We’ve moved!

For any of you happening on our old wordpress site – we’ve now moved the blog to our own hosting and is attached to our site. To check out the website click here or to go to the new blog click here

Take care!!

Amanda

Karyne & Johnny

I am fortunate enough to be blessed with 3 friends from high school getting married this year who have come to me to photograph their weddings. Karyne, is one of them – and this sweet heart is doubly my bride as well as my bookeeper, who knows just how messy I am I met Johnny for the first time when Karyne and his family had a family photo shoot before Christmas. The two of them couldn’t seem more in love and as I have been both a part of theirs and their daughter’s life (I took her baby photos), photographing their wedding will be very special to me. It’s always nice to build deeper connections with people and sometimes looking through the lens you see things you might not otherwise have looked for. Here are a few samples from their session tonight from different places around Welland.

I knew there was this great train bridge here in Welland and I’ve been wanting to shoot there for awhile – these two were very co-operative even though we had an on looker that kept throwing rocks near us and the bridge wasn’t so easy to navigate as it doesn’t seem too stable

Safe part of the tracks

Some random field we found

Welland is supposed to be re-knowned for it’s murals – apparently we get visitor’s here that come just to check them out – so we decided to get a photo next to one that Karyne liked

Aren’t these two adorable? We finished the photos off out by the canal. Karyne and Johnny also have a second engagement shoot booked for later in the summer and we’re planning to go the beach! Get ready for more from these two!

Annie and Rob

How do you decide which photos to post from a session when you pretty much love them all?

I went down to Niagara-on-the-lake today with Annie and Rob, who are getting married in December at Queen’s Landing, to shoot their engagement session. I had an absolute blast and got a chance to get to know them both a little more. Here are a few shots from our session and some of the stories behind them

Gorgeous light near sunset

What a trooper Annie is for climbing the tree

Aren’t they adorable?

I love this photo – the little jewels attached to Annie’s sandals spell out her soon to be married name but the best part is that they were given to her by her soon to be mother in law

We saw this right before we left and even those two were tired they stuck it out and let me take this one more and I really love it. Reserved – taken – promised to each other forever

They make a really gorgeous couple – and I can’t wait to photograph their wedding!

31 more things almost equals 101

So today I will attempt to add another 30 items to my list as well as cross off a few that I have completed

1. Go on a Wednesday afternoon picnic with my husband and my dog

2. Teach Freddie (my dog) to roll over

3. Go on a trip to Europe

4. Shoot a destination wedding

5. Go on a roadtrip – destination unknown

6. Have lunch or a real conversation with a photographer I admire

7. Make my mind up about having children

8. Buy a new house

9. Set up a home studio in said house

10. Smile more

11. Get my photo taken at least once a month for the next six months ( I never take photos of myself as it’s something I hate)

12. Do a portrait session with my family Completed April 13th – To be displayed in a blog post shortly

13. Do a portrait session with my husband (We don’t have any formal photos since Christmas 2003 unless you count our wedding photos)

14. Participate in a workshop

15. Attend WPPI again but do the Business Institute and Master classes as well

16. Get my business to go in the direction that I want it to with the clients that I want

17. Make sure that this time when I attend WPPI – I go a few days early so I can photograph all the landscapes I want

18. Do at least 5 seniors sessions

19. Donate my time to a local cause using my photography skills

20. Tell my husband one thing that I love about him (that’s different from the day before) every day for a month

21. Be a second shooter for a photographer I admire

22. Plan something great for our wedding anniversary

23. Spend more time with my mother

24. Take my little brother back to Canada’s Wonderland

25. Take my 19 year old brother out to a bar for drinks just the two of us

26. Give everyone of my bride’s a little gift to thank them for the gift they have bestowed upon me

27. Join the chamber of commerce Joined April 24th

28. Donate more money to charities or donate more time

29. Buy lens, end and body caps for all my gear and actually keep them without losing them for an entire wedding season

30. Lose 20 pounds before the end of the year

31. Go out dancing with my best friend Stella’s – April 25th

32. Have a get together with all my brides for the upcoming season

33. Get a few new backdrops for the studio

34. Create a really great mother’s day and father’s day gifts

35. Recover the panels in the office

36. Participate as a vendor in a local bridal show

37. Try thai food

38. Get together with some friends from out of town and catch up

39. Photograph a “first peek” session before the ceremony

40. Become a member of “Now I lay me down to sleep”

41. Deliver all of my brides and grooms their photos online within two weeks of the wedding

42. Quit pop – for good this time (don’t laugh it’s a serious addiction)

43. Swim in the ocean

44. Go fishing (haven’t done this in a long long time)

45. Add 10$ to a savings account every time I complete something on this list

46. Get my full G

47. Take a photo that represents each of the words in the 100 snapshots challenge ( http://thaumaturgise.wordpress.com/101-things/pictures/)

48. Go camping at BYNG

49. Go camping in Algonquin

50. Print some of our wedding photos to hang in our living room

51. Learn conversational Spanish

52. Learn conversational Italian

53. Take Freddie to puppy obedience classes

54. Take a tropical vacation

55. Learn how to snorkel or scuba dive

56. Take photos from the top of a mountain

57. Ride in a helicopter

58. At least three times in this period – push past my fear about something – and climb over the wall to do it anyway (ask me more if you’d like to understand this)

59. Research one new thing I’d like to learn a month – whether photography related or not (and blog about it) for six months

60. Go kayaking again – somewhere picturesque

61. Be a little more risky

62. Get regular pedicures this summer

63. Get regular massages this summer

64. Get signs made for the office

65. Install the fixed phone in the office so that when I lose power on the portable I can still answer calls!

66. Prepare flyers and promotional items for the bridal show

67. Plant the garden in the backyard

68. Dress Freddie (my dog) up for Halloween in a doggie Halloween costume

69. Change phone companies

70. Launch portrait site

71. Blog a video once every two weeks

72. Create an official charging station in the studio

73. Enter 5 photography contests

74. Shoot a “wear the dress” session in my favourite place in Ontario

75. Create a standardized logo file with my logo made to fit samples, envelopes, letterhead etc…

76. Get my hard drives under control

77. Finish MD photo book

78. Delete old and unecessary facebook messages

79. Order new business cards

80. Book a wedding out of province

81. Teach a basics course on how to take better photos

82. Finish office reno

83. Finish this list

84. Get glare free glass for all of my frames

85. Clean out my car – top to bottom and then get a car wash that includes the inside of my car

86. Order sample prints for comparison

87. Create supplier pricing binder & customer pricing binder

88. Order new batteries and charger

89. Go to bed on time more

90. Read more Bukowski

91. Take a cooking class

Not bad – it’s so weird to put together this list and try and think of all the things that only need to be done but that I want to do. It kinda helps put things into perspective. Only 10 more items to go – I’m going to really think about these and make them worth it.

We were in the news!

Ok sort of – Here is a link to an online article http://www.miltoncanadianchampion.com/arts_and_entertainment/article/164062 the article is a direct reprint of an article in Niagara this Week. We were approached by the Welland Museum to volunteer our services for the day and take the winner of a contest for the day on a shoot or a day in the studio. The contestants will be divided into the two categories under and over 15 and they will submit photos about what they think Welland is about. I look forward to seeing who the winner is and spending the day with a young budding photographer

7 down . . .

So if you count this post (and I do – but again I’m biased) I’ve written 7 posts today for the blog. Tomorrow I will then need to write 1 for that day and then another 3 to catch up Thanks to all of you who have been patient with me – i know it’s kind of cheating to go back and do all the posts for the other days but please see the aforementioned reason (and it’s a good one) below. In the meantime I am probably going to head home and spend time with Freddie – and eagerly await the new episode of “the Hills” tonight. Ladies don’t even pretend you don’t watch it – I don’t believe you hehehe. Also keep your eye out for some news coming up – Things are going to get interesting around here

til tomorrow

Amanda

Skills Competition

Brianne here, as most of you know I am doing my Co-op placement here at Amanda Lachapelle Photography.  Yesterday the Niagara Catholic District School Board held a skills competition at Denis Morris highscool in St. Catharines.  The competition itself lasted the whole day and had held four different competitions.  The four being, Web design, Desktop Publishing, Photography and TV and Video Production and I was entered in the Photography.  When we arrived at the school, we were told that during the day, we were supposed to go around and take pictures of the theme, “a day in a highschool”, pick twenty of our photos, edit them, and print them to be on display for the judges.  As the day progressed, time got more and more valuable to all the photographers competing, as everyone struggled to edit their work and print them on time.  As the end of the day came to a hault, all the competitors could feel their nerves come into play.  I, myself had been fortunate enough to place second place, receiving a silver medal and being able to say, “I placed second place in the first year this competition has been running!”.  Unfortunately, only first place goes to the provincials in Waterloo to compete, but I brought home with me something I could have never have got if I didn’t enter this competition, and that is knowing I can do something on my own after learning from Amanda and all the skills she has taught me.  I would have never of thought that I could go out on my own and put these skills to use and even be acknowledged for it.  So I would like to thank Amanda for all her time she has given to me and being patient as she teaches me all she knows.  I would also like to thank my teacher who has given me this opportunity to try something new and the judges for recognizing my talents.  Below are some images I have taken throughout the competition that corresponds to the theme “a day in a highscool”.

Freddie at the park

So as most of you can tell I use this blog as a personal blog + a business blog. Since most of the photos I take in my personal life are with the same camera I use for work I like to post both kinds of photos. I had an appointment today so I couldn’t be in the studio for the whole time with Brianne so after my appointment I decided to take my brother out for a late lunch and then bring him with me to the park with Freddie. Everyone in my family is crazy about dogs and well everyone who’s met Freddie is crazy about him. Here’s a few shots of Freddie running around

Earth Hour and Model Shoot

So if you haven’t heard about it Earth Hour is a global initiative to turn off all the lights (and anything else really that consumes power) in your home between 8 and 9 pm tomorrow night. I know there are a lot of nay sayers that don’t believe in global warming or that an initiative like this can make a difference but I truly believe that there is nothing wrong with raising awareness for such an important cause or participating in something that gives me an excuse to cuddle with my husband by candlelight for an hour. I think the whole point of the initiative is to stop for that time and think of just how wasteful our society is and that by making small sacrifices we can help the environment and make our world a better place to live in. Amanda Lachapelle Photography will be participating in Earth Hour – all the computers and equipment in the office will be fully powered off. I think we plan on having a pretty chill night and just relaxing by candle light – perhaps even have a few friends over for a board game. Think about all the things you can do in your daily life to help conserve energy. For more information regarding Earth Hour please check out www.earthhour.org

Yesterday Brianne and I went out to do a model shoot with Kiera to give Brianne more of a chance to see what on location lighting is like as well as learn more about direction/motivation on a shoot. We went to an old broken down train yard building. It was a lot of fun and we got some great shots – here are just a few

Boda Bag

ahh the Boda bag – I admired it after seeing it on J Garner photography’s blog – as they are the creators I got a chance to stop by the booth at WPPI and fell in love. I purchased the smaller version of this bag and i can uncategorically say I LOVE IT – it’s so easy to use and it keeps everything at the ready I used it for the first time today during a shoot and can’t wait to use it at a wedding. If you don’t know about this little bag check it out at http://goboda.com/ – it’s not a camera bag but a lens bag designed to keep everything you could possibly need at your hip or waist so that you don’t have to lose a second heading back to the camera bag or worry about carrying two camera bodies. I know lots of us love to do that but it can get pretty hard on the back – besides even if you continue to carry the two bodies – having this provides security against people taking your most important equipment and of course the memory cards. I will post some photos of it soon

For now here’s a photo of my Freddie with his head in the bag