Glitterary Girl is Engaged!

Last Sunday, Jen (from Glitterary girl) and I spent the day in the studio taking photos for her blog, 'Glittery Girl' which can be found here. We had 5 different outfit changes, and iced chai tea lattes from Starbucks (which are now a new favorite of mine, thanks to Jen!) to get us through the day. 

The set-up was a bit different this time. Again, on white, but instead of tradition lighting for a white background, we used an enormous handmade softbox as our main light, and a reflector for fill on the left. Below is a photo taken with my iphone (so excuse the quality!) to give you a rough idea of the set-up. 

As I mentioned before, photoshop and I don't really get a long that great, so I try to avoid it as much as I can! Here is my favorite shot of the day. With barely any post work. (Just a bit to enhance the ring, and a bit of cropping!) 5 minutes post, at the max! Congrats Jen on your engagement!! 

Grade 9 'Prom'

Well, It's that time of year again! Graduation season is almost coming to a close. 
Last week I did some photos for a middle school graduate and her family. (My, have the times changed since I was in grade 9....) Now a days, it comes to no surprise for a limo to show up at grade 9 "Prom". I remember wearing a summer dress, and arriving in the family mini van! Mom did my hair, and I wasn't allowed to wear make-up! Here are a few shots from the session. 

                             Do you have any favorite memories from your Grade 9 'Prom'? 

Bust A Move!

In March I was one of a few volunteer photographers at the Bust a Move Fundraiser Event in Halifax, NS for Breast Health. The Canada Games Centre in Bayers Lake was packed with enthusiastic and hard working volunteers, who in total had raised an astonishing $515, 329.00 for cancer research. The atmosphere in the room that day was unbelievable. I was very proud to be apart of the event. 

For those of you who are unaware of how the day unfolds, participants 'bust a move' for 8 hours straight, changing activities once an hour, with a 15 minute break in-between. The activities (ie: yoga, kick boxing, zumba) are all directed by professionals on the stage at the front of the gymnasium. 

There is an album on my facebook page in case you are interested in checking out more photos from the day! 

Makeover Contest Winner!

Last month I had the privilege of photographing an event at Sunnyside Mall in Bedford, NS. So for this blog post, I thought I would tell you all about it!

One lucky contest winner was essentially pampered for the entire day. To start off, A personal shopper assisted with choosing $500 of free clothing from two different locations (Olsen Europe and Nygard). Followed by a hair cut/styling at 'Shades hair Studio', then finishing off with make-up application at Shoppers Drug Mart. I was able to capture some great before and after shots for our winner who was absolutely thrilled with her results. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the day. If you are interested in viewing more please check out my facebook page by clicking here.

                        The Contest winner on the left, with her personal shopper on the right!

To make this story even more interesting, our winner had just accomplished her goal of losing 35 lbs over a year of hard work and dedication. The makeover couldn't have been given to a better suited winner! How amazing! 

Laura Lee Handbags

Product photography is a science on its own.... I have only touched a tip of the iceberg with my shots of these lovely leather, handmade bags from Laura Lee. 
Laura is a small business owner, located in Bedford NS. She has recently started her business, and came to me for her website photos. We've had two studio sessions together so far, and plan to make it a regular occurrence, so stay tuned for updated photos!

To view more of these handbags, please visit my facebook page here : 'Amanda Brownhill Photography'. Also, if you are interested, Laura can be contacted through facebook here, or by searching through etsy by clicking here. 


-For those of you who are interested, I have included a photo of the set-up below! 

Last week I did a family photo session at Peggy's Cove for a military family who will most likely be posted sometime in the near future. They wanted a location that would scream Nova Scotia, so what better place, then Peggy's Cove. The weather was very drizzly and cold, but we managed to get a few nice shots in. 

This was my first time working with four kids all at once. And let me tell you! It wasn't easy! The family was a blast to work with. As much fun as it was, getting all four kids to look and smile at the camera at the same time was near impossible! 

- TIP: Sometimes I find getting the kids to say funny things like Stinky feet, and Pizza will get there attention, and maybe even a quick laugh or two!

If you're interested, there are a few more shots from the day on my Facebook page. (Amanda Browhill Photography) 

Hats Off!

Theres nothing more exciting than throwing on your graduation gown, and stepping in front of the camera. The smiles are ear-to-ear, as its the moment we've all been waiting for. All of the hard work and dedication has finally paid off.

Here are a few photos from a graduation session last weekend. Even though it was a fairly cold and windy morning, the weather for the most part cooperated. 

Ashley graduated from St. Mary's, and was joined by two very proud parents that day. 
I love the photo below. The sun peeked through the clouds at the perfect moment. 

Fun in the Studio!

Last weekend, my friend Jen and I, spent the entire day Sunday in the studio, shooting photos for her fashion blog, "Glitterary Girl" With nine different outfit changes, we were both exhausted by the end of the day! Jen will be posting a new outfit two-to-three times a week. So be sure to check back for more updates! Here are a few shots for her "Spring to Life" post: (By the way, I absolutely LOVE this dress!)

Old Trucks and HDR

This is a shot from Middleton, Nova Scotia. While visiting some friends, we decided to take a drive, and stumbled across this beauty! Seeing how I just absolutely love old trucks, it didn't come to any surprise to me, the effort I went through to get this shot. After climbing through rose bushes, stumbling over rocks, and climbing over hills, I was finally able to get an 'old truck' shot! Nothing should ever get in the way of creativity!

This is HDR (or High Dynamic Range). Three shots (one under-exposed, one properly exposed, and one over-exposed) were complied together through Photoshop to create a photo that has detail in both the shadows and highlights. It was then cropped to 4X5 to fit in and 8X10 glass frame.

Luck + ND Filters are a great combo!

A great combination of luck (being in the right spot at the right time) and ND filters helped me to capture this shot, as a storm was rolling in near Queens Land, Nova Scotia. It was one of those days where we had ventured out to go to the beach, and I just so happened to take my camera a long with me 'just incase'. We had actually drove by this location, and five minutes later, I realized that we had better turn around and go back, as I was pretty darn sure there was a potential shot to be had. That was the best decision I had made that day!

This shot is three separate photos, stitched together in Photoshop. Panoramic photography is my ultimate favorite, and can be quite stunning when done correctly. Always remember to use a tripod, overlap by around 30%, and keep your exposure the same throughout each photo.

Rollar Coasters and Cameras do not mix....

Last week we went to Florida for a six day vacation with another couple. The question that always seems to present itself to me whenever I travel for pleasure is 'Should I bring my camera, or not?'

Obviously the correct answer should be, 'of course... I should never leave home without it'. But then when we actually sat down and reviewed the pros and cons, unfortunately the cons outweighed the pros. We were going for a leisure vacation, to take in as many theme parks, and roller coasters as we could possibly fit in. (what on earth would I do with my camera while on a roller coaster??!!) Needless to say, I had never been on a roller coaster before...  Of course, I was very disappointed that I didn't bring it. I was stuck using a small point and shoot, which, as sad as it is, I completely forgot how to use.
(never mind the fact that the date is on the bottom of every shot.... one of my pet-peves..)
This image was captured in the Doctor Seuss exhibit, Universal Studios. (one of my favourites, by far) While everyone else was busy running between roller coasters, I was lagging behind, taking in the vibrant colours, and reminiscing my childhood. It was definitely quite something to see.

This image was captured at Johns Pass, Saint Petersburg, Florida. Again, this brought back fond memories as a child walking on this boardwalk with my grandparents.
While there is a lot going on in the photo, it definitely captures the hustle and bustle of the moment.
There is a great salt water taffy shop on the upper level. (If you like salt water taffy as much as I do, I strongly suggest stopping by if you are ever in the area!)

Early Morning Sunrise

These shots are from last fall (2012), and are my first experience with the "golden hour".  I woke up at 5:00 in the morning, and ventured out to one of my favourite places, close to Peggys' Cove, Nova Scotia. I have driven by this place many times on my way to a friends house, and have always wanted to photograph it. I have to admit, even though I sat there for an hour and a half freezing my little fingers off (because I have yet to find a good pair of gloves that I can still operate my camera with while wearing) it was well worth it. With the tide slowly coming in, and the odd car driving by, it was one of the most peaceful mornings I have ever experienced.

This one was taken just up the street from the two previous shots. 

The sun had fully risen, and the golden hour had long disappeared, (as you can tell from the sky in the top two windows) but the shadows are still very soft, as the sun was still low in the sky. 

Ok, so I've decided to try my hand at this blog thing. I am not much of a writer, (not much is clearly an understatement) but I thought it would be a great way to share some of my photos, plus a great way to keep me shooting things to post!

- These photos are from a shoot I did downtown a few months ago. (Before gloves and parka's were needed!) I have to admit... I'm not one for the cold, and during the winter months I tend to hibernate... which is a terrible thing for a photographer, and really takes a toll on the creativity side of things...

- I'm not big on photoshop, and to be honest, would rather get it right 'in camera' then spend time after the fact fixing things that should have been fixed on the spot... however, these particular shots do have a few 'touch-ups' done to them, but nothing too drastic!