Makeovers aren't just for people!

I've been busy this past week, working on a serious overhaul of my website. The new and improved www.joseecaza.com should be up and running by next week (I'll definitely post again the day of to let you all in on the exact day!).

I'm so thrilled about this, because until now, I've been promoting myself with a website I've had little control over; the photographs on it are old and don't reflect any of my recent talent, progress and evolution.

Everything on the new site will be new work shot in the past few months, and I plan on adding and changing the work often and consistently. There will also be exciting features on the site, such as a log-in section where my clients can go to view their sessions with me. I know that moms are busy people, and I'm always looking for solutions to make their lives easier by finding functional ways to work with them.

Stay tuned! I should have an update for you all shortly.

It's raining newborns, Hallelujah!

I've officially reached my cute quota this week; one more of these shoots and I'll be crying for one of my own!

Today I photographed baby Faith with her parents, Deborah and Grant. The thing I love the most about newborn sessions is that the parents are so in love with their new little bundles that I can stop being the director-photographer generally required to photograph adults, and step back and be the observer.

Moments, moments, moments... there are so many, and they are all so sweet and captivating. Here are a few from earlier today.

Congratulations to these brand new parents!

What more can a photographer hope for?

A newborn, a wide-eyed toddler, and a gorgeous couple; I had a fantastic shoot with a brand new family of four today, and I, am, THRILLED with the results. The photographs are sweet and playful, and truly reflective of the spirit of this family.

Enjoy the sneak peek, Nancy & Mike!

Another expecting couple steals my heart!

The only thing more touching than documenting the upcoming arrival of a baby is doing so with a couple as sweet and excited as Lisa and Jason were today.

I can't attest to it, but a little bird told me that being pregnant isn't easy; especially not with this heat! But I saw nothing of the strains and difficulties of pregnancy in this couple... all that came through for me today was a close bond, a real love and the thrilled hearts of a budding family.

Here are a few shots that stole my heart... enjoy the preview, guys!

Josée

Ollie-Ollie-Oliver!

Okay. Just when I thought "it doesn't get any cuter than this" this week, I meet Oliver! But the coolest thing about meeting Oliver, was that the first time I photograped this 1 and a half year old, he was in his mummy's belly! Actually... Ryan, too, was in her mum's tummy the first time I photographed her, so this is a week of serious updates!



From grins to smiles to laughs to quiet and contemplative looks, and even a couple of brief cries, this baby gave me everything I wanted in a session.

Enjoy the sneak peek, Erin!

Introducing Personalized Greeting Cards!

Designed with a photograph from your session and words to suit the spirit of the occasion, personalized greeting cards are a fantastic way of sharing special events in yours and your family's life with a unique touch.

Think Birthdays and Birth Announcements, think Invitations and Holiday Cards. These are sure to impress your loved ones all the while providing them with a nice photograph from your session.

Personalized greeting cards are sold in boxes of 24.

If you've already had a shoot and are wondering if you can still order cards, the answer is: Yes. Very yes.

Cheers, all!

Hot to Trot: Christine!

I love my eyes. They're my favorite. So I always secretly compete with other lovely-eye-holders (not including kids, whom I think always have me beat because of the young sparkle thing), and Christine, tonight, was some serious competition!

And she didn't just have the eyes going for her, either! Christine is a downright hot chick, and I was lucky enough she chose me to get some photographs done to satisfy mum's picture needs. Although she's a self-proclaimed terrible follower of directions, I managed to get some pretty slick shots of this girl.

Enjoy the sneak peek, Christine!

Josée

I love what I do!

I had a shoot last night with Shannon, James and Ben; clients that have been with me for years now. We were celebrating a soon-to-be newbie to the family, baby Jack!

I was moved by these photographs, and I think that a large part of that came from the relationship I've developped with this family over the years. I really feel blessed to have clients that I can follow through life, and to be given the opportunity to document the evolution of their families.

I think that choosing a family photographer is often something that is done on a whim, and without much forethought; only taking into account variables like location, cost and availability. But I have clients that can attest to the value of choosing a photographer based on the quality of work and (even!) personality. Your family photographer should be someone you would have as a family friend, someone that you'll want to share your life with over the years, and someone that your children will grow to know and love as well.

Enough talk! Let's back this up with a little proof... here are some samples from last night's shoot, which includes hands-down my favorite maternity shot of all time (the single shot not included in the story board).

Enjoy the sneak peek, Shannon!

Josée

Lil' Miss Ryan

Today, I shot what must have been the most beautiful little baby girl I've seen yet. I know, I know... I dish out the "most gorgeous" compliments left and right on here; but Ryan was irrisistable.

And as it always seems to be, the most beautiful ones always play hard-to-get, and I spent most of my session playing hide-and-seek with this little blue-eyed-wonder. But I did manage to catch quite a few adorable shots during our time together.

Here's a peek at Ryan!

Josée

Oh, my maman!

I was cleaning today when I found (or rediscovered) this photograph taken of my mother when she was pregnant with me. I really believe this picture was what inspired me to focus alot of my work on maternity portraiture.

When I look at this photograph, it never fails; my heart flutters a little and I feel special, and a sort of connection to the unique love my mother had for me when I was still a stranger to her, yet the closest thing to her heart.

Consider these feelings, mums-to-be! It's not just about belly pictures; it's about the bond that is captured, and the gift you're giving your child in capturing this bond, not just now, but for years to come.

Josée

Busy Week at Casa de la Caza

This week, I was challenged in several ways with two photoshoots that took me outside of my element.

The first was the photography of a dance production for a friend of mine, Jennifer Robichaud. Jen is the co-founder and artistic director of the Larchaud Dance Project. I'm afraid you've already missed the production I was shooting, which was showing for 3 days last week, but you can read about Jen and her company at www.larchaud.com.

This experience was different for me because not only was I not photographing kids; but I was photographing contemporary dance, which I know nothing about, and I was shooting in a very dark space with the help of one flash and theatre lighting.

My second challenge this week was a shoot for Today's Parent Toronto, the magazine within a magazine, created for torontonians. I never realized how creatively liberating my style of photography was until I lived within the guidelines of shooting for a magazine cover! I found trying to catch a child smiling into the camera naturally considerably difficult; especially when having to make sure that there were no flinging arms, nose-picking, hunched shoulders, funny faces, or fingers hiding faces.

I never realized how much I loved the quirky photographs I take of kids until I found myself sneaking some between "good" shots. I felt like a girl sneaking a bad pair of leggings on in a change room on TLC's "What Not to Wear"!

But! As challenging as these experiences were for me this week, they were rewarding; the photographs were fantastic, and I love them. I'm not able to share the Today's Parent Toronto shots until the November issue is published, but here are a few samples of the dance shots.

Josée

Shooting Moms!

Well there's something I don't get to do very often! Today I had a shoot with Laurie Gelman, host of The Mom Show, and her fellow co-host, Catherine Marion, came along for the ride... which added alot of fun to the mix!

When we were through with the formal headshots we needed for Laurie, I was able to capture both of the girls together. It was great to see that there are still things that are true on television today; the friendship between these two was tons of fun, and shooting them together made me feel like I was a photographer at a girls' day out!

I've been photographing families for so long that I've forgotten that they aren't the only treasure to capture in life; I think it's time I get together with my girlfriends to celebrate friendship!

Josée

Did you say 23 people? In two hours??

This past weekend I had the pleasure of photographing the loveliest family. When Zainab first e-mailed me and inquired about portraits for a family of 23, my first thought was : « This is going to be a challenge! ». But after meeting everyone, I quickly realized that the only real challenge would be the ruthless sun that was beating down on all of us that Saturday afternoon.

This family was beautiful both esthetically and in spirit, and I felt honored to celebrate them with my work. Eighty-three year old Nana was one of the inspirations of the shoot, and she was such a sweet woman. One of my favorite shots includes her surrounded by her great-grandchildren.

I believe the most valuable riches in life are those we’ve created with love, and photographing the generations of this family was something that reaffirmed that for me. Here are a few portraits from that day.

Josée

Me, on TV!

Well, it's official! Last Tuesday, I was at the Alliance Atlantis studios in Toronto as a guest expert on The Mom Show! My goal was to give great tips to moms on how to take better pictures of their kids, and I think I succeeded... though I was so nervous, looking back on it now, the whole experience is a bit of a blur.

All I remember is waiting in the greenroom and feeling so anxious, that everytime I heard my name said on the TV set broadcasting the taping, I twitched a little. I was a little embarassed and self-conscious because it's not like me to lose my cool, but in the end, everyone was very pleased with what I had to say.

I was a little too busy to ask for a photograph of myself and Catherine or Laurie, but I'll see what I can do about getting a still-shot of the segment, and post it here if I do.

For all of you interested, the episode is set to air in the Fall, on Life Network. The show airs at 7:30am, at 11:00am and again at 2:00pm. There is no specific date planned yet, but the episode number will be 2097, the title of the episode being "Drifting Apart".

Josée

Little Beach Princess & The Anatomy of my Child Portrait Session

Today, I photographed Maria at the Beach. She was, as predicted, the perfect little beach princess, giving me a zillion and a half gorgeous photo-ops. I thought I'd use a few of my favorites to illustrate what I strive to achieve with every child photography session.

I want every angle!

Most of you are already acquainted with my candid style of photography. I believe I have a talent in deciphering beauty on many levels; in the features of your child, but also in the way your child relates to its environment, and in the shapes and lines created by their movements. You're hiring me if you want original work... so expect the direct opposite of the standard commercial shoot.

All work and no play make boring photos!

I'm very married to the idea of letting children be themselves; I try to get as far away as possible from the standard practice of sitting a child down on a platform where he/she is expected to perform for the camera. I *hate* posing. If there is no dangerous reason not to let a kid run, jump and be wild... I welcome it! This is the reason I don't charge extra for location shoots, and love shooting at the beach. The more room there is to play, the very merrier!

Smiles, schmiles!

The most difficult and important thing that I insist on doing during every photoshoot is capturing as many expressions as possible. This is mostly difficult because of the performance issue; very little children don't automatically respond to a camera pointed at them with smiles and giggles. It's also difficult because children are often coached by their parents to be happy during a photoshoot, and will accordingly try to make sure that they get as many smiles as possible during the time we spend together. When the years have passed and you sift through your collections of smiley photos and find these unique and touching expressions moreoften ignored, you'll be moved... I'm certain of it.