Melissa & Gerry's wedding

We started off our wedding season with a perfect day yesterday. Melissa and Gerry are a really sweet couple and we were very excited for their wedding. We also enjoyed meeting their families and wedding party. Here are some of our favourite shots from the day.

We're working on their slideshow as we speak so check back in a few days for more great images. To everyone who asked about ordering prints we'll have that link online by the end of the week.

Thanks to Melissa and Gerry for letting us share such a wonderful day with you. We hope you have an amazing honeymoon!

Aimee & Chris Engagement

This weekend we had an awesome time doing an engagement session with Aimee and Chris. It was a perfect afternoon to hang out at Ball's Falls Conservation Area.

As you can see Aimee and Chris look totally relaxed and in love! They were so fun and easy to work with. We turned around for a second and when we looked back they had both climbed a tree! Those are some of my favourite shots. They also proved that their dance lessons are paying off - check out their slideshow to see how great they look.

Aimee's mom was with us and it was great spending time with her too. We're really looking forward to the wedding in June. I know it's going to be a wonderful day at Rockway Glen.

Click here for a link to their slideshow. Post a comment to wish Aimee and Chris well and let us know what you think of their images.

Amanda

Take a mini-vacation

Before wedding season gets going in full swing we like to recharge a little bit, (plus it's nice to spend some extra time with the kids!)So we are going away for a little mini-vacation! To all our clients and friends we will be away from Thursday April 12th and back in the office on the 18th.

Here is a photo of Sydney last year when we went away. Can you just feel the wind blowing and the sun shining? Everyone should take some time for themselves and recharge. You are totally worth it. Now it's our turn!

See you all soon!

Chris

Melissa & Gerry

We had a great Engagement shoot with Melissa and Gerry last week. Their first date was at the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls so of course it was a perfect spot for their shoot.

Here is a link to the slideshow. We can't wait for their wedding this month!

What I know for sure

This week I've been going through our family photos and the kids' baby books. One thought keeps coming to mind. There's a reason why we all cherish photos - hang them proudly in our homes, create albums and scrapbooks, frame them as special gifts...

Looking at an image can remind you of how you were feeling at that moment. In the past week I've re-lived our babies growing before my eyes. I've remembered how I felt on our wedding day like it was yesterday, though it was seven years ago this October. The nervousness, the excitement and the special quiet moments are all captured in those images. Knowing that we are a part of creating something so special for other couples is the most rewarding part of our business.

What I know for sure is that memories are to be cherished and photos are such an important part of keeping them close to our heart. Our kids love looking through albums with us because each image tells a story about them and us as a family. Time goes by quickly and before you know it your baby girl turns five and asks to try out your lip gloss. Take a moment to treasure your memories with photos and keep them close to your heart. I know I do.

Amanda

Location location location

In photography, a great location can help to create a memorable picture. When all of the elements in a photo are working together the image comes to life. How lucky are we to live in the Niagara Region, a place with such a wide variety of locations to choose from.

Many of you have been asking about location ideas for engagement sessions and family portraits, so we thought we'd tell you about some of our favourite spots.

• Ball's Falls Conservation park
• Morning Star Mill
• Port Dalhousie - great pier with two lighthouses, a beach, park and popular shopping area
• Any of the wineries in the area (there are at least 70!)
• Niagara-on-the-Lake. They do great things there. Especially in the spring when all the flowers are out. Beautiful and historic downtown area as well as a park on Lake Ontario with a really cool gazebo
• Many walking trails along the Niagara River
• Queenston Heights - There are some great monuments, stone work and paths.
• The Niagara Falls Botanical Gardens (a favourite among our Brides & Grooms!)
• Niagara Falls - the falls itself and surrounding area. One of the great wonders of the world!
• Montebello Park in St. Catharines (great rose garden in the summer)
• The Welland Canal - walking paths and viewing stations

So as you can see there are lots of great locations for photo sessions. We'd love to hear about your favourite spots. If anyone knows of a great location for a photoshoot, or have a "hidden gem" of a spot let us know! Post your comments on the blog or email us today.

Spring is in the air!

In honour of the arrival of spring, here are a couple of shots from last year to get us thinking about what is to come. Especially since the weather is going up to 12 degrees this weekend! I can't wait!

Samantha & Jason

Meet Samantha & Jason,

They were the winning bidders at last year's Investors Group Comedy / Slient Auction night. We donated a free portrait session to the Investors Group for the auction portion of the event. Samantha told us that they were "hovering" near the table where the portrait session was located cause they really wanted the session. "Hovering" is an auction term which means "stand near what you want and if someone bids, you up your bid". A very effective way of getting the item you want!

They were a great couple and we got some wonderful pictures. I'm glad to have met them.

Click here for the slideshow.

Make your own fun

So now that we have a hamster (yes another mouth to feed) we've made him part of the family. Today was his cleaning/feeding/running around day and the kids and I decided to have a photoshoot while we were at it (he wanted some photos for his blog). Matthew was wearing his hamster handling gloves while Sydney helped with some carrot treats.

Things were going smoothly until we got a little silly with some of the pictures (try to guess which ones!). We even tried some horror lighting for scary effects! Then Sydney arranged all the stuffed animals on the stairs to watch the show, turned on the Blues Clues music and Matthew started air guitaring. The big finish was an impression of a rock n' roll hamster which brought down the house!

The kids downloaded the images to the computer with me and helped with "recommendations" for the image processing. See if you can guess which ones they helped create. :)

It just goes to show that no matter what you are doing you can have fun with it. (Especially if you have two super kids with you.)

We even made a slideshow! Click here to view. (Slight warning associated with this one. There are two pictures that the kids insisted on putting in. They are slightly, well, evil looking - but they found them hilarious. You have been warned.)

Music from the slideshow is from Jack Johnson's album 'In Between Dreams'.

New Products and Pricing

We are very excited to announce we have all new packages!

The feedback that we have been getting back from our clients was that they wanted more options and add-ons. We heard you!

We have added some really great new products and services including three levels to choose from (Silver, Gold & Platinum), extra coverage, our all new "Brag Books" for parents, image slideshows at the reception, new hardcover proof books, thank you cards, and my personal favourite: His & Hers Video iPods with your wedding images pre-loaded.

As always any of our packages can be customized. If you see something you like and you want it let us know.

Here is a link to our new packages or you can find them on our website.

Matthew has started his own blog

This is one of our son Matthew's favourite pictures. He named it "beast in the trees" due to it's ferocious nature. Don't get too close!

Matthew has loved animals since he was little. Over the past few years he has started donating money (that he earns through allowance and birthdays) to the World Wildlife Fund to help animals around the world. He asked us if there was any way that he could have his own website to share what he is doing with more people, so we suggested starting his own blog.

So far he is loving it! We told him that we would tell as many people as we could so we thought we would announce it to everyone on our blog. Click here for Matthew's Animal Rescue blog. And don't forget to pass on his site to anyone who loves animals!

Sabrina and Joe - a winter engagement session

If I had to describe why we love weddings so much Sabrina and Joe would be a perfect example. They are the most adorable, fun-loving couple and we are so honoured they've chosen us to be a part of their wedding. You can't help but laugh and enjoy life when you spend time with them and I know their families are just as wonderful.

Their idea of a winter engagement session was fantastic and the afternoon was perfect. We started on the Green Ribbon Trail with a bit of ice skating (ok, I stayed back and guarded the bench but they had fun...) followed by a stop in Port Dalhousie. We knew the lighthouse was special to Sabrina and it was a gorgeous backdrop for the shots. They were so awesome about being on the beach in the cold weather. I'd have to say Sabrina won the snowball fight, hands down.

We ended the afternoon at the Morningstar Mill and Decew Falls, which is amazing at this time of year. Our attempts at sledding weren't Olympic caliber but we sure had fun trying.

Check out their slideshow with some great shots, including Joe getting attacked by snowballs! Sabrina and Joe- you guys are so amazing and we can't wait until the wedding. We're honoured to call you friends and hope to see more of you soon. The most rewarding part of our business is working with couples like you and we thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your life.

Amanda

Check out Rachel!

We had such an awesome time with Rachel from Personal Optical last week. She asked us for some fun images to add to her website and with her personality it wasn't hard to get great shots! I think the glam shots in the slideshow are some of my favourites. The Hollywood style lighting just really makes her and the glasses pop!

The glasses that she carries are as vibrant and colourful as her personality. Rachel is definitely an expert in what she does and her passion is obvious in these images. Thanks for working with us again Rachel - it's always a blast.

Hope you love the slideshow!

Amanda and Chris

Personal Optical Photoshoot

We just finished up a great shoot yesterday with Rachel from Personal Optical. We got some fantastic shots in our studio. Rachel was looking to have some images that she could use to promote her mobile optical store. As you can see Rachel looks fantastic and is always fun to work with. We even had some "movie star lighting" going! Stay tuned for a slideshow to come!

Looking back...

One of the great things about images is the inherent power they have. I've been spending a little time looking over our image files from last year. And it is amazing how often just looking at an image taken months ago, can remind you of the thoughts and feelings of the moment. Almost instantly. It's like there is a switch in your brain that flicks on. And the memories come flooding back.

I had this happen tonight as I looked at some images that we did for a friend of ours. The images were of Rachel and her two adorable kids. As I looked through the shots of them I remembered their laughter, their exuberance and all the fun we had. Images are so powerful. And doesn't Rachel look fantastic!

Keith Financial

We had a great shoot this week with Patrick Keith of Keith Financial. Pat is a great guy and was so easy to work with. We set up our mobile studio at his offices downtown and got some excellent images. We also used some available light from his windows which overlook downtown St. Catharines. Here are some of our favourites.

md Brief Case photoshoot

This Saturday we had the pleasure of doing a photoshoot with the people from MD Brief Case Inc. They were having a 5 year anniversary party and wanted some photos to remember the event by. We met them at Strewn Winery where they had their wine tasting and then moved into Terrior La Cachette the restaurant located inside the winery for a "Tasting Menu". This is when a local Winemaker talks about the wines that are being sampled with the meal.

These guys were great, as you can tell by the photos. We had a really great time! Lot's of "Charlie's Angles" poses.




Here is a link to some of the images in the slideshow. Click here to view.

Home Sweet Home

Hey y'all. I've just returned from a busy week in Grapevine, Texas, just outside of Dallas. I was attending the American Bus Association marketplace for The Famous in Niagara Falls. It's great to be home and back in the office again but I have to admit I'm going to miss the Southern Drawl! I think everyone should have full use of "y'all" and "all y'alls".

Texas is a very cool place and I met some great people from all over. It was unseasonably cold and actually snowed in Dallas. They aren't exactly used to the cold weather and the weather person was practically crying as she gave the forecast.

We'll get back to more frequent updates to the site and blog this week. Lots on the go this month and we can't wait to tell y'all about it.

Amanda