#796 Watershed Exhibition at The New Art Festival

This coming weekend we will be pitching the largest selection of our Watershed exhibition so far – we have just printed some new work for the first time.

Please join us at The New Art Festival in the Glebe’s Central Park next weekend – June 2 and 3, 2012.

Find us at booth 19 NORTH. That’s near the intersection of Bank and Patterson.

Watershed?

Watershed– weaves its way from the headwaters in Gatineau Park crossing boundaries, backyards, and a village eventually falling into the Ottawa River. The process of exploration and photography began over 10 years ago as my dog and I wandered, wondering where the creek behind our house went.

Watershed Art Exhibit - Ottawa

Watershed Art Exhibit - Ottawa

As Watershed transformed from fun adventure into a collection of artwork I revisited sites on the waterway documenting the landscapes encountered by the liquid thread: rusted debris, concrete monsters and devastatingly pristine beauty. The creek refuses containment and consistency.

On the journey I found ever changing magnicence, carcasses of decaying cars and extensive feats (and wrecks) of bulldozed infrastructure – all around the same water flow. The waterway crosses jurisdictions with a disregard for policy, best intentions and human engineering. The creek respects no boundaries.

Watershed illustrates the power of an innocuous trickle while wryly smiling at attempts to contain, dene and shape the powerful force of water. 

The photo exhibition was captured on film and digital equipment from small modern digital SLR cameras to the stunning medium and large format cameras used by masters of landscape photography.

Please join us at The New Art Festival in Ottawa’s Glebe neighbourhood near Bank and Patterson at booth 19 NORTH. 

The New Art Festival

The New Art Festival

#794 Art Exhibition Update – Ottawa

On Friday at our photo studio we hosted the vernissage for Elmwood School’s year end art exhibit featuring their talented students. The opening was a great success – the place was full and overflowed onto Preston Street for part of the evening.

Art exhibition at Ottawa Studio Works

Ms Chun - Elmwood art exhibition at Ottawa Studio Works

What was the fuss?

There is some amazing artwork produced by some emerging young artists. The show is at the studio until June 3rd and the studio is open Wednesday to Sunday afternoons.

Please visit! Directions?

Elmwood Art Exhibit

Elmwood Art Exhibit at Ottawa Studio Works

Elmwood Art Exhibit

Elmwood Art Exhibit - Ottawa photo studio

#793 Art Exhibition at the Cube Gallery

RUN down to Don Monet’s Cube Gallery this week.

We have a piece featured in the show “Run.”

Don asked for a piece of RUNning water from our Watershed collection. Others exhibiting will be Reid McLachlin, Dave Cooper and Joy Kardish.

The Vernissage is Thursday evening at the Cube Gallery. Run, walk or take the bus – but please join us for the fun and art.

Details:

Cube Gallery – 1285 Wellington West, Ottawa

May 22-June 3

Vernissage – Thursday, May 24 – 6-10:30pm

Watershed Chelsea Creek Run

Watershed Chelsea Creek Run

#792 Sheep Shearing Photo Safari

This weekend we hosted Ottawa’s Sheep Shearing Photo Safari including some active herding dog photography! Lined up for the morning was sheep shearing, herding dog agility and some sheep herding.

Sheep Shearing Photo Safari - Ottawa

Sheep Shearing Photo Safari - Ottawa © Cheryl K

Our photographers braved the high heat of the day to learn tips on shooting challenging events including:

• how to prepare for the events to maximize opportunities

• dealing with exposure for greatest control in a wide range of creative opportunities – blurring backgrounds, panning with motion, freezing fast action, shooting in low light – you can control all of these situations!

• choosing locations to get best results

It was a challenging safari!

Someone said “Must say, this was a challenging Safari.

Someone else said “… it was neat to photograph something totally new, and to learn some new tricks of the trade:-)  I enjoyed myself, even if it was far too hot!

And finally… “Very impressed with the amount of information that was given/practised on how to photography such a challenging event as this one turned out to be.  A Safari is so jam packed with techniques, that every time I go on one, I learn a couple more.

Sheep Shearing & Dog Photo Safari - Ottawa

Sheep Shearing & Dog Photo Safari - Ottawa - © Erica McKay

Coming up later this summer are more photo challenges:

1. Bike Race Photo Safari

A challenge for photographers with a need for capturing speed! We cover a bike race – cyclists pass you every 60 seconds for a perfect teaching scenario.

2. Urban Compositions Landscape Safari

Ideal for those that want to push their composition skills, wherever they are. We explore urban settings to investigate line, form, shape and other elements dealing with the construction of a well built photo.

3. Online Photo Learning

Designed for people who cannot make normal photography courses or safaris. We bring photo learning to you through the internet. Join us for our latest photo adventure!

Thanks to all the photographers who joined us to capture the sheep and dogs! Thanks for the fun – summer shooting fun has just begun!

Sheep Shearing Safari - Ottawa - © Sally McMullen

Sheep Shearing Safari - Ottawa - © Sally McMullen

#791 Our New Photo Adventure – Online Photo Learning

We’re going on a new photo adventure!

No time for regular photo classes or photo club meetings? Do your photos lack that pop? 

We’ve just launched online photo membership program.

Learn at your own speed through your computer whenever and wherever you like – Our introductory photo membership program comes to you!

 

Get access to:

  • monthly instructional video for members
  • Ideas and instruction
  • Monthly challenge
  • Monthly photo contest
  • Downloadable notes
  • Tips and tales

Join us on our online photo adventure. Introductory summer rate of $75 – that’s $25 per month!

Online photo course

Online photo membership

#790 DIY Portraits at the photo studio

Last weekend we opened the studio doors for our Mother’s Day DIY Portraits. Families booked the Sunday sessions and, as usual, I smiled hearing the fun coming from the shooting gallery!

The way it works is we set up the lights in our photo studio in central Ottawa. People book the studio and plug their cameras into our lighting. After a quick tutorial the fun starts. Someone from the studio is always there to assist, if needed, but once the studio is set it’s EASY! So easy even a 9 year old can take great photos:

DIY Portraits - Ottawa Photo Studio

DIY Portraits behind the scenes - Ottawa Photo Studio

Someone commented – “The photos look really sharp!” That’s the benefit of DIY Portraits – we take care of the hard part – you benefit from affordable studio portraits!

Below we are featuring one of the families – R, C, and L.

Thanks to all that came – we will be offering this service again in the fall in preparation for the Christmas and holiday season. The DIY sessions are also available anytime for birthdays, celebrations or corporate events.

Contact us for details or to receive a reminder about the next DIY sessions.

DIY Portraits - Ottawa Photo Studio

DIY Portraits - Ottawa Photo Studio

DIY Portraits - Ottawa Photo Studio

DIY Portraits - Ottawa Photo Studio

 

#789 Vernissage this Friday! Art Exhibit at the studio

Final preparations are underway for Elmwood School’s Ottawa Exhibition of their art student’s work.

Elmwood School art exhibit at Ottawa Studio Works

Elmwood School art exhibit at Ottawa Studio Works

Heawon, the school’s talented art teacher, has helped students produce some work that is beyond what you would expect from grade  6-9 students.

Grade 9, 11 & 12 art students from Elmwood School showcase their finest pieces for the public to critique.

The Art program at Elmwood encourages students to explore beyond their boundaries. They are challenged with projects in painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed media and digital art. They learn both traditional and contemporary practices in art to build tools they need to make ideas based work.

Come for inspiration, come for the fun or come to check out what Elmwood School is producing. But come!

Elmwood School Art Exhibit at Ottawa photo studio

Elmwood School Art Exhibit at Ottawa Studio Works

Details:

Vernissage: May 18th 7-9pm;

Regular Hours: May 16th-June 1st, 2012.

Wednesday to Friday: noon-5pm

Saturday and Sunday: 1-5pm

Monday and Tuesday: Closed

Location:

Ottawa Studio Works

160 Preston St., Ottawa (between Gladstone and Somerset.)

Directions

Elmwood School art exhibit

Elmwood School art exhibit

#788 Pro Photo Program Social

Earlier this week our ProProgram organized a social to meet, shoot and socialize. This bonus of the program is designed to get Programmers out together to exchange ideas and meet others pursuing photography in a serious way.

Pro Photography Program - Ottawa

Pro Photography Program - Ottawa

We meet as a group every 2-3 months and in May we met in the wilds of Gatineau Park to photograph on the escarpment overlooking the Ottawa Valley. It’s a magical time for two reasons:

• young leaves are beginning to green the desolation left by winter’s freeze

• the ravenous, carnivorous bugs are still relatively dormant.

Pro Photography Program - Ottawa

Pro Photography Program - © Erica McKay

We hiked into the location, spent some time shooting, made it back to the start point as it was getting dark and promptly reconvened for more discussion at the Old Chelsea Pub.

Pro photography course - Ottawa

ProProgram - © Erica McKay

Thanks to the ProProgrammers for keeping this part of my work fun!

Ottawa Photo Course

ProProgram - © Sue Fisher