Personal Journey and Adventures of Nina

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

I have carried neck pain and tightness in m y shoulders for years. Carrying heavy camera and studio equipment around in addition to 10 hour shoots running around the pool with a 300mm lens eventually took its toll. One time too many, I picked up a large load and sent my rotator cuff into unbelievable pain. I literally cried all night and carried my arm like a broken wing the next day. It was time to get it sorted. I called Physiotherapist Dianne at  Lindfield Physio  who gladly fit me into her schedule immediately. Through ultrasound, electro treatment, massage and strapping we were able to get some relief.  Dianne gave me a number of stretching and strengthening exercises that have become part of my daily routine. Assistant Grace kindly offered to demonstrate for you. Firstly is the support strap. It brought an incredible amount of relief. Ensuring my shoulders were pulled back, not hunched and well supported. Worn over a t-shirt with a cardigan or sweater over that

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

How much fun is my job! Today I got to photograph some very special puppies. These puppies are in training to provide support to people with physical disabilities.  Not to be confused with the guide dogs, Support Dogs are trained to get the mail, fetch your car keys, grab a tin of food from the pantry, open the fridge or oven door even grab the phone for their person. Besides which, they are really cute and wonderful companions. ASDOG is a non profit organisation so they do rely on the support of our community which is why I was happy to help. 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   |   LinkedIn    |    Twitter Thanks for visiting!

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.

Chatswood The best thing about November in Sydney is the colour.  Gorgeous purple flowers against deep blue skies. It is the end of spring. The days are getting warmer and there is a definite lift in mood as summer approaches. Mostly the colour comes from the Jacaranda Tree's which line the streets of Sydney's North Shore and other suburbs. I have taken these photos around Chatswood and Lane Cove. Also, flowering at this time are Agapanthus which border many front garden and fence  here in our Northern suburbs. Agapanthus, McLean Ave, Chatswood Kareela Road, Chatswood Karilla Street, Lane Cove Chatswood buildings surrounded by colour One minor drawback is that it can get messy! Although for all of this beauty, I don't mind a bit of mess. Besides, there is usually a massive southerly at some point which blows it all away. That's Sydney for you! Nina Beilby is a professional photographer based in Chatswood, Sydney,

Chantal O'Reilly , is an amazing textile Designer, who needed some quality images for her website and upcoming exhibition.  Chantal conceptualised the lush fabrics draping over the rustic ladder. So it was my job to work out the best backdrop and lighting in order to compliment the fabrics and flatter their designer!  I chose the brown/black canvas backdrop that I had hand painted as the most complimentary in colour, texture and overall effect. As far as lighting, I went for diffused, soft lighting on both the fabrics and the client. I really liked the way the lighting brought out the soft, shiny texture of the fabric. First things first though. Makeup for our Designer.  MJ ( Makeup by MJ ) is fantastic and does a lot of work for the studio.  Professional makeup makes all the difference to the final image. Having a proper base means less shiny patches on the skin for a start. Also, the artist brings out the clients features so they further appreciate the end resul

Short course season changes the game for me quite a bit. With only 25 metres to catch a front on Fly shot, I'm lucky if I get one attempt. The older kids (and I mean over 12yrs) get most of the way down the first 25 without a breath. Breaststroke is still ok so long as the swimmer does the slow glide and not the quick bob up and down. Some swimmers do not come out of the water much at all, then they are just a head on top of the water but at these State Champs, we had some pretty stylish swimmers.  The great thing about short course is that we can get pretty close up shots at some points where is would have been almost impossible in long course. If I had to be at the end of the pool ready for the fly, there is no way I would have time to get the dive shot first before running 50m to the end of the pool. Also, even with the 300mm lens, the 50m pool is too long for the backstroke start shot. Poolside shots are one of my favourite to shoot so I was glad that I h