#707 Our photo blog went on vacation

Posted on November 13, 2011 by admin

Sooo, we just got back from Toronto on a mini vacation – few days of leisure to charge the batteries.

What did we do?

There was some professional development and a few photo worthy items for the photo blog:

• iPad at the ROM

We visited the Royal Ontario Museum where we saw medieval armour, many animals and David Hockney’s iPad/iPhone exhibition that is pushing the art medium forward. The most interesting part of his exhibition for me was to see what people are doing with new technologies.

• Centre Island Visit

We met an old friend for lunch and he suggested going to Centre Island for a walk and coffee. I haven’t been there since maybe 1978 and wasn’t sure what to expect. It was perfect fall weather and as day turned to dusk the whole of Toronto started to light up like our annual fall Night Light Photo Workshop. It was stunning. I’d show you the photos except I didn’t take any (I was with family and friends and had no camera)! I LOVED the spectacle and would love to go back with the sole purpose to shoot.

• Toronto Skyline

I visited the roof top deck of our hotel and saw potential for a stunning series of shots similar to the the variations photo in a recent Exposed! photo newsletter – but, sigh, I didn’t even bring a tripod.

Although I’d love to have shot the spectacle (and found a market for the work) sometimes recognizing the potential and the desire to shoot is a good reminder that I still love what I do. That’s a good sign!

• Baby

I DID bring some basic equipment and took some photos of a very fine subject – our young son and his super mom. We both took some photos while in our hotel. Below is my favourite of the set – photographed by my wife at EXACTLY the right moment.

Harry gets punched on his nose!

We’re back in the office in Ottawa on Monday – with charged batteries.

#706 Guest Post – Ottawa Valley’s Kevin Foisy on our Photo Blog

Posted on November 10, 2011 by admin

Today we have a guest blogger – Kevin Foisy – who is exhibiting “Love Through the Lens” at our photo studio, Ottawa Studio Works, November 25th, 2011.

Kevin writes:

“Become a Better Photographer through Sharing.

We are taught as children to share with others but when it comes to our photos, we sometimes cringe at the thought of it. A photograph is a reflection of the photographer; by sharing, we expose a part of ourselves that might be a bit uncomfortable.

“What if they think it’s terrible?”, “My work isn’t good enough,” “Other people’s work is so much better.”

These and many other thoughts go through our minds before we take the plunge to start sharing our work on a regular basis.

I can remember when I first started sharing. I would email a picture out to a few friends here and there. To my surprise, they were quite kind and offered valuable feedback. I started to see my work through other people’s eyes, learning that everyone has their own perspective, likes and tastes. Other people see my work differently than I do and are generally very kind.

With time, I was encouraged to broaden my list of friends and so I scoured through my address book and invited many others. The more people that I added, the better, fuller, richer the experience became. It’s one of the things that I really love about photography … the sharing and the feedback.

Kevin Foisy - recent photo work

Most of us have stared up in awe at the sprinkled field of twinkling stars that lights a moonless night. In this image, I wanted to capture the sense of spirituality of man and the universe around us, and the idea of these being one, as is claimed by Noetic scientists. The image is titled, “Man and the Universe.”

“So, how exactly does it make you a better photographer?”

The process of sharing invokes more thinking around the photos you’re sharing. It encourages you to tell a story about the photo.

Why did I take it? What does it mean to me? What do I see in it?

When you share, you are forced to think about these things and that practice makes you better. Soon, you are thinking about these things before you take the photo instead of after and that leads you to being a better photographer.

As your list grows, you become very aware that what you send out is representative of your work. Soon, you find yourself striving for better and better images. You critique your own work with greater detail when you know that many people will view it. Things that would have passed before, will not pass now … but that’s ok because you’ll find yourself producing better and better images.

There is another bonus! Your fans will be there when you are ready to step to the next level with shows and print sales. You now have a following of people that know your work and are excited to see it presented, displayed and celebrated – please visit my upcoming show and print sale at Ottawa Studio Works!

“When my work is good enough, I’ll start sharing it.”

I have friend that is a pro photographer; he’s been published in many magazines and has been shooting most of his life. He recently said, “Nobody will want to buy my work.”

You will never feel that your work is good enough! It doesn’t matter what level you are at. We always look up at the work of others and feel that our work is less and hence, “Not good enough.” It’s only through sharing that you will start to realize that your work is good enough.

Kevin Foisy - recent photo work

The fall colours are warm and vibrant but none that I have seen match the incredible vibrant reds of the burning bush. While most leaves have settle to the ground, this bush stands out as though it is on fire. Today, it was further saturated by rain droplets that settled on these fiery leaves.

“So, where do I start?”

There are several ways to start. The first and easiest is to start with an email list. Create a group in your email program and add your friends to the list. It’s a good idea to ask permission first because not everyone wants to receive pictures.

As you become more confident, grow your list by adding more friends and colleagues. Ask your friends if they have friends that would like to be on the list. Before you know it, your list starts getting pretty large. When the list grows large enough, you could consider using a hosted service like Google Groups, or Yahoo Groups. I recently switched to GroupSpaces which allows people to sign up to join my list and to also unsubscribe. This allows the list to “grow in the wild” so to speak.

Facebook is a great way to share your work too. I have a friend that is an amazing sculptor. He shares pictures of his work on Facebook and I love seeing what he’s working on. Your friends will feel the same way about your photos.

Use a blog. It’s free and it’s simple to setup with with Blogger or WordPress. These offer a great way to share and to keep a history of your work. I post my blogs to my website and to blogger.

Kevin Foisy - recent photo work

After a late evening of printing and preparing works for the show later this month, I rose before the sun and headed out to capture the world as the sun rises. A very cold night resulted in fabulous frost formations. An hour later, my toes were frozen and fingers numb, but I had captured an exciting sequence of shots. In this shot, long crystals of ice cling to these tiny twigs. To the passerby, this is a mere coating of frost. To the close observer, these micro crystals form shapes that resemble a spruce tree.

“But I already share my photos on Flickr.”

Flickr, Picasa, SmugMug and others offer great places to setup galleries where you can share your work. Though these are good, my preference is still the ‘photo a week’ type publication where you’re actively reaching out to people. Having a gallery is great but it doesn’t develop your skills in the same way that a reach-out type activity does.

Now go take your favourite photo from the past week and share it! Good luck and I hope to see your photos!

________

Thanks Kevin!

Join Kevin’s photo of the week email list.

Visit Kevin’s upcoming exhibition November 25th at Ottawa Studio Works – 160 Preston St, Ottawa!

#705 Student Success! ProProgram photo graduate

Posted on November 9, 2011 by admin

Trumpets blare.

Smiles stretch.

We have another graduate from our ProProgram and we would like to celebrate Lou Truss‘ successes on our photo blog.

Lou entered the program with basic skills and aspirations to work as a photographer. Her photos have blossomed and her confidence has bloomed.

Lou Truss - Photo Course graduate!

I love seeing the difference in student’s work from beginning of the program to the end. And Lou worked hard through many photo classes and workshops.

See her photos throughout this blog post. Visit her website. Cheer her successes!

Lou says:

“ Yay, I have finally completed the Pro Programme which took a little longer than planned! I guess that’s what makes the Pro Programme so special as it caters for your needs.

For me, It fitted perfectly around a young child and a husband that travels alot with work.

The last two years has been an amazing journey. It has allowed me to do what I love most… take pictures with confidence as well as the knowledge I have picked up on the Pro Programme.

It’s been an incredible journey – I’ve met some amazingly talented people on the way.

Lou Truss - Ottawa Photo Course graduate!

Thank you Harry for opening my eyes and giving me the confidence to follow my dreams.”

Thank YOU Lou. We are cheering for you. Please blow your trumpets to congratulate Lou’s successes!

Stay tuned for Lou’s photo exhibition at Ottawa Studio Works in September 2012.

Lou Truss - Ottawa Photo Course graduate!

#704 Art Documentation

Posted on November 6, 2011 by admin

Last week I had the pleasure to meet fine artist Paul Saindon and photograph some of his artwork at our photo studio in Ottawa.

We met, mounted the work, shot, processed and packed up in a morning session.

Smiles all round. Thanks, Paul, for sharing your work on our blog!

Painting © PaulSaindon - "Violonelle Bleu"

#703 Ottawa Photo Exhibition – Mark your Calendars!

Posted on November 3, 2011 by admin

A while back we announced an art exhibition and print sale by up and coming Ottawa Valley photographer Kevin Foisy.

Kevin has developed a style and techniques that fill a room with light. Below are some recent pieces you may see at his show.

Details:

Kevin Foisy presents “Love through the Lens”

Friday, November 25; 7-10pm

Ottawa Studio Works; 160 Preston St. Ottawa

Kevin Foisy - art exhibition - Love through the Lens

Kevin Foisy - Ottawa art exhibition - Love through the Lens

“A Walk through the Forest

The sun peaks through a canopy of yellow and lingering green. A gentle breeze rustles the leaves and fills the air with a soft shimmering sound. The scents of autumn leaves and pine needs fill the air. In this abstract image, I capture the feeling of standing in the forest as the sunlight penetrates the canopy and lights a pathway through the trees.“

Kevin Foisy - Ottawa art exhibition - Love through the Lens

“The Minds Eye

As if still in my childhood days, I often enjoy laying on my back on a summer day and staring up at the clouds drifting by. Youth hangs on hard as I paint images in my mind from the puffy white shapes. Many pieces of abstract art have that same appeal, enticing us to create our own pictures, holding our interest so much longer than a literal image. In this image, I have captured a literal scene and without manipulation of any kind, I present it as abstract. For me, I see a lone tree on the shore of a lake. A cold stormy sky and a distant tree line is reflected in the choppy water. What do you see? Once your mind creates its own picture, it can become very difficult to see what it actually is.“

Kevin Foisy - Ottawa Art Exhibition - Love through the Lens

“Marsh Breeze

Long strands of cattails bend gently in the autumn breeze and dance in the warm sunlight.“

Mark your Calendars…

#702 DIY Portrait Update

Posted on November 1, 2011 by admin

In the fall we announced our new Do-it-Youreself Portrait Service. So far so good!

DIY Portraits?

People have been making their own portraits in our studio with our studio lights. They just plug and play while we are available for help if needed.

One young family loved it so much, they booked a second session to bring MORE family. Smiles and giggles erupted from the photo studio as balloons pffrttttt-ed across the room (see below) and people climbed into position awaiting the burst of light that freezes the photo.

Do-it-Yourself - Photo Studio - Ottawa

Do-it-Yourself Portraits – Photo Studio – Ottawa

Some answers to common DIY questions:

“So do you (Harry) set up my camera?”

We set up the studio lights and then help you set up your camera. I give you the settings and, together, we make sure the camera and lights work. We do a few test photos to make sure everything works well and then you start taking the portraits – I remain in the back rooms of the studio in case you need any help during your session.

“Do you (Harry) take the photos for us on our cameras?”

No. I help you set up your camera properly and am there if you have questions. But I am not involved in the picture taking.

“Who owns the copyright? What does it cost to get prints?”

As you are taking your own photos on your own camera and memory card YOU own the copyright! That means you can print your photos wherever you like – at home, at a discount lab or at a pro lab. You have control of your photos, printing and printing costs!

Do-it-Yourself Portraits - Photography Studio - Ottawa

“How do we take our own pics . . do I put on the timer, etc . .”

There are a number of ways you can take your own photos:
1. Set your camera to a self timer mode – usually you can set the camera to 10 second delay which is enough time to join your family/friends.

2. Some cameras (Nikon D200, D300 and others) have an interval timer feature where you hit ‘go’ and the camera takes photos every second or few seconds. It can be programmed to take 1 or 10 or 25 photos in a row at set intervals. One group did that recently and got some fun results!

3. You can use an infra red ‘self portrait’ remote. We have one that you can use with many Nikon cameras. For Canon, etc, they are fairly cheap – $25?

4. You can buy a remote control device – expensive!

5. One of the group can act as photographer and physically take the photo.

Beyond the set-up/test phase I do not take the photos – but offer support as needed.

Do-it-Yourself Portraits - Ottawa Photo Studio

Upcoming dates:

Sunday November 6th – Only 9am slot available.

Monday, November 7th

Thursday, November 17

Sunday November 20th

Sunday, December 4th

Weekend Time slots: 9am, 10:15, 11:30, 12:45, 2pm, 3:15pm, 4:30pm

Weekday Time slots: 6, 7:15, 8:30pm

By appointment only – Please contact us to see what is available.

Location

Ottawa Studio Works 160 Preston St., between Gladstone and Somerset bordering on Little Italy and China Town.

Ottawa Studio Works is a working photo studio offering an 11×24 main studio with a support room available for make-up and styling. Bathroom and kitchenette are also available to support your portrait session. We also rent the photo studio by the day or half day.

Introductory cost for 1 hour session

$125 + HST

Reservations required. Book your session for an hour. The second consecutive hour is $100.

Registration

Space is limited! Contact us by email or by phone at 819-827-9460 for more information and book your session.

#701 – Photo Contest Winner Announced

Posted on October 30, 2011 by admin

It’s the end of October and that means we have a new winner for the Reader’s Photo of the Month.

We are pleased to announce top dog this month is Cheryl Kreis for her photo “Lift Off.” Cheryl has entered this contest before. Persistence has done her well! This month her flying hound grabbed our hearts. We love the motion and the fun and the timing. Nice work Cheryl!

Ottawa photo contest winner!!

Cheryl says:

“Being a dog walker I’m so fortunate to capture such funny scenes. I love this one because it show just how high this little Jack Russell can fly. The game they are playing is catch me if you can … Enjoy...”

For her efforts Cheryl wins a LowePro Nova 1 photo bag, courtesy of a couple of our readers – Thanks Andrew and Gwyn!

Next month Canadian Geographic has kindly donated a one year subscription to their amazing magazine. A big thnaks to Can Geo.

Canadian Geographic Magazine

See all the winners. We are wrapping up this photo contest at the end of November, 2011. So you have just ONE opportunity to win!

Keep clicking and submitting – make us smile!

#699 Night Light Photo Workshop Review – ghosts and all

Posted on October 25, 2011 by admin

Recently we ran our annual Night Light Photo Course in central Ottawa. It’s one of the most fun workshops we offer. This year we were blessed with wet weather that pumped up the reflections and vibrant KAPOW of the photos. We stayed mostly dry shooting from sheltered locations.

This workshop draws some of our biggest smiles – Student photo worlds open wide with new techniques and vibrant lights offered at night.

“The course is designed to teach new photo techniques at night and I must say, this the most fun I’ve ever had in a photo workshop.” BM

“Learned lots as usual. Your transparent approach and effective teaching methods keep bringing me back for more!” SR

“I REALLY REALLY had a wonderful time.” PR

See some student photo below. See some more student work at Barb’s site. She saw ghosts.

Stay tuned for Night Light next year. Can’t wait? We teach this course, anytime, as a Custom Course!

#698 Fire & Steel Photo Safari – Photograph a Blacksmith

Posted on October 23, 2011 by admin

Last week we confirmed a new safari – the Blacksmith Photo Safari – just west of Ottawa. Test your photo skills to capture the heat, sparks and action of a veteran traditional blacksmith at work.

Blacksmith Photo Safari in the Ottawa Valley

Meet new friends. Learn some photo tips!

We spend two hours with your camera in the working blacksmith shop.

Blacksmith Photo Safari in the Ottawa Valley

What to expect:

This very small group will get access to the blacksmith’s shop to photograph the beauty of fire and sparks. The emphasis is on fun, friends and photographic challenges!

: Blacksmith Photo Safari in the Ottawa Valley

Date: Saturday, November 26, 2011; 1-3pm.

Location: We meet in Carleton Place, 30 minutes from central Ottawa. Car pooling is encouraged!

Cost: $75 + taxes for small sized photo safari.

See more details… Contact us to register!

Blacksmith Photo Safari in the Ottawa Valley