The Art of Blending In

I often see and hear the word "unobtrusive" used by wedding photographers. In fact, I'm guilty of using it myself. But, let's be honest - there is nothing unobtrusive about two people, four cameras, waist belts full of gear, and flashes going off. People know we're there, we can't hide it. But, what we can do is blend into the crowd. Steve and I have found a way to take any situation and work within it. That means sometimes, when all the guests are madly taking pictures, we join in and capture not only the subject of all their interest, but also them as well. Or sometimes, I'll put the long lens on the camera and shoot close-ups from a distance. We adapt to each situation as it arises.

But most importantly, Steve and I have tons of fun at each and every wedding we photograph. And to illustrate that point, our good friends at Cloud Nine Creative sent us this little clip of our May 20th wedding. I am sure that our other videographer friends are sitting on a plethora of material that demonstrates what I mean, but we'll get started with this one...enjoy!

I'm planning to add many more images of the two of us at work - both to show our professional side and to show how we keep things upbeat. We're hoping a few more of our videographer friends will contribute to this post, but we have a number of images that we made while working this year. My favorites are all of Steve, of course, but he has some great ones of me too! Keep watching! And don't forget to let us know what you think - we invite and welcome comments on any of our posts. We want to know what you all think!

Tying the Knot Baby Boom

What an amazing year this has been! We photographed 55 weddings in 2005, and we are now finalizing all the editing. We often chat about how fortunate we are to be able to spend a little bit of time with so many amazing people. We witness so many different religious and cultural traditions that we would not otherwise be exposed to. How lucky to have some insight into the traditions of other cultures...everyone should have the opportunity to see that love and marriage are, at their core, universally beautiful. Our children reap the benefits of what Steve and I are able to see as we have a rich understanding that we can pass on to them. Knowledge breeds acceptance and tolerance and we are so blessed to have gained some of that knowledge.

One of the most amazing aspects of what we do is that it never ends with the wedding. So many of our couples go on to have children and we get to see their families grow. It has been a relatively slow process with most of our couples choosing to wait a little before starting their families. 2005 seems to be the exception to that. I think at last count, 7 or 8 of our couples are already pregnant and 2 have already had their babies!! And I just found out about one more couple that is expecting! Having my own kids makes the news of our expanding Tying the Knot family even more exciting. I can't wait for all these new babies to arrive to we can make more pictures with our extended family.

Congratulations to each of you !

Tracey & Mike

What a wedding! These guys are so incredible - they have such amazing energy and are so full of life! From the minute I walked into Tracey's room at the Opus I was captivated by her. She has such spirit! She was so excited about marrying Mike and that energy was shared by everyone in the room with her. Priscilla, aka "DG" (one of our brides for next year) was with Tracey and her happiness for her friend was so incredible to see. Aurora did a fantastic job on Tracey's make-up and Tracey just shone. Tracey could not wait to see Mike:


And Mike? Well, I didn't see Mike until the walk down the aisle, but he's not so bad either. The first thing I thought when I saw him was "shaken, not stirred" as he looked just like James Bond. He could not have had a bigger smile on his face as Tracey walked towards him. And that smile did not falter once through the evening.


After the final rose petals fell on the ceremony at Brix, it was off to make pictures. And what incredible pictures we made! Mike & Tracey put complete trust in Steve and myself and I can't thank them enough for that. Anything we asked, they did and the result is simply amazing. These two are the perfect example of what putting complete faith in your photograper can lead to. I could fill the blog with images of just these two - they're that good!

The session with us was just a very small part of their day...the reception continued at Brix and was full of family and friends. The sense of excitement and happiness that I had first felt the Opus carried into the reception and everyone was having a fantastic time. The emotional slide show was followed by even more emotional speecches. It was amazing to watch the effect that these two have had on the people in their lives. We felt incredibly special to have been included as part of their celebration.

"DG" and the girls got on the dance floor early and by the time Steve and I left the party was in full swing.

I can't say enough how much I enjoyed the time I spent with Tracey and Mike. In truth, I'm still smiling about it days later. These guys reminded us again why we love what we do! Congratulations to you both!



Steve and I had a really tough time narrowing it down, so we decided to post more than usual...it's just that good!

Priscilla, aka "DG"

At Tracey and Mike's wedding this past weekend we had the pleasure of getting to know Priscilla a little bit better. Personally, I adore her. She has a quirky personality and she is so much fun just to chat with. She also got a little bit tipsy (just a little tiny bit) and promised to send an apology email the next day - which she did.

The thing is, Priscilla is a beautiful girl and although we tried very hard, we couldn't make a bad picture of her. Not during her impromptu fashion shoot, not during the ceremony, not at the bar, and definitely not while she was dancing. I know that her fiance tried as well, but I'm willing to bet that he also failed at his attempts to make a less-than-flattering picture.

So, we are expecting great things from her at her own wedding next year. I fully expect to see the energy and spirit that I saw at Tracey & Mike's wedding...in fact, I am expecting more. This girl can work the camera (and it doesn't hurt that she's gorgeous) and I know that we will make incredible images with her as well. And Tracey will get her chance to be "DG" at Priscilla's wedding, as she is in the bridal party.

Priscilla, we adore you and can't wait!

David Williams - Day 1

Steve and I were so excited to throw open the doors of our studio today and welcome David Williams, as well as twenty other photographers, inside! We knew that this Master of Photography was going to have a lot to offer us. We started the day with some AV's and were able to get a sense of the work David produces. The first thing I noticed was the simplicity of his composition and the warmth of light in his images. He emphasized over and over again the importance of keeping it simple and exploring your creativity. Photojournalism has been such a buzz word in wedding photography for so long and David had this to say on the subject: photojournalism is about telling the story...you can still interact and direct your subjects and tell that story. Of course, I'm paraphrasing what he said, but I really appreciate the truth to his approach - it's not about labeling yourself and sticking to only what that label is, it's about finding the key elements to further the story and using your skills, talent and creativity to tell the story.

We spent much of the afternoon making images that David calls "Detail Miniatures". It's something that Steve and I do, but not to the same extent as David. His reasoning for these images is simple: the details provide the context in which the story is being told. How very true that statement is. A wedding is a cultural ritual and to understand the ritual, you must first understand the context in which it is taking place - details do that. So, he let twenty photographers loose on our studio in an effort to demonstrate that beautiful details can be found anywhere. I am very curious to see what each person found and made images of. I know that I looked at the studio with a new eye and I was able to create some artisitic, some graphic, and some architectural details that I had not neccesarily seen before. It was also kind of creepy to have that number of people with cameras crawling around the place - it felt a little like we were being stripped naked in front of an audience!

I am going to add images as the seminar continues, but right now I am exhausted and need to head to bed. David has certainly made me think and for that I am so grateful and excited to hear what's coming next. Now if only Evrim would keep his damn camera out of my face!

Lynette & Ryan

I was concerned that as we photographed our 51st wedding this year, we might find ourselves without energy and inspiration. I shouldn't have worried - Lynette and Ryan have a contagious energy that we drew from as the day progressed. Steve had mentioned to me that they would do anything we asked of them - and so I asked. The result is pure magic! We made images that reflect joy, passion, love and laughter. And we found incredible inspiration in their love.

We have only had time for a very quick edit...I knew which images I wanted to see and I went straight to those ones this morning. Lynette trusted us enough that she did what we asked without question and the result is truly beautiful. Here are three of my favorites:

Tanya & Darrell

What a great day! These two are so lovely apart and they are truly amazing when they're together. We have seen a lot of weddings over the past few years, but I honestly believe that I have never seen a groom more captivated by his bride then Darrell was today. He could barely tear his eyes away from her long enough to watch where he was walking! It was so touching and I felt overhwlemed by their obvious joy and love.

And it wasn't just the couple that was fantastic - it was their entire bridal party and their families as well. They all embraced Steve and I like old friends and we felt honoured to spend the day with them all. It was a beautiful ceremony and a stunning reception. The guests were having such an amazing time - you could barely chat over all the laughter in the room!

I am working on a few images for the blog right now...I have to confess that while I was going through their day, I actually caught my breath at the incredible emotion we captured in their photos. The images that Steve and I made are stunning (if I do say so myself) in their simplicity and beauty. I can't wait to show them to Tanya & Darrell.

You have our warmest congratulations and deepest thanks for letting us share your day!

Ivone & Reza

I felt like I knew Ivone long before I actually met her. She and I have chatted by email a lot over the past year and it was a real treat to finally put a face to the personality I already knew. What a couple these two are. I think they are two of the kindest, most toughtful people I have ever met. Steve and I felt so lucky to be included in such an incredible day.

I will have many more images to post as we edit their photos, but for now I have a small teaser for them. This was taken during the "Newlywed Game"...

Each detail was carefully thought out and presented in a stunning display:

Thank you so much - we truly appreciate the fantastic people that you are!

Tammy & Terry

This wedding had it all - a fabulous couple, a wonderful bridal party, and an amazing group of family and friends. Steve and I were looking so forward to hanging out with these guys. Tammy and I hit it off right at the start and I knew that we were going to have fun. From the beautiful ceremony at Cecil Green, through all the photos, and the reception at the Pan Pacific, Tammy and Terry kept the energy up and spirits high!

The highlight of the night, for me, was when Tammy sang to her parents and the entire room (including myself) was in tears. She is a fabulous person and her love of family and friends was evident in her constant smile. She and Terry are so great together - it is a match that was meant to be!

As we edit their wedding more, we'll add some images. But, for now, here are a few details:

The Grand Wedding Showcase

Steve and I are so excited to once again be part of the Grand Wedding Showcase, aka Creme de la Creme. This year's show is being held at the stunning Vancouver Club and will feature many of Vancouver's very best. In fact, I don't think there is a better group of vendors in any of the shows our city offers (if I do say so myself).

We are madly preparing for the show on Sunday - right after a late night shooting on Saturday. We just know that we'll have incredible brides join us for the absolutly divine experience. It's a Parisian them, complete with street lamps and great little cups of coffee!

We can't wait!

A Personal Project

We have been so fortunate, as a family, to have both our boys attend an incredible preschool. Not only is it parent participation, so we are part of our chlidren's first educational experiences, but it also has the most incredible teacher. I was honoured when they asked me to make photographs of the school for their marketing. I found that, as a whole, the building and the materials within it were overwhelming. Can you imagine how overpowering it must be for a child. So, I literally got down on my hands and knees to view the school through the eyes of a child and I was amazed at what I found.

Each item in the classroom took on new power and significance when I viewed it through a child's eyes. I felt powerless to really capture the essence of what a school brings to it's children. I needed to look at each item individually and not be influenced by the whole. I needed to find the feeling that each peice evoked. It was an incredible challenge.

Here are some of my favorites:

The entire gallery can be viewed here. Thanks so much for letting me be part of this!

Jenn & Dave - October 1st

We got home from Jenn and Dave's wedding last night feeling so great about the day we spent with them! And what a day it was! Dave is a firefighter with North Van City and he was able to have the convertible old fire truck come out with us! After the ceremony, Jenn & Dave hopped into the cab of the truck and I got to ride along with them as we made our way down to Crab Park for photos with the truck. It was an eventful ride as it was a little tough to find third gear...and I was blown around like a dog with it's head out the window! I was able to get onto the back of the truck and make some very cool images! (Did I mention how incredibly jealous Steve was that I was in the truck?)

When we arrived at Crab Park, we really wanted to have the North Shore mountains as our back drop, so we had them pull the truck up onto the grass. It was amazing fun! Jenn & Dave were so easy to work with and their bridal party was willing to climb all over that truck! It was fun until the VPD showed up to chat with the driver (it turns out a security guard had called the police on us!). The officer took down the driver's information and cell number and sent us on our way with a stern warning.

Off we went to Yaletown with a quick stop at the old firehall in the Downtown Eastside. Beautiful building - creepy neighbourhood!

In Yaletown we spent some time with Jenn & Dave and we really saw the spark they have between them. They are truly a beautiful couple! As we made our way back to the Limo Bus to head for the reception, we noticed the the driver of the fire truck was again chatting with the VPD. It turns out that the police computers have his license as expired, even though the date on his actual license is 2006. He can't drive the truck back to the station! Wow.

We headed off to the reception with Jenn & Dave and the bridal party (except for the groomsman who had to drive the truck back to North Van). We had a little more time with these two and we used it to work our way around the Law Courts and onto Robson Street.

Back at the reception, the party was starting! During dinner there were great speeches...all incredibly emotional. There was even a time after both Dave's brothers spoke and during Dave's speech that I felt myself welling up, and I noticed Steve felt it too. It was truly beautiful and touching and sad and happy all at once. It was perfectly heartwarming and we felt touched to be part of it.

With tears gone, the party really started and when we left, Dave's buddies from the Fire Department had arrived, the bridesmaids were all dancing, the DJ was doing a great job, and everyone was having fun. After a quick trip to the girl's bathroom to say goodbye, we headed home.

All I can say is this group of people is fantastic! We are so lucky to have met them all, worked with some already and more in the future, and to now count Jenn & Dave (and Denise and Adam) among our friends.

Congratulations! We'll be posting images in time for Jen to see them when she visits her MOH in the big apple (we wouldn't want Chrissy to miss out!).

To All our Clients

Steve and I wanted to take a few moments and say something directly to all our clients this year...THANK YOU! We have worked with so many amazing people so far (with a few more still to come) and we are lucky to now count so many of you among our friends.

It's been an interesting year for us. Most of you have no idea that my mom has been battling breast cancer - she is now fine - and that has thrown some extra stress into the mix for Steve and I. We've also watched both our children go off to school this year with the oldest heading to Kindergarten and our youngest to preschool. We moved into a great new studio, and this has been our busiest and best year to date! We passed the 300 wedding mark this year and we are looking forward to the next 300!

On the professional front, I made the full transition to digital this season (although I still shoot film for those clients who requested it before I switched). It has been a steep learning curve as the technology of digital is so different than that of film. So it has slowed us down a little bit. Where we used to take our film to the lab and have them do all our post work, we're now doing it ourselves. It's taken a bit of time to develop a truly cohesive approach to editing and we very much appreciate the patience and understanding that you have all shown us. We want to provide you all with the very best product possible - and we're doing that. This year has resulted in an incredible body of work, from both of us.

We have been able to stretch our boundaries and push ourselves outside of our comfort zones. We challenge ourselves at each and every wedding to find, create, and try something we have never tried before. Not every attempt has been successful - but most have been wonderful suprises. It can be something as simple as finding a new location, or as complicated as playing with light. It has a been a really fun project. Having clients that trust us and are willing to do what we ask without question has led us to incredible artistic growth and we thank each of you for that. We are truly able to make art out of the ordinary and we are so grateful for that.

Enough of my rambling - back to editing! Keep on eye on the blog in the next few days as we hope to catch up on all our images and revive the Brides of 2005 post. We're even hoping to start a thread about the funniest things that happen at weddings, so if you guys remember an odd or unusual, or even disasterous thing that happened at your wedding, let me know and I'll include it.

Once again, thanks to each of you that we have already worked with and those who we'll be with soon!

Tammy & Kevin - September 24th

I first met Tammy as she was waiting outside the church today. She looked so beautiful and a little nervous too! My first thoughts when she got out of the car were of how elegant she looked - I couldn't wait to start working with her.

After the ceremony and Family photos, we were off to Coal Harbour to start our photos. The light was tough down there and Tammy and Kevin seemed a little nervous about the number of people watching them! I can only imagine how disconcerting it can be to have total strangers not onbly staring at you, but also taking your picture or videotaping you. Steve and I both knew there was great potential here, so we pushed through and we made some beautiful photos. It was time to move onto a more urban setting around the Imperial Palace...and away from an audience. We took advantage of the architecture and light in that area and we were able to see the love and friendship these two have found in each other. And we found Tammy's inner diva!

We wish Tammy and Kevin the happiest of marriages! Congratulations!

Linda & Raymond - September 18th

What can I say about these two? It was our third wedding this weekend and I was worried about our energy levels...but I shouldn't have. These two were just so full of life and love that it made our job easy. It was such a pleasure to be with them. Linda & Raymond are so obviously in love. They could barely take their eyes off each other. It was so incredibly sweet to see.

Steve and I felt so at ease with these guys. Their genuine sincerity and friendship made us feel as though we had known them for years. That is the way we loke to do our jobs and these guys made it easy for us.

We are so very happy for the two of them - we know their's will be a lifetime of love and joy!

Randy & Crystal - September 17th

We have been looking forward to this wedding for a long time! Randy and Crystal are two of the most amazing people we have ever met and we just knew their wedding was going to be fantastic. And it was! With the stunning golf course at Swan-e-set as their backdrop, Randy and Crystal tied the knot surrounded by their favourite people. The decor was stunning, but the bride made jaws drop.

After the ceremony there were a few quiet moments with the bridal party as we started the photo shoot. With a few gentle nudges and a small game of golf cart derby they loosened up and we really got to see what a great group they are. I don't think the carts at Swan-e-set wil ever be the same. In fact, I didn't know you could make golf carts do half the things these guys made them do!

Our time with Randy and Crystal was filled with laughter. These two are not shy and they were gracious enough to trust what we asked them to do. Cystal has eyes that will stop you cold and Randy has the biggest grin I have ever seen. Apart, each of them would stand out in the crowd, but together they are unstoppable. So in love, so happy, and so full of life...how could we not have a great time with them.

I wanted to include a few words from Randy in this blog...to me it sums up the enormity of what we do and the incredible impact weddings have on us. I hope that he won't mind, but these words brought me to tears and made me realize why I love my job.

When attempting to describe the two of you, that is literally the only word that comes to mind, WOW, both in professionalism and personality. Your work speaks volumes, but the thing that I believe makes the two of you so special is your personalities. Both Crystal and I feel we had two of our best friends photographing the wedding, and were truely saddened when you had to leave us. I cannot tell you, how different this wedding would have been without the two of you. Crystal typically doesn't like to have photographs taken of her, but with the two of you, seems ready and comfortable at a moments notice. Just a small example of your talents.

Emotions are torn at this point, we are so unbelievably excited to see your work and just how good the photo's turn out, I am sure they will be the center piece of many walls in our home, but we are also a little saddened by the thought that we may not have the opportunity to be with the two of you each and every weekend. You came into our lives as photographers, and will always remain as friends.

Here are a few. I think they speak volumes.

Denise & Adam - September 16th

I don't know how these two did it! They planned their wedding from Washington, DC and I can only imagine how tough that was to do. They had a lot of help and I think the fact that Jenn was planning her wedding as well offered Denise some inspiration! However they did it, it was beautiful!

The forecast for the day was (on Wednesday) "brilliant sunshine" but when we woke up that morning it was more like a torrential downpour. But, in true Vancouver style, by the time we were scheduled to begin photos, the rain had stopped. And by the time they said "I do" the sun was shining and it was truly brilliant!

These guys are a fantastic couple! They are full of energy and spirit. I don't think a moment passed when they weren't laughing together. Even during a speech which had the entire room in tears, they were able to giggle together. This was truly a celebration! These guys let nothing faze them - nothing was going to slow down their party (not even the DJ who got off to a rocky start). Once the dancing started, everyone was on the floor.

At the end of the evening, for us, Denise's brother and his friend got up to play for the party. Opening with "Suspicious Minds", these guys had the whole group singing with them! As we left Darren was still playing. What a great gift to give the newlyweds.

Thanks so much for having us with you - Congratulations!

Sandra & Costas - September 10th

We have been so lucky this summer to have a run of fantastic weddings. And this one was no exception. Sandra and Costa are such incredibly wonderful people. They each have a gentle spirit and kind hearts. They waited a long time for this day and their planning certainly paid off!

There was a lot of thought and detail that went into this wedding...Sandra and Costa transformed the Roma Hall into an incredible setting and Sandra's mom made almost everything in the wedding that required sewing - including the bride's and bridesmaid's dresses. I'm not sure how she was able to do it all, but she did.

After the ceremony at St. Augustine's, we travelled to Granville Island for photos. It is always so much fun just to gather everyone and start to walk. We stopped at unique and interesting little spots to create photographs and even paused to dance when one of the street performers sang for them. This was the first time the bridal party has danced in the streets of Granville Island and it was a great moment. Once we finished working our way past rusting metal wall, parking garages, and the through the market, we stopped at Sandbar for a quick drink. The folks there treated the bridal party with such kindness - even providing some complimentary appetizers.

Then is was back into the Porsche for Sandra and Costa and off the Roma Hall. Along the way there was a small incident with a seagull, but they laughed it off and it became one more moment from their day.

We really enjoyed our time with these two - Congratultions!

Chris & Joanne - September 5th

After photographing two other weddings this weekend, I was worried about how much energy we would bring to Chris and Joanne's wedding. I shouldn't have worried - from the moment we arrived there was such a sense of exctiment in the air and the last two days became a distant memory.

When Joanne arrived at the church, I was stunned by her classic beauty. For a moment I stood in the room with her and just stared - ideas began to race through my mind and I knew that this was not going to be an ordinary wedding day.

After the ceremony and family photos, we headed into town for our time with the bridal party. What an incredibly fun bunch these guys were. The girls were all stunning and just glowed with happiness for Joanne and the guys, well, they were up for just about anything - ok, probably anything.

The inspiration I found earlier with Joanne came to fruition when I realized that this was a bride who knew exactly what to do in front of a camera. It is often an incredible experience to work with couples who are not used to being photographed and to help them find their inner glamour. With Joanne and Chris, we bypassed that entire process and went right into incredible photographs. Both these two were willing to do what we asked and more. Joanne moved her head and body like a pro, and Chris worked the camera like he had been doing it his whole life. And the bridal party? Well, lets just say that they were memorable.

After photos it was off to Brock House for a cocktail party before the reception. Steve and I did not stay past the time when everyone sat for dinner, but if the hour we spent there was any indication, this group was going to party!

I want to thank both Chris and Joanne for the friendship they extended to us - we are thrilled that we were part of your wedding day!

A classic beauty:

Tying the Knot wins another award!

As part of the prestigious and exclusive WPJA (Wedding Photojournalist Association) we enter competitions where we are judged by some of the best photojournalists in the world. Each contest receives thousands of entries for each category and the judges recognize the top ten images in each category. In fact, according to one of the judges, this is an incredibly tough contest to judge as the quality of the entries is so high.

We are extremely excited to announce that we have taken fourth place in Creative Portraits. When competing against photographers that are the very best in their fields, it is an absolute honour to have been recognized as one of the best in this category. We are also the only Canadians to place at all. Here is the award winning image:


Congratulations to Jen who made this photo on a very rainy day in May!

The Champ

Sensei Blake Lirette - the Champ.

Steve and our son Logan attend classes at Champions Academy where they are fortunate enough to have World Champion Sensei Blake in their school. To look at him, you see a fighter - shaved head, confident walk, strong stance. But when you talk with him you find he is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. He epitomizes the good in martial arts - discipline, strength and commitment and it is an honour for us to have him be a role model for both our boys.

Steve was able to spend a little time working with Blake outside the gym. Ladies, I think you'll like what you see! I wasn't there (darn it) but I was able to see the results and they are hot! We may post more later, but for now we have a teaser...