Sandra Regier Photography

NEW BLOG

2008-08-15T23:10:00.001-04:00

I'm totally pumped to announce that we have a new blog at:

www.sandraregier.com/blog

Please change your bookmarks (since this is the last post to this blog) and check back often as there are still some changes in the works. I'd love to know what you think of our new look!!

Robinson Family

2008-08-14T11:01:00.003-04:00

I'm still trying to catch up on some previous family and engagement shoots so please excuse the lateness of my posting. I took the Robinson family photos almost 3 weeks ago. It was a gorgeous evening when I met them on their farm. They have the most adorable children! Between the twins and the two little girls I was smitten! They were a great group. Here are a few of my favourite photos!

Lindsy & Tim - Married!!

2008-08-13T22:35:00.000-04:00

Where do I even begin with this couple? Not only are they some of the nicest people I’ve ever met but they are a photographer’s dream when shooting a wedding! This past Saturday it rained for the better part of the day, however not even a downpour during the ceremony could dampen this couple’s spirit. The entire event took place on the grounds of the beautiful Benmiller Inn & Spa. Many friends & family from all over the world joined the couple for their intimate ceremony & reception.

I should also note that they decided to do a “first look” session in order to have the bulk of the photos taken before the ceremony. This is such a great idea that more and more couples are deciding to do.

Congratulations once again to you Tim & Lindsy! Thank you for allowing me to share in your special day!
Tricia

Click on the image to see more photos from their day! - Enjoy!

Lisa, Jeff & baby Alex

2008-08-12T16:41:00.004-04:00

Lisa & Jeff met me last week on Monday morning at the beach. They were just finishing up some vacation time in the area before heading back to their home in Toronto. I always amazing me how small babies are. It seems they grow so fast you and totally forget what it was like until you see someone elses adorable little baby and your heart melts as your remember just how sweet they are, how soft their skin is and how wonderful they smell. My own baby is 5 and it seems like ages since he was this little. I hope that I've helped Lisa & Jeff to capture this wonderful time in Alex's life!

Gelinas Family

2008-08-06T09:14:00.003-04:00

It's funny... you grown up in a small community and you think you know everyone.... and for the most part you do, you just don't always make the connections. I've known almost all of the Gelinas kids but did put all the connections together. It was neat to see them all at once and snap some photos of the whole gang. They wanted a bunch of fun photos and with 6 little kids in the mix it kept us all on our toes. Here are a few of my favourite photos!

Vandenberk Family Photos

2008-08-05T20:01:00.003-04:00

Steve & Sarah have been friends of ours for ages. I'm sure they were at our wedding 15 years ago. This year they celebrated their own 10th wedding anniversary, so Sarah figured it was time for some family portraits. I met up with them on what proved to be a very bright sunny morning a little over a week ago. We headed out to their potato field that was in full bloom to snap some shots. Here are just a few of my favourites.

Congrats Steve & Sarah! All the best for many more happy years together!!

News!!

2008-08-05T11:36:00.003-04:00

Well this past weekend I enjoyed a Saturday off so I don't have any wedding photos to post. However the last couple of weeks I've been very busy with family shoots and I haven't had a chance to blog about any of them, so I'll definately be playing catch up this week.

I also wanted to let you know that I have a new blog in the works. It's going to take a bit of time to get it up and running but there are big changes coming this way!

Sebastian & Annemarie - Slideshow

2008-08-01T12:13:00.002-04:00

As promised here is the slideshow from Sebastian & Annemarie's wedding. Click on the photo to get it started and enjoy!! Tricia

Douglas Family Photos

2008-07-30T21:50:00.006-04:00

I had the pleasure of photographing Chris & Geoff Douglas and their girls last week. Let me just say this good looking family made my job really easy. They were so easy going and very photogenic. We had a fun night poking around in their backyard. Here are a few of my favourite shots!

One thing is certain.... with three gorgeous girls like that, I totally understand the gate at the end of the laneway! Thanks for a great night guys! It was fun!

Sebastian & Annemarie - Wedding

2008-07-29T20:58:00.008-04:00

Whenever I meet a potential client I view it as a time for us to discuss package details and album samples but most importantly as a time for us to get to know each other. When I met Sebastian & Annemarie I left feeling so excited to shoot their wedding.

On July 26th this couple became husband & wife surrounded by family & friends, many of which who had traveled all the way from Germany to attend. Annemarie & Sebastian were both born in Germany and Sebastian moved to Canada when he was in his teens, Annemarie found herself in Canada a few years ago. The two met and the rest they say is history.

As I was editing their photos I couldn't help but smile. It is so obvious that Sebastian absolutely adores Annemarie and she just beams with happiness when she looks at him.

Congratulations Sebastian & Annemarie!
OR
Glückwünsche Sebastian & Annemarie!

-Tricia

Rod & Jeni - Married

2008-07-29T17:32:00.003-04:00

Jeni's home farm proved to be a beautiful location for an outdoor wedding. The sun was hot, but the breeze felt wonderful as Rod & Jeni exchanged vows in the gardens surrounding the back yard. They were a great group to work with! To see their photos, click on the image above to start the slideshow.

For those of you who read regularily, check back later this week for some news!

Van Bree Family Photos

2008-07-24T13:27:00.006-04:00

Monday evening was gorgeous! I had the pleasure to work with the Van Bree family - Mark & Teresa, Brian, Kevin & Jenny. They were great! Very easy going and a pleasure to work with. We had some fun in a few locations to capture photos for their 25th Wedding anniversary as well as their 35 Business anniversary. We had some awesome locations and I think the photos turned out great but you can see for yourself!!

Congrats Mark & Teresa! All the best for many more happy years together!!

Jeff & Shannon - Engaged!!

2008-07-24T13:15:00.003-04:00

I have known Shannon for a very long long time. We both rode Bus 82 for all of our grade school years. We were the same grade in school and often in the same class. I spent many sleepovers at her house over those years and had tons of fun with her and her sisters! I was thrilled when she called to see if I would cover her wedding this September. She and Jeff were both a little nervous about having their pictures taken. I think they turned out great.... and Jeff thinks he may even be photo-friendly now..... which will sure come in handy on the big day!

All the best guys! Enjoy your summer and I look forward to working with you again in September!!

Jordan & Danielle's Slideshow

2008-07-23T08:57:00.003-04:00

To see more photos from Jordan & Danielle's amazing wedding, click on the image above!

Michelle & Jason - Slideshow

2008-07-22T13:00:00.005-04:00

We all know the saying "technology is great….when it works", well I found that out first hand this past week. My apologies go out to Michelle & Jason for the delay in posting their slideshow until now. Unfortunately the screen on my brand new laptop decided to quit working right in the middle of editing their wedding. All is good now and I'm happy to be able to finally post the slideshow from their beautiful wedding. Click on the photo above to check it out! - Tricia

Jordan & Danielle

2008-07-21T11:41:00.003-04:00

It's hard to know where to begin. Saturday was absolutely amazing!! The couple was soooo nice, the venue was amazing, the wedding party was so much fun! Danielle and Jordan met in highschool, and although they aren't quite done university yet, they knew that the time was right to tie the knot. Jordan is an easy going guy with a great sense of humour and as I watched his eyes well up as Danielle walked down the aisle I knew exactly why she is so crazy about him. They are really a beautiful couple and it was an absolute pleasure and honor to capture their wedding day!

This is Jordan's parent's home. It's an old creamery site. They built the house inbetween and inside of the two silos that stood on the property. The ruins of the barn hold the garden where the ceremony took place. It's absolutely an AMAZING home with an incredible view of the river and lake Huron.
This is perhaps the MOST unique wedding party photo I have ever taken. I'd love to take the credit for it, but the guys dreamt it up.... cool wedding party or what??? They wanted to see if they could stand on the bricks.... and low and behold this is how it turned out. You guys rock!!

Congratulations Danielle & Jordan - you had a beautiful beginning to your new life!!

Check back later this week for a slideshow of the day!

Bob & Julie - Engaged!!

2008-07-18T14:22:00.004-04:00

I just realized today that I missed blogging about this engagement session. It was great to see Bob & Julie again. We easily decided that Bayfield would be a great place for their engagement photos. It was a great night and we had lots of fun. Bob & Julie are so easy going! I'm really looking forward to working with them at their wedding in October. Enjoy your summer guys!!

Scott & Meg

2008-07-17T14:55:00.002-04:00

Megan & Scott had an absolutely beautiful day for their garden wedding... which was really good as the only back up plan they had was umbrellas! Needless to say my stress level went way down when the clouds parted and the sun came out during the ceremony. I was so glad they wanted sunset photos as they are my favourite to take!! They also had their first dance down on the beach which was really cool and different. So nice to see people make their wedding their own and really add some personality to the event. Also when you watch the slideshow and see the cake, keep in mind that ALL the shells were edible. It was really a work of art. Click on the photo above to get the slideshow rolling! Enjoy!

Beasley Family Photos

2008-07-16T19:54:00.015-04:00

People get family photos taken for all different reasons, some want to document a special occasion like an anniversary or the birth of a new baby while others get them taken yearly just to preserve the memory of their family throughout the years.

This family decided to get some family photos taken for two reasons. The first reason was a few years had past without getting a professional family portrait taken and two, their son Jud is getting ready to head out to Edmonton to work with the Canadian Armed Forces. We took most of the photos right in their beautiful backyard followed with a couple that we snapped on their neighbour's property over looking the lake.

Thanks again to Hellen, Steve, Sara, Jud and Matty their dog for a wonderful afternoon!

Chris & Michelle

2008-07-15T23:13:00.004-04:00

My apologies for the delay in posting to my blog. Last week was absolutely crazy for me. I'm involved in the planning and running of Vacation Bible School in Zurich. Last week we had over 265 kids each morning... which was wonderful, but exhausting. Needless to say I totally missed blogging last week about Chris & Michelle's wedding. Chris & Michelle were great to work with and so much fun. We had a great time with their whole wedding party. You can click on the image to watch their slideshow! Enjoy!

Oh Babies!!!

2008-07-08T13:54:00.005-04:00

I know I haven't blogged yet about the wedding or engagement shoot I had on the weekend... I'll get to it soon... I promise.... but today I wanted to share a few photos of Allison & Amy. Our good friends Rick & Michelle had identical twin girls 6 weeks early. Last week I had the pleasure of meeting both of them. They are perfectly healthy, just a little tiny, so they are staying in the hospital for a few more weeks until they have enough strength to eat on their own. I took these photos last week, they weren't quite 2 weeks old and just around 4lbs each.

Such a miracle! Welcome to the world ladies! I can't wait to hold you once you arrive home!

Jason & Michelle - Married!

2008-07-07T22:07:00.011-04:00

They say details make an event. Michelle and Jason certainly did not over look any small detail for their big day. Hessenland is a beautiful venue to start with however all of the coordinating details from the place cards to the personalized M&M candies were just as unique as this terrific couple.

I was so excited when Michelle told me that she was hoping to do all photos before the ceremony as to allow more time to visit with friends and family during their cocktail hour. A "first look" shoot is becoming the modern way some couples decide to have wedding portraits taken. This will allow the bride & groom lots of time for photos and it will free up their time to truly enjoy the events of their wedding as they unfold.

After I found out they wanted everything done before, I helped them set the stage for Jason's "first look" at his beautiful bride. We had him stand with his back to the coach house while she approached. Once she was close enough, she took his hand which signalled him to turn and see her for the first time. The smile on his face said it all and the cheers from the on looking wedding party and family really set the tone for this fabulous wedding.

Congratulations Michelle & Jason - here's to love, laughter and happily every after….

Running in Circles

2008-07-04T22:15:00.001-04:00

So you can tell by the number of blog entires I made today, that I've been running like crazy this week. I firmly resolve that next week I'm going to spend more time playing with my kids and perhaps even spend an afternoon at the beach reading..... I'll have a couple of more blog entries next week with a wedding tomorrow and engagement session on Monday, but I'm definately going to be running at a slower speed! - Goodnight :)

Mike & Jennifer - Engaged!

2008-07-04T22:09:00.005-04:00

I met Mike & Jennifer this evening in Exeter. It was a beautiful evening and we had fun walking through the park and enjoying the evening while taking some shots. These are some of my favourites!!

Mike & Jennifer, I hope you enjoy your summer and I look forward to working with you again this fall!

Heith - It's a Boy!!!

2008-07-04T14:59:00.004-04:00

What a gorgeous little fellow Heith is. (I hope I spelled his name right!) At just 4 weeks old he stole my heart! I first met Scott & Lynda when they had Luke, their oldest son. He was just as sweet as his little brother and is getting cuter by the minute with his curly hair. They sure make a beautiful family!! Thanks Scott & Lynda for inviting me back to capture your new addition.

I love this shot! They will be the best of buddies!

Megan & Scott - Engaged!

2008-07-04T12:08:00.005-04:00

I finally got to meet Megan & Scott in person. I've been booked to take their wedding photos for almost a year, but due to the fact that they live in Vancouver we had never actually met in person. We met in Goderich on Thursday and boy was it windy. We managed to find a few places out of the way and got some great shots! I'm so excited for their wedding next weekend in Kincardine! Have a great week getting ready!!

Wynja Family Photos

2008-07-04T11:35:00.005-04:00

This was one busy group! There were 4 children and the oldest was less than 3 years old. It was fun! It reminds me how busy I used to be when my kids were little. We did manage to hold Liam still long enough for a couple of group shots and then he was off and running!

I fell in love with the pig tails... or should I say puppy tails... right Abby??

Cousins :)

Erb Family Photos

2008-07-04T11:17:00.004-04:00

I've known the Erb family my whole life. I grew up going to Bible School and Sunday school with their children. It was great to see the whole group back together for some family photos. Unfortunately the weather was anything but cooperative!! When we took this is was raining.... ALOT. We managed to get a few photos in before it really started to pour.

The family was all home as this weekend they were celebrating their parents (grandparents) 60th wedding Anniversary. Congratulations Ab & Wilma!! We took these photos at the hall just before their open house.

Family Photos and More

2008-07-04T11:15:00.000-04:00

So it's been a crazy busy week. I think I've had a shoot almost every day, and haven't had time to blog about any of them.... so today is catch up. I'm going to be making several entries to bring things up to speed. Have a great weekend!

Brandon & Alysha - Married!!

2008-07-03T10:42:00.005-04:00

To see a slidehow - click on the top image.

Despite the forecast for bad weather this past Saturday, the day proved to be absolutely beautiful. Brandon & Alysha were high school sweethearts and absolutely inseparable. They are a wonderful couple. When we met last fall for engagement photos Alysha was very nervous infront of the camera. Her wedding day proved to be entirely different, perhaps she had too much on her mind to be bothered by my camera.... regardless she was a beautiful bride and her photos turned out lovely.

Congratulations Brandon & Alysha! All the best for many happy years together!!

Darryl & Ashley - Engaged!

2008-06-29T00:19:00.005-04:00

I just noticed that I missed blogging about Darryl & Ashley's engagement session last weekend! Sorry!! It was a great evening for photos and Bayfield was our destination. I had a great time getting know Darryl & Ashley a bit better. We had fun walking around and taking these shots. I have to say the one above is probably my favourite yet this year. Thanks to Darryl's suggestion that they brave the waters and make their way out to the rock that was peaking out.... this shot is totally awesome.

All the best as you plan your wedding! I look forward to working with you again in December!!

Jay & Veronica - Engaged!

2008-06-27T21:44:00.004-04:00

Tonight was a great night for photos! For once it wasn't raining which is a definite plus! Veronica & Jay were great. Their wedding plans have been in the works for two years and I'm so thrilled they've asked me to be a part of it! They will be getting married at Jay's family home and tonight we met up there to take their engagement photos. We moved around town a little bit as well, so not all of the photos were at that location. His parents have an amazing property with the pond below in their backyard. It's really a beautiful spot.

I think this is a cross somewhere between "Dirty Dancing" & "The Karate Kid" - it was fun! Not sure who has the best balance :)

Veronica & Jay it was great to hang out with you tonight. I hope you have a great long weekend and I'm looking forward to meeting up with you again in a few short weeks for your wedding!

Peter & January - Engaged

2008-06-25T21:50:00.007-04:00

I had a great time this week shooting engagement photos for Peter & January. What a wonderful couple, you can tell the minute you meet them that they’re a perfect match. At the beginning of the shoot, January was a bit nervous in front of the camera but Peter kept us all laughing and it didn’t take long before they were both expert models.

To help get creative we started a friendly modeling competition as they tried to out model each other, with me being the judge. I have to be honest it was neck and neck with each round going back and forth between them. If you ask me, I think that as a pair (in the words of Tyra Banks) they make a “fierce” looking couple.

Congrats Peter & January, I’m so excited for your upcoming wedding this August.

Trish

Paul & Jennifer's Slideshow

2008-06-25T09:12:00.005-04:00

Click on the image below to watch Paul & Jennifer's Slideshow and Enjoy!!

For those you who read my blog regularily there will be lots of new content in the next few days as I have a crazy weekend infront of me. I have an engagement shoot Thursday & Friday, a wedding Saturday and two family shoots on Sunday.... and of course my own family reunion to attend in between. Never a boring moment!!

Paul & Jennifer's Wedding

2008-06-22T20:07:00.008-04:00

The plan was for a beautiful backyard ceremony. The garden's were beautiful and the lights were strung..... and the rain was relentless. Needless to say they were very glad they had rented a tent. The crazy thing is that when you look at the photos you would never know that it was raining sideways just before the ceremony. Thank goodness Jenn's parents have a beautiful front porch where we could hideout and take some photos before. Just as the ceremony ended the rain stopped and the clouds parted and we were able to take all of their portraits outside. What a beautiful couple they are!! I'll be posting their slide show in a day or two so check back soon!

Heywood Family Photos

2008-06-17T21:06:00.003-04:00

I also had the pleasure on Sunday of meeting and photographing the Heywood family. Looking at the pictures you'd never know that it rained twice that day. Thank goodness the sun came out long enough for us to play on the beach for a bit. They were a pleasure to work with!

I couldn't believe the clouds over the lake, and had to try and get some shots. It really reminded me how lucky I am to live so close to the lake and have such an amazing natural canvas to shoot with!

Phil & Linda - 40th Anniversary

2008-06-17T09:16:00.003-04:00

I've know Phil & Linda for a very long time. They live in Zurich, we go to the same church and happen to share the same last name as me :) My husband was good friends with their son Wayne all through his school years. I was honoured when they called to see if I would take their family photos. They have a beautiful family, and I am thankful I was able to take their photos. here are a few from our session.

Congratulations and all the best for many more happy years together!

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T17:23:00.003-04:00

Today I decided I had to blog a tribute to two of the greatest Dad's I know. The first being my own father - David Steckle. Dad is a wonderful guy who is respected by his family friends and entire community. He is man of great faith and wisdom. He always has a listening ear and often will seem quite quiet as he mulls things over in his mind before he replies. He is a very tender hearted person and will often get welled up with emotion when talking about the people he loves. He has a huge heart and a very soft spot for all of his 11 grandchildren. They always look for a hug from Grandpa and a treat before they go home. He has the amazing ability to see the good in everyone and encourage them. One of the most important he taught me is that "things" can be replaced. When my siblings and I were teenagers we each took at least one turn putting a vehicle in the ditch. When we would call home for help the first question was always... "Are you okay?" - his motto was always that a vehicle can be replaced but people can't. - They say that daughters look for a husband much like their father..... what a great example he set for me.

Which leads me to the next great dad I know - the father of my kids and love of my life - Chris. I met Chris when he was 18 years old. He was a great guy then, but he has grown into an amazing man who I am so proud to call my husband. One of the things I am most proud of is how he loves, cares, guides and plays with our kids. Chris is a big guy who doesn't do anything in a small way ... especially play. He is the first one in the water at the beach. He loves to build snow forts and go tobogganing. He is always up for a game of catch or soccer. He always tries to teach our kids the value of their faith and their family. I can't imagine a better father for my kids.

I had to add on the card that we made for Chris - I just couldn't resist!!
So to both of these great Dad's and the many others that have blessed my life - Happy Father's Day!

Cindy's Smiling Eyes

2008-06-12T22:01:00.009-04:00

Tonight I had the pleasure of meeting Cindy and Steve as well as their 3 beautiful daughters, Nicole, Megan & Sarah, for a photo shoot. It was a beautiful evening to take photos of a beautiful family.

The one thing I know for sure is that cancer doesn't make any sense at all. Cindy is a wonderful person.... mother to 3 little girls..... I just don't understand that this battle would be hers to fight, especially not now when her girls are so young.... but whether it makes sense or not doesn't seem to matter..... the battle has begun!

Cindy & Steve are celebrating their 16th anniversary very soon. I love the look on their faces as they smile at each other. Still smitten :)

Cindy & Steve the love you share with each other and your girls is truly a gift. My thoughts and prayers will be with you in these upcoming weeks as Cindy continues with chemo treatments. I know that with your family, friends and church community you have an incredible team helping you with your fight. God bless you and your girls!

Randy & Ilda's Wedding

2008-06-11T11:33:00.008-04:00

Fate is an amazing thing! Some people may say it was luck, but I believe it was so much more that brought Randy & Ilda together. Randy was from Ontario, Ilda from Quebec - both of them found work in Alberta and relocated there. However it was until Ilda's going away party that she and Randy met. I could tell by the way that Randy looked at Ilda he couldn't take his eyes off of her from the moment they met. Her smile is infectious and she is absolutely beautiful. Ilda left for her job and their long-distance relationship began. It was about a year later when Ilda decided to go back to Calgary to be with Randy and start their life together. They decided to get married at Hessenland - and make it a vacation for everyone invited. The mood was festive and the people were lovely. It was a beautiful day. To see their slideshow click here or on the first image.

Tradition is very important to Randy & Ilda. Personalized cufflinks were just one of things they added to their day to start their families legacy. These were a gift to Randy from Ilda.

My favourite photo to capture..... the groom watching his beautiful bride walk down the aisle. There is nothing like it.

Congratulations and all the best for many happy years together!

Back to the real world!

2008-06-10T13:32:00.004-04:00

Not a lot to tell, but these are some of my favourite photos from my last day or two in Estonia. We had a fabulous time in an absolutely breathtakingly beautiful city!
We saw 4 weddings in Tallinn, however, most of them were in mid-cermony in churches that had big "NO PHOTOS" signs..... we did manage to trip across this photo shoot on a side street, and I simply couldn't resist. I thought her dress was really cool, especially with the red drainpipes!

Flower market in Old Town

I loved how this tree is hanging on for dear life!

Some low walkways!!

I made it home lastnight after about 24 hours of waiting in airports and flying. It was a long day but it went very smoothly and I'm glad to be back home with the kids.... if only I weren't so tired :)

I'm going to be blogging and adding a slideshow in the next day or so from my wedding on May 31st..... I didn't have a chance to do that before I was off on Vacation! Check back soon for wedding photos!!

More from our Trip

2008-06-07T04:11:00.007-04:00

This is the last photo I took in Vaasa. The whole reason we are here was for Chris to visit the International Headquarters for Vacon. This is a photo of him at the gate. The plant is enormous. He really enjoyed touring it and meeting lots of people he only new as names before. I'm so proud of him and all he has accomplished.

We found this sign halfway between Vaasa & Helsinki. Notice the sign above my head shows America (Amerikka) is over 6900 km away. Hard to wrap your brain around!!
To get from Helsinki to Tallinn we boarded a cruise ship and sailed across the Baltic Sea for 3.5 hours. It was great fun there was tons of live entertainment and dancing, dining, shopping and just about anything else. I have a feeling they can spot a foreigner as both Chris & I had a turn performing with the clowns "The Duo Impressive". Chris certainly could hold his own, managing to actually balance a spinning plate on his finger all by himself. It was great!
I was slightly afraid for my life. The bowling pins were zinging past my head very fast!
Once in Tallinn we purchased a pass that gets us into over 40 museums and points of interest. We had to stop and check out the photography museum. The photos were pretty cool... dating back to the 1800's - while Estonia was still part of the USSR. It was very cool.

This is the Tallinn Town hall. It was built in the 15th Century. We climbed the tower and toured around inside as well.
This was the view from the tower. It's such a pretty city!!
This is the Nevski Cathedral. Built in 1900 it's almost brand new!

The view from "The Wall of Mistrust." If you see the tower in the distance - I thought the people walking around the top of the steeple base were repairing it. It turns out they let you climb the tower and walk around outside.... It's fenced off but still totally crazy.... so you know we had to try it out!!
The view from the foot of the church. The building is ENORMOUS, but the buildings around it are so close it is impossible to get a photo of the whole thing. It is St. Olaf's Church built in the 13th century around 1267. It is 159 metres to the top of the steeple and was the tallest building in Europe at the time. It was absolutely amazing!!

We climbed the 266 stairs to the top. Let me tell you it was a work out. Keep in mind the stairs are 800+ years old..... it wasn't exactly the easiest staircase ever.

Part way up we stopped to take a couple of photos. There were many places Chris had to duck to make it through. It was very narrow in places and spiraled almost straight up.But the view was breathtaking and worth the workout.
The church on the inside was also beautiful. Here are a few of the photos I took.

Estonia is a beautiful country for it's buildings and it's people. We are really enjoying our time here and are now off to see what else there is to see!

2008-06-05T02:33:00.003-04:00

Last night we were invited to dinner at Dan & Monica's Cottage. Dan is Chris's boss who is in the process of relocating his family from Finland to the US to mananged the North America Division of Vacon. It was a lovely evening. This is their cute little cottage. I just loved it!

The part that surprised me a bit was the shoreline. It looks so much like the Thousand Islands in Ontario. Lots of birch trees and rocks. The water was about a metre lower than usual so the boat is low beside the dock. We had to take a boat to get to the cottage as it is on an island. It took us about 10 minutes by boat. We actually ate dinner at the end of the dock. It was very nice. This is Dan chartering us out to the cottage.
Chris enjoying the ride.
This is the four of us on the cottage steps. Not a particulary flattering photo of me, but it did capture the moment. It was a very enjoyable evening.
Today we are checking out of our hotel in Vaasa, driving back down to Helsinki and taking a ferry accross to Estonnia. We should be in Tallinn later this evening.

Adventures in Finland

2008-06-03T11:14:00.003-04:00

We have arrived in Finland yesterday after flying all night long. Needless to say were a little tired so we found our hotel and had a little nap before heading out to check out the city. It was beautiful. The old buildings and cobblestones were so cool. It looked like it was going to rain before long, but I managed to snap a few photos. The thing to keep in mind is that these photos were all taken after 11pm. It was still light out!! I also have a kicking Nikon D300 which is super light sensitive and does a great job of night shots.

Helsinki is the capitol of Finland and I believe this is the parliment.There was also a monster chruch that we climbed A LOT of stairs to check out. Well worth the effort. It was a great evening.

And this is our rental car. Thank goodness we got the mid-size. I'm quite certain Chris would have had to ride on the roof otherwise. There are some SMALL cars here.

Today we are in Vaasa Finland. That is the city which the company Chris works for, Vacon - has it's head office. Tomorrow he is going to tour the plant and tomorrow night we are going on a boating trip with his boss. It should be fun! I'll be sure to past more photos sometime this week!

Mikayla's Smiling Eyes

2008-05-31T20:37:00.005-04:00

Tonight I had the pleasure of meeting little Mikayla. At 15 months old she has quite a vocabulary and a fabulous smile! More than once she offered me a flower to smell. The love inside her melted my heart. Mikaya was diagnosed in January with Retinoblastoma which is a cancer that causes tumors in her eyes. It only affects 25 children in Canada each year. She has completed her 12 weeks of chemotherapy and now will have some laser therapy treatments. This was Mikayla's first encounter with Lake Huron. She absolutely loved the water. If Mike & Katie wouldn't have kept a hold of her she would have been right in. She was an absolute joy to photograph.

Mike, Katie & Mikayla I wish you all the best in the future. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your wonderful family!

Photo Class Field Trip

2008-05-30T21:23:00.004-04:00

So if you are a regular blog reader, you know that I held some photography classes early this spring. The group decided to follow up with a field trip to try out some of the pointers I gave them. I had to do some talking, but I managed to get a photo of each of them..... the silhouette of me is courtesy of Dusty!

It was tons of fun. I'm sure everyone in Bayfield thought we were crazy, but we were having a great time. I think there will definately be a follow-up class.

George & Tiffanie - Engaged!!

2008-05-26T08:43:00.004-04:00

I met Tiffanie over a year ago at a group called Heart 2 Heart for women in the Zurich area. It's really an amazing group of woman.... but that's a whole different blog entry....

Anyway back on topic, Friday night was the first chance I had to meet her other half George. The funny thing was a the end of the night it dawned on me that I had no clue what Tiffanie's job is.... turns out she's a nurse. I'm not quite sure how that never came up in converstation before. George does some farming and works as a mechanic as well. It was great to hang out with them and get to know them a little bit better. To start off the shoot, Tiffanie had scouted out a location - an old barn owned by a friend of hers. I have to confess I have a thing for old barns and this one was awesome.

Thanks Tiffanie & George for a fun evening! I'm looking forward to working with you again this summer!

My Most Unusual Photography Request Yet!

2008-05-23T17:07:00.004-04:00

This week I had a request from Paul Steckle - our local member of Parliament to come out and take some photos for him. In the past I've photographed his family, but this time he had a different request. Paul is an avid outdoors man and has gone to the effort of reforesting 30 acres of his farm. He loves nature and especially wildlife. Recently on his adventures in his woodlot he came across a wild turkey nest. In all of his days he says he has never seen one before, so he wondered if I would go out on the four-wheeler with him to try and capture it. I figured why not!!

This is Paul just before we took off our adventure.
Wild turkey's are very good at camouflaging themselves, but in the above picture she is really low to the ground sitting on her many many eggs.
She doesn't look very big, but Paul assured me she could be 15 pounds of more. It was a fun adventure and probably not a request I will ever get again! We made sure not to disturb the mother bird one little bit, which was the most important thing for Paul, aside from getting a good picture of her :)

Aaron & Becky's Slideshow

2008-05-21T15:25:00.002-04:00

Click on the image to start the slideshow!!

Aaron & Rebecca Tie the Knot!!

2008-05-19T21:58:00.005-04:00

The long weekend in May is notoriously cold and rainy..... this past week they were calling for Saturday to be utterly miserable. Thank goodness it wasn't! The sun was out and bright. The wind was very strong and cool, but fortunately chattering teeth and goosebumps don't generally show up in photos. Here are a few shots from Aaron & Becky's wedding. Check back in a day or two for a slideshow.

Aaron & Becky had a beautiful wedding. They said their vows surrounded by family and friends at the Baptist church in Exeter, with Aaron's uncle officiating. It was really a lovely day. We started off taking some photos at the park, but Becky really really wanted some beach photos.... so we braved the wind and the blowing sand and got some great shots!

All the best to both of you! I hope you have many wonderful years together!

Derreck & Jenny - Engaged!!

2008-05-16T22:34:00.005-04:00

As a photographer you are always on the look out for great shoot locations. I've always loved a building in Grand Bend, but never really had the opportunity before to use it. The building has a cool story to it. It's the old train station from Exeter. An optometrist from Grand Bend had the amazing vision (pun intended) to move the building to it's current home and restore it and use it as her office building. It's really very cool. Jenny & Derreck live about an hour from my home. So coordinating an engagement shoot date has been a bit tricky. We finally decided on tonight. When I talked with Jenny we decided to take their engagement photos in Grand Bend.... then I realized it was the May long weekend. I right away knew that this building would be one place that we would probably have a fair bit of privacy. I must say it's not the place most people in Grand Bend choose to hang out on a Friday night, but it was an awesome place for some photos.

What a cool old building. It was such a neat location to shoot. I will definitely be returning!! And there was an apple tree in the back yard in full bloom. I had to get in the background of at least one or two photos.

There was even a partial set of tracks to play on.... how cool is that!!

And then we headed down to the beach. I couldn't believe our luck. The sky was mostly overcast but there was this awesome break in the cloud cover just as we arrived. It was absolutely beautiful.

Kudos to Derreck. On a Friday of a long weekend, not too many guys would be keen for a photo shoot, but he was awesome! Totally willing to do anything I suggested. Thanks for being such a great sport!!

Jenny & Derreck thanks for a great start to the weekend. You two were so much fun to hang out with! I can't wait to work with you again next spring!

Things to do......

2008-05-15T12:22:00.002-04:00

Sooo I thought I really should blog about one of those things I've always wanted to do and haven't yet.

I think it would be SOOOO cool to shoot an actual engagement, not the portraits after the fact, but to actually be in on the proposal. I realize this takes some planning and a guy who thinks ahead. I would love to capture the look on her face as she realizes what he is actually saying. So many times I think that guys are so nervous before the actual proposal that their girlfriend senses the tension and think something is wrong, but once she realizes what is really going on the releif and excitement on her face would be awesome to capture!

So to all my blog readers out there. If you know someone who is planning to pop the big question and you think they might be open to the idea, send them my way. It would be so much fun!!

Introducing Dusty

2008-05-14T10:58:00.003-04:00

I'm happy to announce that I have a new assistant - Dusty Simpson-Carter. I first met Dusty last fall when I had the privelege of capturing her beautiful beachfront wedding. We hit it off right away. Over our convesations I discovered that she too has a love of photography. I knew I was going to be needing another assitant this year, as Tricia is now branching out on her own, and Dusty seemed like the perfect fit. Here is one her own wedding photos from last October. This Spring Dusty attended my Digital SLR classes and obviously picked up a few tricks as these are a couple of the photos she took at Chris & Cathy's wedding. Pretty darn nice for her first time assisting.

Welcome to the team Dusty! I'm looking forward to an exciting summer of working with you at my side :)

Beautiful Day

2008-05-13T11:39:00.003-04:00

Yesterday after a couple of cold rainy and rather crappy days, the sun poked through the clouds and reminded me why I love spring so much. There is nothing like the first sign of tulips as they poke their brave little heads through the cold earth. I was inspired to grab my camera and run around my yard capturing just a few images of the beauty that surrounded me. Here's what I saw.

These two images are identical in composition - the only thing I changed was the aperature setting. You can look back at old blog posts if you are curious about how to do a similar shot.

Today the sun is shining and it's warm and bright. I'm so enjoying spring and now looking forward to warm summer days at the beach. I hope you have a great day!

My Mom - Happy Mother's Day!!

2008-05-10T16:28:00.007-04:00

First off - Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there.

Today I thought I'd take the opportunity to tell you a bit about my Mom, Carol Steckle. I hardly know where to begin, there is so much to tell.

My Mom is quite simply one of the most amazing women I know. She is hardworking, loyal, honest, out-going, caring, fun-loving, smart, creative, a great leader, and someone I am very proud of.

People often ask me how I do everything I do. All I can say is learned all of my life watching my Mom that there if you put your mind to it and work hard, you can pretty much do anything. "I can't" is not something I heard very often. Mom has always worked hard along side my Dad in the family greenhouse business (Huron Ridge Acres) for a while she also had her own flower shop in the village of Zurich. She sold it as the greenhouse operation grew and they really needed her full-time on the farm. Aside from working 40, 50 or 60+ hours every week Mom has always been willing to give of herself as a volunteer. She has been on so many committees at church I can't even begin to name them. She has also been a part of the Huron Tourism Association and the Zurich Chamber of Commerce, as well as other public service groups. She is a very active member of any organization she joins - sometimes even the chair.

In her personal life, she is also a wonderful wife, grandma, mom, sister, aunt, and friend to many. She was a great support to my Aunt Esther in her last days fighting breast cancer. I was so proud of her. She is a listening ear to many friends and nieces who need advice or support and does her best to guide them along the right path. She loves to sing, laugh and have fun with her sisters. She always takes time to make sure that her grandchildren have a hug, and know that grandma loves them. This of course includes having them for many sleepovers and cooking enormous holiday meals with lots of goodies. She is a Mom that loves so deeply that you can't help but know it. I know for a fact that she would go to the ends of the earth to help anyone of us. Even though we are all grown and have our own families, she is always watching out for us and helping us in times of need. She is so proud of all of her children and is happy to tell everyone about us.

Mom, I hope when you read this you know how much you are loved, and how very proud I am to have the privelege of calling you Mom. I consider it such a compliment when people tell me "you are so much like your Mom"..... I hope I grow into the wonderful woman you truly are.

All my love, Sandra

Chris & Cathy - Slideshow

2008-05-08T10:26:00.001-04:00

Chris & Cathy's slideshow is up and running. Click on the photo to start it.... Enjoy!!

Sue & Josh - Maternity Shoot

2008-05-07T17:49:00.010-04:00

This week I had the privilege of capturing some maternity memories for Sue & Josh. Where do I even start with this couple, at times during the shoot they had me laughing so hard I was actually crying! Sue is such a fun loving and caring person that I know she will make a great Mother. The newest addition to the family is scheduled to arrive sometime this July and I can’t wait to photograph the newest “Steelers” fan!

Chris & Cathy - Wedding

2008-05-05T08:50:00.004-04:00

On Saturday I had the pleasure of Chris & Cathy's wedding celebration. They were married in early April in Cuba and followed up with a reception and celebration in Ontario this past weekend. The day was damp and rainy most of the time, but we did manage to dash out in between downpours to capture some great photos. Here are a few of my favourites. Check back in a day or two for a slideshow of the event.

Cathy has a twin sister, Chris - the two are absolutely beautiful. I loved this big over stuffed lounge chair, and knew I had to capture this photo of them. They are absolutely stunning!

Congratulations Chris & Cathy!

Ben & Jenny - Engagement

2008-05-01T20:49:00.005-04:00

Today I had an absolute blast!! I met up with Ben & Jenny this morning at Jenny's family cottage. When I arrived Ben was just putting the finishing touches on a dish they would be sharing this evening with Jenny's grandma (sweet!!) We chatted about their wedding and finalized some details. I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting Ben before. Both of them live and work in Nantucket, so Jenny has been travelling to Ontario (where she grew up) to do a lot of the preliminary planning. This week Ben also made the trek up to finalize all of the details with the vendors. Ben has his own catering and event planning business, so to him this is second nature.

After a bit we decided to take a walk down to the beach!! Yeah!! This was my first time this year at the beach (in Ontario)! It was so much fun! Jenny has an absolutely infectious smile and the greatest laugh. Ben absolutely adores her! They weren't up for a full engagement session but we did manage to get some great shots in our mini-engagement session. Here are a few of my favourites. If you'd like to see more, click here for the slideshow.

I've gotta say, I take a lot of photos of the bride getting a piggy back ride from the groom but very seldom does the bride also volunteer for the job. Jenny & Ben you guys ROCK!!

Ben & Jenny, thanks for a great time this morning. I hope you two have a great summer and I can't wait to celebrate and capture your wedding in the fall!!

Wedding Season is JUST around the corner!

2008-04-27T21:17:00.009-04:00

It's hard to believe that in just a few short days I will be starting the 2008 wedding season in Ontario. I'm so excited to be a part of so many wonderful occasions.

This past weekend I was privileged to be a part of the Hessenland Wedding Showcase. Liz, Frank & their staff put on a great show. They really have an amazing facility and top notch food and service. This year they also have completed several upgrades to the Coach House banquet hall including a new bar area and dance floor. You can watch the slide show by clicking on the photograph above (I did manage to snap a few photos). I also wanted to mention that the flowers were provided by two local shops- Village Vines in Exeter and Twigs in Grand Bend. The gowns were supplied by Bridal Elegance in Exeter, the ice sculpture was courtesy of Iceculture Inc, the linens were by NJS Design in Clinton, and Pelee Island Winery was also on site for wine tasting. If you missed this years event, be sure to keep an eye open for it next spring.

Bell Family Photos

2008-04-23T21:24:00.013-04:00

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of taking family photos in Exeter. The group of 17 included 3 siblings with spouses and children. When I found out there was going to be 11 children (ages 14 months to 18 yrs) and 6 adults I thought I had my work cut out for me. However the time we spent together flew by, everyone was such a great sport and truly made my job easy! Towards the end of our sitting we headed over to the playground area to get some candid style portraits. Thanks again to Darlene and family, I had a blast helping you capture some family memories!

Hessenland Wedding Fair April 26th & 27th

2008-04-14T10:44:00.006-04:00

I'm excited to once again be involved in the Hessenland Wedding Fair this month. Hessenland is a spectacular venue that I love to work at. Liz, Frank & their staff do a phenominal job of each and every event, but I think they really out-do themselves when it comes to Weddings! Here are a few of my favourite shots that I took at Hessenland this year. If you are a bride looking for a venue I could not recommend a better place for your wedding than Hessenland Country Inn!
For more info on their upcoming wedding fair be sure to check out this link.

Flat out the best wedding venue in Huron County and Southwestern Ontario!

Photo Tip #4 - Aperature Priority Mode

2008-04-13T16:37:00.005-04:00

A (AV) mode – Aperture mode – you are changing the aperture only. Aperture is the amount that your lens opens. This affects a few things. The wider the aperture, the smaller the number. A lens open at f22 is a very small opening as this is actually represents a fraction 1/22 of the lens is open when the shutter is released. Opposite to that f1.8 is a very large opening of the lens 1/1.2…. almost the entire lens opens when the shutter is released. This greatly effects the amount of light entering the camera. In a low light situation it is ideal to use a very wide aperture 1.8 or 2.8 – in a very bright situation you may use a small aperture f11 or 22.

Aperture also effects depth of field. The wider the aperture (smaller number) the smaller your depth of field. If you want your subject in focus with the background blurred out you need to use 1.8 or 2.8 or the widest aperture your lens can be set for. Lenses with a wide aperture (f2.8) or smaller tend to be quite expensive. Inversely if you are taking a landscape photo and you want the entire image to be sharp and crisp you need to use a narrow aperture (large number) f8 or f11 for example. In A mode the camera will adjust the shutter speed in order to achieve a correctly exposed image.

The exact same photo with 3 different Apertures:

f22

f2.8

Photo Tip #3

2008-04-11T08:34:00.004-04:00

I had a great time teaching a class last night. There were 13 people in the class and I hope I helped them to learn a little something about digital SLR cameras. I really enjoyed the evening! Here is the first part of what we talked about last night.

All cameras have some basic shooting modes, below is an outline of S (TV) mode –

Shutter or Time Mode – the only thing you are changing is the speed of the shutter. This allows you either to stop motion or capture motion. You will want a fast shutter speed (125/250 or higher) for sports or anything where the movement is fast and you want to stop it. The quicker the object in motion the higher your shutter speed should be. You will want a slow shutter speed if you want your image to shot the motion of a waterfall (40 or slower). Slow shutter speeds can cause blur as the camera will sense any slight motion from your hand. It is often helpful to use a tripod when you are using a slow shutter speed. This also changes the exposure. In a low light situation you need to leave the shutter open longer to have a correct exposure. At night (without flash) you need to use a very slow shutter speed 15 or 20 but at the beach mid day you would need a very fast shutter speed – as high as 1000 sometimes. In S mode the camera will adjust the aperature to create a correctly exposed image. Shutter speed is measured in a fraction of a second 60 = 1/60 of a second 1000 = 1/1000 of a second

Shutter Speed – 1/60 of a second

Shutter Speed 1/1000 of a second

If you have any questions shoot me an email!

Happy 50th Anniversary Steve & Pat

2008-04-03T10:11:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing Pat & Steve, our previous neighbours and friends. They were great neighbours! Pat was always over after I had a baby to see how we were doing and bring us cookies and other goodies. Below is photo of them with their own five children.... 3 girls and 2 boys, sounds familiar doesn't it??

This is the whole clan. They sure have been blessed with a beautiful family!

I wish them all the best for continued health and happiness!

Photo Tip #2

2008-04-02T11:54:00.003-04:00

One really neat tip to try is forcing your flash to fire even when there is enough light to expose the photograph. I use my flash a LOT when I am shoting with a background that has a lot of bright sky.... like at the beach. Sounds strange I know, but it is the only way you can properly expose your subject without over exposing your sky. Here is a couple of examples for you to look at.no flash

with flash.... her face has much more even exposure.

Who hasn't taken a sunset shot that looks just like this. Great photo of the sky, not such a great photo of the couple..... below I popped on the flash, got the exact same sky and now my people have faces.

I love shooting with no flash as much as possible, but there certainly is a time and a place for it. The trick is figuring out when. The beauty of digital is that practising doesn't cost a penny and the results can be seen instantly on the back of your camera. Give it a try... you'll be amazed at the clouds and skies in your photos. Keep Snapping!!

iDo iPod

2008-03-31T21:46:00.004-04:00

So I'm excited to announce that I am now offering an iDo iPod to clients. This is a photo of mine. I have my children's photo set as the wallpaper when it stars. I have an iPod touch but I will also be offering the classic iPod as well.

Now, if you haven't seen an iPod touch they are a nifty little piece of technology. I have about 5 or 6 slideshows on mine, over 130 photos (so far) and over 100 songs and I've only used about 1 of the 8 GB of storage it has. The really cool part is that the photos automatically rotate depending on the direction you are holding it. From a non-photography standpoint it also has wireless internet access and it syncs with my email and calendar on my laptop so that they match. It is really cool and I'm so pleased to be able to offer them to clients. Here's the details from my pricelist: Video iPod Touch (8GB) - $425 You iPod will arrive personalized with your name and wedding date, and loaded with your wedding slideshow. They are also available for family portrait sessions.

They are so cool! The next time you see me be sure to ask and I'll let you check mine out.

Worth Passing On

2008-03-28T09:01:00.003-04:00

I received a link this morning from a fellow photographer that I just felt I had to share. I'm a big fan of Oprah - but I somehow never actually saw this episode. I hope it helps you to remember your dreams! Have a great day.

Live and Learn

2008-03-27T22:54:00.002-04:00

I've been totally neglecting my blog! My apologies. I've been meaning to post for a while but the days have been crazy since returning home. I've had people asking me how I made out with my photo in Vegas.... and needless to say, I didn't win. I do have to say that experience was well worth it. When I stood on the tradeshow floor and saw the booth with all the finalists photos displayed on it, it was truly an honour to have my work included in the group. There were some flat out amazing photographs that were the Grand Prize winners, and well deserving of it. Here is a shot of me with my print in Vegas at the WPPI tradeshow. There were over 13,000 photographers at the convention plus extras that registered for the tradeshow only. It was a great experience, and I'm hoping to make it back again next February.... perhaps this time I can even talk Tricia in to joining me :)

Vegas Wedding

2008-03-18T04:08:00.007-04:00

What an amazing opportunity we had, that almost totally slipped through our fingers!! On Saturday night we were in Vegas and out wandering around on the old strip - a really cool place - and as we had stopped to watch a video show we noticed that not too far from us a bride and groom had also done the same. We all wanted to ask them if we could take their picture, but only the sweet and irresitable Beth Smith had the nerve - LOVE her!! Anyway, Beth managed to coherse them not only into having their photo taken but walking through traffic to do so, as well as showing us their Ballroom Dancing moves. They were such amazing sports and truly beautiful. We plan to make CD's to mail to them with their wedding photos on them. Here are my favourite shots.

Grand Canyon Photo Shoot

2008-03-16T22:31:00.006-04:00

So on Friday we landed in Vegas at about 2 in the afternoon, got in a rental car and headed out towards the Grand Canyon, stopping half way the first night. We then finished the trek out to the Canyon - it's about 5 hours one way - and had a fabulous time. Of course we had to stop a bunch of times along the way for gas and photo shoots :) It's such a strange thing to be on the other end of the lense. I take thousands of photos each year, so having some taken of me is always good practise for how it feels when there is a lense in your face. Here are some photos of me and my travelling mates.

This is Jen..... she is a good friend of Krista's and now a great friend of mine. We are so alike in some ways that it is funny!! I've really enjoyed getting to know her!

This is Krista.... what can I say.... LOVE HER!!! She has been so great to talk to and bounce ideas around with... and she is also a Mom with her own business so we have tons in common. She was also at Vegas last year.

This Beth... Krista's 18 year old assistant/photographer. She is an absolute riot!!! And a totally amazing photographer!! Can't say enough good stuff about her!!

Here we are in the Elevator at the "Four Queens" hotel where we stayed our second night... how fitting :)

Me at the Canyon.... no I'm not about to jump... it looks much closer than it is!

Hanging out on a sideroad... great shadow shot! - I will post more soon.... you'll love to see the wedding we totally paparazzi'ed :)

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2008-03-13T21:57:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't blogged this week... I spent some family time away and I am just getting back to the reality of working for a living.... and what a sweet reality it is!!!

Tomorrow I am on my way to Vegas for WPPI (Wedding Portrait Photraphers International) convention. I couldn't be more excited. I LOVE learning new things, seeing what's new on the market and generally expanding my horizions. Last year I went with no clue of what to expect.... this year I'm totally pumped because I know all the great things I'm going to see and do. Last year I came home with the crazy idea that perhaps someday, someone would pay me to travel to take their wedding photos. I've already realized that dream, and this year I also plan to dream big. I'll definately be posting some photos from Vegas so stay tuned. If you are on facebook you can also find me there, and I'm sure I'll be posting even more photos.

Viva Las Vegas!!!

Photo Tip #1

2008-03-07T21:27:00.006-05:00

I'm going to try from time to time (perhaps every week) to post a photography tip. I know a lot of people who read my blog are really into photography, so I thought maybe I'd be able to pass on some useful tips for you.

Here's my little photo lesson for the week. Almost every single image that my clients see has had a little finessing done to it. That's not to say that I remove 20 pounds, or 10 years or anything crazy... infact other than an occassional blemish I never touch people up at all. What I do is to simply make my images more vibrant and help to correct things that couldn't be helped at the time. And quite frankly sometimes I'm too caught up in the moment to make sure that the exposure is bang on. I always make sure it's close and then tidy things up after when I'm editing. When you consider that at most weddings I shoot 1200+ photos, it's a lot of editing, so I thought I'd let you in on a couple of my secrets.

The most amazing piece of software I own is Adobe Lightroom. It is quite simply the best investment I have ever made. It makes my job sooo much easier. It lets me set one image in a series perfectly and then syncronize the rest to match simply by clicking a button. I can't tell you how many hours this has saved me.... literally days of time from every single wedding. It is truly awesome. Here is one example of the difference that lightroom makes:

Not a bad shot, however it was right at dusk and I was loosing light like crazy so it's a bit underexposed. If I had changed shutter speed any lower to make the right exposure the image would have been blurry.

In this image you can clearly see the exposure has been corrected. The image is much clearer and brighter. I only edited the brightness and put a slight vignette (dark corners) on it.

Here's the fun one. I then opened the image in photoshop and made the blue wall behind them look like it was tiled, and I think I gave them a bit of a glow effect as well. I don't normally even open the images in photoshop, but this just shows you one little thing you can do to take a photograph into more of an artform.

If you enjoy photography and want to get a bit more serious about it, I highly recommend you visit the adobe site and download their trial version of Lightroom. I think you'll be amazed!!

Rod & Jeni

2008-03-05T20:39:00.005-05:00

Almost two weeks ago I made the trek to Fordwich to meet up with Jeni & Rod to take their engagement photos. Rod was a groomsmen this summer when I took Rachael & Chris's wedding photos in Wroexeter. It was nice to get to know them a bit and tromp around in the snow to take some photos. It was a bit tough as the sun was shining and with the snow on the ground it made things very bright and reflective, but all in all I think they turned out quite nicely. Hopefully when I make the journey back up there this summer it will be quite a bit warmer!!

Digital SLR Class

2008-03-04T20:44:00.004-05:00

I am pleased to announce that I am going to be hosting a Digital SLR class on April 10th from 7 - 10 pm in Exeter, Ontario. This will be a night to help you get to know the functions and possibilities that your camera has to offer. This class will be great for people who have just purchased their first digital SLR Camera or are thinking about taking the plunge. I decided to run a class as people are always asking me... how did you do that... I'm going to do my best to break things down for you so that you too can take some pretty amazing photos. There is a pretty big learning curve when you switch from a 35 mm camera to a digital SLR. If you are interested in attending shoot me an email. The cost is $25 and the class will have a minimum of 6 and maximum of 15 people. Register early or you may miss out.

Cathy & Chris's Engagement Shoot

2008-03-03T14:43:00.006-05:00

Now before you go thinking I waved my magic photoshop wand, Cathy's eyes are really this blue.... no help needed on my part... simply beautiful baby blues!!

Last weekend I met up in Goderich with Cathy & Chris to take their engagement photos. It was bright and sunny and COLD... good thing the goosebumps don't show up on camera. We had a good time and even added their son in for a few shots. He managed to get his mom's amazing eyes.

Cathy & Chris will be married on April 3rd in Cuba.... I'll be covering their reception back home in Goderich on May 3rd. Have an awesome time!!

The Bride's Ball

2008-03-02T20:18:00.002-05:00

What a riot! Tricia & I had a fabulous time at the Bride's Ball in London. Dinner was fabulous and the cause was great. Here are a few photos from the event....

Me in my fabulously puffy dress.... from 1993

Tricia & I hamming it up for the camera... imagine that!

Tricia picking out my tiara... the proceeds went to Breast Cancer Research, and who can't use a new tiara!!
Liz from Hessenland Country Inn. - married in 2001
Christa from Hessenland Country Inn - her dress still fits after 39 years... actually it's a bit big... I can only hope to say the same :)

Wilma & Amy from Bridal Eleagance - they opted for dresses from a recent wedding instead of their own.

It really was a great time and a first annual event.... so please consider joining in the fun next year and support such an important cause!

"Open the doors and let the Hope flood in...."

2008-02-29T08:42:00.002-05:00

I had to share this with all of you. The photo above is of my good friend and college, Krista Jefferson in New Orleans. Krista runs her own photography business and is based in Hamilton. She does flat out amazing work. She is my partner in crime in Vegas at our annual photo convention.... anyway.... Krista just launched a new site as a result of a field trip she took. She had the opportunity to travel to New Orleans with a friend of hers, so she scooped up her camera and got inspired. It's been two years since Huricane Katrina, and honestly I thought everthing would be repaired by now. Krista's photos obviously show otherwise. Check out the site here. She has even decided to sell prints of her trip and donate a portion to the restoration projects in New Orleans. She's a great person and a great friend!

Can't wait until Friday!!

2008-02-26T09:49:00.002-05:00

So I'm totally pumped about this Friday! I'm going to a charity ball in London in support of Breast Cancer Research. It's being presented by theweddingring.ca which is an awesome online local resource for brides. As most of you know, breast cancer is something that has touched my life in a personal way... I lost my Aunt Esther at the age of 49. So when I knew that it was a Breast Cancer Fundraiser I was in... and then when I realized I was supposed to wear my wedding dress I was really pumped. Now I have to warn you before you see the photos next week, that I was married in 1993 - the era of the big dress, big hair, essentially big everything... so be prepared for a laugh. The doubly cool part is that I get to spend the night hanging out with some of my favourite wedding vendors in the area. We decided to go together and make it a girls night out. Included in the group is Liz & Krista from Hessenland Country Inn, Wilma & Tara from Bridal Elegance in Exeter and Myself & Tricia. It should be an absolute blast... and of course you know I'm going to bring my camera :) Look for photos next week... and please don't laugh too hard at me :) As a side note, I think tickets are still available. If you feel like pulling out your wedding gown or bridesmaid dress, click here to buy your tickets and join in the fun! It's sure to be a great time in support of a very important cause!!

Mike & Michelle’s Destination Bliss…

2008-02-25T22:18:00.004-05:00

My first destination wedding! Ok I have to admit I was invited to attend the wedding as a guest first and foremost since the Bride is my sister in law. However I was very honored when asked to photograph their big day which has been 18 years in the making! You can imagine how pumped I was when Michelle said she was up for doing some “trash the dress” shots on the beach. I’ve posted a few of my favorites from the day for you to enjoy.

Once again congrats Mike & Michelle!!!

Exciting News!!!

2008-02-21T09:18:00.003-05:00

A while ago I blogged that I had entered a couple of photos in the "Best of Weddings 2007" photo competition. Well this morning I recieved an email to let me know that I am a finalist!!!! I'm super excited. This is the image that I submitted:

The Grand Prize winner will be announced that WPPI (Wedding Portrait Photographers International) Convention in Las Vegas which I am attending. I get to attend a winners reception which is by invite only. I am sooo excited!! The Grand Prize is a Fuji S5 professional camera! Hopefully I'll win, but regardless it has been an awesome experience so far. I'm so glad I entered. Like I said in my original entry you can't win if you don't enter!

Some things never change

2008-02-20T09:54:00.004-05:00

It was so funny on the weekend to watch The Chipmunks Movie with my kids. I loved the Chipmunks and the Chipettes as a kid and although the technology has come along way the story line and characters are still the same. The kids couldn't believe I knew the Christmas song on the movie.... it's been around longer than I have but it's brand new in their eyes. I love re-discovering things through the eyes of the kids. My girls watch Highschool Musical - I watched Fame - the same only different..... we had better music and leg warmers - just kidding... have a great day!

Aaron & Becky

2008-02-15T23:31:00.003-05:00

The weather was anything but favourable when I met up with Aaron & Becky to shoot their engagement photos, but they were more than willing to brave the wind and the snow for some great photos. We actually had to stop shooting a couple of times because I could hardly see them for snowflakes. Eventually we went inside and warmed up and I took the photo above. The rest were taken outside as we braved the elements.

Thanks for being such great sports! I can't wait until your wedding in May!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T09:32:00.004-05:00

I had to post this photo. It's one of my favourites. I believe it was taken by my sister-in-law Dena the first Christmas that Chris & I were dating in 1990. Eighteen years ago today he gave me my first flowers.... we weren't actually dating yet, but even then I knew that he was a keeper. Chris is the love of my life and partner in everything. He is an awesome Dad and I can't imagine a single day without him in my life. The photo below was taken last fall by our twelve year old daughter Bailey. We may look a little different, but our love for each other is only getting stronger. I love you babe, and I hope you have a great Valentine's Day.
To all my blog readers, I hope today finds you surrounded by people you love, and I hope you tell them you do!

Alex & Carol Anne's Engagement Photos

2008-02-13T22:05:00.005-05:00

Carol Anne & Alex were so much fun to photograph. These are two people who really love winter in Ontario. Not only are they getting married next January at the beautiful Ben Miller Inn, but they decided that Saturday was the perfect day for their engagement photos, and while we were at it they even built their very own snowman. It was great... cold but great.... did I mention I was just taking photos in Cuba 2 weeks ago... brrr... anyway... their warm and bubbly spirits more than made up for the cool Canadian wind. Here are a few of my favourite photos from our session.

Thanks for a great time guys. Have fun planning your wedding!

More on Cuba

2008-02-12T21:20:00.001-05:00

I know I haven't shared a whole lot of the personal photos I took in Cuba so I thought I'd do up a slideshow that kind of sums up the week. After we booked our trip we had two other couples that decided to join us... our long time friends Joe & Teresa, and my sister-in-law Eileen and her boyfriend Ian. It made for a great week to have other friends to hang out with. Here is a photo summary of our fantastic vacation. Click on the photo to get started. Enjoy!

Here We Grow!!

2008-02-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to announce that Sandra Regier Photography has expanded and now includes a second photographer, Tricia Denomme. Tricia is a great photographer, who has been working assisting me for this past wedding season. She also has been doing some great photography work on her own and has decided that this is not the right time to start her own business, but that joining mine seems like the perfect fit. For anyone who has worked with Tricia & I you know that we are very similar in style and personality. It's kind of scary sometimes how much we think alike. She has been a tremendous asset this past year working as my assistant, and the only part I don't like about sending her out on her own is that she won't be able to hang out with me as much. I'm going to be adding a page to my website with some of Tricia's work on it... look for it in the next week or so. This is a photo of us taken at the "Sandra Regier Photography" first annual Christmas Party....

Tricia this is only the beginning of great things for both of us. I can't wait to see where we are in a year, or two or ten.... life is good and I'm glad you decided to join me for the ride.

So if you are bride and I already have your date booked, drop me a line anyway and I'll see if Tricia is available to help you out.... you'd be lucky to have her shoot your wedding!

Lesley & Derek Trash the Dress

2008-02-07T09:27:00.000-05:00

This was sooo much fun. I have always wanted to Trash the Dress with one of my brides and I can't imagine a better place to do it than in Cuba. I was awesome. Thanks to Lesley & especially Derek for being such good sports. Check out the slideshow by clicking on their photo.

Derek & Lesley's Slideshow

2008-02-04T17:55:00.001-05:00

Hot off the press - here is the slideshow for my first destination wedding. It was so great to go through the photos again... there were some I had forgotten about. I love reliving the emotion of the day through photos, and I'm just the photographer, I can only imagine what it's like for the bride and groom. Check out the slideshow and enjoy!

My Favourite Smiling Eyes

2008-02-02T20:50:00.000-05:00

I may not be exactly impartial, but my favourite "Smiling Eyes" have to belong to none other than my Grandma Asmus.... who is actually my husbands grandma, but I've been around long enough now that I claim her as my own too! Grandma has been fighting cancer in one form or another for about 30 years now. She is 92 years old and still lives in her own apartment at a seniors facility. Infact, I had to book an appointment to take her photo so that it wouldn't interfere with her exercise class. She is one amazing woman. I managed to catch her on a day when her niece Diane was visiting from Michigan. Diane is also fighting cancer, so to have a picture of them both together is extra special. Hat's off to you ladies.... you really are an inspiration to all of us! Love you lots!

Trash the Dress in Cuba

2008-01-31T12:21:00.000-05:00

So.... I know I haven't posted the wedding slideshow yet, but I've had a few requests for some of the shots from my Trash The Dress shoot that I did in Cuba so I thought I'd post them first. One of the big reasons that Lesley decided to take a photographer (lucky me) along to Cuba was so that she could trash her dress for a photo shoot after the wedding. I know that some of my regular readers will find this a little unusual, but it is a big trend in wedding photography right now and I'm sure this won't be the last Trash The Dress shoot I do. For those of you who are sentimental, not to worry, Lesley's dressed washed up as good as new, not a mark on it :) Here are a few of my favourite shots.

Best of Weddings Contest

2008-01-29T14:52:00.000-05:00

For those of you who love to look at wedding photos, I've entered a couple of my images in the "Best of Weddings 2007" contest..... I only entered a couple as you have to pay for each entry, however I figured you can't win if you don't enter .... lol - it's always fun to enter contests and look to see what the competition is. I actually won my first digital camera by entering my name in a ballot box at Sears, so who knows..... Click on the image above to check it out.

There's a first time for everything

2008-01-27T19:00:00.000-05:00

So..... Cuba was absolutely awesome! I can't wait to go back someday. There is so much to blog about I hardly know where to begin, so I thought I'd start at the beginning.... well sort of.... Cuba was full of "firsts" for me.... first destination wedding, first trash the dress, first time out on a boat bigger than a canoe, first time snorkelling, first time riding a dolphin.... and the list goes on and on. Tonight I thought I'd share a few of my personal photos from our Catamaran trip. We left the hotel on Wednesday at 9am and headed to the marina. From there we travelled by boat for about an hour and half to a coral reef where we could do some snorkelling. It was incredible. The coral and the colours of the fish were just amazing. I have a cool little point and shoot digital by Olympus that is waterproof.... like underwater proof to 30' which made it great for taking along snorkelling. Here are a few photos from the day. It was very very cool!

This is a photo of one of the Catamaran we were on. They hold about 75 people, but ours wasn't very full. It was great. Lots of room to move around.

Chris & I on our way out to the snorkelling spot.

An underwater photo on the coral reef.

Looking gorgeous in our snorkelling gear - NOT!!

Petting the dolpins, and of course I had to post a link to my video from my dolphin ride. Click below to check it out.

I promise to share some photos from Trash the Dress this week sometime! Hola~!!

Lesley & Derek's Wedding

2008-01-25T08:07:00.000-05:00

I can hardly put into words how amazing yesterday was! Lesley & Derek had an absolutely magical day. They were married in a little gazebo overlooking the ocean with family and friends looking on. It was wonderful. I think I took close to 2000 photos, but here are just a handful of my favourites. Lesley looked absolutely gorgeous in her gown.

And Derek managed to wear a suit and tie even in the 34 degress plus humidity weather. He was a great sport and looked pretty darn handsome too!

The resort "The Paradisus de Oro" had a private beach for us to use for photos. It was absolutey beautiful. Such a dream to work on.

Lesley had thought of EVERYTHING.... including bringing a parisol for some photos. What an awesome idea. The photos are great!

Aside from the beach, the hotel buildings were all these amazing colours. I couldn't help but stop a few times. The blue was my favourite, but the light was fading fast and much better by the green wall. I think in the long run it worked out perfectly. Love Love Love the colours!!

Congratulations Lesley & Derek. You are two great people with awesome family and friends. It was an absolute honour to be a part of your day. Thanks for bringing me along on your destination wedding!!

Hola from Cuba

2008-01-23T08:06:00.000-05:00

So I'm sure you are dying to hear about my adventures..... sorry no photos to publish yet, but hopefully soon! The resort we are at is beautiful. Ocean front and really really nice. Today we are heading on a Catamaran adventure and we will be swimming with the dolphins... look for pictures late tonight or tomorrow morning. Tomorrow is my big exciting day. I'm heading over to the Paradisus resort to cover Derek & Lesley's wedding. I can't wait. Hopefully the first of many destination weddings for this senora!

Just me

2008-01-16T22:38:00.000-05:00

So as I'm sitting here tonight reading over blogs of some really amazing photographers like Jasmine Star & Jessica Claire, it dawned on me. I almost never blog about myself. When I read their blogs I start to feel like I know them. They are just average people like me, who love what they do. I hope someday to take the same kind of amazing photos they do.... anyway..... the thing that struck me tonight, is that their blogs are so personal. They talk about their life, silly things about themselves, and serious things as well. In today's blog Jasmine was writing about the shoes she wears.... not your amazing photography type stuff, just her. So, I'm going to give it a try and here's why.... when I'm working with people I can take good photos, but when I get to know them a bit and they start to feel comfortable with me, that's when the magic begins. It's like we connect in at an entirely different level. They let down their guard and they aren't afraid to show me who they really are. It's hard to make capture an amazing personal moment when it doesn't happen. So this year, I'm going to do my best to let you get to know me a little better through my blogs. Hopefully I don't bore you to death in the process.

So here we go.... entirely unrelated fact number 1 - I'm am the picture of organized chaos. At any given moment the top of my desk is cluttered with photos, bills, cheques, art from my kids, my cell phone, some hair mousse that hasn't made it's way up to the bathroom yet, and goodness only knows what else.... but I almost always know where stuff is.... I have on occasion put things away in such a safe spot that even I can't find it, but I get that honestly, right Mom?? That being said, I am a girl that knows how to get stuff done. I often have people tell me "I don't know how you do everything", and to be honest, I don't know either, but it works for me, so for the time being I'm going to run with it. Today was a busy day. I got up at 7:30 and got my five kids off to school, headed into London by 9:30 and did my last minute vacation shopping, went to the bank, made it back in to Zurich time for the PTA meeting at 4pm, came home and made dinner, took my 12 year old daughter Bailey to guitar lessons at 6:50, read some books with my 6 year old son, Warren, helped Caroline who is 9 with her knitting, cleaned up dinner, got the kids off to bed, did some photo editing, put away some of the stuff I bought today, talked on the phone with Chris who is in Miami this week on business, fed the dog and cat, and now I'm ready to call it a night.... I guess I'll grab the wayward hair mousse and head up to bed... goodnight :)

Corry & Trevor's Slideshow

2008-01-11T15:25:00.000-05:00

Click on the screenshot below to watch Corry & Trevor's slideshow.It would seem they have the same great taste in music as Laura & Ken - Great song by the way... love it!!

Mr & Mrs Steinberg

2008-01-10T12:14:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday I had the honour and privelege of photographing Lloyd & Leona Steinberg. They are celebrating their 60th Wedding Anniversary today. Congratulations! They are such a wonderful couple. He still calls her his girl, and when they sat for their photo, they automatically held hands. Lloyd absolutely adores Leona, and the feelings are quite mutual. Leona was wearing the beautiful diamond earrings and necklace that Lloyd gave her for their anniversary. It warmed my heart to know that love can last for 60 years and longer! Here are a few of the photos we took.

Lloyd is a World War II Vetran.... these are some of his medals.

And this is a photo of them holding their wedding portrait.

Congratulations Lloyd & Leona, all the best for continued health and happiness!!

Ken & Laura's Slideshow

2008-01-08T08:41:00.000-05:00

To view Ken & Laura's slideshow just click on the image below.

12 Days and Counting

2008-01-07T12:16:00.000-05:00

In just 12 short days I will be on my way to Cuba. I am soo excited in so many ways. Last March when I went to WPPI convention in Las Vegas I started to dream that I may someday have the opportunity to take destination wedding photos.... to be honest the thought never crossed my mind before. Now less than a year later, with thanks to Derek & Lesley, I'm going to be realizing that very dream. I LOVE taking wedding photos, and to know that people value my work enough to bring me with them to capture their wedding is an incredible compliment. I can't wait!
I'm also excited on a personal note.... my husband and biggest fan is coming along for the trip. Chris & I started dating when I was just 15 years old.... in March we will have been a couple for 18 years.... we celebrated our 14th Wedding Anniversary in September 2007. This photo of us was taken by our oldest daugher - Bailey on my birthday in October... she's a pretty good little photographer!

In all of those years we have never been south. We've travelled a few times visiting Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Mt. Tremblant, Tennesse, and others... Chris travels alot for his job and every so often I get the chance to tag along with him. BUT in all those years we've never gone anywhere warm.... and don't get away very often without our kids.... so this is going to be a real treat. Chris is going to be having a few crash courses in assisting.... don't worry Trish, I don't think there's much chance of him taking over on you next summer :)

I'm also busy this week trying to book my convention in Vegas in March again... who knows what I will be inspired to dream about next......

Ken & Laura's wedding photos are on my agenda this afternoon, so hopefully I will be posting their slideshow later today. Cheers!!