Soft autumn light portraits in Stanley Park with Svetlana // Vancouver Portrait Photography
I love photographing my mom. I think in part it is because I know growing up in the USSR in the 60s she only has a handful of photos from her whole childhood, and I now want to balance that out by photographing her as much as I can. But also, I just think my mom is beautiful, and I love being able to capture that in photos that she can keep forever.
For this shoot, we met downtown and then walked down to the Stanley Park seawall. The day was sunny, and we were blissfully happy to be surrounded by all the fall colours. Seeing all the yellows, oranges, and reds oranges sometimes leaves me in such awe that I don’t know what to do with myself.
I strategically used a tunnel to place Svetlana in the best light, creating contrast between the dark background and her evenly lit face. It’s always a fun challenge using what you have on hand to manipulate natural light and create flattering portraits.
The best thing about photographing your mom is how much patience she has for you while you are trying out new techniques (patience I’m sure she developed during my teenage years, sorry mom).
I love these shots, they feel warm, she has a real sparkle in her eyes, and it is so special to me to be able to take my mom and create images that she loves, that show her the way she sees herself, and I know she sends them to all of her friends to show off her new portraits.
Every person is worthy of excellent portraits, and I can’t wait to create yours.
