A Special Santa Offer

'Tis the season for giving, so we've decided to put this little offer out a few days early this year. Blame it on the eggnog. ;)

Book your Valentine's Vamptacular boudoir shoot before 11:59pm on December 31st, and we'll sweeten the offer with a gift from Santa:

• 1 hour 2 hours of premium boudoir photography
• unlimited wardrobe changes
• 5 10 retouched images at printable resolution (4"x6")
• 1 5"x7" print of your favourite image
• Dates available until February 10th
• $200 $150

Add a second person to your session (great for a bridesmaid or bff) for $100 more and get:

• 3 hours of photography
• 10 retouched images each
• 1 5"x7" print each

Hurry! Just like Santa, this offer will be gone before you know it! Limited sessions available. E-mail now to reserve your place! 

[Photos of Susan from last year's 12 Days Project!]

Tweet

2010 Year in Review

As the year winds down, I thought I'd take a look at the year that was. This is a collage of some of my favourite images of 2010.

Tweet

Ben's Headshots

Ben is an actor in his 4th year at the Dalhousie Theatre program. He's also a buddy of mine, so he asked me to do up his next set of headshots in preparation for the summer theatre season and for his auditions post-graduation.

Like any other photography project, I want to make Ben's photos as interesting and as flattering as possible. What's different about a good headshot though, is that casting directors will also have to find the photo interesting and appealing, but not be faced with a surprise when Ben actually walks through the door for an audition. These shots are some of my faves from the shoot, particularly because I think they look like the Ben I've seen on stage a few times now. (Of course, his final pick will be in black and white, but that's yet to come!)

Break a leg!

 

Tweet

Boudoir with Fallen

Sometimes, boudoir needs only a splash of colour and an appropriate accessory.

 

Tweet

Cyber Monday Special

Here's our Cyber Monday special:

Book a shoot of your choice (portrait, grad, boudoir, fashion) for only $75.

You get:

• up to 2 hours of studio time
• unlimited wardrobe changes
• cd of the best images at web resolution
• 1 5x7 of your favourite image

On-site make-up artist available for $75 if booked in advance.
Additional prints, cds, and full resolution images available as an additional charge.

Must be paid by PayPal. Bookings by e-mail only: mateo.yorke@gmail.com

Offer expires on November 29th, 2010 at 11:59:59PM.

Tweet

Boudoir with Madison

Simply Madison and simply stunning. Working with Madison always gets me exactly the shot I wanted.

Tweet

Tuesday Shoesday

Twitter is definitely changing the way I do things. Here's a shot for #TuesdayShoesday. It's a big thing in the wedding market, but I thought I'd remind you that it's also part of the boudoir scene as well.

Tweet

Boudoir for the Shy Girl

I've been concentrating on my boudoir photography for the last few months, specifically because it's a lot easier to work on than my wedding photography. Gathering a few willing test subjects, I mean models, is simpler than filling a church with people on an evening after work.

Apart from trying out different styles and working with a variety of lighting techniques (all technical stuff that is of nearly no interest to my clients), I've also been researching different types of clients. One client that is greatly under-represented in my boudoir catalogue is the shy girl.

Those that ask for boudoir photography typically don't need convincing. Most either bring way more lingerie than we could conceivably shoot in a day (and would put many storefronts to shame!) or they bring little to nothing at all, citing their "European" attitude or ancestry for their comfort level in front of the camera. These wonderful people aside, I'm inclined to think that the vast majority of Maritimers fall into the category that I might label more reserved or even shy. (I for one fall into that camp. Don't ask to look under my kilt any time soon.)

So what is a shy girl to do? A bottle of champagne goes a long way to uncovering the feisty spirit within, but that may not be a healthy way of expressing a different side of yourself, nor would it necessarily make for better pictures. I found this article from the Wedding Bee to be most insightful and gave me some new perspective.

Ultimately, boudoir is a style and whether the subject is nude, partly nude, or fully dressed, it's the look and feel of the photo that will convey sexiness, not whether whether a breast or a buttock is exposed. Likewise, a confident and comfortable subject will make a much sexier photo than someone who is too far past their comfort zone. Your favourite dress or your favorite pyjamas, coupled with a few cherished or significant items from your relationship, will do just fine for a boudoir shoot.

An important point to remember: You're not doing a boudoir shoot for a magazine or for mass-market appeal. You're doing it for your partner - someone who's already chosen you for who you are! ;)

Tweet

White Boudoir

I thought I'd post some of Nora's favorite images from our recent boudoir shoot. I always find it interesting when a client chooses completely different images as favourites than I would choose. Obviously, she knows herself and how she looks much better than I do. Perhaps she finds these more flattering than the ones that I think make her look awesome! I'm happy to oblige!

If you're ready to try some boudoir photography, now is a great time! There's still time to get some prints done in time for Christmas and you can take advantage of our October BOGO! Book a paid shoot before the end of the month and get a gift certificate for a second shoot. Give it to a friend or lover as a gift, or come back for a second helping yourself. E-mail me now.

And if you've read this far, go "like" our Facebook page already! There will be lots more to come soon!

Tweet

Tango!

Sometimes one of my models or clients has an idea and the theme for the shoot is set long before the session begins. This was one of those shoots. Sure, it went in some unexpected directions, but tango was the plan. Or the red dress was the plan.

Tweet

Wedding Photography Details Behind the Scenes

When you see the latest in wedding photography, you often get some highly unique poses, some cute angles of the smiling couple, and some stunning images capturing the very best of the happy day. Those are the shots we all want to get and that every bride and groom want to have for their album or to hang on their wall.

But when I look at wedding photos, especially when I'm checking the latest trends or critiquing a fellow photographer's work, the shots that I immediately like are the ones that capture the minute details of the day... the colour of a tie, the close ups of the bouquet, and the set up of the banquet hall.

And you know what? The bride and groom like to see these details as well. A lot of work goes into the modern wedding and a lot of choices are made (with sometimes the gnashing of teeth!). I try to capture some of these choices along with the rest of the wedding, so that when your aunty wonders if you used the vase she lent you, or if your friend's borrowed and blue item was part of the service, you can see that they were... even if you missed it in the blur of the day itself.

Tweet

Thanksgiving Weekend

I believe it was W.C. Fields who said "never to work with children or animals" and there's a good reason for that. Even when they are your own kin, it's awful hard to get them to stand still for very long. Yet, I couldn't resist the opportunity to get some shots of my nieces and nephew when they were here for Thanksgiving.

Despite the whole thing devolving quickly into chaos, I think the shots were more worth it. ;)

 

A Natural

The whole crew

Tweet

Nora and Why Not to Use Continuous Light

I was so enjoying my results using continuous light last week that when Nora arrived for her shoot on Tuesday, I immediately set up the directional softbox once again and began shooting. Nora was fantastic! She could move, pull interesting poses out of thin air, and quickly move from one idea to another in no time.

A bit too quickly.

After we were shooting for a while, I realized that my miss rate was way up and I was less than satisfied with our results to that point. There were a few good images, but not the usual amount. The reason: I was shooting too slow due to the lower light levels and Nora was moving a lot. This meant a lot of blurring and ghosting and fewer great images to work from.

The solution: Slow Nora down for a bit, and switch to strobes for the rest. The lesson: Play to that energy and vitality, don't try to reign it in!

The rest of the shoot flew by in a (literal) flash and I was more than pleased with the outcome. Here are some pics from both parts of the shoot.

 

 

In this set, you can see the soft and directional light from the continuous bulb. It feels and looks natural and the colours and quite rich. Nora looks fantastic. The other thing that I really like is that in the bottom right images, Nora isn't wearing anything scandalous... it's a full, sleeveless top and full boy shorts. They could just as easily be white gym tights. Boudoir photography can work for you, even if you're shy about showing too much skin or want to keep your midriff covered. Stretch marks need not be an issue!

Likewise, in this set done with the studio strobes, Nora is wearing a full tank top in some images and a men's tuxedo shirt in others. A successful boudoir image, in my mind, creates the suggestion of sexuality, without necessarily invoking any immodesty. You don't need to be in-your-face-erotic to create provocative and sensual pictures!

If you're ready to try some boudoir photography, now is a great time! There's still time to get some prints done in time for Christmas and you can take advantage of our October BOGO! Book a paid shoot before the end of the month and get a gift certificate for a second shoot. Give it to a friend or lover as a gift, or come back for a second helping yourself. E-mail me now.

And if you've read this far, go "like" our Facebook page already!

Tweet

Stephanie and the Continuous Light

On Wednesday, I had a terrific boudoir shoot with Stephanie, a make-up artist that also does a bit of modeling. (She did Kristina's make-up and styling for the Twelve Days Project last year.) I had two goals in mind for this shoot. First, I wanted to get at least one really awesome image to update the collage on the boudoir page of the new website, and second, I wanted to try out some new lighting and focus techniques.

As you'll be able to see from the images, it was a full success on both counts. Lots of great images and some really interesting lighting. (Note: These are unretouched thus far.)

First up, a collage of some bright, high-key (read: almost blown out) images using three strobes.

Second, the same location and gear, but now using a single continuous light (i.e. not a flash, just a normal light) with a softbox and grid. Obviously two VERY different types of images.

More pics from this set to follow, but I wanted to show the big difference between the strobes and the continuous light.

OCTOBER SPECIAL: BOGO! Book one portrait, boudoir, or Halloween session and get one to share or to use yourself at a later time! Makes a great gift!

Tweet

Samantha and the Three Foot Rule

Samantha and I have been working together for over two years - sometimes with unintentionally long breaks. But she paid me a high compliment last week when she asked me to start working on a special photo album for her boyfriend. The reason: she always felt comfortable shooting with me and knew she wouldn't have uncomfortable moments while posing in exposed or vulnerable situations.

Hence, my general three foot rule. In 99% of situations during a shoot, I'm going to be at least three feet away. No uncomfortably close moments, no accidental or intentional touching. Good communication goes a long way and if a really wicked shot needs the rule to broken, it will be talked out first. No surprises. But I digress...

The first few images are kinda sporty...

Tweet

New Website Launched!

Just a quick update and a promise to have a lot more action on the blog in the coming months. I wanted to post a few of the collages I'm using on the new website and tell you a little about the people featured on it!

First up, the wedding page collage. Featured here are shots from Vera and Tim's gorgeous Los Angeles wedding. There's also a little shot of Carla and Shaun beside the Bras D'or Lakes just after their Big Pond wedding in Cape Breton. And yes, that's Stephanie Christian, fashion and runway model, showing off an alternative wedding dress at a beach near Halifax.

Why not pop over to the site and check it out? www.mateoyorke.com

Photos from Halifax Earth Hour

I've been spending some time in the last few weeks concentrating on my eco-friendly blog, Lower Footprint. Luckily, this has given me an opportunity to take some interesting photos as well!

These two are from Earth Hour which was last night. Both are shots of the MacKay Bridge during the lights out period. Obviously, the first one is a longer exposure, but both were shot from my car at the Seaview Park parking lot. It was cold out!

Karl for Academic VP

My buddy Karl is running in the DSU elections this year, so I had the opportunity to do some publicity type photos for his campaign. We wanted to capture the seriousness of the position, yet still make him appear approachable, friendly, and a bit intense. I think we succeeded!

This image will be used on his posters and on his website, karldempseyforvpeducation.webs.com. Hopefully, it will serve him well in the days to come.

This second shot seemed obvious enough. Anyone affiliated with Dalhousie will eventually have their picture taken in front of the clock tower on the Henry Hicks Building. We couldn't pass on that one. Here, I wanted Karl to appear concerned on behalf of the student body.

12 Days Project with Madison

12 Days - Strength
Originally uploaded by mateo yorke

I decided to put this pic up today as I continue to explore the wildly different images that came from my 12 Days project this year. It's quite different than the other images of Madison and very different from a lot of the softer pics from the other participants.

What I particularly like about this image is that it simultaneously conveys a lot of strength, fun, and vulnerability. While it's a pretty strong pose, I can still remember clearly how Madison was laughing during this shot... probably because it is 100% over the top. The black and white tone gives it an old carnival feel while also making the tattoos a little less of a focal point.

Obviously, the framing could have been a bit better, but I haven't played with cropping it yet. I may revisit this in time to see if I can make it just a little bit better.

Madison was great fun to work with and we're working on a new concept for our next shoot. It's going to be even cooler.

12 Days Project

12 Days - Vanessa
Originally uploaded by mateo yorke

This is my new blog, a place where I'll talk a bit about my experiences as a photographer and a place to share some of my recent work. The nice thing about the blog is that I'll be able to share a bit more of the context of the photography, talk a bit more about the learning process and where I found success and where I met with failure.

If nothing else, it'll be a chance to simply further explore the process and perhaps grow as a photographer.

It might give you a chance to join me in that process.

Anyway, I'm in the process of recovering from a pretty bad cold, so I'm not going to belabour this tonight. I'll post a pic and work on a few more of the tweaks in a bit.

This is a photo from my 12 Days Project for 2009. The project was born a year ago when I found myself suddenly able to shoot after my exams were done; something I'd had to forgo for much of the fall of 2008. I thought I'd recreate the excitement of a number of shoots with a variety of themes and models in a short period of time.

This pic is one of three or four outfits that Vanessa and I did that night. In keeping with the wintry theme, this shot was to highlight her snowflake body paint, her impromptu clothing (which was Christmas garland), and the blue gelled light I was playing with.

I think it worked. What do you think?