Hello! My name is Mariel, I am a professional photographer, and I will be photographing you at some point over the next two weeks to create a new set of headshots for your employer, GHL Consultants Ltd.

If you haven’t already, you can book your 10 minute photoshoot with me here.

My goal is to create a set of professional and timeless portraits of you, which will be used in GHL’s new website and other marketing (if you have consented to GHL’s use of your images), whether on a new project proposal or the Meet the Team page on the GHL website, your personal LinkedIn profile, or beyond!

What to Expect

The shoot itself will be 10 minutes long, and will be a casual, fun, and comfortable experience (I promise)! Having my own photo taken is not my favourite activity, so I’ve developed a method to create authentic images of people in a way that is a quick, painless, and feels as natural as possible.

Where are the photos being taken?

I have selected 5 locations where the photos will be taken, in and around the GHL office in downtown Vancouver.

Once you select your date and time, I will e-mail you the details of where to meet me for your photoshoot, including a google map GPS pin and an image of the meeting location.

Depending on what location you receive, you may have to do some light walking to and from the photoshoot spot from the GHL office. If you have any mobility limitations and are not able to meet me outside of the GHL Office, please e-mail me and I will work with you to find a time where we can photograph you in the GHL office.

What to Wear

The most important thing is to wear something you feel comfortable and confident in. We all have that one outfit we feel our absolute best in - I suggest you wear that!

The style of these portraits and your new website is more casual, so you don’t have to be restricted by business professional attire.

The only thing to avoid in your outfit is any distracting logos or words on your shirt. Patterns are totally fine!

What do I need to bring to my shoot time?

Bring yourself, a supportive friend if you’d like (see below), and feel free to bring a prop or two if you would like to (this is optional). Examples of props that can help create really natural portraits are:

• things you interact with in your job on a regular basis (like a phone, laptop, tablet, set of plans, small electronic/specialty job equipment)

• notebook and pen

• frequently used accessories such as a favourite coffee mug/water bottle, bag, backpack, jacket etc.

Can I bring a favourite colleague with me for support?

Yes! If you and your favourite office friend want to coordinate and book your photo time slots one after the other, having two people interacting can make for really engaging and natural portraits (see examples on the side)!

How many photos will I receive?

During our 10 minute session, I will photograph you in a variety of poses to provide you with 3-4 unique final images, which will be fully edited and retouched if necessary. This will allow you to have a few options and hopefully have at least 1 image you feel amazing about (I know how personal we all are about how we think we look our best, which is why I like to provide everyone with a few options)!

What level of retouching do you provide?

I like to keep my portraits natural, and only retouch features/blemishes that are temporary and can’t be changed in a week. For example, if you wake up on the morning of your shoot and discover a large pimple in the middle of your forehead, or if your cat (or toddler) scratched your chin the night before, I will take care of that for you in photoshop. Same goes for any hair flyaways/frizz that might result from an overly humid day!

A bit more about me:

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me before your shoot at marielnelms@gmail.com.

Lastly, here are 5 quick facts about me to help you get to know me better before our shoot:

1. I have won both a pie baking contest and a pie EATING contest, and this is probably one of my greatest accomplishments in life.

2. I have 2 kids, Ruby (6) and Jude (3), and a 11 year dog, a red heeler named Mowdy.

3. I am also a proud worm-mama. I started composting with red wiggler worms in the Spring of 2022 to create my own compost for my veggie garden, and quickly became obsessed with how incredible these little creatures are!

4. I have been a commercial photographer full time since 2016. I love photographing people and the challenge of capturing someone authentically never gets old for me. My husband is a photojournalist here in Vancouver, and together we also photograph a handful of weddings each year!

5. I have dreams of building an off-grid, modern cob cottage on the coast at some point in my life!

Connect with me!

You can check out more of my work at www.marielnelms.com, and find me on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/marielnelms/