Saturday, June 7, 2014

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Featured Photographer: peek photography + design

So happy and honored to have peek photography + design as our guest judge this week!! Please go check out her amazing work at her Facebook page, and read up more about her in the post below! 



Tell us a little about yourself (family, hobbies, etc.)

I'm a San Francisco transplant living in the Great Pacific Northwest with my husband, my three year old and my yorkie. I have a major caffeine addiction problem (thank you, Seattle) and an obsessive compulsion with typography due to my graphic design background. I love all things mid century modern and am a sucker for Eichler homes. I have way too many design books. I'm a t-shirt and jeans kinda girl - although if I could walk around in sweatpants all day long, I would - and I can't wait to graduate to a real handbag again once I ditch this gigantic diaper bag I lug around day in and day out. Hobbies include sleeping (hey, I have a three year old, can you blame me?) antiquing + thrift store browsing, photography (surprise!) and sadly, celebrity gossip. I don't cook, but thank god my husband does because I love eating whatever deliciousness he puts in front of me.


What got you started in taking lifestyle images (or photography in general)?

Photography has always been a part of my life and I grew up with a camera in my hand. I have a degree in graphic design and studied photography in college. After getting burned out in the corporate world, I decided to do my own thing and combine both my passions and open peek photography + design. I love to photograph children as simply and authentically as possible, just being themselves or doing what they love. I love when a parent comes back after their session and tells me I captured their child's personality spot-on. Kids grow so fast and you can't remember every little detail of their cute daily habits - I love being able to give parents a memory they can hold in their hand.


Any photographers that you look up to?

Wow, yes. So many! And I swear it changes constantly. These past few months I have been so taken back by Kate Densmore's talent. I could look at her work for days! The emotion in her images is something that resonates with me as a mom and she has such a gift for capturing light. Another is Nicole Hill Geralut. Her colorful, simplistic style always makes me smile and I love the brightness and sheer joy of all her images.


What is in your camera bag?

My bag is huge, even bigger than my diaper bag! I really need to get it under control. I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III, and my go-to lens is the 24-70. It almost never comes off my camera due to its super fast focusing and sharpness - perfect for capturing fast moving kids! My 85mm is my other workhorse, but I also am finding I really love using my 100mm for more than just macro. It has the ability to take some seriously awesome lifestyle and portrait images and I am continuously blown away with the detail it gives me. I also have a speedlight 580EX stuffed in there somewhere, a few extra memory cards, a couple of Lensbabies I can't seem to travel without, an extra camera battery charged and ready to go (because they always run out when you least expect it) and a few Lenspens - can not live without those! Oh, and hand sanitizer… because I have an issue with germs.


If you could shoot anybody in the world, anywhere, who and where? 

I love taking pictures of my son, but he's not always interested in being in front of the camera. So my next choice would be George Balanchine, at Lincoln Center in New York City. Unfortunately that would also require a time machine since he passed away in 1983, but I can dream, right?



Fantastic! :D I love learning about amazing photographers! Amazing image collection as well! 

If you would like to see more of her amazing work you can check out her Facebook page here, peek photography + design, website here, and Instagram here!





Monday, June 2, 2014

Weekly Favs | Top 10 | Week Ending 5/29/2014

We want to once again thank Yellow Brick Road Photography for being guest judge this week! If you have not already please go check out her work and show her some love at her Facebook page.

Here is the top honor and top 10 images chosen this week!! 

~Top Honor~

Congrats to Amy Bernard, Photographer for being chosen for top honor image this week!! Great work and such a fun image! 

From our guest judge: As a mom of 2 very inquisitive little boys... The toilet paper & bathroom games happen often in my house too!

~Top 10~ (in no particular order)












Thursday, May 29, 2014

Featured Photographer: Yellow Brick Road Photography

Such an honor this week to have the super talented Yellow Brick Road Photography as guest judge this week!! Learn more about her below and view some of her amazing work! 


Tell us a little about yourself (family, hobbies, etc.)

Hi! I’m Ashley, a good ol’ Canadian gal, married to a Harley ridin’ tattooed dude and momma to 2 little loud, rough and tumble boys  (4 &1 yrs old). I’m a little bit silly and a whole lotta tall (5’ 11” to be exact).
I enjoy spending time with my guys which likely means watching, playing or talking Hockey. (Yes, we’re Canadian – through and through eh.)  If I actually score a few ‘mom moments’ I like to pick up props from Antique stores (much to my husband chagrin) and I may have a small addiction to Reality TV (C’mon who doesn’t love a little American Idol!?) and I have a serious sweet tooth.


What got you started in taking lifestyle images (or photography in general)?

I initially got interested in photography at 10 while living in Switzerland for a few months with my family. I still look back on those photos – I’m so glad I took them! As I got older my dad made me a teeny tiny dark room in our laundry room/spare washroom and I would develop black and white film on top of the washer and dryer. I finally picked the camera back up again when I was pregnant with my 1st son & managed to barter with my Hubby. He could buy a giant flat screen TV as long as I got a “big girl” Camera… 4.5 yrs later I am consumed by photography – it is absolutely my creative outlet and I love learning and reading everything I can about it on youtube, blogs, magazines, workshops, online courses, etc.
Like many moms, my love of lifestyle photography started when my son was born and I was trying to capture and document all his “firsts”. I am excited to offer this style of photography to my clients and help them capture those very special & fleeting moments.



  Any photographers that you look up to?

 Any photographers that you look up to?
I absolutely love and follow the work of many photogs, some may even call it “friendly stalking” ; )
Some of my local Inspiration: One for the wall www.oneforthewall.ca , Hulahoop Photographywww.hulahoopphotography.com
Not so local: Leah Cook, Kerry Varnum, The Paper Deer Photography, Jean Smith, Bobbi + Mike... I could go on!


What is in your camera bag?

I love my 50 1.4! i also have the 85 1.8 & 40 2.8 in my Jo Totes gracie bag along with extra batteries, memory cards,  business cards, gum, lens bling from Happy Acres Photography, stickers for the little ones, expo disc & lens cleaner & wipes.



If you could shoot anybody in the world, anywhere, who and where?

Really I’d just love to shoot my 3 guys without a major battle and melt downs! Lol Why is it that photographing your own family is the hardest? (But let’s be honest if it was an all expense paid trip with anyone - anywhere... I’m taking David Becham to Fiji for a bathing suit shoot! Sorry dear…. ;) )



Absolutely great! Loved the openness that was given in the answers (and btw, us tall chicks got to stick together, I am also very tall at 6 foot 1!)

You can check out more of her absolutely amazing work at: