New Year

For the last post of the year I would like to wish all those who look at this blog from time to time a very safe and happy New Year. Take this time to reflect on the 'decade of change' as I call it. I look at how my business has changed over the past 10 years with digital taking over from film, how computers have changed life and how life has changed my being.
Things to look for in the new year: a re-designed website will appear (hopefully) early in the new year. A re-definition of my business will evolve. Making more time for friends and family will be high on the priority list.

Pets

This past Saturday I had the honour of photographing Pets with Santa at Top Crop Too our local garden and pet supply store. It is a worthwhile fun raiser for the local SPCA. Pets get to tell Santa what they want for Christmas and in return their owners receive a 5" x 7" print of their pet sitting with Santa. A good time was had by all.

Almost Done

Working through the new wedding price list is almost done. Some prices have gone up marginally while one package has gone down. It is all part of the process of developing a wedding photography price list. It will not be released until the end of the month therefore any weddings booked before the end of the year will receive the current price list pricing.

For samples of my wedding photography please visit the website.

Weddings

It is the time of year again when the wedding photography price list is reviewed and adjusted. This is a painstaking experience to say the least. In order for a business to grow and prosper and aging equipment be replaced, prices have to rise. The balancing act is to raise the prices enough that the company is able to update equipment, pay insurance, update education, yet not raise the prices so much that it turns clients away. It is a tough act to perform and it takes many hours of reviewing all costs involved in running a business to finalize a price list. It is not just throwing a dart at numbers to come up with a price list. But it shall be done and by the end of the year a new price list for weddings in 2010 will be available. Now where did I put my coffee!!

Directions

One of the advantages of being in business for yourself is that you can re-define yourself whenever you want. The thing about a photography business is that there are so many directions one can take. All you have to do is find a market for what you wish to offer. Up until now the main focus of my business has been wedding photography with a few other items being offered such as: commercial, sports, event, portraits. The wedding business has changed quite dramatically in the past few years. "Uncle Joe" with his $1000 digital camera has all of a sudden become competition to those of us trying to make a living at wedding photography. Plus in my geographical location there have been a number of new photographers offering their services. Competition is good as it improves what can be offered to clients. The problem is there are not more weddings taking place here so everyone gets a smaller slice of what is available. So alternatives must be found for those of us making a living at this business.
Back in the film days I used to be represented by a stock house in Edmonton. It was a good business and provided a good portion of my business. When film started to die out and digital was taking over a lot of stock houses closed up or where bought out by larger companies. For the past few years stock has become an item again.
I am in the process of submitting images to various stock agencies and waiting for approval on those submitted. So far I have been accepted into the following agencies: The Photo Storage, Dreamstime, Microstock Photo, Most Photos, Can Stock Photo, and 123RF. I am waiting for approval from iStockPhoto. This will add a much needed addition to what Kimberley's Photo West can offer various clients and add to the stability of my business.
Further updates will follow.

Into Fall

As we are approaching Fall it becomes a time of reflection over the past summer and of planning for next year. Did everything go according to plan this summer? Not exactly but I was happy with the number of weddings photographed, might have been able to squeeze in one more but that's fine. Was I happen with the commercial work this summer? The truck shoot basically got rained out which we couldn't control so they are going with one of the images created last year and we are already planning for next years session so can't complain about that. Overall it was a good year.
Changes to the business? Yes I am looking into changing a few things about the business and how I do business.
Updates to follow.

Upcoming

Tomorrow I have a pregnancy/family photo session that I am quite excited about as it is at a new location that I just discovered. It should make for some stunning images!
On Thursday I have a family session, outside again, and I hope the weather is great.
Then on Friday I have another wedding, smaller this time but should be equally stunning. A busy week but that is the way I like it.

Updates

Here are a few samples from the past two weddings. Both were quite different in style but both were very beautiful and unique.
First off a couple from Catherine and David's:


And now a few from Lori and Geoff's:

Wedding on the mountain

Catherine and David had an absolutely beautiful wedding. The day was perfect. Everyone rode the ski lift up to the top of Fernie's ski hill and after a short hike the ceremony took place in an open field that was just amazing. The only hitch to the day was when it was realized that the flowers were still at the house. So two of the guests took the lift down, got the flowers and came back up the lift. Life is like that, if you expect the ceremony to be perfect and therefore the marriage to be perfect then you might be disappointed. This little hiccup in their ceremony only means that there will be hiccups during the marriage. This too shall pass.
The rest of the day went off without a hitch. The only rain that we saw was while traveling to different photo locations. Island Lake Lodge was absolutely beautiful. The waterfalls were absolutely beautiful. The reception, a lot of fun. It was, in short, a wonderful day spent with a wonderful couple.
Although I am still working on their images to be posted for all guests to see, and will post a few here and on my website and on my facebook site and probably on flickr as well. We have created a lasting memory that Catherine and David will have for many years to come.

Fantastic

The trip to Quebec was great although too short. The truck session went well despite the fact we had a lot of rain. And although we were not able to get to all the locations that we wanted the end result was a good selection of images.The high school reunion was a lot of fun. It was great to see former classmates that I haven't seen in 30 years and also touring around my old stomping grounds. It will definitely be sooner than another 30 years before I go back. I love the Eastern Township region of Quebec. It will always be home to me.

Now on to getting ready for a wedding this upcoming Saturday, July 25th which promises to be a wonderful day. Catherine and David are a terrific couple and they have a great day planned. Their ceremony will take place at the top of the Fernie Ski Hill, followed by some family portraits taken on the hill before coming down the hill to take additional photographs at a nice waterfall at Mount Fernie Provincial Park and also at Island Lake Lodge. Island Lake Lodge is a hidden gem of a location. Breath taking is the only way to describe this spot. Watch for a few photos to be posted here sometime after the wedding. With the temperature forecast to be in the 30's, it should be beautiful blue skies, terrific vistas, a beautiful bride and her handsome husband. Couldn't ask for anything better!

T-minus

9 days and counting until I jet off to Montreal and then the Eastern Townships. What once seems like an eternity away is now very close and looming. The first three days there will be consumed with a photo shoot for Manitoulin Transport, whom I do a shoot for every year. The main purpose behind the shoot is for their yearly calendar but some of the shots for used for display in their various terminals along with their website. This year will prove to be somewhat more technically challenging over previous years due to the fact we want Canada Day fireworks going off over the truck. So locating a spot to park a 75' rig in an area where we will see the fireworks along with some of the city has proven a bit of a challenge then the cost to park the rig all day was outrageous. It will have to be parked at 7:00am with the fireworks going off at 11:00pm. So there is a day shot because we cannot do any other shooting that day of the truck. So on the 2nd and 3rd we will be travelling into the Eastern Townships for the remainder of the images to be taken. We like to get in about a dozen different shots to choose from and it should be a good challenge.
Results and updates to follow.

Grad Time

After two weeks of grads, first the local high school graduation then this past Friday was the local college graduation, I have seen enough caps and gowns for a while. Everything went very smooth and the weather was perfect. Now comes the post processing fun getting all orders ready for my printer then organizing and mailing out the orders. It is fun to watch these grads, all excited about their futures, glad that school is done. I wish them all the best of luck in their future pursuits.
June promises to be a bit of a quiet month which is fine with me because once July comes around it will be a zoo. The only event that is booked in June is a road trip with the boys into Calgary to see their grandparents from June 11 to 14th. Then on July 1st I will be flying to Montreal to photograph for Manitoulin Transport for a couple of days prior to heading to my hometown of Lennoxville for a high school reunion. Considering I have not been back for 30 years it will be interesting to say the least. I am really excited about going back and wish I was leaving today instead of a month away. There will be photos, of course, old friendships renewed, beverages consumed. It will be a lot of fun.

A Good Time!

Last Saturday's wedding in Fernie was an absolute blast. Erin and Brian are a fun couple who were willing to try anything for their wedding photographs.


They hiked partway up the ski hill in Fernie, strapped on their snowboards and then carefully came down the hill for some images. WooHoo!! Well done guys!
Their wedding was so much fun I did not want to leave when their time with me was done.

Weddings, weddings, weddings

Having had a great time during last Friday's wedding here in Kimberley I am looking forward to next Saturday's wedding in Fernie. Jacquie and Matt were a fun couple who were very open and willing to try different photographs to capture their wedding day. The weather was great and we were able to take quite a few photographs outside, which is my preference. I will post a few photographs when they are available.
So now is the painstaking task of going through the photographs and prepping them to post online. It is definitely quicker to go through and post images when I photograph solo, the work triples when I have a co-photographer with me. It is great for the couple as their choice of images is much greater. We are able to obtain two angles on the same image. Which is a good thing. I am almost done editing and will be posting shortly.
Now it is time to start getting ready for this Saturday which should also prove to be a wonderful wedding. Although I have not had to opportunity to meet the couple yet I have been told they are outdoor lovers who snowboard so we will definitely be heading up to the ski hill in Fernie for some images.
Stay tuned!

Spring

Yes spring is just around the corner. Hard to believe with the temps around -15 right now. Thoughts turn to spring and summer and the upcoming wedding season. My sales listed below for wedding photography are still on. I cannot stress enough if you haven't booked a photographer for your wedding this summer don't wait much longer.
On another note I have booked my flight to Montreal and will be there from July 1st to 7th. Initially I was going back for my high school anniversary which is being changed to a reunion of a smaller scale but I will still be able to see a lot of classmates from the time in my life. I contacted the trucking company that a do a yearly session with to ask if they might be interested in doing this years shoot while I was down there. They are excited about it and have tossed me a curve ball but suggesting taking one of the shots of their truck with Canada Day fireworks going off in the background while we are in Montreal. YIKES!! Somewhat technically challenging it will prove to be the best image we have taken in the nine years I have been shooting for them. I am looking forward to both this commercial session and connecting with friends that I haven't seen in 30 years. More to come!

Chuckle

Interesting things you find out when you have sons:

1. a king size waterbed holds enough water ot fill a 2000 sq ft house 4 inches deep
2. if you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite
3 a 3 year old boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant
4. if you hook a dog leash ovver a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 lb boy wearing batman underwear and a superman cape. it is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20 x 20 foot room.
5. you should not throw baseballs up when a ceiling fan is on. when using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way
6. the glass in windows (even a double pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan
7. when you hear a toilet flush and the words 'uh oh' it is already too late
8. brake fluid mixed with chlorox makes smoke and lots of it
9. a 6 year old boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36 year old man says they can only do it in movies
10. certain legos will pass through the digestive tract of a 4 year old boy
11. play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence
12. super glue is forever
13. no matter how much jello you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water
14. pool filters do not like jello
15. vcrs do not eject pb and j sandwiches even though the commercials show they do
16 garbage bags do not make good parachutes
17. marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving
18. you probably do not want to know what that odor is
19. always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens
20. the spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy
21. it will, however, make cats dizzy
22. cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy

Road Trip

I was planning on going back to my home town for a high school anniversary. Not a reunion exactly but an anniversary of the school being built. Sounded like a great idea. Through Facebook I have been able to get in touch with a lot of old school mates. Since I have not been back to my hometown since 1981 it seemed like it was perfect to go back for a while and see this beautiful part of the country, which is the Eastern Townships area of Quebec. I grew up about a two hour drive East of Montreal. This area is beautiful any time of year but especially when the leaves are turning colour in the fall. The anniversary was planned for the July long weekend of this year. Arrangements were made, things fell into place (no weddings booked for the long weekend and a great seat sale with Westjet) then it all fell apart. The anniversary was cancelled! But I have my plane tickets.
So I am still going down from July 2nd to July 7th and will be able to get together with a few of my friends from that time in my life along with doing some touring around my old stomping grounds. Now since I have the weekend off I would love to photograph a wedding and perhaps a few family portraits while I am there. So if any of you who happen to check in on this ramble from time to time and live in that area and would like to have professional photographs taken on that weekend, let me know and we will work something out.

Sale - part 2

In a previous post I indicated that Kimberley's Photo West was having a wedding photography sale. The sale is continuing with a couple of changes, mostly good ones! The dates of April 18th and April 25th still have 25% off our regular wedding coverage prices but there is one great change for these dates - an extra 25% off. Yes this is not a typo 50% off our regular wedding coverage prices which start at $1390 so for these dates prices start at $695.00!! The same discount occurs on May 2nd, that's right prices starting at $695.00.
May 16th (long weekend) prices are still reduced by 25% with the same discount for May 30th, and June 13th. On June 6th, however, prices are reduced by 50%.
For more information about our wedding coverage and to view some samples of out work please visit the website.

Sunday

On Sunday I had the pleasure of taking some engagement photos for Jacquie and Matt whose wedding I am photographing on March 27th of this year. We met up at the ski hill and proceeded to finalize plans for their wedding day prior to taking a few engagement photographs. We took a few inside by the fireplace and then headed outside for a few around the buildings. It was a nice day and quite warm for the middle of February. An engagement session is quite important as it allows the couple of become more comfortable in front of the camera and also allows the couple and the photographer to get to know each other better. The first set of engagement photographs that we did last fall, Matt did not smile at all so this is a vast improvement.

Birthday

Well William and Jackson had a great birthday and they are now officially four. The ice cream cake with Lightening McQueen on the top was a hit! So we started off the morning with a long, long bath which by the end of it the whole bathroom was wet.

Saturday

This Saturday, February 14th is, of course, Valentine's Day. Many of you will be planning on going out for dinner, perhaps a lucky few couples will become engaged. My heartfelt congratulations to those of you who decide to make that very special commitment to each other.
I will be watching my boys turn four and also laughing at them as they tear into their presents. Of course photographs will be taken and depending on how they look, a few might be posted here. Headache pills will most likely be taken. But in the end I am sure my boys will have a wonderful day no matter what happens.

Sale!

Yes, Kimberley's Photo West is having a wedding photography sale! If you have not retained the services of a professional photographer and your wedding is coming up quickly then we have a deal for you. Available sale date: April 18th, April 25th, May 2nd, May 16th (yes, the long weekend), May 30, June 6th, and June 13th you can save 25% off our regular coverage prices. No strings attached, no hidden fees. We will even pay the taxes!!

Sale!

Bridal Show

This past Sunday was the Prestige Inn Bridal Showcase in Cranbrook, BC. It was a very busy event with a lot of bride's to be attending. It surprised me that there were seven photographers represented there as they used to cut it off at four. I felt sorry for some of the bride's as it almost seemed like a photographers show. A good point for the bride's with so many photographers is showing that each photographer has their own style and that a bride must be happy with the style of the photographer that they choose for their most important day. A photographers style is enbedded in their being. Which means that if you are looking for a casual, photojournalistic style for your wedding images and the photographer that shoots your wedding is a traditional style photographer you are not going to be happy with your wedding images. So having so many photographers to choose from is a good thing for a bride.
Another thing that surprised me at the show was how many bride's who are getting married this May or June have not retained the services of a photographer yet. The wedding photographs are the only thing that you will have to remember the day. The flowers will wilt and die, the cake will get eaten, the wedding dress that you spent so much on will be cleaned and stored, or sold, all you will have left is the photographs.
Of your whole wedding budget you should spend 20% on your wedding photography. So if you have budgeted $10,000 on the wedding then you should hire a photographer for $2,000, etc. Often the photography is one of the last things on the list and therefore there is not much of the budget left. It is important to have professional photographs taken of this once in a lifetime event and photography should be chosen at the same time as the date and locations are confirmed.

Wedding Contracts

Should you have a contract with you wedding photographer? The answer is an outstanding yes! It protects you, it protect the photographer, it makes sure that you know what you are getting and the photographer knows exactly what is expected of him or her. The below is a reprint by permission by an outstanding photographer from Ontario and it makes good sense. Thank you Roel.

As many couples are now booking their wedding photographers for this year and beyond, I wanted to discuss the importance of having a contract with your photographer that clearly outlines the details of your wedding day coverage.

Contracts by their very nature are designed to protect both the consumer and the service provider. A well written contract will clearly spell out the deliverables (products or services) that are to provided and the payment required. The conditions on how both parties will operate are also clearly listed in plain english.

Sadly, I have witnessed some couples who did not have a contract with their photographer, which lead to a disastrous result. And some couples who had a contract ended up paying additional fees for things they “thought” was included such as proofs and digital files.

Here are the four main things to look for before you sign a contract with your photographer.

Deliverables - Make sure that all items that you want in your package are clearly listed in your contract and are included in the fee being charged. These include, but are not limited to the length of coverage, high resolution files, printed proofs, albums, parent books, prints and engagement sessions.

Extras/Options - Make sure that the contract outlines the fee charged for additional options such as overtime, travel charges and what the photographer deems to be “additional products”. If there is an additional fee for items, what exactly is that fee?

Photographer’s Standard Fee - What is the fee, including taxes, for the deliverables in your contract. What are the payment terms? What forms of payment do they accept (cheque, cash, credit cards). Make sure their Canadian GST/HST number is listed as it must be on all invoices and receipts issued by legitimate Canadian businesses.

Terms & Conditions - I often call this the “fine print”. Read this section carefully as it discusses cancellation policies, payment terms, refunds of payments, backup equipment, limits of liability, etc. These terms need to benefit both parties, not just the photographer.

I wish you well for your wedding day…

Make sure you read your contract prior to signing and if you have any questions or changes to be made do it before signing.

Summer

It seems odd to be talking about summer when it is the end of January and -20 outside but if you are planning a wedding for this summer now is the time to retain the services of a photographer. Next Sunday the 1st of February is the 10th annual Prestige Inn Bridal Showcase in Cranbrook, B.C. It is usually a very busy day with all types of exhibitors there from flowers and cakes to DJs and of course photographers. Shortly after the show many photographers receive calls to see if a certain day is available and if you wait too long that day will be gone.
A few samples from previous weddings are here:

Busy

It is looking like this will be a very busy summer. The number of wedding inquiries and wedding bookings are up from last year. There are some unusual dates being booked, early spring and Friday's. If you are getting married this summer now is definitely the time to book a photographer. Also the annual Prestige Inn Bridal Showcase this year is February 1st and if you wait until the Showcase is over to book you may be disappointed.
On another note an anniversary celebration is being planned for my old high school in Lennoxville, Quebec the July long weekend. As I am currently not booked for a wedding that weekend I am working the numbers to see if I can make it down there. I have not been back to my home town in well over 20 years and would love to see it again. I guess I will wait until after the Bridal Showcase to see if I get a booking for then. Or maybe I will see if I can book a wedding in Lennoxville for the Saturday that I will be there.
Stay tuned!

Blur

The time since just before Christmas was been a blur. It is amazing that all the time shopping for Christmas, and wrapping, and cooking and then it is all over in a couple of hours. This is the first year that my boys really started to understand Christmas and it was a hoot! They were unwrapping presents at lightening speed as long as they saw their name on the present. It did not matter if it was to them or from them, if they saw their name they were opening the present.
I have picked up another wedding, this time in Fernie. So far for 2009 I am booked on March 27th in Kimberley, April 4th in Fernie, and August 1st in Edmonton. So there are still a lot of dates available and after talking to a number of photographers at an informal meeting the other night it looks like it is going to be a very busy year for weddings. So if you have not booked a photographer for this summer do not wait too long or you may be disappointed.