Jun 19, 2011 | Uncategorized
I’ve been so spoiled lately, so many baby shoots in the last few months! I get so excited about meeting all these new babies, and Isla was certainly one I won’t forget! She has gorgeous smiling eyes and a beautiful personality. She is just over three and half months old and so full of life! I went a little overboard with taking photos, and when it came down to picking some for the blog post, I just couldn’t help but post a lot. So here they are. I can’t get enough of this cute girl! Congratulations Matt & Ashley, she is a treasure!
Jun 14, 2011 | Uncategorized
Time flies. Yes, people say that a lot, but it’s so true! They really do grow up so fast. I had a last minute shoot at my studio this afternoon, and because I didn’t have time to find a babysitter, I toted Élise along and snapped a few shots of her while waiting for my client. I can’t get over how cute she is! Especially in white. Je t’aime Élise!!
Jun 5, 2011 | Uncategorized
I’m pretty excited to have finally started wedding season 2011… with none other than the lovely Megan and Jeremy! I’m sifting through over 3000 images right now, but took time to pick out a few photos for a sneak peek. Congratulations you two! I was honoured to be a part of your beautiful day!
Jun 2, 2011 | Uncategorized
Spring is in the air in Winnipeg, and so is family love! I had a great photography session with Nick and Sarah last week with their adorable little Roger. Brand new families are just so adorable! I love it.
May 30, 2011 | Uncategorized
A few weeks ago I got inspired to do some double exposure portrait photography with a certain look in mind… a woodsy setting mixed with white circles of confusion. My friend Bev was a willing model (thanks Bev!!) so I made the drive outside of Winnipeg to her place out in the country. We shot in her large yard when the leaves still hadn’t come out on the trees. Perfect! I love doing portrait shoots just for fun, even more so when my vision for the shoot turns out exactly how I had imagined it. Not only did we get these fun abstract portraits, but I also got to take a few extra photos with her and an old car on her property. Here’s the result, after a bit of work in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop:
May 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
The lovely Victoria came down to my studio the other day for an actor headshot photography session. Of course, any excuse to pull out my new portrait lens and use it for a photo session is my idea of a perfect day at the studio! Not only that, but I was super happy to work with Victoria: she did super well in front of the camera, especially since this was her first time getting professional headshots done. A natural. Victoria has some acting experience from high school, but has since branched off into the Winnipeg scene and landed a lead role in a Fringe Festival play titled A Taste of Honey. She’s got a beautiful personality, both inside and out, and I’m looking forward to seeing her perform in the play! (also directed by my good friend, Dean Harder). Congratulations Victoria and best of luck in your acting career!
May 25, 2011 | Uncategorized
Lisa & Lyle was a pretty memorable Fall wedding here in Winnipeg last year for me. It was a gorgeous day, beautiful sun and great colours. Not to mention a wonderful couple – so laid back, a ton of fun to be with and of course beautiful to photograph! Today their wedding is featured in the Inspiration Room over at weddingsinwinnipeg.ca. Check it out!
May 23, 2011 | Uncategorized
Yesterday I went over to my cousin’s place for some delicious oatmeal pancakes followed by a lazy Sunday morning maternity shoot. It was overcast and humid outside, everything still damp from Saturday’s dreary rain. I love the colours we get after a good rain – all the saturated greens and dark tree branches. Chantelle is counting down the weeks – very soon she and Chris will meet their little baby. I can’t wait! It’s strange seeing my kid cousin nearing the day she’ll become a mom… it makes me feel so old! But it’s great knowing that we’ll both have kids the same age. I remember when we were just kids ourselves! (was it that long ago??!) Being the older cousin, I remember doing a magic show for her birthday party one year, making earrings with her at the cabin, and drawing sketches of her at my house… Those are now things of the past, and we’re now looking forward to both having kids of our own – and them being the same age. It’s been a journey this far, and watching her belly grow has reminded me of my recent pregnancy and all the awe and wonder that comes with it. A real baby, with a heart and soul and a personality and their own character… all growing inside their mother’s belly. It really is an awesome thing. I was so happy to be the one to take these photos for her – in some way capturing the beginning of her bond with her soon-to-be baby. Enjoy. 🙂 
More photos over on my facebook page: 
May 20, 2011 | Uncategorized
This past weekend I headed out to St. Vital park for some family photos with Louise and her wonderful family. I’ve known Louise for just over a year now, but it feels like we’ve known each other much longer! We first met through a connection in photography, and we became friends when I started giving her private photography lessons – in French no less! She’s got a great eye for photography and also runs a translation business, so needless to say, I’ve been learning a lot of the correct French photography terms from her – for which I’m very grateful! (French is my first language, but most of my photography experience has been in English, until she came along!)
She’s passionate about life and full of enthusiasm, so I wasn’t surprised that I ended up having a great time with them during our photo shoot. Her husband and son are just as fun to be around and full of zest for life. And what’s best is that Louise totally loves her family – not because she tells me so, but because she beams when she’s around them. She’s madly in love with her husband and super proud and supportive of her son. It was such a pleasure being able to capture all of that in photos!
Doesn’t this background remind you of one of Tom Thompson’s paintings? I love it!
May 18, 2011 | Uncategorized
She’s here! My brand new little niece. My very first one! She was born just before Easter and was the tiniest cutest little thing in the world. My daughter is pretty excited that she has a little baby girl cousin!! (so much so that she tried to EAT her. I mean, user her as a chew toy. She’s currently teething two large molars and she’ll grab anything she can, even her new cousin!)
Here is Léonie at 24 days old with her beaming parents. We did the photos at my studio on a bright weekday morning. We got tons of photos, and I had such a hard time picking which ones to post online. Léonie has so many different expressions and I wish I could post them all! This will do for now…. check out the sneezing photo as well as the yawning photo of both her and her dad at the same time. So cute!
Introducing: Léonie. We love her to pieces.
May 15, 2011 | Uncategorized
A few weeks ago I got inspired to start a 52-week photo challenge. Being on flickr for several years now, it’s not uncommon to see tons of photographers posting photos from this self-assigned type of project. Usually people do a 365-day photo project where they take one picture a day for a whole year, and post each picture each day. It’s a really interesting project, but one that takes a lot of time and dedication.
Having a new baby and working like what seems like double the amount that I was last year, I thought I’d take it easy and do a 52-week project, rather than a 365-day one. But being a little bit on the ambitious side, I also decided to throw in an extra thing: art.
I used to paint and draw a lot before I got into photography, and since then, it’s sort of fallen to the wayside. Photography has been taking up most of my creative time in the past several years, but I wanted to get myself back to drawing and painting…which brings me to today’s blog post: a little peek into my 52-week photo and art project!
People have been following it on my creative photography blog, where I blog one photo and one artwork per week. I’m on week 12 now, and have 40 more to go! A few weeks ago, I created this drawing, which is actually a combo between a hand-drawn labyrinth and a silhouette photo of my husband Chad. It’s an actual solvable maze, so if you want to print it and give it a go, be my guest! (and tell me how it was! I haven’t done it yet, I just drew it!)
To follow my 52-week project, visit my other blog: gabriellephotos.wordpress.com
May 9, 2011 | Uncategorized
Are you a Winnipeg actor and need a new headshot? Here’s your chance to book a mini photo session! It’s a great alternative to a full headshot session and you’ll get 3 of your favourite images on disc within a week.
Limited spots. E-mail or call: photo@egabrielle or 998.6603
May 9, 2011 | Uncategorized
A few weeks ago my art collective (f/action) had a photo exhibit at the cre8ery gallery here in Winnipeg. We had been working on this exhibit for quite some time, so finally being able to put up our work in the gallery and having opening night was pretty exciting. It’s something like our 5th photo exhibit together as collective, and each time I feel like it just gets better and better. Needless to say, it was sad taking down the images at the end of the 2 weeks, but I’m now ready to post them on the blog to share with all of you who couldn’t make it to the exhibit. Our theme was “fragments” and I did a series with unconventional portraits, questioning the idea of self-identity, misperceptions, deceptions and truths about who we are, who we think we are, how we portray ourselves and how we are perceived by others. Thank you to my 5 wonderful volunteer models for making this project a reality! Enjoy. 🙂
May 7, 2011 | Uncategorized
This past week I got a burst of inspiration to do a woodsy double-exposure portrait shoot with my friend Bev. I didn’t have a location in mind other than I wanted lots of dead tree branches. Who would have thought that Winnipeg’s depressingly ugly Spring would have served me well for a shoot! You make the most with what you have, I guess!
However, these photos are a series I created after my shoot took an unexpected turn. We were out on Bev’s country property, taking photos in the bush, when all of a sudden I noticed this gem of a car… her husband’s old Hornet! So while I continue editing and shooting for my original inspired idea, here’s the set of photos I took after our portrait shoot: Bev and this old car.
May 7, 2011 | Uncategorized
Being grandparents one province away is really tough for Jacqueline & Marc, but they manage really well by making the time to roadtrip down to Winnipeg several times a year. And now they have one more reason to make the long drive to Winnipeg – to visit their newest grandchild! (who also happens to be my adorable little niece!) It was great being able to take photos for them during their short visit to Winnipeg – we even had time to squeeze in a few adorable couple photos between the two of them. So here are the proud Grand-Maman and Grand-Papa – cherishing every moment they have with their adorable two grandkids!
May 4, 2011 | Uncategorized
You might remember this beautiful bride and her handsome husband from last year’s wedding season… well now I’m excited to say that they have an equally as beautiful (and super cute!) baby of their own! I was thrilled to hear the news of their new addition and just as happy to meet him. What an adorable little boy! He was three months old at the time of the shoot and such a bundle of joy. Now that I have a baby of my own, there’s an extra dose of excitement that comes with photographing other people’s babies. I’m so in love with my own baby girl so when I see that same love between the parents and their new baby, there’s something warm and fuzzy that comes over me. Taking baby pictures has a whole new meaning to me now. They say you don’t know love until you have a child, and although that might be a slight exaggeration or a bit cheesy, it doesn’t change the fact that you definitely FEEL that way. Babies are just so lovable, and capturing those moments in photos makes me so happy!
May 2, 2011 | Uncategorized
Bright sunny mornings at my studio is what I love best. With East-facing windows, I always know the light will be gorgeous at that time of day, and coupled with a beautiful family, I knew it was going to be a great session! Tammy and her family were great in front of the camera. They were super easy-going, laughed a lot and had a great family dynamic. We took most of the shots in the studio, but also made a quick stop outside to get some more photos in the Exchange District. Thanks you guys for a great morning at the studio! (and a shout out to Makeup Expressions for doing their makeup for the session!)
Apr 30, 2011 | Uncategorized
Not only does he have a cute name, but he’s also an adorable little newborn! I had the pleasure of taking newborn photos for little Levi last Saturday. We did the entire shoot in their home, taking advantage of the natural light spilling into their bright red living room. Little Levi slept for most of the time, cried when he was naked (can you blame him? he loves to be cuddled!) and opened his eyes for a few photos too. Mom and Dad are beaming with adoration. They are in love with their little bundle, and it was such a delight being able to capture all those special moments.
Congratulations you guys, he is so lovely!
Apr 28, 2011 | Uncategorized
Having a baby model to my disposal 24 hours a day makes me a really happy photographer! Élise was at it again yesterday, being super cute with her curious eyes and big smiles. I can’t get enough of her cuteness, and it’s really hard to hold back taking pictures! I took 272 photos in 11 minutes. Whew! By the end, her face had “I’m done” written all over it. She loves the camera, but knows when it’s too much. 🙂 I love that crazy kid.
Apr 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
I’ve been working on an alternative portrait photography art project for several months now, and my photos are finally up at the cre8ery gallery! I’m part of a photographic art collective here in Winnipeg, and about once a year we do a group photo exhibit. For this exhibit, I created a series of 52 images consisting of unconventional portraits. I had a ton of fun shooting & editing the images, and a challenging time actually putting up the photos at the gallery (involving 18 screens, 208 magnets, fishing line & duct tape!), but I’m glad it’s finally up and on display! The opening reception was last Thursday, but the show runs until May 3rd (free admission). You should venture down to the Exchange District and see the show while the weather’s so nice!
The show is at the cre8ery gallery: 125 Adelaide Street (near Red River College in the Exchange District). For more info, click here.
Opening reception on Thursday night. (thanks to everyone who stopped by throughout the night!)
A lot of work is put into putting up a photo exhibit! Here are a few behind the scene photos from our afternoon at the cre8ery, the day before the big opening night:
Measuring, leveling, hammering, hanging… lots of work! (thanks Jordan)
Ailsa framing her photos as volunteers helped with the hanging.
My daughter, enjoying the photo exhibit with her Papa.
Apr 24, 2011 | Uncategorized
This little bundle of joy was born on her due date… go figure! I think it’s something like less than 5% of babies are actually born on their due dates. Little Léonie is super cute, and maybe I’m a little biased because she’s also my very first niece and Élise’s cousin. She was born a week ago, and I had the pleasure of taking a few pictures of her while she was still at the hospital, being only 24 hours old. Such a little cutie! She also breaks some other “normals” by being super tiny (less than 6 lbs!) but we’re all happy that she is perfectly healthy. Here are a few photos, along with her happy parents, ma tante Rachel, mon oncle Chad and Mémère & Pépère Touchette. You may remember this pregnant belly? We’re happy to finally meet her! Watch out Léonie, you might be the second most photographed baby in the world! (after Élise, of course)
Love,
ma tante Gab
Apr 20, 2011 | Uncategorized
When awesome photo opportunities come my way, it’s very very hard to pass them up. Especially when I found out that Paul does fire spinning. WHAT?! YES I want to shoot that! We took a few weeks to plan the shoot and Monday night was finally THE night. We set up at 3 different outdoor locations in the Exchange District and had a blast doing this shoot. Thanks to Paul for volunteering his time, talent and mini chemistry lab (notice the red & green fire!), thanks to Jocelyne for connecting me with Paul, and thanks to Chad for holding my camera gear.
Enjoy!
Apr 20, 2011 | Uncategorized
Here’s a sneak peek from a super fun fire spinning photo shoot on Monday night in downtown Winnipeg. I have lots more to post, but I’m just too swamped with my photo exhibit opening in only 1 day!
Here is the amazing Paul Mann. Can you believe he’s only been doing this since last September? He’s pretty good!
Apr 19, 2011 | Uncategorized
My next photo exhibit happens in 2 days! I’m still working on some last minute stuff… printing, framing and prepping food for the opening reception. Everything happens on Thursday April 21st at the Cre8ery gallery in Winnipeg’s Exchange District — and you’re invited!
It will be a group photo exhibit with my photographic art collective f/action. Our photo projects explore the notion of fragmentation, and in my 54-photo series, I’ve created fragmented portraits – exploring more specifically the question of self-identity. I’ve been working on this photo series since the fall and I can’t wait to finally show the photos! (you know me, I always love blogging my photos as soon as I take them… But these ones have been locked away, waiting for the big reveal for this photo exhibit!)
Thursday April 21, 2011
7pm – midnight
Cre8ery Gallery (125 Adelaide St.)
Apr 13, 2011 | Uncategorized
A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting Kelly, a local Winnipeg Jazz singer/musician and actress. What a sweetheart! We had a lovely time at my studio, taking some headshot portraits for her and chatting like old friends. She was referred to me by a former photography teacher of mine and I’m grateful that our paths crossed. It was a delight working with her and I’m glad that she was so happy with the results. She even gave me a hug! It doesn’t happen often that a first-time client HUGS me after a session. She’s great. 🙂
Here are a few highlights from the headshot session, and while you’re at it, you should also check out her music over at myspace. Cheers!
Apr 8, 2011 | Uncategorized
A couple years ago I had the pleasure of meeting the F-Holes and taking some band photos for them at Red River College. The band has recently been working on some new music and will be going off on tour this summer. They’re also gearing up for their album release party in August at the West End Cultural Center. With all these new changes, it was time for some new band photos, so we got together at my studio to take some shots yesterday. The lighting was fantastic and we managed to get a good amount of photos in just over an hour. I love their look (!!) and I was very happy to be able to create new photos for them.
Bonne chance les gars! Have fun touring!
Apr 5, 2011 | Uncategorized
Today we put Élise in her Jolly Jumper for the first time – and although she doesn’t understand the concept of jumping yet, she absolutely loved being in it! Élise is one of those babies who doesn’t like to cuddle. She’d rather be facing out when you hold her, so she can look at the world all around her. She’s extremely alert and wants to explore (as much as a 3.5 month old can!). She really reminds me of me…. Wow. What have I created!? I too get bored easily, must be occupied at all times and love being in the middle of all the action. I wish there was an adult-sized Jolly Jumper for ME! (just kidding)
Here she is, exploring the world around her, and loving every minute of it!
Mar 31, 2011 | Uncategorized
Since my 52-week photo project started, I’ve been carrying my camera around a lot more than I usually do. I love it. I’m now growing a bigger collection of candid, everyday photo moments. Often those natural moments happen when my camera’s packed away because I’m “not at work”. So I’m glad that I’m carrying my camera everywhere now…. it’s getting me back into photographing the everyday life.
This morning, my husband and I had a breakfast date at one of Winnipeg’s best breakfast spots: Stella’s. And with special company: our friends who have a brand new baby, only 6 weeks older than our Élise. I just love these cute baby expressions. Mathilde is almost 5 months and SUPER cute, especially when she smiles with her entire face. Élise is 3 months now and I’m loving this stage. Cute babies all around!
Mar 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
Check out this adorable accordion photo brag book! Yet another option for those of you who love showing off photos. There are so many great things about this book:
– gorgeous cover (leather, suede, fabrics & silks… so much to choose from!)
– extremely fast to order (design, ordering and shipping took less than 5 days!)
– up to 14 photos can fit in one
– magnetized (snaps shut and fridge friendly!)
– square or rectangle option
– pocket size so you can carry it around with you
Love love love it. If you’re interested in seeing this book or ordering one, e-mail me: photo@egabrielle.com.
Mar 21, 2011 | Uncategorized
Things are pretty exciting around the Touchette family these days. My parents became grandparents for the first time when my daughter Élise was born just a few months ago, and now they’re getting ready to be grandparents for a second time in just a few short weeks!
I couldn’t wait to shoot this maternity session for my sister and her husband. She’s getting pretty big now (only 4 weeks left!) and it was finally time for a maternity photo session with them! I was planning on doing it all with natural window light, but when I woke up to very dark, gloomy weather yesterday, plans were changed a bit. We turned my dining room into a photo studio, and with the help of a few studio lights, we mixed in what natural light we could get from the window to get these results. We had a great time and the photos definitely show it! Christine and André are on the home stretch and we’re all rooting for them! Félicitations vous deux !!!!
We also took the time to get a shot of them with my daughter. We can't wait for our kids to be cousins!
