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Jen Grantham Photography

Toronto stock photographer

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Stock Photography

BlogMy WorkStock Photography

Time to Shoot Some Autumn Stock Photos

by Jen September 25, 2018
written by Jen
Time to Shoot Some Autumn Stock Photos

Fall is here! The trees are starting to change, autumn colours are everywhere, and I have 6 rolls of film to drop off for developing. Jokes about pumpkin spice are everywhere, and I’m consistently wearing the wrong clothes as the temperature flips back and forth from cool to hot. I’ve been working on jotting down some ideas of things to shoot before it gets cold, and taking a look back at some of my older autumn stock photos.

Road through the woods in autumn by Jen Grantham for Stocksy United

Aerial autumn stock photo of a road through the woods in Canada.

In the last couple of years, I’ve enjoyed using my drone to get another perspective. To be perfectly honest, I’m starting to feel uninspired with aerial photography. Now that everyone and their mom has a drone, the photos are starting to look the same. This year I’m trying to come up with some new ideas.

Pumpkins at outdoor market by Jen Grantham for Stocksy United

Autumn stock photo of woman buying pumpkins at an outdoor market

I’d love to do another Thanksgiving feast photoshoot with food and models. It’s hard to believe this Thanksgiving shoot was 4 years ago.

Autumn stock photo of friends setting the table for Thanksgiving dinner by Jen Grantham for Stocksy United

Friends setting the table for Thanksgiving dinner

I’ve also got a list of creepy photoshoot ideas for Halloween, and almost zero time to shoot them. Check out some of my Halloween stock photos on Stocksy.

Time to Shoot Some Autumn Stock Photos
Halloween stock photo of a creepy lit jack o'lantern
Portrait of a Halloween skeleton
Stock photo of a sign warning of the impending zombie apocalypse.
Autumn stock photo of a home decorated for Halloween
Autumn stock photo of pumpkins for sale at a farm

What inspires you?

September 25, 2018 1 comment
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Summer Feast with Crustcrumbs

by Jen August 17, 2018
written by Jen
Summer Feast with Crustcrumbs

When I was in university, I lived off-campus with friends. Thursday night was pub night at our school, and since we rarely felt like making the trek to campus, we would get together with other off-campus pals for what we called Feast. We would buy ingredients, make a dinner (usually something basic like stir-fry), drink (usually something embarrassing like Kool-Aid and vodka), and do Very Grown Up Things like play video games and make couch forts.

It was around that time my friend John Kruusi started experimenting with more complicated cooking. Slowly, our dinners evolved into more complex affairs, with John at the helm. Vodka and Kool-Aid turned into thoughtfully paired wine, and couch forts turned into jazz and conversation. Suddenly, we were Actual Adults. We were also busy, so our weekly dinners turned into every few months, and then every few years.

A couple of summers ago, John and I decided to organize a summer feast photo shoot up in Barrie, Ontario. It was a great weekend spent with friends and food, and for me, a bittersweet reminder of how much we’ve all grown up. John modelled along with our old dinner party friends Sarah and Andrew, and new friends Essa, Justine, and Liz. I did the photos, John did the food and food styling, and Justine did the prop and set styling.

Stock photo of friends toasting with wine at an outdoor summer feast

Outdoor Summer Feast

Andrew recently shared a few of the photos on Instagram, and I decided to go back and finish editing the series. Click here to view the whole gallery.

Summer Feast Place Setting
Stock photo of someone pouring wine at a dinner party
Friends Eating Dinner Outdoors
Sweet potato and wine for a summer feast
Sunset Over Kempenfelt Bay
Friends toasting with wine at outdoor summer feast
Friends Doing A Toast On The Dock At Sunset
Aerial stock photo of outdoor summer feast with friends
Stock photo of friends enjoying a summer feast
Clearing Dirty Dishes From The Table
Woman Laughing At Dinner Party
Adorable Woman Laughing At Dinner Party
Grilling Pork Belly
Close Up Of Hands And Plates During A Dinner Party

Images can be licensed from Stocksy. For first-time buyers, you can get a 20% discount with the code JEN20.

August 17, 2018 1 comment
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Brunch with Crustcrumbs

by Jen April 12, 2016
written by Jen
Brunch with Crustcrumbs

I know it’s been a long time since I updated, so I wanted to share some new work I’m doing with food stylist John Kruusi.  John and I teamed up a few years ago to start Crustcrumbs, a creative project to combine my photography and his food styling.  In 2014, we hosted a Thanksgiving photoshoot for Stocksy that was a lot of fun and a huge success.  This year, we’re happy to announce that we’ve officially partnered with Stocksy to produce exclusive food lifestyle content.

One of our first big photoshoots was an epic brunch scene.  John made and styled a series of amazing dishes, and we shot 6 models enjoying the food.  Here are just a few of the menu items:

  • Oysters on sea salt with kimchi and green onion pieces and fried brioche
  • Hot smoked trout with horseradish cream, pickled beets, and savory
  • Roasted tomatoes on the vine with goat cheese rounds
  • Grilled pork chops, roasted bone marrow, roasted Roma tomatoes, grilled maple sausage, and blood sausage
  • Poached eggs with sautéed spinach, hollandaise and toasted bread

You can view the shoot on Stocksy.  Here are some of my favourite images from the series.

Purchase this image at https://www.stocksy.com/925682

Overhead group brunch party by Crustcrumbs

Messy table after brunch

Messy table after brunch by Crustcrumbs

Friends enjoying a brunch party

Friends enjoying a brunch party by Crustcrumbs

Group of friends enjoying brunch by Crustcrumbs

Group of friends enjoying brunch by Crustcrumbs

Man spreading marmelade on bread by Crustcrumbs

Man spreading marmelade on bread by Crustcrumbs

Check out our growing portfolio of food and lifestyle stock images on Stocksy!

April 12, 2016 1 comment
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Year in Review 2014

by Jen January 12, 2015
written by Jen
Year in Review 2014

Happy New Year!

I know these posts are SO 2014, but I started writing it in December so I may as well post it.  I thought it would be fun to look back on 2014 and do a photography-related Year in Review, from my job and my personal life.

A few notable things from 2014:

  • I sustained a pretty serious concussion in March, so that put a damper on… well, everything.  (And I’m still dealing with post-concussion syndrome 9 months later!)
  • Despite the above, I still managed to add 429 images to my Stocksy portfolio and had my best sales year in stock photography since I started in 2009!  I experienced a whopping 456% growth with Stocksy from 2013 to 2014.  I’m so grateful to be a part of this co-op, and proud of how successful it has become as a small company in such a competitive industry.  Go Stocksy!
  • I got married in August, and by all accounts it was the best wedding ever.
  • This is possibly the first year in my entire life that I didn’t leave the country.  Whoa!

Here are a select few moments from 2014…

Continue Reading
January 12, 2015 0 comment
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iPhoneography

by Jen October 29, 2014
written by Jen
iPhoneography

In September, Stocksy published a blog feature called Mobile Month.  They featured 24 photographers who shoot amazing images with their mobile phones, debunking the “I can’t take pictures that nice because I don’t have as good a camera as yours!” myth.

This series has encouraged me to upload more of my “on the go” photos.  Here’s a gallery on Stocksy of my iPhoneography.

Autumn Vine by Jen Grantham

Autumn Vine by Jen Grantham

Woman holding feather by Jen Grantham

Woman holding feather by Jen Grantham

Pumpkins at outdoor market by Jen Grantham

Pumpkins at outdoor market by Jen Grantham

Vines on a brick wall by Jen Grantham

Vines on a brick wall by Jen Grantham

Ask by Jen Grantham

Ask by Jen Grantham

Dog looking out window in winter by Jen Grantham

Dog looking out window in winter by Jen Grantham

Golf Course Sprinklers by Jen Grantham

Golf Course Sprinklers by Jen Grantham

Autumn Vine by Jen Grantham

Autumn Vine by Jen Grantham

Follow me on Instagram @jentakespictures!

October 29, 2014 1 comment
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Owl Portraits

by Jen October 16, 2014
written by Jen
Owl Portraits

I’ve always wanted to try photography with live animals.  Last week I had the pleasure of working with an exotic animal handler in Toronto.  My friend Nick and I teamed up on this photoshoot, as he had been wanting to shoot a model with a giant python.  I like snakes, but my personal request was for them to bring a gorgeous Eurasian eagle owl named Ruby to our shoot.

Eurasian eagle owls are one of the largest owls, and could kill a small deer.  Ruby literally took my breath away when I saw her.  Firstly, she’s huge.  Secondly, I’ve never seen an owl up close before, and it was pretty amazing.  She sat on my arm and I was able to pet her.  It was a really cool experience.

Here are some portraits I took of Ruby, as well as Ruby with a model, Camille.  The makeup artist for this shoot was the amazingly talented Nikkie Gatto.

Eurasian Eagle Owl by Jen Grantham

Eurasian Eagle Owl by Jen Grantham

Owl on woman's shoulder by Jen Grantham

Owl on woman’s shoulder by Jen Grantham

Eurasian Eagle Owl by Jen Grantham

Eurasian Eagle Owl by Jen Grantham

Owl on woman's shoulder by Jen Grantham

Owl on woman’s shoulder by Jen Grantham

Eurasian Eagle Owl by Jen Grantham

Eurasian Eagle Owl by Jen Grantham

Stay tuned for future shoots with live animals!

October 16, 2014 1 comment
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DIY: Stamping Words onto Photos

by Jen July 31, 2014
written by Jen
DIY: Stamping Words onto Photos

Speaking of words in stock photos, here’s a mini-shoot I did this morning using some rubber stamps and a photograph from my trip to Hawaii last October.  Stamping is a fun way to personalize your images.

First, you need some stamps.

Craft Project: using rubber stamps to write on photographs by Jen Grantham

Craft Project: using rubber stamps to write on photographs by Jen Grantham

And a photo you want to mark up.

Fog over Molokai by Jen Grantham

Fog over Molokai by Jen Grantham

Print it out.  I printed 5x7s.

Craft Project: using rubber stamps to write on photographs by Jen Grantham

Craft Project: using rubber stamps to write on photographs by Jen Grantham

Oh, and you’ll also need some ink.

Craft Project: using rubber stamps to write on photographs by Jen Grantham

Craft Project: using rubber stamps to write on photographs by Jen Grantham

Figure out what you want to write and do it.  If you don’t want it to be messy, be careful.

Craft Project: using rubber stamps to write on photographs by Jen Grantham

Craft Project: using rubber stamps to write on photographs by Jen Grantham

And you’re done!

Craft Project: using rubber stamps to write on photographs by Jen Grantham

Craft Project: using rubber stamps to write on photographs by Jen Grantham

You can see all of my rubber stamping images on Stocksy.  And check out my DIY gallery!

July 31, 2014 2 comments
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Makeup Before, During & After

by Jen July 30, 2014
written by Jen
Makeup Before, During & After

Way back in Spring, Stocksy put out a creative brief of requested subjects, and I got an idea to do a photoshoot where I took photos of a model before, during, and after makeup being applied.

Well, I’ve been dealing with a concussion for the last 4 months, so this shoot got put on the back burner until a couple of weeks ago, when I met Camille, a cute model with blue hair, and Sidonie, a kickass alt makeup artist.  We shot this series in my downtown Toronto studio.

You can view the whole shoot in a gallery, and photos can be licensed from Stocksy (promo code JEN20 gets you 20% off).

Before - No makeup by Jen Grantham

Before – No makeup by Jen Grantham

Makeup artist applying makeup to model by Jen Grantham

Makeup artist applying makeup to model by Jen Grantham

Makeup artist with blush and brush by Jen Grantham

Makeup artist with blush and brush by Jen Grantham

Makeup artist applying false eyelashes to model  by Jen Grantham

Makeup artist applying false eyelashes to model by Jen Grantham

Collection of colourful makeup by Jen Grantham

Collection of colourful makeup by Jen Grantham

Makeup artist applying eyeshadow to model by Jen Grantham

Makeup artist applying eyeshadow to model by Jen Grantham

Hairstylist curling model's hair by Jen Grantham

Hairstylist curling model’s hair by Jen Grantham

Model checking makeup in mirror by Jen Grantham

Model checking makeup in mirror by Jen Grantham

Model with blue hair in harsh light by Jen Grantham

Model with blue hair in harsh light by Jen Grantham

View the whole shoot on Stocksy in this gallery! 

July 30, 2014 1 comment
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Stocksy’s Call to Artists 2014

by Jen June 13, 2014
written by Jen
Stocksy’s Call to Artists 2014

Stocksy has opened their Call to Artists page for 2014!

Stocksy's Call to Artists 2014

Stocksy is thrilled to announce the re-opening of our highly anticipated Call To Artist page, accepting photographer applications for 2014. As a cooperative dedicated to growing sustainably, Stocksy accepts only 500 photographers each year. This allows us to maintain highly focused curatorial standards, beautiful search results and specialized one on one care with our buyers and photographers.

This year we’re looking for new talent that will continue to grow and expand the collection with originality, new topics and diverse processing techniques. We’re specifically focused on finding photographers outside North America who can expand our range of ethnicities and cultures.

As well, we’re still on the look out for bloggers specializing in DIY craft ideas. Finally, we’re always excited to see the work of fashion, food, sport, fine art and still life, portraiture, animals, lifestyle and documentary photographers.

Our designers and developers focused on updating the process and interface, allowing all interested photographers to easily and instantly begin uploading photos for consideration by our Editor Team.

I follow some industry forums, and the big topic of discussion around Stocksy is always “what kind of images do they want?  What should I submit?”  There is a general opinion that Stocksy is looking for a particular style, when the reality is that when you look closely at the collection, there is a wide variety of styles from very different photographers.

So, this is my advice to people who are looking to apply.

Note: I’m not on the Editor team and I do not have any official insight.  This article is my personal opinion from being part of the co-op since last February.

stocksy curated images

How to Get Accepted at Stocksy

(maybe)

  1. Realize it is a mistake to look at the collection and try to figure out what “look” your images need to have to be accepted. Don’t change your style to emulate what you think Stocksy is looking for, show them what you are already good at. Stocksy doesn’t want to add 500 more photographers whose images look exactly like what is already in the collection.
     
  2. Similarly, don’t focus on what’s already there, focus on what you think is missing. Look in the collection for the subjects you think Stocksy is low on, and submit relevant images.  Stocksy is only a year old, and the collection has holes.  Show the Editor team how you can fill them.
     
  3. Read the Call to Artists notice carefully and note the needed subjects.  Keep them in mind when you are choosing images to submit.  I’ve bolded the relevant parts above:
     

    • range of ethnicities and cultures
    • DIY craft ideas
    • fashion
    • food
    • sport
    • fine art
    • still life
    • portraiture
    • animals
    • lifestyle
    • documentary
  4. Check Stocksy’s Pinterest feed for ideas of trends and needed topics (but make sure you put your own unique spin on any trends you choose to shoot).  They even made a Call to Artists: 2014 Lookbook board.
     
  5. Unless you have truly standout, innovative studio work/still life/nature/etc images, my advice is to focus on lifestyle. Pictures of people doing things in natural environments are ALWAYS needed.
     
    (Note: this applies to people who have a wide variety of subjects in their portfolios. Obviously, if you have a specialty, you should go with that. I’m not suggesting nature photographers should go out and shoot a bunch of people images for their Stocksy application.)
     
  6. Again, unless you’re doing something new or interesting or edgy with your staged portraits, I would focus on “real life.” For instance, if you are shooting a businessman, shoot him actually working, not looking at the camera with his arms crossed and blurry team members behind him. If you are shooting a female construction worker, show her doing real work in the clothes she would actually wear on a construction site, not posing suggestively with a hammer in a sexy Halloween costume. Et cetera.  Be authentic.
     
  7. If the internet has made a mockery of a stock photo cliche (think women laughing alone with salad, women struggling to drink water, women resisting delicious cakes and pies, stock photos of reading ruining relationships, etc), maybe consider avoiding those subjects in your application.
     
    women laughing alone with salad
     
  8. SHOOT WHAT YOU LOVE. Michael Jay makes an amazing case for this on his blog. This is perhaps the most important point. Don’t try to be what you think Stocksy wants. Be yourself and shoot what you love. It’s possible that what you love shooting isn’t what Stocksy is looking for, and that’s okay.

    “If you look at [Stocksy’s] images in the right context (in the single photographer’s portfolio), you will see that all of them were shot with passion. They were not produced with the ‘I shoot this because it will sell’ mentality that stock (especially microstock) has put into our minds. It’s ‘I really like this, I have to shoot this’.” – Michael Jay

This is not an official guide or a guarantee.  It’s possible your work is just not a fit for Stocksy, or they simply received too many applications for too few spaces.  It’s frustrating, but does not mean you are not an amazing photographer.  Try again next year!

Here is Stocksy’s Call to Artists page.  Good luck!

June 13, 2014 9 comments
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New Series: Working from Home

by Jen May 21, 2014
written by Jen
New Series: Working from Home

I have a new series on Stocksy on the theme of casual business stock photos, featuring a woman working from home at a desk, at the kitchen table, and on the couch.

I did a similar series of working from home business stock photos last summer with a different model in a kitchen.  I’m also planning another series in an office soon.  You can see all of my business stock photos in a gallery on Stocksy.

Business stock photos: Woman working from home by Jen Grantham

Woman working from home by Jen Grantham

Business stock photos: Woman working from home by Jen Grantham

Woman working from home by Jen Grantham

Business stock photos: Woman sitting on couch with laptop by Jen Grantham

Woman sitting on couch with laptop by Jen Grantham

Business stock photos: Woman working from home by Jen Grantham

Woman working from home by Jen Grantham

Business stock photos: Woman working from home by Jen Grantham

Woman working from home by Jen Grantham

See the rest of the series on Stocksy.

New customers get 20% off at Stocksy with the coupon code JEN20!

May 21, 2014 1 comment
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I'm a Toronto-based stock photographer, wife, and mom. I curate photos for a living.

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  • Time to Shoot Some Autumn Stock Photos

    September 25, 2018
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    August 17, 2018
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