Well, I made it! 2010 marked the year that I officially put myself out there as a photographer, approached perfect strangers for photo sessions, began building a portfolio and eventually – on October 1st of this year – officially launched J. Dunham Photography!
I have to say, I’m proud of myself! It isn’t easy to put yourself via your work – your passion – out there for all to see. To judge, really! I can honestly say that at the very beginning of the year I was not comfortable calling myself a photographer. I would say, “I do photography” and leave it at that. Now I embrace the title and I own it. Sure, I’m still learning but I always will be – it wouldn’t be fun if I ever were to feel like I knew it all! I’ve met some amazing people along the way – fellow photographers who support, push and encourage – and clients who inspire me with the love and emotion that comes through when I photograph them.
I thought it would be fun to take a look back through the year. I’ve been lucky to have had many sessions – too many to share here – so I will attempt to narrow it down to just my absolute favorites. This isn’t easy!
Subject: Family; Look requested: Artistic; Why I love it: It’s got a bit of everything – cool sunflare, interesting perspective thanks to the wide angle lens, awesome location and gorgeous subjects.
Subject: Baby; Look requested: I don’t recall a specific look but this mom was fun and had all sorts of clothing choices and ideas – I love clients like that!; Why I love it: I think it’s a great composition, a fun setup with the props and clothing, but mostly I love it because I could not have posed the baby with her finger to her mouth like that if I tried. Spontaneous movements like that are the best!
Subject: Maternity; Look requested: Client left it up to me; Why I love it: Again, I’ve got a gorgeous client and location here but I love it because of that look on her face. Joy. Pure joy! She’s pending the arrival of her new baby and she’s already in love. I feel this photo conveys that and that’s why I love it.
Subject: Newborn; Look requested: They were up for anything and we truly did it all in this session; Why I love it: How could I not? Look at this kid! Born just shy of eleven pounds, he’s just the most adorable little chunkster I may have ever seen! I love it because of his pose and expression. I can’t help but look at that sweet face and wonder what he’s thinking? Thank goodness for heavy sleepers!
Subject: Child; Look requested: Anything; Why I love it: You know, this is one of those images where I’m not sure if others like it or not but I simply love it. I’m not heavy handed with the tilt style but I did it for this shot because it felt right. She was moving and it added to her free flow of movement, I thought. She’s like a little girl in the city, ready to meet the world! Reminds me of the last scene of the opening credits of the Mary Tyler Moore Show!
Subject: Family; Look requested: I was asked to try to get sunset shots as a part of the session; Why I love it: Well, I love the silhouette here and the deep blue sky, orange of the setting sun and little bit of sunflare peeking at the child’s waist. But mostly I love this shot because of the kiss between mother and daughter – priceless!
Subject: Mother & Daughter; Look requested: Artistic black and white as a Father’s Day gift; Why I love it: Number one, I love the eye contact I got from the little girl. Priceless. But more than that, this was such a tiny moment in time between mother and daughter that can never be recreated. I was honored to have been asked to capture it. The entire shoot was for the purpose of this one look and we got it!
Subject: Newborn; Look requested: Classic newborn; Why I love it: This is a classic pose that many a newborn photographer do but it doesn’t always pan out. In this case, I think it’s just perfect: baby positioned lovingly in his mother’s hands showing off how tiny he once was, the first hairs on his head, his toes peeping up from the background. Focus fell right where I wanted and I loved the shallow depth of field on this one. Perhaps it’s the simplicity of the shot that really draws me in.
Subject: Baby; Look requested: Any – I did ask if I could take some of the mother with her son and this image comes from that; Why I love it: Again, it’s all about emotion. Here we have a beautiful young mom but what’s more is her love for her son. It just shines through! I’m also fond of the angle – how we can see both of their faces – and the playfulness between them.
Subject: Child; Look requested: Well, this is my child and I was going for a concept shoot – the idea was of a little girl running away. There are others from the series but this is the one I chose to display; Why I love it: I adore the color of the metal on the old rusted train car and the look on my daughter’s face as she gazes out the window. It’s as if she’s wondering if what lies ahead is better than what she’s leaving behind. Or maybe I just have mommy goggles! You decide!
Thank you to everyone who shared in this year with me! I can’t wait to get to work in 2011 and really establish myself as the North Bay’s premier newborn (and more) photographer!
