#860 Ottawa Gatineau Family Portraits

Posted on October 14, 2012 by admin

A while back I showcased a recent wedding and talked about a candid style.

Today’s blog post features a fun family who wanted a similar experience in portraits – less structured and more true to the personalities of the family. For this kind of portrait I travel lightly and spend an hour following the family in their fun.

Candid family portrait - Ottawa Gatineau

Family pictures - Ottawa Gatineau

We played in a forested park and I captured the antics of the family. Big smiles and true personalities came through.

Candid family portrait - Ottawa Gatineau

If you’re looking for better portraits either to be in them or to take them we have a few options:
• We can photograph you. Contact us for details.
• We can teach you – we have a series of fun photo classes. We’ve offered Natural Light Portraits for years. The portrait class offers simple tips on how to get better portraits of friends or family.
• You can take your own portraits with guaranteed success and smiles. We offer DIY Portraits whereby you bring your camera and plug into our lights at our central Ottawa photo studio. We make it easy. You take the photos. Easy, fun, and way cheaper than hiring us to do it for you!!

Candid family portrait - Ottawa Gatineau

#851 Ottawa Wedding Album!

Posted on September 23, 2012 by admin

We’re pulling together a wedding album for A&A that I shot late in the summer. I don’t take on many weddings – but there’s was right up my alley. They wanted wedding photos that were unposed, fun and captured the day’s unguarded moments.

It’s nice when a couple allows me to follow the fun and shoot what happens. I am not fond of very posed wedding scenarios – while teaching at the Museum of Civilzation this weekend I saw many wedding groups and their photographers set up elaborate scenarios for formal and posed photos… not so much my style!

For the most part I captured people being themselves. A&A and I visited the Wakefield covered bridge for some photos. I asked them to ignore me and talk about their wedding day… This just happens:

Wedding photography, Ottawa

#850 DIY Portraits – A fun and affordable portrait experience!

Posted on September 20, 2012 by admin

Last year we unveiled our DIY Portrait package in time for the holiday season?

DIY Portraits?!

DIY Ottawa Portraits

Yep, we set up our studio lights in the studio and invite people to plug their cameras into our system. You get the benefits of studio portraits without having to know studio skills or bring anything more than a digital SLR camera.

We plug your camera into our lights, set your camera dials and turn the studio over to you! EASY!!

DIY Ottawa Family Portraits

Last year DIY Portrait clients LOVED it. I heard hoots and hollers from the studio as families produced their own quality portraits. Yep, they loved it. Read what Mommy blogger Andrea Tompkins had to say about our DIY portrait sessions.

Ottawa family portraits

Details:

Saturday, December 8, 2012
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Saturday, December 29, 2012

Times: 9, 10, 11, 12, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30
Time slots are 50 minutes.

Cost: $150 for one session. $250 for a double slot.

What you get:
• Supported use of a well equipped studio
• Support to connect your camera properly
• Tips on how to get the best portraits
• Copyright and printable files – you use your camera and your memory card!

What you need:
• A digital SLR camera and lens
• A memory card
• Smiles and fun!

We offer a rental camera and memory card for a fee for those that need one.

Contact us to reserve your spot!

#822 Photographing the Photographer!

Posted on July 23, 2012 by admin

David Barbour - Ottawa street photography

In mid July I taught the Urban Compositions Photo Safari on two HOT days.

On my wanderings back to the car at the end of the session I stumbled upon David Barbour – well known veteran photographer in the city. He was shooting some street photography – photojournalistically capturing a musician.

David Barbour - Ottawa street photography

Photographing the Photographer David Barbour

David was busy shooting and I could not resist – I pulled out a camera and lens and started photographing the photographer – hunting the hunter!

I met David many years ago. He still shoots significantly on film and Leica equipment where he can. He’s had a fabulous career (so far) including:

• World Press Award 1986

• Canada Council Grants

• Work for CIDA, and many editorial outlets

• Extensive exhibitions

We connected afterwards and exchanged some fun. Visit David’s website.

David Barbour - Ottawa street photography

#821 New Photography Class – Summer Sports Photography!

Posted on July 20, 2012 by admin

We’re excited!!

In September we’ve booked Blair Gable to share his secrets of shooting summer pro field sports as you shoot the Ottawa Sooners Football Club.

Football Photography by Blair Gable

So, who’s Blair?

Blair has photographed the NHL All Star Game, FIFA World Cup Soccer, Toronto Blue Jays, Ottawa Sooners, rugby, hockey for his media outlets.

Blair currently works as an independent photojournalist supplying photo work to Reuters, MacLeans magazine, Globe and Mail, and many other national and international magazines, newspapers and agencies.

In his early years he covered enough sports and events to rise to the top of the field.

Blair is now a sought after shooter. He has photographed Obama, the Queen, Princess Kate, politicians, thugs and celebrities on assignment for different media outlets.

For this workshop he’ll be sharing his sport shooting techniques to help you rise to your potential.

Dates:

Sat., Sept. 29, 2012 (11-1pm; classroom and 3-7pm (approx) game) Sun., Sept. 30 (1-4pm critique)

Locations
• Ottawa Studio Works, 160 Preston St., Ottawa.
• Ottawa Sooners home field at Carleton University

Costs
$275 + taxes limited to 8 participants (smallest class sizes around!)

Join the course by email and get the opportunity to shoot high end football as you develop the skills needed to perform!

Register online at the bottom of the Summer Sport Photography workshop page.

#817 Bike Race Photo Safari Photos

Posted on July 11, 2012 by admin

A couple of weeks ago we ran the bike race photo safari – a mini version of a photography class: short, intense and priced appropriately.

Participants learned quickly about safety, choosing best shooting locations and the logistics of capturing fine race photos.

“Thanks for the fun night and great instructions. As a rookie, I found it quite useful. I know I need to get out there and shoot a lot more to become more proficient, but these small clinics do help a lot.”

Thanks for the fun!

Bike Race Photo Safari Ottawa

Bike Race Photo Safari - Ottawa

#595 Photography for Communications Professionals

Posted on March 17, 2011 by admin

There were some furrowed brows.

Then lightbulbs started popping.

And they finished the photography class with smiles (and better photos.)

Last week we took a group of Ottawa based government communications staff through a photo class – Photography for Communications Professionals – to help them produce better work photos.

Many of the participants were expected to provide good photos of events, meetings, press conferences as part of their jobs.

That can be scary!

We started the day in our studio and finished with some practical shooting in Ottawa.

“I very much enjoyed the Photography for Comms Professionals course. You were very conscious of the challenges faced by comms professionals and presented some great tips for getting around sticky situations…”

I’ve covered events in Ottawa for years – communications staff benefit!

Our next session is in November, 2011.

Event Photography - Daniel Alfredsson celebrates Royal Ottawa Hospital's 100th anniversary