Sometimes you have a couple with a different and unique personality that you know you must photograph in a different type of setting. This couple was perfect for the beautiful street art under the Hunter Street Bridge in Peterborough, Ontario. The bridge joins Peterborough's East City with the downtown core, and the Otonabee River runs under the bridge. We used a portion of the side of the river, with some old trees. The backdrop was perfect. In the background is the historic Quaker Oats building built in the 1890's and then reconstructed after a fire in 1916. led to a distinct feel of our home town. 

Just shortly before Christmas I was asked to photograph a wonderful couple in their home and in their neighbourhood. The idea of this shoot was to provide a portfolio for a wonderful event that they are undertaking - an adoption of a newborn baby!  I consulted with them and we talked about the types of photos that would be needed for their portfolio and we came up with some photos of their house and the rooms in the house, as well as general lifestyle photos of them interacting with each other and within their house. Additionally, I did some photos as a surprise for their friends and family on Christmas Day!  Take a look at the photos...I know you will love them. We are so happy for this couple and can't wait to meet their newest member!

Enjoying a wagon ride from the car to the field, we loved capturing these special moments from our outside Christmas photo sessions!  And... I must brag, we were so lucky with the weather.  A balmy 4 degrees, with some snow that had fallen a few days ago, and a cloudy sky as well, which helped with the perfect lighting for photos! 

At CatsMac Photography we welcome our four-legged friends as they are part of the family. This little furbaby is well loved by his family. A little bit older than a puppy, this dog, appropriately named "Fritz" was a little bundle of joy and behaved himself very well during his photoshoot. Merry Christmas to Fritz! 

Our first Christmas Photography Mini Sessions were a great success. Everyone loved our redesign of our indoor set for this year. Thank you everyone for being on time, and looking great. We really enjoy seeing all our repeat clients and getting to know some new ones too!  Next Sunday is the first of our outdoor sessions. Here's hoping for snow - and by the looks of it, I think we will be blessed with the white stuff.  

We are booking our indoor and outdoor Christmas mini sessions NOW! Indoor will be at our home studio, and outdoor at a local private field filled with trees! We are so excited this year to offer this. The outside location is just up Chemong Road past the Lindsay Road turnoff - north of Portage Place. Parking is perfect, right next to the trees. We are hoping there will be a blanket of snow to add to the festive feeling. 

We celebrated Tara and Pat's engagement with some beautiful fall colours near Nichol's Oval and the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario. The backdrop of the leaves and river led to some absolutely gorgeous photos. What could be more Canadian than a maple leaf and lots and lots of colour. Can't wait for your wedding next year! 

Want to get out and enjoy the crisp fall air and beautiful leaves? And update your family photos at the same time? We have just the thing for you!  Our annual Fall Mini Photography Sessions are here!  This year we will be at Nichol's Oval Park in the east end of Peterborough. It's an absolutely stunning park. The location is perfect for us as parking is good, and there is a playground for the kiddies after they get their photos taken! There are lots of props and a free pumpkin for each child!  Come on out for some great photos.

This family was fun!  I enjoyed a boat ride to their beautiful family cottage on Stoney Lake near Peterborough, Ontario. Meeting this family for the first time, and getting to know them a bit before starting their photo session. After fishing the dog out of the lake (who fell in trying to get out of the boat - don't worry, he was fine), and then playing with the kids for a bit, we started our session. I love the way they were all relaxed in front of the camera and how the kids interacted with me and with each other. This session was a blast!

I had the opportunity to join this couple and celebrate their engagement with some beautiful photos at a gorgeous fall location in Havelock. There really is something about fall photography!

Using the late afternoon sun, and the beautiful glow from the corn field, I created the perfect atmosphere for this lovely couple's engagement session. A walk through the corn, their beautiful dog Tess, and a red tractor led for a fun photoshoot!  I just love September!

When this couple contacted me and asked if I could do a photoshoot at the vintage Roseneath Carousel to celebrate their first anniversary, I immediately said yes!  The Roseneath Carousel is absolutely gorgeous. It was built in 1903 and has been lovingly restored. It is fully operational and you can actually ride it. The personalities of this couple suited the Carousel perfectly.

A vibrant and hot late summer day in a beautiful backyard in Havelock, Ontario was the scene for Peyton and Chris' wedding. Everyone came together to celebrate their day with fun and games, and a wonderful ceremony in a field while a guitarist gently strummed along. The newlyweds were up to some great sunset photos in the fields surrounding their home. Thank you for letting us be a part of your wedding!

I was very honoured to be asked to capture the 90th Birthday celebration for this amazing woman who has touched so many lives. She has raised 8 children, has 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.  The room was packed with people wishing her a very happy birthday. I could feel the emotion in the air. 

We were very happy to be a part of Jenn and Cindy's wedding in late August. Even though mother nature did not cooperate and the ceremony had to be moved inside due to heavy rain, the sun definitely shone for this couple that day. Their love and commitment to each other was evident and to capture this celebration was a true honour.  Congratulations Jenn and Cindy!! 

It's that time of year again when we start thinking about fall and back to school. Of course, with all the ads and items in the stores, how can we not?  And, at CatsMac Photography, we are gearing up for our annual Back To School photography sessions!  So, grab your new back to school clothes and backpacks, and come join us for some great photos!

I had the opportunity to meet these wonderful grandparents and photograph them and their grandkids! The backyard was absolutely stunning and was a PERFECT backdrop for our photo session. The kids were charming and very cooperative. It was so nice to have a wonderful evening celebrating two of their grandkids' birthday, as well as a family reunion.

I blogged about newborn lifestyle sessions vs newborn in-studio session last month. We've had a number of inquiries about lifestyle sessions and decided to offer a limited time 20% discount on lifestyle photography! We come to your home and photograph your activities with your newborn and other children. This is a great way to celebrate the birth of your baby, get some stellar photos for gifts, and relax in the comfort of your home at the same time. We bring props to use as well! A discount and we travel to you! What could be better? 

 Of course as newborn photographers we definitely offer this style of newborn photography to our clients in the Peterborough area and beyond.  We do however also offer an alternative type of newborn photography, which is a little lesser known, but just as beautiful and amazing as an in studio newborn session.  Lifestyle newborn photography. And it is becoming one of our all time favourite sessions.
We’d love to take some time to introduce everyone to this style of newborn photography and go over the many benefits that this relaxed newborn photo session has over it’s in studio counterpart.
Timing is everything when it comes to newborn photography.  For an in studio newborn baby photo session we like to try and get the newborns into our Peterborough Studio before they are two weeks of age.  When we are looking to obtain those sleepy, posed shots the younger the baby the better.  A baby that is fresh and new is much more likely to provide us with a deep sleep allowing us to work with their tiny bodies to achieve those uber adorable shots.  They are also very flexible at this age and quite enjoy being curled up and cozy while asleep just as they were in utero.
Time is also key during an in studio newborn session because it’s important that we wait until the baby is settled into that nice, deep sleep before we start to work with them.  This process can be lengthy and patience is everything. 

However, during a lifestyle newborn session the element of time does not hold as much weight.   The lifestyle newborn shoot focuses primarily on the interaction between the new baby and his family and surroundings and is much less centred around obtaining the perfect pose.  Therefore having a baby under two weeks of age become less important.  This is particularly helpful for Mothers who contact us once their newborn baby is over that magic age for traditional newborn photography.  Just because a baby is a little “older” it no longer means you have to miss out on those precious newborn moments! And, if everything play out right...we will try to get some of those cute newborn poses using baskets and other props! It's a win-win situation.

The location for your upcoming newborn session might also have you thinking about whether a studio photography session or a lifestyle shoot is the choice for you.  All of our studio sessions are conducted at our in home newborn studio.  We have everything here that we need in order to provide you with a great experience for your baby’s first professional photo shoot!  Our studio is stocked with all of the props, back drops and posing tools that we need.  The space has great light and is small so that it can be kept nice and warm to keep your baby comfortable during his/her session.  Parents have a cozy spot to relax during the shoot.  All in all it’s a great place to come for your newborn photo session.
However the thought of travelling with a newborn can be daunting for some new parents, especially in the winter.  Lifestyle newborn sessions are conducted in the comfort of the clients home. And it's especially handy if you have other children, who can play in their own home while the session is taking place. Of course, having siblings relaxed and happy will make for some great photos of them with the newborn too! Having your photo session take place in your home provides a level of intimacy and a personal touch to your lifestyle images that might be missing from your studio session.  Imagine having images of your baby in his/her own nursery or snuggling with Mama in your favourite chair.  Documenting beloved books, toys and that surely wonderful wardrobe some babies acquire before they are even here?!  These small details make your newborn’s photos even more special for years to come!

Of course most clients also want to capture some darling images of their new family dynamic during their newborn photo session.  Whether it be photos of baby with Mom, Dad, big brother or sister or all of the above, these treasured family photos can be obtained during both studio sessions AND in home lifestyle sessions.  However the resulting look is completely different.  Which you prefer is entirely up to you…..

It is true that during a studio session the light is controlled.  We know what to expect in our home studio.  We know that the light comes in big and beautiful at a certain time of day and that our studio lighting will light the room just as we need it. Our newborn clients will be sleeping peaceful, bathed in the light during their stay with us.  An in home lifestyle session cannot obviously offer the same kind of assurance.  Clients often come to us concerned that their home will not be bright enough, not be pretty enough. However, all we need is a bright window (not necessarily facing south). And, we bring all our portable studio lighting, so, in a pinch, we can imitate natural light.

SO there you have it.  A little 4-1-1 on the difference between your studio newborn sessions that we all know and love and the lesser known newborn lifestyle sessions that hopefully we will all get to know and love just as much, if not a wee bit more!
And the very best part of a lifestyle newborn session….if baby sleeps then we can still get those ooey gooey posed newborn shots…no matter where we are!