Personal Journey and Adventures of Nina

I am well aware of the old adage, never work with children or pets but I find the challenge they present, half the fun! What's a little Hedgehog poop among friends... Puppies are like children in that they grow up so fast. Their features and expressions alter as they mature. As with children, I recommend that you take as many images as possible to record this evolution. The pet can be a little nervous on set at first so a little coercion helps. After the pet has a little sniff around, I give them a tasty treat. Once I get a few photo's on the card, I give them another treat and a break. They end up quite enjoying the experience. In fact sometimes, they do not want to leave! Combining pets with product photography provides an extra challenge. The brain child of my friend, Alina, we approached this shoot with juxtaposition in mind - Mary K's "Satin Hands" against the grainy skin of the Bearded Dragon and the wiry spines of a Hedgehog against Redk

I had a great shoot with two lovely, polite boys who clearly enjoyed each other's company which makes my job entirely easy! The portrait session was in my home studio and as it was a lovely day, we were able to photograph outside as well as inside, giving us a large variety of shots!

This week, saw a number of executives stop by for business photographs.  Some were for professional profile images such as  LinkedIn , others were for printed sales material and others, websites.  No matter which, your profile image is your link to the outside professional world and should look amazing.  Without a profile image, you look as though you are hiding something. Without a recent, professional looking image, you are failing to make that vital good first impression. With proper lighting and some editing, it is possible to produce such an image... These images can be created in our Chatswood studio or at your own office. and don't worry about the odd scar or blemish....we take care of that too... Before and After editing...

Today I had the lucky pleasure of meeting Mr Ross Wellings. A Chatswood resident for at least 40 years, it turns out that The Wellings had been neighbors of The Beilbys way back in 1971. A Civil Marriage Celebrant, Mr Wellings was in need of updated business portraits for his   website   and profile on   celebrant.com.au . I was happy to oblige.  An endearing man, I couldn't think of anyone better to reside over a wedding.      

What to do with a Tween boy? Not too much actually. Little James was brilliant at having his own fun. His mother had prepared him well and he was relaxed and completely comfortable in front of the camera - the perfect subject! Rather, it was I who experienced difficulties. Of the technical kind, that is. I had tested my lights the day before and they had worked well. A tricky setup where I am sending my USA lights through a converter and battery pack but apparently I had blown a fuse and didn't realise it. However, we managed to make it work.

I love outdoor shoots. Pile a bunch of camera, lighting gear and paraphernalia into the boot and head to a complimentary location. Just have to remember the all important - memory card (had to make a quick trip home...doh!) Today we are at a wild strip of land just above Chatswood Golf Club . I loved the look of the long feral grass which was the perfect backdrop to my very own uninhibited child. Despite my clothing suggestions, we went with her diamond studded pajamas. Therefore I had to crop in pretty tight. The sun was in and out of the clouds which makes for a challenging shoot, but with reflectors and flashes, we were able to cope pretty well with it. Other than these usual challenges, I am pretty happy with the results for this outdoor portrait session.

If you think you've worked for the most demanding Art Director on the planet, think again...Little Miss Emily produced, directed and styled this 20 minute shoot. I love it..so much fun with Emily.

What a perfect Spring day to meet with my primary school friend, Jo. The Harbour was gleaming. Right before our coffee on the boardwalk at Circular Quay, I had a little chance to try out my new filter.. This is the view from Pier 6 looking northbound.

I had the wonderful pleasure of being able to photograph the families who have been accepted into the Habitat For Humanity Program for this year. These low income families will contribute 500 hours toward building their new, interest free homes. If you would also like to volunteer for Habitat, just visit their website . If you are a "creative" (photographer or graphic designer etc) and would like to volunteer with this or other organizations, you can register with Creative Cares . They will fit you to the right nonprofit, as they did with me. It always feels good to give back to the community in a way that makes best use of your skills. For me, it feels as though I have really made a difference. On that note, I would like to send out a huge thank you to Matt Kallio who assisted me with the shoot. He not only helped haul gear and set up but he went a little out of his comfort zone by using puppets and funny faces to help make the set a happy and fun place for the f

This project was a lot of fun. 4th and 5th Graders at Willamette all jump for their school Auction project. You will have to go to the auction to see the final product.

What a fabulous family and wonderful children, each with their unique outstanding personality made for a fun afternoon of  shooting. This family have an avid appreciation of photography so I had to keep on my toes and come up with some different ideas as well as add in a few more traditional ones. Clearly at ease with each other, the family fell into poses very naturally. I suppose because we were in their home, this added to their comfort.