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elopements

October 8, 2021

bonavista elopement

« Newfoundland and Labrador Portfolio | Alex Stead

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alexstead

I give into my imposter syndrome A LOT. ⁠ ⁠ Al

I give into my imposter syndrome A LOT. ⁠
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Almost constantly running through my brain is this train of thought: I am not the most qualified to do this. Other people can do what I do but better, cheaper, faster. This is pointless. I should just give up. ⁠
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I swear, sometimes the only thing that fuels me is my stubbornness to prove this little asshole in my brain wrong.⁠
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So. Here's the deal. Real talk. ⁠
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I have driven past this view a thousand times. Every single time I do (monthly, if not weekly, for the past 10 years or so) I think about stopping to photograph it. Literally every. single. time. ⁠
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Yesterday, I was driving past and thinking about this yet again. Thinking about how I'd love to get a shot of this sweet little scene on the isthmus. ⁠
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Then the excuses from my little asshole brain started coming in as usual. Other people have shot this better. Other people CAN shoot this better. I'm tired. I'm just going to keep driving home. I'm really tired. I'd rather get home and go to bed than get out, go for a walk, take the damn picture. Maybe next time. ⁠
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Then, instead, I turned the truck around. I parked. Walked down the hill near the highway. Took the damn photo. Smiled really big. ⁠
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Thanked myself for taking a chance. ⁠
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/ image description: a small triangular hill sits in the clouds. below, a pond perfectly reflects the purple sky. Rocks connect the hill to the foreground creating a symmetrical scene. ⁠
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Big smiles all around ☺️☺️☺️ Just a co

Big smiles all around ☺️☺️☺️ Just a couple of family sessions left before I close my calendar until October! Shoot me a message or book yourself in using the link in my bio! / image description: mom, dad, baby and pup are all laughing. They’re sitting on a grassy knoll next to the ocean.

Absolutely, unapologetically, me (swipe to see the

Absolutely, unapologetically, me (swipe to see the real deal). Anyone else’s pets HATE being in photos? 😂 / image description: two images. The first is a soft portrait of Alex wearing a green sweater, her hair is in her face and she has a big smile. The second image is Alex in the same outfit in front of an orange stage. She’s holding her dog, and making a bizarre face as he tries to jump out of her arms.

Tag ur favourite person to let them know you want

Tag ur favourite person to let them know you want to go on a picnic date and get some nice photos :) ⁠
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/ Image description: a couple walks along a hill at sunset. Cliffs and ocean are in the background.

✈️ When I travel, whether it's to Fogo Island

✈️ When I travel, whether it's to Fogo Island or somewhere much farther (in the before times), I like to pack it real light. I once got so excited for a cheap no-luggage flight that I backpacked for a week in Europe with a single pair of pants, some underwear, a couple of extra tshirts... all tucked in around my camera gear. 😂 I can’t say I loved the sink-laundry life (or having to buy socks in a different country as soon as I got off the plane), but I DO love being able to grab my stuff and go on an adventure on a moments notice!

I've switched up my gear recently to be more lightweight, and here's what I currently take in my camera bag when I go anywhere: ⁠
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📷 Sony Mirrorless Camera: I'm shooting with the A7R and so far so good! Also two lenses; the 35mm and 85mm f1.8⁠
🐦 DJI mini drone (this is new and fun and terrifying!)⁠
🔋 Batteries, chargers, and lens cleaners
🍫 Granola bars and almonds for the hangrys while waiting for everything to line up
🧦 An extra pair of socks as a trauma-response

What‘s the one thing you won’t travel without?
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/ Image description: a small red shed sits on a dilapidated wharf. Behind, the sky is cotton candy hues of pink and purple. A small bird is flying through the scene. ⁠

If I could go back in time and give my 15-year-old

If I could go back in time and give my 15-year-old self some advice, I would tell her this: ⁠
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You will always doubt yourself, but keep going anyway. Perfection does not exist, and the fun is in the pudding. ⁠
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What advice would you give your younger self? I would love to hear! ⁠
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/ The dungeon in Bonavista from above⁠

Time for picnics with your love 🥰 Something fun

Time for picnics with your love 🥰 Something fun coming soon... keep your eyes peeled! ⁠
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Image description: a couple walks hand and hand through the battery. One is carrying a picnic bask

I started my life as a photographer about 12 years

I started my life as a photographer about 12 years ago. I was 15, and I wanted SO BADLY to be a professional photographer. I didn’t know what the buttons did. I didn’t know where the memory card went. I had no idea what I was doing. But oh damn, was I persistent. ⁠
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There may not have been a seat at the table for me as a 15 year old girl with a crappy camera, so you can believe that I dragged my chair up and made myself a seat! It was overwhelming and hard at first, but I was determined to make it work, and today not only is this my full-time job, but I’m helping so many people conquer their fears and doubts so that they can pursue their dreams of being a photographer too! ⁠
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What made you start your path?⁠
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/ Image description: Alex is standing on the edge of a cliff looking over the ocean. She’s in a dark green sweater. In front of her, a large peninsula juts out into the ocean.

Done is better than perfect. Starting is better th

Done is better than perfect. Starting is better than waiting for the perfect time.
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The number 1 question I get about my courses is: Do I need a new camera? The answer? Any camera can take good photos if you know how to use it (and really, so can an iPhone: the best camera is the one you have on you when the stars align).⁠
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You don’t need to have the latest or greatest by any means, and I often tell people to go on Kijiji and grab the cheapest Canon Rebel they can find just to get started. ⁠Once you’ve figured out what the buttons do... the word is yours.
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In full disclosure, in creating my crash course, I kept the scrappy 15 year old me in mind. If you can change the lens on your camera and turn it on, you can get started on this course right now and be taking amazing photos by lunchtime!
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Sign up for the 15 minute crash course in my bio for just $7. ⁠
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Image description: a yellow biscuit box house with yellow trim, yellow dor and a yellow fence sits in a green yard. Blue ocean and blue sky are behind.

IF MONEY IS TIGHT RIGHT NOW... you have options. I

IF MONEY IS TIGHT RIGHT NOW... you have options. If you've been looking at my Learn to Love Your Camera course and now doesn't feel like the right time, here's a way you can learn from me without a big investment: my 15 minute crash course is now live! You can snag it for *just* $7. The crash course goes over some basics of getting your camera off of auto mode and learning what all those buttons do! One student said she learned more in 15 minutes than she has in TEN YEARS 😨 Let's get learnin! ⁠
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Image description: Alex sits on the side of a small pond wearing an orange sweater and big black floppy hat. Her back is to the camera, and she's drinking a cup of tea out of a little blue mug. Not pictured is the fact that the dog fell into the pond at this exact moment and she's actually laughing her head off.

Big silly smiles all around please! Who wants pict

Big silly smiles all around please! Who wants pictures like this? ☺️ / image description: a series of 4 images show two sisters and their dog standing on a rock. The girls are holding hands and laughing really hard as the dog makes various funny faces, then in the last image, runs off.

Last day of my baycation - I’ve been a little bi

Last day of my baycation - I’ve been a little bit MIA but I’ve been out with my family exploring all the coves within driving distance, shucking crab, boiling mussels, picking kelp for compost, building a garden... it takes .2 seconds for me to revert to full bayman and I do not hate it 😂 where’s your next adventure? / image description: a drone shot looking down at two tiny stages sit near the ocean. The water is crystal clear and you can see every bit of kelp in the shallows.

Friendly reminder - a few St. John's family advent

Friendly reminder - a few St. John's family adventure sessions are still available, and I have some openings in central in June :) after that, you’re out of luck! If you're interested, shoot me a message and we'll get you all settled in! ⁠
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/ image descrption: a little girl in a blue dress walks carefully on a grassy shore.

GUIDE TO BECOMING A PHOTOGRAPHER: ⁠ ⁠ Take you

GUIDE TO BECOMING A PHOTOGRAPHER: ⁠
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Take your camera with you everywhere. ⁠
Dust it off. ⁠
Give it a kiss. ⁠
Tell your camera, you are not going to live in this sad dark closet anymore! ⁠
Take awful pictures. ⁠
Then take less-awful pictures. ⁠
Then learn something new and take more awful pictures. ⁠
Lean into whatever it is you find interesting. ⁠
Laugh at yourself.⁠
Get mad at yourself for knocking your camera on a rock. ⁠
Realize it still works. ⁠
Duct-tape it and keep going. ⁠
Be inspired by your own awfulness. ⁠
Be inspired by the fact that you actually got one good shot. ⁠
Grow. ⁠
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/ Image description: a big cliff curves into a cove.

Hello Central NL! Interested in family photos? Why

Hello Central NL! Interested in family photos? Why don't I come to you?⁠
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This week only, offering both family adventure sessions + extended family sessions (perfect for meeting up at the cabin with your bubble so everyone can get a snap with nan) in the Gander/Lewisporte/Twillingate area. ⁠
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DM me for more info! ⁠
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/ image description: a little boy hugs his mother. They're on a trail near the ocean. ⁠
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Just an appreciation post for Fogo Island. ❤️

Just an appreciation post for Fogo Island. ❤️

I’m heading to Fogo island today and I am SO EXC

I’m heading to Fogo island today and I am SO EXCITED. Going to spend the weekend hiking, eating good food, and taking in the scenery. Might even see if we can get some spring partridgeberries (they’re sweeter than in the fall from the frost). 😍 anything we should check out while we’re there? On our list is Bangbelly, Scoff, and the Lion’s Den trail!

Also, an update on family adventures: there are only three spots left for spring, and I’m not taking any summer sessions! If you’re on the fence, today is probably your last chance to sign up for a session in which the kids get messy, you all have a big laugh, make memories, and walk away with some photos that will make you cry in ten years or so. The link is in my bio to book!

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/ Image description: a little girl stands near the ocean holding yellow flowers. The wind is blowing in her hair. Behind her is Quidi Vidi Village.

Take chances, that’s how you grow. 🥰 / image

Take chances, that’s how you grow. 🥰 / image description: a father takes his young child out on a rock in the ocean. He’s holding their hand and ensuring they stay safe while they explore the new surroundings together.

📢 Calling all grass-stains, jam hands, and beau

📢 Calling all grass-stains, jam hands, and beautiful imperfections: it’s time for a family adventure! 🪁

Let’s capture the moments in between. The photos that will make you laugh so hard you snort and make you cry with nostalgia in 10 years when your little ones are all grown up. ⁠

What does an adventure session look like?⁠
I’ll come along to one of your favourite places: whether that’s a boil-up on the trail, seeing who can go farther on the swings in your own backyard, dipping toes in the freezing ocean, or the kitchen where you all make a state trying to bake cookies. I’ll hang out and lightly direct your whole crew to make sure we get your best sides (and we will all collectively promise not to worry if there’s a small meltdown or two, ok?) ⁠
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We’ll still get a nice photo for nan’s fridge! But more than that, we’ll capture a moment in time that you can look back on years from now and say: yes, that was, and is, us. Our beautiful, wild, rambunctious crowd that I love with my whole heart. ⁠
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I’m opening my calendar up to just a few of these sessions this spring. If you want in, check out the link in my bio to get your spot! Sessions available in town and central ☺️
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/ Image description: three littles sit on rocks near the ocean. The sun is warm behind them.

I want to know: are you doing the Learn to Love Yo

I want to know: are you doing the Learn to Love Your Camera course? How are you doing so far? Tell me below! 👇 if you haven’t signed up yet but you’re interested... is there a specific reason why?

/ image description: looking down at the cliffs being hit by waves.

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