Julie Cortens Photography Blog

Maui Day 2

2012-02-11T07:31:00.002-06:00

The Mahi Mahi was fantastic! But we are all pretty tired and still adjusting to the time change... or maybe it is just that ocean air and the sound of the waves that puts us to sleep.... or the wine.

The pool and the beach down below.

The moon over the island of Lana'i this morning at 5 am.... cruise ship on the horizon - maybe that is why I am so tired. :)

And the perfect end to a beautiful day in Hawaii - the guys doing the dishes shirtless!

It was Linda's idea.... I concurred.

Maui

2012-02-10T09:13:00.003-06:00

The things we love about Hawaii....

the fresh seafood

the smell, the sound and the views of the ocean

relaxation
romantic sunsets
each other ;)

See that big guy on the right? We are eating him tonight - well some of him. His name is Mahi Mahi. That is his little buddy Yellowfin Tuna beside him. We were eyeing him up as the fishermen brought him in. David got talking to another tourist and they decided to share him so he was cut up into about 30 steaks (15 each) ...... We will BBQ him tonight. mmmmmm Here's the plan - Macadamian nut Crusted Mahi along with home made avocado salsa and chips and coconut shrimp.

the place

The view- 8th floor. That's Moloka'i Island in the distance.

Last night's sun sets between the islands of Lana'i and Moloka'i

Lunch.....Mahi's cousin....Ahi

Gospel for Asia

2012-02-07T18:48:00.000-06:00

Thought I should share this glimpse into the plight of widows and children in South Asia. For more info or if you feel led to help click HERE

Cheetah vs Hyundai Veloster Turbo

2012-02-04T17:12:00.004-06:00

A fellow photographer on a 365 group I belong to is Brad Johnson, a professional videographer/producer, who has been working on "behind the scenes" videos of the recent Hyundai commercials that will air on the Superbowl tomorrow.
Here is one of the commercials followed by Brad's "behind the scenes" video.

A Day With Miss Eva

2012-01-28T22:37:00.001-06:00

Miss Eva came for a sleepover. We had a blast and she was happy as can be. Okay we didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night because Eva is particularly fond of sleeping with Grandma and Grandpa but we had great fun at the Farmers Market - ice sculptures and petting zoo too.

OBSESSION

2012-01-17T17:25:00.001-06:00

Remember the model shoot I did a few weeks back for a book cover?

Well it is up on kindle and worth a read. And when you are finished reading it, do leave a comment on kindle for this young Saskatchewan author.

Saskatoon Photography Newborn

2012-01-11T20:21:00.002-06:00

I love newborns. They smell so wonderful. So fresh form above.
Welcome Sloan. A very special gift for Aaron and Alicia. There is much joy in this family ~ a healthy full term precious daughter. God is good.

I love this photo below because I know how much Alicia went through to have this precious gift in her arms. Her rainbow is here and she is healthy. Blessing upon blessings!

Photos are all up in Sloan's gallery on the web site. HERE

Sorry password protected for family and friends only.

More Smokin'

2012-01-03T21:12:00.000-06:00

Since David is away this week it seemed an opportune time to burn some incense. :)

Your interpretations?

I see a crustation or two and something yelling at me, but that's about all. You all have much better imaginations then I have. Especially you Cindy! and Angie! I just play with light and camera.

So let me know what you see.

ThreeSixtyFive 2011

2012-01-02T23:24:00.004-06:00

I chose some photos from my 2011 365 and put them together in a slideshow. They don't really represent my year. My Dad passed away in April and well I do have photos of him and Eva from last February, they were not 365 photos - so I will be a purest and only use 365 photos. But one day I will put together a slideshow of 2011 that represents the milestones of the year.

Brand New!

2012-01-02T16:06:00.001-06:00

This beautiful bundle arrive last week and I got to photograph her when she was yet 20 hour old.
She is very special. I shot Alicia and Aaron's engagement photos last March. You can read about their special story there. And their pregnancy shoot HERE

Welcome Sloan!

Auntie Erinn

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T20:28:00.000-06:00

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T22:27:00.002-06:00

Grandpa's shoulder

2011-12-22T12:08:00.003-06:00

....irresistible

click on photo to see larger

In the Bleak Mid Winter

2011-12-20T02:26:00.000-06:00

Give Jesus your heart this Christmas.
It's the best gift you will ever receive.

Direct Client Funding

2011-12-18T20:19:00.000-06:00

Well, if any of you wondered what I do 40 hrs a week with the Saskatoon Health Region, here is a video put together by SHR media department on the pilot project I have been so involved in for the past two years.

2011-12-13T18:54:00.000-06:00

This video from the small Yupiq Eskimo Village of Quinhagak, Alaska, was a school computer project intended for the other Yupiq villages in the area. Much to the villagers' surprise, nearly a million people have viewed it.
5th graders creatively having fun with Hallelujah and entertaining close to 1 million people on YouTube in the process. Love it.

Pirates of the Caribbean

2011-12-08T20:58:00.000-06:00

Jarrod Radnich playing his original arrangement of themes from Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean".

The Drummer Boy

2011-12-06T22:29:00.000-06:00

Posting this because I liked the video.... even though I am a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas Carols, but also because it was taped in Winnipeg and I recognize most of the areas.

LIGHT Painting

2011-12-04T17:54:00.001-06:00

I crossed Light Painting off my photography bucket list today when capturing a photo for my 365.
YEAH!
Time lapse photography and LOTS of travel photography still on the list. :)
I was so happy with the results that I had trouble picking just one. Harold picked his Favorite so it is posted on the 365 HERE. These photos won runners up.

What's your favorite?

Allison's choice.

Don't forget to check out Harold's pick for the 365 of the day.

Nearer My God To Thee

2011-12-02T20:55:00.000-06:00

9-cello adaption by Steven Sharp Nelson

Adobe Lightroom 3

2011-11-28T18:21:00.001-06:00

I use Lightroom 3 for all my photo editing. It is all you really need... I do use Photoshop CS5 but 95% of my photo editing is done in Lightroom. White balance, noise, minor flaws, color tones, perfect subtle vignettes, perfect B&W, saturation and just keeping everything organized - it does it all. Direct uploading to facebook, zenfolio, animoto and organizing all your photos and their edits without touching the original file - no loss, ever. Love it.
If you take a lot of photos and want to edit them and keep them organized then you will want to check out Lightroom.
...and it is on sale. :)

$100 off the Full version of Photoshop Lightroom 3. Only $199 for a limited time, ends Nov 29th.

Playing with Smoke

2011-11-20T18:50:00.004-06:00

because I was getting bored with water?
Here are the runners up for today's 365 photo of the day. The winner is posted on the 365 here.

The Trumpet or a Phonograph?

The Candle from Beauty and the Beast (see his face?)

A Scroll Unraveling

The Dancer

Do you have a favorite?

Any thoughts on naming any of them?

Playing With Liquids

2011-11-19T21:00:00.000-06:00

The theme this week on the 365 group I belong to is "liquid" So I have been playing with various liquids this week - water, gin and club soda actually. :)

I love these challenges. They get me away from photos of stuff and force me to really think creatively.
Okay - tell me your favorite photo from the bunch.

Angela and Blair

2011-11-13T21:31:00.002-06:00

October flew by - I was in Saskatoon for only 9 days last month and working 8 of those days. No complaints though. I wracked up those air miles and I was able to experience Niagara Falls, Hawaii and my whole family being together during October.
But time away from the ole MAC meant time away from editing photos.
I am now almost caught up and this weekend I was able to focus on a few slide shows.

Here is Angela and Blair's engagement photo session. The tender love these two very quiet people show for one another warms my heart.

I am so looking forward to their special day March 31st ..... also looking forward to a new grand baby March 28th or whenever she decides to make her appearance. Here is hoping she does not arrive the day of the wedding or I will miss out on those wonderful newborn photos. Remember Eva's slide show from her first few moments of life? One of my first and favorite slide shows.

Angela and Blair's slide show is also posted to their private gallery for all of Angela and Blair's family and friends.

Miss Eva Discovers Chocolate

2011-11-11T19:12:00.001-06:00

Because when you are visiting Grandma and Grandpa and Grandpa is having chocolate pudding, well it just makes sense to put chocolate on Eva's bananas.

And of course milk goes with chocolate....
We are having a hoot but apparently we have to give her back at 9pm.

First Snow

2011-11-06T15:19:00.000-06:00

It has arrived and so begins winter and all its beauty and challenges.

Miss Eva

2011-11-05T20:31:00.000-06:00

Because she is so wonderfully adorable.

Oh such JOY!!

Saskatoon Photography ~ Wedding

2011-10-31T16:53:00.003-06:00

Here are a few of Kathryn and Duane's Wedding photos.
It was a beautiful fall day and the leaves were spectacular. Unfortunately the cold fall wind forced us indoors. But it was still lots of fun and Kathryn was a stunningly beautiful bride - as you can see. :)

I will be posting the rest on my web site in the Private Gallery sections by tonight.

arrrgh

2011-10-30T17:55:00.007-06:00

I wanted to post some photos of our family vacation tonight but I can't. We arrived home late this afternoon having started the process at 10 am Hawaii time yesterday so lets just say....boy, that took a long time. There was fun on the way - like lunch with just my sweetheart at Dukes (romantic and brought back fond memories) and Dinner with the whole gang at The Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki. Do you remember the photo I posted of the restaurant in Niagara on the Lake that brought your bill in a folder labeled "The Damage"? That came to mind yesterday late afternoon. Do you think it is reasonable to charge $12 USD for a mai tai?
I don't either.

Anyways, after an hr doing the gas up and van rental returns followed by the shuttle back to the airport (with 10 people), we checked in. That is everybody but Eva - we had to wait 45 min to actually get a ticket for Eva. See this photo? Us wondering where the heck the ticket agent disappeared to for 30 minutes!
Have you ever noticed that when you have to stand for a loooong time it helps to lift one knee. Or maybe this is some Cortens gene thing... :) Oh , and it simply must be the left knee or it won't work.

We did eventually board our plane (big sigh here). There was not a single empty seat on this big bird because apparently United cancelled the flight earlier in the day. Two more planes later, we are all now home. I just heard from Paul and Mark and everyone is home safe and sound. Holiday is officially over - sort of. Sammy and Allison don't have heat in their house and may be moving in with us but other then that, things are pretty much back to normal.

So Sherpa and I shopped and restocked the fridge and ...... rather then do laundry it seemed much more fun to play with photos in Lightroom. However the laptop with all my photos and edits is losing power and I don't have the power cord to charge it. That is because the power cord is in luggage that United bumped in Denver when it also bumped Sammy, Allison and Eva. Yes - they were informed as the plane was boarding. They did finally get them on.... but not Allison's luggage and since (warning: this is complicated) United tagged one of our bags with Allison's name instead of the baby car seat, it pulled our bag.

Can I tell you how I feel about United Airlines right now?

pause
deep breath
grace...

They have very nice stewards who take good care of you and the flights were on time and pleasant and if you don't have to actually deal with purchasing a ticket and paying for checked luggage and then retrieving said luggage.... well they are a pretty good airline.

However, I am loving WestJet all the more. ;) LOL I can't count the number of times someone in the gang said. "should have flown WestJet" or "WestJet never charged us that!" "I have never lost luggage with WestJet".
I am even starting to like Air Canada a little. Our last flight with them was really quite nice and they even joked (just a little) with their passengers.

But do stay tuned because when that power chord does arrive along with my makeup and Dave's golf shoes, I will share more photos. And I am thinking I might need my makeup before he needs his golf shoes. In the meantime I do have a photo from today on the camera of Colorado that I will upload to my computer and post for the days 365 which you can find on the 365 blog

If I don't fall asleep on the key board first.

Oh! GTG Allison and Family are at the door..... guess that furnace isn't working.
Must be the "year of the furnace" because our furnace was condemned 5 days before we left on holidays. But that is another story for another day (and more air miles to accumulate on that worn out card).

BAGGAGE UPDATE: Monday am update - the United Air Baggage claim 1-800 number is in India. Just thought you should know. Sooo I phone India to ask if my bag has arrived here in Saskatoon (?).... I think he was speaking English but at times I really wasn't sure. It took a lot of brain power (and a few extra minutes) to decipher the accent. I am not a fan of call centers in India. When you are a tad disgruntled about service it does not help if you cannot understand the person you are calling for assistance.
Apparently the bags have arrived at the airport (I think that's what he said) and I have updated them with all the info - because there is no one at Allison's cold house - they are all here with a working albeit condemned furnace. And life goes on.

Snipits from our Holiday

2011-10-29T01:50:00.000-06:00

The family fun in the sun has come to a close and tonight we are packing, cleaning, putting things away and planning our long day tomorrow. Some of the kids are now getting in one last game of Scum - Mark and Paul are heading back from their day trip to the BIG Island of Hawaii where they saw an erupting volcano - looking forward to seeing their photos and video. I am posting my 365 and then heading to bed - there is lots to do before 10am tomorrow morning. sigh....
We don't catch our flights until almost 9 pm and have to be out of our rental at 10 am.... so this could be a trying day for us all - especially the babies.
Here are a few photos from the past two days.

Grandpa's shoulder always works like a charm no matter how much Miss Eva is resisting her nap.

This little fellow was less then an inch long. He was hanging out on the stairwell today, posing for me. I knew there was a reason I dragged my macro lens all the way to Hawaii.

Tonight's sunset.

The moon was out too.

Okay, I now have to pick and post my 365 from the 60+ photos I took today.

The Heavens Declare

2011-10-25T16:51:00.002-06:00

...the Glory of God

Taken today at 5am Hawaii time.

Can you find the belt of Orion?
Alnilam the middle star in the "belt" is approximately 1340 light years away from earth and is 375,000 times more luminous than the Sun. Thought you would like to know. :)
“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? Job 38:31

Water Logged - and Loving it!

2011-10-24T13:38:00.002-06:00

Totally LOVIN' this photo!!

This is what happens after 2 hours in the water boogie boarding and a huge bbq salmon supper. Love it!

Having Fun

2011-10-23T14:18:00.001-06:00

Hawaiian Sunset

2011-10-21T09:19:00.002-06:00

Only had time for a couple of sunset shots tonight. Today was spent picking up rental vans, getting a whole lot of groceries and arriving and unpacking which ate up the late afternoon.
Here is the view from the patio. Harold is walking along the wall at the end of our patio. The waves are crashing down just outside that wall. It is a beautiful and restful.
We pick up 6 more of the gang at the airport tonight and our firefighter arrives tomorrow. Then we get into some serious kitchen fun preparing meals.

CP Roundhouse

2011-10-15T04:10:00.002-06:00

The old CP Roundhouse and other 100+ year old buildings on the Sutherland site were recently torn down. I was able to catch a few photos of 100 yr old pipes, machinery, glass, even an 100 yr old elevator. Some of the walls were 4-6 layers of brick thick - I suppose for warmth. But my, that is labor intensive. I thought about the men working this yard 100 years ago, eking out an existence for their families who might have lived in a tiny house on Grey or Central Avenue. I am sure it was a very dangerous job in those days. Personally, I am not sure I would travel on an elevator that depended on a thick rope to pull you up (and down). But they did - for a lot of years.

If only the walls could talk.
Stay tuned. I have a wedding today! Yeah it is not raining and there are still some fall leaves.

Saskatoon Photography ~ Engagement

2011-10-12T18:06:00.010-06:00

Angela and Blair are getting married and I know there are a whole lot of people that are thrilled about this upcoming union. But none as happy as they are.
There was lots of love at Boffins Gardens Monday morning.

BIG sigh.

All this love and joy just warms my heart. Could there be a better job then having the honor of capturing these precious moments?

I think not. :)

The photos are up on the web site HERE for all you family and friends.

Password protected of course - thems the rules.

Saskatoon Photography ~ Family

2011-10-10T22:00:00.002-06:00

Well we have returned from taking photos of Niagara and back to taking photos of families. And wasn't this little 5 yr old a whole lot of fun.
His expressions were priceless!

Here he is showing me what Mom and Dad are doing.

I just cracked up ~ honestly he was so entertaining.

Caught him still here for a nanosecond. :)

Chased him all over the climbing structure for this shot.

Adorable.

And there are a whole lot more being uploaded to the web site as I type. Private Gallery is HERE. Sorry password protected but easy to guess for family and friends.

Stay tuned. I did an engagement shoot this morning and will hopefully be able to show you a few by tomorrow night. :)

Smattering of yesterday

2011-10-08T15:14:00.001-06:00

Some of the 258 photos I took yesterday. It was a full but fun day.
I am now sitting in the airport waiting for our WestJet flight. We love WestJet.

Jackson Triggs Winery tour.

Musket demonstration at Fort George, Niagara.

Niagara Falls at sunset with the moon.

Skylon Tower. A quick ride to the top.

Beautiful Niagara on the Lake

2011-10-07T08:07:00.001-06:00

Oh my, we are having a wonderful time!
I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Our anniversary lunch at Zee's....

St Andrews Presbyterian Church

Our B&B hosts Kent and Nancy prepared us this little treat when we returned to our room yesterday afternoon. What a sweet surprise! Check out Maria's B&B if you ever come to Niagara on the Lake.

We are off to a wine tour of Jackson Triggs

More TO

2011-10-04T04:35:00.001-06:00

The conference is over.

We wandered the crazy busy mall and had supper at a much too expensive restaurant this evening. It will be Subway (as in the sandwich) from here on. Then we walked back to our hotel - the streets still full of people.
Just a few photos on the way.

There is nothing mediocre about Toronto. :)
Time to head off to Niagara on the Lake.
I have a few 16GB cards with me. :)

Toronto

2011-10-02T04:28:00.001-06:00

Great flight.
Watched Midnight in Paris - kinda boring. Silly plot - or was there one?
Wondered the streets and maneuvered the crowds of TO
Short night - the Yonge St. Nuit Blanche raged outside our hotel all night.
Conference starts at 8 am. I speak at 3:30pm - could be a long day. :)
So wishing this was a photography conference and not health care conference. :)

This would be a very cool photo in HDR - must play with it in PS5 when I get home.

Why I love my 16-35 2.8

Eva's Birthday Party

2011-09-25T07:28:00.008-06:00

Our Sweet Pea had her first birthday celebration with all her friends this weekend. Mommy and Daddy put on a back yard BBQ.

First birthday cake made by Mommy

And yes I was there too but forgot to hand the camera to Mark. But I am sort of in the reflection in Mark's sunglasses.

Saskatoon Photography ~ Baby Bumps

2011-09-24T11:09:00.000-06:00

A beautiful morning to be capturing this new little bundle and her parents.
Alicia and Aaron are expecting there second daughter this December. They lost their first beautiful baby daughter Lylah moments after she was born just last December. So there is much anticipation surrounding the arrival of their little "rainbow"

I got quite a kick out of Aaron ~ I can only imagine the fun this little girl is going to have with her Daddy!

Photos will soon be added to the web site for Aaron and Alicia's family and friends - password protected.

Saskatoon Photography ~ Engagement

2011-09-22T20:56:00.002-06:00

Kristin and Kyle are getting married and Hugo is happy to be in on the celebrations.

For those of you who know Kristin and Kyle, their gallery is up on the web site HERE

As usual - password protected.

Eva's First Birthday

2011-09-21T07:20:00.000-06:00

Today is Eva's first birthday.

What a wonderful year it has been!
What a blessing she has been to us.

Happy Birthday Sweet Eva!

Pure Joy!

2011-09-18T19:17:00.000-06:00

I am madly uploading the days photos which include an engagement shoot today as well as photos at the park with our Eva. The salmon is baking in the oven as I type. The timer is on and everyone is hungry.
But oh my, I just have to show you this photo of Eva and her Grandpa. No edits - no time!
We love this little one so much and would do anything for her!!

Truely a moment of pure joy! For all of us. I am not sure which I love more - Eva's expression or her Grandpa's.

I have so many more shots of this fun time and some fabulous engagement shots too that I can't wait to share with you. So please stay tuned.
Alas I have to work this week, Bible study tomorrow night and a baby shower I am hosting on Wednesday night. I am making a diaper cake but ran out of elastics!
Sooo that means I will have to show them to you later on this week because some where in all this busyness I have to sleep.
Beeper went off - salmon is ready - got to run!

Pausing to Give Thanks

2011-09-18T12:43:00.001-06:00

161. The glorious colours of fall. Leaves wither and there is a symphony of hues that bless my heart and cause me to be in awe of His Creation all over again.

162. Cool mornings. Digging out long forgotten sweaters and loving them all over again.

163. The Holy Spirit. Reminding me of who I serve. Keeping silent when I choose to serve myself.

164. Photography - my way of turning all this energy and mind busyness into something beautiful, peaceful, thoughtful, memorable.

165. Passion - it is such a motivator! Gets me in trouble sometimes. But generally is makes me very productive.

166. His provision. When life looms unstable, uncertain, He is stable and certain. I can count on that.

167. Health - I am reminded of late to never take my health for granted. Carpe Diem!

168. Time Machine (a Mac product). It found all my original South Carolina photos from 2010 that I recently discovered I had accidentally deleted a year ago. And it found them in 30 seconds and replaced them in 2 minutes. Thank you, whoever invented time machine.

169. Lightroom 3- it applied all those time consuming edits I made over a year ago to those lost and found photos as fast as the photos were reloaded. Wowsers!

170. Some of the simplest things in life bring such pleasures ~ like open faced egg salad sandwiches on multigrain buns. We made them today for a church picnic...and they are delicious.

Eva B&W

2011-09-12T21:28:00.001-06:00

Two photos taken of Eva this past week showing her more serious, thoughtful side.
She is growing up and we are loving every moment.

This doll she is holding was her mommy's favorite doll when she was little.

textures

2011-09-11T15:31:00.002-06:00

I have been inspired by a few new textures so thought I would play in Photoshop while I wait for 677 wedding photos to upload from Lightroom to my client's file and also wait for that 4th load of laundry to upload to the basket from the dryer, preferably folded.
Okay I may have to get up from my chair for that one. Ah.... Sunday afternoons mean laundry. It also means a Rider game - I get up from my chairs for touchdowns and chicken wings too.
Here is what I came up with using yesterdays 365 shot of the sun setting on our fair city.

And now I am thinking about tonight's 365. hmmm any ideas? I may have to get out the macro and look for that ant that Angie requested.
I am also craving a milkshake.... I think spicy wings do that.

More textures are here.

Saskatoon Photography ~ More Newborn

2011-09-07T20:28:00.000-06:00

...because newborn babies are just so wonderful and precious and downright delicious!

Eva and her Mom

2011-09-06T19:32:00.002-06:00

....because they arrived when the living room was converted to a photography studio. My husband keeps asking when he can convert it back. :) But I thought I should get some milage out of all the studio lighting set up.
Here is my 8 min photo shoot with Allison and Eva...

Saskatoon Photography ~ Newborn

2011-09-04T19:01:00.000-06:00

Meet Dillon
She is ten days old and as precious as they come.

Saskatoon Photography ~ Wedding

2011-08-31T18:19:00.002-06:00

Another wedding this past weekend and this union took place on the South Saskatchewan River. Yes, on the river. In a boat of course! My first ever wedding shoot on a boat. Yeah! It was fun!
Mara and Phil were engaged last March, with plans for a destination wedding next February 2012 but in early August they decided, why wait? So they pulled everyone together for an "engagement" party and surprise!!!
Mara arrived in a wedding gown.
How spontaneous and fun!
And I was privileged to capture it! I love my job! :)
My favorite photo is of Mara and Phil heading off into the sunset with all their friends and family to celebrate this very special day.
That, and the look on Mara's eldest son's face when his Mom arrived in a wedding gown - proud and excited. Love it! Warms my heart.

The gallery is up on the web site for all the family and friends.
Password protected. Sorry!

Saskatoon Photography ~ Wedding

2011-08-27T13:16:00.000-06:00

Jason and Amanda's Photos are done and on the web site!
Hurrah - just in time because in an hour I am out the door to shoot another wedding.
WHEW!!
I need a vacation... and sleep!
Here are some of my favorites in a slideshow.

The gallery on Julie Cortens Photography web site is HERE

Grab a coffee because there are over 600 photos to capture their special wedding day and their wedding rehearsal.
Do feel free to leave a comment - I am sure Jason and Amanda would love to know you visited.

So sorry, the gallery is password protected - thems the rules.

I scrapbooked!

2011-08-23T06:45:00.000-06:00

Poor grammar, I know, but "I Made a Scrap-booking Page" was much too long a title.

I am feeling the itch to scrap book again but I will have to quit the day job in order to actually scratch that itch. Between SHR and Photography I have worked almost 60 hr weeks the past two weeks. The house needs cleaning the ironing awaits me, the yard - hopeless.

I have all these wonderful photos of Eva and Tanis and, well, I want to scrap them and get them into an album. Somehow, some day, some TIME!

This happens to be a digital page - because they are much, much faster and my desk is currently covered in lenses and battery chargers so I do not have a place to actually glue. But I like it and I especially love the subject.

Journalling reads: Eva came for the day today. She brought a bag of toys but her favorite were cans of tuna, oysters, chocolate pudding boxes and Grandpa building towers with them.

Saskatoon Wedding~ First Look

2011-08-22T18:41:00.002-06:00

Jason and Amanda chose to have their first look before the ceremony. Personally, I think this is a wonderful idea in every way. The bride is fresh and rested and when her groom sees her for the first time on their wedding day, they have that moment to just soak it all in. No ceremony order to get in the way, they just get to savor the moment in privacy... sort of. Okay there are a few clicking camera's but I am sure they were oblivious to them.
The love and excitement was very palpable.
We made sure the moment was theirs. Jason turned around and there his bride was in all her gorgeous beauty.

We have done this a few times with weddings and I always find the ceremony is so much more relaxed when we have spent a few hours having fun with photos.
I am still working my way through all the photos (in my evenings). Will let you know when they get posted to the web site.

South Circle Bridge

2011-08-20T20:52:00.001-06:00

Do we have an official name for this bridge?

David and I got on the bikes and checked out the new bridge early this am - like 8 am early. It was a bit of a work out but our legs needed it as did our sagging metabolism.
It is progressing well (the bridge that is) and is always impressive to see.

So here are a few of my photos for you and for my friend Don (and Janey)
I know you wanted to get down there and have a look - hope you can do that soon.

BTW These are pretty big photos, so click on them for a much larger view.

The north/west side is well under way. They are just preparing the ground on the s/e side.

Here is a closer look...with CN passing by.

BTW - those big metal girders? ( I have no idea what they are called)
But they are huge.

Need some perspective?
See if you can find the two guys working on them in the next photo.

Trucks just filling with rock, driving to the bottom of the hill (see first photo),

dropping the rock and driving up to the top of the hill. All day long

And while he waits for the next fill? Read the paper.

If you get a chance - head down there and take a look.

Flower Girls and Ring Bearers

2011-08-19T17:53:00.001-06:00

They are so darn cute and everybody loves them!
But how can someone so small and seemingly powerless cause such a kerfuffle by simply declining to smile. All day!

Bribery with chocolate had the flower-girl crack a little smirk but the ring bearer held fast!

And get them to walk down the aisle?
Holding hands?
The raisins worked like a charm

Los Cabos

2011-08-16T19:11:00.000-06:00

Finally uploaded some photos to the travel section of the web site. So if you are interested in seeing Los Cabos, then take a look here.
Otherwise scroll down and check out the wedding photos from this past weekend.

And really it is perfectly okay to leave a comment.
Any time.

Saskatoon Photography ~ Wedding

2011-08-15T20:26:00.001-06:00

Spent the good part of yesterday evening and into the wee hours working with Marks photos.
Man was I yawning at work today! :)
These are Mark's photos with my post camera edits.
This is the first time he has shot with me with his new camera.
Wow!
Going from the Canon Rebel to the full frame 5D Mark II has made a world of difference!

The Ring-bearer was as cute as ever. :)

I love this - what a beautiful way to symbolize how the two shall become one.

Some serious air from these guys!

The end of an absolutely beautiful day.

We loved working with Jason and Amanda. They were so willing to try all our ideas.....

even if we were all getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.

And we didn't see one snake in that field.

This is so Jason and Amanda!

My favorite photo of the day..... a perfect moment in every way.

I am thrilled that Mark is (almost :) ) as passionate about photography as I am. He is willing to change his shifts to make the 9 hr drive home to help me out. We have such a blast working together. The ideas flow, we know who is going for what shot and it always works out perfectly. And of course we could never get through the day without Sherpa taking care of the equipment and organizing all the family photos.

I am thinking it is time for Mark to start a blog or a web site and show you some of his incredible photos of the Northern Lights he took while living up in Thompson Manitoba. Leave a comment if you agree. Maybe we can talk him into it.

Saskatoon Photography ~ Wedding

2011-08-14T15:58:00.004-06:00

Jason & Amanda

August 13th, 2011 was an absolutely beautiful day in every way. Including a full moon!
Here are a few photos from Jason and Amanda's very special day.
I have so many more to go through and I haven't even seen Mark's (my second shooter) photos yet. I know there is a very cool shot of the ring bearer and groomsmen so do stay tuned.
For now, a few off my camera.

Jason was very attached to his sunglasses. Hmm how many times did we say "Jason, lose the glasses"? But I love this one and his beautiful bride's reflection in them. :)

More coming.....
Jason & Amanda fans, I will let you know when the gallery is up.

Heart-knowledge

2011-08-11T18:53:00.000-06:00

Heart-knowledge, we must always remember, is the one thing needful. It is something which schools and universities cannot confer. It is the gift of God. To find out the plague of our own hearts and hate sin–to become familiar with the throne of grace and the fountain of Christ’s blood–to sit daily at the feet of Jesus, and humbly learn of Him–this is the highest degree of knowledge to which mortal man can attain ~ J.C. Ryle

Bike Ride

2011-08-06T20:25:00.001-06:00

Finally - a weekend at home with no photo shoots and nice weather.
We went for a bike ride.
Thankful for that warm sun.
...and the cold bottle of water.

Summer Days

2011-08-01T17:09:00.000-06:00

This summer is shaping up to be a nice one.

Up at the lake with friends.....

Oh yes - enjoying the lake and the sunshine... and my sweetheart.

Spoiled by our hosts Linda and Gerry

Catching shots of their nephew sea-dooing.

Really, there is a sea-doo under that water. Somewhere.

oh! There it is.

And Gerry Sea-dooing

And their nephew discussing life with some....friends.

Night shot.

Had a wonderful, restful time and ate way too much.

Another busy day.

2011-07-24T20:28:00.001-06:00

Oh boy these holidays are filled with activity. I return to work tomorrow. I know it will be busy, but I can at least keep some sense of order on my desk.

David was up very early this am to get the last of the dragonflies off the grill. 2000 km means a lot of dragonflies.

Then the gang settled in for the Riders game. Wasn't that an exciting game? The game aint over til it's over - especially with the Riders. How many times can you mess up a sure thing.

Then it was Too Tall Trifle cake to celebrate Mark's birthday. The whole gang sang happy birthday. (imagine three more shy people behind the camera).

Saskatoon Photography ~ Family

2011-07-22T21:20:00.002-06:00

Today I photographed three lovely ladies. A beautiful family.

The gallery is up on the web site HERE.

As usual, you have to know the password, which is the mom's name (case sensitive)

Hot Hot Hot

2011-07-20T06:03:00.001-06:00

Drinking lots of fluids!

Staying in the shade.
Jumping in the lake.

Summer Days

2011-07-19T08:27:00.000-06:00

Man, it is hot and humid!

Eva LOVES the water but will NOT put her feet on the sand.

Plum tuckered out.

Tanis loves the water and the sand. Having fun with Grandpa

Eva with Grandpa and Great Grandma

I love Grandpa

Poker Game - Coney tradition

Harold won the pot.

Off to Lake of the Woods

2011-07-17T23:20:00.001-06:00

Phew! Busy day!
Check out of hotel
Take gang for breakfast.
Find Mark's Firehall where alarm rings as soon as we arrive.
Leave fire hall.
Grocery shop for the gang (with two baby's in tow)
Back to the fire hall for a tour
On the highway to Kenora (yeah! babies sleep) (2.5 hrs)
Find the shuttel, park the cars and head across to to the island. (1 hr)
Unload/carry/ put away a TON of stuff in very hot humid weather.
Jump in the lake!

Mark shows us the fire pole

hoses - three stories high.

The humidity does wonderful things to Eva's hair. :)

Sticking close to Grandpa

Gathering the gang

2011-07-17T06:08:00.003-06:00

I am taking a break from my full time work with SHR and from the photography business and enjoying family this week. (okay I have one photo gig next Fri but I love it. )
We all met up at my brothers home for a delicious meal. Hail to the Kale - must get that recipe.
The grand babies took to each other right away . "Hey! Someone my size." So I am looking forward to some fun beach times and photos.

Sweetness...

Tanis is sitting on her great grandfather's (Oldefar's) chair from his childhood lovingly made by her great great grandfather. It is a very wonderful moment for me when I consider that my father sat on this chair reading books and now my grandchildren sit on the very same chair.

Cherishing every moment.

Still addicted to textures

2011-07-14T19:44:00.000-06:00

Pulling up some pretty old photos and reviving them....
most were shot with my old Olympus E500

I am thinking I might quit my job and play in photoshop all day.... okay maybe spend an hr working out at the gym in the morning, book a few photo shoots, work in my garden , but otherwise play in photoshop.
What d'ya think?

More Textures

2011-07-11T22:37:00.001-06:00

...cause I am having fun.... I should go to bed... but I am having fun.

The currently condemned CP locomotive shop. Soon to be demolished.

Poppies Buchart Gardens

The Empress - Victoria, B.C.

Saskatchewan Prairies

Prairie Wind Turbines

Textures

2011-07-10T20:03:00.002-06:00

Applying textures in Photoshop is just plain fun, especially when you get them all for free off the internet.

Winnipeg

2011-07-04T21:00:00.000-06:00

Some photos from our weekend in the Peg!

Over ten feet of stairs and river paths are under water...and it continues to rise.

Celebrating Canada Day with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

Saskatoon Photography ~ Family

2011-06-28T13:25:00.005-06:00

Meet the Manz Family.....

Manz private gallery is on the web site. Best watched in the slide show format. You will have to know the family and the password to get in.... sorry. Thems the rules.

Eva is 9 months old

2011-06-21T21:23:00.001-06:00

It was just too hard to decide which photo tonight.
I have 10 more I would love to share. :)

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T18:12:00.005-06:00

We had a quiet day. Phone calls from the kids and lunch out just the two of us.
We worked in the back yard together and sweetheart weeded - usually my job. He pulled out my Basil...that is why it is usually my job. But he was trying to spare me the work. I still love him.

I printed off some photos for Dave's office - they badly needed updating. So all his great square frames now have the latest photos of the granddaughters in them and are ready to go back up on his walls. I am also just a tad closer to buying that very wonderful Epson wide format printer I have had my eye on for 4 months.

Yesterday I ordered some very cool products for a Graduate I photographed the other weekend. I am looking forward to seeing these 4X6 accordion mini-books.

except my cover will look like this.

Designed in CS5

and the innards like this

Kind of fun!
Also designed some accordion photo-books of the grand-babies to carry in my purse.

And played with some overlays in Photoshop CS5
I could do this all day!

This one I took from the car window on the drive home last weekend. I didn't know we had wind turbines in Saskatchewan. What better way to generate energy then from the wind?

And played with some new free actions in CS5

Loved this one so much I sent it off to Don's tonight...... a little bit closer to that new printer....

And that is my day.
Missing my Dad.
Posted a photo of him on my 365.

ProShow Web

2011-06-16T07:44:00.003-06:00

I am giving a new web slide show program a testing.

Not sure it beats Animoto at this point but it has some nice features. I still think Animoto is a little classier and has way more music choices.
But here goes.
I used a bunch of my fav photos

Mooooo

2011-06-12T21:33:00.004-06:00

I ordered new business cards from Moo the other day and I am very excited for their arrival. They have rounded corners!!

It seems I have given out all my last 100 cards - business and interest is booming!
So this time I ordered 200 of them. :)

I love Moo!! They make such cool high quality paper products.

I am also waiting for my first flush mount wedding album to be built and mailed out. I posted a few of the sample pages a bit ago. This represents a whole lot of time and moolah so I am hoping it looks as fantastic in real life as it does digitally. I am very excited to get that in the mail. Canada Post had better come through for me.

My sweetheart is home after a week in China! Sigh. I missed him terribly, but life is normal again.

There is a new web slide show company just launched. It will compete with Animoto, the company I use to make all my slide shows. ProShow Web will be giving Animoto a run for the money and as soon as I have a few moments I am going to be trying it out - paid for a month to see if it can beat Animoto in making killer slide shows. So expect some slide shows in the coming weeks.

June is flying by as did May and April and March.... seems life is flying by and the entire summer is booked up and planned for, work taking a good chunk of it. Trying to plan a QUIET get away with sweetheart for a few days. :)
...but when....

Meanwhile I am quite enjoying my 16-35mm 2.8 wide angle. :)

Cutie Pie

2011-06-10T15:14:00.000-06:00

yep! That's what you are!

I scrapped two weekends ago during that rainy Sunday afternoon. I needed a break from Photoshop... so I scrapped. I went to save the scan and realized I didn't have a folder under scanned scrapbook pages for 2011 - which means I haven't scrapped since 2010.....sigh...

Gratitude List 151-160

2011-06-09T21:30:00.000-06:00

I have been remiss in keeping this gratitude list up. Not that I haven't been grateful every moment of every day, but it is always a blessing to take a few moments and really think about the things I am thankful for and actually put pen to paper.. or fingers to keyboard.

It keeps me focused on the right things.
So on Monday I had an EDO and the only thing on the agenda was an hour at the gym (showered and dressed), edit 300 grad photos and upload to web site and make a slide show, go pick up Allison and Eva for lunch and ...... update the gratitude list. It was a piece of cake.

I didn't get to the gym.....or all the photos done, but I did get out for lunch. priorities!

151 - I am thankful for the color PINK. It is so fresh and clean and pure and I get to cuddle with grand daughters who wear it all the time. And put it on my toes. :)

152. Our road trip last fall. Twelve hours together in the car just to talk to one another and be together uninterrupted by a computer or a TV.

153. The Canadian Rockies. How can you look at these and not have even a glimpse of how incredible our Creator is? How wonderful Creation is... and then we go and mess with it.

154. Food. This photo of a hamburger that I took in Hawaii last year kind of jumped out at me and reminded me that food really is such a wonderful thing and the fact that I have never had a day in my life when I did not eat or have the ability to eat, is something to be thankful for. There are people who go a whole day without eating - not because they are on a diet or fasting for medical test, but because they just can't get any food.
Be thankful for every morsel of bread you have. ...okay a bit of a rant in there with my extreme thankfulness that God provides our daily bread.

155. My husband of 31 years who is on the other side of the world as I type. Could I love a man any more then I love this man? So thankful for His grace in our lives to give us a marriage truly made in heaven - not perfect by any stretch - but absolutely wonderful! I miss you dear and I am counting the sleeps.
This is us kissing on the beaches of Oahu at sunset. (smile)

156. The smell of the ocean. I am a prairie girl but there is something about the smell of the sea that just melts away all my worries. Now it is a completely different story when I am ON the sea, but smelling it, listening to it and watching it is glorious. Thankful I get to visit it when I do.

157. Hawaii. Alone with my Sweetheart. By the Pool. Reading. Hanging out. This photo just takes me back - thankful I can go there.

158. Airplanes - so I can get to the ocean. :)

159. Life - I am thankful.
I lost my Dad just over a month ago and, well, I miss him. The realization that I will NEVER see him again is really hard and hasn't quite sunk in. Death is final - the most final thing in this world. So I am thankful for every breath He gives me. May I use each one to His glory.
This photo was taken in a graveyard in Savannah Georgia.

160. New Life which brings eternal life with our Lord and Creator - the One who made those mountains, the flowers, sunsets, oceans, the crashing sea, who provides us with food, love and every breath we take. Do not ignore Him.

Graduation ~ Saskatoon Photography

2011-06-08T12:47:00.002-06:00

I love photographing graduates.
So much hope and excitement - the end of one adventure. The beginning of another.

This is Brittany

2011-06-05T22:26:00.001-06:00

...a very lovely and beautiful young woman with a gentle spirit. She is going into nursing in the fall. I think she is going to be a wonderful nurse.

Some photos from today. I LOVE doing graduation (senior) photos.

Camera RAW editing

2011-05-30T11:20:00.000-06:00

Thanks to those Scott Kelby Photoshop Killer Tips and chapter 2 of the Adobe Photoshop CS5 book (that was a mouth full) I am learning Camera RAW editing. I have to say though, that it is quite similar to Adobe Lightroom 3 at which I am quite proficient. Lets just say every photo I take (over 1000/month) passes through my Lightroom 3. 

So the results of this mornings review is a photo from our visit to Victoria in April. The BC Legislative Buildings. And may I take a moment to remind people (even a tour guide I spoke with there) that they are NOT the Parliament buildings. Parliament is in Ottawa (federal)- where Members of Parliament gather. The Legislature (provincial) is where members of the Legislative Assemble meet.  

Okay that's all - just a tidbit from my days as the tour guide of the Manitoba Legislative Buildings. Bet you didn't know that about me. :) 

The before photo...

Bright morning sun with harsh shadows.

The post Camera RAW edits photo. 

The Moral of the story is don't delete those poorly exposed photos. 

OR - shoot in RAW, set the right DOF and be in focus. Everything else is negotiable in Photoshop!

PS - I have changed my font....just because I can. :)

Cystic Fibrosis Ride 2011

2011-05-28T19:35:00.001-06:00

I spent the morning volunteering at the Cystic Fibrosis Ride 2011 and the rest of the day editing photos and making a slideshow. IOW having fun!

There was a lot of black leather hanging out at the Husky station on Hwy 16 this morning.

Check out a larger version of the slideshow HERE

Battle at F-Stop Ridge

2011-05-27T17:07:00.000-06:00

Can you relate to this?

I am still laughing.

Go BlueJays!

2011-05-25T07:22:00.006-06:00

So, what is your favorite baseball team?

Flush Mount Wedding Albums

2011-05-22T22:05:00.008-06:00

I have been wanting to publish flush mount wedding albums for my brides and so I have spent countless hours on line searching and checking out companies and just trying to understand this industry. My clients do not want to pay $1500 for an album so uploading photos for someone else to build the album is out of the question. I have not been impressed with most of the designs so I want to design my own based on my brides wedding, her colours and her desires for her special day. The album needs to reflect all the wonderful aspects of her day. So this past two weeks I have been spending every spare moment, when not at the other job, absorbing Scott Kelby's Adobe Photoshop CS5 text book, watching on line videos and generally playing in Photoshop CS5. My butt is sore from sitting at this computer so long. But I am having a blast. Even at 1am. Yikes!

Yesterday I tackled my first album and today I will share a few two page spreads from a 12X12 album I am working on.

I am LOVING this. It is a wonderful meld of my photography skills, all I learned with digital scrapbooking in Adobe Photoshop Elements 6,  years of laying out scrapbooking pages on my desk and my passion to beautifully capture one of the most important days in a woman's life.  And what a wonderful way to take 12 hours of shooting and 40 hours of editing and create a lasting memory of their day. 

There you go ~ 4 of the 20 layouts I am working on.  

So... what do you think? 

#1218 A New Era

2011-05-19T17:30:00.001-06:00

Friends of ours had their student rental property torn down in the city this week in preparation for their dream retirement home. There is something about deconstruction and reconstruction that fascinates me. I must have been a carpenter in past lives (jk) Or perhaps it was growin up with a Dad and brothers that were always building stuff. In kindergarten I got kicked out of the wood block building section by my teacher Mrs Smith because I was a girl! I don't remember much of my childhood, but I remember that moment with great clarity. And I remember clearly how I felt about Mrs Smith!!
Anyways... I digress. When our friends told me at Bible Study on Monday they were tearing down the house at 7am the next morning - well I wasn't going to miss that!

Kindergarteners in North Korea.

2011-05-18T19:39:00.000-06:00

WOW! Part of me says they should just go outside and play - but another part says this is amazing and impressive.

Proverbs 20:11

2011-05-17T16:06:00.001-06:00

Yes, if a babe can memorize scripture then so can I.
Here is what this 19 month old knows of Proverbs 20:11
"Even a child makes himself known by his actions; whether his conduct is pure and upright".

Hmmm coincidence? Too Funny

2011-05-16T20:15:00.001-06:00

If you missed the photos from yesterdays post - here's the slideshow

2011-05-15T16:51:00.002-06:00

.... from yesterday's engagement photo shoot.

Kathryn and Duane - a lovely young couple. She is in the medical field and he is in farming. They remind me very much of my engagement shoot with Amanda and Jason. Same professions, same young love. :)

Engagement Session

2011-05-14T20:43:00.000-06:00

Young Love....

There are some real perks to being a photographer. :)
This is Kathryn and Duane.
Love getting to know and working with a young couple in love. David and Duane talked farming - inoculants and such....
Kathryn and Duane are getting married in October - which is a perfect time of year to get married.
David and I will celebrate 32 years on October 6th this year.

Cards

2011-05-13T17:24:00.001-06:00

I have been designing my own greeting cards with my photos.
I can put any print on any of the cards.
Or they can be printed onto canvas.

More Eva

2011-05-08T18:40:00.002-06:00

... because she is so much fun to photograph and because I didn't get to the chapter on B&W in CS5 as I had hoped. You can only read/study so much at a time. The brain didn't get much of a rest this weekend from my work week. And with that cake I ate on Friday - well......

Plus I was distracted by a wedding portraiture DVD that also arrived Friday. For the photographers out there - Doug Gordons Bride and Groom Glamour Flow Posing. The jury is out on whether it was worth what I paid for it. I will give it all a try with my shoot next weekend and let you know.

So I feel like I have been in class all weekend - I did get the laundry done. And ate too much.

This is Eva on her daddy's lap playing Liars Dice with us last night.

Hey Dad - you got three sixes! Way to go! shhh Eva - stop telling everyone what I got.

Hurry up Dad. Let's see what ya got!

haha - you got em this time Dad!

I don't know - better start the bidding low.

Harold: "Four 6's"
Eva: "LIAR!"

And Eva at Mother's Day lunch today

hmmmm I think I will have the chicken sandwich - loaded and a coke!

Happy Mothers Day Grandma!

I love you Grandpa!

Beacon Hill Park

2011-05-07T11:38:00.004-06:00

Last night I picked up Scott Kelbys "the Adobe Photoshop CS5 book for digital photographers"
Scott is known for his long titles.
I have read a few of his books. Lightroom 2 and Digital Photography. I love his style of writing - I stay awake! I also love to read the last paragraph of his acknowledgments page. :)

Anyways, it is a BIG book and will take me about six ~ 12 hr days to get through. So far I have been at it for 5 hrs and the book is worth every penny it cost me because now I can use Adobe Bridge with proficiency. YAhoo! CS5 is no longer a stranger. We have met and are getting to know each other. I tell it my favorite things and it remembers every one of them. :) Unfortunately I don't remember everything it tells me. Also learning to understand Adobe Camera Raw - normally I use Lightroom to process all my Raw photos.

Here are some of the photos I worked on today as I plodded thru Adobe Bridge. No photoshop stuff here - just minor white balance adjustments in Camera Raw.
These are from our trip to Victoria this month following my fathers death. On this day, David and I walked through Beacon Hill park with my Mom and brother and just enjoyed all the nature and new life around us.

A Blue Heron - if you want to see his beady little eyes just click on the photo. Click your back browser to return - it may not open in a separate tab/window.

Stay tuned. I will be working on photos of Tanis soon. Hoping to perfect B&W's by Sunday evening.

Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-07T06:02:00.001-06:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

More Eva

2011-05-06T20:47:00.001-06:00

Just can't get enough!

The Dead are Still Alive

2011-05-04T20:09:00.000-06:00

“Let us settle it in our minds, that the dead are in one sense still alive. From our eyes they have passed away, and their place knows them no more. But in the eyes of God they live, and will one day come forth from their graves to receive an everlasting sentence. There is no such thing as annihilation. The idea is a miserable delusion. The sun, moon, and stars – the solid mountains, and deep sea, will one day come to nothing. But the weakest babe of the poorest man shall live for evermore, in another world. May we never forget this!”

~ J.C. Ryle

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew