Heather Rivlin Photography -

Heather Rivlin Photography to appear in a CBC documentary

Heather Rivlin Photography will be featured in a CBC documentary set to air next Fall/Winter on CBC.  The documentary will focus on my volunteer/charitable work with the organization "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS)", a non-profit organization which provides families facing the death of their infant the opportunity to have their child and family photographed free of charge, to obtain all of the session's negatives, a package of complementary prints, and a DVD musical slideshow of their session.  It is a gift from the heart from photographers across Canada, the USA, and abroad, and I am the regional co-ordinator for the Toronto area, and the first photographer in Ontario to take part.

The documentary will focus on infant loss, and how we as a society deal with this difficult subject.  The project will span more than a year, and will track my work with families seeking my services with NILMDTS.  The documentary hopes to document the experiences of 3-4 families over the course of the year, and show the various situations of each family, and how no matter how different their situations and history that led them to require NILMDTS, they share the same bond of having taken part in the same service to commemorate their little ones.

I am very proud to be involved with the documentary, and hope that should you know of any families who are facing the difficult situation of early infant loss, that you can put them in touch with me.  In some cases, parents find out during pregnancy that their child will not survive.  In other cases, babies are anticipated to be healthy until birth, when a problem is identified, and the news is shared that their child will not live.

If you, or anyone that you know is facing this difficult situation, and would like to either receive photographic services through NILMDTS or participate in the film as a family receiving NILMDTS services, please contact me.

Please forward this blog entry to anyone and everyone you know to spread the word!

The website for the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep organization is Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

For those who have experienced infant loss, there is a support forum of parents there to connect with, and share your experiences.

Viewing appointments are in full swing!

As many of you know, January marked the kick off for the new format of image selection and ordering.  Client feedback indicated that clients were having a hard time with the online viewing, and felt that they needed a guiding hand in selecting their images, the right size, and the right combinations of images for their spaces.  I listened and then made the changes necessary to be able to provide my clients a superior level of service in their photographic image selection process. 

Clients are now returning to the studio, and seeing their musical slideshow and session images projected larger than life in front of their eyes.  Seeing the images at this size, according to one client, "allows you to really see and appreciate the fine details of the image firsthand, before the image is enlarged in print".  According to another client "this new process is so much better than the online galleries I had before.  It allows me to see various image combinations side by side, giving me an advanced view of how my gallery wall will look once printed and framed.  With your sizing help, I am able to know for sure that the image once framed and matted will fit perfectly, and I am left with a greater feeling of confidence about my order than had we done it ourselves"

I don't expect clients to have design knowledge, framing know-how or image-placement designs before their session.  I don't profess to be knowledgeable in buying and selling stocks, and I don't expect my clients to be well-learned in portrait planning.  That is why rather than leave people to fend for themselves, this new projection viewing and ordering appointment allows me to give them that helping hand, and a heightened level of personalized service.

Reactions have been very positive to the new projection method, and the part most commented on is the feature which allows me to project your favorite image "true-to-size"on the wall.  Being able to see a true-to-size projected image of your child at the size you are contemplating is fantastic, and has really opened up clients eyes to how the print sizes really look once hung and framed on the wall. 

So, when your turn comes to arrange your viewing and ordering appointment, please remember:

1. Leave the kids at home

2. Come equipped with the necessary wall measurements for your space

3. Take a picture of your walls (be sure to show the existing furniture so that we can see the full scale of the space), and email it to me in advance of the appointment if possible.

4. Remember that your order will be placed at this session, and that payment is due in full at the time of the order due to the custom nature of the products provided.

I am really excited about this new method of ordering, and I am sure you will love it too!

Double the sweetness

OK so those of you who saw E's maternity session below knew that she was expecting twins, and yet looked strikingly fabulous! 

Well, they arrived!  All combined 9.5 pounds of them!   Born on Friday, Feb 2nd, E and M were born into the world to the delight of their  big sister, Z, who is now a big sister twice over - that is one BIG adjustment little one!

When mom and dad mentioned they wanted to capture the twins' newborn period on camera, I was thrilled and jumped on  board with both feet.  Sure, some photographers may cringe at the idea of photographing one unpredictable newborn, let alone two, but I just *knew* they would be a lot of fun, and they were absolutely perfect!

The session was long, that is for sure, as it takes twice as long to do each combination, but there is no better satisfaction than capturing an image, like the one that follows that shows the true connection that exists between twins. These two know each other already so well....their habits, their touch, their smell - it is no wonder they are so comfortable just lying side by side.

I have wanted to use this bowl with a newborn for a long time, but it always seemed too roomy for one, and I wasn't sure how to use it with my typical nakey babies.  I thougt perhaps two inside would be better, and so I tried placing one of the twins in what I call "the wok" and she wanted no part of it....could you blame her?  It is hard and stiff, not the cozy warmth she is used to.  So....plan B:  I opt to go for the now infamous Rivlin swaddle and boy did they go for that!!  All happily cocooned, I then placed them side by side in my wok, and this image was born:

Upon sharing the image with a colleague of mine who was interested to see some newborn twins work of mine, she commented that they looked "just like little spring rolls", and it not only made me laugh out loud and smile, but the name has stuck with me, and I now refer to this image as "spring rolls"

I will have more to share from this session, since we had an enormous number of fabulous images, but that is for another day...