It was just a couple weeks ago that we had a great time doing their engagement photo on a green day. Not so for their wedding! Who would have thought that a couple would question whether or not they would have snow, when planning their big day for the middle of February!
That being said, we got a winter wonderland at the last minute! And the photos show it! Please feast your eyes on some great shots from the day!
I had the pleasure of photographing another one of Deana Hoyles’ concerts here in Stratford. Her concerts, and music always carry a strong message, and are a real treat to all those in attendance. This time around, her twin sister’s band – Avidas opened for her also taking part to make it a great evening for those who attended.
Photographically speaking, this was fun. The lighting was strong, and changed strongly at different times. You’ll noticed that I’ve randomized these photos, and they don’t follow any particular flow, that’s because of the rather large swings in lighting (and moods for the songs). I’m happy with how the photos turned out, and I look forward to photographing more for these wonderful artists in the future.
Also I led off with a shot of Deana’s poster, so you know who she is! Her sister Donna, being a twin shows up on stage in the photos first!
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Praise the Lord! my dear sisters, God bless!
Bro.Anil.
I met Jesse just about a year ago. We both had the pleasure of flying down to Cuba for a wedding. We got to know each other a bit, as we both talked shop and soaked in some rays on the beach. An established musician, from Kitchener I knew that one of these days I wanted to photograph Jesse doin’ his thing. So, I flew down to check out a set he was to play at The Little Bean Coffee Bar. What a cool spot. On a freezing night, it was warm, cozy and inviting. Photographically speaking, I immediately knew what a challenge this was gonna be however. Warm, Cozy, Intimate… to our eyes. To a camera, in a word: dark. So, after the wonderful Meghan Weber finished her set (see the first two photos) I did what I could to get a little more light on the situation. The rest, I figured I’d have to make happen with a little off camera flash. For all you budding photogs out there, without the fastest glass, or highest ISO camera, you can get some pretty good bang for your buck with flash. (email me for details). I am happy with the photos, and feel that they do well to capture the ambience of the evening. I also like the contrast in the photos, some of them seem to have a look that he’s just takin’ it easy, in another, he’s raising the roof with his voice. Have a look.
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Crystal and Dave have some quickly approaching vows. However, we figured that before we get to that, it was best to practice making photo magic and go for a stroll. Being the naturals that they are, things rolled along smoothly. Despite a rather windswept look here and there. What a great way to start your morning, going for a stroll around the river in Stratford, on a beautiful sunny day.
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Holy hannah. We knew it was gonna snow a little bit, but we didn’t know about the gusting wind that made life with long hair near impossible. (That is, Nicky’s long hair, not my own 1-inch mane) Nicky and Joe took it in stride however, as we ducked from nook to cranny, and tried to seek shelter wherever we could! We all remarked that compared to this exercise, their wedding in September should be no sweat! It was great to finally have some more of the white stuff however, and I think it made for some really fun shots.
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I thought I’d fire up a series of recent images, of a salon interior I shot. First let me start by saying that this is not my game. I really don’t have a ton of experience with this sort of thing, but I still do have a few tips to impart. These thoughts were spurred on by someone I know who is listing a house for sale, and of course taking some photos of it.
1. Wide is good. You wan’t to use a wide lens a lot of the time, not because it “fits more in” but because it allows you to add depth to the image. By using a super wide shot, that is low and close, you can make that kitchen seem cavernous! If you don’t believe me, try taking a small swimming pool, or even a kiddy pool. Take a shot with your widest lens, as close to the surface of the water as you can get. The chances are it will look olympic sized.
2. Low is good. Once you’re using a wide lens, you have to be really careful to try and keep lines straight. As you tip the camera down, (because you’re taking this photo at head height) you get all kinds of crazy things happy. Straight lines lean over, and keystone, and things just go bizarre. So, in order to combat that, you have to keep the back of the camera (think where the film used to go) parallel to the walls. So to fit the room, chances are you are going to be down around waist height, to get everything in. This also benefits you by getting you closer to the items in your foreground. Think, coffee table.
3. Close is good. Get close. Then try and get closer. It’s this trick that makes all the difference some times. You might not be able to get the whole room in every time, but you can use multiple shots, (of the same room) to build a framework. Our minds are very good at stitching them all together.
4. Flash is bad. Unless you have a whole lot of it. Really and truly, unless you have multiple flashes, set up, and you know what you’re doing, you are going to want to force your flash off. Make note that you might have to get the camera out of Auto! Scary thought.
5. Tripod is good. Once that flash gets turned off, light becomes hard to come by. Often times you want to turn on all the lights, but not always. Still this is often not enough for the camera to see well, so you need to use a longer shutter speed. If that’s the case, find something to set the camera on. We’ve already mentioned that it doesn’t need to be too high. So even a chair and a pillow or beanbag can work wonders. If you have a tripod, now is the time to get it out. Try and use a remote timer setting, so that you don’t wobble the shot when you go to hit that shutter.
Its amazing how truly awful a lot of the photos you see on an MLS listing are. I’m not a virtuoso by any means, but I know enough that if you use these few tips, you’ll get good results.
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Another installment for all those out there asking me questions regarding Lightroom 3. Big news in the Lightroom world too, the Lightroom 4 beta was announced today, so we have some new things to look forward to!
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Mya was super fun. I was enlisted to see what I could do in getting a “good” photo of Mya. She knows how to run you see, and getting a shot of her that is not just a blur is troubling. We succeeded however! Mya is hard to categorize as any breed, as she was adopted in Guatemala, as a wild dog. Looking kind of like a dingo, she was still a real sweetie. From 4000kms away, she arrives on my blog. When we weren’t being savaged by the wind, we had a lot of fun!
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Beautiful pictures!! I am short of words!! Sharp capture of emotions and love for dogs, love it, love it, love it!!!
The pictures are amazing David!! I love how you capture her wilderness and craziness. You are really talented!!! Thanks for this opportunity you gave us!!!
And now for something a bit different!
Super sweet Brody, is a two and half year old Golden Retriever. He was quite the model for us, and was good sport as we headed downtown Stratford to see what we could make. We were not alone however, as Lexxi, the 2lb. Yorkie/Shih Tzu joined us for a little run around. What she lacks in size, she makes up for in playful spirit. Many smiles were had as we searched in vain for a method to keep her still! A big thanks to their patient parents as well!
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Snow hit Stratford, and it might even be here to stay this time! Visiting Ontario for another family member’s wedding, we were going ahead rain or shine! Stephanie, Rob and I shared a number of laughs as we ducked and dodged the wind. Taking for a quick pitstop in Sputnik, we recharged and went for a bit more, eventually getting some great images along the way. Between the bright sun, glare from the snow, and my polarized sunglasses, checking the LCD on the back of my camera, was nearly impossible, so it was a fun treat to pour over the photos once I got to see them for the first time. Being naturals, these two will have no problem playing nicely with the camera, on the day of their upcoming nuptials in May.
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Nicely done!
You have captured the love of two of the greatest people I know!:)
After confessing that he didn’t much like having his photo taken, I figured that Connor might be typical of most guys I deal with, that is to say, I’ve gotta coax and cajole some life into them. I was mistaken. Connor had both Laura and I in stitches, and impressed with his ability to add flair and life to the images. I don’t think he had his feet planted for more than a few seconds as it was always on the next pose! Laura on the other hand, had the patience of a saint, as she went along with all of his antics ideas.
Laura and Connor are friends of mine, so this was extra fun. I’m really looking forward to their upcoming wedding next may, as I’m sure it’ll be a hoot. Being the troopers that they are, we got a lot of fun shots, despite the fact it was simply bitter outside. After taking as long as we could bear, it was inside for a coffee and more laughs. Thanks for the fun time!
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I did something I’ve never done before. Submitted some shots to a national wedding photo competition. Turns out I have some improving I can do, as the people who placed ahead of me, have some serious skills. That being said, I am thrilled to bits, and count myself fortunate to hang with this company. Since its only the second year of my photography business, I still have a lot of learning to do, but so far so good!
The competition was scored on some scale that still eludes me, though the photos were broken down into a number of categories. I did not get any firsts (look at the other photos, and you’ll cut me some slack!) but I did get a second in Kids being kids. I’m including a few others that got ranked! See the full results here.
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I’m thinking about hiring myself out for extra in dicey weather situations, as it always seems to turn out for the best. With such a short engagement, Steve and Maggie didn’t have a ton of choices for their wedding day, but boy did it work out! You couldn’t have picked a nicer afternoon for their wedding situated at the idyllic site of the Sunningdale Golf and Country Club. Being such a fun and energetic couple, a good time was assured for all. A very non-traditional ceremony (Gather round folks!) gave way to an evening of festivities as guests burned the midnight oil. I was thrilled to be part of such a great event, especially after a long days work to be rewarded by nothing else but the most primo candy/cookie-bar ever. Even the woman on staff that I chatted with was taken by the excellent spread.
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The other week, Stacey, Andrew and I made the trek to Bayfield. The weather ended up super warm, which was a treat, since we were expecting the worst. We started off at the spot where they ate, before Andrew proposed- The Black Dog. After strolling down the super cool strip (which was easy to photograph) we ended up taking a little stroll on the beach. The water was a little too frigid for going barefoot, but it was certainly nice, one last gasp of summer. There guys were naturals in front of the camera, and we came away with all kinds of great shots.
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Stacey you are absouluty beautiful, Andrew is a lucky man!
Absolutely gorgeous pics!!!
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