Baby Bianca

Baby Bianca was such a delight to photograph.  She was incredibly easy -going and really seemed to enjoy all the attention she got during our shoot

Giggling for Daddy!

...and a cute little smile for Mom

All Settled In

So this recent move to Victoria BC has been an interesting one to say the least.  Traveling by car filled to the brink with my personal belongings, as well as 2 cats was no picnic, not to mention my poor car (proudly named Phillip) was on it's final leg. 

But once here, I gotta say Victoria is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever visited, and I feel very honored to call this place home.  Some beautiful places I've visited is downtown, Christmas Hill, Mount Douglas, and several beaches & trails.  Although I didn't always have my camera on me, I did snag a few pics off of Christmas Hill, and a couple of trails.

Photoshoot: Shaun

Recently I was approached by a friend of mine to photograph him for a tattoo magazine...naturally I was honored to be asked!  Shaun was a natural in front of the camera and with his sense of humor, it made the shoot VERY interesting!

New.....Everything

So this is to all who have previously known me as LA Photography.

My business was known as Littlest Angels Photography, or LA Photography, however there was much confusion in the name.  And although my business name is reflected upon an orphanage in Haiti (which I keep very close at heart), Littlest Angels was too long and it directed business to a specific crowd (mainly babies and children) even though my business has an endless array of options (such as weddings), so I shortened it to LA Photography.  However that created even further perplexity, as most thought I lived in California (which doesn't seem so bad as it's -36 right now) and wondered why the business was operated in Calgary.  So upon further exploration, I decided to name the business after myself.  Some of you may know me as Christina, but a common nickname I'm often referred to as Nina.  Kynas is my European name, so here we are at: Nina Kynas Photography.  Hope ya'll like the new design!
Also check out my new website if you haven't seen it yet.

The Beautiful Kyla Mae

Haiti 2007

In May of 2007 I visited the Dominican Republic and Haiti for a total of 7 days.  When we first arrived, we were greeted with beautiful white beaches, breath-taking sunsets, luscious agriculture, and friendly locals:
 

Beach Resort, Puerto Plata

Dominican child chasing our tour bus, on our way to climb the Damajaqua Cascades waterfalls.

On our bus ride to Haiti, we made several uneventful stops in different towns.  Our tour guide spiced things up a bit by serving - known in Haiti - as "Peasant Rum" which was over 80% alcohol.  Naturally I refused.  One particular town we visited was San Fernando de Montecristi, where we were greeted by many eager children waiting for candy.  These children followed us around town, and even tried pulling us into local grocery stores to buy them candy and toys.

They also took great interest in my digital camera.

 

We then headed south, stopped in Dajabon, which sits steps away from the Haitian border. The Haitian town Quanamithe and Dajabon are separated by a river, and the only access is through the narrow bridge.

A photograph of the bridge over the Massacre river, looking into the Domincan Republic.

At the time when we arrived, thousands of Haitians and Dominicans were buzzling across this bridge carrying all sorts of stock and food for trade, and locals had set up shops on the sidewalks, selling food and merchandise.  It was insane how many people there were, and given the heat was at 120 degrees, it was also very uncomfortable.

 

Haitian locals, bathing, gathering water, and washing clothing in the Massacre river.

 

Dominican child, shoe polisher.

While in Dajabon, we noticed a high amount of distruction (buildings were collapsed, and large road signs were ripped from the ground and leaning against buildings).  Our tour guide explained to us that a few weeks prior, a tornado had ripped through this town and left a rather large amount of distruction, which had yet to be cleaned up: http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2007/5/9/23843/Tornado-injures-38-RD150M-in-damages-Dominican-Haiti-border-crossing.

We then headed further south and eventually crossed the border into Haiti.  Our destination cannot be found on a map, but I will say this was definitely the poorest area we had visited. 

There were no men in this village, just women and children, along with several soldiers and a group of about 5 men whom were to perform a voodoo ceremony.  The heat was unbearable, and the land was nearly barren, with a few trees and shrubs.   

When we arrived I was greeted by a young Haitian girl, who took my hand and did not leave my side for the entire tour.  We visited the homes, which were made of dung walls and tin roofs.  Each home averaged to 100 sq ft.  

During the tour, the haitian children asked for my hat, sunglasses, sandles, and beads from my hair.  One even asked for my shorts.  The girls were typically dressed, but the boys typically wore little to nothing.

 

After several minutes of Matt trying to take a picture, my tour guide grew a bit restless.  This was the best (and only) shot of my little haitian friend :)

There's a single-room school in the center of this village for all age-groups. 

At the end of the tour, a group of men came and performed a Voodoo ceremony.  In this picture he has just swallowed the glass of 2 smashed beer bottles, and washed it down with water.  A few minutes later, he induced himself and vomited the glass up.  There wasn't a speck of blood.

During the ceremony, it is common for haitians to perform dangerous tasks, such as dancing in a fire, eating fire, and consuming glass, and no harm will come of them.

H & J Engagement Photos

A beautiful morning at Fish Creek Park started off this photoshoot!  The possibilites were endless as there was so much ground to work with, and H & J were so open to ideas.  Even if it meant getting a little dirty...