tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88183182682508721982024-03-05T11:24:11.275-08:00Living Proof PhotographyAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-57354074346649054022009-11-16T20:53:00.000-08:002009-11-16T21:10:44.352-08:00Echo....Is anybody out there still?<br /><br />I've jumped ship (in this case, blogger is the ship) and moved my blog over to my new domain at <a href="http://www.amandastratton.com">www.amandastratton.com</a>. So my blog will go on at <a href="http://www.amandastratton.com/blog">www.amandastratton.com/blog</a> and I even plopped a fresh post on there to bait you.<br /><br />And here's a link right to the RSS feed, so you can go ahead and put that in your reader right now ;)<br /><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AmandaStrattonWaterlooWeddingAndPortraitPhotographer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/AmandaStrattonWaterlooWeddingAndPortraitPhotographer</a><br /><br />See you over there, I hope!<br /><br /><br />BTW, this will stay here, and blogger has been an awesome platform for the beginnings of my blog. I love all things google, including blogger, but I wanted something that fit in with my site a little more smoothly, so there you have it :)Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-88485334712352366712009-09-15T12:33:00.000-07:002009-09-16T04:47:52.370-07:00Feeling Stressed?<img src="http://amandastratton.com/blogshots09/stressed-1.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright, Amanda Stratton, 2009"><br /><br />... then head on over to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/amandastrattonphotographer">my facebook page</a>, and get yourself in on the draw for 30 Minutes of reflexology from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32292092559&ref=ts">Revitalize</a>!<br /><br />Each time I hit a milestone in the number of members that have joined, I give something away. At 200 fans, I gave away a $20 coffee gift certificate. At 250 fans, it was 25 cupcakes of the winner's choice from <a href="http://www.cakecetera.ca">Cakecetera</a>!<br /><br />Well, at the end of last week, we hit 300! Since I did 20 then 25, now I'm doing 30 of something. I know that September can be a bit of a stressful time with back to school and the end of summer, so I thought there are probably lots of people who could use some help releasing tension.<br /><br />I knew right away that if I was going to give away something to help people relax, it would have to be some time spent with Jenn from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32292092559&ref=ts">Revitalize</a>. She is honestly one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, and she's great at what she does!<br /><br />So, if you're local and need a few minutes of just-for-you time, head over to my facebook page, and enter yourself in the draw!<br /><br />Here's a link to the specific place where you need to enter:<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4002630&id=113494292106&ref=nf">http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4002630&id=113494292106&ref=nf</a><br /><br />And to my page in general:<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/amandastrattonphotographer">http://www.facebook.com/amandastrattonphotographer</a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-64840427243019676192009-09-08T20:21:00.000-07:002009-09-08T21:01:00.025-07:00Worldwide MomentToday I participated in the third annual <a href="http://worldwidemoment.org/">Worldwide Moment</a>. The idea of the Worldwide Moment is that at a predetermined time, people around the world take a photo for peace. The photos are collected into a <a href="http://worldwidemoment.org/gallery/">gallery online</a> and eventually in a real live gallery.<br /><br />Here's the answer to the question "What are you hoping to achieve with this?" on <a href="http://worldwidemoment.org/">the Worldwide Moment website</a>:<br /><blockquote>We hope at least one person from every country participate, so that we can literally achieve a moment of worldwide peace between every nation. We hope this Moment is just the beginning of what's to come.</blockquote><br />Anyway, I thought it was a pretty cool idea, and I was all set to submit a photo of my evening lecture (more on that later) but I ended up forgetting about it and just as the girls and I were headed out for a run (which is really a walk with short bursts of jogging at 3-year old speed), my BlackBerry reminded me about it.<br /><br />So here's my Worldwide Moment photo, taken on my BlackBerry, of the girls and I out for a sunset run at 09.09.09+09GMT@09:09:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/worldwidemoment.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009"><br /><br />As for the earlier part of my day.... <br /><br />Today I got up bright and early, got myself ready for school, made myself a blueberry smoothie, got the girls dressed, out the door, and dropped off, and pulled in to the <a href="http://uwaterloo.ca/">University of Waterloo</a> parking lot for the first time ever. That old feeling--the one that comes with the pursuit of higher learning--came flooding back as I made my way through froshing first year students to my building. I paused for a moment and thought it was odd that the first year students were still froshing, but I thought maybe that's how they do it here at the UofW. Who am I to argue? I got to my class, opened the door, and it was totally dark. Nobody in there. In fact... nobody in any classes. Nobody milling about in halls. No professor-types hanging around. Then it hit me. Class starts next week.<br /><br />If you <a href="http://www.twitter.com/amandastratton">follow me on twitter</a>, you'll know that I consider this to be Classic Amanda. Just the sort of thing I do, really, except that I'm rarely early at all, let alone a week early. <br /><br />So I got a student card, checked out my fancy new health and dental plan (hallelujah!), tried with no success to get a parking permit, and just generally wandered and got my bearings, feeling kind of silly and being glad nobody could tell that I'm a tool. Well, until I posted it here on the internet for everyone to see. It's okay to mock me, just please don't point and laugh.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-73865793211392337252009-08-31T12:14:00.000-07:002009-08-31T21:47:55.514-07:00Jayden: Portrait Photography at the Beach!<img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Portrait_Photographer_0908_010.jpg" alt="Waterloo Portrait Photography - (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br />I love the beach in Goderich, so when Mandy told me that it was where she wanted to get some family portraits and Jayden's one-year pictures done, I was really excited. The beach can be awfully tricky for shooting. Lots of wind and very little shelter can make it a bit difficult, but we had a great time, and even though it was kind of chilly, Jayden was happy as could be.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Portrait_Photographer_0908_002.jpg" alt="Waterloo Portrait Photography - (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Portrait_Photographer_0908_001.jpg" alt="Waterloo Portrait Photography - (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br />I used my <a href="http://livingproofphotography.blogspot.com/2009/07/swing-swing.html">Swing, Swing</a> focusing and shooting technique (and some tickling) to get some shots of Mandy and Jason pushing Jayden on the swing.<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Portrait_Photographer_0908_003.jpg" alt="Waterloo Portrait Photography - (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br />I know it almost seems wrong to show a beach picture in anything other than colour, but I saw this one in chocolate as soon as I took it.<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Portrait_Photographer_0908_004.jpg" alt="Waterloo Portrait Photography - (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br />We didn't roam the beach quite as much as we did at <a href="http://livingproofphotography.blogspot.com/2009/06/jonathan-and-megan-engaged.html">Meaghan and Jonathan's engagement session</a>, which spanned all three beaches - we stuck to Rotary Cove, but there was great variety there, too! I love this shot because it was so obvious that Jayden is the center of his parents' worlds, and you can see how much they adore him.<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Portrait_Photographer_0908_009.jpg" alt="Waterloo Portrait Photography - (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Portrait_Photographer_0908_006.jpg" alt="Waterloo Portrait Photography - (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br />To me, these are the shots that say "Hi, I'm one year old!" because Jayden was really interested in his shoes. It must be awesome to find that world <span style="font-style: italic;">that </span>fascinating.<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Portrait_Photographer_0908_007.jpg" alt="Waterloo Portrait Photography - (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br />Toward the end of the shoot, we went to the water to let Jayden get his feet wet, and I think he liked it!<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Portrait_Photographer_0908_008.jpg" alt="Waterloo Portrait Photography - (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br /><br />Loook at those tiny little feet!<img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Portrait_Photographer_0908_005.jpg" alt="Waterloo Portrait Photography - (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br /><br />You can find more shots from this session on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/amandastrattonphotographer">my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/amandastrattonphotographer</a><br /><br />This was really a fun shoot, which was in no small part due to Mandy and Jason being such wonderful subjects and being so relaxed with Jayden. Thank you guys for a fun evening at the beach!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-58972576931805344052009-08-27T19:11:00.000-07:002009-08-28T02:39:23.537-07:00A Morning Shoot: Family Photography<img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Childhood_Photographer_0908_001.jpg" alt="Childhood Photography, (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br />The very best light for photos, in case you were wondering, happens in the morning and the evening. For about three hours after day breaks and about three hours before night falls. For most people, the evening works best, but for this shoot, morning did, and it was one of very few opportunities that I've had to shoot in the morning light.<br /><br />We brought Bruce along for this shoot, too. He's the <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">skateboard tied to a rope</span> dog you see the kids walking in these pictures. Imagination is a wonderful thing!<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Childhood_Photographer_0908_002.jpg" alt="Childhood Photography, (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br />The kids also showed me their fort, which unfortunately for them, involved letting the cat out of the bag about them climbing trees in their fort. Oops!<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Childhood_Photographer_0908_003.jpg" alt="Childhood Photography, (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br />Aren't these kids gorgeous??<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Childhood_Photographer_0908_004.jpg" alt="Childhood Photography, (C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br />I wanted to share just a few photos of these two awesome kids for now. We caught their baby brother at a bad time, and he just wanted to sleep, so I'm going to go back for another shoot with him, and then I'll share some more of this family, including an album design!<br /><br />Thanks to Amanda for having me come out and shoot your family! Your kids are just wonderful, and I had a great time!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-27101606218396402482009-08-25T20:29:00.000-07:002009-08-26T07:52:07.572-07:00Emytt: Newborn Photography<img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Newborn_Photographer_004.jpg" alt="Waterloo Newborn Photographer - Copyright, Amanda Stratton, 2009" title="Newborn Photography" /><br /><br />I know that most of my loyal blog readers have probably already seen these photos on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/AmandaStrattonPhotographer">my facebook page</a>, but for those of you that don't follow me there,here there are!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Newborn_Photographer_001.jpg" alt="Waterloo Newborn Photographer - Copyright, Amanda Stratton, 2009" title="Newborn Photography" /><br /><br />Emytt was not even a week old when we did these pictures. That's the perfect time to get newborn photos like these. That's partly because newborns change so fast, and after a week, they look quite different already! It's also because at this age, babies are still sleeping a lot, and they aren't moving themselves around much even when they are awake, so they're very cooperative subjects!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Newborn_Photographer_002.jpg" alt="Waterloo Newborn Photographer - Copyright, Amanda Stratton, 2009" title="Newborn Photography" /><br /><br />Emytt's big brothers (who are as cute as can be!!) gave him this teddy bear to help watch over him :)<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Newborn_Photographer_003.jpg" alt="Waterloo Newborn Photographer - Copyright, Amanda Stratton, 2009" title="Newborn Photography" /><br /><br /><br />I love photos of babies crying and fussing. I think it's adorable the way they scrunch up their little faces. Emytt didn't give me much chance to take any. He was so content, and he slept for almost the entire time we were shooting. And he only had two accidents, which was also nice :)<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Newborn_Photographer_005.jpg" alt="Waterloo Newborn Photographer - Copyright, Amanda Stratton, 2009" title="Newborn Photography" /><br /><br /><br />I was so happy that I was able to shoot this session with natural light. It just seems wrong to go flash-crazy on a baby, so I borrowed my parents' garage loft and enjoyed gorgeous natural light.<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Newborn_Photographer_006.jpg" alt="Waterloo Newborn Photographer - Copyright, Amanda Stratton, 2009" title="Newborn Photography" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Newborn_Photographer_007.jpg" alt="Waterloo Newborn Photographer - Copyright, Amanda Stratton, 2009" title="Newborn Photography" /><br /><br />I debated whether to grab this tray (which I normally keep fruit on in my kitchen) for the baby shoot, and I'm glad I did. And it illustrates how we can use things from your own house for your baby's shoot. Maybe not always the fruit bowl, but I guarantee there are awesome props right in your house :)<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Newborn_Photographer_008.jpg" alt="Waterloo Newborn Photographer - Copyright, Amanda Stratton, 2009" title="Newborn Photography" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Waterloo_Newborn_Photographer_009.jpg" alt="Waterloo Newborn Photographer - Copyright, Amanda Stratton, 2009" title="Newborn Photography" /><br /><br />I have to thank Emytt's parents, Candice and Lee, for allowing me to do his newborn photos. I had a wonderful time, they let me do all the things I'd been planning for ages, and they didn't mind driving out to my parents' house in Ethel for the shoot. Thank you so much guys!<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 90%;">*I don't want to be misleading about my services, so I will point out that these were done with a backdrop, though generally what you're seeing in the background is actually blankets. I don't normally use backdrops, but because we used my parents' garage for the shoot, the location didn't have a whole lot of meaning for Emytt and his family. I won't be offering shoots with backdrops on a regular basis, though, except maybe for newborns. </span>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-31163598633527117662009-08-19T22:37:00.001-07:002009-08-20T00:27:26.517-07:00Twenty-SevenYup, I'm 27. I don't know why 27 sounds so much older than 26. I think odd numbers are like that. Anyway, 27 sounds so grown up.<br /><br />It's funny, but when people hear how old I am, at whatever age, I get one of two very different reactions. <br /><br />There are the people who don't really know me that well, probably have never seen me with my kids, and who are always really surprised to find out I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">that </span>old. I like to think I look youthful and always will. I'm sure I'm just immature ;)<br /><br />Then there are people who know me a little better, see me with my kids a lot, and probably know that I also did four years of post-secondary school. They likely assume I did the school thing and the kids thing consecutively and not concurrently. Anyway, they're always surprised that I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">so </span>young. <br /><br />Of course there are also the people who know me the best, and they're just surprised that year after year I continue to think my birthday is some kind of big deal even though most people my age have matured beyond that :)<br /><br />So, my birthday present to myself this year was that I set aside my huge backlog of other work for an evening and got <a href="http://www.amandastratton.com">my new website</a> up and running. There are still some tweaks and some more additions to be made, and I have some talking to do with my former hosting provider to get the old livingproofphotography.ca site moved, but I'm officially moved in to <a href="http://amandastratton.com">amandastratton.com</a> now. Yay! Happy Birthday to Me!<br /><br />I'll be moving my blog in due course as well, but I'm still working on the coding for it, and I didn't get it done before I decided I better pack it in because the girls and I are headed to do my niece's shoot tomorrow morning because she recently turned The Big 3! And my sister <a href="http://trays-spot.blogspot.com">Tracey </a>said she'll buy me some <a href="http://www.tcbycanada.com/">TCBY</a>, and I love TCBY, so I think it's safe to say that between the company, the yogurt, and the knowledge that my new site is spreading photo loveliness to all the lands of the earth, it will be a good birthday. :)<br /><br />I hope everyone else has a great day, too!<br /><br />And since this day is all about me (what, it's not???)... I'm going to post a photo that Hilary from <a href="http://oneforthewall.blogspot.com">One for the Wall Photography</a> took for me a couple weeks ago. Hilary is a truly awesome portrait photographer, so check out <a href="http://oneforthewall.blogspot.com">her blog</a>.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Me-10.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Hilary Camilleri, 2009 - One for the Wall Photography, used with permission"><br /><br /><br />P.S. Thank you to everyone who sent me supportive messages regarding yesterday's blog post. Your comments, emails, and tweets were truly appreciated. If you were hanging around twitter last night, you know that I debated posting that. I wondered if it was too personal or too negative, or too something else. I'm glad I posted it. Not only did it feel good to get it all out, but the affirmation in your responses was really uplifting. And I don't usually say stuff like that ;)Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-67511988947871720202009-08-18T22:20:00.000-07:002009-08-18T23:47:22.069-07:00I'm On Empty<img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NYC-10.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" /><br /><br />I know the metaphor isn’t original, but it feels like the right one.<br /><br />I feel like for the past year, I’ve been running on whatever tiny amount of fuel I had left when I walked out the door of my home and moved to my parents’ house. <br /><br />And now I’m empty, because I never stopped to refuel myself. I thought that it was more important that I be strong and keep moving on with my life as if I hadn’t even noticed that anything changed. At first, I did feel better. Maybe I was getting better mileage without the weight of an unbearably difficult relationship.<br /><br />But I was afraid if I stopped, took pause, reflected, or just sat still for too long, I wouldn’t be able to get back on the road. So I didn’t stop. I went to New York, I went back to school, I went to work on my business, I went on my daughter’s class trips, I went to Vegas, I went to the doctor and the dentist, I went to Niagara Falls, I went to Kitchener, I went to the grocery store, I went up and down the streets until I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. I went anywhere I could just to make sure I never stopped.<br /><br />My days got longer and nights got shorter. I never went to bed until I was so tired that I knew there was no chance I’d get lost in thought before I was fast asleep. I never slept long enough to dream.<br /><br />Everything got harder. My fuel got lower. I sputtered down streets I would have sped through before. But I still refused to stop. I didn’t want to look around. I wanted to focus on getting somewhere instead, even though I had no idea where I was headed, and I was pretty sure that wherever this was taking me, I didn’t want to be there.<br /><br />I was exhausted, and the anger, sadness, and frustration that I was trying not to look at in my rearview mirror were pulling up alongside me every time I slowed down.<br /><br />I fell farther and farther behind on everything. On bills, on work, on school, on parenting. I was more and more distracted, trying always to focus on anything but reality. <br /><br />And then on the most unexpected of days, something happened and I stopped. And I cried. <br /><br />For the first time since I had left Josh over a year earlier, I cried about it. I cried great heaving sobs and felt sorry for myself. In the past year, I had lost the family I knew, the job I had, my sense of home, and what felt like my entire identity. And every time, when friends and family members called or offered a hug, I’d wave it away. “It’s not a big deal.” “It’s for the best.” “It’s really a good thing.” “Stop freaking out,” I’d say to mildly concerned people, “it’s okay.”<br /><br />And when that little ache in my chest crept up on me, I waved it away, too. For a year, I brushed it off. I told everyone, including myself, that I was fine. I wanted to be strong and optimistic, and happy in the face of it all.<br /><br />But that ache persisted until that one night when I finally admitted I felt it. Like I finally noticed the gas light was on. As I watched Josh moving on, I realized I wasn’t. For all of my speeding away, I had only ever gone in circles. I hadn’t really eked out peace for myself. I had used every last ounce of energy I could to keep the appearance of it, though. And now that’s what I’m empty of. That energy is gone. There is nothing left to keep me just ahead of the ache.<br /><br />I still think that I made the right decision leaving that day over a year ago. And if there is one thing that I truly believe in, it’s blessings in disguise. Or at any rate, I believe that there is an upside to almost everything, even if it takes a while to reveal itself.<br /><br />But I am sad, too. I’m sad that I don’t have the family I wanted and that I thought I would have. And I’m lonely. Not simply for Josh, but for my sense of belonging and self that came from knowing all of my roles to play.<br /><br />And sometimes I’m so angry I want to scream at the top of my lungs until I can’t scream anymore. And sometimes I’m so frustrated I just want to kick at the confusion until it cracks.<br /><br />They’ve all caught up with me, these familiar strangers that have been chasing me the past year. So now, when most people might be starting to pick up the pieces and move on, I’m finally stopping.<br /><br />I’m crying, and screaming, and kicking. And grieving.<br /><br />Because all of these changes cause grief, and the thing about grief is that it will wait. It will wait until you’re ready. It will hang around in the corners of your mind, it will rest with a dull ache in your chest, and it will idle along in your rearview mirror, until you notice it, acknowledge it, and invite it in.<br /><br />Grief doesn’t go away when you ignore it. It doesn’t grow. It doesn’t shrink. It doesn’t transform itself. It just waits. Patiently. Mostly silently. It waits. <br /><br />I’ve seen people wait days, months, and years to acknowledge grief, but I don’t think it ever changes the way we experience it. I didn’t do my crying and kicking and screaming a year ago, so I’m doing it now. I’m pretty sure it’s the same crying and kicking and screaming I would have done then.<br /><br />In the end, I think it’s the grief that will transform me. This past year, I’ve been going in circles because change upon change took place, and I refused to let the grief in. I’ve tried to search my soul and heart and mind, but I wouldn’t look in the places where I knew there was grief, because I wanted to pretend it wasn’t there.<br /><br />I lost what I thought was me, but I never moved toward a new me, or a more authentic me, or the me I wanted to be, because I didn’t know where those things were. But I think the road map to them started to be laid out when I let grief in.<br /><br />It’s filled me up first with the energy of anger and sadness and frustration, so that I can learn to be full again. And as I empty myself of those things, I’m finding little pockets to fill with different kinds of energy, and newfound pieces of myself.<br /><br />And one day, in the who-knows-how-distant future, that lest vestige of grief will fall by the wayside, and I’ll move on down a better road. I just have to be patient with grief. Like it was with me.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NYC-10-2.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-50254185048065779532009-08-10T19:50:00.000-07:002009-08-12T14:38:06.571-07:00Niagara FallsLast week, the girls and I went away on vacation together for the first time ever! It was also the first time that any of us had been to <a href="http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/default.html">Niagara Falls</a>, so I was really excited to be able to share that experience with them!<br /><br />My mom came with us, and there are a few reasons I love travelling with my mom. One is that my mom is not a timeline stickler. This works well because I'm not a timeline follower. We left three hours later than we had intended to in the morning, and my mom was okay with that. I mean, sure, we both wanted to leave earlier, but were we going to let that ruin one second of our vacation? No, of course not! What would be the point?<br /><br />So we left my place and headed out on the three hour drive to Niagara Falls, with the girls in the back seat. They were awesome little troopers, and we only had to make one stop for leg stretching!<br /><br />Our plan was to stop at <a href="http://www.niagaraparks.com">Niagara Parks</a> <a href="http://www.niagaraparks.com/garden/botanical.php">Botanical Gardens</a> on the way in, meet <a href="http://trays-spot.blogspot.com/">my sister Tracey</a> and her daughter, Maya, and have a picnic lunch there. The kids blew bubbles, we ate lunch, they climbed trees, and we wandered the gardens. It was perfect and peaceful. I think I mentioned a few times that I could have laid down and napped there. <br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-12.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-08.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-09.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-13.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-14.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br /><br />I had never seen cabbage like this before. I totally forget what it was called, but I declared immediately that if I ever get married, this cabbage will be my centrepiece. Well, not this <span style="font-style: italic;">exact </span>cabbage, as I assume it will be decomposed by the time I ever get married, but one like it. I also thought the green plants on the lower middle would make a nice accent to said cabbage. And maybe some white peonies for a bit of luxury factor. Rotten apples not so much. You may mock, but I swear it's going to be really pretty.<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-11.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br /><br />Eventually, we decided we'd better head into the city to check into our hotel and get on with our other plans. We stayed at the <a href="http://www.sheratononthefalls.com">Sheraton On the Falls</a>, and I'm so glad we did. When I first started planning a getaway to Niagara Falls, I intended to stay somewhere cheap. But I decided that since this was my girls' first hotel stay, I wanted to give them at least a bit of luxury.<br /><br />Of course, we made them carry the bags. They have to earn their stay somehow ;)<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-07.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br /><br />We had a room on the 20th floor, with a balcony and a gorgeous view of the falls.<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-02.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Sheraton on the Falls is also one of only three hotels with a direct indoor connection to the famous <a href="http://www.fallsviewwaterpark.com/index.php?">Fallsview Indoor Waterpark</a>, but we didn't go there. The hotel was great, the service was good, and the TV in the bathroom impressed the heck right out of my kids. That's exactly what I wanted to give them--a break from ordinary and a couple of days of just having fun and doing whatever we want!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-15.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br /><br />(I was impressed by the Sheraton's white sheets. When I look at hotel room pictures when choosing a hotel, all I'm looking at is the colour of the sheets. Hotels should have white sheets. It's only right.)<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-05.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br />After having some hotel time, we walked down to the river (literally a three minute walk, even with two three-year-olds) and we got some tickets for the <a href="http://www.maidofthemist.com">Maid of the Mist</a>. At this point, I want to interject that I was not sure what to expect of the Falls at all. Of course I've seen pictures of the falls, so I sort of knew what it would look like. But I felt that maybe after waiting so long, it would be anticlimactic. I felt much the same about the Maid of the Mist. In fact, some people had told me that it wasn't worth the money (BTW, it was only $14.50 for me, and both of my kids were free) and that it wasn't very impressive.<br /><br />Those people are boring.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-04.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br /><br />When you're on that boat and get close to the horseshoe falls, you feel like you're caught in a storm of wind and rain. The rushing water drowns out pretty much all sound, and it takes a moment to get accustomed to the rocking of the boat. It's a cool experience just at that, but then when you get your bearings and look around you to see that you're almost <span style="font-style: italic;">surrounded </span>by walls of water. Well, I'm sorry, but you have to be one of those really annoying people who tries too hard to be blase about everything to not be impressed and awe-struck. It was really cool. <br /><br />I also have to ask something here. Somebody replied to me on twitter saying "check Canadian side of Niagara Falls too, some say it is better view." I've seen similar advice other places. I'd like to direct your attention back to my photo of our hotel view, as it best demonstrates my point.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-03.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br /><br />I'm at a loss in understanding how it's even physically possible to see the US falls and not the Canadian falls?? It would seem that you probably can't even see the falls from the US, can you? Wouldn't you just kinda see a river ending? Maybe I should go over there sometime and check.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-01.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br /><br />Anywho, after our Maid of the Mist adventure, we wandered around a bit, bought some tourist items (I got my usual mug!) and then we meandered around <a href="http://www.cliftonhill.com/">Clifton Hill</a>. I'm embarassed to say I didn't know Clifton Hill existed, such as it is. I thought (can you see me blushing?) that Clifton Hill was a town near Niagara Falls. It's not. It's a street that runs right down to the falls and has kind of a "Vegas/Times Square meets Main Street Disneyland" feel about it. Things looked pricey there, and we didn't really do anything, but I think it was probably a cool experience for the kids just to see all the lights and be out late!<br /><br />One thing that could have made our trip even better would have been knowing that fireworks and free concerts take place on Wednesday night and Friday night, but not on Thursday night, which is when we were there. If I had known, I would have gone on Wednesday so we could see the fireworks. But now we know for next time!<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-06.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" /><br /><br />We finally went back to the hotel, gave the girls a bath for the sole purpose of allowing them to watch TV whilst in the bath, and then we hit the sack after my sister and I had a brief argument about air conditioning. The next morning we lounged around in the hotel room until checkout time. This was an important part of my vacation, and I'm glad the rest of the people with me consented to it even though I think I was annoying them with my lack of "get up and go".<br /><br />Our main Day Two activity was Marineland, but this post is already really long, and I didn't take many pictures there, so I won't bother to write home about it! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/default.html">Niagara Falls</a> was the perfect choice for our first family vacation, and I'm so glad we went! Here's one final shot of Marissa having a cuddle with Grandma in the courtyard in front of the hotel. Such a beautiful and relaxing spot!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/NiagaraFalls-10.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-40662614426649112722009-08-07T00:08:00.000-07:002009-08-06T06:29:02.623-07:00Anyone Wanna Hang?Since Marissa's birthday is over, that means mine is next. I know it makes me sound like a little kid, but I still love my birthday. I don't usually do anything for my birthday, but I still just like the fact that it is my birthday. <br /><br />Shortly after I turned 26, <a href="http://livingproofphotography.blogspot.com/2008/09/addendum-to-my-birthday-post.html">I made a list of ten goals for my 27th year</a>. I think about the list often, which is good, but I don't often work toward those goals, which is bad.<br /><br />And now there are two weeks left until my birthday, so it's time to see what I can pull out the fire at the last minute. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1. Clean out my Inbox.</span><br />I can do this! I will do this! I intend to hit up Staples on Saturday for some paper so I can print out anything I need and delete the rest. I must conquer the inbox!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2. Find a way to use my photography to help the community.</span><br />I did do Cans for Comments, but I wish I had done more, and would like to do more next year. I just don't know what to do. Ideas?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />3. Finish 6 courses at school.</span><br />This was amended to four because I wanted my sanity back, and as of Saturday when I write my French exam, that will be done! I don't know if I'll pass French, but I did finish it.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3.5. Learn Vectors.</span><br />I could cram this in. I think I can! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4. Go to 3 places I've never been before.</span><br />I went to New York City and Las Vegas. And when this posts, barring anything unforeseen, I'll be in Niagara Falls. Yay!<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />5. Walk to Run.</span><br />Um, can we pretend we didn't see this one? I can't be done the 12 weeks by my birthday, but I can be on week 5. That must be good for partial points.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />6. Call Missy. Scratch that. SEE Missy.</span><br />I saw Missy a couple of times. It would have been nice to see her more, but I'm sure we will soon!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">7. Go out to dinner/chat/hang with 10 people I didn't know before.</span><br />Okay, this didn't happen either and I thought it would be the easy one. I did meet Lisa, Hilary, and Angela and hung out with each of them a bit. I can't really count actual shooting time, but Megan and Jonathan and I went for dinner together and it was a good time, so I could count it. That's 4. I need 6 more. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Anybody wanna hang? Seriously.</span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />8. Read the news once a week.</span><br />pffffft..... so didn't happen. I've realized, though, that I'm just not a news-reader. or watcher. or listener. I have a hard time watching the news because I get really upset about anything bad that happens, particularly to children. Like in tears. I didn't used to be like that. I would really like to follow current events, but I just can't handle it. I'm a terrible citizen. :(<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />9. Do one craft a week with my kids.</span><br />This didn't happen, either, and I do feel bad about that. We probably did 10 crafts.... maybe. If I do the other 42 in the next two weeks, does that count? No... I guess that's not the same.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">10. TAKE TIME TO BREATHE</span><br />I don't think I did very well with this the past year. But I'm working now toward organizing my life so that it's easier to breathe. And I don't mean that I'm thinking about it. I'm actually doing things to get organized, which is new for me.<br /><br />Wish me luck as I cram for my birthday. Next year, I think I'll have fewer goals.<br /><br />And since we all like pictures, here's a quick shot from Vegas (the Hoover Dam, to be specific):<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/vegas-1-2.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Photographer">Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-53343094138273995812009-08-06T05:14:00.000-07:002009-08-06T05:38:08.959-07:00Taya and Bob: A Day AfterI love the idea of doing a Day After shoot. Instead of spending all of your wedding day taking photos, save the photos of just the two of you for a Day After shoot. That way you get more time with your guests and friends, and you also get more time for your photos. More and more people are opting to do this, and it doesn't have to be the next day. A lot of people do their day after photos when they come back from their honeymoon.<br /><br />I had never done a Day After, so I was excited when Taya asked me to do one for her and Bob, and we did on the actual day after their wedding! Taya's uncle owns a beautiful property in Eden Mills, and it was such a pleasure to shoot there!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Low_Leduc-002.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer"><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Low_Leduc-004.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer"><br /><br />We actually didn't do that many photos with Bob's guitar. I apparently just liked a disproportionate number of them, and I'm not going to lie--I'm about to leave for Niagara Falls and I don't have time to go back and find new shots!<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Low_Leduc-006.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer"><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Low_Leduc-007.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer"><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Low_Leduc-008.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer"><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Low_Leduc-009.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer"><br /><br />Thanks, Bob and Taya, for letting me capture your Day After! It was a lot of fun!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-50720037005409078212009-08-04T19:15:00.000-07:002009-08-05T03:49:45.483-07:00When We Wake Up<img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/RooTwo-5.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children Photographer" /><br /><br />Tonight was the last time in my life that I'll ever cuddle with a two year old curly-haired blue-eyed little girl of my own. Tomorrow is Marissa's birthday, and she'll be turning three. I can't believe how quickly time is going by. I know it's such a cliche to say it, but they do grow up fast.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/RooTwo-1.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children Photographer" /><br /><br />I don't know what it is about Marissa turning three, but it seems so significant. Strangely more significant than Bria turning five. I think maybe it's that now Rissa is undeniably out of the baby stage. You can get away with calling a two-year-old a baby, but a three year old? Definitely not. A three year old is a pre-schooler. She's not even a toddler anymore, I don't think. She hasn't toddled for a long time, anyway.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/RooTwo-2.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children Photographer" /><br /><br />So, tomorrow will be a kind of bitter-sweet day for me. I love my kids' birthdays, but this is one of the ones that will be tough for me as a mommy, which is odd because I don't even want to have another baby. The baby stage was really never my favourite thing. I guess what's bitter about it is the little voice in my head telling me I better wake up and smell the roses or soon the roses will be gone off to college and I'll have missed my chance. Things get so busy, and I feel like I haven't taken every advantage to really appreciate and cherish my time with my kids. I seem to always be sitting at my computer working, or running out the door... and now Marissa is three and I'm wondering where I was when she was two.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/RooTwo-3.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children Photographer" /><br /><br />When the girls went to bed, just so I could hear her say it one last time, I asked Marissa, "How old are you?"<br />"Twooooo! And when will I be three?"<br />"When you wake up, Baby. You'll be three when you wake up."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/RooTwo-4.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children Photographer" /><br /><br />And I better wake up, too, or I'm going to miss it.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/RooTwo-6.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children Photographer" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-26810601995055799652009-07-31T01:16:00.000-07:002009-08-01T00:18:28.633-07:00Abby is One!A couple of weeks ago, my friend <a href="http://www.amandajanesnotebook.blogspot.com/">Amanda </a>invited me out to shoot some One Year pictures of her daughter, Abby. Abby is just the happiest, cutest little thing ever. And it's immediately obvious that both of her parents adore her completely.<br /><br />I loved her dress, and it worked nicely with the balloon :)<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Abigail-01.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children Photographer" /><br /><br />A couple days after our shoot, Abby started walking, but she stood for the longest she ever had while we were taking the photos above with her birthday balloon. I loved how excited her parents were, and I think she was pretty pleased with herself, too!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Abigail-02.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children Photographer" /><br /><br />How gorgeous are those big eyes?!! <br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Abigail-03.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children Photographer" /><br /><br />The whole family:<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Abigail-04.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children Photographer" /><br /><br /><br />I've found that a lot of the time when I'm shooting portraits, and especially kids' portraits, I see the shots I'm taking as being part of framed sets or album pages. I'm not sure if it's just me, but when that's how I envision them to begin with, I love to see that come to fruition.<br /><br />So, here's a vision I had of Abby's shoot while we were out playing!<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Abigail-Storyboard-1.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children Photographer" border="1" /><br />(loving these <a href="http://www.mcpactions.com/">MCP Actions</a> Storyboard actions!!)<br /><br />Thanks, Amanda for letting me help you capture Abby at this awesome stage in her life!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-17498686422063773022009-07-28T00:00:00.000-07:002009-07-28T14:16:00.093-07:00Swing, Swing<img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/swinga.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children Photographer"><br /><br />Most children love to swing, and younger ones especially have some of their best, heartiest, straight-from-the-belly laughs while they're on the swings. And the biggest, happiest smiles. So, naturally, parents want to capture some of those moments to preserve the sheer joy of swinging!<br /><br />The trouble is that those big huge pushes that make kids squeal with delight also make them move pretty fast, backward and forward. I've been lucky enough to get a few awesome pics of kids on swings, and I took some of my girls just the other day, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to share some pointers on how to accomplish the task :)<br /><br />First of all, you won't be using auto-focus. So check your manual to see how you can either disable it, or avoid triggering it. If you're using a Canon DSLR, I so strongly recommend using custom functions to move your auto-focus to the * button (you can reassign exposure lock to the shutter if you like).<br /><br />Secondly, this is going to work better with an SLR camera than most non-SLR cameras because they tend not to take the photo immediately when you press the shutter button. But give it a try even if you're not sure about yours :)<br /><br />Thirdly, give yourself some wiggle room by starting off with a broad depth of field. Use a narrow aperture (which means bigger f-numbers: f10 instead of f2), start with wider shots (that means 10mm instead of 70mm), and back up a bit from your subject. All of these things will result in a broader depth of field, which means that you can get a foot or two, instead of an inch or two, in focus at once.<br /><br />So, here's what you do:<br /><br />#1 - Find a good angle and watch your child on the swing for a moment. Pick a spot, or general area, on the swing's path where you want to take the photo--one that will give you the photo you want and a nice view of a smiling kid!<br /><br />#2 - Allow a couple passes of the swing to use either auto-focus or manual focus to get the focus hitting in the right spot. You will have a bit of leeway if you've chosen a spot where you have a couple feet in which to get the shot. Once you've got your focus set somewhere in that area, don't touch your focus again.<br /><br />#3 - Wait. Keep your eye to the viewfinder (or just watch the screen) and your shutter finger ready. When your child comes into focus, hit the shutter WITHOUT hitting the auto-focus. If you have a camera capable of "rapid fire" continuous shooting you might try that, but I honestly think that your odds of getting the shot are just as good doing it yourself unless you have a really high end camera that can shoot upwards of 10 frames per second. With a bit of practice, you will get used to the timing of your camera... unless it's a totally unpredictable camera.<br /><br />#4 - Push. Shoot. Repeat. You will have some out of focus shots. In fact, at first, you'll probably have mostly out of focus shots. Keep trying and you'll also get some truly awesome in-focus treasures! The beauty of the swing is that kids are usually happy to be subjected to one more try!<br /><br />The skills you're developing by doing this will translate well to a lot of other fast-action shooting. You could shoot cars on a track, moving animals, running athletes, and I'm sure much more with the same technique. If what you're shooting doesn't follow a repeating path allowing for a chance at focusing and catching it next time, use your manual focus to set the focus ahead of the subject's current position. When the subject moves into focus, snap the shot.<br /><br />And if you just can't get it, just capture the moment. The photos below are so far from perfect, but as a series, I love them. I'm pretty sure I'm going to put the three of these in a frame, just like they are here. When I look at them, it just makes me smile. And, really, that's what photos are for, right?<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/swing.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children Photographer"><br /><br />So, play lots, have fun, and don't forget to put the camera down and have a swing yourself once in a while!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-87932460182809035322009-07-26T00:00:00.000-07:002009-07-26T07:27:20.734-07:00Stay TunedI have so many photos to blog, but I'm just not feeling the blog vibe lately. Y'know? If you have a blog, you must know that once in a while, you just kind of feel like there's nothing in you to say. And, yeah, I know that I'm not supposed to be saying anything here... I'm supposed to be showing pictures.<br /><br />But I guess I'm a talker at heart because I feel like a post with <span style="font-style:italic;">just </span>pictures is as empty as post without pictures. I'm sure most of you disagree and would prefer that I not writing anything at all. :)<br /><br />Here's a quick preview of few of the shoots I need to blog still.<br /><br />Abby's First Birthday<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Abigail-07.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children's Photographer"><br /><br />Taya and Bob's Day After<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Taya-2.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children's Photographer"><br /><br />Bob and Steve's Promo Shots<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Leduc-1.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children's Photographer"><br /><br />Kristy's Mendhi (her wedding was yesterday and I wasn't shooting it, but I hope it was a great time!!)<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Kristy-01.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Children's Photographer"><br /><br />So, stay tuned for more from these shoots, and some others as well!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-34575535370185672602009-07-24T06:43:00.000-07:002009-07-24T06:52:50.791-07:00Celebration!Things have been pretty quiet around here lately, so I thought I'd liven up the party with some inspiration for all the brides and grooms out there.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4-94JhLEiN0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4-94JhLEiN0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />How awesome is that?!?<br />(And sorry if you've already seen it fifty-six times)<br /><br /><br />What I love about it is that this couple made their wedding their own and did away with some of the silly traditions that don't matter (you don't have to step-together-step down the aisle to Pachelbel to make your marriage legal) so that they could have the day they wanted.<br /><br />What can you do to make your wedding day your own? <br /><br /><br />Have a great day :)Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-65718673149609198842009-07-16T13:19:00.000-07:002009-07-17T09:58:35.409-07:00why RAW rulesPhotographers have a lot of different opinions about whether to shoot RAW or to shoot JPEG. I personally shoot jpeg some of the time when it's just for me, but when shooting for clients, I always shoot in RAW unless there's some reason not to.<br /><br />I will admit that about 90% of the time when I'm shooting in RAW, I could be shooting in jpeg and be just as happy with the outcome. In fact, I've considered becoming a jpeg shooter and only shooting in RAW when the situation warrants it. So, I don't want anyone to think I'm being biased when I say that sometimes RAW is the clear winner.<br /><br />I had a really good example on a recent shoot, so I thought I'd share it. Normally, I meter for faces when shooting. I am not the type of photographer who minds if a little bit of sky or a window, or some of the background is blown out. For anyone who's not familiar with that term, "blown out" means that the image, or that portion of the image, is overexposed to the point that there is no data there at all. It appears pure white.<br /><br />In this scene, I've use Lightroom's highlight indicator to show where the sky and water are both completely blown out when metering for the subjects (the red bits are blown out).<br /><img src="http://amandastratton.com/blogshots09/rawrules01.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />I used Lightroom 2.0's gradient tool, and a bit of localized adjusting, as well as the recovery slider, to bring back that sky and lake.<br /><img src="http://amandastratton.com/blogshots09/rawrules04.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />I also have this shot done in reverse. I exposed for the sky and lake, and pulled the subjects up in LR using the gradient tool and fill light slider. This worked pretty well, but made for noisy subjects, so to me, it was preferable to get as close to a normal exposure on the subjects as I could without making the sky irrecoverable.<br /><br />Here's the same shot, converted directly to jpeg, or essentially, what you would have if you used your camera's jpeg quality setting. I pulled this jpeg into Lightroom, but because jpeg's don't save the image the same as RAW does, the data simply isn't there to bring back the sky and lake the way you can with the RAW image.<br /><img src="http://amandastratton.com/blogshots09/rawrules02.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br />For the sake of demonstrating this, I've reduced the exposure as far as possible, and used the recovery slider as much as possible, set brightness and contrast to zero. Nothing else has been adjusted.<br /><br />If RAW processing isn't normally a part of your workflow, you can take that "fixed up" RAW, convert it to jpeg, and edit it as you normally would in your favourite editing program.<br /><br /><img src="http://amandastratton.com/blogshots09/rawrules03.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />For this image, I took it into photoshop, then added a bit of a curve adjustment, and used the "Fresh & Colourful" and "Quick Edge Burn" actions from the <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/2008/04/actions/">Pioneer Woman Action Set 1</a>, which were developed by Doug Boutwell, who is also the Photoshop mastermind behind the very popular <a href="http://totallyradactions.com/">Totally Rad Actions</a>.<br /><br />So, in conclusion, I think it's a really good idea to know when and how RAW can help you get a great shot.<br /><br />If this is helpful to you at all, or if you have a question about any of it, please let me know!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-60317300827145935452009-07-12T04:36:00.000-07:002009-07-12T04:38:35.083-07:00Some birds lost their home :(<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3xx_HOelBAtWsQvycft6FQlE3jTEvjZv0jRR2q9K-TIZ9xXBEWzMXM6Yxk5StC5qdJsVgl2FjDi9eAhnVl7TdO9T6bk7ljYkHV-02yIpK3t5ChlJp-Wj1vURVkmoSmfljHb8pivlEto/s1600-h/=%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1HMDAxNDAtMjAwOTA3MTItMDcyNS5qcGc=%3F=-715084"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3xx_HOelBAtWsQvycft6FQlE3jTEvjZv0jRR2q9K-TIZ9xXBEWzMXM6Yxk5StC5qdJsVgl2FjDi9eAhnVl7TdO9T6bk7ljYkHV-02yIpK3t5ChlJp-Wj1vURVkmoSmfljHb8pivlEto/s320/=%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1HMDAxNDAtMjAwOTA3MTItMDcyNS5qcGc=%3F=-715084" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357536687079775218" /></a></p>Thankfully, I didn't lose mine.<p>I hope everyone else was as lucky as I was. My side of town is pretty torn up, and I know a lot of people have damage, but I hope everyone stayed safe while that storm tore through here yesterday.<p>This is my first time posting by email so hopefully it works. Is there a picture?<br>Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerryAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-46012845950988400382009-07-09T22:18:00.000-07:002009-07-09T22:50:31.681-07:00Jaime and Jessy: Details!This past weekend, I shot Jaime and Jessy's wedding. I loved the look of their wedding. Everything was very white and natural, and it just looked beautiful. So I thought instead of doing a regular boring preview post of one image, I'd share some of the little details. I love taking detail shots, and they always end up being some of my favourite images from each wedding, but I don't usually post many because I usually decide that blog readers would probably rather see people shots. So I think I'll start doing a detail post as a preview for all of my weddings!<br /><br />The other thing I loved about this wedding was that I could have walked to it. All of my weddings so far have been out of town, so one of my favourite moments of the day was when I drove past my house on my way from the ceremony to the reception. I love travelling, and I actually really enjoy going out of town for weddings, but once in a while, it's nice to stay close to home!<br /><br />I also want to thank <a href="http://peggyfleischauer.ca/">Peggy Fleischauer</a>, who came and second shot with me! Thanks so much for your help!<br /><br />On with some details! I love white bouquets, and I also love lilies, so I was a big fan of Jessy's bouquet.<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/JNJ-1.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />I think that little touches like these lanterns and bows on the aisles dress up an outdoor wedding nicely.<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/JNJ-2.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />The lanterns again. I really liked them. (Don't mind the completely out of left field processing. I was trying some different things.)<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/JNJ-3.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />The getaway car was pretty cool!<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/JNJ-4.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />The reception was at the <a href="http://www.listowelkin.ca/Listowel_Kinstation.htm">Kin Station</a>, and I don't know if I've ever seen it look so good. I've personally never been a fan of huge head tables, mostly because I've sat at a few, and it's just not easy to talk to anyone, and you feel like you're on display or something, so I love the idea of "sweetheard tables" instead. This one is gorgeous, and it has a plus one for Jessy's daughter. <br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/JNJ-5.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />Really pretty table markers. Did I mention I loved all the white and natural colours? I loved it!<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/JNJ-6.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />Thanks Jessy and Jaime for allowing me to shoot your wedding! I had a great time, and I'm so happy for both of you!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-2674612075673820772009-07-08T04:49:00.000-07:002009-07-08T12:50:30.800-07:00Bonnie and JM: Married!"Is it always like this?" Bonnie asked us. She meant all of the last minute things that needed to be done. "There's always last minute stuff," I said, "but it's not always this calm." Five hours before the ceremony, Bonnie had just hand-tied her gorgeous bouquets and made boutonnieres, and was moving on to finishing up table number cards.<br /><br />JM walked into Bonnie's parents' house and casually said hello to the woman he was going to marry later that day, and then pitched in. An hour later, when Bonnie was in her wedding dress, and ready to rejoin the crowd downstairs, I asked if she wanted to do any kind of special entrance for the first time JM would see her. She said no and headed down the stairs. But it was still special, because it fit who Bonnie and JM are, individually, and as a couple. (And, for the record, JM still beamed when he saw her, even without the grand entrance.)<br /><br />Bonnie and JM were probably the most relaxed couple I've ever seen, let a lone photographed, on a wedding day. They were the perfect bride and groom: simply happy to be together and to be getting married. They both showed the kind of quiet devotion that makes you sure there will be nothing in life that they can't get through together. They, their families, and their friends, were an absolute pleasure to spend a day with.<br /><br />As I was trying to choose photos to blog from this wedding, I tweeted that I am so happy to finally be a good enough photographer that it's hard to narrow down my selection for the blog, rather than hard to find enough to post! I really did have a lot that I wanted to share, and I also wanted to try out my new <a href="http://www.mcpactions.com/">MCP Actions</a> Storyboard actions, so I thought I'd use them to show lots of images without too much scrolling. Don't know if I'll keep doing it this way, but I will say that the MCP Actions actions were super easy to use. Love them, and they will make album design a breeze. I'm definitely going to get some more! (Also, I should note that I DID NOT use the Blog It boards, which would have been even better, but I haven't bought them yet. I definitely think I will!)<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/BNJ-5.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />Bonnie's dog didn't get to go to the wedding, so we got some pictures with him at her parents' house before we left.<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/BNJ-4.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br /><br />I really love Bonnie's dress, which she got from <a href="http://www.taylorsbridal.com">Taylor's Bridal in Elmira</a>. I also love Taylor's. A couple of my sisters got their dresses there, and it is definitely my favourite bridal shop in the area. They have truly awesome service, a great selection, and the prices seemed very reasonable to me when I was in there.<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/BNJ-7.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />The "Funniest Moment of the Day" award goes to the one when this guy came up to Bonnie in the street as we arrived in St. Jacobs and asked if he could take her picture, then asked Angela to take his picture with her. I guess he was just excited to see a beautiful bride! People also cheered randomly while we were taking pictures downtown. It was fun!<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/BNJ-3.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/BNJ-13.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />JM and his men<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/BNJ-14.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />The following is not an MCP Actions board. I know that because it took me many minutes to do instead of two. So please don't blame <a href="http://mcpactions.com/blog/">Jodi </a>for my poor design skills.<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/BNJ-15.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />And the day isn't complete without an adorable flower girl!<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/BNJ-8.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />Some Bonnie details.<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/BNJ-9.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/BNJ-10.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />Isn't Bonnie's ring just gorgeous? I loved it! And I love the hammered metal look of JM's as well (I have no idea what that's called!).<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/BNJ-11.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />Some pretty reception details<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/BNJ-12.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer" /><br /><br />If you want to see even more form this wedding (believe it or not, despite this post exceeding the normal recommended picture limit, there are more)... <a href="http://amandastratton.com/slides/BonnieSlide/index.html">check out the slideshow here</a>.<br /><br />Lots more blogging coming up this week, so stay tuned!<br /><br />And, please, don't forget to head over to <a href="http://angelasmith.wordpress.com/">Angela Smith's blog</a> and see some of the shots she did and to check out her other work. Angela did an awesome job second shooting, and she was great company, too! Thanks for coming out, Angela!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-74078086464981948262009-07-04T20:41:00.000-07:002009-07-04T20:43:26.709-07:00Awwww....The other day, Bria gave me this letter.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/frombria-1.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />I love that kid!<br /><br />(And I'll leave it to you to decipher it!)Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-68613341103883607852009-07-01T19:58:00.000-07:002009-09-28T06:15:52.584-07:00Happy Canada Day!<img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/fireworks.jpg" align="right" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Kitchener Waterloo Photographer" style="margin-left: 15px;"> I hope everyone had a great Canada Day! We didn't really do much today. The kids slept in until 11:00 today, so I think that was their Canada Day gift to me. They've had a long few days, which ended with going to Goderich to see fireworks last night. We had a great time, and the rain didn't start until right at the very end of the show. The kids loved it!<br /><br />I tried my hand at photographing fireworks for the first time, and the results were... well... humbling is probably a good word for it.<br /><br />I hope everyone enjoyed their day!!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-64712013776278681482009-06-30T12:01:00.000-07:002009-06-30T12:18:32.426-07:00Bonnie and JM - TeaserThis past weekend, I shot Bonnie and JM's beautiful and relaxed wedding in Waterloo. Bonnie had a wonderful calm about her, and the day flowed nicely because of it. I'll have a full post up soon, but for today, just a preview.<br /><br />I also want to thank Angela of Angela Smith Photography from coming out and second shooting with me. Check out <a href="http://www.angelasmith.ca" target="blank">Angela's site</a> and <a href="http://angelasmith.wordpress.com/" target="blank">her blog</a>!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/BNJ-1.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Kitchener Waterloo Wedding Photographer"><br /><br />Thank you Bonnie and JM for making me a part of your wedding day!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-1179444486939290752009-06-26T11:56:00.000-07:002009-06-26T23:22:41.873-07:00Summer SpecialSchool is out for the summer, and I'm excited for lazy mornings and lots of days with the kids. I'm also excited for Josh, because he gets a break from working ridiculously long, gruelling days doing audio production <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>teaching music lessons at Selinger's Music, and he gets to just have medium length gruelling days doing audio production. I'm happy for him, but I'm also happy for me, because it means that he wants to spend lots of time with the kids while he can, and I can do weekday shoots!<br /><br />So, because my time is about to get slightly less precious as the girls will be wanting to spend as much time as they can with Daddy anyway, I'm doing away with my minimum investment for weekday and Sunday shoots during the months of July and August.<br /><br />If you're familiar with my portrait pricing, you'll know that I got rid of my session fee and implemented a minimum investment of $300 on portrait shoots. From July 1 to August 31, there will be no minimum investment on portrait shoots. You won't pay any money up front!<br /><br />Oh, and speaking of school being done, <a href="http://livingproofphotography.blogspot.com/2009/06/last-day-to-be-four.html">my prediction</a> was wrong, and Bria actually asked me to take photos of her on her birthday and last day of junior kindergarten, so here are a few:<br /><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/Bria5-2.jpg" alt="(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009" />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818318268250872198.post-67330101001304871612009-06-25T09:04:00.000-07:002009-06-25T14:35:50.566-07:00New Facebook Page!<a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo_search.php?page=10&oid=76877104434&aid=-1&auser=&view=all#/pages/Amanda-Stratton-Photographer/113494292106"><img src="http://www.amandastratton.com/blogshots09/facebookpage.jpg" /></a><br /><br />I published a new <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo_search.php?page=10&oid=76877104434&aid=-1&auser=&view=all#/pages/Amanda-Stratton-Photographer/113494292106">Facebook page</a> recently, and I want to invite everyone to come check it out, and if you like it, become a fan. I really like the interface of pages as opposed to groups. Beginning July 1, I'll also be running some promotions just for fans, so come join us!<br /><br />You can also find me at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/amandastratton">facebook.com/amandastratton</a>, which is my personal page, but the truth is I'm pretty boring. If you want to see just how boring I really am, follow me on twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/amandastratton">twitter.com/amandastratton</a>.<br /><br />See you around the net!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615863774169806490noreply@blogger.com2