Hey there,
my name's Chenoa
I know, it's not your usual name. It's pronounced like "Noah" but with a "shh" in front; "shh"-"noah". The meaning of my name, Chenoa, is "White Dove" which represents peace and love and is what inspired me to name my business White Bird Photography. A little nod to my own name and to the qualities I try to bring to my sessions and infuse into all my work: peace and love.
But that's just my name, beyond that I am a lover of books, a drinker of tea and a wearer of sweaters, with an unquenchable desire to travel and photograph all the beauties of the world. Though that includes beautiful landscapes and scenery, it's focused day-to-day on people; all the lovely people I am so privileged to meet and befriend while doing this wonderful job.
My Photography
I developed my love of photographing people during my time in the photography program at Algonquin College in Ottawa, from which I graduated with honours in 2016. There, my general love of capturing beauty, in nature and scenery, grew to a love of capturing beautiful moments and feelings in people.
My approach is to blend my love of the curated elegance and aesthetic quality of fine arts with the authenticity of lifestyle photography to create beautiful and honest memories, for couples, mothers to be and families.
So how does that translate to you? What does booking a session with me really look like? Well, creating that fine art elegance in my work means I plan, plan, plan haha. I ask a lot of questions, give a lot of advice and conceptualise all the little details with or for you, ahead of time (like wardrobe, location, timings etc). All that gets mapped out so that when it comes to the session itself, the aesthetic side of things is set. You're then free to be your wonderful self and I'm free to capture those authentic moments.
You can think of it similarly to planning an event. All the organizing, choosing the venue, the theme, the dress code and decorating, is done ahead of time. This ensures that you and your guests can enjoy the beautiful environment you've curated, be in the moment and most importantly, have fun.
What's your style?
My sessions are curated to you, your style, your comfort. My natural pose, how I feel most relaxed and myself, is curled up with a good book and a cup of tea.
To me that's what photographing people is all about, capturing the natural beauty of them being their true selves. So whether that's in a blanket on a couch or in hiking boots on a mountain, that's what we'll capture: you!
If a mellow session with little ol' me sounds like the right fit for you or you simply have a question, send me a message, let's connect!
A Thank You Note
To all my past, present and future clients, thank you so much for entrusting me to capture your love stories, whatever shape they may be. I am so blessed to have worked with and continue to work with the most amazing and genuine people. As a photographer I have the pleasure of encountering such a beautiful array of humans, at all stages of life, who make doing this job pure joy.
Here is a little of glimpse of what these sweet people have had to say after our sessions together;
words from past clients
Jordan & Family
Chenoa has photographed my son and family several times now and I really recommend her to everyone wanting to capture authentic and beautiful photos. She really does an amazing job of capturing families in their natural element, while also making you look good. Her photos are magazine worthy and her prices are super reasonable.
