Sandra and Matt

Winter's Final Hoorah..let's hope:-)

Well this past weekend certainly was a blast from the past. With temperatures in the negative double digits and many schools in the area basically closed (read: no buses) for 4 days straight, I was REALLY glad my 2 weddings where the weekend prior. On Monday, the most exciting night of them all, when every highway was closed and the trains couldn't even leave town, I thought it would be perfect to go for a short walkabout with my son Jaron. He wanted to take his hockey stick to shoot the chunks of snow down the empty streets and it was an image I just had to capture. With the hills of snow, bundled to the top and proudly displaying a fresh gap in his front teeth, to me he was a billboard for what it is to be a child growing up in Anywhere, Canada, ....or a visualization of how many of us are feeling towards more snow this time of year:-)

Christie and Lindsay's Engagement

Ahh, winter portraits:-) More than any other time of year, the winter weather is the most unpredictable and unforgiving. For those who choose to brave the elements, however, the rewards are unique and the white surroundings offer a crystal contrast and sharpness not found in any other season. Lindsay and Christie had their pictures done just as we emerged from the long February deep freeze and although it was wet and cold, they persevered for the lengthy walk we took through the core of downtown London. Using the classic urban alleys and metal footbridge (corners of the 'Old' London I remember as a child) we captured not only images of a couple only months away from marriage, but used the hidden areas of the city core to add a candid 'voyeuristic' feel to many of the photos. Thanks to both of them for being so open to many of my crazy ideas:-)

Matt Mays

Matt Mays is a true Canadian innovator that has secured his place in the wave of East coast musicians that has spread across the country in the last 10 years. Riding high on the success of his band El Torpedo and their mega-hit Cocaine Cowgirl, Matt has thrown a curveball and released a solo album (with fellow bandmate and drummer Tim Baker) called When the Angels Make Contact that strays right off the map in usual descriptive terms. Something left to musicians with great creativity, but most of all, confident of testing their visionary expressions for a purpose often forgotten in these days of commercial fodder, that of art for art's sake. I had the pleasure of working with the band on a stop in London on their short cross-Canada winter tour and all I can say is let's hope he takes this concept album on the road again soon, or another experiment equally as satisfying. I will be there and you should too:-)

http://www.whentheangelsmakecontact.com/ ...more pics from the show
http://www.mattmays.com/

photos copyright Lucid Musings Photography 2007

Out From the Cold

Wow, it is hard to believe that my "holiday" (I use the term relativily loosely..more properly termed "slow season") is almost over. With the first of many weddings starting next weekend, and several portrait requests coming in weekly, spring is definitely right around the corner. I have spent my January developing many new and exciting offerings from Lucid Musings. New albums, from portrait portfolios and brag books to full size wedding Bridal offerings. I have also began to take the next obvious step in providing full service to my clients by starting an onsite custom framing operation. From simple to elegant, you will be sure to find just the right frame to compliment that special portrait, wedding capture, or personal and unique piece of artwork. Photo restoration and quick, affordable premium enlargements are also part of the Lucid Musings offerings. So if you have any questions, or would like a quote on any of these fresh 2007 items and services, please just enquire Sean@lucidmusings.com .
I have also entered into the area of giving back a little of what I have learnt over my the last 2 years since going fully digital. I am VERY excited to announce I will be heading my first local digital photography teaching seminar starting in April. For the beginning photographer wanting to learn how to take their photos to the level they deserve, I guarantee a fun and informative month long, 4 night "boot camp" of photographic insights.

Course Details:

Forget the Snapshots, Make Photo Art
by
Taking Your Photography to the Next Level

An Evening Series with Local Photographer Sean Camp
Of
Lucid Musings Photography

Come spend your Tuesday nights in April with Sean as he gives a crash course on understanding the basics of your digital camera, photo composition, flash and natural light photography. Learn how to make the photos look the best they possibly can with post-processing tips and ensure great prints all the time with the key to home printing.
Many of the examples used will be of Sean’s documentary work he did in Eastern Europe in 2006, much of it shown publicly for the first time.

Week 1

The Camera

-understanding function keys
-when and where to use these functions
-shutter speed and aperture
-lenses
-understanding megapixels and what you really need
-the histogram

Week 2

The Idea is Realized

-a look at the many different methods of composing a photograph
-weighing the pros and cons of natural light vs strobe flash and how and when to use both effectively

Week 3

Painting the Picture

-the post-process with a look at image adjustment software with a focus on Adobe CS and CS2
-a demonstration of some great plug-ins that will give your photos that boost that makes good photos great through the ease of ‘actions’

Week 4

The Masterpiece

-the steps to a good print
(including calibration/printer profiles/etc.)
-digital output options
(slide show software/web publishing)

Bring your SLR (single lens reflex) camera, pen, paper and a passion to open your photographic horizons

Bridezilla

To celebrate the upcoming wedding season, I thought a good laugh is in line. I came across this vid (which is obviously staged...but still funny) about the stress before a wedding that, as a photographer, I see on a weekly basis....umm, but not quite like this...thankfully. I hope you get a smile out of it too.

The moral is...always tip your hairdresser:-)

Grandpa's Double Digit Day Out

January 2 was my stepfather's 66th birthday and my wife suggested I take a day and capture a portrait of them and their pride and joy-the one and only Jaron. Always the ham, and especially goofy with Dad behind the camera, the whole affair was all about timing. The quick session was full of smiles, thanks to Jaron and with a suggestion from me, his tickles loosened up my Mom and Step-Dad, who hadn't had a portrait taken since we all gathered for our ho-hum..yawn...church family roll call way back in the early 80s, when "still-life" was taken literally.....not anymore:-)

...a behind the scenes shot of the star with his star...:-)

Happy New Year!

A slightly belated post to welcome in 2007. Looking back on 2006, I can't believe how many great experiences I had, some physically exhausting, some spiritually uplifting. With 15 weddings and many portraits, I met numerous new people, and made many new friends and had the opportunity to be a part of and have a chance to document some of the most important, memorable and special moments in the life of a family. In my opinion, it was the year that Lucid Musings really came into its own. 2007 will certainly prove to be a year for growth and expansion, with many ideas soon to take fruition. Here are a short list of some of my personal memories of this past year:

1) My son, Jaron, turned 6...wow, it really seems just yesterday he was 3...I rememember all those veteran parents' mantras to soak up every moment while your child is young, because they grow up so quick...well I guess I am one of them now, because I really have changed my life in the last few years to appreciate his life..and thank God I had the will and the opportunity to do this.

2) My first International project. Backed by the Chernobyl Children Project of the United States and bookended by personal excursions into Moscow, Maramures (Romania) and Bulgaria, I took my interest in backpacker travel and world events to a new level, with a photo essay on the 20 Anniversary of the Chernobyl Disaster. With a focus on 8 of the children being assisted by the organization, I spent a number of days in an industrial region in the far West of Russia, only 30 miles from the Belarussian border. The second portion of my project was self-organized and involved coverage of the anniversary events in Kiev and a trip into the exclusion zone surrounding reactor #4, 20 years to the date of the evacuation. It is through experiences like this that my inner self is shaped and I now feel a need to take my camera to other areas of the world to show the everyday life of meaningful stories that the scope of mass media has forgotten.

3) The heat of the summer of 2006. Of the 8 weddings I did in the months of July and August, over half of them where in humid 30 degree days, making for an exhaustive venture each time out, for myself and my clients. Trying to stay reasonably cool during the 2 hour plus formals was the order of the day. I think I'll opt for cut-offs and mesh shirts as a practical fashion statement next time around:-)

4) The cold, damp fall of 2006. All 4 of the weddings I did in late September and October where unseasonably cold, one even moved inside at the last minute because of the unbearable elements. From the driving rain of Pamela and Russell's wedding to the brisk wind chill of the portraits I did with Janice and Wayne, props are given to everybodies' determination to brave what mother nature threw at us in our goal to get that shot. You guys are the best:-)

5) All the people I met. From the people who graciously opened their doors to me across Eastern Europe, the many newlyweds, their families and their friends whom I shared laughs and tears with, to the children I photographed, locally and abroad. Those children who, at first hesitated and then opened up with smiles and laughter. To be able to be at any given place, any given day and have one of these kids smile and say "Hi Sean" or to have a parent of one of my brides say "thank-you" really makes not only my day, but also makes me realize the importance of what I do. It is not only a business, or a personal expression, but something that actually touches peoples lives, giving memories that will last a lifetime.

To all those I had the pleasure of working with this year, may you have a happy, healthy and successful year ahead.