Recalculating...

So - the big news is that after 7 years of saying "someday",  I just moved into a new studio space :) The story behind the big news goes like this..

Lately, with the help of the awesome Selina Maitreya as a coach and guide, I have been taking some time to look at the big picture of my business and life and really being conscious about considering where I would like to go with both. Selina has been a consultant to photographers for something like 30 years, and I've been doing her program (The Photographers Path) for a number of months now. The point of it - which sounds deceptively simple - is to figure out or remember what it is you truly love to shoot, and then build your business on a much narrower niche than you probably have in the past so that you are shooting what you love. Since you're lucky enough to love what you do, you'll be passionate in your execution of the work and it will show in your fantastic portfolio and very happy clients. There's a certain amount of faith involved - a bit of an "if you build it, they will come" kind of mentality - but it's been one of the most amazing processes I've ever been through.

I believe in Fate. I met my husband in the South of France a few years ago when our separate vacations to Nice overlapped by a few days - if that's not Fate, I don't know what is. It gives you this dizzy auto-pilot sort of feeling, when you're just doing what you're doing even though it may seem totally crazy to those around you - because you "know" it's what you're meant to be doing. Well, my friends, this was similar.

Back in March there was a show called The Artist Project down at the CNE in Toronto. A couple of months before that, a fabulously talented artist named Tanya Kirouac hired me to photograph her new work for the show. I don't know if you've ever been at a small-scale commercial photo shoot, but it's really just the two or three of you working very closely together all day - and you talk. Tanya and I talked about Art. And we talked about her show coming up, which she very kindly gave me a ticket to. Seeds had been planted in my imagination, although I'm not sure I realized it yet.

About a week before the show I got an email from my lovely friend Carolyn. We hadn't seen each other in quite a while, and in her email she mentioned that she wanted to get back into painting and making art again - even though that might sound "crazy" - and I thought it would be perfect if we went to check out this show together. We went with the intention of spending a couple of hours, and before we knew it 6 hours had flown by. It was awesome. We had such a great time, and I felt like I was floating on a cloud of inspiration over the following days and weeks :) Those unknown seeds were starting to sprout...

The only problem was this: being an "artist" was REALLY far from my current business model (haha) and something I hadn't even really dared to dream about since high school. I struggled (and I think so did Norman) with trying to imagine such a huge shift in what I use my photography for.

A couple of weeks ago I had a meeting with another amazing artist to discuss cataloguing her portfolio. Christine Kim told me a quick story about the point when she realized she wanted to be doing her art full-time. She said "you know when you go off-course and the GPS lady says "recalculating"? That's what it felt like. I spent about a week recalculating." This was exactly it. I needed some time to get my head around how this would fit into my life. In marketing terms, it's "repositioning". No matter what you call it, it's the most terrifying and exhilarating point my business has ever been at.

One of the other artists I spoke to at the show was a photographer/painter named Suzanne Ernst, whom we had met at the One of a Kind show a few months earlier. I was talking to her about the experience of doing shows, and she told me that applications for the Queen West Art Crawl in September were due at the end of the month. "Just apply" was what she said, and something in the simplicity of how she said it made it seem easy. So I did. Haven't heard back yet, so we'll see what happens.. {*update!* I've been accepted into the show, so now I'm in a state of blissful urgency getting ready for it!}

All this is sort of to explain what I've been going through in my head over the past months. And also to explain why I'm a photographer who just moved into a studio space that isn't really a shooting space. It's  a making space. I plan to be making beautiful pieces there, though I don't quite know what they'll look like yet!

When I look back at goals that I've set personally and for my business over the past few years, TRAVEL is the biggest consistent. I thought (and still think) "isn't it great that I have a job that allows me time to travel?" Now I'm starting to think - what if all the amazing experiences and things that I love about travelling could be made into works of art that would be a "real world" version of what it feels like inside my heart to be in these places and see these things?? I think it just might be awesome :)

Will I still be shooting commercial work? YES - only now I've really narrowed down who I want to work with. The people who have always been my favourite commercial clients: the Makers. Fashion designers. Jewellers. Ceramic artists. Glass artists. Painters. Multi-media artists. Interior designers. I love working with the awesome clients I currently have (here are some of them), and I love meeting and chatting with potential new clients.

Will I still be shooting weddings and babies? YES - I love LOVE. I love the emotions, the moments, and the beautiful details of these amazing parts of people's lives. I love building these relationships until I'm practically part of the family. I love designing gorgeous albums for my couples. I'm really looking forward to doing more of the awesome custom collages we just started offering.

Sheep, Northern Ireland

So what's going to change? Those thousands (and I'm not exaggerating!) of images I have stored on various hard drives in folders called "personal", all my travel images and other stuff that I shoot for pure joy, will finally see the light of day :) Norman has been gently pushing for two years now for me to print up and show my pictures of Northern Ireland, and I also have some beautiful images from Mexico, Paris, the south of France, Amsterdam, and Spain. This fall we are going to Japan, which is a trip I've been dreaming about for over a decade (!) and I can't wait to see the images that come from it :)

Palais-Royale, Paris (Man Sitting)

Also, I'll be the happiest me I can be :) Right now I've got that feeling of knowing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing, and it's this awesome glowy giddy feeling..

Yellow Wall, Mexico

Thanks so much to everyone mentioned for all the guidance, inspiration, and chats. Thanks to Erin Tracy, Jenny Greco, Melanie LeBlanc, Dawn Pearcey especially for YEARS worth of "figuring it all out" conversations during shoots and over tea :) Thanks always to my Mommies, who have shown by example that there are no impossible dreams :) And the biggest thanks to my Lovely Husband, Norman, for supporting what he doesn't always agree with, and for trying so hard to understand the way I see the world. It means everything to me :)

Locks, South of France

I'll keep you posted on my progress ;)

xo
Jessica

{p.s. - do me a huge favour and please scroll back up to the top of this page and click on the "love it" heart at the top right - thanks so much! And if you don't already, follow us on facebook and twitter!}

5 Awesome Reasons to go to the Spring One of a Kind this weekend in Toronto

As you may know, I never miss the One of a Kind show at Christmas, and I especially love the Spring show :) Why? Because most years it's the first sign of Spring we see, and what better way to celebrate all those little buds on the trees and the tulips starting to pop up than to spend a day surrounded by all the beautiful colours, textures and designs at the One of a Kind show!

Here's a little sneak peek of some of the very talented designers I've been working with recently, who can all be found at the OOAK show this weekend (show runs March 28-April 1 this year, for hours and directions check here)...

Melanie LeBlanc (booth i37) - Melanie grew up on a little island "up north", and her love of rugged natural beauty can be seen in all her unique pieces of jewellery - this is Melanie's first time at the One of a Kind so we hope she has a fantastic time!

Tiny Modernist (booth J23) - designer Cheryl McKinnon uses such amazing fabrics for all her adorable and chic little girls' dresses - this is one of my favourites in her award-winning Overall Dress..

Erin Tracy Designs (booth G9) - Erin will be unveiling her new "Navajo" collection at the Spring show - I love the way these feathers flutter as you move! (I realize this is hard to see in a still picture, so just go get some and see for yourself!)

Mena Dragonfly (booth G21) - ceramic artist Melanie Mena creates a line of clean and simple pieces in the most amazingly perfect shapes. She and her partner have just moved to Prince Edward County where they have bought a B&B, and look forward to serving up many a tasty breakfast on these yummy dishes!

 Jenny Greco (booth L43) - Jenny uses the most exotic nuts and seeds I've ever heard of to create her bold and colourful jewellery - this one has a tagua nut - you have to hold them in your hands to really see  the amazing textures (better yet, try one on!)

I'm so proud to work with all of these lovely and talented designers and look forward to seeing them at the show today :)  If you're in Toronto this weekend, make sure you come check it out too!

{and if you're a designer looking for an awesome photographer/new friend, email me now and we'll get together for tea and a chat about your work!}

Tanya Kirouac at The Artist Project show in Toronto March 1-4

February is normally a very slow time of year for us, but this year seems to have been non-stop! I've already had the good fortune to work with three amazing new clients - all very talented and inspiring women - one of whom will be exhibiting at The Artist Project show this weekend at the Queen Elizabeth Building at Exhibition Place. Tanya Kirouac is an amazing artist :) Over the years, she has built her technique of using encaustic wax painting to incorporate many layers (both physical layers and layers of meaning) into her pieces. I spent a day and a half staring at her work, and still kept finding new things! I loved talking to her about art and her process while we were shooting her work.. I think it's really awesome when you find out that the reason she's got so much bird imagery in her pieces is that she's enamoured with all the birds she's seen on her property in Prince Edward County. And that the pieces of sheet music embedded in her designs are chosen specifically because the songs are about gardens and flowers (as well as being visually lovely). I LOVE that kind of stuff - the added depth that a painting takes on as you speak to it's creator and learn where it all came from :)
If you're in Toronto this weekend you should definitely stop by the show to check out Tanya's work in real life. You may just find (like I did) that you need to bring one of these beautiful little gardens home with you!

Here's a sneak peek:

up close you can see the amazing detail and all the layers... 

(this one is mine now - so you'll have to come to my place to see it!)

If you can't make it to the show, be sure to visit Tanya in her studio space in the Distillery District!

And if you also happen to be a visual artist and would like your work shot for your portfolio, please email me now for more information :)

Inspired by Colour at the Spring One of a Kind in Toronto

Last week was a crazy busy week, so I didn't get a chance yet to share my experience of the Spring One of a Kind show - anyways, here we go...

I love the Spring show, no matter what the weather is outside you know that sunny days and warm breezes are just around the corner :) The designers always seem to be inspired by this energy and so many of the booths are full of bright colours, pretty patterns, and a hopeful *something* in the air - and this year was no exception.

As Norman and I walked around the show visiting with friends, clients, and some potential new clients, I was giddy with delight over the rainbows of colour that we saw. If you know me, you know I love colour (pretty much all the colours, with the sometimes exception of red)...lots of colour and many colours together :)

{Once again, I owe a big thank you to my fantastic boyfriend Norman, for pointing out things I would have missed, for being charming and conversational, and for walking around the show for over 5 hours with me without ever complaining..}

Here is a sample of what we saw...

SO pretty! ruffled lilac scarves at Leah Bazian's booth..

the CUTEST tiny dresses and hats from Red Thread (Devorah asked if we had a little girl - we said we'd have to work on finding one!)

I also loved their awesome display :)

Fantastic feathery hair pieces in all colours imaginable by Oh Dina! - perfect if you have a wedding coming up this summer...or just want to look fancy wherever you're going!

I loved how fiber artist Nancy Yule magically included every colour in the world into her pieces, without it ever seeming like too many colours :)

Check out these light ribbony scarves..

tiny drawers for tiny treasures :)

and magnets - which you can never have too many of!

These addorable little dresses were from design team Barb and Jackie of Keiko - they are so new that they don't have a website yet, but keep your eyes open because I think they'll be growing fast with such pretty little prints..

and awesomely cute embroidery!

I loved this dress - the dandelion grows as you move from left to right, and on the other side of the dress the wind comes along and blows the fluff all over the place - fantastic concept beautifully executed :)

These scarves by Marie Pierre Daigle were like sculptures made of yarn, silk, and felt - and all in yummy  colours!

I have long been fascinated by glass bead-making, and these pieces by Lunacy Glass were some of the most amazing examples I've ever seen - everything cute and woodland-y you could possibly desire in a necklace!

Glass artist Lucie and I also share a love of Mexican themes and images..

these floral beads had such amazing depth to them!

If these next pieces look familiar, maybe it's because you saw some images from my recent shoot with Jenny Greco - it was great to see her at the show! I love how she carries her love of natural materials into her design of her booth display...

And I know I might be a *bit* biased since I photographed these images for her ;) but I also love these big banners at Erin Tracy's booth - even on a busy day like this, everyone can still see these!

So - Spring inspiration accomplished, I'm really excited about maybe starting a pretty creative project of my own (once our kitchen is done..almost there!) and definitely excited about upcoming shoots with these and other talented local designers :) If you design or make something pretty and you're looking for an awesome photographer in Toronto, I would love to hear from you! Check out my website, or send me an email :)

Happy Spring Everyone!

Jenny Greco Jewellery Photo Shoot

As the Spring One of a Kind Show approaches here in Toronto, many of my clients have new lines or pieces that they want photographed. This was my first time working with Jenny Greco, so we shot almost her entire collection (!) of fantastic chunky and richly coloured jewellery. Jenny uses a lot of natural elements like wood and seeds in her work, which I love, and she was also a complete pleasure to work with, which I really love :)


Here are some of my favourite shots from our collaboration:

these black "stones" are actually lava!!

Jenny uses all different kinds of wood to make her chunky rings; this leopard-looking one was my favourite!

this bracelet from Jenny's "Totem" collection is made with ebony and silver - a really nice contrast :)

I can't wait to see Jenny's website once all the new images are up!

All of this and more will be available at Jenny's booth at the One of a Kind Show (you can find her at booth P-24), and she also has a lovely new studio space in the Distillery District, in the Case Goods  building - check her out and support local talent!

For more examples of work I've done with local designers, please see my website. If you are a designer of something beautiful and you are looking for a photographer - I'd love to talk to you! Email me for more information :)

Happy New Year!

Hello and welcome!

My name is Jessica, I'm a professional freelance photographer in Toronto, and I love what I do.

The purpose of this blog is to share with you some of my adventures in photography and life, which I hope you find enjoyable, perhaps entertaining, and - if I'm really lucky! - inspiring in some way.

I do two main types of photography - commercial images for local independant designers, and wedding and portrait work. For a long time I tried to choose between the two as the direction I wanted for my business and for myself as a creative professional, but I really love the variety and the balance of the two so decided to keep them both. The commercial work I do is almost always in studio, and although it's often creative (and I'm always working with amazing creative people), it's a very controlled environment. Weddings on the other hand, are anything but controlled most of the time - but the thrill of the unpredictable and the beauty of emotions and relationships at a wedding is unbeatable.

I have two websites (one for each "branch") - the commercial one is www.JessicaLin.ca, and the wedding one is www.JessicaLinPhotography.ca. I'm working on a facebook page, and I'll let you know when it's up and running..

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit, and I hope you enjoy :)