*click to enlarge

focal length: 48 mm
shutter speed: 1/200
aperture: f/4
ISO: 200
flash: none

Sometimes I look at a photo and think, “Hmmm… some text might work here!” For certain photos, a little text could give it a bit more life. For this image, after I boosted the contrast just a bit, but not too much so that my highlights aren’t blown, I took the eye dropper for colour selection and clicked on the darkest purple on her shirt. Usually I use white text but that wouldn’t work here on a white background. When I add borders or stamps to photos, I like to use colours taken from the actual photo for a nice match. I positioned the text in the negative (empty) space on her left so it would float somewhere in the middle. I just eyeballed it based on the balance of the photo. What do you think? Does it work?

If you haven’t already tried it, why don’t you add a little text to one of your photos and share it here in the comments section! I’d love to see what kinds of word/photo combinations you can come up with!

Yummy fingers!

Laura is a Vancouver portrait photographer. Visit Dolce Life Photography.

focal length: 58 mm
shutter speed: 1/125
aperture: f/4
ISO: 200
flash: none

I love shooting in natural light. I acknowledge that yes, flash can be wonderful, but natural light is so lovely. Granted, I didn’t shoot under direct sunlight so most of my light is reflected off of the white walls in my sun room. I like the simple colours against the white background. I did increase the exposure a bit as well as the contrast while processing this but that’s about it.

Mmm, watermelon! Sophie just devoured it after lunch today. Can you tell she likes it?

Laura is a Vancouver portrait photographer. Visit Dolce Life Photography.

*click to enlarge

focal length: 70 mm
shutter speed: 1/50
aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 320
flash: none

Kate left us to ponder about life and beyond. These days, we have been in awe of the life cycle and the intricacies of symbiosis while watching the Planet Earth series. Even this little bee has a lot to do with the balance of life on this earth. We need to appreciate all living things, big and small. They will affect your life in one way or another.

This is why I need a macro lens. I just can’t get in close enough with my zoom. There was this delicious looking bee hovering in an open area, perfect for a close up.

Laura is a Vancouver portrait photographer. Visit Dolce Life Photography.

focal length: 32 mm
shutter speed: 1/160
aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 200
flash: none

Uh, didn’t I talk about avoiding border mergers before? Gasp! I cut off her head! Well, sometimes, for artistic reasons, it’s ok. But keep in mind the old adage, you have to know the rules to break them. I actually shot this as-is, without cropping. Focusing on her hands holding onto the keys with just her open-mouth-expression clearly told a story. “Uh Oh! Am I not supposed to play with these?” So today, I broke some rules and feel pretty good about it! Do you have any photos to share where you broke a rule and it still worked?

I must be one of those laid back moms. I like let her ‘explore’ as much as possible.

Laura is a Vancouver portrait photographer. Visit Dolce Life Photography.

focal length: 50 mm
shutter speed: 1/60
aperture: f/2.5
ISO: 200
flash: fired

Whoa! Another shot with flash! I know… hard to believe isn’t it? Yes, this is one of the few shots where I have used my external flash. Why do I avoid it? Well, there are a few reasons. One is that my external flash makes my already heavy camera even heavier. Also, I need to get new AA batteries for it because right now, my wireless mouse has stolen them. And lastly, I need to read up on flash work some more. All those reasons aside, I do feel that using a flash effectively can be a great asset in your photography arsenal. For this shot, my subjects were about 6 feet away from the wall behind, which helped to prevent any shadow. I aimed my flash at the ceiling at an angle so the light would bounce off and down onto my subject. I quite like how it turned out considering only one lowly lamp was lighting up my whole living room.

My dad and his granddaughter. So loving, caring and thoughtful he is. Words alone cannot describe how wonderful he and my mom are. Happy Father’s Day Abba!

Laura is a Vancouver portrait photographer. Visit Dolce Life Photography.