Eterno Dia PhotographyReady To Be a Big Sister
Posted on June 27, 2012
My cousin Nicole asked me to do maternity photos for her second baby. The shoot was fun and easy. Reese was a natural in front of the camera and I hardly had to pose her. Reese is now almost five and is very excited to be a big sister. At the time of the photos we did not know that the bundle inside this belly would turn out to be Reese’s sister Nathalie Ann! Congratulations to Nicole, Allan and Reese on a very special and long anticipated addition to their family.
View the rest of the photos from the shoot.
Custom services – photo cards
Posted on May 28, 2012
Hello all,
Once again, I’ve been missing in action. My basement has gotten a serious makeover, so in addition to photography, I can now add mudding, taping and sanding drywall to my list of skills. I’ve been working on photo cards. I now offer these as part of my services, so if you are inquiring about a photo session, feel free to ask me about my cards. They make great engagement or birth announcements or thank you cards.Take a look at some samples.
Bark, bark, Ole!
Posted on May 27, 2012
Anyone who knows me well knows I love dogs. They are kind, non-judgmental souls. My own Lexi has given me so much joy and laughter in the last two years. Both times I’ve been to Mexico I noticed the stray dogs walking around the towns and villages. I have a real dichotomy of emotions with these dogs. Part of me wants to bring them all home and adopt them. The other part of me envies their freedom and absolute seemingly carefree demeanor. Here are some of the dogs I found.
Slowing down in Mexico
Posted on March 17, 2012
Hello again! You probably noticed I had a slight absence from my website. I went on a Mexican vacation in early February, and have spent much of my time since I’ve been back editing photos and playing with Photoshop.
This was my second time in Mexico. I truly love the country. The pace is slower, nothing is a rush. The people are amazing – very friendly and welcoming. The food is outstanding, and you can’t beat the beaches. I crave the beach being stuck in Alberta for most of the year. I heard an expression recently – “born with sand between her toes.” That is me in a nutshell.
My first time in Mexico was two years ago in Manzanillo, on the west coast. It was more of a desert with mountainous terrain. This trip was to the east coast, to Playa del Carmen on the Mayan Peninsula. I hadn’t done much research before the trip and was fairly shocked to step off the plane into jungle. In some ways it was a totally different Mexico, yet also the same. Playa is more tourist-oriented than Manzanillo, and much more expensive. In a few instances, we paid more for a bottle of beer than we do at home. All the same, Playa and the Mayan Peninsula is a beautiful and historic place that I would encourage everyone to visit.
I have difficulty finding balance on vacations. I love to be pampered and waited on at resorts, but I have a need to see the locals, learn the history and see how people in a different place live. So I hauled along all my heavy photo gear and climbed pyramids, swam with dolphins, sea turtles and stingrays, visited Mayan villages and shopped the local markets. Check out the slide show below for a sample of the photos I took during my adventures.
Stay tuned for my “Mexican Dog” series among other updates I’ll have posted soon.
Please contact me if you are interested in any of my prints for purchase, if you’d like to book a session, or if you have any questions or comments.
Thanks for stopping by!
Leslie Pallier Winter
U2 vs. the Point and Shoot
Posted on June 8, 2011
Looking back, I’ve always had an interest in photography. I was compelled to document occasions, band trips and vacations so I could look back on those times fondly. I’ve used a variety of photography media in my time. I started out with a 35mm film camera and in high school I took a few photography classes. I learned to process film in the darkroom. I remember the days when you had to use your 24 shots carefully, and never knew what you were getting until you got the film processed.
When I finally got around to the point and shoot revolution, I ended up with my Dad’s used Kodak. I loved the notion of the point and shoot. Being able to erase the bad photos – the ones with your eyes shut or you face hanging open mid-sentence like a drunken celebrity – was a great advancement. I loved the idea, but I never liked how my photos came out with my point and shoot. I was bothered by the slight delay and was disappointed that I couldn’t capture the exact moment. No matter how still I held it, I couldn’t get a decent night or evening shot.
I found my point and shoot so frustrating.
It wasn’t until a few years ago when I really started to get more serious about photography that I started looking into the DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) cameras. When I learned that with a shutter you didn’t get the point and shoot lag, I was sold. Since then I have been in love. I feel like I have so much control over the DSLR than I never had with the point and shoot. Not long after I got the DSLR, I took a point and shoot course to learn how to use it better. I actually found the course assisted me far more with the DSLR than the point and shoot. And don’t get me wrong. I have put a lot of work into understanding how my DSLR works. It has great auto features, but I almost always shoot in manual. I like the challenge, but also the absolute control. The variables are all mine.
Now this doesn’t mean that my DSLR doesn’t have any downsides. It’s not always practical (or safe, depending on where you vacation) to lug it around. It’s heavy and awkward. You throw a second lens, spare battery, and flash in a bag, and you’re going to need a pain-killer at the end of your day. Not to mention the seemingly limitless photos you can take. While it’s nice to not waste film, I have wasted many hours of my life sorting through hundreds of unnecessary and un-thought out shots. And finally, you just can’t get your DSLR into every place you’d like; for example, a U2 concert.
I along with 65,000 others attended the June 1stconcert in Edmonton. Professional cameras and recording devices were not allowed. Now, I only have a “beginner’s model” DSLR, but I wasn’t going to take the chance of having that
baby confiscated or molested by rowdy fans. I was also reluctant to bring my newest point and shoot, a middle of the road Nikon (which I also like far less than my DSLR). So I dragged out the old Kodak thinking that it wouldn’t be the worst thing if they confiscated it.
I’m at the concert of a lifetime and rather than enjoy it to the fullest, I am in photographer mode. Mourning the lack of DSLR, thinking about the possibilities I would have had with my telephoto lens and a higher ISO, wishing I could have at least gotten a tripod in the door (I feel that point and shoots deceive people, advertising that they can take decent night shot. You need a tripod).
Then the kicker: my memory card fails. The internal memory on the Kodak had 30 photos. So now I’m going old school. I have to make the best of 30 shots. I did my best to hold her steady. I zoomed as hard as I could. I attempted to get the shot the instant the moment happened. And unlike film, I had the chance to erase the bad photos and try again, which took more of my attention from the concert. In the end, I feel the point and shoot failed me. After studying the manual, after taking a point and shoot class, even with a new point and shoot, I still would choose my DSLR in a heartbeat. That’s not to say I won’t use my new Nikon point and shoot. I keep it with me almost all the time so that if
I’m at work or out and about, and I see an amazing opportunity, I’ll have the shot. I got a few half decent shots of the concert that I’m sure I will look back on fondly, but I think I ought to strive for a media pass so I can bring my DSLR the next time U2 comes to visit.
Eterno Dia Photography 