Thursday, October 19, 2017

Outdoor Portrait Photography in the Niagara Region


The beautiful background of the scenic Niagara Region, offers so many opportunities to create stunning outdoor portraits! Whether it be along the shores of Lake Erie or Lake Ontario, or the Niagara River, or one of the many gorgeous parks and trails, or even within our cities and towns, there are limitless options for your outdoor portrait session.

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As a professional portrait photographer in Canada, I spend the long, cold winters doing mostly studio portrait photography and using our gorgeous natural environment in more comfortable weather conditions. Family portrait sessions, especially in the fall, are ideal outdoors where kids often feel more relaxed than in the studio with lots of lighting equipment around. Individual portraits done outdoors are completely unique works of art that blend the environment, the natural light, my outdoor lighting and creativity and the expressions and personality provided by my subjects. 


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While I do a lot of natural light photography when the lighting conditions make that the best choice, my preference is to enhance the natural light with my own mobile studio lighting equipment. At times I use my lighting just to add a spark of life to the eyes, or to create dramatic stylized imagery that stands apart from natural light photographs. Beautiful photography is all about light, and as a professional photographer I feel it is imperative that I am able to use both natural light and supplemental studio lighting outdoors.


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I’m always open to suggestions for new locations to try out in the Niagara Region and throughout southern Ontario. I’ve photographed clients in Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Welland, Port Colborne and beyond in order to fulfill the vision of my clients. Planning is key for outdoor portrait sessions both in terms of location, weather and time of day for optimal lighting conditions. Before each session, the client and I discuss their vision and how best to achieve it. This also includes detailed conversations about the clothing worn for the session. As you’ll see in my outdoor portrait photography portfolio, great attention to detail is given to all of these considerations to ensure that clients are overwhelmed by the stunning images I’m able to create for them.

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View more images from my outdoor portrait portfolio gallery HERE.

Contact me by email at mail@chrismccooey.photography or phone 289-407-8559 and let’s discuss your one of a kind outdoor portrait session in the Niagara Region!

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Children’s Studio Portrait Photography - Niagara Region


Winter is an ideal time for a children’s portrait session in my Fort Erie studio! Clients from throughout the Niagara Region have been bringing their little cherubs for fun, creative studio portrait sessions since 2009. I enjoy working with moms (and dads… but it’s the kind of thing that moms often handle) to plan out a vision for the session. Some parents just want cute studio portraits to hang on their wall while others like to dress up their kids in costumes, sports wear, princess dresses, vintage duds or a myriad of other ideas. Whatever your vision, I will work with you to create stunning images that you’ll be proud to display in your home.


As a father of a young child, I know that kids personalities and expressions are more than just adorable smiles, though I love them too. My goal is to make photographs that show the unique, quirky, loveable character of your child. Sometimes that includes smiles, but it also includes all the other expressions that are so much a part of who we see as our children. Many of my most powerful images are of a child looking directly into the camera without a smile. The intensity of a neutral expression can be overwhelming!

In my studio you’ll be able to view a variety of modern, ready-to-hang wall portrait options. While you will love all the pictures I take of your children, there are usually a few that are truly special to you. The best way to show them off is on a wall portrait displayed prominently in your home!

The majority of my children’s studio portrait clients come from cities and towns in the Niagara Region, including Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Welland and Port Colborne, to my Fort Erie studio. One of the advantages of studio sessions is that weather is not a factor (except for driving on occasion) so studio portrait sessions can be booked at anytime of day and the lighting will always be perfect.

Have a look at my portfolio of children’s studio portraits by clicking HERE.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Fall Family Portrait Sessions in and around the Niagara Region of Ontario!


As we approach my busiest season of the year, I thought it would be a good time to show you some of my past fall sessions. 
Along with the beautiful coloured leaves, fall also has perfect weather for outdoor sessions. The cooler temperatures allow clients to wear long sleeves and layers comfortably, which are ideal for portrait photography. Clothing selection is key to great family portraits and along with a PDF I send to clients regarding clothing choices, I consult with many of them to ensure they've chosen wisely. Location is another key element and I have several favourite places in the Fort Erie area, that guarantee great images. I'm more than happy to explore other options in the Niagara Region and southern Ontario.
Here are few images from past fall family photography sessions to show you both good clothing choices and excellent locations.




Check out my family portrait photography portfolio by clicking HERE.





Contact me by email at mail@chrismccooey.photography or phone 289-407-8559 to book your session!
Limited spaces available for October.