This workshop is free. Completely free. There is a $500 registration fee but we’ll give it back to you at the end of the workshop. Why? Because everyone will say yes to free…the $500 will ensure you really mean it.

I get asked all the time if we do workshops so lets see how this goes. If you’re interested, email me.

Friday 7pm 10pm
Saturday 10am – 6pm
Sunday 10am – 6pm

I don’t normally post images of the girls here but this was the only place I could post a gif file so if you were expecting wedding related images I hope this makes you smile if nothing else.

Every nite we do pretty much the same thing. We finish supper and Marse takes Ruby to get ready for bed. That leaves me n Lola for some serious play time. The other nite it was ‘stand up on the window ledge and jump into my arms’, last week it was ‘how long can you hold your breathe in the tub’ and last nite was ‘let’s play any game except the one we’re playing now’. I can’t begin to tell you how much I love this kid. I sit there on the floor with her and watch her imagination develop as we eat imaginary chocolate cake from imaginary paper plates. Every so often i grab the camera because she’s caught on and sometimes protests with a, “No pictures Daddy, PLEASE”. She’s easily swayed with her sookie (aka the SuSu) but last night it took a little extra to convince her to let me shoot. So last nite Lola learned how to use the blinds.

ZOOMS
24-70/2.8
70-200/2.8 (non IS)

PRIMES
45/2.8 Tilt Shift
100/2.8 macro
135/2.0
50/1.2
85/1.8

STROBES
580EX
580 EXII
580 EXII

Prices are firm. Contact me for prices and information.

As we roll into this incredible lakeside cottage on Queensland beach Julie says, from behind a glass of wine, “Is this how it’s going to be for the wedding? huh? 30 minutes late! ”

My first reaction was to drop my gear and run and let Jessica explain it, but then I realized that they had read my email and they’re simply the type that like to mentally abuse wedding photographers.

I’ll admit openly that the beach is not one of my favorite places to shoot…and there’s nothing I love more than shooting in a location that I don’t love shooting in…for the challenge of it. I didn’t want this to be a Julie + Aaron on Queensland beach shoot. I wanted it to be a Julie + Aaron shoot (ok, a Julie + Aaron and the big bottle of champagne they brought with them).

I was on a stretch of 9 engagement shoots in 9 days and I was ready for something crazy. like, say, jumping off the dock naked. It wasn’t my idea, let’s just get that out there…and at first Julie said NO…but it was one of those No’s that really means Hell Yes.

Needless to say, this is a wedding I’m very much looking forward to shooting. they were so much fun to work with that Jessica decided to shoot for the day as well, medium format and film fantasticness.

Sometimes we just do really stupid things and we can’t help it.

This morning I got an email from someone I do not know. She told me she recognized one of my photos on another photographer’s website with another logo watermark on it. This other photographer was also selling that same image *(converted to black and white) on her Smugmug page.

This was an image I took about 5 years ago…of Marcia. My wife. The love of my life. The mother of our two girls. I could pick Marcia’s face out of any lineup…for sure!

I’ve gotten a few email and suggestions for revenge. Very creative things like Kijiji escort service numbers, telling Santa Claus, the Digby newspaper and there was one person who offered to come pick me up and drive to the other end of the province.

I’m trying to understand whats so attractive about photography that will drive people to steal and lie for a few dollars. I do mean a FEW dollars. I think Marcia’s print was selling for 4 bucks or something. I worked really hard to make that shot. I searched lighting diagrams, websites and flickr pages….I taught myself how to do it. I taped wrapping paper to the wall, Marcia got her makeup done, we borrowed a coat from a neighbor, bought some snow and shot for hours. This was our Christmas card many years ago. There is value in that photograph well beyond four fucking dollars. I’m sorry if my language is terse and offensive but Im simply telling you the truth.

If this person had asked me how I made that image I probably would have sent her some 10 paragraph email rambling on about photography. Its simply the sharing of information and it happens for free every single day. Some days I learn more from a 5 minute conversation w my photographer friends than I ever would at a lavish workshop.

I’m rambling…but I got an email from a friend telling me to ‘be careful online’ and ‘not let rage ruin reputation’. I told her if someone came into my store in real life and stole from me…I would lose my mind then too, regardless of whos watching.

Then I thought…great blog post topic. I know a few other photographers who have had the same thing happen to them.

So yes I was pissed off and said the eff word on facebook. I think her actions were beyond stupid and career limiting not to mention illegal and fraudulent. But I said to Marse, “Imagine how she feels today?”. I mean really…fines can be paid and time can be served but public disapproval is a harsh mistress to shake. You know that feeling when you send a shitty email to the wrong person…she probably felt that but 9 million times worse. I think she gets it.

I’m over it. Marcia is over it. It was a mistake and I’ve venture a guess she probably won’t ever put someone else’s images on her website again.

As proof that I’m not the guy to hold a grudge I would like to extend an open invitation to you, Sherri, to please come by the studio anytime you’re in the city. Bring your gear and anything else. We can hang out and talk about your business plans, your photography and anything else you want that you think might help make you a better photographer. I’d be more than happy to help you out in any way I can. I really mean that.

We met up in the middle of a field and just watching them walk toward us as we met, Jessica and I could tell they were just simply and perfectly in love. It was fun to hang out with them for a few hours and Allie’s wit kept me on my toes.

Here are a few.

too describe the fun would be lengthy and its late.

here’s one. more to follow. I would suggest your boudoir photography be photographed by Applehead Studio in Halifax. He is the best.

i remember a piano concert I royally f***ed up back in junior high. i  was sitting on the stool in front of the piano and for the life of me could not get Super Trouper to get from my brain to my fingers. Disaster…but I’ll never forget it.

early this summer Marcia and I agree to run another marathon (we ran Chicago in 2006). We signed up for Disney and hit the road.

then we realized we had a baby. and lived in the sticks.

a 45 min run had already become a 3 hour endeavor after we dropped Lola off somewhere. i quickly realized it was going to be very difficult to shoot weddings, train for a marathon and find time for anything else.

so i bailed so Marse could train.

nows she’s WAY hotter than she ever was before and I look like a fat man in a little coat.

we’re headed to FLA tonight and Marse runs on Sunday.

26.2 miles

and I could not be more proud of her. i’m glad I can stand on the sidelines and take photos of her at least. i may even run the last 21k w her…but that depends on the nite before w shawn + nicole delaney.

I failed for no reason at all and i learned my lesson.

there will always be an excuse not to run. there will always be something else that needs my time. i guess I just needed to fail to realize that.

so it looks like we’re running Ottawa in June (may?). this time I’ll be on the starting line next to my wife.

Good luck Marmar. I’m so very proud of you. I love you more and more every day…even if you don’t have toenails anymore.

(here’s an old photo we took 3 years ago just before Chicago. it was all the sneakers we had gone through in the training process)