A New Season and A New 'Look'

Well, winter has definitely arrived...and with a vengeance. At this rate, I predict a season made for lovers of the white stuff that we soon will not forget. For those more passive winter lovers, the winter portrait offers a backdrop like no other time of year. Many families forget about the possibilities of the winter portrait and opt for the busy fall months, but re-consider. Yes, there is the inconvenience of the cold and sometimes wet outings, but nothing beats a good morning of fresh, crisp air to awaken the hibernating senses many of us resort to during the shortened winter days. These pictures of my first shoot of the winter last weekend should get you up off the couch and into the snow for some winter fun with LM Photo.

Note: In keeping with LM's constant attempt to keep up with technology and new digital techniques, these photos are also a sneak peek at some photoshop techniques now being offered to all my clients in their private viewings and print options. It may not be for everyone, but in keeping with my belief that the digital age has unveiled a pallet of artistic tools to accent the creative process, any professional not embracing this new age is not doing his/her job.

Enjoy:-)

Sean

Summer Reflections 2...The Rain!

Until 2008, I had been blessed with only 2 all day rain affairs in my wedding record over almost 5 years. This summer would double that and add a number of close calls and this is in a shortened season, with my overseas project during the month of July. For a photographer, rain storms during an orchestrated affair such as a wedding is something that we never look forward to. Any pre-planning on location shots is more or less trashed and new, more limited, and in turn, more challenging creative engines must be fueled. In the end it comes down to the mood of the bride, who's day has been turned upside down, usually at the last minute by the one thing you can't plan, and who's whim controls the day...Mother Nature. I was blessed with 2 great couples during my 'washout' weddings this year (one actually during the tail end of what was Hurricane Ike), and their good spirits and accommodating willingness made a difficult job that much easier, creating some of the best pictures of the summer. A small sampling...

Puppy Love

A classic candid moment during a shoot with the ring bearer and flower girl at the recent wedding of Dawn and Greg. Nothing more needs to be said, the photos do that:-)

LM...Now on Facebook

In yet another move to embrace the New World Order (Ok, maybe that's a little overboard), LM has branded itself as a Facebook convert. Long avoided on a personal level for point of argument reasons too lengthy to discuss in a short blog post, I decided to take the leap into the world of walls, status updates, profiles and 'look at me now' expositions on a business level. Featuring several slideshow and single photo samples, many featured on my website and blog, but many exclusive to my Facebook page, as well as updated business announcements and specials, it is worth a look. If you're hooked-up to social networking drug, come spend some quality time on my page and simply click 'become a fan' to receive regular updates. Consider it a LM newsletter, with a twist.

http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/London-ON/Lucid-Musings-Photo/21446384212

October Course Information

It is with great excitement that I will be offering again my popular course for photo aficionados. In the spirit of getting those images you see in your mind, but have trouble realizing with your camera. A 4 session course, not only a follow-up to my level 1 'Into the Digital Age' which I offered twice last year, but a great starting point for any SLR camera (manual function/interchangeable lense) camera owner wanting to become more familiar with their camera and improve their photos. Where my last course was an in-classroom educational/information laden 4 weeks, this course will get you using your camera on-location, help you visualize things in a new matter, give you projects that will get you out shooting independently and inspire open interaction. I created this brief, fun, unimposing and hopefully inspiring course in the belief that the digital camera is best learnt if you get out and use it. The instant results a LCD screen gives and the freedom of a digital card to capture and capture again until we get it right has changed our opportunities to learn photography. With this in mind and my belief that learning is not only gained by ingesting information but by actually using this knowledge in an open forum that becomes knowledge itself. Get up, get out and join me this October for 'Into The Heart of The Photo'-you won't regret it:-)

What: Into The Heart of the Photo
4 session interactive course to better photos

Week 1 (September 29)

In Classroom instruction/discussion of:

-Manual Functions
-Depth of Field
-Metering
-Composition
(review for those who took level 1)

Week 2 (October 4-9am-field trip)

Location Shoot #1

-Composition 'On Location'
...take what you learnt in Week 1 and put it into action

-Homework Assignment


Week 3 (October 18 9am-field trip)

Location Shoot #2

-'Couple Up' Candid Portrait Shoot

...will help you learn...

-metering
-Shutter speed and Aperture

...in a practical setting...

Week 4 (October 20)

Back to the Classroom

-Photo Showing
-Review
-Open Discussion

Where: Stone Willow Inn (St. Marys) http://www.stonewillow.com/
When: classroom sessions 7-9pm, this time around, the location sessions will be Saturday AM 'field trip' style shoots due to lack of evening light...you already know the dates
How: To enroll, or for more details, email me Sean@lucidmusings.com , call me at 519-284-0858, or come in and see me at the studio 147 Queen St. E., St. Marys. Course fee is $150.00.

Sean

Summer Reflections...Installment Uno

Well, yes, I am jumping the gun, summer is not officially over and with the weather this past week, it seemingly just arrived, but for those out there with kids, the Labour Day Monday is a milestone. A time to reflect over the exciting and crazy summer gone too soon. It was certainly a whirlwind for me, here at Lucid Musings with several weddings, portraits, a new studio and another overseas project/vacation/educational outing/visionary experiment...call it what you will:-) to not only my seemingly second home, Bulgaria, but through the 1990's hotspots of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo for the month of July. Through in a pinch of music festivals, a smattering of commercial work and a large dose of family day trips and the summer was indeed complete. What better way to celebrate hazy, crazy shakedown days of summer than a long overdue photo retrospective. First off the mark........

Weddings...the candid side....