A Look Back on the Celebrity Profile

Working at Metro was probably one of the best jobs I've ever had. I got the opportunity to photograph celebrities and political figures. I met people who do amazing things in our community, and I got to see some really neat things. The best part of the job hands down are the concerts. These are just a handful of images I resurrected for kicks to share with all of you the recesses of my hard drive. I have so many images, (and probably better ones, if I took the time to look through them all) but these were the ones handy and I wanted to reminisce with all of you. Please note that these images are copyrighted and cannot be sold or shared. Please appreciate, but do not borrow as there are legal ramifications if you do. =)

 The lovely Sheryl Crow at Lillith Fair 2010

 Oh Chad Kroeger. Engaged to Avril Lavigne, I'm sure we all have our thoughts on this, but I will keep silent. Maybe he will hire me to shoot his wedding. I would do it. Seriously, I would.

 Rob Zombie. Cool concert, not my thing, but a cool performance nonetheless.

 Alice Cooper! Super cool dude. Again, not my thing, but such an entertaining concert to shoot.

 Ben Harper. I have way better images somewhere, but they're RAW files and I didn't feel like editing.

 John Prine. Musical legend.

 I WISH Jacob Dylan would take off his sunglasses.... but he's awesome anyway.

 BSB! The night I shot this, the basement of Rexall flooded, a man got stuck in an elevator, and the power went out. And nobody noticed.

 The Biebs! Justin Bieber during puberty. I had the flu the day I shot this, and I'm so glad my favorite security guard had earplugs for me because the crowd was twice as loud as the concert.

I love this shot because he shattered the bat! I have great photos of the ball in the shot as well, but I loved the fractured bat.

There's many more in my secret cache... Lady Gaga, Brooks and Dunn, and more but I'm too tired to  edit them right now. Maybe I will have a second celebrity blog post later this week if I get all of my REAL work done... Stay tuned....

Wedding advice to planning brides #1 - Your guest list

After being in the wedding photography business for 5 years, I have had time to reflect on what works and what doesn't work at weddings and I'm ready to share some of those tips with all of you!

Weddings are beautiful. They'e special, intimate, dynamic, romantic, hilarious and memorable. But they're also stressful, expensive, and physically exhausting. If you're planning a wedding or you know someone who is, these small tips can save friendships, family relationships, your pocketbook, and your sanity.

For my first wedding saver post, we'll talk about the first thing you do when you get started. Your GUEST LIST.

Tip #1: The smaller your wedding, the better.

Not only are small weddings more intimate, but you can spend more time and money on quality over quantity. Tally up the cost of everything at your wedding - your dress, the venue, the food, music, photography, cake, hair, make-up, everything, and divide it by the number of guests at your wedding. If you wouldn't buy that person a gift of that denomination, do not invite them to your wedding. Have a BBQ at a later date and tell them how much they mean to you. Do not buy them a five course meal. If would would spend that much on them normally, put them on your list.


Tip#2: Give your parents one to two free slots to invite whomever they like depending on the size of your wedding. 

It gives them a boundary to work within, and it allows them to fulfill any social obligations they may have to return a similar favour to their friends. But don't let them get carried away. My mom tried to invite the pharmacist. Granted, we've know her for years and I adore her, but that's clearly someone you want to send a card to with your love if they buy you a gift.


Tip#3: If they've never met your spouse, they should be relegated to the B-list or not invited at all, except in special circumstances. 

Exceptions can be: They're from out of town but they're your favourite Aunty, or your best friend since you were three but you moved out of country. That kind of thing. Guests at your wedding are there to celebrate your union to your spouse. If they don't know your spouse, it means less than you think. There are exceptions, however. I invited a man I knew for a short period of time, but who had a profound influence on me when I was young. Not only did my husband come to love him as much as I do, but he died later that year. It means so much that we got to reconnect after all those years before he passed.

Tip#4: Only invite those you really love to your wedding. DO NOT invite anyone you intensely dislike.

Your ceremony is not just about you and your spouse dedicating your lives to one another, it's also about your guests being witnesses to your union. Being a witness means you are a participant, and as such are to be held accountable if your marriage is ailing. They are people you can call on for advice, for help to strengthen your marriage when it is weak. If they do not have your marriage as a good thing in their heart, they will not be there to support you when you need it. It's bad energy on a day when what you really need is everyone's positive energy. Weddings are easy in comparison to marriage, so make your list count for something more than expensive blenders.

Tip#5: Have a B-list. 

People you would never expect to be unavailable for your wedding will be busy or out of town. Have a B-list ready so you can invite those friends you really want there but have no room for yet. About 25% of your invited guests will not be able to attend, so having a secondary list prepared will be really useful  in case spots free up. Your venue will always dictate how many guests you have, so keep that in mind. It's also useful for family trying to invite others without your permission - it keeps them in check because there's simply no room.


These are just 5 useful things to keep in mind about your guest list. It's really important to remember that if you're shy, the more people you have at your wedding the more uncomfortable you're going to be saying the most intimate words of your life. Big weddings have their place, but many people are just there for the food. They're not interested in your speeches, slide show, or first dance. They want to get their drink on and dance to "Billy Jean". If you're okay with that, then by all means. =)

Tom and Corinne

When we got the call from Corinne and Tom asking us to shoot their wedding, we jumped at the opportunity. Not only are they gentle, soft-spoken and elegant, but they also asked for 2 hours of our time only. It's a really cool thing to have a couple for only a short period of time because you bottle all the creative energy you'd use throughout the day and apply it furiously fast to this little window of intimacy.

We have many beautiful images, but because I'm the one who likes to blog, the only images in the teasers are mine so far. They're the ones I like (among many), which is why I'm posting them.

Stay tuned for the rest of the wedding photos!!

Aspen

 The one above is Penny's actually. While I was playing with flash with these two on her camera, she was taking ring shots with mine.

 One of my favourite images from the summer... but then all my favourite photos are about mood

Largest, fluffiest dandelion fuzz I've ever seen. It made for some really romantic ring shots. I love my 100mm macro lens.

Spock Days in Vulcan, AB

For those of you who love Star Trek, whether in the closet or out, there is no stranger place to express your love than in Vulcan, Alberta during Spock Days.

Having been a Trek fan since my early teens, I nonetheless had never been to a convention of any kind. So when my friend Tony and I went on an adventure to Calgary to see the Comic Expo (and to catch a glimpse of my favorite TNG actors), I never imagined what an amazing day it would turn out to be.

We snuck in actually. Not on purpose, really - I thought we were lining up to buy tickets and the next thing I know I'm walking into the Corral and there's Brent Spiner, Levar Burton, Will Wheaton and Jonathan Frakes on stage. Holy dinah. We cavorted around the facilities with some unexpected friends to see the panels. We saw Hayden Panettiere from heroes... I bought my favorite comic and had it signed by the illustrator.... and then, there he was. Handing out photos and t-shirts for Vulcan, AB's Spock Days.

Garrett Wang (aka Ensign Harry Kim)!!! From the Voyager series. HOLY EFFIN' COW.

I got a photo op and a hug and that made my day on a whole new level.

I had such a good time that when I got back to Edmonton, I dropped a line to the Vulcan Trek Station offering my services for the weekend. Work was stressful and I needed an adventure, so why not get paid to have one?

After getting an excited response from the Trek Station, I figured it was fate and booked my campsite.
I won't regale you with the details of sleeping in a moth-filled tent during thunderstorms, but I'm sure you can imagine what it entailed.

Vulcan.

Spock Days.

Everything you think it is, it actually is and maybe even a little weirder. A Trek convention in small town Alberta, it brought together all of the things I love about both. I met some AMAZING people that weekend. Kind, generous, loving and hilarious, you all know who you are.

There is one person I need to thank above all others... I was sleeping in a moth filled, rain soaked, freezing cold tent for two days with all of my camera gear. I was sick at the thought of leaving it in the cab of my truck, but also panicking at the idea of it getting wet in my tent. By day 3, I was completely sleep deprived and tired to the bone. Dawn took pity on me and offered my the greatest bed I think I have ever slept in.

It was HEATED. Do you have any idea what a heated bed is to a girl who's battled the elements and the bugs in sub zero temperatures solo? I think you know. Not only did she give me a bed three nights in a row, she made me dinner, and let me watch tv. On top of all of that, we talked into the wee hours of the morning, completely sleep deprived as we were, and discovered that we are kindred spirits. I can't wait to see her again and spend time with her amazing family.

Below are some of my favorite images from the weekend. I feel sorry for the Trek station - only because I gave you soooo many pictures. And I'm guilty of not weeding out the not-so-great shots from the Q and A's and the parade (probably shouldn't admit that, but this is about honesty) but seriously, there's just so many photos!! A girl has to batch edit at some point. Let's get started.

 This sums up the whole thing in one picture. A frame signage collage of Ferengi holding a chihuahua? Yep.

 Ah the Meet and Greet. Where you can chat up the celebs and drink beer. That is the most important part - can you imagine this without beer?? Awkward....

 Handsome Connor Trinneer

 Diane and Allan. Two of my favorite friends over the weekend.

 The reason this photo is so awesome is because it was an impromptu Journey Sing Along. Amazing piano skills Nate. You are already a heartbreaker and you don't even know it!

 Cops like Star Trek too apparently.

 The lovely Dawn Kuczaj prepping Garrett Wang on the weekend's activities. Each photograph following this one added another lady to his conversation group. By the end he had 5 women enthralled  in whatever story he was telling. It was hilarious to catch it on camera like that! I called them Garrett's Harem in fun.

 Saturday starts with handsome actors at your breakfast table. It is ridiculously fun to eat bacon with Connor Trinneer!

 Ah Abbey Road. I couldn't resist. You understand.

 How's your hotdog Bubba Fat? Oh it's pretty good.. I think it's nitrate free...

 Klingon Fear Factor with CBC hosts participating! Whatever they ate was NASTY

 This is my favorite picture from the whole thing. Simple, whole fascination and curiosity. I think it sums us all up when it comes to space and the idea of traveling through it all.

 Arlene Martel signing the captain's chair from the original series. Yes, she is wearing glitter lashes. I hope I'm half as glamorous as she one day.

 Lead singer from 54-40 Neil Osborne. The band still sounds great!

 Costume competition with make up artist John Paladin hosting the event

 These two sweeties kicked off the dancing!

 Arlene Martel's dog. A rescue from a puppy mill, he was born without knee caps. His bark sounded like a 80 year old smoker. Most ludicrous animal I have ever been sweet on.

 I love this for so many reasons. He does accept Rachel's Challenge!! LOL.

 Lucky girl, dancing with handsome Connor

 Garrett Wang line dancing. LINE DANCING. The man travels all around the world doing conventions and acting, and he line dances. Can he get any more awesome?

 The crowd loved the panels as much as I did.

 Crystal Allen, Connor Trinneer, and Garrett Wang on panel

 Arlene Martel. For those of you that were there, you know as much as I do how amazing, intuitive, charming and vivacious this wonderful woman is. I wish she was my neighbor, so I could have tea with her and listen to her stories every day. She rode on James Dean's motorcycle and had a relationship with Carey Grant. I still hear her voice in my head when I look at these. I hope I get to see her again someday.

 Walter Koenig. Chekov from the original series. Loved his "F**king Bill Shatner" story... Apparently everybody that's worked with William Shatner has one. Most involve his wig.

 A woman of a thousand expressions. Literally a thousand, I think. Most were out of focus since the lighting was atrocious and she moves like a bird in flight all of the time.

 The most intimate and supportive panel I've seen (in my limited experience)

 Arlene admits she never could do the Vulcan greeting properly.

 I'm so glad I got to spend a weekend with Garrett Wang. He's funny, entertaining, and very down to earth. thanks Garrett for being such a good master of ceremonies for the weekend!

 Grainy, but one of the funnier faces he made. one of my favorites. I still can't watch an episode of Voyager without hearing his George Takei impersonation...

 Walter Koenig... such a cool man.

 This made me laugh and laugh!!! The girl in the purple is so pissed off that she is on this float!

 A little out of place? Never! All fans are welcome...

 I liked this photo of the Mayor, not sure why.

And broke down car in the middle of the parade. How much more small town can you get?

After all of these images, it barely touches on the fun times I had. I will definitely be going back next year if they will have me!