Diane Jarvis-Schuller

Fun in the sun! I’ve been having as much fun as Austin here who is full of glee as he rolls in the snow. I’ve been taking advantage of my extra time to take photographs for the sheer pleasure of taking photographs. I’ve been playing around with abstracts, shadows and curves. The recent hoar frost was full of photographic opportunities. I’ll likely share a few of my fun shots in another post this week. For now, here is a pair of photos of my cooperative office assistants, Austin (above) and Pearl (below).

How are you enjoying yourself and playing and having fun these days?

PS: I am the featured contributor today over at Vision and Verb.
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Diane is a custom, on-location dog/pet photographer serving the entire Peace River region in Alberta. Visit her website and contact her to book a fun session to take memorable photos of your pets. Diane is taking a limited number of portrait sessions this year so book early to avoid disappointment.

Two weeks. So much happens, changes, and shifts in a two week period. I’m back home and at work but seem overwhelmed with the amount of catching up I have to embark upon. My trip was both business and personal but ended up being fully rejuvenating. Now that I’m back home, I surely do hope some of that rejuvenation carries forward as I plunge into emails and messages, not to mention upcoming writing deadlines. I’ll leave you with a few random images from my two-week road trip.

I likely should have included the following images first since they were taken while I was still in the cold north:

I came across two moose bedded down in an RV parking lot. One in each parking spot.

And now back to Sidney, BC where it is MUCH warmer and far more enjoyable in the winter (or anytime, really). This seagull was trotting along main street Sidney oblivious of traffic, which all yielded to him. He obviously had quite a catch that he was determined to keep from the other seagulls:

Of course there were some humorous moments:

And evening had its visual pleasures as well:

This work by Diane Schuller is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.dianeschuller.com/. Please contact Diane for permission.

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.

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.

** UPDATE: I have learned that the Think Pink organization has, unfortunately, closed down and the program is no longer available.**

I am excited to announce a partnership with Think Pink Photography. Think Pink Photography was founded in October 2007 to support individuals and their families who have been touched by breast cancer. Think Pink Photography is a charitable organization that serves two main purposes – celebrating life and supporting the cause.

Through their professional photographer network, they are helping breast cancer patients to celebrate life with charitable photography sessions. Individuals may choose to document their fight against the disease before or during treatment, or prefer to capture their victory by scheduling a session within 12 months after treatment is completed. Photographers world-wide are now available to donate time and talent to celebrate life and support the cause. There is no cost or obligation to the breast cancer patient. Clients participating in a Think Pink Session will receive a complimentary photo session, as well as a set of 10 small prints from the session. They will also receive a discount on any additional portraits they wish to purchase, although there is absolutely no purchase required at any time.

To support the cause, Think Pink Photography has partnered with The Eric R. Beverly Family Foundation. All funds generated through donations and various fundraising efforts are paid directly to The Eric R. Beverly Family Foundation. As a 3-time breast cancer survivor, Danielle Beverly and her husband Eric joined together to form a foundation dedicated to promoting education, increasing awareness, and providing support and resources for families who have been touched by breast cancer.

Please subscribe to their blog (on the Think Pink website) and tell your friends and family about Think Pink Photography. Awareness is everything and we can’t be successful without you.

I encourage you to view the Think Pink website, make a donation, or hire a photographer that supports Think Pink Photography! If you hire me, mention Think Pink and I will make a personal donation to the organization. If you, or someone you know, would like to schedule a Think Pink session, please contact me for details (for your convenience, please use the “Contact” button at the top of this photo journal).

As a cancer survivor myself, I am very proud to be a network photographer with Think Pink Photography, and am anxious to get the word out about this amazing program. For more information, you can contact me, or you can visit the Think Pink Photography website at http://www.thinkpinkphotography.org

I’m so excited! I’m rushing about and wasn’t going to post again until returning from my weekend trip, but I can’t help myself. Yesterday I booked a photo shoot that I am REALLY looking forward to and it’s a surprise to boot! How great is that? I’m going to be shooting a fellow and his pride-and-joy vintage cars. My mind is pumping like a piston thinking about all the interesting possibilities! I can hardly wait. I can’t say much more — even though the fellow doesn’t know about my photo journal, I just wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise. Someone very special has set this up … you’ll be sure to see a sneak peek after the session. I find every creative session to be fun but this is one that won’t come along everyday. I’d better scoot — I have to pack for my trip. Have a grand weekend everyone!

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Diane is an on-location lifestyle photographer serving Grande Prairie and the entire Peace River region of Alberta and B.C. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.

This is so exciting. Yesterday afternoon I received an email from Kari over at Mod-Dog advising me that my dog & pet photography is being featured at Snap. I have two posts sitting at the starting gate reading to roll out but simply had to delay the starting pistol for those two posts to insert this news

This screenshot cuts off the rest of the web page but the important part is there — one of my dear models from last year! Thanks Kari over at Mod-Dog for this feature at Snap! Check them out

Diane is an on-location lifestyle pet/dog photographer based from Grande Prairie serving all of Alberta and northern BC. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.

Also @dianeschuller on Twitter.

Although I no longer have horses, I adore them and am thrilled to bits every opportunity I get to photograph them. These are all clients’ horses — I’ll have to dig out some of the old photos of my  horses one of these days and scan them to share here.

Living in the country seeing wildlife is a regular, often daily, occurrence. This morning, however, my  husband and I saw something we’ve never seen before: a mule deer doe with triplets. Yes, three little fawns in tow. No I didn’t take any photos because, even with my 300mm lens, the resulting photo would have shown a lone deer as a spot on the photo with three tiny specks … you know one of those photos where someone says, “if you look really closely you’ll see ___”. So, I chose simply to watch them with our binoculars until they slowly made their way across the field. Triplets! Oh, and more horse photos to come soon.



Diane is an on-location lifestyle horse & livestock photographer serving Alberta & central/northern BC. Visit Diane Schuller Photographs.

I can credit one book for helping me move from a rank amateur with lots of interest in photography, yet lacking in technical skills, to an amateur who finally understands how to get the most out of her camera. This one book slapped the reins in my hands enabling me to turn my little DSLR into a real workhorse.

I’ve loved photography since I was a little girl, mesmerized by the little Brownie box camera with the leather handle my parents used. Life moved forward and I focused my creative side on writing. Photography, though still a creative outlet I loved, got left behind. That changed a few years ago.

When I finally made the decision to get serious about improving my photography skills, there were roadblocks. Where I live I don’t have the benefit of access to professional photography workshops or classes though I did take an intermediate course that helped me more with post processing than anything else. I felt a void because my goal had been to become adept at maximizing my use (and understanding) of my camera’s controls.

I tried a few online forums but got absolutely nowhere because of attitude (I should KNOW those things, don’t you know). That was the whole point: I asked those questions because I was trying to learn and decipher how to fully understand the specific details about correct exposure. Someone with less attitude recommended a book that was sure to answer my questions, so I ordered it, and voila! That book made everything perfectly clear to me.

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera by Bryan Peterson was the single most significant tool that helped me better understand exposure and how to get the most out of my camera. By the time I finished the first chapter, the questions I had been asking not only were answered but he taught it in such a way that I had no more confusion about f-stops and lens opening (and determining the best exposure without it being guesswork). As I progressed through the chapters, I learned how to achieve certain effects with my camera and experimented more (while understanding what I was doing). Peterson also had suggested exercises in each chapter to encourage the reader/photographer to try out the different lessons and to expand your capabilities. With the positive reinforcement that came as a result of trying his exercises, there really was no place to go but forward! I highly recommend this book (now available as an updated version) if you wish to better understand exposure, to get the most out of your camera (whether it’s film or digital), and to improve your technical skills with any camera.

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I still use the same entry level DSLR but I know I’m getting the most out of it. I’m still hoping to get a professional level camera like so many others have, but I’m comfortable that my little camera is like a little draught horse working his haunches off for me. The only reason I’m getting so much out of my little camera is due solely to what I’ve learned in an earlier version of Understanding Exposure.

That said, photography – like any creative art form – is a lifelong learning process. I still make mistakes but at least I know what I should be doing. We never stop learning and growing with the art.

Have you found a book that helped move you forward in any particular task or other part of your life? Or, if you are also an amateur photographer, what have you found to be the most helpful in moving your skills forward?

Diane is a lifestyle photographer serving Grande Prairie & Northern Alberta. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.