Hyla brings to BEGINNINGS, all of her fine art training, artistic and creative talent, as well as her experiences as a mother. "In shooting maternity portraits," says Hyla, "I have several goals in mind. While I focus on the unique personalities of each woman, I want to show how they celebrate this stage in their lives and the anticipation they feel as they transition into motherhood." For Hyla, documenting the range of emotions these moms-to-be experience – from mellow and pensive to absolute joy – is a fascinating aspect of this form of portraiture.

Clearly, these images are unique works of personal art that will become a spectacular gift to the as yet unborn child as they eventually see how eagerly awaited and lovingly welcomed they were. As one client recently stated, "together, we have just made an instant family heirloom."

Maternity Sittings

The sitting may take between one and three hours, depending on whether the Mom-to-be comes alone, brings her partner or other children. These shoots can be done in the studio, in the field, in your home.

It is best to contact us in your 6th month. Together we will book an appointment for your 7th or early 8th month. The aim is to capture you when you look pregnant yet are still flexible and comfortable.

Sometime after the appointment is booked, you will receive an email confirming the date, location and time, as well as a list of suggestions, recommendations and ways to prepare for the shoot.

Newborn & Infant Portrait Sessions

With newborn images, Hyla captures the loving, passion-filled faces of new parents as well as images of the baby alone and/or with props. She also focuses on small details, such as hands and feet.

If you want those precious moments when the baby is sleeping, yawning and still curled in the fetal position, the prime shooting time is when the infant is a few days old up to about two weeks. As soon as you are home, please send us an email to book an appointment. The sooner the better, in case Hyla is either out of town or booked. She will make every attempt to find room in her schedule for this shoot since timing is so important.

Because infants and babies are so unpredictable, Hyla does not give a time frame for the shoot. She is more than happy to stop for feedings, diaper changes, etc. Some sessions go quickly and are over in an hour while others may take up to three or four hours, depending the needs of the infant.

Other bench mark times to consider, are at the three month mark, when your child is able to lift his or her head on their own and again around six months of age, as soon as the child can sit up by themselves.

Their big eyes & expressions are delightful and their personalities shine through as they giggle and naturally flirt with the camera. This is the perfect opportunity to capture some of those delicious bare bottom photographs. Of course, that memorable first birthday is always a major highlight.

For other sittings please contact Hyla directly. She has experience with a variety of family portraits, including multi generational groupings. On her web site for example, are some photographs of a family that includes four generations, an opportunity that rarely presents itself, especially when families, live all over the world.

Children's Portrait Photography

Children's Portrait Photography

Hyla's images are simple, strong and tight with the focus on the wonderful faces of the children. "I love catching their expressions – surprise, cheeky, serious, silly and smiley," she explains. "In our sessions you can expect your child to have fun. They are encouraged to laugh, play, sing and just be themselves. My goal is to capture your child's sense of joy, spontaneity and childhood wonder," she says.

Her style is contemporary, meaning that her images are journalist and candid, not posed or forced. Colour images are vibrant while dramatic monochrome shots show a strong range of tonal qualities.

A Day In Your Life

For a one-of-a-kind experience, we offer you the chance to document your every day moments in a photojournalist style book, a time-less slide show presented to you on a DVD and of course prints. The session will run between four to six hours, depending on the weather and your child's attention span. It can take place at your home, cottage, or location of your selection.

We will follow your family members and capture them interacting with each other, going through their daily routines and every day lives— from brushing their teeth, having breakfast, playing with favourite toys and/or pets, creating art projects, helping Mom or Grandmother cook or even take a nap – all which gives you delicious memories.

The Day In your Life project consists of three parts: the session, the image editing/processing, the design of your photobook and/or the production of a slide show put to music. For information, please contact Hyla.

After the Shoot

Hyla goes through a detailed editing process selecting the best images out of the hundreds of raw files taken that day. Those photographs are custom cropped, expertly adjusted for tonal range and edited to ensure perfection. This is a time-consuming process that can take as long as two days to accomplish.

When you select your favourite images, all the printing possibilities are discussed—from using the finest quality cotton fiber fabrics with archival quality pigment inks or fine art papers suitable for framing.

Timing

It may take 2 to 3 weeks for proofs, which means that if you want your image for a gift you must book early and discuss this with Hyla before the shoot.

After the proofs are selected, it could take four weeks until the work will be available for pick up. Having the work processed by Professional Labs can take time, again depending on their schedules.

Prints

Gallery Wrap Canvas Prints

Gallery wrap canvas prints are, hands-down, the best way to display your image and have become Hyla's signature look. Not only do these pieces make wonderful personal art for display in your home, they will be treasured family heirlooms.

These portraits are printed on museum quality cotton with pigment inks. They are then sprayed with a premium compound to make them somewhat scuff and water resident. The lab then wraps and carefully stretches them around a custom built wooden frame. After all these steps, Hyla personally applies a new transparent layer that gives extra protection to the artwork.

Because all materials used are archival they should last for generations, however, like all forms of art they must be treated with care. They should not be placed in strong light or have any pressure put on the front or back as they will dent easily. Handle these works by the sides or even under the wood frame from the back, being careful not to touch the canvas.

Of course, all images can be printed on paper. Hyla's labs use only the finest quality art papers. If this is your preference, a price breakdown is included below.

Copyright

Hyla Wults Fox, reserves all rights to the images, the prints and the digital negatives. They remain Hyla's copyright and are protected by Canadian and International copyright laws. Reproduction or usage without permission is strictly forbidden. Hyla Fox has the right to use the images (although no names will be used and privacy will be guaranteed) on her web site, on business cards, for promotion purposes or advertisements.

Sitting Fees

The session fee of $250, plus tax – maternity, newborn and baby images shoots only – is due when you a book an appointment and is payable by cheque or cash. This covers the photographer's time and talent only and does not include any images, either prints or digital negatives.

If the session is on-location, out of town or far from Hyla's studio, an extra fee, depending on mileage and time, will be added. Please note that the Day in the Life project fees are excluded from the basic sitting fee noted in previous paragraph schedule.

After proofing, all works to be printed must be paid in full, in cash or by cheque, before orders are sent to the Lab. Because the image files are so large, long-term computer storage is not possible. That means they will be retained up to six months after the initial printing. Proofs will only be available for five days after they have been presented to you, again because of storage issues. All clients will be able to view their images on a password protected, on-line gallery.

Canvas Wrap Portraits

Finished size for canvas prints:

• 11 by 17 inches: $375
• 16 by 24 inches: $450
• 24 by 36 inches: $650
• Larger images are available. Please ask for a quote.

Cluster Special

If you order a grouping of three canvas images, 15% of the total price will be deducted. This special is active only for a short while.

Prices for prints on paper:

• All prints, except 4 x 6 sizes are on fine art papers
• 4x6 glossy or matte prints are $10 each, printed on commercial papers
• 8 by 12 prints are $60 each
• 8 by 14 prints are $65 each
• 16 by 20 prints are $80 each

Slide Shows

Slide shows, set to music and coffee table photo books can also be created using the images from one shoot or a collection of images taken during your child's first year of life. Please ask Hyla for details.

All prices quoted above remain until the end of September 2010. Taxes are added to the final price.

Keep an eye on Hyla's Blog for announcements regarding promotions and news. To get to the Blog, to see the most recent images and be informed of specials, go to: www.hylafox.com/blog.