Adventures in Airports, Photography, Education, and Sight Seeing with Alicia!

Drip, drip, drip...perspiration drips from my hair to my shoulders. A trickle starts a slow descent down my cheek and quickly becomes a raging torrent! I am sweating like there is no tomorrow. I have a tissue so I gently start to dab at my chin. It is about then I realise that my makeup has joined the sweaty cascade and is running a muddy river from my face to my chest...

No I am not photographing a baby in an over warm studio, I am in fact standing in the security line at LAX to catch my connecting flight to Vancouver Canada. Leaving home in Sydney in late April and travelling to Canada via LAX, I knew I had to wear lots of layers as I was going to run into a few different sets of weather conditions. I am SUCH a planner! I had to change terminals at LA and knew that I had to exit the building and walk a reasonable distance to the terminal over the other side...I didn't realise A/ Just how hot is was going to be at 9am and B/ How far it was going to be whilst carting a carry on, a laptop and my handbag.

I am far from a seasoned traveller and the thought of going through LA had me slightly terrified. Added to that was my very best friend (Nelle, who IS a seasoned traveller) told me 2 years ago to avoid LA - too busy, too hectic, lines too long,  too, well, just too LA. When I announced to Nelle that I was this time going via LA, she quickly changed her tune, that girl sure knows how to get me through the hard stuff! "You will be fine " she said as she kicked her sister under the table, because she had started to question why ANYONE would choose to go via LAX...Anyway, she told me not to mess about getting across to my next terminal as the lines are usually long and I only had 3.5 hours to get to my connection. I took her advice. The minute I got out onto the street I started stripping layers off and hot footed it to the next terminal. I arrive 10 minutes later and get in the line and start putting all my stuff in trays, get more gear off and go stand in the body scanner line...which is where the dripping starts...

As I stand there, melting, thinking OMG, this is the stuff that can only happen to me. Just look at me! I have been awake the best part of 24 hours, 15 of them wedged in cattle class and I am drenched with sweat, and my make up is now a psychedelic tie dye arrangement on my t shirt...I struggle not to laugh as I imagine just how suspicious and guilty I must look. I figure any minute now, a camera crew from the TV show Border Security or Customs is going to start focusing on me...don't laugh, I admonish myself, don't laugh, DON"T FREAKIN LAUGH - this is NO time for hysterical laughter! Then the guy over there on tray duties, hoists a tray above his head and yells out - "Who owns this?"  Of course, it was mine...

Surprisingly, (once I separated the laptop and bag into separate trays) I sailed through the rest of the procedure at security like a middle aged, profusely sweating woman was the most normal thing in the world...maybe they figured I was menopausal or something...I don't know...It was about my easiest trip through any of the airports. I managed to be randomly swabbed, patted, scanned and de-clothed at Sydney (once) Vancouver (twice) and Toronto (twice)...by the time I was coming home, I was almost disappointed that I failed to draw attention at LA!

So why on earth was a making this trip that was pushing me way out of my comfort zone? Well that is the really exciting bit! I was asked to speak at the NoBS Photo Success Inferno Workshop which is a 3 day photography seminar in Toronto Canada. Rob Provencher who is the founder of NoBS and also the Wizard of Light coaching program, invited me along to do a presentation at the Inferno about building and running a successful portrait studio. I have joined Rob as a guest on several occasions for his coaching webinars (Rob even has a few Aussie photographers doing his coaching program) on a few different subjects but this time, I joined some amazing photographers, from across North America and Canada to hopefully inspire, educate and connect with everyone that came along for 3 days of intensive learning.

It was a little bit daunting to be on the same bill as incredibly talented photographers such as Renee Robyn - amazing digital artist, model and all round top chick. Maggie Habieda Nowakowski  of Fotografia Boutique who is a powerhouse and runs an amazing high end portrait studio, Claude Brazeau and Genevieve Trudel both first class, highly acclaimed wedding photographers, Maria Sauserman who bought a 10 pin bowling alley in Pittsburgh and converted it to her studio - yes, I am jealous!!! Robert Provencher who has been in the business for 30+ years and has probably forgotten more about photography that I will ever know - and the presentation of Bill McElree that resonated with everyone that attended...then there was little old me from downtown Cranebrook...without a space the size of a bowling alley, no chandeliers (one day!) but with an absolute LOVE, nope, strike that, a PASSION, for what I am lucky enough to do for a living.

After the presentations ended at night, many of us would head off to the bar for a few drinks, relax, get to know one another, talk shop and make new friends. I met so many wonderful new friends, learned so much, laughed til I cried - we even managed some exploring in Toronto. The Art Gallery of Ontario, the Village Idiot Pub (named just for me? - Oh thank you Toronto, you shouldn't have!)

My US partners in adventure - Rick and Shawn with my pub in the background - of course we had lunch there!

Not everything Australian translates all that well...I had been trying for 3 days to get a vodka Cruiser...nothing. Then one of my friends ordered and got a Smirnoff! Ah, finally! So, yes, I am on the Smirnoff here, but I swear I was not inebriated...it's just a bad photo of me - everyone else looks great!

These are my Canadian and US friends - Danuta, Suzanne, Laura, Rick, Shawn and Bill. Thank you all for making my second visit to Canada absolutely fantastic -I can't wait to see you all again!

Speaking of translation, on the Saturday night - I had given my presentation earlier in the day - we were all at the bar and one of this lot pipes up and says - "fordeen". Then they spelled it out - F.O.R.D.E.E.N. And everyone (except me) started rolling around laughing. I'm like - OK what am I missing?? So they ask me how big are the 2 small wall portraits that go with the big 30" wall portraits...and I answer 11x14, which was greeted with howls of laughter! Apparently this Aussie doesn't enunciate well at all and the word "fourteen" turns into "fordeen" to North American ears :) The were taking the piss out of me!!! Which is another expression I had to explain!

It was an incredible opportunity and my thanks go to Rob for inviting me to speak at the Inferno. The more I do with webinars, guest blogging and speaking, the more inspired I become about my own photography and I also realise just how much I enjoy assisting other's with their photographic and business education. So many photographers guided me in my early days that to now be able to pass my knowledge on, feels like I have come a full circle - and with every presentation I give, every blog post I write, I learn something new as well. To be face to face with a room full of people (on the other side of the world!!) was a new and exciting experience for me, and as much as I dislike being nervous, uncertain and scared of the unknown, I love being outside my comfort zone - sometimes I think it is when I perform at my best...it must be the adrenaline!

To conclude this part of my story, I would like to thank everyone who came along. Your energy, questions, interaction and involvement were an inspiration to me and I felt so very welcome. Thank you all :)

Then Came the Holiday!

Well a few days anyway! I came home via Vancouver and had 4 days to visit this beautiful city. 2 years ago when I flew into Vancouver and connected straight on to Toronto, I remember thinking how gorgeous it looked from the air and if I ever came back I was going to spend some time there. 

In a taxi, on my way from the airport to my hotel in Downtown Vancouver, I was in awe of the beauty of this place. Cool climate shrubs and flowers decorate the roadside, azalea's camellia's, rhododendrons. As we came into the outer suburbs, the glorious old houses had me smiling - great, big blocks with humungous trees forming the tallest hedges, grand stately gates and glimpses of gabled homes with amazing windows and sunrooms! The people in Canada have to be some of the friendliest and most accomodating on earth. When I arrived at the hotel with 5 hours until check in - I was hoping to be able to leave my bags while I went to explore a little. They had no problem checking me in early, so considering I was on about 4 hours sleep I took the opportunity to have a little power nap before I started exploring.

Here in Australia we are a little bit spoilt when it comes to coffee - even McDonalds serves up a decent cappucino, but in Toronto cappucino is nearly impossible to find! That is if you don't count Tim Hortons, and I was not near one in Toronto. Truly, I was suffering. I have 2 cappucino machines in my kitchen at home - just in case one breaks down. I. Love. Coffee. As soon as I woke  from my catnap, I was on a mission to find a decent coffee. Out came the Foursquare app and I found not only a Tim Hortons but a JJ Bean within walking distance - PLUS - JJ Bean had a recommendation from an Australian!

YALETOWN 

Oh it was good! Once I had re-charged I didn't have to go far to get a feel for Vancouver. Here in Yaletown, this park - an oasis amongst the hustle and bustle of a busy, cosmopolitan city. High rise condo's, busy streets, specialty shops, restuarants and bars on all 4 sides...and this patch of green. Soothing water features, a fountain that cascades over rocks and a long man made watercourse with knee deep water that children play in - with stepping stones to make crossing from one side to the other, so much more interesting.

 There are people here. Mums with kids, families, people with their dogs - the dog park is popular. Twice I have been here and there is one young guy who dances at his regular spot - each time I have been here he is jiving away to his own beat - and damn he is good!

Kid's climb on stuff, mum's chat, pigeon's clamour for a feed, dog's inspect the lamp posts and trees. Another place of relaxation and beauty in a city overflowing with beautiful scenery. Vancouver is something else.

GASTOWN

The next day, I decided to get on the hop on hop off bus and do the tourist thing. I wanted to see the city and this was the perfect way to do it - I bought a 2 day pass. I decided that I would do the loop on the bus and I got an overview of English Bay, Granville Island, Stanley Park, Chinatown. When we reached Gastown, I just had to get off and have a look around. A popular tourist area, Gastown is one of the oldest parts of Vancouver, cobbled streets, great old architecture, the steam clock and loads of shops, restaurants and cafes - yep, this will do me for a while. I did some shopping...and had coffee of course!

STANLEY PARK

Stanley Park is a 1000 acre in downtown Vancouver, bordered by the Pacific Ocean. It is stunning. On day 2, I spent some time in Stanley Park and took and additional bus tour that showed more of the park. 

This is one of the tea houses in the park - not surprising that this is the most popular spot in Vancouver for wedding photographs - it is like something out of a fairytale. 

These crappy iPhone photos do not do this place any justice at all. I hope to be back there one day - there is so much more to see in this beautiful place.

GRANVILLE ISLAND

Granville Island is the most incredible market I have ever seen. Located on False Creek, there is an abundance of fresh seafood, local artists, tourist shops and handmade wonderfulness. Then you get to the market.

I found myself sitting in an amazing outdoor area in the middle of a market that has the most incredible selection of fresh produce and gourmet meat's, cheeses, fruits, seafoods, breads, cakes, pastries...like I have never, ever seen! And busy!!

In the food hall you can get any style food you might like - german sausages, pizza, thai, fresh made pasta...anything! I decided on a Kaiser Roll with Garlic Roast Beef and a side of au jus for dipping. I made my way out to the sun drenched square to take in the sights and have lunch. I wished I had ordered 2 of these rolls - it was soooooo good!

The square is full of people enjoying the sun, the fantastic view and the wonderful atmosphere. People are relaxed, a little girl is giggling her head off while she is almost completely covered in pigeons when she started feeding them. A young man comes out to a small stage area with an accoustic guitar and starts to play and sing for the lunchtime crowd. People are sitting here with their friends and families in the sunshine, laughing, eating and listening to this young man sing. 

He is singing Hallelujah, and I am moved to tears of happiness by the beauty of his voice, the song, and how incredibly blessed I feel to be right here, right now, in this most beautiful of settings. I could stay here forever.

I found more good coffee here on Granville Island at a little place in he food court named A La Mode...they also had pie. Lemon Meringue was my choice. Damn the gym and training - that pie was wonderful! I decided that because of the pie I should get the ferry back over to the Downtown side and walk back up the huge hill to my hotel - it was worth every bite of that pie.

I discovered these spots on the way back to the hotel - how can  mechanical workshops and graffiti look so good? Only in Vancouver I think! Even this laneway!!

Far too quickly, it was time to leave Vancouver. Smitten is the word I would use for how I feel about this gorgeous city - and I only saw a very small part of it. Vancouver seems to have found a perfect blend, the number of green spaces, parks, trees, picturesque spots - even in the financial district are overwhelming, and there are people out enjoying them in their lunch breaks and down time. I can't wait to return to Vancouver and uncover more of her beauty.

If you have managed to read this all the way to the end - 10 points for your determinedness! This has turned out a whole lot longer than I had planned! I hope you enjoyed reading about my Canadian adventure!

PS - I got the BEST coffee of my entire trip at Terminal 5 LAX. Right at the top of the escalators at a place called The Farmers Market  - almost like home coffee!

PPS - After 6 flights, 49.5 hours in the air, 20 hours in airport terminals, and multiple gropings by strangers in uniforms, my nervous traveller status has now been upgraded to - ahhhh, whatever, how bad can it be? LOL

Cheers
Alicia xxx

How to Celebrate Turning One in Style!

Turning 1 is a major milestone and celebrating that first birthday is always a big occasion. And why shouldn't it be? It is amazing how much they grow in that first year. Think about this, only a year ago they were a tiny and new little bundle, now they are starting to walk, establish their new found freedom, push some boundaries and delight you as their personality really starts to emerge.

Leila's Mum selected this beautiful photo as her Milestone Wall Portrait.

Gorgeous Leila came to see us just 2 days after her first birthday for a Milestone Portrait Session and the very first thing I noticed was that she has the most amazing, clear, liquid blue eyes and porcelain doll skin. Added to that, she has quite a serious personality so I knew we were going to be able to take full advantage of those big blue eyes. You see, as much as we all love big smiley photographs of our babies, I always like to see some more serious ones as well. Why? Well when we smile, our cheeks go up and our eyes get that bit smaller (how many of you just tried that???) but when we don't smile, our eyes are at their largest - just perfect for showing them off!

And show them off, she certainly did!

Frills, lace, tulle, flowers and pearls were always going to be perfect for this adorable little doll.

I love working with families to create these gorgeous Milestone portraits. In these days when time flies by so quickly and we catch up with our friends and families lives with the scroll of a mouse. Where the event or the news is almost instantly forgotten as our poor brains struggle with the massive information overload that we receive every day. I believe portraits of our babies, our kids and our families are becoming more and more important to us. It's just one of the reasons why I love what I do so much!

Leila's Storyboard

A huge thank you to Leila's gorgeous Mum for bringing her baby girl in and allowing us to celebrate with you! Leila is gorgeous and your were both fantastic to work with. I hope your portraits bring you many years of wonderful memories and joy!

Til next time,

Alicia xxx

Newborn Baby Boy - 10 Day Old Aston

We adore all of our families and Geoffrey, Kelly and Aston are really special to us. You see, Geoffrey's Dad is mates with my Father in Law...they both do excavations and have known each other for many years. Going back a couple of years Geoffrey and Kelly asked us to photograph their wedding day celebrations. Now, during our meetings, Kelly and I got talking and it turns out - I know her Mum and Dad...(who knew!!!) - from 20 years ago! Talk about 6 degree's of separation! It's alive and well right here!

Just before Christmas last year, Kelly called me to book in for our Santa's Workshop Sessions in 2013....hang on a second - that can only mean one thing! Yes, Kelly and Geoff were expecting a new baby boy and he was due to arrive in March! Honestly - I could barely wait to meet this little man.

Aston came in at 10 days new for his Newborn Portrait Session and he was simply divine. One of those babies that sleeps perfectly, hardly ever cries - yes, I can hear plenty of Mums cursing with jealousy...Kelly and Geoff are blessed with such a perfect little boy.

Kelly is super creative and she had decorated the baby's room in gorgeous bright colours and I was excited to see that she had brought along the letters that make up his name on his nursery wall. On top of that - Geoff had found the BEST little Tonka Tip Truck that they wanted to include in Astons portrait session. Oh yeah - this was exciting! Knowing the family (both sides) like I do, I was aware that Kelly's Mum and Dad have Tilt Trays and Trucks and Geoff's Dad has Tippers - I love working with props that have meaning for the family, it makes the images even more special.

So while we were preparing the set, I was looking for something that I could use to prop up the letters of Aston's name....Geoff who happens the be a carpenter had his work truck here and had a fantastic idea. The spirit level! You can see it there behind the letters and it fits in perfectly in every way!

I adore this little man with his Dad's hand on him, keeping him safe.

And here is Kelly and Geoffrey's gorgeous Wall Portrait display in their home. It looks absolutely beautiful and I am so proud to have played a part in the special milestone moments in their lives - my heart skips a beat every time I look at this.

Thank you Kelly and Geoff. While we are all about making memories for our clients (friends), you guys and all our clients, whether you know it or not, are also creating wonderful moments and memories for us here. Being able to share these special times with you means the world to Miss Mel and I. Your little man is so precious, thank you for being a part of our family and for allowing us to be a part of yours.

Til next time,
Alicia  xxx

Children's Portrait Session - Grace and Matthew.

Children's Portrait Sessions are always exciting and great fun. Two different ages, two different personalities just double up the amount of interesting things you can get up to with the kids.

Grace and Matthew came in a few weeks back, Matthew had portraits done at about the age Grace is now and her Mum wanted something special with the two kids and particularly of gorgeous little Grace. Matthew was on fire - a typical little boy that wanted to be involved in everything and he showed off his personality perfectly. Grace being a perfect little lady is by nature a little more reserved and looks just like a porcelain doll.

Both kids have the most incredible eyes (courtesy of their Mum) and I adore a serious portrait as it shows off their big, beautiful eyes so well.

Isn't Grace just adorable? And you just have to love the "birds" - kids somehow manage to do that to me on a regular basis and it always makes me giggle.

Thank you for bringing your kids in Rebecca - they are simply gorgeous and a heap of fun. I loved working with you, Grace and Matthew!

Cheers

Alicia xxx

A Very Special First Birthday Portrait for Eva!

All babies are special and a first birthday portrait is a very popular way to celebrate this major milestone in their new lives. This baby girl, Eva, and her Mum and Dad have a very special story - one of hope, determination and absolute joy.

Little Eva was given only a 1% chance of survival when her Mum's water broke very early on at only 16 weeks. Her chances were slim and her Mum was at risk too, infection for both of them was a very real possibility. Her Mum and Dad (Cristy and Jasper) had to have conversations that no parent should ever have to live through. There were questions asked and decisions, really tough, unimaginable decisions that had to be made. I can't begin to imagine the pain, heartache and fear that these first time parents must have gone through.

Throughout everything, in utero, little Eva's heart was beating so strong - every visit to the specialist showed that this baby girl was growing, even with all the odds stacked against her. Her Mum and Dad knew that it would be long, tough road but that tiny heartbeat, so strong and determined, made their decision for them. If she was prepared to fight, then so were they.

Eva's mum Cristy told me that when this all happened at just 16 weeks gestation, she did what we all do and looked on the internet to read about other people's experience in a similar situation. Out of all the stories she found, only one of them had a positive outcome...all Cristy could do was worry and wait. She stopped reading and focused on that little heartbeat within. For another 12 weeks, Cristy and Jasper willed their little girl to stay where she was, to stay safe and to continue fighting. Her strong little heartbeat never faltered.

At just 28 weeks on the 1st March 2012, little baby Eva arrived into the world and for all the challenges she had faced she weighed in at 1.4kg  (3lb 1 oz) which although still tiny was an amazing result. Eva had a two month stay in the NICU and was allowed to go home with her family on the 6th May 2012.

If ever there was a tiny miracle and a story that just had to be told, Cristy, Jasper and Eva is it. A gorgeous family given very little chance of seeing their baby girl, that managed to overcome so many challenges...

When this gorgeous little girl came in for a portrait session to celebrate her first birthday, I knew we were in for something very special - she is adorable! She had the best fun, she was happy and smiley and was a complete natural in front of the camera. Her mum bought the top layer of her Birthday Cake in and teamed the most adorable little matching dress with it - all pink with white polka dots and Minnie Mouse ears to top it off. Eva did a fantastic job of demolishing her cake and celebrating in true style!

How super cute and cheeky is she?

Just look at those eyelashes - I'm in love!

Thank you Cristy and Jasper for sharing your darling little girl with me. Your story touched my heart. I hope that in future if someone is going through a similar situation, when they get on the internet to read about other people's experiences, they will find your story and know that there is hope. You are both amazing and your little girl is an absolute delight.

Cheers
Alicia xxx