Spotlight: One year old

The first birthday is a great time to have portraits made. It is a classic milestone (I know I had portraits done at that age) but it is classic for a reason. By the time babies are a year old they have started that transition from their baby-selves into their kid-selves.

I have great fun watching a one year old watch the world. They are peeking and creeping and eagle-eyed. It sometimes means they are too busy to watch the lens, but I have tricks. Tricks and songs and rhymes.

This little ones favorite of the day goes like this:

slowly . . . slowly . . . very . . . slowly goes the garden snail
slowly . . . slowly . . . very . . . slowly up the garden rail
quicklyquicklyveryquickly goes the little mouse
quicklyquicklyveryquickly to his little house!

If you decide to schedule a session with your one year old be prepared to be in the pictures. For all the excitement out there to discover, a one year old still thinks her parents are the most exciting thing of all!

(as always, click to enlarge)


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Thanks to all

Thanks to all the pregnant ladies who have contacted me regarding the birth photography offer.

I now have a lady as well as a list of names in case the first lady does not work out for whatever reason.

As soon as she *pops* I will have the sample book up on my website.

In the meantime if anyone is interested in birth photography, and is due October or later, please contact me to discuss.

I hope to book a birth a month and will not be booking more than that as I do not want to be on call every day. :P September and January are booked already, so anyone who thinks they will want this service, and who wants to secure their spot . . . contact me.

Please be advised that while the exact amount is still being calculated (I will wait until after the *sample* is complete to finalize the numbers) but the amount will be at least $3000 for a leather bound coffe table style book featuring the birth story.

Stay tuned for the sample book. I am very excited and may have to bring my lady some spicey food and take her for a bumpy car ride to move things along!!!

Spotlight: Maternity

This was fun for me. A beautiful lady on a beautiful day on the beautiful Signal Hill.

(Seriously, I need to just pack up and move to Signal Hill!)

Maternity portraits are something I've just recently started to offer. I love the little babies produced so I figured I'd better get in good with Mom while she is not too distracted be diapers and spit up.

It is best to call early in the pregnancy and schedule the session for about 32-35 weeks gestation.

I also offer a maternity/newborn combo session that entails one proofing meeting for both sessions with a small savings on the session fee. So instead of $250 per session you get both sessions for $400.

These are some Holga, some Bronica. All Hp5+.





This one is so cute. I had ideas, but sometimes kids dictate how things will go. For best results, it's best to listen. :)

Topsail Beach and Signal Hill

Topsail beach is awesome. We recently spent a family day there and it was the first time I had ever been there in daylight. I was so sad that I only brought one roll of film in my holga! Since I need more shots we will have to go back very soon. Luckily the family thinks that is a-okay as long as we can bring more wood and marshmallows.

First up my camera shy girl. She was not shy of that water though! Notice her clothes . . . still on.



My not-camera-shy girl. She is the opposite of camera shy. She also thought a t-shirt and shorts was just fine for swimming!



And the boys. Somewhere along the way my little guy turned into a cheese monster. With a photographer mother who is lactose intolerant . . . it is a bit of a mystery.



See what I mean . . . cheesetastic. Signal Hill at 9pm. We barely caught the last seconds of daylight.



I think he may be taking secret lessons from his sister, who is always ready for her closeup.

Family sneak peek

I show up to find a wonderful family with a couple of genuinely sweet kids. Throw in a beautiful empty lot near by and it all adds up to a beautiful day.


A family of readers. Many bookish images I loved . . .



I realize now that I didn't get the furry best friends name . . .



This lot is awesome. I may sneak back there from time to time . . .

Arts and Letters

I am pleased to say that I was the recipient of an Arts and Letters Award for my photography. For those of you keeping score at home, this makes me a multiple winner! (I also won in 2005)

Please check out the link to see the list of winners for 2008.

http://www.tcr.gov.nl.ca/artsandletters/winning_entries.htm

The actual physical exhibit is at The Rooms until this Sunday. Be sure to check it out if you can as there are many wonderful pieces of artwork on display.

This is the image that won:

Birth Photography - women (and babes) wanted

Two weekends ago I was proud to take part in a DONA certified training course to become a Birth Doula. A Doula is a woman who supports another woman through her labour and birth and who strive to help women and their partners to have a satisfying childbirth and postpartum experience. There were 21 women total who took the course and rest assured there is no better group of women that could have participated. All of us share the same goals of helping women in this province to have the births they desire. Previously there was little choice when it came to labour support, if one were to deliver in NL.

A great article appeared recently in the Telegram and featured a recently trained Doula. There is also an article on the Doula project that I am a part of listed underneath.: Doula Article

I took the course for more than the selfless desire to help other women. I am also very interested in doing birth photography. As a child and family photographer I am genuinely interested in children and feel that it would be a great honour to witness and document a new child arriving in the world. The Doula training is merely to help ensure I am as sympathetic, helpful and courteous to parents (and health care professionals) as I can possibly be.

What I am offering is a full book of black and white images, documenting from the pregnancy stage through labour and birth. Options would be all images as 4x6 in a traditional album or all images in a press printed leather bound book. A true treasure for years and years to come.

What I need is one brave woman . . . willing to be the model for my sample book that will be shown to prospective women in the future as well as featured on my website and/or other promotional materials.

The ideal candidate would be a woman with previous uncomplicated deliveries who is due very very soon.

The first birth session will be offered free of charge. This is a first come first serve offer.

Most important: She MUST SIGN A RELEASE so that I may use the images. Since it is, after all, the point of offering up the session for free. ;)

Ladies may e-mail me at donna@donnaramsay.com for more information . . .

Here are some hospital pics from a friends ginormous (11lb2oz I think?) newborn babe and another of a babe whose mother I supported through her labour and birth.






I am very excited!!!