Bald alien babe

Bald alien babe

I had a portrait session with local photographer Invidia Obscura a few weeks ago; I loved what they did the last time I shot with them, and since I came out back in August, I had been hoping to get another good batch of gender-affirming photos. As many selfies as I take, I wanted to have some nicer pictures of myself for the website and my web presence in general.

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Portrait Shoot - Steve and Alecia (August 25)

I hadn’t taken out my camera in about two years, but have been feeling the itch to update my portrait gallery for a while. My friends Steve and Alecia took me up on my offer and invited me to come with them and their son to Switch Dartmouth (for privacy reasons, I am not including any pictures I got of their son here).

Behind the lens

I haven't taken pictures in a while; I want to get back into it as a hobby. I don't want to have any expectations to meet, just a chance to play around, possibly with friends, and get comfortable with the camera and my own skills that I don't feel like I'm struggling to juggle the need to think technically and be aware of the right moment to capture the shot. I rush to get through my discomfort and it shows in the pictures. I eventually would like to get some new gear, but before I do that, I want to feel like I've mastered working with the stuff I have.

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Portrait shoot: Laura (February 7)

My friend Laura and I had been meaning to do a shoot for a few weeks; the weather in Halifax was actually quite mild and gorgeous on Sunday, so we headed downtown. We did the first part of the shoot in Victoria Park, then went behind the library for the rest.

Laura then got a few shots of me before we headed off:

If you live in the Halifax, NS area, like what you see here, and want to do a shoot with me, I'm offering pay-what-you-can pricing for anyone who books a sitting for the month of  February. Granted, I won't shoot in the middle of a blizzard like the one we had yesterday, but as long as the weather cooperates, we should be good to go.

Portrait shoot: Laurie (April 19)

I'm trying to make a little extra money to save for a trip to NYC this year, as well as get some more practice before shooting a wedding, so I'm offering pay-what-you-can portrait shoots for anyone in the Halifax, NS area from now until June 12. Send me a message through the contact form or e-mail me directly at bjdwsm(at)gmail(dot)com and we'll work out the specifics.

Now taking sittings for portrait shoots

I had sittings with two different couples this month: an engagement shoot in Hemlock Ravine Park on the 1st (which was my first paid shoot), and a maternity shoot in Halifax Public Gardens yesterday evening.  When shooting, I don't really have too many set ideas for what I want to do and prefer to follow the lead of my subjects; if something comes to mind as we walk around or in the middle of one pose, I'll pursue it, but many of the best shots come from when everyone's relaxed and loose, and I catch the little signs of life that don't necessarily come out of the initial pose.

My portfolio still needs a bit more work, but I will include a section for my couples portraits; I still have to go through my other photography for other parts of my portfolio, but if the weather holds up I may go out with the camera this weekend.

I continue to welcome new opportunities for portrait shoots in the Halifax area; I am available anytime after 4:30 on weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday.  I'm only charging for natural light outdoor portraits at this time; however, I need more practice using my flash and doing night portraits, so I'm looking for volunteer models for that kind of work.  Send me a line through the contact page if you're interested in a sitting.