Natalie came to my studio todo some “different” styles of images. We spent a few hours coming up with a few different things. We had a blast, and I think the images turned out awesome. The new studio is alot of fun!
Here are some Photos I did for some TTC Advertising Campaignes
To my friend Chris Fortin who recently placed Grand Champion at the WKA (World Karate Association) in Sault Ste. Marie this past weekend. We JUST finished a Cardio Kickboxing class when we decided to run on over to the studio (it’s lookin might fine too) and snap a quick shot of Chris with his Trophy.
We had our first wedding of the season yesterday (we only choose around 15 weddings per season now) and it was AWESOME!! It felt gooooooooooooood to get back into wedding season. Our couple Jeanette & Steven, thier bridal party, family and guests were fabulous!!! The weather was Rain, Sun, Cloud, and WIND, the perfect mix for an eventfull day. Here is one image of the couple, I will post more after they receive their finished package. 
It was just a few years ago that I was documenting Julie and Jason’s wedding. Now I’m documenting their family beginnings. The Ceming’s came into the studio last month to have some portraits taken as their children are already growing up fast. I LOVE my job. To be able to document the important events in peoples lives is just an honor. Especially with a family like this.
This past week Joce and I were in London attending the Professional Photographers Of Canada Convention. I was one of the featured speakers and the seminar was a huge success. Even though it was at 7:00 AM the room was packed!
I also received my Master of Photographic Arts Award at the Banquette Tuesday Night. Along with that, I recieved an award for “Best Fashion Portrait” and the image was selected for the PPOC Traveling Loan Collection. It’s back to work this week though, and Joce and I are very excited to kick things into high gear. Lots of shoots already (luckily the studio is done) and weddings start next week.
Luckily, my nephew has his Uncle James to redo the images. This was shot in our new studio today, and the background is really an image of the floor tile in my studio layered with some textured paper (done in PS). I think I will do my nephews school pictures from now on, he doesn’t like the same old boring crap every year.
I’m off to the Professional Photographers of Canada Convention for the next few days. I’m one of the scheduled speakers this year and I’m looking forward to it. I’m also receiving my MPA (Master Of Photographic Arts) Award which was a personal goal of mine when I joined PPOC. I will give you a full recap of events when I get back next week. Studio is coming along great, almost done, just have to hang some wall portraits, I’ll post more images of that too.
Just a few finishing touches on the new studio. Ordering all our wall samples tomorrow, completing the viewing room this week, and signage will be up soon as well. We will be having some sort of opening special on shoots so stay tuned on this blog for the information. Sessions are already starting to fill the schedule in this new space. Here are some more pics.
Here is my shooting area with background lights (for highkey) and hairlights)
The opposite view of shooting room
The sitting area (without wall samples or nicnacs)
Other view of sitting area.
The door on the left is where the viewing room will be.
Will have more pics this week.
Or in our case A LOT of help. Thanks to our good friend Gary, our studio is pretty well near completion. Gary is the reason why our new studio is at the end stage of the game. He did all the electrical, built walls, installed hangers, floorboards, custom made shelving and everything else I couldn’t do (Which is pretty well everything). Anyways, thank you Gary for everything.
Here is the first portrait I took in the new space, our handyman Gary.
Here is another pic of Gary after I asked him if he could now come and work on our house.
Check out the latest issue of Sudbury Living. My images graced the cover again. Of course you just can’t go wrong with taking pictures of Pandora Topp!!!
I did this “fashion show” shoot at the Sudbury Airport and we used the luggage conveyer as the runway.
Well today we put the flooring down, and finished painting. Tomorrow we start putting the flooring in the shooting area, and start bringing in the furniture and equipment. These pictures are from last week, I will take more pictures tomorrow for the update. Our landlord was nice enough to put a HUGE sign outside in the parking lot for all of Sudbury to see. Hodgins Photography will now be located at 2008 Lasalle Blvd.
Well, I’m pretty well settled now, got everything put away, files downloaded, vendor information filed, calls returned, and cheque books balanced haha. We are making progess on our little studio and I will post more images soon. In the meantime here are some images from WPPI 2008 Las Vegas.
Andrea and Myself (We do this everytime, and have about 15 images over the past 5 years that all look the same
(except were older)
Myself, Clem (NoBs Fan) www.ckphotos.net , & Rob
Our Single Booth at WPPI
Next year we have 4 and the introduction to
the NoBS Members Lounge at WPPI.
Me playing Wheel of Fortune Slots. The one time I gambeld…….and lost.
Yours Truly, Andrea, Julie, Raphy & Heather
Myself, Julie, Shawn & Rob
My good Buddy KC came to join us in Vegas
Jerry & Me. (Jerry is the Top Austrialian Wedding Photographer)
NoBs Members were inducted to In Out Burger Hat Society
We had a little gathering in our room for NoBs members.
Fun times were had by all.
Well, here is the finished article on our trip to the BVI aboard www.sailmustangsally.com If you contact Doug and Wendy, tell them I sent ya.
Click Here to Read the whole Article
Well, at this moment 10:37 am Good Friday I’m sitting in the Las Vegas Airport. After a week of talking, learning, sharing, inspiring, getting inspired, laughing, partying, SPENDING, it’s time to come home, and I can’t wait. I’m not a big fan of Vegas to begin with, but I dislike it even more when my wife isn’t with me. None the less, the WPPI Convention was another huge success. We will be back next year in February bigger and badder than ever. It’s awesome to be surrounded by so many photographers. Although I did not attend one seminar, I find I learn more by hanging out and talking to other photographers. I have a wackload (the Americans always laugh when I use this term) of new ideas that I will be implementing into our photography and our business and I can’t wait to get home and start. So, I will be posting more images about this trip to Vegas in the next few days. Next stop? PPOC in London in 2 weeks.
Our wedding photographer Kirk Elliott of www.kirkphotos.com just launched a new site called
www.UltimateCaribbeanWeddings.com/Secrets.html This site is for brides that are interested in having a Caribbean Wedding, and want to know the down-low what todo and what NOT todo. Well on the free report, Joce and I have graced the cover.
Anways, congrats Kirk!!! For those of you that didn’t know, Joce and I were married 5 years ago in St.Lucia, and we hired Kirk Elliott Photography for our photography. Not only did we get great images, we also made a great friend (2 actually, Shayne Ross who was our photographer that day). We became such good friends that we also went back to St.Lucia to host a photography seminar.
All the best to our good Friend Kirk, and we will see you soon. hint hint.
Well, within 3 hrs after my nephews birthday party, I called a “space for rent” #, looked at the space, gave a cheque for 1st and last, and knocked out 2 walls. We just aquired a new studio space on a VERY busy main road in our city. It’s actually located above my accountants office (his family owns the building). It’s smaller than the shooting space I am using now (605 sqft) but it was too good to pass up.
Did I read that right somewhere? Is it that time of year again? Wow, winter just passed me by and I’m damn glad it did. Boy do I dislike winter and I try to get out of it any chance I can get. The next chance? Viva Las Vegas 2008. It’s that time of year again where I head to WPPI (Wedding Portrait Photographers International) on the 14th for the annual convention and tradeshow. Again, NoBs Photo Success has a booth at one of the largest photographic tradeshows in the world and I will be smack dab in the middle of it.
I just returned from a weeks vacation in Cozumel with Joce, my sister Robyn, her husband Mike, and our good friends Beth & Vince. What a great week we had. It was spent soaking up the sun, fun, and rum. We managed to get out on a snorkel excursion one day, Mike and I went diving another, and one night we headed into town for dinner at Prima’s and dancing at Senior Frogs. It was great to get away again, but 7 days is not enough. At least I will be out of the snow again in 2 weeks as i head to Vegas for the WPPI tradeshow.
Joce, Myself, Beth, Vince, Robyn, & Mike
Pool at Night
Pathways at night throughout the resort.
Bungalows at night
Our spot on the beach that we snagged everyday.
Main pool
“Bob” the iguana.
Furi Catamaran at sunset.
The Pier at night
“Lester” the Sea Turtle
Our chairs….again.
“Frank the Pelican”
“Watchyamakalit”
Main Pool at night
These are our Bungalows.
Click On This Image To Watch a Dive Video
Click On This Image To Watch a Dive Video
Last week, I got an email from a woman stating that she almost booked a wedding photographer because of MY photography.
Well, it seems that another photographer (in a nearby city) had been using my images in their portfolio to book weddings. What was wrong with their photography? Why did this photographer need to use my images? Were hers not good enough?
What I want to know is, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? How would you explain to the Bride and Groom after the wedding why the images taken did not look like the images presented at the consultation? This is how all this came about. A bride was going to book this photographer because of the wedding images this photographer presented. This photographer even went as far as telling this bride how the images were taken, how they all got along so well, and that they were such good friends that the wedding photography was done for free. Funny thing, the bride recognized someone in the bridal party, and after speaking to the person discovered that the images were taken by me. Small world.
When booking a wedding photographer do your homework. Ask to see several weddings, albums, samples. Is the wedding photographer part of any professional photographic organization? Is the photographer a well reputable photographer in the community? Is the skill of photography up to the standards of your wedding photography requirements? Can the photographer handle any situation on your wedding day, rain, equipment malfunction, time table etc….
There is a saying, “fake it till you make it.” Well some of us know, that sometimes faking it can get you in ALOT of trouble. And, there is a huge difference between acting, thinking, imagining, visualizing a certain outcome, and aspiring to achieve a certain level of quality in our photography skills. When it comes to your wedding photographer(s), do your homework.