Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Simply Jessica Another Glamour Make Over Boudoir Session Bites The Dust By Montreal Portrait Photographer Hera Bell

January 3 2015, this was the years first glamour make over boudoir portrait session.

My client is Jessica, a 26 years old beautiful young Armenian lady.

No need to say much. The photos will always speak for themselves.

I promised like usual 20 different shots, we ended up with 21 photos.

Enjoy the visual journey. And the 10"x10" amazing album that I have created with 20 thick laminated pages printed on high quality photo paper. The pages are flush mount and it makes a great  coffee table book.. A true conversation piece. The price $250.00 Canadian. Yeah! High quality product for an amazing value.
























The contact sheet of the entire results



Saturday, December 13, 2014

Beyond Simple Glamour Portraits By Montreal Glamour Make Over Fashion Boudoir Portrait Photographer Hera Bell


A client arrives with a red dress for a glamour make over session. She is beautiful. She has chosen me to photograph her. From a sea full of us shooting glamour or what some people call it "boudoir"...

It is my job to stamp the images I shoot with my signature style.

Off course I do photograph her indoors where most of my work is done. But I push the envelope a bit further. And you will see how below.

I love creating realistic fine art digital collages with my photography. My digital collages do not look like fantasy paintings. They look very real. As if they were shot on the premises.

I take that glamour portrait from indoors to outdoors. I photograph also all my backgrounds.

The road was shot by me in France in the summer of 2014.

To me photography is beyond just a clever click. Photography is just a tool to let my imagination go wild. A perfect study of light and shadows. A discovery of self for each of my client who enters my studio.

May I invite you to witness the  evolution of the Lady In Red images.










 



Wednesday, December 10, 2014

The Magnificent Maleficent...By Montreal Fine Art Glamour Boudoir Photographer Hera Bell

The magnificent Maleficent...

 The good and evil resides in all of us. The secret to inner peace is to find the balance in between both. The movie exemplifies this quite well.

 Once we are hurt, the obvious reaction would be to strike back to our attackers.
I leave such injustices into the God's hands, in time he will spread his wings of justice upon us.

I had a photo shoot with Emily yesterday. Our session was booked few months ago. I was looking forward creating something different with her this time around.

It was our second shoot this year.

Voila, the result.  Where Glamour make over photography meets fine art. The background was shot by me this summer in France at   Chateau de Vaux Le Vicomte   grounds.

I did shoot her with many other costumes yesterday. But this was my favorite.

 

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Montreal Glamour Photographer Hera Bell & French Fashion Designer Patrice Catanzaro Collaborate Together


I  recently had the privilege to photograph French designer  Patrice Catanzaro's a part of amazing sexy clothing collection.

Merci Patrice de m'avoire confie cette grande plaisir...

They recently did a Blog post about it. Check it out. The red link below.

French designer Patrice Catanzaro's Blog About My Photography


 




 
Above my beautiful muse Widlyne. Styling, make up and photography by Hera Bell.
 
Below is stunning Emily, she is a burlesque performer.
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Taking Your Children Portraits Towards Another Level by Montreal Fine Art Portrait Photographer Hera Bell


After photographing people for over 17 years, as a fine art portrait photographer I started searching more creative ways of serving my clients who have been trusting me to immortalize them on to paper or via digital pixels.

About 7 years ago I started experimenting intensively creating realistic photo collages. When I moved my downtown photography studio after 10 years, to my current West Island location, it became more evident to me that the future of my portrait business was on solid grounds with the new direction I had taken when I did my first photo collage years ago.

My husband and I we travel. When we travel, I am constantly searching to photograph that special location to use it in a further date in my photography.

Most of the time when I photograph a client in my studio I have no idea which background image I will drop them in. It is as much of a surprise to them as it is for me. There is nothing cookie cutter style approach in my photographic works.

I have been always seeking to create realistic collages. The way the light will hit my subjects will never reveal that the images are a collage. However I rarely hide the fact. I am actually proud to reveal my secret behind such collages. What I do is beyond simple photography.

Few weeks ago I had a mother and daughter "mini me, mother and daughter glamour" session in my studio. I have permission from Madeleine to share the results.

Check out the 6"x6" album from this session. Soft man made leather hard  cover, 20 pages, retail cost only $250.00 Canadian. Images are printed on real waterproof photography paper. The full bleed pages are thick and rigid.





Welcome to my magical world of the children photos.












Then we had our regular studio session also.



















 
 
 

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Portraits Of People Or Portrait Of Birds It Does Not Matter by Montreal Fine Art Portrait Photographer Hera Bell

Yesterday a friend of mine and I, we ventured to photograph the Canadian Snow Geese in Victoriaville Quebec.

 We left Montreal at 9am. We arrived there past 11am. Stayed about till 1.30pm. Then returned home to share a well deserved late lunch and a bottle of wine around 3.40pm.

Here are few results from my snaps.

 I do not claim to be a bird shooter. I am a portrait photographer. This was my first time ever experiencing to photograph these type of birds. This being said.

As you can see it is a huge colony.

 




Most photos I have seen over the years shows them flying in groups or when they are on the ground the background is full of birds.  I photographed them in flight as well.




I guess my portrait background kicks in even when I will photograph a bird. I try to capture the individual bird with uncluttered backgrounds exposing their behaviors.









This approach can also be described as reportage style. Show everything about them. Their environment but also the bird itself. 

 My approach does not change when I will photograph weddings, events and editorial shoots. Always trying to emphasize the beauty of the subject.

Consider it that we can't direct birds in the wild, but I know how to direct human beings in front of my camera.

Sunset moon below was shot at my driveway yesterday.
 


The landscape was shot from a moving car. I was the passenger.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Montreal Fine Art Glamour Portait Photographer Hera Bell's Photgraphy Exhibit in 2014


 
My recent photo exhibit's audio visual.



 
 
Thank you everyone who visited and signed my guest book.
 
 
Realize all the possibilities
Understand the designs of destiny
 
People do what they do best
Judging those unique from the crowd
 
Blessing of life does not rewind
So engineer dreams into reality
 
Manifest greatness in every thought
Listen to the melody of your glory song
 
Wave of negativity does not belong on your shore
Let it flow back to the ocean it came from.

 With Love
 
(unknown author)

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Capturing That WOW CLASSIC Wedding Photo by Montreal Fine Art Portrait Photographer Hera Bell

 
When we go "WOW" at some wedding photography I always analyze what makes a WOW wedding photo.


Number 1: LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION

Almost every wedding photo people would go WOW to is all about location.

 Number 2: The Bride's gown... YUP...

Number 3: The magical light, clouds, rain,snow, weather conditions. etc

Number 4: The poses and the composition. I have seen often a photo that has all of the above elements in it, but the photographer did not direct the couple well, therefor the pose looks unnatural, posed, too fake...

So what happens, if it is a wedding that the bride and the groom DO NOT want to venture out of the hotel where everything will take place?

This happened to me in August 1998. We were at a downtown hotel. Hotel Bonaventure, it was a Jewish wedding. Second time for the bride and the groom. They had kids and close friends and family.

I will share with you two pages from their album. In each page, one image was shot on the hotel grounds the other image is a total digital collage, can you guess which one?
 
 
 
 
If you do not want your wedding photos to be outdated in the years to come, STAY AWAY FROM FUNKY TRENDS.
 

 

Saturday, October 4, 2014

"Rituals Of Belonging" Is Now Open Till November 9 2014 In Montreal

                                    




                                    Rituals Of Belonging 2014 Hera Bell's Solo Exhibit


                                                Just follow the link to see teaser photos.

                                              











Wednesday, August 20, 2014

My NEW Glamour Make Over Photography Web Site Is UP by Montreal glamour make over portrait photographer Hera Bell

 
My Glamour Make Over Photography web site is officially up and running.
 
I wanted a web site simple, packed with images and information of what such photo sessions means to me and what are some of the results after a session with me in my studio... No hidden fees. NADA. It is all there.

I had started this unique portrait service in 1997 during the film era.
 
Glamour make over photography became very popular in the late 60's up to mid 70's. It first started at Hollywood. Then became popular across the USA.  Then it became so popular that it turned into  tacky portrait sessions. So it died.
 
A Glamour Make Over session does not necessary means your today's typical Boudoir sessions. At least for me. This is why I felt the need to start a web site showing what I mean.
 
In my studio we take this portrait art form one step further. We are known to offer  clients highly artistic and very realistic photography collages. All the locations they are digitally transported are shot my me. Which sets us apart from our competition. We do not just take your photo, we create the image.

I thank everyone who gave me permission to include their photos at this web site.

VOILA:
 
 

 

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Pussy Power by Montreal Glamour Make Over Photographer Hera Bell

"Pussy Power Puts Most Men's Pants On Fire"

In my very bizarre imagination this is what happened at Paris' train station that day on our way to a Chateau... Sexy women took over men without any actual weapons.

A little bit humour does not kill. Just a silly observation about the interactions between women and men. And how some women who are aware of such power over men can get most things their desire.

Have a super Sunday. Thank you for dropping by.





Monday, August 4, 2014

The Art Of Creating Old Fashion Photos by Montreal Portrait Photographer Hera Bell

 Emulating old fashion post cards from a by gone era.

This is not the first time I have done this.
 
Few years ago I had to create an entire wedding album for a special client who wore a 100 years old wedding gown she inherited from her family. The leather album matched the age of the wedding dress which was hand made by an Italian leather maker. The entire wedding had only 80 guests all dressed up to the époque. The party was happening under tones of candle light in a great estate garden located at Eastern townships. Too bad I have no permission to show the results. Some of my clients insist on privacy. and I respect that.

In this shot you see Karima in a Parisian courtyard...
 
 
 
 
It gives you an idea how every single image was edited for my wedding client's album. The edges of the photos were cut off one by one with a special scissors to give that old fashion post card edges.
 
 


I had to create a photoshop action to have uniformity between all the photos.