Joe & Samantha Vassallo

So this was my first wedding shoot ever!  Even though I was given praise for previous photo work and was recommended by a bridesmaid for the job, I was sooooo friggen nervous to handle this job.  I mean, this is someones wedding for goodness sake!  This is something that is not only cherished by the wedding party, but is also something this couple is going to look back on for good memories.

I was told numerous times not to worry as the wedding party was very laid back and easy to get along with.  That statement was correct indeed.  Joey and Sam were very welcoming, very open to what ideas I wanted to try out, and was not disappointed when we couldn't get a few of the shots we hoped for.  The day was a very bright and sunny Saturday.  The weather was perfect, but unfortunately the lack of cloud made some unavoidable glare.  We worked with what we had.

Since I had no formal wedding photo training and not really knowing what to expect/recommend, I was basically learning as I went with regards to posing, angles, etc.  Basically, I made sure that both the groom and bride were happy with their shots and what they wanted to have included in their photos.  I was also very fortunate to have a bridesmaid who is also a photographer (thanks Tara!).

So I had the shoot broken down into four categories: Preparation, Arrival, Ceremony, and Celebration.  For the most part, I was trying to act like a fly on the wall.  I found that candid photos have the best results; when you see people's emotions without putting it into posing.  I knew that for some shots such as the "Arrival" part of the shoot I would be having people striking a pose, and in awkward situations at some points.  Sam and Joey did not really have a preference as to what poses they wanted but definitely wanted me to include some standard shots such as bridesmaids, wedding party, etc.  So once again, this was 'learning as we go' kind of mentality with whatever I have seen from past weddings I have attended.  Seems easy right?  haha

I have to commend both the wedding party and onlooking spectators.  I made it clear to most people at the wedding that this is my first shoot.  When they asked what else I have done, I calmly responded with "ohhh you know some heavy metal and rock shows".  That got some interesting looks that's for sure. haha

As for the wedding party, they were all very helpful, courteous, and gave me the heads up when they saw something I didn't.  Thankfully I had my friend Sarah as my assistant for the day (she did the guy's preparation photos and additional snaps during the ceremony).  Thanks again Sarah for your help!

Did I have fun shooting this wedding?  100% absolutely!  Was I stressed and had anxiety to get the right shot?  You're damn right I did.  Will I do another wedding in the future?  Most likely not.  As much as I was happy to be part of their special day and having some satisfied customers, I know there is the potential it may not go as smooth next time.  And I NEVER want to be responsible for screwing up someones wedding day.  That's just a personal choice.

After looking through them all once more as I type this, I am pretty pleased with the outcome (as well as the wedding party).  Maybe in the future when I have more shoots under my belt will I start looking into weddings once more.  I will agree that being involved in the wedding gave me a different perspective than an onlooker.

My First Professional Studio And Shoot

So I never got around to doing this but thought it was a rather new field of work.  While spending plenty of time doing photos of concerts, nature, and animals I never had the chance to dab into more portrait work.  So being that I have awesome friends (Thanks Melyssa!), I was recommended for a last minute photo shoot for a musician.  Not only was it nervousness for my first portrait, it also happened to be for a debut album of a label record.  Chela was was extremely easy to work with and made me feel right comfortable snapping 300+ photos to make sure got the right one.  It was also my first time using a studio for shooting, so working with lighting and angles made it rather fun!

And since we got to do everything we needed in 24 hours, here was the final product (with help from both Chela's photo shop skills, and Jill Colbert from Manfish Inc.)

So if you are a heavy metal fan, then be sure to check out her band White Empress as they near their release date.

Edwards Gardens in July

So no real story here other than going for a nice long bike ride on a Saturday morning through Edward Gardens (an extension of Sunnybrook Park).  As I was walking through the gardens, there was a whole bunch of wildlife that came out of the woodwork!  So as I was taking a picture of one creature, another took it's place!

This one was taken later in the day with my Samsung Galaxy S4.  A little yellow invader was trying to steal my beer!

Animal Family Fun In Mt. Pleasant

My bike ride home from work generally consists of going through parks, trails and wooded areas.  My rule of thumb is to avoid traffic IF you can.  So with that, I drove through Mt. Pleasant Cemetary to catch my breath (HUMIDITY!) and to get away from the congestion of Yonge Street.  While riding towards my exit of the cemetary, I noticed some activity on one of the trees.  A mother raccoon (not seen) had her litter of six cubs out looking for food.

Since Mt. Pleasant is generally quiet, these guys and gals are always out and about trying to grab berries off the trees and whatever food they can salage from garbages.  Despite them being considered 'dirty' animals by society, the cuteness was just too good to pass up.

One of the fun things about this shoot was the curiosity of the raccoons themselves.  Knowing their mother was around, I didn't want to get too close to them and avoid the potential freak out.  On the other side of that though, the raccoon cubs were curious about me and my camera and started to reach their hands out to touch me.  I must have scared them though when trying to step back and take a picture.  But their innocence and curiosity made the experience that much more enjoyable!

 

And for the final shot, one cub saw (as you can tell by facial expression) a few berries next to me and started get hungry! hehe



Summer Time BBQ Session

Do we have any food critics out there?  Fans?  How about that term "foodies"?  I see a lot of people taking photos of their food when they are out at restaurants or when they just completed a long session in the kitchen.  Definitely gives me ideas and thoughts when thinking about my own food choices and what I feel I want to make for dinner. 

Food is an art just like everything else that requires concentration and creativity.  So for my luck it's great that I have friends and neighbours who not only know how to cook very well, but also let me snap photos in the process!

These photos were taken in the backyard of my apartment building.  Even though we have our fair share of woes and issues when it comes to our building management, the community around the building has been kept in tact quite well.  My neighbour Peter is well known in the neighbourhood for his cooking skills and doesn't shy away from a BBQ session.  So when I told him I had my camera available, we jumped on the opportunity to capture some of the summer's finest...chicken breasts (with a plethora of spices!), roasted corn, and whole peppers!