Lakehouse Photography

2011-08-17T15:55:00.000-04:00

Last night my wife and I, and a few friends, went to see Amber Reigns at the Fort Erie Race Track. They've built a new Tiki Bar outside where bands perform beside the track. What a great marketing idea to get more local people to come and enjoy this beautiful race track! Amber Reigns is a Fort Erie band who've just completed a North American tour. Their next project is some time in the studio to work on their next album. I shot some promo pics for them last year and am really hoping these guys keep gaining in popularity. I've also used one of their songs for a high school portrait promo on my YouTube page. Their music style is gritty but very tight after a summer of traveling live shows. Check them out on their Amber Reigns website or on their Facebook page.

Here's a few shots from last night's gig.

2011-07-30T22:36:00.000-04:00

Butterfly Conservatory of Niagara Falls, Ontario

Yesterday I had the opportunity to be a tourist in Niagara Falls as I showed a friend from Japan some of the local attractions. I'd never been to the Butterfly Conservatory before, despite spending a good part of my life in the region. I felt like a kid in an enchanted forest! It is an absolutely wondrous place to visit and I'll definitely be back soon. Everywhere you look there are butterflies of varying sizes, shapes and colors. Some of them flit about, occasionally landing on the visitors. As a photographer, it was paradise. Luckily I had brought along my Canon 70-200 IS USM lens which allowed me to capture some of the more distant butterflies. I'm thinking of bringing a macro lens next time too as many of them were too close for my long lens. If you're in Niagara, either as a visitor or a resident, I heartily recommend you check this place out!

2011-07-26T12:48:00.002-04:00

Kyoto, City

Testing out Animoto's direct posting to Blogger. Here's an older vid I made of my 'other hometown' of Kyoto, Japan. One of the most historic and beautiful places I've ever been, and I've been to a lot of countries! Click the Kyoto, City link above to see the vid.

2011-07-25T23:45:00.000-04:00

Today was Day 1 of jogging. Time to get rid of this little pot belly I've started carrying around. As a former Phys. Ed. major, Infantry soldier, sub-40 min 10k runner I'm really not used to being in this condition. Sucks! I also managed to get back into my garage gym for some weight training. The weight training I've always loved, the jogging usually takes a while before I start enjoying it again.
I truly believe in the mind body connection. These past 2 years I've devoted so much time to growing this business that I've neglected the body part. No more! The rush I feel from a good workout generally translates into a day filled with positive energy. Next to add the yoga back onto the list!

2011-07-22T13:48:00.000-04:00

I wanna shoot....

This is the topic of a new feature for Lakehouse Photography which I've announced today on my Facebook business page.

Here are the details:

I'm starting a new feature here at Lakehouse Photography called "I wanna shoot..."

I'll announce a shot or session type that I wanna shoot, providing specific requirements. These sessions will most likely be a little out of the ordinary, in terms of location, lighting, props and editing. Hopefully we'll get some very cool images.

As these shoots will be mostly my vision, there will be no session fee and a minimum purchase of only $100.

Of that $100, I will donate $50 to a local charity.

Some of these sessions will require very specific weather/light/time so those with more flexibility on scheduling will be given higher priority.

If you meet the shot requirements, place a message under the topic heading and tell me why I should choose you for this session.

If you have an idea for a creative shot, feel free to send me your suggestions!

No doubt some tweaking of this idea will be in order, but it should be interesting and fun for sure! Most of these shoots will be nearby or at least in the Niagara Region. For my first I wanna shoot... session, I'm looking for a beautiful, young lady with long, fiery red hair. She needs to have a long, deep red, flowing dress. My plan is to shoot her in a field at sunset with some red light on the background. Will it be the stunning shot I envision? Who knows, but I need to start shooting some creative projects to expand my range and portfolio. Oh, and just to have a blast trying out new techniques. Wish me luck!

2011-07-20T23:50:00.000-04:00

I put together a few of my favorite shots taken of students over the last year or two. Trying to develop a market for high school senior portrait photography, here in the Niagara Region. I just love the energy young people bring to a shoot. They are also more likely to enjoy the edgy style of lighting I'm fond of, along with some funky, stylistic editing.
The music here is from the band Amber Reigns from right here in Fort Erie. They're currently on tour somewhere in the southern US, but I believe they'll be back up here later this summer. Great bunch of guys with a unique, hard-driving sound. Check them out if they swing by your town.

2011-07-18T12:18:00.000-04:00

Here's a few shots from the wedding of Kevin & Leanne. A beautiful outdoor wedding at The Hilton Garden Inn in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This was one of several weddings where I've had the pleasure of being the 2nd shooter for Jesse James Giammattolo. Being a second shooter, affords me the opportunity to try out a lot of shots without the pressure of being the primary shooter.
To be honest, when I first became a professional photographer booking my own weddings, I found weddings to be so stressful that I considered not booking any more of them! As my experience grew from being both the primary and secondary shooter, I've learned to love shooting them. Wedding photography is an exhausting, time consuming endeavor requiring a myriad of photographic abilities. All of that coupled with the time crunch and the absolute necessity of 'getting the shot' make for a very challenging day. However, being able to share one of the most important days in a young couple's life is an extraordinary honor that I feel fortunate to be a part of, each and every time.
After the wedding is finished, the bulk of the work is yet to be done. So much of what a photographer does is not about clicking the shutter. I personally love reviewing and editing the wedding images. Choosing the right images to tell the story of the day and editing them to bring out the best in each and every image is always a thrill.

If you're planning a wedding for 2012 in the Niagara Region or anywhere in Southern Ontario, contact me soon! In September 2011, Lakehouse Photography wedding rates will be increasing as I expand my services and product lines. Book now and receive the current rates!

2011-07-15T15:35:00.000-04:00

A fellow photographer recently reminded me of the importance blogging both for SEO purposes and more importantly, as a way to connect with current and prospective clients. So, with that in mind, I bought some cool new photo blogging software that makes it easy to create the collages like the one you see above. These are all shots taken of students from the Niagara Region. Apparently it helps to use the bold, italics and underline functions on the keywords too. Ah, so much to learn about SEO. If you have any tips, be sure to let me know.

Anyhow, back to the photography. I love shooting all kinds of things, including weddings, kids, pets, landscapes... pretty much anything that has great light, either natural or light I create. That being said, it is my hope to develop the high school senior portrait market in this area. As some of you may know, high school senior portrait photography is as much a part of high school life as proms to our neighbors south of the border. It has caught on in a few places in Canada, but not here... yet!

Despite the fact that today's teens have a million photos of themselves, very few have images like those you see above. It is my hope to provide this service to grads (and their parents!) so that they have something more than just crazy snapshots from their senior year. As they go off to uni or college or into the workforce, they'll undoubtedly change as they take on new challenges in life and meet new friends. You can't keep your kids the way they are forever, but you can have images of them taken at this exciting time in their lives, that you will cherish forever.

Give me a call if your son or daughter has just graduated from high school and we'll talk about a session planned just for them. I'll be rolling out a promo offer for this type of session within the next few days, so keep an eye on this blog (yes, I'll update it more - really) and my Lakehouse Photography Facebook page for details.

Call me at 289-407-8559 or email me at lakehouse@cogeco.ca

2011-01-17T20:05:00.000-05:00

Hello 2011!

So apparently keeping up with a blog is a lot like exercise. Once you stop it's tough to get started again! A lot has happened since I last posted. Most importantly, my wife Iori got her permanent resident visa! That's a big relief for both of us. She also went home to Japan for a month to visit her family. It was a long month for me and Dekker taking care of each other.

During the holidays I did spend a lot of time assessing the progress of Lakehouse Photography over the past year or so. It's been an exciting time and I've made a lot of progress. I've also made a lot of rookie business mistakes. So I've set some lofty goals for 2011 that will make this business grow by leaps and bounds. I've got some very unique backgrounds on order and have really gotten control of my lighting. The great thing about photography is that there are always more things to learn. I've got quite a few weddings booked for 2011 and am looking forward to creating some beautiful memories for those couples. I'm also shooting lots of kids, babies, high school students, dogs, cats, families and models. Hopefully I'll have some time to get out and shoot landscapes and whatever else catches my eye.

Well, I've got a very full day planned for tomorrow so that's it for now. Now that I'm 'back on the bike' I'll be sure to make more regular postings.

Sayonara

Here's a shot of my beautiful wife after traveling over 30 hours from Japan, stuck in Chicago airport for 9 hours, and still looks like a million bucks! I'm a lucky guy.

2010-12-14T22:30:00.000-05:00

My wife Iori went home to Japan for a month to visit her family so Dekker and I have been surviving alone. Had a busy weekend just past. Shot a Pet Pics with Santa charity event to raise funds for the Fort Erie SPCA. Lots of beautiful dogs, a few cats, and even some ferrets!

Later that night I shot portraits for the Peace Bridge Duty Free Christmas party held at Cherry Hill Golf Club in Ridgeway, Ontario. Shot, printed and put in frames on site with a full studio lighting setup and no assistant. Left my house at 8:30am and got home at 11pm with only a bowl of cereal for brekkie. Very long, very tiring day but I loved every minute of it! Lots of happy people with photos that make them smile.

2010-12-02T20:26:00.001-05:00

Great day today! Siblings Emily and Steph came over to the studio for a shoot. Lots of great images from these two young ladies.

Then I was notified that some of my favorite photographs from my second home of Kyoto, Japan were published on the website Deep Kyoto. I was asked to submit 5 photographs and give a little description of the photo. Narrowing down the tens of thousands of images from my time in Japan was quite the challenge. It also made me really miss Kyoto. My wife Iori is going home to Kyoto next week. I'm so jealous! I'll be busy in the studio and making plans for 2011! With the support of the kind people of Fort Erie and area, Lakehouse Photography will be making some big changes in the coming year.

2010-11-28T19:06:00.000-05:00

Iori and I had a great time at the Big Brothers and Sisters Christmas party at the Fort Erie Legion. I'm not sure what Iori wished for but I'm hoping it was at least one day off for her darling husband.

Today we had a few people stop by for our free Facebook profile photo session for Movember. Met some new people and got some great shots. Even managed to catch the end of the Bills game. As usual they managed to find a new way to lose it in the end.

I'll be happy when this month is over and I can shave this dustmop off my face too!

2010-11-27T12:08:00.004-05:00

Had a great time assisting Robert Nowell for a corporate event at the Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto last night. Entertainment provided my the very talented Canadian singer Matt Dusk.

Today I'm off to the Fort Erie Legion to shoot a Big Brothers and Sisters event with Santa. Movember studio shoot tomorrow and hopefully the Toys for Tots event at the Ridgeway Legion.

2010-11-25T22:42:00.000-05:00

What a difference a few days makes. Everything is going smoothly now. Orders out, churning through some proofing, designing materials for promotions, phone is ringing for appointments, learning some new techniques.
I'm really looking forward to spending the winter in the studio. I love shooting outdoors too, but having complete control over all the light doing a studio shoot really gets my creative juices flowing.

2010-11-22T23:03:00.000-05:00

Well the eye is feeling better today but the string of bad luck continued today. Lost the key to my mailbox and had to cut the lock off. No mail either. At least no mail means no bills! Off to document the Niagara Falls PC Riding Nomination tomorrow night, and to support my fellow Western alumnus Sandy Annunziata. Then on Wednesday morning I'll be attending an assembly at RCBHS to formally announce my donation of this season's football photographs in exchange for donations to C.O.P.E. Have to hurry off to a rare morning family photo shoot after that. Looks like the rain may clear up for Wednesday but I'll believe it when I see it.

2010-11-21T20:52:00.000-05:00

Great weekend of shooting! Shot the Santa Claus Parade here in Fort Erie on Saturday. Today we went to the mouth of the Niagara River to shoot the Climenhage family earlier this afternoon. Then later we shot Louise and Carter just a short distance away. Best thing is that I didn't break any gear! I did get a stick in my eye when we were packing up though. Fortunately I don't have to send it to Canon for repairs.

2010-11-18T23:49:00.000-05:00

I've never been so close to success and so close to failure at the same time. To tell you the truth it can be a little tiresome. Winds of change be blowin', one way or another.

2010-11-16T23:41:00.000-05:00

So when is this Movember stuff finished? Oh, right... still a ways to go. I think I'd rather have a beard than this thing.

2010-11-10T23:29:00.000-05:00

My wife, who claims she never wins anything, won the draw at the Bridges Community Health Center . A big gift basket courtesy of Larry Boggio of the Ridgeway IDA Pharmacy. I'm thinking she should buy a lottery ticket next. Here she is receiving the basket from Amy Deveraux of Bridges.

2010-11-08T23:22:00.000-05:00

Another busy day of ordering, editing, handing prints to happy clients, booking, fixing Iori's new cell phone, searching airlines for a ticket home for her to visit her family, phone calls, emails, texts... ho hum, what to do with all this free time. :)

An oldy but a goodie.

2010-11-07T22:55:00.000-05:00

The Ridgeway Blue Devils football season has come to an end. I managed to get out and shoot 4 games, the last one being a long drive and cold day. I'm now working on a plan to donate all the files to the team in exchange for food donations to C.O.P.E. (a local food bank). I'm also hoping to set up a football portrait shoot with some of the guys. Now thinking of my next pro bono project.

With Remembrance Day approaching I got thinking about doing some free portraits for local veterans. Do you know anyone in the Ridgeway, Fort Erie, Crystal Beach, Stevensville area who is a World War veteran, and might be willing to sit and chat with me for a few minutes while I take their photo? I'll shoot them anywhere they like. Hmm... maybe I should choose my words more carefully with these guys. I'm sure many of them wouldn't take kindly to being asked permission for me to shoot them!

I've also volunteered to shoot the Pet Pics with Santa event for the Fort Erie SPCA on Saturday, Dec. 11. Check it out on Facebook for details if you're interested.

2010-11-05T23:39:00.000-04:00

Does this look like a $1,300 photo to you? I hope so as that's what it cost me. A second after this shot my camera and lens on a tripod did a faceplant into the sand as I tried to move my bag to avoid a rogue wave. Thought it would just need some repairs as it was just moist and had some sand in the rings. Canon repair center informed me today that the lens cannot be repaired. On a positive note, I've never really loved that $1,300 lens like I do my Canon 70-200 IS USM lens.

So, who would like to buy this gorgeous photo as a one-time only canvas print in a nice big size? I'll even come down from $1,300 a little. lol

2010-11-03T12:44:00.000-04:00

November is here and soon the bulk of my outdoor portrait photography business will come to an end for the winter. I do know of one place where the trees have not even fully changed color yet though, so there's still time to book your outdoor family portrait session! I've heard it's because they are ash trees and they typically change colors later. Last year those trees were their most colorful in late November.

Of course, having the good fortune to live near a big, beautiful lake means we can make beautiful portraits any time of the year, if you don't mind a little chill.

Spending less time shooting outdoors just means that I'll have more time to shoot in my small, but fully-equipped studio! I love studio work as it allows me complete control over the light to provide my clients with outstanding images. Whether it be kids, small families, babies, maternity, couples, pets, business portraits or any combination of them, you're guaranteed to love the wonderful images we create in my studio.

2010-10-31T22:04:00.000-04:00

Today Iori was even more exuberant than usual. For those of you who haven't met my wife, she really is one of those people that you can't help but love within minutes of meeting her. She was quite excited to put on her costume early today to visit Gram and then to mom & Tom's. That's where she really started to vibrate as she handed out candy and did her best to scare the kids that came to the door. This was only her second Halloween in Canada. We did attend Halloween parties in Japan with lots of crazy costumes, but handing out candy to kids isn't part of the culture there yet.
I tried to get some work done today after watching a bit of the Buffalo Bills 7th consecutive loss. Working on some new product lines, business relationships, pricing packages, gift certificate programs, projection sales ideas, and a whole lot of other things that hopefully will put me over the poverty level soon! lol

2010-10-30T23:39:00.001-04:00

A busy weekend so far! Shot the Stevensville Public School Halloween parade on Friday morning. Our friends Michiko and Robert have a daughter attending that school and Michiko thought we might like to come and watch. The costumes were absolutely amazing! So much better than we used to have. Then after a quick battery charge and downloading of memory cards, I was off to shoot the Ridgeway Crystal Beach High School football game vs Port Colborne. The first playoff game for the Blue Devils in... something like 30 or 40 years! Not that they weren't good enough to win in all that time; they just didn't have a team for all those years. These young men emerged the victors and will move on to the next game. I'm hoping to make it out and shoot the next game if I'm not booked for a shoot. Today it was down to the lakeside for a windy and chilly shoot with Louise and Carter. Both managed to bear the cold long enough for me to get some memorable shots. Tomorrow it's another day of editing, ordering, planning and maybe a few hours of watching football. Lots of changes coming to Lakehouse Photography in the very near future so stay tuned for details!

A few shots from the last couple of days for you to enjoy.

2010-10-29T08:57:00.006-04:00

Missed my blog post yesterday. Boo! Having a $1,200 lens do a faceplant in the wet sand at 7am really put a crimp in my day. I'll make it up with 2 posts today though.

As the cold weather starts to move in, I'm working on plans for fully utilizing my studio over the winter. It's unheated so remedying that has got to be at the top of the to-do list. I have a small heater in there but I'll need something more powerful for when I shoot babies. They need a really warm room to be lying around naked (who doesn't?). I'm also working on developing some mutually beneficial business relationships. If you're a business owner, especially one with some wall space that needs filling, give me a call and I'll see what I can do to help you.

Today I'm off to shoot the RCBHS football team's first playoff game. (Ridgeway Crystal Beach High School for those of you not from these parts). I've shot a few games already and both have been in a steady rain. Got some good shots but I'd really like to not have to worry about trying to keep my gear dry while shooting. Especially after yesterday's debacle! So far the weather forecast looks like it may be dry, though cold, this afternoon.

With Halloween upon us, I know many of you will be shooting photographs of your kids in costumes. A couple of things you should do to help you get the best shots. First, bring the camera down to their level. Don't stand up and shoot down on them all the time! Second, fill the frame. Use that zoom function you may not know your camera has and make your child fill the entire frame of the camera. Then move/zoom closer an fill the entire frame with their face. Have them stand by a window, or outside and turn off the flash if you haven't read your manual enough to control the flash.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-27T22:59:00.001-04:00

This place reminds me of the Pink Floyd line from The Wall. 'Hello, hello, hello... is there anybody out there? Just shout if you can hear me.' lol No worries, this is slowly loosening up those old creative writing skills that haven't been taken out of the box for far too long.
When my long work day has ended lately, I've been watching YouTube videos of a couple of guys who shoot some amazing images, usually with some off camera flash. I for one, love using flash and have become comfortable with dialing it in to the correct exposure. Don't get me wrong, I love natural light too, but there are things you can do with a couple of flashes that just can't be done with natural light. Some of my recent dramatic sunset shots are obviously done with flash and couldn't be done without it. My poor wife Iori though. I'm constantly calling her name to move something, adjust something, get something. She's a trooper though and younger than me so she can handle it. I've got some really cool, edgy shots in my head that I want to try and as I'm attempting to get better at time management, I hope to get to soon.
Here's one of my favorite shots with a couple of off camera flashes.

With Halloween approaching, I thought I'd show you the costumes Iori and I made a few years back for a night on the town in Kyoto.

2010-10-26T21:09:00.001-04:00

Today I was honored to speak to the students of a photography class at Lakeshore High School in Port Colborne, Ontario. It was fun to be back in front of a class again after being a teacher for 15 years. The students listened attentively and I think all of them stayed awake (the class started at 8am). I was truly envious of these students' high school experience. They have Photoshop on their classroom computers, a studio strobe setup and enough Canon 30Ds and other cameras to keep everyone shooting.
Some photographers fear the rapidly expanding ranks of up-and-coming professional photographers, like some of these kids may soon be. I say bring it on! Competition spurs progress and creativity. This is not the kind of job where you can ever feel like you've learned enough. Those that do, get left behind and are soon out of work. But that is just another reason why I love being a professional photographer. It's not the kind of job where you can quantify your improvement, but with a discerning eye it does become evident. Not only, or maybe not even primarily, the 'quality' of the images progresses but the consistency of capturing such images increases.
Conversely, some of my favorite images I've taken are from early on in my photographic journey. I guess it helped that I was living in Kyoto, Japan, one of the world's most beautiful cities, for the first 10 years of studying photography. Occasionally I flip through some of these earlier images. Interestingly, I am most happy when I see one of these older shots that I realize wouldn't be any better if I shot it today. Not because I'm not a better photographer now, but because the subject, the light, the shadow, the composition, the angle... all of them together, fit together in a way that appealed to me. That's the magic of photography, no matter how much better I have or will become, you just never know when that nugget of gold will come shining through on my computer screen after a days outing. When I'm shooting just for fun, that one image may be the only one I keep out of several hundred shots, but that one shot is like finding gold.
Anyway, I'm kind of rambling here so I'll sign off with what I believe was one of the first 2 or 3 shots I took with my first digital SLR. It won't be hanging in any galleries I'm sure, but when I look at it, I can remember the precise moment of clicking that shutter, not knowing then that I was embarking on a lifelong love affair with photography.

2010-10-25T10:34:00.003-04:00

Gift Certificates available now!

Looking for a gift for a baby shower, wedding, birthday, anniversary or Christmas present? Why not give them a gift that they can cherish for a lifetime. Order a $100.00 print credit gift certificate from Lakehouse Photography by October 31, 2010 and I'll increase the value to $125.00! Make it a $200.00 gift and I'll increase it to $250.00! There is still plenty of time for gorgeous outdoor sessions, or if you prefer, I have a full professional studio for those unique studio lit shots.

This offer is for non-commercial portrait sessions only.
Contact me by email at lakehouse@cogeco.ca or by phone at 289-407-8559.

2010-10-24T22:50:00.000-04:00

The rain held off for today's shoot with Matt and Stephanie! The shore of Lake Erie was mystically milky as the clouds made a giant softbox perfect for shooting portraits. Naturally, being the off camera flash fanatic that I am, I had to enhance that perfect light with my own. Just a nice big 60" umbrella with a speedlite to give them a little more oomph!

Then, as if I'd ordered the cloud break on Amazon, the clouds drifted apart and made some gorgeous backgrounds to further enhance the wider shots.

But wait, the good fortune continued! What looked to be a dull dreary sunset earlier in the day, turned into this glorious sight!

A pretty good day all around, I'd say. I got back onto the marketing team; had a great shoot; tentatively booked 3 weddings and 2 portrait sessions, and ordered a few pieces of new gear!

2010-10-24T12:28:00.001-04:00

Well, it's a rainy Sunday afternoon and I've got an engagement shoot scheduled for this afternoon and a bazillion photos eager to be proofed for recent clients. I did a couples shoot on Friday, a family portrait and event shoot on Saturday and am hoping the weather clears up a little for this afternoon's shoot. What a welcome change from last year at this time where we were just burning through our savings trying to get the word out about Lakehouse Photography. Surprisingly, there are still a few places I know of where the leaves still have brilliant fall colors. So, if you've been thinking about having a portrait session, but thought you were too late, fear not! I was still shooting gorgeous fall colors in mid-November last year!

One of the ideas that my recent, short-lived, experience with a marketing team suggested was to develop some cooperative marketing associations with other businesses in the area. Do you have a business that you think might benefit from an association with Lakehouse Photography? Now before you start thinking, "Cool, free business portraits for my staff!", that is not what this is about! I'm thinking more along the lines of some free prints for your walls of people, items or architecture related to your business. If you're interested in meeting up for a coffee and discussion about this, email me at lakehouse@cogeco.ca

Here's a couple of my favorite "just for fun" shots from the past week or so.

Have a great Sunday everyone!

2010-10-21T10:36:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted to this blog as I spend most of my time posting to Facebook. I've recently been fortunate enough to join a professional photography marketing team. One of the tasks I've been assigned is to post to my blog! I've often thought about things I'd like to write about, but it's usually late at night after a usual 14 hour work day and those thoughts never get written down. Perhaps this call to action will help me develop a habit of posting here.

I've been working hard to grow this business for a little over a year now and it has been a struggle to say the least. Most of that is due to my lack of business knowledge. I've never run a company, nor been self-employed in any way. Needless to say, a lot of my learning comes from the mistakes I've made.

As winter approaches, I'll soon be focusing on my studio portrait business which I'm hopeful will serve to grow this business in another direction. I've shot some aspiring models and business portraits in my studio, but I'd really like to get more kids in there, especially high school seniors. The high school senior portrait session is an important part of many kids graduating year in the United States, but hasn't quite caught on here yet. I aim to change that! These sessions are not boring grad portraits in cap and gown. These are funky clothes, personal items related to their passions, edgy lighting, cool backgrounds and stylish editing.

I'm currently recruiting one senior high school student, male or female, from any high school in the area to be this program's high school ambassador. These kids will get special discounts and can earn free products according to how many other students they are able to bring into my studio for a session. The selected students must be outgoing, popular, ambitious, energetic and photogenic! If you or someone you know sounds like they fit the bill, that student should send me an email describing why they should be chosen to by one of my high school senior models!

My email address is: lakehouse@cogeco.ca

Here's a few pics from last year's senior models.

Marketing Team update: I got fired for not posting on this blog enough. Sucks! Oh well, I'll keep on keepin' on.
Update 2: I'm back on the team and raring to go!

2010-02-07T13:29:00.002-05:00

Isn't it time you invested in a new business portrait or headshot?

Click on the line above to see details of my new offering!

2010-01-03T01:21:00.002-05:00

When I wake up in the morning,
nothing will have changed.
Yet it will never be the same.

2009-11-27T10:14:00.002-05:00

Our favorite squirrel Toto (he has no tail unfortunately), enjoys a morning snack of our pumpkin while Dekker tries vainly to snack on him.

2009-11-23T00:23:00.001-05:00

Another day of planning and number crunching. Yuck. Reality bites. My mind keeps changing on whether or not I should attempt to open a studio in these economically trying times in this famously thrifty town. I've never been one to let obstacles stop me though so I'm still trying to find a way to make it work. What I really need is some generous person to offer me a decent sized space in a good location to use for my studio. What are the odds of that happening? Call me crazy but I like to believe they're good. Ever seen the movie, "The Secret"? It's all about manifesting your own destiny by believing it already exists. Scoff if you will but it's how I landed the biggest photo job of my life so far. What are the odds that an international book editor would find and contact an unpublished photographer, who at the time made no mention of being a professional, and offer them several thousand dollars to shoot every photo for a guide book on one of the most beautiful cities in the world? Well it happened to me a mere 2 weeks after I manufactured those kinds of thoughts. Coincidence? Maybe. If that kind of thing happened only once, I would write it off too, but it has happened many times. The trick is basically based on one of the precepts of Buddhism. To be AWARE. Awareness provides so many gifts that we might otherwise miss. It's amazing what you find when you take off the blinders that habit and routine have formed on our eyes. Tomorrow's another day and I'm anxious to see what I can learn from it.

2009-11-21T13:18:00.000-05:00

To studio, or not to studio, that is the question. As winter closes in the outdoor portrait season also draws to a close except for a few hardy souls. Having never run a business before I am painfully aware of how much I have to learn. It is definitely an exciting time, regardless of the financial worries. I'm doing some number crunching now to assess the feasibility of opening a studio. Alas, making sales projections, especially in the current economic climate, is a bit like rolling dice. I would love to be able to make my prices affordable to everyone who truly values the art of photography. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who feel that the big box studio portraits are good enough. If only they were able to compare them to what can be done by a dedicated, passionate professional with time to spend on creating images that they will cherish for a lifetime. I'm an optimist though, so I'll do my best to find a way to open a studio. Much as I enjoyed my years of teaching, there's nothing like the satisfaction of hearing my clients express their joy at seeing the images I've created for them.

A sunny morning by the International Train Bridge at the foot of Jarvis St., in Fort Erie, Ontario.

2009-09-09T21:55:00.002-04:00

The biggest news so far! As some of you know, I was hired to shoot pictures of my second home, Kyoto, Japan, for Time Out International. It was an incredible experience despite the hectic schedule it required to finish on time while getting married, packing for Canada, finding a replacement for me at my job, while working full-time and shooting several locations a day for several months! Iori spent all her lunch hours in her car making appointments for me to shoot. I shot temples, shrines, hotels, ryokan, restaurants, shops, scenery, etc, etc, etc. Anyway, the editor emailed me today to tell me that the book has been printed and he's sending me some copies. It is available on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Time-Out-Shortlist-Kyoto-Editors/dp/1846701295/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252548128&sr=8-1

The pictures will obviously be very small in the book so if you're curious you can see them on my website here:

http://www.lakehousephotography.ca/Japan/Scenes-from-Kyoto/Guide-Book-Favorites/7328051_LDNDP

It was this job that gave me the confidence to take a stab at being a professional photographer. It took me many years to discover what I felt passionate about doing and it's a great feeling. Hopefully things will pick up and I can keep doing it for a living!

2009-09-09T21:52:00.003-04:00

My sister's cat Decker will be living with us starting tomorrow morning! Can't wait. He's such a beautiful cat and will make me feel like a part of Cindy is living in our house, though she always resides in our hearts.

2009-09-09T21:47:00.003-04:00

I've gotten up before sunrise for the past 2 days to shoot, and then shot again at sunset both days. Here's a few of my favorite model.

2009-09-09T20:47:00.012-04:00

Well I finally have something to talk about I guess. Very busy lately. Not making enough to survive yet but the business is slowly gathering steam. Hopefully the fall weather will be great for portrait bookings. Hoping to focus on the relatively untapped high school senior portrait market. Very big in the US but not so much here. So let's see, I shot the Gardiner family at Matt and Lisa's beautiful lakefront house in Port Colborne on Sunday.

Then I shot John and Martha Gardiner's 50th wedding anniversary party at The Plaice in the afternoon.

2009-06-18T19:54:00.002-04:00

Well things are starting to take off finally. Got an event to shoot this weekend. FESS reunion of the '79 class. Spent about 10 hours putting together a slideshow using Apple Keynote software (much like Powerpoint). Great software if you've got text that you want to animate along with images. I just bought Fotomagico slideshow software too but it's basically just for putting an image slideshow together. On Monday I'm shooting my first maternity session and on Tuesday I'm shooting some candid shots of kids at a party with about 15 moms. Hopefully I'll get some bookings from it. Got my first notice from Revenue Canada. Apparently I'm supposed to report my income! Ha! What income?

Here's a few quick edits of some sunrises over Buffalo. Enjoy.

2009-05-28T19:46:00.000-04:00

2009-05-27T23:49:00.002-04:00

My beautiful wife Iori (not Lori) patiently modeling while I practice 0ff-camera flash at the old Dance Hall today.

2009-05-27T10:24:00.004-04:00

Iori really enjoyed the trampoline in Mike & Terri's backyard. I think I'd rather have a hottub.

2009-05-25T10:17:00.001-04:00

Iori had never cut grass before. She enjoyed it... for a while. Fresh cut lawn feels almost as good as a haircut.

2009-05-03T10:31:00.002-04:00

Iori is here now and life is great! Car shopping today and then start focusing on a myriad of things I need to do to get this biz off the ground.

2009-04-23T10:06:00.002-04:00

Slowly getting our new house ready for the arrival of my beautiful wife, Iori. She flies into Buffalo on Saturday night! Seven weeks apart is not healthy for newlyweds. Working on setting up the new business too. Tonight I'm attending a small flash workshop in Niagara Falls.

2008-11-26T23:52:00.000-05:00

I've been hired by a major travel guide publication to shoot Kyoto City. Here's a sample of what I've been working on.

2008-11-03T18:39:00.000-05:00

Another shot highlighting Anna's gorgeous eyes.

2008-11-02T17:45:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd try my hand at a triptych. The spaces are not even as I forgot how to do that in PS, and didn't bother to read up on it. I really like the double layered title though.

2008-10-27T12:02:00.000-04:00

The incomparable Anna. The sexiest scientist I've ever met.

2008-10-07T04:18:00.001-04:00

The lovely Nao posing in my 'studio' while I learn what the hell I'm doing with all this gear!

2008-10-05T21:19:00.000-04:00

Sunrise on the shores of Lake Biwa, Japan. Less than an hour from Kyoto, but a world away from the hustle and bustle of city life in modern Japan.