What to Expect: Holiday White Box Experience

What to Expect: Holiday White Box Experience

So you booked your Holiday White Box Experience 2024 and you are wondering how to prepare this is the article for you!

Get ready for FUN with your humans.

The White Box is fun, we have done over 100 sessions and by far it is the favourite session of most of our family clientele. They are a chance to get a reluctant partner or child excited because they are quick, allow for creativity and are full of laughter. Yes, you actually sit inside a 4x4x4 box.

 

What to wear and what not to wear.

The White Box is “white” so it is what we call an alternative universe to regular family photos. The white means leave your dark and black clothing at home and embrace colour. A lot of families like to do christmas pjs – we only ask not to all match, because you all get mixed up. Instead pick coordinating outfits, so we know who is who by clothing as well as the “story” in each box.

These images show you how they all look the same until you focus on the face.   

upside down child in a box in christmas jammies
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Many of our studio items are shown in this version from faux snow balls, head pieces like antlers and so many Santa hats, too many to mention!

How to plan your boxes.

We encourage you to bring items from your own Christmas celebrations to use in the box. While we do have a HUGE choice of items here for you from books, signs and other holiday items – your own adds that personalized storytelling.

See images for a sample of items we have in the studio for holiday sessions, the collection has grown so you are welcome to have use of anything we have in the studio.

 

upside down child in a box in christmas jammies
upside down child in a box in christmas jammies

We did this amazing card for the ladies of Elm Law group – each session includes a 6 image collage 5×7 .jpg to create Christmas cards (actual cards are not included).

During the session.

Here are some more handy tips:

+ Arrive 5 minutes ahead, no sooner please as we have back to back sessions all morning/early afternoon.

+ A session is 15 minutes with 5 minutes buffer between sessions.

+ Come dressed – there is not room for changing when we do this many experiences in a row – there is however a bathroom and in studio mirror.

+ Work with us to plan the 6 images for your card and then we also shoot as many other options for larger items which you can order at your in person review.

+ We cannot go past your 15 minutes, if one of your humans is not cooperating we can sort out another option at a later date. 

+ If you are a glasses wearer put in contacts or remove them, our light set up will show light reflections and impact the image. If you are okay with that then we will do our best to reduce the impact glare.

+ Let us get your littles to look at us, I will have an assistant on that day and we know how to get a child’s attention.

+ Worried about your weight? We have poses that work well for all body types and sizes. 

+ We have fit four grown men in the Box at one time, it is strong and can hold a lot more than you think. It is also reinforced with two by fours and raised off the ground – which all our knees will be thankful for.

Shown above is a styrene mounted print on a wood block (blocks are no longer sold) – but we have lots of great products for you to choose from to gift to family this holiday season.

Reveal and ordering session.

 We host all sessions in the studio for an in person reveal to accomplish a few things:

+ We review your images in proof form and make your collage for your card – 6 images in total. This is included in your session – a 5×7 .jpg (no physical cards are included).

+ Then we determine if there are any other products you wish to order from prints backed with styrene, to mounts and a few specific items that work well with this type of session. 

Note – ordering additional products is not mandatory. We do need to order them before mid November in order to get them by the holidays as our provider gets very busy.

Have to book yet?

 We would love to have you at the studio – click here to book:

Join us for the return of a day of limited edition Holiday White Box experiences.
+ Shot in our home studio in an actual box.
+ 15 minute time slots.
+ Up to 6 persons (due to time constraints).*
+ 1 collage included – 6 images in a 5×7 card format
+ In studio reveal to build card images AND order additional items such as larger collages, mounts and more.
* If you have a larger group we can book a solo session for you.

Kirsten McGoey | Visual Storyteller

Beach Family Photo Session in Whitby

Beach Family Photo Session in Whitby

It’s always a win to hit golden hour for family photos on the beach in Whitby. Parents often come to me after not having done family photos for years because the kids – teens and young adults – were just not into it. 

As the acceptance letters for University come in and they move into their new residences we love to help capture the family as it is before that big milestone. This session was mainly for the three girls, but as you will see Mom and Cubbie also got into it and as you can see Cubbie stole the show

 

Each family is different but I do warn people that I am a hug, hand holding, large laughter and emotion based photographer. I want to see your hands, your dogs, the relationship you have with your siblings.

These three sisters are close and you can feel their energy in the session. The emotions as your sister and mom tease you. The smiles as Cubbie runs me over for his treat. It is a joy to capture this family of which two are runners who we know through Durham Dragons.

Connect with us for your family session this summer, we would love to capture the experience for your and your family.

Kirsten McGoey | Visual Storyteller

Family Photography – Aravinda

Family Photography – Aravinda

In our studio we created a series of portraits for this family in traditional Indian dress, formal and casual western wear. Each family, each story is unique and we work with you to create that special session.

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Capturing a family in studio often comes with myths. Dad won’t want to be there, teens will be sullen and so on. Dad brought such a special vibe to this session and the teen rocked his session – even doing a model pose. I come to each session without preconceived notions and let the dynamic unfold. 

I loved every minute of the traditional outfits. The patterns, fabrics and the cuts were so lovely.

More familiar are the western suits I grew up with in church and weddings. I love the juxtaposition after the formal Indian outfits.

Mom went all out and even had these great shirts made for a casual studio portrait.

Mom looked stunning in her sari – she is so beautiful and if I can a solo portrait of each parent is added to every session. We are in so few of the images we take for our family.

At the end of the day we ended up a a great range of Indian formal wear, western formal and casual portraits for this family. I can imagine how gorgeous this would look in a fall setting in the future.

To book a session with us please fill out our Connect Form and we will send you information and follow up with a phone call to review.

Kirsten McGoey | Visual Storyteller | Trinity Design Photography (Whitby)

Downtown Brooklin Family Session

Downtown Brooklin Family Session

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Family sessions are one of my favourite types of work in the summer. The giggles of sisters, the parents giving the look, the simple act of capturing portraits in a moment in time. A moment that you will go back to as they grow, as time goes onward through seasons, grades and years.

Kids sometimes shine at different times in the session, I liked two of the images from the brick wall but preferred the way the little one opened up in the later images. There are no rules on how a session should go and sometimes kids need time to open up. This is why minis are not my favourite way to do family work because every child deserves time to shine.

Walking, talking and laughing – these are the images I love making because it speaks so much to the moments we do not capture. The closeness of a family and their aunt, the way a family works and supports one another throughout life’s moments.

Every. Single. Session. I will ask for a family hug. I love them. Expect a family hug in your session.

We had so much fun running up and down downtown Brooklin’s main drag. Balloons are optional but I loved the extra pop of colour they gave this session.

The cover image bears repeating. The vehicle a family car passed down with a lot of meaning. The girls are so sweet in the vehicle and it is for sure one of my favourites from this session.

Let us work with your family to create an out of the box session for your 2021 portraits (this session was taken in 2019). 

Investment: https://trinitydesign.ca/investment/

Connect: https://trinitydesign.ca/connect-2/ 

Kirsten McGoey | Visual Storyteller | Trinity Design Photography

Milestones : Whitby Birthday Photography Session

Milestones : Whitby Birthday Photography Session

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This Canadian kid turns double digits this summer, is there anything else cooler for a kid? Making sure you cover those milestones with a photography session.

Every birthday I work with my boys to create one milestone session with them. It’s not each child’s favourite evening with the exception of this guy who still plans the whole thing with me from props, to crazy things we can try and puts up with my expiramentation. 

Kids often will tell you they do not like photos. They have memories of being in front of cameras in the gym at school in the view of their peers and not in a setting that would inspire any young mind. Kids who work with me get to help create the end result.

We discuss where we are taking the session, what props they are feeling work for them and we move away from things that do not. There is an element of what is planned but there is the room to be free in choosing what works for the kid in front of the lens. 

This ten year old loves LEGO, building with polymer clay and making models out of cardboard. There are glue guns, exacto knives and paint all over the house in the wake of his creative spirit. He dreams in Minecraft and loves watching Star Wars cartoons and anything with a superhero. 

Our third son at double digits – forgive me if I am a little teary as I write this post. He’s no baby anymore.

With a new watch today our little energy bunny walked the house until he hit his 60 minute milestone. He is planning bike rides, walking and swimming all week, thanks Garmin for the extra motivation.

Is there anything more Canadian than that outfit and that smile? Adding in the flag a as a superhero cape worked well so inspire him to run around and enjoy the empty parking lot which has a been an unexpected space to work in the pandemic.

We work throughout the Durham Region (based in Olde Whitby) and the Greater Toronto Area, we even will travel to cottage country. Sessions are best made in spaces that have meaning and value to you. Your hometown, your cottage or the local beach. Include the dog and the kids and YOURSELF. Being in photos now means you get to see how awesome you looked years later and you leave images of you for your kids who trust me, think you are beautiful just as a you are.

To see more of our portrait work: https://trinitydesign.ca/portraits/

Connect: https://trinitydesign.ca/connect-2/ 

Kirsten McGoey | Visual Storyteller | Trinity Design Photography