Michelle & Family - Fall 2018

Well, it took 3 attempts but we finally made it happen! Michelle had booked her family for our Fall Blitz that was to take place on Sunday September 16th, but as that day approached, Edmonton was hit with rain/snow/wind that made an outdoor shoot impossible. With the forecast for Saturday September 22nd looking so much nicer we re-scheduled the Blitz for that day. That day approached and it ended up being worse than the Sunday so we had to end up cancelling our Blitz altogether.

Edmonton did warm up in the weeks to follow and we ended up scheduling a session with Michelle on October 20th. While it ended up being quite windy, it was quite nice out!! The challenge editing the photos from the session was scanning through the 15 photos of a setup to find the one or two where Michelle’s hair wasn’t blowing across her face. Luckily those shots existed (the advantage of digital photography and being able to take so many shots and not worry about the cost of developing film for sure).

 Take a look at some of the images from the session that took place around the new Royal Alberta Museum:

Julie & Tehl's Wedding

We first met Julie & Tehl back in June of 2017 when Tehl had booked us for a portrait session as a Mother’s Day gift for Julie. Tehl used Facebook to search for a photographer and someone was kind enough to recommend us for the job (always very much appreciated!!).

When it came time for these two to get married, they let us know of their engagement by email and added: “Of course we would like you guys to be our photographers!” And we were thrilled to hear it!!

This wedding was so unique. It all took place in and around their acreage just south of Leduc. Julie got ready at their house and Tehl got ready at a hotel in Leduc. Dave spent time with Julie while she got ready and I was with Tehl. We all met up at a place called The Old Red Barn for their first look. We also took some amazing photos of the couple inside the barn after the first look. What a great space! We all headed to Tehl’s gym for a few more photos as well.

After the gym, we went our separate ways once again. Tehl got his two boys dressed back at the hotel and Julie got her son ready at the house. Then it was time for the ceremony. The outdoor setting on their acreage was just perfect.

Once they were officially wed we headed back to The Old Red Barn to get photos of the whole gang. Luckily the barn was only a 2-minute drive from their house.

With the formal photo portion of the day complete we all zipped back to their acreage for the reception. Tehl did a great job converting the Quonset on their property into a wedding reception space. It looked like it was intended for receptions all along! The camper-turned-bar known as The Old Fashioned (supplied by the same people that run The Old Red Barn) was such a unique touch! So was the fact that dinner featured an actual pig roast!

We cannot say enough about how great it was to work with these two. A true joy indeed!! We couldn’t be happier for them and wish them all the happiness in the world.

Take a look at just some of the images we captured on their big day:

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2018 Spring Portrait Blitz

We held our annual Spring Portrait Blitz in and around the new Norquest building on 108 Street and 102 Avenue this year. The building looks fantastic! The area around the building is also full of nice little spots that allowed us to capture some great images of the groups that took part in the event.

The day ended up being quite warm and sunny. Clouds were not to be seen at all. On a regular day, we're all for that. The trouble is that it makes things a little tricky for photography - people with squinting eyes don't seem to make the greatest photos - so we were a little bummed that it was so clear, but we still managed to work it out. We always love the challenge of getting the best photos possible in ANY situation.

We tried to keep the gallery to around 30 total photos to share, but there were too many that we loved. Some are just too fun to not share... so we did 2 galleries. Here is a sampling from the many sessions we held on the day. 

Professional Portrait Blitz

A few weeks ago, we held our very first indoor Blitz. We were very lucky enough to get access to a show home from Kanvi Homes. This home was beautifully staged and looked fantastic! The idea of this Blitz was to provide professional people with photos that were different than the typical plain white background image that so many others seem to have on their LinkedIn/Facebook/websites. This seemed to really attract realtors to the session. Of the 7 that joined us for the day, 6 of them are realtors.

We are very happy with the images we were able to capture on the day. Giving everyone several different options to present to their prospective clients was the goal and we’re confident this goal was met!

A big thank you to Kanvi Homes for allowing us to use this beautiful home (that has since sold by the way!).

For more information on those involved on the day, please see below:

Kanvi Homes: https://www.kanvihomes.com/
Erin Sneazwell: http://erin.yegpicklocal.com/
Craig Finnman: http://craigfinnman.ca/
Derek Burak: https://www.century21.ca/derek.burak
Bill Jennerich: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Loadersells/posts/?ref=page_internal
Shawna & Robert Eskiw: http://www.homeinedmonton.com/
Sandy Pon: http://sandypon.com/

Take a look at some of the photos from the Blitz: 

Shawna & Robert Eskiw

Derek Burak

Sandy Pon

Bill Jennerich

Craig Finnman

Erin Sneazwell

Boardwalk Ice On Whyte Festival

Dave and I had the pleasure of being the photographers for the Boardwalk Ice On Whyte festival this year. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a winter festival with an ice carving competition, ice carving lessons, an ice bar, and many other activities. It was held from January 25 to February 11 in the Whyte Ave area (across the street from El Cortez).

The ice carving competition is actually quite intense! The carvers of the 8 sculptures hail from all around the world (Netherlands, France, Mexico, Nepal, Poland, and others) and create unbelievable works of art out of giant slabs of ice. Take a look at some of these creations:

The winners of this year’s competition were The Baisis Brothers from Canada and the Philippines. Their sculpture was named Alliance (the one with the warrior on top of spider legs).  Here they are accepting their first place prize:

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The ice carving lessons (Big Chippers for the adults, L’il Chippers for the kids) were a lot of fun. Participants get a slab of ice, trace a design on top, then carve out their own piece of art. One of the best things for Dave and I was the fact these lessons took place in a heated igloo tent. It was C-O-L-D out there during the festival. It’s not so bad when you can wear giant gloves and/or keep your hands in your pockets, but having to use your fingers to take photos made for some icy hands. The heated igloo was our savior for sure!

Here is a look at some of the L’il Chippers in action:

And the Big Chippers having their fun:

The adults warmed up in a fantastic ice bar that was next to the ice carving lessons igloo. And by ice bar, I mean the actual bar was made out of ice! It was cool! (pun intended).

Inside the ice bar, you could get warmed up with hot chocolate mixed with different spirits, or have a cold beer. Also made out of ice was a giant sculpture that served as a luge for pouring shots down.  Check out some of the action at the ice bar:

On Sunday, February 4th, El Cortez hosted the Whiskey Stew Off. This was a stew-making competition with a twist: the chefs from 4 different restaurants around town had to use only local ingredients and also use whiskey from Hansen Distillery (one of the festival sponsors) in their creation. Dave can tell you that each of the competitors made delicious stews!! The winners were the chefs from Meat. Here are some photos from the competition:

As you can see, the festival was pretty darn fun. Mark it on your calendars to attend next year.

Tips for your Wedding Day

As you probably noticed in your social media feeds, many couples get engaged over the holidays. Having photographed a lot of weddings over the years, Dave and I have seen some amazing things done at these weddings, and we have seen some things that didn’t quite work out as planned. We thought we’d take a moment to share a few of these observations with those of you who will be planning weddings this coming year. These tips are not just about making the photos as good as can be, but also about having your day go as smoothly as possible.

Engagement Shoot

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Many couples have never taken part in a professional photo shoot prior to their wedding day.  If at all possible, try and book a wedding photography package that includes an engagement shoot. This session will give you an idea of what to expect on your big day.

Another advantage of an engagement session is location. Not having the time constraints that you will on your wedding day allows you to consider locations that you probably can’t get to on the big day.

Centerpieces

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We have seen some beautiful centerpieces in our time shooting weddings. Pinterest has provided couples with some really amazing ideas that are great DIY projects. One thing to keep in mind is the height of the centerpiece. When your guests are sitting at their tables, it is challenging to speak with the people across the table if there is a giant obstruction in the way.

Shaving

Grooms should shave the day/night before the wedding, especially if they are prone to razor burn. Having that extra time will give your skin time to recover from the sting of the blade so you don’t look like you have sunburn on your chin. This advice goes for the ladies as well. Legs and underarms can benefit from a cooldown period.

Family Photos Location

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Once the ceremony is complete, most couples want to have photos taken with their Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, siblings etc. Some couples try and come up with a special location for these photos and that might require travel time. If there is a place that is very significant for you then this is perfectly acceptable, however, ultimately the background for these photos is not very visible in these photos so traveling to another location might not be as ideal as you’d think. We try and find a location around where the ceremony is held that will be a nice backdrop. A bonus tip is to prepare a list of the people/combinations you would like to include in the family photo portion (we have a document we provide to couples that helps them figure this out).

Food During the Day

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Eating during the day is obviously important, but it’s not as easy as you’d think. Once the Wedding Party is off for the formal photo portion of the day there isn’t always a chance for eating. A good idea is to pack some snacks and drinks in a cooler for your Wedding Party.

A better option we’ve discovered is to plan a stop at a pub between the ceremony and the reception. This gives everyone a time to eat, drink, and be merry while providing us photographers with a great opportunity to capture photos of you and those closest to you having fun together.

"First-Aid" Kit

Have the Best Man or Maid of Honour pack a little selection of items that might be a day-saver. Some items that are quite small but can be quite powerful are:

  • Band-aids
  • Tylenol/Advil
  • Sewing kit
  • Travel size hairspray
  • Tide Pen

Clinking of the glasses

There was a time when wedding guests really went overboard with the clinking. This started a whole movement of couples/emcees coming up with elaborate steps someone had to take in order to see the couple kiss. The good news is that the weddings we've been to in the last few years where clinking is allowed have been quite reasonable. One wedding set it up with the crowd that clinking was acceptable, but if it got out of hand they had a backup plan.

We hope you find these tips helpful when planning your big day. If you would like to meet up with us to discuss how we might fit into your wedding day plans, you can leave us a comment below. Check out some of our wedding photography at dbphotographics.ca/galleries/weddings.

Happy new year!

brad & dave

Fall Portrait Blitz - Team Shaina

Another returning family to the Portrait Blitz. The last time we met up with them though, they didn't have their newest addition! We were so happy to meet the little fella. He did great during the session and it is clear that his big sister loves him. 

It is also clear that she loves their dog - but we're glad for that, as always, since their snuggling makes for great photos!

Take a look at some of the photos from the most recent session with them:

Emily-Anne & Jen - The Wedding

What a day! We had so much fun with Emily-Anne and Jennifer on their wedding day. It was a day full of laughs – just like their engagement session was.

One of the highlights of the day was when we were taking photos around Le Marchand Mansion when two people working in the building came out to speak with us. We were pretty certain they were going to tell us we weren’t allowed to be taking photos on the property, but instead, they asked us if we wanted to go up on the roof to take some photos. Umm…. Yes please??!!?? The view was incredible from up there. The sky was fog-like due to the smoke coming into town from forest fires around Alberta. While we certainly weren’t happy that the fires were going on, it did make for some dreamy backgrounds for their photos.

Their outdoor ceremony was beautiful. Having their guests form a semi-circle was such a nice touch. The speeches they wrote for each other brought tears to everyone’s eyes, while still managing to make everyone laugh, too. 

After the ceremony, we headed to Red Star Pub to relax, have a drink or two, grab some food, and take some photos. The staff of Red Star was very accommodating to us and we appreciate it very much!

The great day continued with the reception at the Old Timers Cabin. The room was truly breathtaking! Wedding planner Maggie from MB&COMPANY did such a great job making sure everything looked top-notch. Great speeches, delicious food (catered by Culina), a double bouquet toss, cutting of the most amazing wedding cake ever, followed by non-stop dancing to music played by the outstanding DJ Kwake (seriously... the best DJ we've ever worked with - the dance floor is never empty when he's on the scene!) made the evening one of our favourites.

We are so happy for these two and wish them a life of complete happiness together. 

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Fall Portrait Blitz - Team Lindsay

Lindsay and the family joined us a few years ago for a blitz session and decided it was time to update their photo album. We were so glad to see them again. 

The one challenge with their session is that their youngest had JUST lost a tooth the night before and was very self-conscious about his smile and tried to hide from the camera as much as possible. It took us a little bit, but we got him to let his guard down!

Take a look at some of the shots from their most recent session:

Fall Portrait Blitz - Team Jen

Jen, Dave, and little Z joined us again for another Blitz and Z stole our hearts again! I am pretty sure this little lady has a smile every second of her life and that makes it pretty great for getting fun photos of her. 

This time around the little superstar didn't want to give up her shades! She finally gave them up once Dad decided HE would wear them. She seemed pretty happy about that.

Check out some photos from their session:

Fall Portrait Blitz - Team Walsh

Another first time blitzer, the Walsh's were the last session of the day, and did we ever have a good time. At first, we did run into a little camera shyness from the little ones  but tickles and tosses in the air and they really warmed up. So much so that the "posing" broke out and almost couldn't be stopped. 

Thanks for joining us for the photo blitz. We can't wait to see you again.

Fall Portrait Blitz - Team Day

We love the fact  that during this blitz, we had 3 former wedding couples return with their budding or soon to be budding families. For the Day family, their return in front of the lens was overtaken by the newest addition to the family. This little dude stole the show.

I don't think I've ever seen such a camera cool kid. Every time we were ready for a shot, this little man would whip his head around with the biggest smile. Can't wait to see this kid grow up.

Anne & Joe's Wedding

For whatever reason, we seem to book a lot of nurses for weddings. That works out great for us because they have all been amazing to work with. While Anne is not a nurse, she does work at a hospital and that’s how she heard about our work. She got to see it first hand when the bride or groom brought their wedding album in to show everyone at work. Nothing like some free advertising! HA!

You may remember that we held their engagement session at the same time an Edmonton Oiler playoff game was starting. Well, good news/bad news was that the Oilers were out of the playoffs by their wedding day.

Anne & Joe’s day was filled with many events. Apart from the regular Ceremony and Reception there was a tea ceremony, a first look, and several fun games that the Groom and his Groomsmen had to participate in before the Bride would make her appearance.

The Ceremony and Reception were both held at the Edmonton Marriott at River Cree Resort. Because we did not have to travel from venue to venue it allowed us to get a lot of photos in a shorter amount of time.

The weather cooperated as well. We didn’t get rained on in spite of threatening clouds. It actually got quite nice out!

All-in-all everyone had a great time! We are very happy for Anne & Joe!

Emily Anne & Jennifer - Engagement Session

Today is the wedding of Emily-Anne & Jennifer. We are so excited for these two!!

We were also very excited to shoot their engagement shoot. Often couples suggest doing their session at the Legislature Building (commonly know to us locals as "The Leg"). Now, nothing against The Leg, but it actually isn't the most amazing place for photos. It's a great place to visit, and it is beautiful to be around, but from a photography standpoint, it isn't that dynamic. But, the fact that these two both work at The Leg and got us access to take photos inside, that was exciting to us!!

For the shots outside the sun was definitely on our side so we used it as often as we could. Then we got to go inside. That was so good!

The Leg is truly a magnificent building. Dave and I were pretty happy with the multitude of locations we found to take photos of the happy couple. Since they work in the building and see it as "the workplace", I suspect they thought we were a bit strange for being so excited. If you think about it, who ever thinks their workplace is "photo-worthy"? But after we showed them a few of the photos we got during the session they were won over. Sometimes seeing things through someone else's eyes makes it appear different than how you pictured it. 

We can't wait to spend their wedding day with them today. The engagement session was so fun and I know the wedding is going to be full of fun as well. 

- brad

Biddy & The Whole Family

We have been taking photos of Biddy and her immediate family for many years now, but recently we had a fantastic opportunity to photograph her extended family!! Her sister and brother-in-law and their kids were visiting Edmonton all the way from England so they figured it would be a glorious opportunity to get the whole family together for a photo shoot. Not everyone was on board. Her brother is not the most comfortable with getting his photo taken, and same can be said of Biddy's Mom. So we knew we had our work cut out for us. We were up for the challenge!!

I'm happy to report that we were successful in winning over these two! In fact, after the session, some comments from her Mom and brother included: 

"They were so fun!" "Wow they were so good" "Can we do it again next year?" "Maybe we can get your dad out". ---- VICTORY!!!

I know we've said it at least a dozen times, but we are so lucky to get to work with such great people. Yes, Dave has known Biddy for many years, but I have only known her since we started doing their family photos over the last few years. And now I feel like I'm part of their family. That's pretty cool in my books.

- brad