Architectural & Interior Design Photography, Corporate Commercial Photography, Advertising & Portrait Photographer | Ottawa | 613-558-7585 | justin.vanleeuwen@gmail.com
A portrait photographer often has to push people and seek out the best shot of an individual, sometimes they’re hard to coax in front of the camera and unwilling to do anything that would lend themselves to a good portrait. Sometimes they offer to light their hat on fire. Chef Patrick Garland of Absinthe Cafe […]
It’s been a while since my last blog post, and while this may not be the most exciting of projects, it’s the type of corporate photography I do that helps pay the bills. It’s high-volume, multi use, kinda stuff and it’s important for a company, and their brand, to showcase their talent and not just […]
Last year I was contracted by Ottawa Magazine to take some lifestyle-esque editorial photography of four towns within a days drive of Ottawa; perfect for a daytrip! Travelling to these spots was going to be an interesting challenge for me, since I hadn’t been to many of them before. The assignment, should I chose to […]
I was excited to get a call from Rogers Media to photograph the cover story for the relaunch of their publication “Pharmacy Practice +.” They needed some slick editorial photography to reflect a fresh new direction for the brand, as well as their bright young pharmacist cover “model” Taj. Despite being located in small-town Hawksbury, […]
One benefit of working on multiple interior photography projects with the same designer is that you really get a sense of their design, and certain signature elements start to stand out among their body of work. Clawfoot tubs, unique light fixtures, a great sense of colour splashed against neutral colours. Tone, shape, style, they all […]
I received some exciting editorial photography assignments from Ottawa Magazine this past spring. First, I was privileged enough to work with the lovely and talented Sarah Mercer. Suffering from chronic health conditions, the feature story by Roger Collier covers Sarah’s transition from the “All-in-one” healthcare environment of the Children’s Hospital, to the fragmented and cold […]
I have this running joke with friends that Real Estate agents consistently have some of the cheesiest portraits. They’re almost always in their suits, in a very typical and traditional studio pose; maybe leaning forward, maybe seated with their hands in their lap, a male agent standing tall with a wide friendly grin. I get […]
April was a whirlwind month of mixed interior, commercial, portrait, and editorial photography, with almost daily shoots and tight deadlines. One of my long-time favourite interior design clients, Turnbull Design Consultants, recently had a complete brand makeover with Ottawa-based creative firm Cinnamon Toast. Parallel 45 is the same great team, with a fresh new brand […]
Since starting interior photography for Grassroots Design & Build I’ve been documenting their projects almost weekly. Not every renovation is a full home, in some cases it was just a single bathroom, or a kitchen. The above image is from an older home in the Fisher Park neighbourhood of Ottawa. It was a dark and […]
The spring issue of Our Homes Magazine Ottawa is out, and with it a whole new slew of stylish and custom renovated homes and interior photography. I was surprised when I found out I’d be photographing local restaurateur Ion Aimers’ new (old) home in New Edinburgh – around the corner from his latest food venture […]
I love taking environmental portraits, and as an editorial portrait photographer I get the opportunity to photograph unique people in very cool places that the general public may not have access to. This was the case when I was contracted by Ottawa Magazine to photograph Catherine Sinclair and the galleries recent donation of work by […]
My second interior design shoot with Emma from Grassroots Design & Build was another caring project that helped incorporate the age of the home and function of the space with a small three-person family. Like the last shoot, Grassroots stuck with the original space, only removing an obstructing centre unit that kept the kitchen cramped […]
I love a good personal branding photoshoot. More than just a headshot, personal branding will give a subject the opportunity to showcase their personality over a series of different looks and setups. Shelley contacted me after a recent life-shift. She moved to Ottawa and has also left the boring life of a scientist to start […]
You never know when you’re going to get your next great client. Emma Doucet’s youngest daughter and my youngest son both go to the same daycare. Normally you spend your time making trivial kid-based chit-chat about poop and food and growing out of clothes, but after a year your’e sure to learn something interesting about […]
I love being an editorial photographer. With almost no effort at all, I get to meet some of the most fascinating and wonderful people in the world. Barbara McInnes has recently stepped down as the president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Ottawa. Having spent six years working in the not for profit sector, […]
Large venues really push my physical and creative abilities as an event photographer. Just covering the main stage at the National Arts Centre would be enough to keep one person busy, but I like to throw a little extra into my work. Which is why I decided to do back-stage portraits at this years’ Cracking […]
It’s no secret that my favourite thing about photography is all the people I get to meet. I especially love taking their portraits in environmental situations that are relevant to them as a person or, at the very least, look cool. That’s why I was so happy when the editors at Ottawa Magazine asked me […]
I absolutely love shooting comprehensive campaign work for my clients. As a commercial photographer, working on images from the very inception of the concept is where I like to be. I was thrilled to receive a call from Claire at Bikram Yoga Ottawa to revamp her images for their new website and other potential ad […]
I nearly forgot about these commercial food photographs I took for Suzy Q Doughnuts here in Ottawa last year. The shop is only a few blocks away from where I live. I was their second customer when they opened up and did as much as I could to recommend the crap out of them to […]
It’s hard to escape the need for a good professional portrait or headshot these days. Between social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or whatever else the kids are using these days an avatar that isn’t a heavily cropped cell-phone shot of your drunk with an ex boyfriend or girlfriend (you know the one I’m […]
A few weeks ago I got a call from my good friends at MediaStyle to come photograph in their newly opened “IdeaSpace”; a creative hub that is available for special events and as a location studio if necessary. Since I don’t have a studio of my own, the ability to have a big and beautiful […]
The latest issue of Our Homes Ottawa is out and again I get to snag the cover with a great custom renovation designed by Shiva Gupta of 7j Design. The great thing working as the interior photographer for this home is that it is a bungalow and everything was all laid out in front of […]
As a commercial photographer, I try to create images that help my clients better sell their product. While so many of my commercial jobs are people, portraits and interiors, there has been a product photography component to my business. It’s not something I do often, and I’m not always even completely comfortable with the results. […]
I had the absolute fortune to work with the lovely Toosje Delaney on a fantastic evening on the Ottawa River. I was writing a review for the Canon 200-400 f/4 L IS 1.4 (in laymen terms: really big expensive lens), and wanted to take the unique opportunity to get outside and really work some portraits. […]
