This summer probably has had more +30 degrees temp than I can remember and the late afternoons are a great time to just get out and absorb the warmth without being too uncomfortable.  Today was a great example and my friend Craig decided that he would take his son and a couple of his son’s friends to Ashbridges Bay Park.  He called me and got me out of my PGA Golf gazing and off I went with camera in hand.  Leo (pictured here) had just got out of the lake and was feeling a tad cold and since his dad, Craig, left the towels in the car (although he did run and get them) Leo thought he would warm up rolling in the sand.  I asked Leo to roll in front of me so I could take a picture and he obliged without hesitation.  This was a one shot!  I have taken several shots of Leo in the past and this one definitely is my favourite as he was very comfortable both in front of the camera and in his surroundings.  A natural and that makes for a great shot!

Challenging the capacity at This Is London in downtown Toronto on this Thursday night was a YYZ Live production of Wear It Loud.  The Because I Am A Girl campaign was a huge success and not only were people treated to designer David Dixon’s latest ‘Barbie’ collection, but also witnessed two great performances by Anna Cyzon and Candy Coated Killahz.

The first image contains pics of (clockwise from top left) David Dixon, Tosha Dash of Candy Coated Killahz, Anna Cyzon, DJ Chris LaRoque and host Rick Campanelli.

More info here www.wearitloud.ca

Tech note: I usually like to be in front of the runway but since I was working with another photographer tonight, I decided to get a different angle.  These shots were just left of the runway about 30 feet back standing on a 3.5 foot stool.  The peeps at This Is London were kind enough to allow me to use the stool in the overcrowded floor and I’m sure the other photographers and the patrons were not impressed.  Its all about getting a different shot from the other photographers and sometimes you just have to ask and talk to people to get the right spot.  But you know that right?  24-70 2.8 at ISO 3200 (no flash). Speaking of different shots, a photographer decided to use an Orbis ring flash with a sync cord to get his “light”.  No problem with that, but dude you can’t be raising it high above your head during the runway show, front row centre, basically cutting every other photographer’s view behind you.  I don’t know whether to be angry or pat him on the back.

Much thanks to Kristina Knuckle from YYZ Live.

Added thanks to the staff at This Is London.

Special thanks to Aaron Mason for shooting with me on this night.  Always good to hang!

Another great alternative fashion shoot at the studio.  This time with Sarah from ICON Model Management.  She nailed the look I was going for not only with her poses but also with her acting ability.  Acting?  Well she cried on command to help with the mood of the image. Got to admit that is the first time I made a model cry at the studio.

A couple of comments from my five favourites.

The first image (actually a triptych) is more of a fine art portrait than a fashion image but I like the way it turned out.  I like the dark shadows and the fact that her eyes are lost in these shadows.  The element of mystery and how I have to concentrate more on the expression of her body to determine the story is what makes these images for me.  By the way, the first image in the triptych creeps me out a bit with her hand behind her back.  It almost looks like someone else’s hand.

The last image is for the book I am working on.  I just love the mood of this image.

Obviously the best way to view these images is a large print as the details of the image and the depths of the blacks are not captured on computer screens.  Also add the fact that these particular images are very low resolution.  Regardless, hopefully you can see some of the details and the depth I am blabbing on about.

Thanks to Colette for her assistance yet again yet again.

Soundtrack for the day started with Pheonix’s album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and ended with Portishead’s Dummy.

For a good ten months now, Colette and I have wanted another cat.  We felt that Simone needed a friend but also felt that at just over a year old, it might be too late as she has definitely made the loft her own.  Still, we love cats and every week we would drive ourselves crazy at Petsmart looking at all the kittens waiting to be adopted.  Well…we finally did it.  We found a cute DMH like Simone (actually looked exactly like Simone most notably her tail) and named him Auden. He was one year old and we thought he would make a perfect companion to our little princess.  WRONG!!!  Auden was a great, affectionate cat but unfortunately for Simone, he was very confident and wanted to be dominant in his new surroundings.  So for over 15 hours there were some unsettling territorial encounters which Colette and I could not take.  It broke our hearts to see Simone this way.  Not only did she not eat or sleep but she hissed and stayed in two spots for all the 15 hours.  One was on top the desk and the other as seen here on top the console by the window.  She didn’t even put up a fight to sleep in her beloved condo.  It pained me to see Auden on the condo sleeping and Simone staring with total disgust.  In the end we had to send Auden back. Simone as you can tell from my pictures and blog posts, is just the best pet and I cannot let her little world crumble before me.  Yes she might have gotten along with Auden over weeks, but Colette and I could not stand to go through with it.  At least we know now that we cannot have another cat. Hopefully Auden has a home by now which I’m sure he has.

This is a picture of Simone, exhausted and finally getting some much needed sleep just before we took Auden back.

Soundtrack for this sad morning was Peter Gabriel’s new album, Scratch My Back.

Awesome time shooting this great looking couple and their families!  We had a couple of hours before the reception/ceremony in downtown Toronto and we took these pictures at Glen Cedar Bridge.  Sheila and Matthew were so chilled and relaxed you wouldn’t think they were getting married (well besides the obvious attire).  In fact everyone was quite chilled and relaxed.  Maybe the champagne started a little early today…

Congratulations you guys!  Thanks for inviting me to be a part of your wedding!!

Thanks to Colette for her assistance.

Great time shooting at the stylish Lobby Restaurant in downtown Toronto for Joy Couture’s All Sequins Dress Fashion Show.  I shot here last November for another show and once again the bar turned into the runway.  Great set up actually and it works well except for the photographers looking to get a clear shot. This time around I was able to stand on a stool to not only get the angle to shoot the models but to avoid the scatter of patrons around the bar.

Visit Joy Couture’s blog for additional info and to view her other shows and events.  This girl is busy!!!

www.joycoutureblog.com

Thanks to Joy and her team of hair stylists and make up artists, the models, and the peeps at Lobby.

Instead of resting up for an upcoming busy week, I thought I would take out my camera and go to one of my favourite places to shoot creatives.  I have been going to Edwards Gardens for over 6 years (although I can’t remember the last time I was there) and each time I go I try to capture something different. Difficult sometimes but it really challenges me to try different angles, try different lenses or try different settings on my camera.  Today I used the multiple image feature in my D700 and had it set to 3 images with auto gain.  The last shot above was creative with this setting and it came out to my liking.

Soundtrack while capturing these images was Neko Case’s album Fox Confessor Brings The Flood.