Diane Jarvis-Schuller

{Have you missed my recent photos? Books and several wildlife photos have been my  most recent contributions.}

I’ve loved horses my entire life and now that I don’t have horses anymore, my attention instead is focused on photographing them. Horses are particularly well suited for fine art photography, which is a direction I’ll be focusing on more in the future. Stay tuned for an upcoming feature at another blog of my equine photography.  Even ‘backyard’ horses can become art whether it’s because of the light and pop of colour as in this photo:

Processing the same image as a black & white also turns it into art. This is an ideal way to really focus the eye directly to the horse:

Or if the artist adds some soft vintage-like processing similar to the panorama I created below, a different feel is given to the entire image:

Sometimes a close up becomes art:

I’m really enjoying December and am so pleased I made the decision to take the entire month off work. I got my first batch for this season of traditional shortbread made yesterday — melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

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Photographs Never Forget!

Diane offers fine art photography in many sizes and shapes, professionally mounted and ready to frame, or have Diane do the framing for you. Watch this photo journal for an announcement in January regarding horse and animal photography. Diane currently has a limited number of fine art photographic prints available if you’re looking for a special gift for someone special. Ideal for home or office decor! Contact Diane today for more information.

Storyboards are one of my favourite boutique items that I love to put together for clients. Besides the enjoyment I get creating them, they are a very economical way of having a beautiful portrait for the wall of your home or office. With storyboards there are so many different combinations in terms of design. The economy aspect comes in because, for the price of one gorgeous wall portrait, you can have multiple images on one hanging. They also make great gifts for parents or grandparents.

This storyboard is in the most popular size, 10×20 inch. As a reminder, all portraits (over 8×10) are ALWAYS professionally dry mounted on solid 2mm styrene. Professional photographers have portraits dry-mounted to ensure a truly quality product that will not wrinkle, bend, or warp, and will ensure longevity. Some people love them so much as they come, they display them on a mantle or photo ledge, but ready-made 10×20 frames are certainly available. Since I am a full service photographer, I will also do the framing for you, if you prefer. This style of storyboard also comes in a cute little mini, 5×10 inch size which is ideal for gift giving.

The deadline for Christmas delivery is coming up very soon so contact me today if you’re thinking of something as beautiful as this for Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, this year I have decided to take the entire month of December off. So I will not be working in any capacity during the month of December (though I will be available for New Year’s Eve events). I’m looking forward to time spent getting prepared for and excited about a good old fashioned Christmas, complete with lots of baking!

“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” ~Kahlil Gibran

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Photographs Never Forget! Keeping memories alive with custom albums and portraits.

Since July and August were extremely busy for me, I missed posting several previews. All of the clients have received all their proofs but since I was concentrating on keeping my head above water with the workload, preview posts really did get set by the wayside. One couple I photographed last month were such a joy, I’m backing up and sharing a few photos from that session.

S bought his beautiful wife A a gift certificate for a custom photo session for her birthday. They live in a beautiful rural setting and are building a new home so we spent the entire time taking advantage of the lovely surroundings. We also drove to a couple different locations so there is a great variety of  images to create a lovely portrait book.

From the moment A stepped outside I knew this would be a great photo session. She was wearing that cute dress with a flashy pair of cowboy boots! I love when someone has their own sense of style and fun. Speaking of fun, S is bursting with energy and antics as you can see. Now you can see part of the reason why I enjoyed my time with these two.

Many of these images were captured as the sun was setting so those ones have that darker but warm hue, much like a comfy sweater.

I had fun playing around making some of the storyboards as well, though the possibilities are nearly limitless for different combinations. If you’re looking for a photographer in the Grande Prairie, Edmonton, or Peace region in northern Alberta, I hope you’ll keep me in mind or pass this post on to friends. We could have as much fun as the evening spent with this lovely couple.

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Photographs Never Forget! Keeping memories alive with custom portraits and albums.

Time is running out, book now for fall photos. I only have a few spots left.

I had the pleasure of photographing a truly wonderful couple and their two dogs. Although there are some incredibly fun photos of this playful couple, I’m posting some of the quiet moments first.

This first trio of photos I put on a sample storyboard — just thought these three fit nicely together. I wish I had more ‘play’ time because I love creating storyboards and putting together design pages. For some I use templates I have purchased and others I design myself. This is a nice little sample though, don’t you think? The perky little dog is Chewy and that noble looking Great Dane is Eva. The handsome couple are A & S.

I had such an enjoyable time with this couple. They were also a delight to photograph. I’ll likely post a few more from their session in a day or two. For today, here is one more photo of Chewy and one artistic photo of Eva.

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Photographs Never Forget! … Keeping memories alive with custom portraits and albums.

It’s already time to start booking for fall photos. I will be taking a very limited number of bookings this fall so contact me today to ensure you get a spot. I will also be running a special for all 2010 clients who wish to order Christmas cards for this year. Watch my newsletter and this photo journal for details.

I enjoy putting storyboards together. Partly because it’s another creative outlet but also because I like to see how some of the images I’ve captured come together. This is simply a sample of a 10×20 but I really like the idea of featuring the 3 dogs on their own. This storyboard configuration would work well for a family and children or for a couple and then featuring some detail images on the side. Lots of possibilities.

Of course, we can turn things a few degrees changing it right up. No one says a 10×20 needs to be created or hung horizontally; vertical works quite nicely too, especially for those narrow spaces on certain walls. Don’t you love how that brilliant orange makes a statement?

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Photographs Never Forget!

I had the pleasure of being invited to the T family home to take photographs of their first born. She’s a cute-as-a-button little girl and boy-oh-boy does she have proud parents! While I was in their home, I also got to meet baby Adrian’s proud grand parents visiting from ‘down East’. You should see her nursery! Beautifully painted and decorated to the nines with so many incredibly special touches, all done by her grandparents.

Did I mention how happy the parents are?

In fact, thanks to a conversation I had with them, I am bringing back the 8×10 special (see the end of this post for details) plus I’m kicking it up a notch! Thanks K. Oh and it’s not hard to see what a heartwarming look of pride the new dad is wearing these days.

And here is one more sneak peek; this one of Mom and babe.

BONUS: As I mentioned, I am bringing back the following special plus I’m kicking it up a notch. If this post receives 15 comments from friends and family, this family will receive a complimentary 8×10 of their choice because of your support! The added bonus is for anyone who lives within a 150 km radius of Grande Prairie: After leaving your comment if you contact me and book a session with me (to be scheduled prior to Sept 2010), you too will receive a complimentary 8×10 print from your photo session. To make it easy, use the [email a friend] link to share this post with friends or family.

Get a free custom photography session! Yes, the entire $125 session fee is complimentary for this special. You definitely wouldn’t save $125 if you were buying a $300 gas (bbq) grill or a $300 outdoor wicker chair for the patio. The local plumber or yard clean up crew certainly aren’t going to take $125 off their bill, so check this one out.

Instead, pay only for your prints and other photographic products by purchasing a $300 print credit. After your complimentary session, pick your choice of images for any prints or products using your $300 credit. The possibilities are practically endless. You could end up selecting a variety of quality professional prints, add a brag book or two, and something big for your walls! Order whatever your heart desires.

This is a limited offer and based on a first-come, first-served basis to the first three (3) people to book (payment is required to hold your booking). Ideal for individuals, couples, teens, or small families (maximum of 4). So if you live within a 150 km radius of Grande Prairie, Alberta, get in touch and let’s do a fully customized photo session so you can update those outdated photos currently on your walls!

The only fine print: cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion and session must be completed prior to September 2010.

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” ~ Vince Lombardi

If you’ve just browsed your way here for the first time and would like to know more, please look around here at my photo journal and definitely visit my website to learn more about my custom photography and to view my portfolio & products. Don’t forget, there are only three spots open for this exceptional sale!

Earlier this week I shared two tips for those are are planning a wedding but I posted them over at Facebook and forgot to share them here! So, for any of you who are planning a wedding or know someone who is planning a wedding in the near future, send them here for these great tips.

The first one I shared with S & T whose wedding I will be covering in July. I’m sure you’ve been to weddings where you can’t for the life of you find the wedding location or the reception location. Here is a great customized solution you can include with your wedding invitations:  Wedding map custom design by a very talented gal at Etsy is the solution to that problem. This is a great solution for those who are involved in planning other events or fund raisers as well. Check it out!

The next tip is a very useful yet brief article written by a wedding photographer — a pro. This is written specifically for the general public providing you with valuable information when selecting a wedding photographer. Read “Tips from a Wedding Photographer”. And one more written by an Edmonton wedding photographer on Choosing Your Wedding Photographer. It’s highly unlikely you’re going to find a quality photographer through Kijiji or Craigslist.

Providing tips to clients and the general public regarding photography or photo-related issues is going to be a regular feature here and in my monthly newsletter (sign up by clicking on the envelope icon at my website on the main page). Sign up so you don’t miss any future tips. I also have some tips in the archives (check the “Categories” tab above) under the heading “Photography TIPS”. Let your friends know about this as well by using the “email a friend” tab below and to the right.

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Photographs Never Forget!

Look at this darling red haired little boy I had the pleasure of photographing nearly two weeks ago. And here it is St. Patrick’s Day.  :)  Toddler R was so well behaved too. He was an incredibly engaging young fellow. If you met his lovely young parents you would understand why he is so well behaved. What a pleasure capturing him and his newborn brother. Did I say how much I love what I do?

I sure hope I get to photograph more cars in future. I enjoyed that photo shoot quite a lot.

This is my first storyboard (made within Lightroom). It’s a 10 x 20 and will be finished with a linen texture and mounted on 2mm styrene for stability and ease of framing. Unfortunately, because the photo journal background is also white, it’s not as easy to envision where the edges are — it’s much more impressive when seen as a ‘whole’ rather than blending in with the background. I’ve been teaching myself all kinds of different techniques and am pleased with my first storyboard. Next on my learning slate is creating holiday greeting cards. Hang on Martha, there’s no stopping me now!

Perhaps the next storyboard will have a colour background so you can really get the entire effect when viewed on your screen. I’ve recently changed my pricing and, rather than offer a reduced price for prints ordered within 15 days of the proofs going online, clients will now receive a complimentary 10×20 storyboard when they place an order within 7 days of their proofs going online — I may carry this promotion over into 2010.  I have an extremely busy day ahead, 3 orders to place, a delivery to make, trip to town to get my hair cut, dogs to walk … you get the picture! Happy days everyone.

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Diane is an on-location lifestyle photographer serving central and northern Alberta & British Columbia. Visit her portfolio at Diane Schuller Photography.