DBT Reprise

For those of you who missed my Drive By Truckers 'Concert Break' from the Phoenix Theater in beautiful downtown Toronto from October, here is a slideshow I put together for fun. Thought some of you might enjoy it. Long Live Rock:-)

My Drive By Truckers Photo Tribute

Janice and Wayne's Chilly Wedding Party Outing

Another October wedding, another sub-10 degree day (with the wind..close to sub-5). As was the fall of 2006...but strange..it wasn't raining! After doing family and Bride/Groom shots at the Stratford Golf and Country Club, we headed to the Hathaway Nursing Home, who graceously allowed us to use their facility as an alternate indoor location. After doing some shots on the floor, on the stairwell and in the poolroom (pool table, that is), I insisted we brave the elements and venture outside. It is not that I am adverse to staying warm, and keeping my clients warm (I should note, we took consensus-I am not a 'my way, or the highway' type of photographer- I believe working together is a key to success now and success down the road-no client likes being pushed around..so I keep it fun:-), it is just that the outdoors really broadens the options. I am big on using the location, the scenery and the surroundings in my work, rather than simply focus in on the subject. Not to say I don't do this, I save most of my cropped in close up work for indoor wedding hall shots when you don't really want to see the background in many cases.
With only 45 minutes to spare and potential rain on the horizon, I decided that the nearby rail yard would make a perfect (and unique) setting where we could get the one of a kind shots I was looking for. Although using VIA RAIL property is technically trespassing, I would think they would see the light in the situation enough to turn a blind eye. At least in a place like Stratford, maybe not Union Station yard in Toronto:-) Again, as with all wedding pictures, thinking on the draw is important and getting a job done fast, but with results is essential. In this situation, it was just a little faster, because of the temperature, location and time constraints....but as you can see, we did it, and most importantly had fun doing it:-) Thanks Wayne and Janice for a wonderful day!

FAQ: Most of these shots where spot metered on the subjects, than I dropped the exposure a stop, so some of the interesting cloud detail would remain (in the ones with clouds). Post processing, I brought up the clouds by burning them in, using a smokeless burn plugin from Kubota Imaging http://www.kubotaworkshops.com/about.php (a great addition to any studio). Shooting my Canon 30d with a 50mm 1.4 lens set at between F4 and F 7.1, depending on the depth of the group shot. The interior stairwell shot was shot with an on camera 580 Ex direct on, and one 580ex, to the right, top of stairs.

..ridin on the train the call the 3856.

..hold on..we're moving!

...while I was on top of the train car...let's get a fresh angle...everybody look up...way up:-)

...even though I had an indoor session for the new couple to be (these photos were all done pre-ceremony, an increasingly popular option for some) and planned another post-ceremony, you can never get enough of the star of the day, along with her supporting actor....

... the Groom...we're all just kids in love:-)

...just waitin' on a train.

...the often present "Rock Band" shot...little did I know how well this would fit on the Wedding Album DVD...when the groom chose AC/DC's TNT as part of their custom soundtrack:-)

...Yay!!...the photographer says this is it...start the car heaters...let's thaw:-)

Concert Break

That time again...if you don't know by now, I spend a good bit of my spare time, after my son has gone to sleep, at live music events. Some paid jobs, but most just because I LOVE music. I refer to an old Frank Zappa comment:

"If information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST..."

...and then photography:-)

This is a picture of Xavier Rudd, a Aussie/Canuck one man show, in my opinion, the best one man act out there. A thoroughly enjoyable evening out and a stellar first performance for this purveyor of Aboriginal rights in London. For another picture of Xavier's performance at the Guelph Hillside Festival 2 years ago, check my website www.lucidmusings.com and check out more about Xavier at www.xavierrudd.com .

Pamela and Russell's Wedding Reception

Pamela and Russell Halls wedding in Fergus was a truly special wedding. Held in the beautiful Anglican Church and with a full, traditional ceremony, the true spirit and meaning of marriage was very apparent. As with every wedding I did in October, the weather was wet, and I mean wet...it did not stop raining, through the ceremony, the portraits, or the reception. This did not put a damper on anything (but my photo equipment-the flashes decided to act up with the constant rain, and I had to rely on the beauty of spot metering with my new 30d, which I had just bought as an addition to my 20d..which doesn't have the spot meter..only a week before...who says things don't happen for a reason:-). Pamela and Russell, their family and wedding party where determined to carry on with portraits by the Grand River, as planned, and with a legion of umbrellas, I would have to say, unequivically, we succeeded and I am glad we kept course. See some of the portraits on my main site www.lucidmusings.com .
After drying off, it was time for everyone to loosen up a bit and let the reception begin. Held at the local ANAF hall, a great meal was had and the laughter and warmth of family shed any chills anyone still had from the outdoor portraits. A glorious ending to a glorious day:-)

FAQ: I shoot my indoor receptions by spot metering the subject's face, adjusting ISO accordingly (normally around 400-800/F 1.8-3.2) and use my 580EX flash bounced through Gary Fongs Lightsphere http://store.garyfonginc.com/liiido.html . I prefer the auto WB setting on my Canon 30d for most situations and deal with white balance issues post-process, as I like the warmth a little tungsten adds.

...tears and laughter...the speeches take the podium.

...Uncle, Dad and.......Mr. Fix It:-)

...the future groom..relaxed and in control:-)

...while the others eat...a kiss...a mouthful of food...a kiss...another quick mouthful..a kiss...the joys of the wedding reception meal for the Bride and Groom:-)

Always...Daddy's little girl.

...a dance with every guys first love...Mom:-)

A Break in the Weather-A Single Family Portrait with the Hillmans

Jodi, Mike and their great kids had tried to get together the week before this shoot, but a cold windy, wet drizzle postponed our time together. Luckily, the day we re-scheduled there was a break in the rather miserable fall we have been experiencing. Now all we had to compete against was the rapidly darkening evenings. This is the second portrait I have done for Jodi this year and goes to show how quick kids grow up, as the indoor shot of their lovely daughter Grace shows, taken only 8 months ago. When you have kids, remember, a portrait is something to update on a regular basis....don't forget:-)
We had a lot of fun in the 45 minutes we spent together and the lighting was a great compliment for the candid, posed-candid and posed shots I like to include in all my family portraits. The dying light allowed the opportunity to spot meter to background ambient light and shoot non-flash silouettes. I could also use the ambient light blended with the lights on the bridge to good effect.
With each portrait I want to create new ideas and feelings and confident experimentation with different lighting is a big plus to accomplishing this goal.
One other thing before I go....I believe that being able to pull something unique out of common familiarity (both this portrait and the next where done at the same area) should be the goal of any photographer with passion.

The Extended Family-A Sunday With The Hamiltons

An extended family shoot, like the one I did with the wonderful Hamilton family, includes both fun, documentary style shots, along with groupings of every facet of the family. Be it the grandparents together, the parents, the children from the 2 families together and apart, the idea is to provide the client a blanket coverage. As with any wedding, I consider it my position to cover any and every detail, and with extended family picture, the detail is THE FAMILY, in all its branches.