The Photographer Studio - Our indoor studio space

This week, I give a shout out to the studio space we rent in Edmonton - The Photographer Studio.

When Chad and I began photographing, we loved the use of natural light, but as our passion grew to stay behind the camera more often, we realized that we needed to find a space that allowed us the ability to shoot year round.  Don't get us wrong, we love photographing outdoors in the winter, but sometimes our cameras do not!

When we embarked our our Vintage style of photographs, we chose to pay tribute to the likes of Gil Elvgren and Alberto Vargas.  Typically, any background of the photograph is removed in editing and a vintage painted composite takes its place.  This style of Pin-Up photography just would not work for us outdoors!  We began searching studio space in Edmonton and immediately fell in love with The Photographer Studio.

The Photographer Studio is owned and operated by Tammy Deren and offers three studio spaces for photographers within the area to rent from.  Each space is unique and is outfitted with vintage and modern furnishings.  They can be fully customizable to suit the style of your shoot.  Its kinda like a one stop shop for all your photography needs.  The studios boast large windows for natural light shots, hair and makeup rooms, backdrops and studio lighting is also supplied.  One of the studios even has an outdoor terrace that you can use in the warmer months.  It makes it easy for any photographer to come in, set up and just start shooting.  You don't need to worry about packing up the everything but the kitchen sink to have a gorgeous studio session.  Everything is waiting there for you.  The only thing we typically bring are extra props or clothing for the shoot.

The other extra perk to having access to studio space is the fact that if mother nature refuses to cooperate with you for an outdoor scheduled shoot, you can plan ahead and ensure you have studio space available.  It is a really nice assurance we offer our clients.

When we toured the space over a year ago, we knew that the space would be perfect for any kind of photography we wanted to do.  We've done family portraits, boudoir, high fashion, head shots and of course of vintage Pin-Up and Film Noir photography.  Every client we've shot there has commented on how great the space is and they immediately feel at ease.

Behind the scenes look at one of the studios.

The Photographer Studio allows you to sign up either as a member or you can rent the space by the hour.  We chose to become a member as it gives us the freedom to book whenever our clients ask.  I encourage you to go to the website and take a virtual tour of the space.  They are all very warm, welcoming and eloquently decorated.

Meet our Vintage Hair and Make-Up Artist Extraordinaire - Sondra Heine

It is so hard to believe that a full year has passed and we are first giving props to our wonderful team member, Sondra Heine!  Sondra is our Hair and Make-Up artist.  If you haven't traveled to our website, you likely haven't heard of the wonderful partner who transforms our clients into Vintage Bombshells!

Sondra not only assists us with our Vintage makeover's, she owns Blonde Ambition Beauty, is a Stella and Dot Stylist extraordinaire and works at a local Beauty Lounge called Creme de la Creme. She is one busy gal with a heart of gold and a passion for beauty!

Sondra transforms you from your everyday look to a 1940's or 50's bombshell. She is amazingly talented and has added immeasurable quality and authenticity to our vintage-inspired imagery! She will work with you on creating the look you desire for your Pin-Up or Film Noir photography session.  We usually suggest that our clients find examples of their hair and make-up that they wish for Sondra to recreate.  It really helps all of us with the creative process and ensuring your vision comes to life!

Sondra's Blonde Ambition Beauty business is a freelance mobile hair and make-up studio. She joins us at our studio space saving you the stress and time of trying to find your own hair stylist and make-up artist.  Her specialty is also weddings, graduations, boudoir and glamour hair and make-up.  Oh, and we can't forget that she also knows just about every type of hair extension application.  This girl has one fantastic portfolio.  We want to give her a shout out and encourage you to book her for any beauty need you may have.  She is a wonderful hair and make-up artist and an even more wonderful person!

If you like to book her for one of her many services, you can reach her on her website at www.blondeambitionbeauty.com  You will not be disappointed!

Vintage Photography Partners with Redemption Boutique

We are extremely proud to share our most recent collaboration with Redemption Boutique! Redemption Boutique is located on 124th Street in Edmonton.  It is a trendy and upcoming shopping area that competes with Whyte Avenue in terms of unique finds, boutique shops and trendy eateries. It is a must "do and see" for any Edmontonian looking to support local businesses!

Redemption Boutique is locally owned and operated and offers rock n' retro clothing, apparel and gifts for ladies and gents.  They also carry unique gift options from local artists.  If you have a love of unique and eclectic pieces, Redemption Boutique is your place to shop!

Did we also mention, the owner, Traci is absolutely amazing!?  She creates one of a kind pieces in store and she is dedicated to providing one to one service with all of her customers.  She has the uncanny ability to style anyone, giving her customers a sense of confidence and style that you just don't seem to get anymore from other box stores.  You are not another sale when you walk through her store, you are made to feel like a friend.  Traci embodies exceptional FRIENDLY service.

We approached the store in November to collaborate on cross promoting each of our services.  Redemption Boutique offers awesome clothing for our retro, rockabilly and pin-up photo shoots.  She carries unique pieces that you won't find elsewhere!  Traci will also assist you in finding the right look to suit your style.  She carries products from Rock Steady Clothing, Too Fast, Bettie Page Clothing, Lip Service, Dickies, Lucky 13, T.U.K Shoes and Layrite Pomade.

We also collaborated with some wonderful local models and hair and makeup artists.  Krissy Dewalt-Peters, Ayla Aeichele, Kyle Hiltz and Haden Roadhouse modeled several different lines of clothing and accessories for the store while Krissy Dewalt-Peters did the hair styles for the shoot and Karin Cohen did the ladies' makeup.  Traci hand selected each outfit for the models ensuring it complemented their personality and style.  She met with each model individually in order to get to know them on a personal basis and to make them look and feel fabulous.

Here is a sneak peak of some of the photography taken of Redemption Boutique's clothing in store!

Model Ayla wearing KISS dress from Redemption Boutique.

Model Krissy wearing black keyhole top with black and white
stretch pencil skirt from Redemption Boutique.

Model Haden wearing fedora, black dress pants with misfits panel shirt &
black creepers from Redemption Boutique.

Model Kyle wearing fedora, SNFU baseball tee with skinny blue jeans &
black & white creepers from Redemption Boutique.

All of the clothing and accessories you will find in-store at Redemption Boutique!  Redemption Boutique is open Tuesday to Sunday.  Check them out, you won't be disappointed!  You can view the stores clothing, special offers and customer ratings on their Facebook Page @redmptionboutiqueyeg or follow them on Instagram at @redemptionboutique :)

Watch for more of our images to be released in the next coming weeks and months.  If you see something you like, go shopping at Redemption Boutique! Shop local, support local!

Couple Film Noir Street Photography

On a somewhat balmy winter evening, we had the pleasure of mashing our Film Noir photography with night street photography with a very special couple!  When we were asked to create a couple engagement session Film Noir style, we couldn't resist.

We often have the opportunity to work in studio, but this outdoor street photography challenged our inner creative...it also challenged everyone's stamina in the winter cold!  Street photography at night mashed with our Film Noir can produce some of the most magnificent and mysterious shots.  One of the biggest benefits is playing with the light produced by the street lamps, neon signs, car lights  and of course bringing a few strobe lights.  We also brought along some powerful magnetic flash lights that allowed us to place them to metal services to produce a "fake" street light effect.  The result was breathtaking.

This type of winter photography session definitely requires some pre-planning.  Here are a few tips to keep your clients and yourself comfortable:
1.  Have a plan.  It is important you know where you are going to shoot in advance.  Walking in the streets to find locations too shoot can result in lost time and cold clients!
2.  Watch out for your safety.  Sounds silly, but when you are shooting in the downtown streets of Edmonton, the vehicles do not slow down.  We timed our shots to the traffic lights and everyone was positioned from different angles so we could each watch an intersection for on-coming cars.
3.  Dress appropriately.  I will admit the day was nice with the sun up.  As soon as it became dark, it got cool fast.  It is always best to put on several layers and then take off as needed.  A hot beverage and blankets also help to have in between shots.
4.  Tell a story.  No matter the elements, it is important to stay focused and a tell a story.  An engagement shoot must tell a love story between the couple.  This can sometimes be difficult when you are shivering, setting the lighting just right and watching out for cars.  It is important to always keep your clients engaged in the process.  Encourage them to take a break and warm up in the car while you are setting the next lighting.
5.  Stay true to your style.  While living in a modern world, you may think, how can you put a vintage take to a couples street photography session?  Easy, play toward your style.  Research Film Noir images of the Great Hollywood movies.  Have your clients dress in vintage styling.  Mash the modern world with a vintage feel.

Vintage Photography offers couple and engagement photography in either their pin-up or Film Noir styles.  We'd love to turn your story to life in a fun, unique and creative way.  Reach us for more details at info@vintage-photography.ca

Thank you to Charlie and Kiki for giving us the opportunity to create a love story using our Film Noir style.  It is an evening we will never forget!

Vintage Photography announces Like, Share & Win Facebook Contest

Last year on December 20th, we held our very first Pin-Up Photography Session and instantly we fell in love.  We knew that this was our passion.  It was kind of ironic that we had called ourselves Vintage Photography prior to doing Pin-Up and Film Noir photography, but everything seemed to fall into place!  

Our story is likely a lot like many other photographers, we liked photography, we learned it and we dabbled in everything to see what we loved most. Chad originally started photographing cars and old buildings and editing in HDR. I, on the other hand, loved pet photography...probably because I am a fur mommy of two cats. I also learned all types of photography through my Digital Photography Diploma program. We started branching out into taking photographs of our friends and family and quickly learned that we loved the reaction we received from them when we they loved their photographs.  

We then began photographing and learning more about glamour photography and practiced our craft with a very good friend of mine, Cassidy who was starting her modeling career.  We knew we were on to something....but our story gets better...or creepier....

One evening, Chad and I were working in our offices in two separate rooms of the house. We had both been looking at photography online and almost simultaneously we shouted to each other, "hey, what about pin-up photography?"  And so our journey into actual vintage photography was born.  It was kind of a bonus that we had named ourselves that...or a creepy coincedence.  We wanted to adopt a style of editing that paid tribute to the likes of Alberto Vargas and Gil Elvgren. Our pin-up photography is edited with a cartoon painted finish.  It does take us much longer to edit, but we love the result and it is a little more unique in Edmonton.  We expanded our vintage style into Film Noir and Old Hollywood Glamour as well (which was also popular in the 1940s and 50s).

So in honor of reaching our first year anniversary doing what we love, we are holding a Like, Share & Win Facebook Contest for the month of December!  It is our way of giving back and saying thank  you to all of the wonderful people we met this past year.  It has been an absolute dream come true for us to photograph in this style.  

This was the very first photograph we did in our Pin-Up style on December 20, 2015!
Models: Kayla and Cassidy

So what's the contest?

Follow the steps below and you will be entered in a draw to win a pin-up photo shoot with a friend!

Step 1:    LIKE our Facebook page at: Vintage Photography Facebook Page

Step 2:    SHARE this post on your timeline.

Step 3:    TAG a friend deserving of a pin-up makeover and ask them to also LIKE our page.

It's that simple!  You must achieve all three steps in order to be eligible for the draw.  The winner will be announced on January 1, 2017.  If you have already liked our page, proceed to step 2 and 3 to be entered in our draw.  As a bonus, if you haven't followed us on Instagram, find us at @vintagephotgraphyab and follow us there too and you will receive an additional entry in the draw!

Good Luck and Thank You for supporting us and our vintage artistry.

With Love,

Chad & Dre

Vintage Photography Holiday Special

It is hard to believe that almost one year ago, we started offering  Pin-Up and Film Noir Photography in Edmonton! We have met so many wonderful people this year and we wanted to say thank you.  We have been honored to work with the pin-up, burlesque and vintage community within Edmonton.  To mark our one year anniversary (and the holidays), we want to give back and offer our very first Holiday Special!

Can you believe there are only 34 more days until Christmas!?!  If you are seeking a unique gift this holiday season for you or that someone special, we are offering 20% off all of our packages! Contact us at info@vintage-photography.ca for more details.

We will be running our holiday special from now until December 24, 2016!  We want to wish everyone the best of the holiday season!

Happy Shopping Everyone!
Chad & Dre

Theme ideas for your Pin-Up Shoot!

When we begin working with our clients for their pin-up shoot, I always ask two questions:
1.  Do you have a theme for the shoot in terms of clothing, props and hair?
2.  If yes, can you send us some ideas of photographs or images that have inspired you?

More often than not, the client has seen pictures of the great works by Gil Elvgren or Alberto Vargas and they would like to replicate their art at our pin-up photography session.  For example, we recently finished a shoot with Catrin who wished to be transformed into a Pin-Up witch!

She reached out to us with the attached inspiration image drawn by Gil Elvgren:

Here was Catrin's Transformation:

Together with Catrin, we designed several different set and outfit changes.  She had a number of props relating to Halloween that she brought along to the shoot and we collaborated on a few outfit changes to make the shoot unique to her.  After the shoot, she selected her favorite and worked with Chad to add unique digital artistry into the final images.  Here were her favorites:

We loved recreating this cosplay themed pin-up shoot and if you ever looked through Elvgren or Vargas' work, you will see that there is not a theme they didn't try to draw.  If you are looking for a little inspiration for your shoot, here are a few other theme ideas for you to consider:

1.  Mad Man Housewife 

2.  Valentine's Day 

3.  Christmas 

4.  St. Patrick's Day 

5.  Summer time theme - picture bathing suits, beach balls, sun tanning

6. Farming theme

7. Garage/Vintage Car theme

8.  Restaurant/Cooking or baking theme

9.  Sport theme (hockey, baseball, golf, fishing, skiing, roller skating, hunting, etc)

10.  Aviation theme

11.  Army wife theme

12. Music theme

13. Office theme

14.  Shopping theme

15.  Easter theme

16.  Travel theme

17.  Western Theme

18.  Futuristic Theme

19.  Grunge Theme

20. Carnival Theme

You can also create themes with a group of girlfriends or your significant other that can be a lot of fun.  Consider a bachelorette, birthday, anniversary or engagement theme.

No matter the theme, we will work with you to transform your vision, props, hair and make-up to give you unforgettable digital art for you to share with yourself or loved ones.  Reach out to us at info@vintage-photography.ca 

How to survive your first art show!

On October 13th, 2016 we had the opportunity to showcase our work at the RAW Artist show in Edmonton.

RAW provides independent artists with the exposure needed to inspire and cultivate creativity within their local area and provides a platform for the artists to be seen, heard and loved.  RAW currently operates in over 60 cities across the United States, Australia, Canada and the UK! 

Every other month, the RAW Directors in cities across the world hand-pick and spotlight local artistic talent in visual art, fashion design, film, music, performance art, hair & makeup artistry and photography.  We were fortunate enough to be selected as one of three photographers featured at the Edmonton show, Verve.  

The show was held at Union Hall and the entire space was transformed into a trendy, eclectic art scene.  We were given about a five foot space in which we hung our prints and displayed our 2017 River City Revue Burlesque Calendar, cheeky prints, metal art and postcards.  We were given the opportunity to sell our work for the first time ever at an art show.  We also offered gift certificates for our photography packages.

 

 

As it was our first ever show, we did not know what to expect.   I thought I would share with you some quick tips of things we learned.  If we can assist any new and upcoming artists to be better prepared for their first show, we are more than happy to share some lessons learned!

1.  Order your art mediums early!  I gave myself about 2 months to design and order all of our art.  We had made postcards, calendars, prints and metal art to sell at the show.  I thought that would be plenty of time to get everything we needed to present at the show and often went off of the websites' advertised turnaround time.  Unfortunately, we were trying out a few new print companies and they did not deliver as promised.  We were down to three days before the show waiting for our final pieces to arrive.  We ordered everything within Canada, but learned that we are not only dealing with printing times but also shipping time as well.  Lesson One, order well in advance.  It is better to be safe than sorry.

2.  Do a dry run of your ENTIRE display.  The weekend prior to the show, Chad and I set up our display table and set everything out to ensure we had enough space.  We also wanted to ensure our table was eye-catching to draw customers to our table.  Our main priority was to ensure customers could go through our cheeky prints with ease and flip through the 2017 Pin-Up calendar.  RAW also gave you a list of suggested items to bring.  They informed us to bring S curved hangers to hang our art on their backdrop.  Unfortunately they didn't tell us what size and the ones we brought were too large to hang our metal prints.  Lesson Two, a dry run is good, but make sure you test out everything!  Had we tried to hang our metal prints with our hangers, we would have known we needed smaller ones.  Luckily we had other art to hang that did work, but it was not our original plan. 

3. Attend the walk through of the space.  RAW scheduled only one walk through for their show and unfortunately it was on a night we already had a photo shoot scheduled.  When we arrived, the location and size of booth we were told we had was not the case.  We had planned for a 7 foot space with easy foot traffic access to our table.  Due to their supplier shorting them on their backdrops, we were moved to another location with art displays on both sides.  Our table ended up taking the entire space of our booth.  We had very little room to stand without blocking other artists and the traffic flow became congested quickly when the guests arrived.  Had we done the walk through, we would have been able to understand or claim our space at the show.  Lesson Three, make arrangements to ensure a representative can attend the walk through.

4.  Engage your audience.  RAW had suggested making our display interactive.  We set out vintage cameras and a box of cookies to draw customers in to our booth.  We also displayed our prints with the cheeky sayings.  We had many people stop and photograph our work, laugh and flip through all of our prints.  This drew a lot of attention to our booth and also drove sales!  Lesson Four, cookies are yummy and people like them!

5.  Price your work fairly.  We had a little bit of opportunity to walk around the show to view other artists and their work.  We were likely one of the more modest priced showcases at the show.  We priced our work fairly and we purposefully chose pieces that were varied in pricing.  We seemed to get a lot of traffic to our booth and we did quite well in sales that evening.  We noted that we did better than some of the artists in the area who only priced their work $100 or more.  Lesson Five, bring a variety of pieces of your work at low, mid and high price points.  Price your work to sell.

Of course none of this would be possible without the support of our models and clients who allowed us to create works of art on metal, postcards and prints.  We want to extend our deepest gratitude to Cassidy, Chantel, Julie, Cass, Jess, Kiki, Layla, Lilly, Portia, Betsy, Lady, Danielle and Susanne who allowed us to feature them in one of our various mediums that we sold at the show! You are all stars in our eyes!

We also want to say a very special thank you to our friends and family who came to the show to support us.  THANK YOU!  Your presence meant the world to us!

If you are interested in purchasing any of the work we displayed at the show, please feel free to email us at info@vintage-photography.ca

Chad & Dre

Vintage Photography

www.vintage-photography.ca

Photography Session - Christmas Gift Ideas!

With the first snow fall in Edmonton under our belt, I guess it is time to start thinking about Christmas!  Eeks!  It also marks our first year anniversary of our Pin-Up and Film Noir Photography!  If you are like me, every year I struggle to find a unique and special gift for my loved ones.  It has become increasingly harder to think of something every year.  Well look no further!  We have a great solution for you!  This holiday season why not give the gift of photography?  We are offering gift certificates for our Film Noir and Pin-Up photography sessions!

You can purchase a gift certificate for one of our below packages:

Bombshell Rehearsal Package

Complimentary Hair & Makeup Makeover

60 Minute photo shoot

1 Pin-Up or Film Noir styled set

2 Outfits 

Personal Pose Coaching

Unlimited shots with prop changes within the session time

4 famous creatively edited vintage inspired photographs

Bombshell Performance Package

Complimentary Hair & Makeup Makeover

90 Minute photo shoot

1 Pin-Up or 1 Film Noir styled set

3 Outfits 

Personal Pose Coaching

Unlimited shots with prop changes within the session time

​6 famous creative edited vintage inspired photographs

​1 complimentary 8 x 10 metal print of your choice 

Bombshell Encore Package

Complimentary Hair & Makeup Makeover

120 Minute photo shoot

2 Pin-Up and 1 Film Noir styled sets

4 Outfits 

Personal Pose Coaching

Unlimited shots with prop changes within the session time

8 famous creatively edited vintage inspired photographs

​2 complimentary 8 x 10 metal prints of your choice

Bombshell Paparazzi Package

Complimentary Hair & Makeup Makeover

5 Hour photo shoot

Calendar photography session

12 Pin-Up or Film Noir styled sets

​6 Outfits

Personal Pose Coaching

Unlimited shots with prop changes within the session time

1 complimentary calendar & 15 x 15 metal print of your choice

You can also buy one of our sassy saying meme prints of our 2016 pin-up gals for $15 each.  If you want the print framed, please let us know and we can matte and frame it for $50 each!

We also have our 2017 Pin-Up Calendar for sale of the fabulous, sexy and sassy girls of River City Revue Burlesque Troupe.  We are selling the calendars for $20 each.  It is a great way to celebrate Pin-Up throughout the whole year!

We can also customize a special photography session for you to suit your budget.  To purchase any of our gift options and packages please reach us at 780.952.3463 or by email at info@vintage-photography.ca

Whatever your vintage gal or guy desires, we hope to provide you with exceptional gift options this Christmas Season!

Tips for Shooting as a Couple

When I thought about this week's blog post, I was reminded of one of our more recent Pin-Up Photography sessions and how Chad and I work together as a couple on a shoot. We always talk about how we thought the shoot went and what we could do to improve. We've been shooting with each other for over 4 years now and here are some tips and tricks I've learned along the way to make the experience both easier on the clients and you as the dual photographers.

1. Know each others' role at the shoot. Chad and I take on different roles for the different types of shoots we do together. In our Pin-Up and Film Noir photography, I often do not even pick up a camera. My role is to find out the client's vision for the shoot and make that come to life with the wardrobe, props and poses. I usually stand next to Chad and coach the clients on how I would like them to move through the poses. I add and take away props, fix their hair or make-up and put them at ease by engaging in a little chit chat. Chad always handles the lighting and the photography for these shots. It is really important that we understand the roles of each during the shoot so that we do not look unprepared in the clients eyes or that we are contradicting each other. I've learned to direct the client and do a quick check in with Chad to make sure what I see is also what he can capture behind the camera. He often makes a few adjustments if he feels the angles or the pose is not quite right.

When we do family, wedding or couple photography, I am also a shooter. I often carry the 50mm lens and Chad will carry the 70-200mm lens and the 24-70mm lens. We inform the clients that I often will shoot the close up and intimate shots first and then step out of the frame for Chad to take full body or 3/4 body shots. This combination works very nicely as we get a variety of shots within seconds.

2. Communicate to your client what to expect from each of you in the shoot.  Prior to starting any shoot, we will tell our clients what to expect from each of us during the shoot. This helps them understand who to ask for assistance and puts them at ease when we start shooting. I will typically set up the shots, mimic a poses and fix any details out of place. Clients know that if they are unsure of a pose, they can look to me for guidance and assurance. Chad has the benefit of seeing it from a different perspective. He is often behind the camera already and testing out the lighting and the framing of the shot. He sees things through the eye of the lens and will direct me if we need to change anything before we start shooting. Again this combination works really well and saves a lot of time setting up the shots vs. getting the shots.

3. Be on the same page throughout the shoot. It can sometimes be a challenge to stay on the same page with each other during a shoot. We both are guilty of getting so inspired throughout the shoot that we may slip out of our roles while shooting because we see something magical happening. It is important for you clients to see that you are not competing with each other but complementing each other during the shoot. It can lead to the client getting confused, frustrated or overwhelmed. In this scenario, take a step back. Communicate with your partner of what you see and allow both of you to resume your roles at the shoot.

4. Remain complimentary toward each other during the shoot. Never speak over each other, argue or contradict each other in front of the client. This is one of things Chad and I learned the hard way. We recently finished up one of our shoots and on the drive home when we debrief about the shoot, we both expressed our frustration with the other. On this particular shoot, I had set up the pose with the client and before even taking a shot, Chad had stepped in and changed the entire direction of the pose. I, in my true German fashion, likely gave him a look of discontent. When we talked about it after, he explained that the pose didn't look right when he was about to take the shot. I explained to him that it started to fluster our client. Pin-Up poses are not easy, it is definitely a work out holding and changing the poses. We agreed that if there was a future scenario where the pose wasn't right, we would not contradict each other in front of the client. Chad would take the shot as I had posed the client and then adjust them for the second shot. Its important for your clients to see the benefit of having two photographers on the shoot. You never want them to lose their confidence or comfort in the shoot. So remain positive, thank the other shooter for noticing something out of place and compliment each other as well as the clients.

5. Have fun. Chad and I like to put our clients at ease with our humor and kind nature. We often joke around with each other on a shoot to relax the clients and have them see us a people and not photographers. We learned that if we are relaxed and having fun, the clients are too. This also helps the clients ease into the photography session and helps the poses look more natural vs. posed.

I know there are many articles out there indicating that it is not necessary to have a second shooter or two photographers at your photography session. I beg to differ. Two is always better than one. We take on different roles, we support each other as a second set of eyes and hands and we work well together all for the good of getting the most beautiful shots. I personally feel it immediately puts our clients at ease when they see there are two of us. We are warm and welcoming and we work hard to build your confidence in the shoot.

RAW Artists Show - We're Invited!

We are so excited to announce that we have been selected to showcase our work in an upcoming Raw Artists Show in Edmonton! Raw Artists assists local artists of all kinds with the ability to showcase their work within their local community. It is an opportunity for us to be seen, heard and loved. Currently, we are one of two photographers selected for the event!

We will have a booth with our Film Noir and Pin-Up Photography on display and we created some pieces for sale.  Chad and I designed meme prints of our lovely Pin-Up girls with some cheeky sayings. We will also be selling our Pin-Up calendars and Film Noir postcards of the lovely & sassy ladies at River City Revue Burlesque.

We would love for you to come and support us at the event. The show is October 13th, 2016 at Union Hall. Attached is our page on the Raw Artist website www.rawartists.org/vintagephotography

Tickets are $20 each and you can buy them right on our page. It goes toward supporting us at the show. We hope to sell at least 20 tickets to support us at the show.  

Here is a sample of the products we will be selling.  We hope you come out to support local artists like us!  It means a lot to us to be able to create these one-of-a-kind vintage inspired photographs for vintage loving Edmontonians!

2017 Pin-Up Calendar of the lovely ladies at River City Revue Burlesque

Pin-Up Prints - Meme Style

River City Revue Film Noir Postcards

If you are also interested in purchasing any of our work, please DM or email us!

We can be reached through the following avenues:

E-mail:  info@vintage-photography.ca

Instagram: @vintagephotographyab

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Vintage-Photography-

Website:  www.vintage-photography.ca

Glamour Posing Tips - What is the best angle for your face?

One of our idols in the photography world is Sue Bryce.  In our opinion, she is the expert when it comes to making women look and feel beautiful.  Her education and techniques on glamour photography have assisted us with our posing techniques in our pin-up and film noir photography sessions.

We have also had the good fortune of working with a wonderful local petite model, Cassidy.  We often get together to test our knowledge and push ourselves further in the creative world.  This past week, we met to practice Sue Bryce's angles & rule of 9's.  This is a ten minute exercise that I encourage everyone to practice with your clients!  We grabbed an iPhone and a dark backdrop and shot the different facial poses in order to find which pose best suited Cassidy's face.  The result? Cassidy learned which of the 9 poses she liked best on herself and we learned which to concentrate on when photographing her.  A win-win if you ask me.

Cassidy practicing the rule of 9's

Each of us has a different shape to our face and Sue teaches you to find the angle that is most beautiful on your client.  It also assists photographers when clients have one eye slightly smaller than the other or when the client feels there is "better side" to their face.  Doing this quick exercise with your client before you start your portrait session will assist you in capturing amazing photographs every time.

Here are a few tips to practice in the comfort of your own home by taking selfies to learn the best angle for your face:

1.  Select the angle which emphasizes your best features and downplays some your less favorite features.
2.  If your eyes are your best feature, then take the picture from a little higher angle, tilting your face slightly upwards and smiling from your eyes.
3.  If your nose is your best feature, then hold the camera pointing straight to your face and take the picture. If your nose is not the best feature then tilt you head slightly towards one side before taking a straight picture.
4.  If your lips are your best feature then take the picture from slightly below, pointing the camera up towards your face.

5.  Figure out your face shape and practice what angle looks best that does not add any mass to your face where you do not want it.  For example, if you have an oval face, tilt your head a little towards the right or left when looking at the camera.  This prevents making your face look larger in photographs.

6.  Always remember to smile sincerely and from the heart.  If you try to fake a smile, it will look artificial and unreal in your pictures.  Showing true emotion in your photographs is always more beautiful.

As with anything, practice makes perfect.  If you are not up to the challenge of taking selfies, practice the different angles in the mirror or have a friend photograph you.  Place the results in a grid like we did with Cassidy and you are sure to find your favorite angle!  Happy experimenting!

For more information on Sue Bryce, visit her website at https://suebryceeducation.com.  She offers education on all sorts of photography topics that will assist you in your photographic journey!

Embracing (and preparing) for photographs in the Rain

As photographers, Chad and I have always enjoyed natural light photography in the great outdoors. Admittedly, we try to avoid those rainy days fearing it would not result in great photographs. This weekend we were photographing an outdoor wedding and had our first ever challenge with the rain. A wedding day is not going to change, so you have to roll with the punches.  Rather than fearing the worst, I am here to debunk the theory that you cannot have a beautiful photographs in the rain. I encourage everyone to embrace what Mother Nature is gives you and say yes to the rain!

Here are some tips to photographing clients in the rain:
1. Understand what your clients want first and foremost. When we first met our clients, Jason & Denise, one of their inspiration photographs was a wedding couple with an umbrella in the rain. They understood that by planning a back yard outdoor wedding that there was a 50-50 chance that they could get rain. They were open to having their photographs in the rain and they planned accordingly. They ensured they had a tent for their ceremony and purchased a number of white umbrellas just in case. We allowed them to make the call if they wanted their photographs indoors or outdoors once it started to drizzle outside.

2. Have a back-up plan. We agreed ahead of time that if it was raining cats and dogs, we would book an indoor space as a back-up for their formal wedding portraits. Chad and I booked The Photographer Studio for our clients. We ensured we booked a long enough time in studio (just in case there were any other unforeseen delays). There are also areas that will still give you a mix between the outdoors and indoors, do not discount magical shots under a gazebo, on a porch, in a parking garage or the overhang of buildings.

Use a tent for coverage from the rain!

3. Be prepared. I cannot stress this enough to all our clients. You can never be too prepared. Jason and Denise were already prepared with umbrellas, but Chad and I carry a full size tool box on wheels full of emergency supplies. I brought along blankets, grass mats and a fur stole to keep the bride warm. We always bring a variety of wipes in case anything gets dirty. We also packed extra clothes and shoes in case anything got too wet. While it is easy to focus solely on your clients, don’t forget to protect your camera equipment! Bring plastic bags and towels for your precious gear. 

Stay warm with props like a fur stole!

4. Don’t let it stifle your creativity or throw your game off. When it started to rain, my initial reaction was to rush in order to protect the clients from getting cold and wet. As Jason and Denise began to assure us that they were OK with being in the rain, we stood back, took a deep breath and re-grouped ourselves. We used the rain to our advantage. When it was drizzling out, we shot images with the umbrellas. When the wind picked up a bit, the fur stole warmed up the bride and made for some gorgeous images. When we had planned our props in different locations, we adjusted and kept them close to the vehicle. Jason and Denise wanted to use their vintage-style bike in a few shots and I brought an old barn wood bench. Instead of taking the time to carry them into a far location where it would be difficult to rush back if it started to pour, we set them in a scene close to our vehicle. In hindsight, these shots would have never happened on a sunny day. We used the grey skies to our advantage! 

 

Let prop help your creativity!

5. Change your timing. We encouraged Jason and Denise to carry on with their plan and we would adjust shooting accordingly. The rain could throw off your clients’ schedule slightly, as photographers, we understand and adjust our schedule accordingly. We always like to take on the calming role with our clients and we roll with the punches. We want those beautiful shots just as badly as the clients do. We had planned on shooting all of the formal portraits before dinner. When things got a little delayed, we agreed to change our timing of photographs. Again, Chad and I came prepared. We ensured we brought our flashes so that as the sun went down, we could finish the shots as planned.

Flash photography with bubbles!

In all honesty, the rain inspired Chad and I and it was a reminder of why we love what we do. The rain tested our skills, but we rose to the challenge and could not be happier with the results of the day. The rain brought a new sense of beauty that we never saw before.

We always send our clients a little sneak peek of their wedding day the evening after and here is what Jason & Denise said about our photographs....it really does make it all worth it!  Trust us!

"We just looked at the photos and video (through some very teary eyes) 
OH MY GOD!!!!!
They are SOOOOOOOO AMAZING!!!!!!!
We love them so much. We can't wait to see the rest!!!!!
Thank you thank you thank you!!!!
From the bottom of our hearts and with the greatest sincerity thank you...
You have captured our day and our love for one another...we are truly overcome with joy."

Jason and Denise.  :D

We do wedding photography too!

Vintage Photography also loves to celebrate "a modern romance" with our portrait, couple, engagement and wedding photography. We always photograph our portrait sessions as a team of two or more. We each bring a different perspective to your special moments from the small details and candid moments to the more formal portraits, we ensure your day has the ultimate coverage.

As part of our wedding package, we do an engagement session with all of our couples for FREE!  We like to offer this to our clients as we feel it is a great way for them to get to know us and our style of photography.  We also take this opportunity to give pointers to the couple on posing, best angles and tips of do's and don'ts so that when it comes to the wedding day, they know exactly how to nail that perfect shot!  The engagement session is also an opportunity for us to understand and learn what the couple likes and doesn't like photographed of themselves.  When we review the photographs after with the couple, they will often comment on photographs of themselves that they don't like...whether it be "that's not my good side" or "I wish I was on the other side of my fiance" or "I like this side of face where my hair falls".... these are all mental notes that we take to ensure that we capture the best of the couple on the special

On July 23, 2016, we had the pleasure of photographing Wendy & James for their wedding.  Wendy reached out to us in January and we spent a lot of time with her planning out the day.  We captured Wendy, James & Alex in our first ever Winter Engagement photo session and stayed in regular contact with her up until the big day.  We do this to ensure our couples know that we are ever bit as committed to their special day as they are and with our photo booth business, we have seen a lot of things that offer great advice to our couples.

When we met with Wendy a month prior to the wedding, she had a list of loose ends she needed to complete.  When we could see that she was feeling overwhelmed just speaking about it, we offered to assist.  One of her biggest projects outstanding was her seating chart.  We offered to design it for her and she loved the result so much she asked us to design all of her posters for the day.  

On the big day, we often have to roll with the punches.  Schedules are always a little off or guests do not arrive when they are supposed to.  We always remain calm and assure the bride and groom that we will capture every moment and detail no matter the time.  This often makes the couple feel at ease.  We also carry a large tool kit around with us that has wet naps, tide to go, make up blotters, Kleenx, gum, bug spray and a whole lot of other emergency supplies.  If something happens, we are there with a solution!

It was a great pleasure spending so much time getting to know Wendy, James and their families.  By the end of the day, we felt like part of their family!  They are a beautiful couple who had the most beautiful day!  

We love when our clients speak well of us as well, Wendy posted this little snip-it of us on her Facebook after the wedding.....

"Vintage photography did my wedding photos but they did so much more than that.  

Dre and Chad are so kind and generous with everything. They helped with things i needed before the big day like they made all of my signs. Seating chart, Bar menu, # signs, Etc. They ensured to take whatever stress they could off of me. That was out of the kindness of their hearts no extra charge. For sure these 2 wonderful people will be our friends after everything said and done. Not to mention how prepared they were with everything Dre had a tide to go pen ready and Kleenex or wet naps I cant remember both for when the bird pooped on me. Their talent is amazing. Love them."

If you are looking for your special day to be captured by caring and down to earth photographers, please reach out to us!  We'd love to meet you and assist you with your special day!