Under the Water

Under the Water

Water is a crazy place to try and take photos. As a photographer every fibre of your being tells you to keep your gear as far away from the wet stuff as you possibly can. In our professional water is death to my day to day gear.

Much like above the water – gear can give you an edge but the true magic is the artist using the gear. Under water requires a series of variables to create magical stories and portraits – clarity of the water, light, distance from subject – just to name a few.

KiRSTEN MCGOEY | VISUAL STORYTELLER
Clear path ahead.

Under water photography gear ranges from inexpensive $100 kid proof, water proof point up to skies the limit budgets for cases for professional bodies and lenses. We own a couple $100 versions, a GO PRO Hero 5 and of course my professional gear (but no cases – so they live above on the land).

Much like above the water – gear can give you an edge but the true magic is the artist using the gear. Under water requires a series of variables to create magical stories and portraits – clarity of the water, light, distance from subject – just to name a few.

Pool reality is messy, churning, bubbly water.

So as the summer progresses we will continue to play above and below the water. We have a busy fall coming with the Downtown Whitby Beerfest and much more.


Kirsten McGoey | Visual Storyteller

Building your ‘Visual’ Savings Account.

Building your ‘Visual’ Savings Account.

The sparkle in the eyes of a young daughter.

In this blog entry we want to introduce you to a new form of savings – the ‘Visual Savings Account’ by which family photos work to add to your emotional well being now and in the future. Much like an RRSP or TFSA or Savings Account family photos are a key building block in the foundation of your own families mental health.

We have cited before that family photos when printed and displayed on walls and in books add to a child’s sense of belonging in the home*. Our own clients often share how excited their children are looking back at the images we have captured for their experience.

A family with their home just as it was that year.

So when facing the prospect of family photos we encourage you to budget for it as you do for concert tickets, travelling to Disney or sunny beaches and much like you do when investing in time at the Cottage. Leave a line item in your yearly budget for family photos and printing.

There will be a day when you thank yourself for this investment. A day when you are the head of the family and times with grandparents are relived. Days when you reconnect with the first steps of your son with your grandsons and your daughter’s first smile with her new wife, your new daughter in law.

Capture the experience: portraits

It’s not easy to talk about losing people. My mom is the youngest of 6 and we have had to say goodbye to family I would dearly love to ask another question of, eat their food and give them a hug. What I do have are prints of images taken by someone who knew down the road this investment in time, in printing would mean I could revisit those experience for a moment. Recall their smile, their jokes and the joy they added to my life.

“Every time I leave a session I wonder how on earth she’s going to get anything decent out of our session. And then she invites us over and we see the magic of her photography. She pulls out every little aspect of our personalities, our expressions and joy, and captures it in a story of pictures. There is nothing more magical than having her photograph your family. You fall in love with your family, all over again.”

Cindy Boyd

| Family Experience

Our family experiences start at $249 + HST – to book your experience and invest in your visual savings account visit: Connect

*Reference: https://designaglow.com/blogs/design-aglow/17493452-how-family-portraits-boost-your-child-s-self-esteem

Printing FAQs – Print the Experience

Printing FAQs – Print the Experience

As a professional photographer image printing is an essential part of the service we deliver to you as a client at Trinity Design Photography. We use our skill and artistry to capture the experience and then bring together a collection of images that is hand edited to a specific colour and tone. It is for that reason we recommend strongly you use our print supplier which offers professional printing using professional papers and products.

Here are some quick tips for managing your files after we have helped you print the experience so you have access to them down the road in your own archive.

  1. Download them to your desktop.
    • Client files are delivered by our online server/software and must be downloaded to your own server to access them for archiving.
    • Files do not remain on our online server/software indefinitely as we have limited storage space which we pay for each year for our clientele.
    • After 7 days email downloads expire.
  2. Archive your files on the cloud.
    • DO NOT LEAVE YOUR FILES ON YOUR HARD DRIVE. Hard drives fail, same with CDs, USB keys and in time the technology will become obsolete (remember floppy discs).
    • Upload your files from your hard drive to your cloud of choice. Here are a few we like:
      • Flickr (free to a specific storage capacity)
      • Drop Box (free accounts to a specific size)
      • Google Drive (free to a specific storage capacity)
  3. What size are the files?
    • Our files are delivered at 3600 pixels wide which will print to 8×10 without any issues.
  4. I am having issues with printing via a third party supplier.
    • We are not able to control the issues of ordering with a third party supplier that is not our own. Once files have been downloaded we cannot support the myriad of online and big box supplier ordering for clients as it’s outside the terms of the contract signed (Section 5).
  5. I have lost my files, what do I do?
    • We are happy to reload your files; please note there will be an administration fee to cover the time to find and reload your images to our online server/software.
    • If it has been more than two years we cannot guarantee the files will be stored as per our Session Agreement (Section 11).
  6. I want to add images to our family yearbook. Is this ok?
    • Yes. Each session is released with terms for PERSONAL USE ONLY for this reason. We understand you will want to add images to yearbooks and print images for Christmas cards.
    • My images were for business (refer to the terms of use in your release or check with us first before using). This excludes headshots which are meant to be used for any purpose other than stock.
  7. I want to print previous sessions with Trinity Design Photography.
    • Call us to arrange a second ordering session.
    • If it has been more than two years we cannot guarantee the files will be stored as per our Session Agreement (Section 11).

When in doubt, please email us with questions or call us Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m..


Kirsten McGoey | Visual Storyteller | 905.925.7529 | trinitydesign@rogers.com

(Information regarding the Session Agreement is subject to change, 
refer to the agreement signed on the date of your experience).
What to expect when booking White Box family portraits

What to expect when booking White Box family portraits

Our Whitby, Ontario based studio has been making simple and modern family portraits for over 5 years in Durham Region. Our award winning studio creates modern family portraits, business imagery and magazine photography.


anatomy-of-a-white-box

The White Box experience is one such experience, popular in past years for:

  • it’s simplicity,
  • the interactions between the collage items
  • inspirational for young and old, men and women, and children
  • it can also incorporate young babies into the process.

For this blog post I thought I would walk you through what to expect when booking a White Box experience.

Step One – “The Sitting” (Seasonal)

The first step involves booking your seating. Seatings cover the time and talents of the photographer – editing and files are purchased separately.

For larger groups we have packages to accommodate up to 15 persons in a single session experience and are priced in our single session format for large or extended families.

Step Two -“The Booking”

The next step is to book your spot. Trinity Design Photography now books seasonal experiences through Facebook events or by connecting with us online here. Once you purchase a spot online we then confirm your booking by sending you the following documents through our Client Portal system:

  • Invoice confirmation (showing payment and scope of work/deliverables)
  • Questionnaire – a little getting to know you form
  • Contract – this must be signed for images to be edited and delivered
  • Preparation Document – outlining the best way to get ready for this particular experience
  • Emails about session date and time, location, etc.

The Client Portal feature allows you to locate all this information in one online location only viewable to Trinity Design Photography and yourself.

Step Three – “The Experience Session”

On the day of your session Trinity Design Photography asks all of the above paperwork is submitted ahead of time. This is key as this is a transaction that requires acknowledgement of the terms of sale and the deliverables.

During your session Kirsten will capture a series of about 60-70 frames of your family. This will include a few “everyone in” shots, groupings such as parent-child, parent-parent and other combinations, and we also capture individual frames to showcase each persons special story.

For example, for a child that dances perhaps a box where they do a special dance move. For parents who love gaming a shot of you both playing with X-Box remote controls, another parent who reads relaxing with a book and coffee cup, the parent who does triathlons, the child who loves to explore space with his telescope and and so many more stories we could never fully express all the options in one blog post.

Capturing the images or “frames” takes about 15-20 minutes – we work with you according to a plan or freestyle the session. It’s really up to you, Trinity Design Photography has captured about 60 of these to date.

Step Four – “The Cull”

carlton-frameNot as eerie as it sounds Kirsten culls the 60-70 frames into 30 frames that she then transform into lightly edited proofs. As this is a collaborative and visual exercise Trinity Design Photography prints the proofs for each session as well as loading them into our online ordering platform in advance of your session.

Culling and preparation takes about 2-4 weeks to get the materials ready for your Reveal and Ordering Session.

Step Five – “Your Reveal and Ordering Session”

Having the lightly edited proofs has transformed the experience of creating your collage and the ordering experience. Clients have told us this was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience with us because they could move the squares around to create the collage they envisioned. Of course if you are stuck and need a hand Kirsten is there to assist you.

flushmount-whiteboxThe added bonus is clients can take home the proofs either by purchasing them or with an order over $299+HST. The proofs are a fun item to hang on a modern clothes pin line. Each order of a collage also gives you a digital version to share on social media.

Kirsten walks you through the ordering process to create the perfect mounted collage artwork and/or products for your family. Trinity Design Photography’s store has so many options and we do not want to stop the creative process here. We can design a piece with you that will suit your space perfectly.

Step Six – “Why we encourage Printed Experiences”

Printing the experience is the final step in the process whereby we take the experience and preserve it into the artwork you will share for years to come with your family. Research shows that children’s esteem grows by having family images on the wall * according to studies completed on the benefits of family photography.

I think it is really important to show a family as a family unit. It is so helpful for children to see themselves as a valued and important part of that family unit.” – Design A Glow Article

Or for more information CONNECT with us.


Kirsten McGoey |Visual Storyteller | trinitydesign.ca | trinitydesign@rogers.com | 905.925.7529

Reference: * Design A Glow Article

Family Photo Fun: Fall in Whitby

Family Photo Fun: Fall in Whitby

There is no reason family photos have to be boring, not to have some fun. Take this 2017 session we did for the Leahy family. We tossed leaves, blow bubbles and captured some lovely posed image for this family of five.

Want a fresh take on your family photos? We have very limited space in September and October. For details check out our process, investment and message us through our website.


Kirsten McGoey, Visual Storyteller

Fall Family Experience: Cullen Garden

Fall Family Experience: Cullen Garden

Every fall we are so lucky in the Durham Region and Whitby to have such great spots for family photography. Cullen Garden Central Park, though it has lost it’s trademark tree rows, still boasts a lovely basin area, bridge, gardens, frog pond and covered bridge.

During this fall session in 2017 we captured the experience for this family three and their beloved dog. Grateful for such a busy 2018 we are just getting to share some of last year’s greatest moments. Our fall this year has VERY limited availability so please contact us to grab one of our few remaining open spots.

Want a fresh take on your family photos? We have very limited space in September and October. For details check out our process, investment and message us through our website.


Kirsten McGoey, Visual Storyteller