the mothers. Besides it’s such a lovely simple image.

2. What was it that lit your photography spark? Do you remember a particular camera, course, person, roll of film?

You know, ever since I was a little girl and we had one of those Brownie box cameras I have been in love with the feel of a camera, peeking through the viewfinder to compose something memorable, and then admiring the resulting images. What a feeling it was then and is now. Sure the equipment has changed, there is more craft involved, but the exhilaration still exists.

3. What’s your photo philosophy? Does it reflect your life philosophy?

Life’s sweet ordinary is my philosophy. What I mean by this is I love the special sweetness of the everyday things in life and the deliciousness of the simple things. That’s because I don’t like things that are contrived; there is so much beauty in individual people and in nature so why try making things as they are not? I use natural light whenever possible but won’t restrict myself either.  I love spontaneity especially in a photo shoot — I love to capture things as they really happen. I guess my life philosophy is much the same since I respect the earth and want it left as it should be and I really do appreciate the simple things in life.

4. Where do you look for inspiration?

Everywhere! Because I live surrounded by nature, that’s a big part of my inspiration. But there is so much more. People inspire me, light inspires me especially that late afternoon glow, and buildings — I love architecture as much as I love the curves on stone that has been weathered over eons and eons.

5. What aspect of your photography are you constantly working on, trying to improve?

I do this in stages. I set goals for myself, intended to stretch my capabilities. I work on a particular goal until I’ve achieved the level I’m satisfied with and then I create a new goal to aspire to. It’s a continual learning curve. My current goal in 2010 is to learn more about and become quite adept at using off camera flash.

6. If you could go anywhere in the world for an epic, weeklong photo excursion all by your luxuriously unhurried self – regardless of money, time or childcare issues – where would you go and why?

Ha! I don’t have to worry about childcare issues anymore just who the heck will take care of our dogs so we can get away somewhere!! Peru, I think, but off the beaten path. I’d want to get lots of photos of the people, especially those not living in the capital; take a train trip; visit some of their adobe churches; ride a Peruvian Paso, capturing all of that and their culture in print.

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Visit Diane’s website to view her portfolio. Don’t forget to become a fan on her Facebook Photography page to be the first to learn about casting calls, promotions/specials, and other special announcements.

Hey, was I ever over-the-moon excited yesterday when I opened the mail! I continue to add to my samples and the most recent one to arrive is the tricked-out photo box. This is no ordinary photo box and each one is custom designed for you, using a photo (or photos) from your session on the cover. The image I used is simply one I took of my lily garden.

As you can see from my photos, this is a classy looking box, sturdily built (and not made in China), custom designed, with a lovely cloth lining in black. The wide ribbon is intended to make it easy to lift the photos from the box to prevent damaging them. For the sample I created a design that would demonstrate that the image does not have to fully cover the front, it can wrap around (or not), and there are a multitude of design possibilities. What is not as discernable in the photos above is the finish I ordered this one in: metallic. It is absolutely gorgeous and gives the photo — the entire box really — a pearl like glow. Oooh, if you could see or touch one you’d swoon. They’re a bit pricey if you compare them to the mass produced, cheaply made-in-China boxes found in all the box stores but you’re comparing apples to oranges. Bear in mind these are fully personalized, made in North America, and put together with quality materials and workmanship. I’m going to do my best to provide them at a reasonable price just so you can have one of these beauties.

They come in four sizes: one that holds 4×6 images up to 100 photos; for 4×6 photos that holds up to 250 photos; one that holds 5×7 images up to 100 photos; and one for 5×7 images that hold up to 250 photos. They’re ideal for the person who wants all the photos from the session, or for parents with a newborn (and we know how much parents love photos of their newborns), graduation year, for weddings, or  anyone who wants to have a beautiful heirloom box to show off and pass down to future generations. I also think they would make a lovely gift item for any family member or friend who might want to fill it with their own photos — a going away gift, a gift for the grandparents, or a special friend.

I’m working like a dervish trying to get all kinds of jobs completed ahead of time before I head out for a combined business/pleasure trip next week. I’ll include a post to remind everyone that I’ll be away and when to expect me back. For now, I’m hoping to update my website with some of the new products I’m offering. Wish me luck in getting to that too!

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Visit Diane’s website to view more products and her portfolio. Don’t forget to become a fan on her Facebook Photography page to be the first to learn about casting calls, promotions/specials, and other special announcements.

A potpourri today. With this first image I love the story it tells.

The next one simply shows how pigs are meant to be raised, not crowded in concrete pens where they can’t move or breathe fresh air, or do what pigs are meant to do.

This family walks the walk. They are a great example that it is fully possible to raise cattle in a sustainable way. This was an excellent assignment.

I sure miss waking to the sound of a rooster crowing …

A few images from some of my freelance editorial assignments. Enjoy.

PS: I often forget to remind readers but each week the newspaper that I write for also posts my environmental columns online after the paper goes out in print. Here is last week’s Everyday Earth Wise.

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Diane is a freelance photographer serving the Grande Prairie and Peace regions of Alberta and BC from her rural residence near Hythe, Alberta. She is available for commercial, environmental, editorial, and portrait assignments. Contact her (above) or visit her website to view her portfolio.

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All photos on this site are Copyright © Diane Schuller, All Rights Reserved. It is illegal to copy, download, take screenshots, or otherwise use these photos without the express written permission of the photographer. Thank you for your respect.

You know, one of the things I have never liked whether I’m in front of the camera or behind it, are forced poses. I know I’m not alone in this because others I have talked with have said the same thing. I often cruise around Flickr partly because I get inspiration from some of the talented people there but then there are times I really get aggravated by what I see. I just came from Flickr and was tickled pink to see some really delightful images such as this or this or this moment.  But then I came across an image that just about made me want to throttle the person who took the photo. It was one of those forced ‘portraits’. You know the type I mean; when the people in the photo are choreographed where to put every part of their body, what direction to look, and to like it or not. Well the one that absolutely drove me to write this rant is a maternity shot. So many maternity shots are so contrived anyway which is why I don’t care for most of them but this one focused on the mom’s belly and her little boy, maybe 8 or 9-ish, had his hand on her tummy and he wore such a deep facial expression of discomfort and annoyance. I felt so sorry for him. He obviously was entirely uncomfortable touching his mom’s belly in that way PLUS the photographer had him without a shirt! Talk about making the poor kid feel insecure and awkward. That did not look like a warm, spontaneous moment to me that’s for sure; quite the opposite. Just sayin’.

Okay, so you get the idea. I dislike those stiff and unnatural poses so much. My clients never have to endure such things. I’m about making clients feel comfortable and at-ease and getting the real moments, the special interactions that come naturally or spontaneously. While I’m at it, I should also go on record saying that I really dislike those ubiquitous poses of infants where their head is being held up with their bent-backwards hands and other similar unnatural poses like hanging from a net. I love to see or take images of infants showing them naturally, not all contrived into pretzels.

Yes, a photographer will need to give direction and guidance to bring out some of the fun or special moments but it should not be so forced that the people in the resulting image look plastic or in pain. I’m just sayin’.

I don’t like to subject you dear readers to a rant but this just gets my goat, as the tired old saying goes. Never fear; much more uplifting posts are coming next. Oh, and fair warning: I have a few posts lined up so there will likely be one-a-day this week primarily for the ‘biz’, which is the main purpose for this little spot on the ‘net.

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If you would like Diane to take photos of you, your family, or your pets without any forced or contrived poses, contact her to book your session.

For well over a decade now, we use nothing but pure all natural soap. No dyes, no drying chemicals, no phosphates, no perfumes; just pure soap made from ingredients found in Mother Nature. We used to order from a fantastic place out of Ontario, Lake of the Woods Sunrise Soap Company. The only reason we switched from their outstanding product was because we wanted to try and find a supplier closer to home. So now we order from Cascadia Soaps.

At Cascadia Soaps they raise their own goats and make an amazingly smooth and rich soap from the milk of their Nubian Goats. We discovered them about 10 years ago on a trip to Vancouver when we saw their lush display at the Granville Island Public Market. We purchased several bars to take home and try and have been with them ever since. Although you can buy all their natural soaps in bars, we purchase ours in bulk, then cut it ourselves when it arrives. There’s a bit of savings that way but what I really like is to be able to cut the bars nice and thick. These photos show the most recent order that arrived: two logs of lavender goats milk soap and one log of unscented goats milk soap. I love the wholesome earthiness of these soaps but the huge benefits are how gentle they are on my extremely dry & sensitive skin. The other big benefit is that it is so earth friendly to boot! Can’t beat that.

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Diane is a freelance photographer serving Grande Prairie and the Peace River region from her rural residence near Hythe, Alberta. She is available for commercial, environmental, editorial, and portrait assignments. Contact her (above) or visit her website to view her portfolio.

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All photos on this site are Copyright © Diane Schuller, All Rights Reserved. It is illegal to copy, download, take screenshots, or otherwise use these photos without the express written permission of the photographer. Thank you for your respect.

“There are three forms of visual art: Painting is art to look at, sculpture is art you can walk around, and architecture is art you can walk through.” ~ Dan Rice

I’m enjoying going through my archive of photos. When I visit different places, it’s both the people and the architecture that strike me as the most interesting. I normally avoid the tourist traps and especially those annoying, ubiquitous souvenir shops. Whether it’s people or architecture, I appreciate the complex and carefully designed structure of things. I’d rather bring home photographs of the people and places I visit, or hand made products artisans there have created; those are souvenirs with worth. What do you appreciate most when you visit places away from home?

I was on vacation in Victoria, BC when I took these photos. I was meandering, taking in the intriguing sites and architectural details. The window is a very old building at the harbour and obviously once opened up from an active place of commerce. It’s now more decorative than functional. Numerous buildings had beautifully detailed and crafted door handles. I thought this pair of bronze keys was particularly clever. Although the building, also located on the harbour, was likely a bank it now houses a tastefully appointed fish and seafood restaurant.

I’ll be heading back to Victoria in February so was browsing through some of these images from my previous visit. It’s interesting how my vision through the lens was so varied. Many photos are of the details, some include the people, oodles of the photos are taken of boats and the water, food and street markets abound in the photos, and I forgot how many I had taken at night. It will be the same time of year when I revisit Victoria so I wonder what I will focus on, in terms of the photos I take, for this upcoming trip. Funny how we see the same things differently at different times. Funny how time seems to have actually enhanced the beauty and details of these old building features. Funny how people took the time to create beauty in the everyday details.

Time is a brisk wind, for each hour it brings something new… but who can understand and measure its sharp breath, its mystery and its design? ~Paracelsus

This is a model search for working horses.

Do you, or someone you know, use your horses for chores on the farm? Whether you hook them up to a wagon or stoneboat to feed the livestock, clean barns, or any other farm chores, please give me a call. I’m a freelance photographer in the Peace region wanting to take photos (at no cost to you) to add to my portfolio. In exchange you will receive two complimentary prints ready to frame and hang on your wall.

You could live anywhere in the Peace River region of Alberta or northern BC to be eligible. Although I work primarily in the Hythe, Beaverlodge, Grande Prairie areas, any locations in the region are open to apply. (for example: Dawson Creek, Valhalla, LaGlace, Sexsmith, Clairmont, DeBolt, Bezanson, and beyond). This is a limited time offer.

Please get in touch by using the Contact form above or on my website, or phone Diane at 7 8 0 – 3 5 6 – 2 3 5 5.

Become a fan on the Diane Schuller Photography Facebook page and be first to learn about promotions, specials, give aways, calls for models, and special pricing.

Sometimes it’s best to let the picture do the talking.

I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape – the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter.  Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn’t show.  ~Andrew Wyeth

One kind word can warm three winter months. ~Japanese Proverb