Personal Journey and Adventures of Nina

Nothing like a cool Winter's Day in Sydney for a photo session at the beach. Actually our winter's are amazing and I much prefer shooting at this time than those belting hot summer days. My light is soft and the sand is still warm. I only need the slightest fill to get a good exposure.  The family was moving to the USA and wanted a memory of the Northern Beaches, where they had spent their time so I also didn't mind a bit of contrasty sunlight here and there as a reminder. I really liked the outfits chosen by the family.  They complimented each other whilst not being too "matchy". I have a Pinterest Board that has fabulous clothing suggestions for family portraits that you are welcome to follow. The family was extremely relaxed even though their house was being packed up as we were shooting. They were very committed to making it a great shoot and that makes all the difference.  We wanted Manly in the background of a

These are the most fun shoots! Even better than an actual booth because you get to use awesome equipment and hang out with fun people! To setup my Photo Booth, I used the following gear: Canon 1D X ProFoto B1 Octabox with grid 3 x Pocket Wizard Plus II's 1  x Flash Sync Cable 1 x Remote cable Lightstand Tripod 32GB Memory Card 1. LIGHTS - I setup my light or lights, depending on the scope of the backdrop and the look I am going for. I have previously used my Alien Bee Strobes and more recently, Profoto B1's. You could probably use Speedlites too. I've just never found them reliable or battery efficient besides, the quality of light from the Profoto or even the Bees, is infinitely better. Besides which, you would need two to get the job done nicely. 2. TRIPOD - I setup my camera onto a Tripod. A good sturdy tripod is useful, especially if there is going to be alcohol at the venue! 3. POCKET WIZARDS - I hook up my remote flash/camera trigg

A few people have asked what Chatswood Vivid is like seeing that I live here so i thought I'd walk you through. The story begins at The Interchange. The Jellyfish Chandeliers and light display definitely make this the prettiest train station I have ever seen.  Look all around, even at your feet. There is a great light story happening as you walk. There are three levels you can get to, so try viewing from different angles.  If you get hungry, stop by The District on the top level. An upmarket food court serving wine as well as great food. Although the light displays are wonderful, it's the atmosphere that is vibrant!  Walk through The Mall and you will mix with a bustle of people meeting, mingling and having a great time. You will meet Norbert, The Nautilus and see The Aquarium on your way to The Concourse. Norbert The Concourse Head down to Chatswood Chase for a quick look at Lieutenant Angler.   You can get a bite here or head back t

Music was my entire life for about the first 20 years. It saved me from insanity. It was my escape. I played piano, pretty well. Violin not so well. But singing was where I won accolades. Music enveloped my life. For my High School Internship, I worked at The Sydney Opera House as the stand-in for the Ethiopian Princess Aida whilst the lighting guy worked his magic. I bumped into Sir Robert Helpman in the Greenroom and most remarkably got to hang out listening to Dame Joan Sutherland whilst she rehearsed. I credit this as one of the most memorable experiences of my life. As part of my photography degree internship, I worked with the MHCC Theatre Company so this was all very comfortable and exciting  and a great job for me. Doctor Nicholas Milton made me feel extremely comfortable in his open, genius Conductor kind of way. So creeping around the stage during the performance, with the occasional curious glance from Dr Milton, this is what I came up with. The

With the crazy weather we have been having lately, it's not always possible to shoot outside. This space is ideal. Also terrific for product photography and baby portraits.  Rates are here on my website. Whilst you are there, check out my work. The majority of the images on this site were taken here in the Chatswood Studio. There is a lovely viewing/waiting area. Street parking. 15 minutes walk from the station or bus stop right out front. There are coffee and tea making facilities as well as a microwave.

Just for a change I thought I put all of the highlights together into a short video for you! This annual meet at SOPAC Olympic Park Aquatic Centre is always a lot of fun. I saw kids from different teams hugging each other throughout the event. Despite the torturous 6 days and nights of heats and finals, the kids never tired. Although I surely did! There was also plenty of opportunity for some great action shots because we have the best in the State here at the event so technique is pretty good by now. The greatest highlight for me was watching the legend Chris Fydler swim so watch out for this post! Speedo heats next should be an altogether different challenge as the kids are aged 6 years - 13years. See you there! If you would like to see all of the highlights from the State Champs, click here . Nina Beilby is a professional photographer based in Chatswood, Sydney, Australia. You can see more of her work at  www.ninabeilby.com.au .  Social Media:   Facebook |  Twitter

When execs stop by the studio for their portraits, this is what a regular headshot session looks like. We check that clothing, makeup (if any), and hair are all put together then we decide on our background colour choices. We look at a 5 second slideshow if the client has not already looked on my website and made their decision.  Depending on the industry, the chosen colour can vary. The corporate's from the Tech or Pharmaceutical industries seem to go for the blue. It looks professional but stands out when you are scrolling through hundreds of little heads on LinkedIn. Gray is very popular because it looks extremely professional and doesn't offend. White is often the standard for many a company website because it is easy to associate with other colours already used and the person can be cut out of the background easily and also used in newsletters etc. We shoot from a few different angles and apertures so that we capture as many variations as possible.

Well this swim team sure knows how to have fun. What a terrific night and a fabulous team event. The ballroom at the   Novotel Norwest  was the setting and the room looked magical. Swim families were ready to celebrate the end of the swim season and welcome  in the next! The evening started out with Award Presentations and dinner.  A special presentation was made to 41 time World Record Holder, (7 of them from last year) and  International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame recipient, Jenny Whiteley.  Talk About Star Power. In attendance were Ursula and Forbes Carlile MBE . Pioneers and Rock Stars of the competitive coaching and swim school world. It was wonderful to hear their story and watch them make some of the award presentations. The dance floor was pretty popular. Kids and Coaches got to show off their dryland moves! The most popular and fun for us was the Photo Booth that we setup in an adjoining room. All dress