“I find beauty in the diversity in every single person,” said Jacqui van Lier, owner of JVL Studios. “I am impressed by the diversity at our school and how our school embraces the value every single day. I send my girls to GMS because I want them to look at the world this same way. Find beauty everywhere they travel.” And, a professional photographer who just volunteered her time for the 2016 Green & White Bash fundraiser to take pictures of every child in Primary, Elementary and Middle School at GMS, 1,600+ shots, knows our school’s diversity face by face.

JVL StudiosJacqui started JVL studios just a year ago. The company focuses on professional photography sessions including newborn, children, and family portraits, corporate headshots, weddings and the newest venture, real estate photography. When I asked Jacqui what were her favorite shoots, she said, “Children! I’ve never had a bad experience working with kids.” As to the most technically challenging, “It’s the real estate,” said Jacqui. “The digital pictures are what get you interested in going to see a house or contact a realtor. Making those perfect and pleasing shots with all that variation in indoor lighting, and capturing the size and shape of a room is a rewarding technical challenge.”

In a world full of digital photography taken on smart-phones, Jacqui compares her work and the work of other professional photographers to that of a digital art form. “We are surrounded by digital images, but so much of the time we forget them as soon as we ‘like’ them on Facebook, or text them to somebody,” said Jacqui. And to that end Jacqui offered two pieces of advice.

Print your photography. “With dozens of apps available that offer the ability to sort and have your photos printed, you need to remember those now useless 3.5 inch floppy discs that we just threw away a few years ago, or the CD full of pictures in your attic that is quickly becoming obsolete.” You should also think some about the security and privacy of your digital images. They are easy to snap, and easy for anyone to copy and manipulate. “Make sure that if you are using a professional photographer that you won’t have those photos released for viewing by the public without your written consent.”

For more information about JVL Studios please contact President and Owner Jacqui van Lier by e-mail at [email protected]. Don’t forget to check out the photo booth at the Green & White Bash. You can bring your own camera and take candid shots of yourselves wearing some of the same props used by the kids in their photo shoot this spring. Secure images of your children are now available for viewing by visiting www.jvlstudios.com and clicking on the GMS Fundraiser link.