Photography in New York with Jay Maisel

Having returned from a fantastic week of Photography in New York with Jay Maisel and his team, I really only have one thing to say and that's WOW! What a fantastic location to spend a week running around with a camera! You can see the entire New York series on our website (click here).  I travelled throughout Manhattan, including times square and wall street, some of queens, the bronx and parts of New Jersey. Mr. Maisel is just about the best photographer in North America and the city of New York was a shooters paradise.

 

 

 

Prior to leaving I was advised by many to be very careful as NY was not without it's problems as it relates to crime and the people in general. I must confess that this was not my experience. I found New Yorkers to be very down to earth and quite helpful. Each and every time I found myself "lost" in the subway system, some kind soul would tell me how to get where I was going. Due to the mass volume of people, no matter where you stand the canvas in front of you is ever changing, which makes for some fantastic images. I would have to say that shooting the St. Patricks day parade and St. Patricks Cathedral was certainly a hightlight. The food was another story in and of itself. I will be riding off a few extra pounds thanks to restaurants like "City Hall". So, if you ever get the chance to take in this great City, don't miss out! 

 

 

 

Up next....Spring in Alberta?!?

 

 

Mayfield Inn & Suites, Edmonton Wedding Location

Mayfield Inn and Suites, Edmonton Alberta

This location has a great variety of wedding conference rooms and other features, but we like this one in particular.

"The Garden Courtyard" is quite pretty and offers an outdoor wedding venue or ceremony location without weather upsets (should they occur) which may even be perfect for a winter wedding.  Green trees, a fountain from the second floor and a full menu for catering is offered for weddings - this is perfect site for a unique ceremony and/or reception. 

We loved the natural lighting this venue had to offer and the Thai Pagoda is a wonderful place to celebrate and exchange your wedding vows. 

Pro's:

• Hosts smaller weddings from 10-200 guests
• Cost effective, and comparitively to other venues we found it to be inexpensive
• Good natural light for photography indoors with outdoor features such as water fountains, trees, plants, etc.
• The Mayfield offers package deals such as:   

• Set-up of banquet room including white table linens and napkins, glassware, cutlery and china, gift table, cake table, guest book table and raised head table
• Wedding banquet room 
• Overnight bridal package (with a minimum of 80 guests)
• Table centrepieces for use during dinner
• Pre-setting of favours and minimal table decorations
• Rental of podium and microphone for your Master of Ceremonies
• Parking for guests

Con's:

• The building itself seems a bit dated, but if you are looking for something unique and cost effective, this would likely be the place for you.

Write to us if you are looking for further information or click here to be taken to the Mayfield's website.  We would love to hear from you so send us an e-mail or visit our website.  See you next week with our next venue!


Banff Springs Hotel Location, Wedding Photography

We had the privilege of a trip out to our next photography shoot at the Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta.

It was a beautiful setting and in addition to our work, we wanted to show our readers particularily those that may be interested in a Castle Wedding what a beautiful wedding venue this would be!  We have developed a list of pro's and con's of which you can imagine, the con list was very short.

The impression the hotel gave as we drove up the mountain was in a word - dramatic.  I will not soon forget the towering castle walls as we drove up the lane.  The castle itself looked larger than the mountains that stood behind it!  What a first impression.  There were a few limousines in the valet parking as we pulled up and the valet's tended to us immediately, despite the busy hustle around us.

We noted the beautiful buildings surrounding the castle and a sweet little courtyard facing the castle.  No shortage of outdoor wedding shots here!

Inside, the impression was just as great...warm chandelier lighting in the lobby, grand staircases, marble and warm woods, beautiful furniture and antique artwork on the walls.   We were greeted by a very friendly woman in customer service who gave us a gorgeous room on the top tower on the 9th floor.  What an incredible view from every window!

We started out by just walking around, taking in all that was around us and realized the impossibility of this.  This hotel was so huge, it even offered a bowling alley in addition to the 15 restaurants and shopping on the floor level!

Our photo shoot was so successful, and to note, it is very difficult to take a poor shot in this place night or day.  We were surrounded by so much beauty, (this same thought occurs for our weddings) making it easy to capture such a gorgeous setting.

One room in particular that we enjoyed shooting in was Mount Stephens Hall.  Numerous weddings are held here and we found that it had a "King Arthur" feel to it - perhaps because of the thrones, fireplaces and armour standing at attention!  We loved the light in this room - the east facing wall had stained glass windows overlooking the courtyard and mountains.  We found it a very unique and beautiful room and we knew our bridal couples would absolutely love it!

Our work was done, but we decided to stay and enjoy it just a little longer.  We went to the spa, did a little shopping, ate incredibly well in a few of the restaurants, got to know the working staff just a little with the result was the same everywhere we went - everything was beyond what we expected. 

Here is our list of Pro's and Con's:

Pro's: 
We truly appreciated the effort that was put into the little things, like the Fairmont robe and the couture toiletries which are a standard in every room. 

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!  There is no such thing as a 'bad shot' here.

The food was so divine, I just can't express this enough.  It was very tough on the waistline, I must say!

There is so much to do here.  Your guests will never be bored - lounges, a bowling alley, spa, 15 restaurants, shopping and Banff itself is a 3 minute drive, 10 minute walk.

Customer service will not let you down - ever!

Con's:
Anything worth something, costs something and this holds true here.  If you want that Castle Wedding, you will have it, but at a very large price.  To give you an idea, we attended a buffet meal at one of the more casual restaurants and it was $80 per person, not including drinks. 

We were pleased with the results of our work here, moreso with the impression this place left with us.  We look forward to returning for our summer weddings!  Visit our website and we will see you next week!

Edmonton Wedding, Scottish, Edmonton Alberta

We are pleased to feature our Scottish wedding couple, Barry & Pea. 



  

We wish you a special congratulations on your wedding day.  This wedding took place in south Edmonton, the formals in a pretty little park next to the venue.  It was wonderful to see our down to earth couple enjoying a typical Scottish weather day, despite it being in Edmonton! 

The wedding was beautiful, complete with family from back home and cloudy, rain threatened skies followed by bursts of intermittent sunshine.  We had our challenges, but prevailed!

Congratulations Barry & Pea and blessings in your new life together!







 







Edmonton Wedding images, looking your best in photographs

Welcome to Belles Lettres! 
In our ongoing research of capturing the perfect shot of brides and grooms, we thought that we would post a few tips for our readers that pertains not just to brides, but to anyone posing for a photograph.  These are not 'set in stone' rules, but they do help create an artistic balance and help you look your best.

Think about your posture and body position:
Standing up straight may seem obvious, but being aware of keeping your shoulders back and your head up straight may not come easily - especially if you are wearing a long veil that is out of the norm for you.  Pointing your toe forward or sideways causes you to shift your weight on your back leg, therefore making you look more curvy and slim.  Standing straight-on to the camera with both feet flat on the ground has the opposite effect.  Your body should rarely be straight on to the camera - you should usually be at about a 45 degree angle (or more) for the most slimming effect.  Don't forget to relax your shoulders!

Keep your chin tilted oh-so-slightly down:
Most people believe that if they keep their chin up, it may hide that 'double-chin' effect or make them look slimmer, but this is quite the opposite!  If you stand up straight, lean forward slightly at the waist and tilt your chin down (barely a 1/4 of an inch), this puts your forehead forward just a little and will highlight your eyes, making them nice and large and avoid the double chin.

Relax:
Lifting your eyebrows to make your eyes look bigger is a misnomer.  Lifting your eyebrows and widening your eyes will only cause creases in your forehead and make you look nervous, so just relax your face, smile and be natural!

Of course, as photographers we prefer to catch our subjects in candid and impromptu moments, where the subject is unaware that they are even being photographed.  This is where you get the best and most natural images, but formal photography is still popular and can be just as creative.  These tips will help you to look your best in those moments and may even seem unnatural, but the benefits are outstanding when you see the improvement and results in the images.



 

Edmonton Wedding Photography, at the Alberta Legislature

Hi Everyone!
If you are thinking about your upcoming wedding day photography options or if you are looking into locations where you might have family photographs taken, we thought we would help you out and let you in on our own research!  We know these locations well and where the best lighting can be found - in any season!  Each week we will update our blog with photographs, links and addresses to help you prepare for your wedding or family photography event.  We'll even let you in on some of our 'secret' locations. 

We'll start with one of the most beautiful and popular locations (and would you believe, is free) for public use.  Just to note, that since the Legislature Building is a place of business and tours of the Legislature Building run year-round, it makes it difficult to allow groups to take wedding photographs inside the building. However, photographs are allowed outside on the steps of the Legislature Building and grounds.  You can find the Legislative grounds as 9718 107 Street Northwest in Edmonton, Alberta and for more information you can call them directly at 780.427.4849 or visit http://www.assembly.ab.ca/visitor/index.html

Our Alberta Legislative grounds have flowers, gardens, mature trees and some of the most beautiful architecture in the city.  This is one of our favorite locations to shoot in winter because of the Christmas scenery and spectacular lights, in summer as the full greenery and color is spectacular and in fall as the rich colorful old birch tree leaves tend to stay around much longer than some of the other parks in the city.





Summer view of the west side of the Legislature.

 



Late summer night photograph at sunset.  This lasted about 7 minutes and then was gone!
 We were so impressed with the beautiful rich light here.  

 



We captured this little boy playing with his soccer ball on the steps of the
Legislature just before dusk late summer.

 
 
With a little creativity, you can get beautiful images that have never been done before.  The below image was taken after dark on the steps of the Legislature.  After viewing this photograph, you seem to be taken away to a romantic location such as Rome or Italy - unseemingly Edmonton, Alberta!




Summer evening in Rome ; )





Side Garden path in the Louis Hole Memorial Garden.



Thanks for looking in on us!  This is just one of the locations available to us here in Edmonton.  Check back in for more and don't hesitate to call us at 780.472.3348 or write benamoz@yahoo.com for further details.  We'll talk more about ideas regarding the best time of day for the ultimate lighting, and other details such as how it can effect a large or small group.  Write and tell us some of your ideas too!  We'd love to hear from you.

Don't forget to check back for a new photography location and we'll see you soon!

Thinking about Holiday Family Portraits?

Well the Holiday season is soon upon us!  As we reflect and look ahead, we anticipate another wonderful year full of blessing and yes - more wonderful photography. 

We have put together a family portrait package for our clients and in hand with this, you need to consider a few things:

Talk to your family regarding wardrobe choice. Ultimately it is up to everyone what they choose to wear but simply reminding them to possibly overlap in a color scheme or palatte and avoiding extreme colors, prints and logos on their clothing can make a big difference in the photo.  Long sleeves and solid colors are usually a good rule of thumb to follow.

Canid's are great fun!   We love to capture a natural look, family's having fun and at ease - and snapping photos of the little ones who are unaware of the camera - are wonderful images for the album. Family photos should convey love and emotion, not awkwardness. Some ways to have everyone feel at ease: get them talking or telling stories, have photographs taken in a familiar environment where they feel at ease (we can meet you at your home or any other preferred venue).  Forego contrived arrangements - and capture action shots showing them do what they love best.

We look forward to seeing you soon!   Happy Channukah & a Merry Christmas!