#378 On Assignment Review

Last week students danced with models on our “On Assignment with Andrew Balfour” workshop.

The workshop provided a whirlwind of action as dance models from DanceWithAlana.com performed for the camera. Students Lou and Hagen have submitted a few photos from the session:

On Assignment Photo Workshop

On Assignment Photo Workshop

On Assignment Photo Workshop

On Assignment Photo Workshop

On Assignment Photo Workshop

On Assignment Photo Workshop

On Assignment Photo Workshop

On Assignment Photo Workshop

Nice work!!

#377 Exposed! Photo Newsletter

On Wednesday afternoon our latest Exposed! photo newsletter is being sent out.

This month we look at Gift Ideas for the Photographer on your List!

There are ideas for the:

  • beginner and advanced
  • low budgets and big budgets

Want Exposed! delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up at the top, right of this page.

Happy shopping – Santa is watching you!

Santa at the Aylmer SPCA

Santa at the Aylmer SPCA

#375 Kilimanjaro Grannies

A couple of years ago I was asked to provide a full page portrait for Ottawa Magazine of Gisele Mansfield, an Ottawa based woman who was part of the team of Kilimanjaro Grannies who were climbing Tanzania’s Mt Kilimanjaro in support of African Grandmothers.

It was an amazing adventure.

Ottawa Magazine photo assignment - Kilimanjaro Grannies

Ottawa Magazine photo assignment - Kilimanjaro Grannies

I often hear from people I photograph over the years and I recently heard the exciting news that the Kilimanjaro Grannies have produced a book to support African Grandmothers.

The book launch:

  • December 1st – 7-9pm
  • Main branch of the Ottawa Public Library – 120 Metcalfe St.

See Gisele’s note below.

Yay Grannies!!

It’s been two years since our return from Africa and the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. Since then we have been on another journey, putting to paper a collection of our favourite photos accompanied with innermost fears, joys and thoughts about the climb, our inspiration – the cause that we are working so hard for.

We are so excited that in less than a month our book will finally be available for your viewing pleasure. At only $24.95 it is the perfect gift to yourself, a family member or a friend.

Most of the funds raised from the sale of the book will be going to support the African Grandmothers through the Stephen Lewis Foundation. However, $2 of each book sale will go directly to the Snowy Owl AIDS Foundation of Ottawa to help them build Camp Wendake of Eastern Ontario.

We are also in need of your support to cover the publishing and marketing costs. We would welcome any pledges of financial support.

We hope that you will be able to join us at our official launch to pick up your signed copies. Please share this invitation with your friends… we would love to see a “standing room” only crowd.

Sincerely and with our heartfelt appreciation,

The Kilimanjaro Grannies
Gisèle, Liza, Barb, Janet, Tina and Trudy

#374 Candid Portrait Session

Often, when we get asked to do portraits they are done casually.

Instead of posing we walk.

We leave lights and reflectors in the office and use sun, shade and diffused light. I ask them to tell stories from their past. Eyes sparkle as memories unfold.

We wander. I capture.

It’s not the quickest way to a portrait but it’s fun and I draw smiles from their souls.

Some smiles:

Candid Portraits

Candid Portraits

Candid Portraits

Candid Portraits

Candid Portraits

Candid Portraits

Harry

#373 Last week’s work

Last week was a busy one. It included:

Photography for Communications Professionals was an all day session on Wednesday hosted at the National Gallery in Ottawa.

Event Photography - Ottawa

Photographing Events for Communications Departments - Ottawa

It’s a day of practical and classroom learning from photo fundamentals, use of flash, covering speeches and events as well as technical photo elements (file types, colour consistency, white balance, etc) and other considerations (consent forms, usage, copyright and archiving issues, etc.)

Photographing Events for Communications Departments

Photographing Events for Communications Departments

Students said:

Excellent. Adapts really well to everyone’s level of experience and equipment.

Worth recommending to other amateur communications photogs.

The class was full (eight students) and we have inquiries for the next session on May 24th, 2010.

The Creative Business Seminar was a two day session covering direction for people starting a new business in creative fields. We had 10 participants that created lively discussions and shared experiences from many different people.

Saturday covered elements of business from understanding and evaluating our own strengths to psychology of selling to exercises to develop skills. Sunday took an in depth look at the world of web opportunities.

We’d like to thank the Council for the Arts – Ottawa for their support! The weekend went well. Students said:

“Motivating, stimulating, informative.”

“A great opportunity to learn the basics of starting a creative based business.”

One of the participants wrote a review of the weekend and posted a photo.

#372 Ottawa Portrait Photo Workshop

Last week we ran a portrait workshop for a mother and daughter and brought in two models – a mother and daughter! The session was a Custom Course based on our Natural Light Portraits coming up in January.

Custom Photo Course - Portraits

Custom Photo Course - Portraits

Custom Photo Course - Portraits

Custom Photo Course - Portraits

One of the mothers sent a message today: “We had a wonderful experience on Friday.  I’m looking forward to having my photos critiqued.

Custom Photo Course - Portraits

Custom Photo Course - Portraits

There were many smiles and fine photos. Shown here is a selection we shot of everyone hard at work! – Posted with permission.

Custom Photo Course - Ottawa

Custom Photo Course - Ottawa

Custom Photo Course - Ottawa

Custom Photo Course - Ottawa

The adult model is in our ProProgram. We often ask students to model as they learn about portraits from the perspective of the subject. It’s a valuable experience being at the other end of the camera.

#371 New Ottawa Gatineau Photo website and blog

One of our Pro Program students, Nathalie Madore, launched her new photo website and blog on Sunday. She presented the site at the Creative Business Seminar over the weekend. Her site:

NathalieMadore.com

has been under development all fall and benefits from influences of different people.

Nathalie Madore self portrait

Nathalie Madore self portrait

Have a look, send her some encouragement and follow her path as she develops in the world of working photography.

Félicitations, Nat!

#370 What happened to our blog, cont’d

Remember we told you about the blog troubles that plagued us for ten days? And there was some web infiltration too? We seem to have patched the holes and be cruising at full speed.

So what happened?

Here is a good article about what happened to our site.

It was a widespread hack of websites first discovered in May of this year and named Gumblar. There has been a recent resurgence.

Gumblar steals ftp info and uses that to inject malicious code into sites. (We’re not entirely sure why — either just to be generally disruptive or to scam google adwords.)

The code isn’t the same every time, so it’s hard to detect. In May, people were saying it had infected 60,000-200,000 sites. The latest strain is harder to detect, but that could mean it’s more widespread.

Tricky, disruptive and not very fun for us at Harry, Inc!

Thank-you for your patience!!!