a peek inside the fishbowl

As part of a work-related thing, I was asked to email a recent photograph of myself. Guess what, I didn’t have any. How can someone who takes photos as part of her living not have any photos of herself?

It is for this reason, and more, that I am very happy to welcome a new patron to the Fishbowl, Sara McConnell Photography. If you’re looking for a baby, maternity, family, or newborn photographer in Ottawa, Sara is it.

What can I say about a person when I’m already such a huge fan of her work?

I’ve actually worked with Sara on a few different projects, most recently through my job as editor of Capital Parent Newspaper. I hired her to do some cover photography and also featured some of her photos in other parts of the paper.

I’ve had the pleasure of watching her career unfold and I’ve always been thrilled with her professionalism, creativity, knowledge, and perhaps most importantly, her good humour as it pertains to the shoot itself. (This is important when dealing with children, right?) There are many fly-by-night amateurs out there but Sara is the real deal: 2015 marks her fifth year in business and she’s photographed over 1700 sessions.

Sara has a background as a grief counsellor. I already knew this but was reminded of it recently. I think that’s why she has such a gentle approach. She has a natural ability to read people. I’ve seen her in action, and she has a very special touch with children. Here she is, with her own brood:

(Photo by Blue Dandelion Photography!)

Sara’s clients come to her from all over Ottawa. (I should point out she has a home studio – a very professional set up – but she will also go on location if that happens to be your preference.) It’s worth noting her clients include children who have special needs or other challenges. Parents appreciate her experience and patience when it comes to getting photos of their kids. She gets through a shoot very quickly – somehow without ever seeming like she’s rushing – and you get photos in hand (or should I say, downloaded) just as efficiently.

Have you ever had a family portrait taken? We have a family session booked with Sara in July and I’m pretty excited about it. As many of you know, our daughters are 14 and 16 now, and lately I’ve felt as though time has been rushing past us too quickly. I take thousands of photos every year, but I’ll finally have a good one of us that has me in it too.

You can read more about Sara right here. She’s also on Facebook, so follow her there for special deals and peeks at some of her amazing photography. Some of my favourites are of her breastfeeding and maternity photos. They represent such a lovely sliver of time. How I wish I had the foresight to capture it forever in a photograph!