Smile :)

You know when you have found your prince 

because you not only have a smile on your face but in your heart as well.  

~Author Unknown

  
This is another one of those images that just grabs me at the heart.  I loved capturing this couple's spirit, joy and love for life.  

Remember, portraits are not just for babies and for young couples with children or even weddings.. they are also for our parents and grandparents !!   So, next time you are wondering what in the world to give your parents for their birthday or anniversary.. or any other special occasion…  give them a unique portrait session.  It's that simple ;)

Sincerity

 Originality is... a by-product of sincerity.  

~Marianne Moore

Boudoir - keeping it real

Over the weekend I organized a photography blitz, more of a personal project than anything else. With the theme of boudoir, not traditional boudoir with the over-the-top sexy poses.. but more soft and feminine .... all in the spirit of keeping it real.  I'm so thankful for the wonderful women who embarked on my little journey with me.  It was so much fun, lots of laughter and girl talk :)

I will be posting more images as I work on them....  but for now, a little sample.

Ice Dragon

I find beauty and art in the most unlikely places.  Or, maybe it finds me ??

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”

J.R.R Tolkien

The Lord of the Ring

Because real life is beautiful

I recently had a conversation with a client and she told me that she loved to open up the blog in the morning and see what I was up to.  She loved the fact that not only was I was publishing my professional work, but that I was telling my story in images.  It started her day off with a smile.   This, just as I was questioning myself : Should I stick to only professional images on the blog or continue what I'm doing.

It's settled then .... I will continue to show you my crazy life in images..... because, after all : 

REAL LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL!!

So......

Welcome to today's installment of:

The Froot Loop Chronicles

(or the art of eating a soggy bowl of cereal.)

There is something about a soggy bowl of cereal that makes my tummy sick, but my kids seem to enjoy it for some reason.  (There are probably a lot of you out there, but I just don't get it.)

I may be a little unconventional as a mom, but I let my kids discover and get all dirty. I really do enjoy seeing them ask questions to themselves.. You can see it in their eyes.  Most of the time, this ends up in me cleaning a mess, but that's perfectly fine with me.

The finishing steps are obvious... picking up the bowl and drinking the milk.

[Insert cute slurping sound here] 

Oh, and my fave image of the morning...  You see, this image wouldn't be possible without some of the tricks I have up my sleeve :)   Little Miss holding her hands in front of her eyes, telling me in her 3 year old diva voice "No more pictures".  So, I put down the camera.. and tell he, ok, no more pictures... but... since I've done this countless times before... I angle up the camera that I've laid on the table and wait.  CLICK.

Well, that concludes today's installment of the Froot Loop Chronicles.

Hope You enjoyed it !

Blurring the outline

"Words falls upon the facts like soft snow, blurring the outline and covering up all the details."
-George Orwell

This is one of those images that had me lost in lightroom and photoshop.. um, almost burnt my dinner over it !!!!!!.  I must say, the concept for this image has been photographed numerous times by many, so let me quote from Been there, done that : 

Yes, this type of photograph may have been done countless times before, but not by me!

Love that quote, absolutely LOVE it I say !!!!!! 

Lonely Bob

For those of you who follow me on FACEBOOK, you've seen this first photo of my daughter with the snowman named Bob.  I don't know why... most things in our home get named Bob for some reason.  Anyhow, as you can see in the second image... he's a bit lonely so next time there is some perfect sticky snow, I'll have to make him a snowwoman :)

 

It's lonely and cold on the top... lonely and cold.  

Judy Garland

Professor Zündapp

When I'm good, I'm very good. But when I'm bad I'm better.
Mae West

Yes, I've been having lots of fun with my new lens.  I noticed the license plate on Professor Z yesterday and thought it would make for a great photo.  For those of you not in the know, Professor Z is a character from the Cars 2 movie ... (excerpt from wiki)   an internationally wanted weapons designer in a small, sophisticated German package. He is a brilliant, but mad monocle-wearing scientist who is plotting to sabotage the World Grand Prix.

Stupendous glaciers

I hope each and everyone of you had a safe and happy Christmas !  

Forests, lakes, and rivers, clouds and winds, stars and flowers, stupendous glaciers and crystal snowflakes - every form of animate or inanimate existence, leaves its impress upon the soul of man.

- Orison Swett Marden

Santa brought me a new lens to play with.  That means, you will be bombarded with Macro images the next little while.  I've been wanting a macro lens for quite some time... more-so, for my personal photography.. oh but I do plan on using it for weddings too !!!

Yesterday could not have been more perfect... nature offered me the most beautiful snowflakes to photograph !

Twas the night before Christmas....

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!

À la recherche de muses....

Noël n'est pas un jour ni une saison, c'est un état d'esprit.

Calvin Coolidge

J'ai fait une petite vidéo du tirage et le nom du gagnant est ????  

 

Maintenant que j'ai votre attention ;)

Je suis à la recherche de muses, de sujets qui désirent partir à l'aventure avec moi.  Peut importe votre physique, votre âge, votre style, je cherche des gens inspirants et qui n'ont peur de rien pour me permettre de mettre mes idées en images.  Passez le mot !!!

Je suis à la recherche de personnes, de familles et de couples qui seront prêt à êtres mes cobayes pour des projets photographiques personnels ou professionnels au cours de l'année 2012. 

La signature d'une entente de confidentialité et une décharge de modèle sera requise.  Dans le cas de mineurs, la signature des deux parents sera requise.

En retour, vous recevrez un DVD des meilleures images de la séance, une impression de qualité porte-folio ainsi qu'un certificat cadeau applicable à une prochaine séance photo.

Veuillez me contacter via la page contact de mon site web www.juliemarie.ca  et indiquer que vous êtes intéressés a participer a mes projets photographiques.

Je communiquerai avec vous afin d'obtenir une ou deux images récentes de vous ou de votre famille afin de voir quel projet pourrait convenir le mieux.

Tirage !!!!!!!

Bonjour à tous !

Pour les fidèles qui me suivent, je fais tirer un cadre numérique de 14 pouces ce samedi le 24 décembre !!  

J'aime beaucoup le cadre puisque je m'en suis acheter un pour moi aussi !  Je trouve que 14 pouce c'est une très belle grandeur pour mettre en valeur vos images !!  Le prix est d'une valeur d'environ 200$  

Pour avoir la chance de gagner, simplement être un membre de ma page FACEBOOK ou être déjà un client !

Comment gagner ?

• Être un membre de ma page FACEBOOK vous donne droit à une (1) participation

• Partager ma page vous donne une (1) participation supplémentaire de gagner (limite d'un partage par jour).

• Les clients de Julie Marie ont droits à 5 participations supplémentaires, y compris ceux qui nous ont réservé pour 2012 !

Les entrées sont acceptées jusqu'au 23 décembre 2011 à midi.

......Une nouvelle tradition de noël pour moi.....

Depuis mon arrivée au Québec, il y a plus de 10 ans maintenant, j'ai découvert: votre poutine, la crème glacée mole (surtout celle des Chocolats Favoris !), votre fromage en grain et aussi, tout récemment… Le fabuleux pain au fromage !!  Lorsqu'on m'a présenté le pain au fromage pour la première fois, j'étais très septique…  Je répète…  Très septique.  Mais malgré le look, c'est étrangement bon !!

Catching up....

We celebrated my son’s fifth birthday today.  My oldest daughter and I were up quite late putting the finishing touches on his Lego cake.  We had a blast.  (OK, to be honest….  It wasn’t really a blast, it was real long putting those circles on.. one by one)    :)

Since my son’s birthday is so close to Christmas. We don’t put up any Christmas decorations until we’ve had his party.  So this week will be a busy week of decorating and baking all those Christmas goodies, not to mention filling the stalking’s and wrapping the gifts..

  

To get me into the Christmas vibe…  I recently photographed this little princess and her family in Pont Rouge.  This is my 5^th photography session with them, and I love the challenge of creating something different and unique to them every time.  

I will be posting the second part of this session in the New Year. And before I forget… be on the lookout for an announcement on the blog and FACEBOOK on Monday ! (If you haven't liked the page yet.. you might want to do so.. hint, hint.)

I have some seriously cute and funny out-takes when we took the candy cane away from her. Lets just say, she let us know she wasn't pleased !! I'm told that the out-takes

 

These are the most darling tights ever !!

Family

The family is one of nature's masterpieces.  

~George Santayana, The Life of Reason

 

Over the weekend, I had a wonderful family "Christmas themed" photography session. 

This is just a sneak peek ..you will be seeing more soon.  :)

Also, I do want to say a BIG thank you to the newest member of the Julie Marie team, our new assistant. She did a great job helping me out.. it was great to have an extra pair of hands and eyes.

Three

Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky,

We fell them down and turn them into paper,

That we may record our emptiness.

~Kahlil Gibran

This photo was taken today.  Since there were many cars behind me when I saw this, I had to drive a little more... then, turn around and come back.  Again, it was around 3 pm.. I didn't have much time....the light was fading.  My mom loves trees... this one is for her. 

Last night at La Brûlerie St-Roch

Yesterday evening I met up with a friend I have not seen in aprox. 2 years.  It was great to catch up and talk about the things we have in common, our projects, our families....  Too often we get caught up with our daily lives and last night was a breath of fresh air, breaking with the routine and doing something I have been wanting to do for a long time !

I ordered a coffee that well.. its name is a little obscene.  If you have ever been to La Brûlerie St-Roch, you know exactly the one I am referencing. It was delicious and the late evening caffeine kept me up a little longer than I would have liked.. but so worth it !

I resisted the deserts.  I'm so proud of myself !!!!!!!!

And as I walked back to my car...  of course something caught my eye.

I do want to bring you all more slices of my life, not just the formal photography sessions (which I know you love)... but also the day to day. My camera is really an extension of who I am and how I see the world..   The people I encounter, the places I go .... these are my true sources of inspiration.

Thanks again for reading !!   

Les Grands Prix Sirius du CHUQ 2011

Il y a quelques temps, j’ai publié un billet de blogue vous disant que j’allais expliquer plus en détails le projet auquel je travaille depuis plus de deux ans.  Je vous invite à consulter la publication en suivant ce lien (à la page 15) pour y lire la description du projet.   

L’implication sociale a toujours été d’une grande importance pour moi…   Partager ses forces, ses  talents à des gens qui en ont grandement  besoin.  

It really is an honor to be recognized for my implication, but beyond that….  There are so many great projects; the involvement of dedicated people at the CHUQ is astounding.  People who really do go above and beyond to bring comfort, hope.. Offering their smiles, their hearts to helping other people.. These people make a difference.  Some do it by their dedication to medical research, others by elaborating and implementing projects or donating their time to knit bonnets for premature babies.  They are all STARS… every single one of them.  I do hope you take the time to read through the amazing projects… the people involved....  They are truly inspiring.

I couldn't resist taking a few images of the amazing talent that there is at the CHUQ.

My involvement wouldn’t be possible without the help of three amazing women, Dre. Julie Laflamme, Dre Helene Roy and Mme Martine Tremblay.  They really have been pillars throughout the whole project. They also won a Sirius for the Prix Rayonnement.  I'm so very proud of them, they worked so hard to make L’aménagement des chambres en soins palliatifs pédiatriques a reality !

La Dre Julie Laflamme (right, holding Sirius statue), la Dre Hélène Roy (2nd from right) et Mme Martine Tremblay (4th from right)
Collaborateurs : les membres de l’équipe de soins palliatifs pédiatriques du Centre mère-enfant, M. Serge Comtois (dsT), Mmes Sylvie Caron et Line Desmarais (bénévoles), avec le soutien de la Fondation du CHuQ
Réalisation : L’aménagement des chambres en soins palliatifs pédiatriques

Holding back tears was difficult, the evening was quite rich in emotion. Let me share with you my address.

 

Photo : Jacques Edmond Paultre

On se souvient des gens par des objets qui leurs étaient chers que l'on conserve.  On se souvient des gens par leurs gestes ou leurs expressions qu'on voit dans les autres ou que l'on répète nous même.  On se souvient des gens par ces images gravées en notre mémoire qui nous les rappelle…

Mais quels souvenirs conservons-nous de ces enfants, qui nous quittent trop rapidement.  De ceux qui n'ont même pas eu la chance d'avoir pu quitter l'hôpital.

Une amie, que j'ai rencontrée après avoir débuté le projet MesAnges, m'a racontée qu'elle aurait aimé recevoir des images de son enfant décédé à l'âge de 3 jours suite à une naissance prématurée.   Puisque qu'elle habitait la côte-nord à ce moment, qu'elle a dû être hospitalisée à 400km de chez-elle et que tout est arrivé si soudainement, elle a pu conserver qu'un seul cliché sombre de son enfant que l'hôpital lui a remise. 

Pour moi, une image est plus qu'une représentation du moment présent, figé dans le temps.  Une image raconte.  C'est une histoire.  Une image, même immobile, est vivante.  C'est ce qui me motive à participer à ce projet.  C'est une manière pour moi d'offrir à ces familles des souvenirs vibrants et durables.  C'est un service que mon amie, quand je lui ai parlé du projet MesAnges, aurait aimé recevoir, pour avoir plus que ses propres souvenirs.

Merci Julie, Hélène et Martine.  Vous êtes des femmes extraordinaires et il me serait difficile de participer à un projet comme celui-ci sans compter sur votre aide et votre appui.

Merci à mon conjoint de faire tout en son possible pour que je puisse m’investir dans ce projet en me permettant de me rendre disponibles quand les familles le sont.

Merci aux 3 photographes, Jacques Edmond Paultre, Neil Letourneau et Karine Roy  qui se sont joins à l'équipe lors de la dernière année.  Votre aide est grandement appréciée.  

Merci aux familles de me laisser entrer dans leur cercle malgré la douleur et de partager avec moi ces moments très intimes et de me laisser créer pour eux des souvenir du passage parmi nous de leurs trésors.

Merci à petit Zachary, Catherine, Jerome, Matilde …. pour tout ce que j'appends sur moi à chaque fois que je suis en contact avec vous.

Photo : Jacques Edmond Paultre

Photo : JFD

Me and Frederick De Grandpre who was the evening's Master of Ceremony

Red

Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin.

That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.

Gwyneth Paltrow

(I know I've used this quote before... it just works and today it has extra special meaning)  I'm stepping out with a new shade of lipstick...

Melt

To take a photograph is to participate in another person's mortality, vulnerability, mutability.
 Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it,
all photographs testify to time's relentless melt.”

Susan Sontaq

I took this image around 3 pm today.  As I walked from my car to the house, I could hear the crinkle of the ground beneath me.  Ice was starting to form between the blades of grass.  In a few moments, the transformation had gone from just a patch to a tapestry that spread through the yard.  As the temperature dropped considerably in a short amount of time.. I watched as the ice made this clover its prisoner.

Déjeuner du Père Noël Benjo 2011

Texte officiel du CHUQ :

La grande salle de bal du Château Frontenac sera envahie par des princesses, des chevaliers et des dragons à l’occasion de la 3e édition du déjeuner du Père Noël Benjo au bénéfice des soins palliatifs pédiatriques du Centre mère-enfant. Le Père Noël Benjo et ses lutins feront vivre des moments magiques à tous les enfants présents. Chants de Noël, sucreries et fantaisies seront de la partie!

L’événement-bénéfice instigué par une donatrice au grand cœur, Mme Geneviève Marcon, femme d’affaires de Québec, reçoit chaque année plus de 300 convives venus vivre en famille une journée remplie de féérie tout en offrant une lueur d’espoir aux enfants et aux familles d’ici qui traversent des moments difficiles. L’objectif de cette année est d’amasser 50 000 $.

This is my third year being involved with the Dejeuner du Pere Noel Benjo.   It has always been important for me to give back, even though it is something I don’t talk about very much.  We donated a custom photography session for this year’s silent auction and just as the previous years, contributing our time to photograph the event.  The event raised 50 000$ and will go a long way to help the palliative care unit.

And it wouldn't be a Dejeuner du Pere Noel without Santa ! 

This is one of my favorite images from the event. The eye contact, the moment.. is just pure magic.  These are the singular moments I love to capture. 

And one last image :)  You know how rare it is that I post images of myself. 

 Here I am with Hugo Girard

Christmas - that magic blanket

Tomorrow I will be photographing a Christmas event and thought I would bring you a little Christmas inspiration.  I know, I know Christmas is still a while away... and you might be thiking. OH, Julie.... it is too early... but Christmas is one of those times of year when people's hearts are more open and everything seems possible. 

Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.

~Augusta E. Rundel

Splish

Splish, splash ...

I was taking a bath !

Meaning

In our life there is a single color,

as on an artist's palette,

which provides the meaning of life and art.

 It is the color of love.

-- Marc Chagall

Magical

 

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event

- Unknown

11

I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?"

 ~Eve Merriam