'Tis the Season for a Fall Special - Ottawa Portrait Photographer

As the cooler breezes blow and leaves start to change colour it is a sure sign that Fall is arriving tomorrow.  And as sure as Fall arrives, Winter and the holidays are just around the corner.

Those of us that send out holiday cards, know that sometimes it is hard to pick that perfect photo of the family. Let me help you with that.  As an added bonus if you book a Fall Portrait Session before October 31st (if you have already booked your session you are automatically included in this Fall Special) you will receive 25 Holiday Cards for no additional cost.  And have the option to purchase additional sets of 25 for $25.00 each.

Here are the five options available to choose from.  These cards are 5x5 inches and are professionally printed on card stock and come with white envelopes.

Family Day at Black Rapids - Ottawa Family Photographer

Today, September 11th is a day to hold your loved ones close and remember the events of nine years ago.  It seemed fitting that today, I would have the opportunity to spend some time with a truly fabulous family. 

Gorgeous both inside and out, we had a wonderful time at Black Rapids capturing moments together.



After a week of cooler temperatures and lots of rain, the gorgeous sunshine and warmth was welcome. We couldn't have picked a more perfect day or location for this family shoot.


Three boys, so sweet and loving.  They were a charm to work with.

One of my favorites from the morning.

And the boys again, so lovely.

Mom and Dad were so great, it was easy to see why the kids were so easy to work with. They set a shining example.

Thank you for allowing me to capture your gorgeous family this morning, I had a fabulous time.

A Tale of Two Families - Perth Family Photographer

I had the most wonderful opportunity to meet and photograph two absolutely beautiful families.  I was first introduced to one of the family members when I did a photo shoot for a Hair Salon in Perth last November.



Then at Christmastime, I received an email from this gorgeous girl.  She wanted to nominate her friends and neighbours for my Giving is Awesome Giveaway.  She shared with me how her neighbours had to move out of their house due to a life threatening mold issue.  The children were sick and their health was compromised. 

Originally they had moved into a tent trailer hoping to get back into their house before the cold weather moved in, but delays getting rid of the mold and putting their house back together meant they had to find somewhere else to go.  They stayed with their neighbours for a little while then moved into an apartment for the winter.  With a full clean up and restore going on at their home, they now had to pay to rent an apartment while still paying a mortgage and the reno bills on a house they couldn't even go in.

As Winter carried on their renos continued the neighbours not only offered neighbourly support, but physical labour as well, helping to lay floors, tile bathrooms and all around clean up. It was very clear to me in the short time I got to spend with these families that they are not only neighbours but a family as well.

The teenagers were amazing with the smaller children, playing, having fun and just all around being there for them.  I was deeply touched by how much these families cared for each other, it was truly an awarding evening for me.


As March rolled around and Spring was well on its way they got the go ahead to return to their Family home.  The Summer has been good for them and they finally feel that they are home again. I couldn't resist taking photos of each family in front of their front doors.  Not only do I love front doors, but in this case I know who lives behind them and they are truly amazing people.

The children are doing well, most of their health problems are cleared up, but a few linger and we can only pray that they will disappear all together. These little guys were great for me.  They were so full of energy at the end of the day they posed, ran around, posed some more and ran some more.  I had a wonderful time watching them interact with their teenage counterparts. 


To both of these wonderful families I would like to Thank You.  Thank you for sharing your touching stories of how two neighbours can be so wonderful to each other in a world where many would walk the other way.


 And Thank You for allowing me to share in some of that family time.  It was a very special evening for me and I feel blessed to have shared in your stories with you.

Vincent Massey Park - Ottawa Family Photographer

Saturday morning had a certain air of Fall.  Cloudy, cool and threatening rain.  Thankfully, the rain pretty much held off for our Family Photo Shoot at Vincent Massey Park in Ottawa.  It drizzled a little, but the coverage of the trees kept us dry.

Since the skies were threatening we worked quickly and got some fantastic results.  Mom and Dad were fabulous at holding their smiles and letting their little guy lead the way. We had a lot of fun and some great opportunities to capture smiles.

Here is a sneak peek of our morning together.

I love this one, he was so fast and just loved to run. The expression on his face is priceless.

Thank you for letting me capture your gorgeous family.

Picture Perfect - Rehoboth Beach, DE Photographer

A picture doesn't have to be perfect to be perfect.

Sometimes we can spend an hour trying to get the perfect picture only to realize later that the perfect picture was the one where the hair was flying and both children weren't looking at the camera.

This picture is perfect to me because the sand was cool, the sun was warm and both of our children were happy.  If one photo can signify our time together perfectly it is this one.

Don't spend more time than you need to trying to get that perfect picture, chances are you already got it.

How to Watermark your Photos with Photoshop Elements

This will be the first post in a series of 'How To's' that will follow.  I decided to post this info so that instead of emailing everyone an answer, I can direct them here.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get other than which camera to buy, which is a whole other post, is how do I watermark my photos? It thought I would take this opportunity to share it with you all in a post so it can be easily referenced.

Watermarking is important as it helps to discourage people from stealing your photos at the same time leaving your mark to say that you took that photo.

Since there are different ways to process your digital photos, I should specify that I will give instructions for Photoshop Elements in two parts and Photoshop in two parts.  These are the two that I am most familiar with.  If you only use software that came with your computer, as long as you can type words onto your photos, then you can watermark them.


Photoshop Elements (PSE) - Part 1:

Method 1 - fast and furious:
If you have a lot of photos to process and upload this is the fastest method. It uses the batch processing tool.

1. Open files to be processed and make your adjustments if necessary.
2. With your files open, click on Files -> Process Multiple Files.  A dialogue box will appear like this:

1. Make sure to select open files.
2. Choose a destination folder where the new files will be saved.  I have a folder that I call 'Watermarking' and this is where all of my watermarked photos go for uploading to my blogs.
3. File Naming.  You can choose to rename your file or leave it as is.
4. Image size. I save my watermarked images to 50%, smaller photos use less room.
5. File Type.  This is another key thing in watermarking.  I choose Medium Quality so that I know that I am not putting a High Resolution print on the web.  A lower resolution will not allow for a good print if someone wishes to do that.
6. Is where you fill in your watermarking info.  This is a very simple watermark.  Type in your text, choose where you want the text to show up, the font, size, opacity (the lower the opacity the less visible) and colour and you are set to go.

Click 'OK' and your files will be saved to your Watermarking folder, ready to be uploaded to your blog or photo sharing web site.

And that concludes the first lesson in Watermarking.  Part 2 will demonstrate how to do something a little more fancy with PSE.

A Day at the Arboretum - Ottawa Family Photographer

We had a wonderful family photo session at the Arboretum last weekend.  We couldn't ask for better weather, not too hot, not too cool, just perfect.  The children ran and played and we got more than a few gorgeous photos to share.

Here is a sneak peek at our wonderful time.

We even had the opportunity to get Auntie in on the action with her neices.  You can see in their smiles just how much they love spending time with her.

Thank you M Family for allowing me to capture your family.

Mother's Day Winner - Ottawa Family Photographer

Together with Kids in the Capital, we had a Mother's Day Giveaway. And on Saturday I had the opportunity to meet the winner.  What a wonderful family, Dad was with us, but only to help.  In the spirit of the giveaway, our winner decided that it was just a time for Mom and the kids to have their photos taken together.  And it worked out quite well. 

The weather had just taken a turn on us, going from bright and sunny to cloudy and windy and the wind off the water at Andrew Hayden was quite cool.  We found a few spots that the wind was blocked and tried our best to keep warm.  Mostly concerned for the kids as us Moms we are tough.

Here is a sneak peek at this gorgeous family.  I am truly blessed to be able to capture these wonderful moments together and to meet such wonderful people.  Thank you.

Happy Mother's Day - A Giveaway

Happy Mother's Day!  And if you would like a chance to win a spot in my Spring Mini-Sessions on May 15th, head on over to Kids in the Capital and enter the draw.  They are hosting their first Giveaway for Mother's Day.  Don't miss out!

B Family Sneak Peek - Ottawa Family Photographer

Here is a sneak peek from a family session I had this morning.  Such a gorgeous family to work with and the light, ooh that soft light that came with the rain.  We had lots of fun and a few laughs.  Thank you for allowing me to capture your beautiful family. 

Spring Mini Sessions - Ottawa Family Photographer

Spring is finally here, a little ahead of schedule perhaps, and we are planning our first Mini Sessions of the year.  We are very excited to offer these Portrait Sessions for you.  This is the perfect time to get your family together for a smaller session in a gorgeous park setting.

The Mini Sessions will take place on Saturday May 15th starting at 9am. At one of Ottawa's Fabulous Parks. (Rain Date will be Saturday May 29th). All details about the location will be provided upon booking.

Family Mini Session Fee of $75.00 (up to four people)

• Includes mini, 30-minute session with at least 10 unique poses.
• Includes two 5x7 prints of clients choosing.
• All other studio products are available for purchase, through your own personal gallery at 25% off. 

To book your session contact me soon, spots will fill up on a first come first served basis. Session fee is due at time of booking.

A Silent Auction for Bev Sunday and Family

We have been keeping Bev and her family in our Prayers.  Bev and her Husband are slowly making their way on the road to recovery, but the road will be long and while they are recovering their children are being cared for by family and need assistance.  Since Bev and her Husband were both self-employed they don't have some of the benefits available to those who work for another company.

With the amazing group of Women at Entrepreneurial Moms we are putting together a silent auction that will take place on Tuesday evening.  However, if you aren't attending or just want to help out in some way, you can bid on the auction items online (in other words you don't have to attend to win, although you might just love it if you are a Mom and have your own business or are thinking of starting one).  I have donated a Family (or Portrait) Session.  If you were thinking of getting your family portraits done, then this would be a fabulous opportunity to help Bev and her family and get your family portraits at the same time.

edited to add:  You will need the auction ID and password to see the auction.
Auction ID: BevSunday
Auction Password: children

I am cross-posting this with Life is Good...At the Beach.

Albums by Pictage - Ottawa Wedding Photographer

I have been so excited to share these albums with you.  It took me quite a while to decide on an Album company for Anna Epp Photography, but now that I have I am more than thrilled with what has arrived.

I chose Pictage and have not for one minute been disappointed.  The service I have received is unbelievable, the ease that I was able to create albums was wonderful and the actual product in had was so much more than I could have ever expected. I want to provide my clients with the best possible Albums to display their photos and Pictage has made that possible for me.

The albums you see here are: Proof album (top left) which is included in my wedding packages, The Modern Album (top right) a classy album complete with sleeve and printed hard cover prices vary,  and the Sequoia Album by Willowbrook (bottom center) beautiful leather with optional printing or window cover and lay flat pages prices vary.

These albums work well for weddings as well as family photo shoots, covers and colours can all be customized according to your wishes.

I have a few more products on the way and I look forward to sharing them with you once they arrive.

Four Generations - Ottawa Family Photographer

It isn't very often these days that we get a chance to capture four generations together.  So this photo is a precious moment in time, not only four generations are here, but four generations of women, each with a story to tell or a story yet to be written.  And the lone little fella standing strong as the youngest of the group, oh the stories he will have to tell.

In my own family both of my sets of Grandparents have passed on and I never got that chance to have my children meet any of them.  I don't have that photo to show my children, this was you with your Great-Grandmother or Great-Grandfather let alone a photo of all of them together.

Sometimes it is hard to get that family photo, usually one or more of the participants it waiting until they look their best or lose that last ten pounds. 

Don't wait.  Time is precious and if you wait you might just miss that opportunity.