imajing photography news

New home for imajing blog

2010-04-27T12:43:00.002-04:00

Hi folks,

I realize I forgot to put a forwarding address here! I have moved the blog to my main site and you can now read up on the latest Imajing news at www.imajing.com

I'll be keeping the old articles here for now but hope to eventually migrate them all to the new wordpress format.

Theressa & John - preview!

2009-10-06T21:02:00.002-04:00

KAO_3605, originally uploaded by Jing-Ling Kao-Beserve.

Let's see if this flickr slideshow thing works....click below....

Catching up

2009-10-05T23:51:00.002-04:00

Well it has been quite a while since I last posted and of course the urge to post occurs when I'm spending time at my parent's house with my baby, away from my computer and files but thankfully with an internet connection.

Post baby I've shot two weddings. Labour day weekend was with the new Mr and Mrs Shawesome (aka Adele and Kevin) up on beautiful lake Simcoe. The bride wore a gorgeous low-back sheath topped with vintage jewelry and a birdcage veil. The ceremony was performed at the end of a dock and the reception was a good old fashioned pig roast!

Segway on roast pig - the 'pig dance' is one of the Macedonian traditions I got to document at this past weekend's wedding for Theressa and John. The day started with a morning Macedonian dance party at the groom's house complete with live band and ended with the bread-pull (to determine if the bride or groom is to become the head of household - think giant wishbone but with a bread), and the pig dance where the wedding guests share their good wishes ($) as a roast pig is toted around the banquet hall. All of this, along with a stunning bride and dashing groom, made for a great day of photos. But you will have to wait to see those. They will be posted under the recent weddings section the end of this week. The other wedding is up.

Since the last post I've also done a few family portraits and lots of team photos and headshots for the University of Toronto varsity teams. A highlight was going out on the water with the rowing team to capture them at practice. I also got to do some cool shots for the women's soccer team. It's also great to be able to bring my daughter to many of these shoots. I just park the stroller beside the backdrop and shoot away while she naps.

So needless to say, I'm not exactly on maternity leave - no such thing when you run your own business. With nurturing a newborn and work I've never been busier, more tired, but also never been happier. Stayed tuned for photos from all these things I've mentioned. In the meantime here's one photo - and it's not even by me. This photo was taken by my friend Matthew Lyn. Nice to actually appear in a family photo for a change!

Drunk on life

2009-06-25T21:36:00.001-04:00

KAO_8230, originally uploaded by Jing-Ling Kao-Beserve.

Poor girl, she's going to grow up thinking a camera is a part of mommy's face.

Introducing Amira

2009-06-20T11:28:00.002-04:00

KAO_7941, originally uploaded by Jing-Ling Kao-Beserve.

Last Saturday I caught up on blogging by doing three entries at once and trying to make it look like I did them when I should have by doctoring the post times. Little did I know that that 'burst of energy' -- as coined by the pregnancy books-- was my expression of the 'nesting urge'. Some people clean out closets and vacuum, I caught up on my blogging.

I didn't know it at the time, but in less than 24 hrs I would be holding my daughter in my arms.

Amira Faye An-Li Beserve was born on Sunday, June 14, 2009 at 4:10 a.m. at 7 lbs 3.6 oz and 20 in. Today she is six days old.

She is my muse, and of course as a photographer's daughter she will suffer the indignity of being photographed - probably every day of her life until she is old enough to figure out she can walk/run/crawl away.

Imajing is still in operation, just at a different pace for the next couple of months. You can still reach me, just be patient with my response time.

In the meantime, baby photography ideas will finally be put in practice. I will be posting photos of Amira on flickr. Just click on the above photo to get redirected.

More babies!

2009-06-13T10:06:00.005-04:00

I'm sure other self-employed and free-lancers out there will agree that it is hard to say no and just stop working when you are supposed to be on vacation/having me-time/or in my case, be on maternity leave. It's justified though, I'm just doing computer work these past few days, but also, when I do shoot, as in the case of the occasions below, I'm actually socializing - with camera in hand.

My cousin Anna was in town again this week and we were able to fit in a fun portrait session with her sons Hewitt and Emmett. It was the first time they came over to my home instead of me visiting them at her in-laws in Mississauga so it made for some interesting times with managing the enthusiasm of my two dogs (who have had some great baby-practice these past couple of weeks!).

Proving that fashion trends are cyclical, velour tracksuits for both boys.

So typical of their personalities. That's mellow Emmett posing nicely in the foreground with his older, rambunctious brother Hewitt making full use of the entire set (a queen size bed).

Also visiting from out of town is my best friend Karen and her new baby Adeline. Adeline is a champion cryer and I think the funniest thing was when Fred saw the photos and exclaimed, "She looks so small! She seemed so much bigger when she was crying all day last Sunday!"

But don't get me wrong, she just happens to be a sensitive baby and was pretty happy for the entire time of my visit. Here she is in a little hat I had knit for her back in the winter. It finally fits!

Karen and I have known each other since we were about 10 years old. It is really amazing to see her as a mother.

I think blue is her colour.

Bev and Jim

2009-06-08T09:48:00.003-04:00

Here's another instance where I'm messing a bit with timelines (in the limited way that you can with web self-publishing -- not like Back to the Future or LOST). I'm writing this a week late, and photographing to commemorate an event a month in the future. But it won't really matter to you if you are reading this a month later.

Anyhow, back on track. You may recognize Bev and Jim as the mom and step-dad of Sean, the groom of Sean of my May 23rd Muskoka wedding. They kindly contacted me after enjoying the wedding photos to do their anniversary portraits. They will be celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary this July! They were also remiss to have missed having a great photo of just the two of them in their beautiful outfits worn at the wedding so double the reason to get their photos done.

I visited them at their home in North York and had a great time photographing them first in their formal wear and then moving to a more casual look. The sunny clear evening turned overcast soon after the wardrobe change so out came the off-camera flashes to add a bit of pop to the gloomy outdoor setting.

They later emailed me to tell me that they also had a lot of fun and thinks that they should have their portraits done every couple of years!

Mom

2009-06-07T09:33:00.003-04:00

Even though I've been reading up on lots of pregnancy and parenting books books I still get a bit stumped when these books keep referring to the mom in the equation. It takes me a sec to realize that they are referring to me, the mom-to-be. Up until now, when someone refers to mom, I think of the only mother I've known all my life, MY mommy!

I hope she doesn't mind me posting this, but my mother just recently turned 60 in April. All she wanted for her birthday this year was a set of photos of herself commemorating the occasion. Apart from being the big 6-0, this landmark age holds particular significance for us Chinese folks because it is also a multiple of 12 - the zodiac cycle, so it is also 'your' year when you turn 60. (It is the year of the ox). These photos weren't actually done until about a month after, on May 17 and of course we went to the my trusty Wychwood Barns for some nice distressed wood and beautiful concrete backgrounds. It was early in the day (around 10 a.m.) which in the spring makes for harsh outdoor lighting but there were enough interesting shady spots.

Also, even though the post date says June 7, I'm actually writing this a week later. I just have so much blogging to catch up on I didn't want to cram it all in one post. Yes, that's sort of cheating but oh well.

Here are a few favourites of my mom.

Babies everywhere

2009-06-02T15:21:00.003-04:00

I wonder if it's like when you a new word and you start seeing that word used everywhere, that recently I see strollers and pregnant women everywhere I go. But there is truly a population explosion in my neighbourhood and not just my imagination. I chatted with my neighbour Susan this morning while walking the dogs and she pointed out five houses expecting babies or with brand new babies, just on her little section of the street.

I've always loved photographing babies and have a few new pics to show off. The first baby here is Noah, who is rapidly growing out of baby-hood - the best part is that I have gotten to document his growth over three photo sessions over the past two years. Like any little boy he loves his cars and will get to sleep in an awesome car-bed when he moves to his big-boy room!

And here is little Audrey who I met today. Tami dropped by with her and her sister Maya and we had a great time walking around the neighbourhood. I played U of T rugby with Tami and also shot her wedding a couple of Octobers ago. We visited the Cupcakery at St. Clair and Glenholme and then came back to my backyard for a rest. Audrey is a real sweetheart and totally photogenic.

I should be working on some albums and editing but I had to get these photos out of my system first!

Sally & Sean

2009-05-25T01:18:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to Sally and Sean!

The Windemere House resort on Lake Rosseau provided a stunning backdrop for their wedding. The wedding party and family were troopers, braving the swarming black flies... some of the photos that won't make it online include mysterious streaks across the sky (fly flying across the lens) and ones of people waving their hands in front of their faces. Regardless, I'm more than happy with the results and will soon have the rest of the wedding online for viewing.

It was a great day and a totally satisfying way to send myself off on my (approximately) four month mat-leave. I'll be back with weddings in October. A few family portraits in the meantime, but looking forward to the new challenge of motherhood in the next month or so! Oh, so if you want prints, let me know now! I think I've sent emails to most people with any outstanding print credits.

UPDATE: photos are now online! Log in with the groom's last name at: imajing.com/ordergalleries/090523sallysean/

Rayonie & Rui

2009-05-17T01:15:00.000-04:00

Congratulations Rayonie and Rui! It was a beautiful wedding that was had a mild threat of rain. Fortunately the Mississauga Convention Centre has some great exterior features that never left us too far from the safety of shelter. More of their photos are posted in the recent weddings section of imajing.com.

World's fastest man to visit Toronto

2009-05-15T12:52:00.005-04:00

Mark June 11 in your calendars - that is the day Usain Bolt, Olympic champion and world's fastest man will be visiting Toronto. The University of Toronto will be hosting the Festival of Excellence track meet - the first time since the 1970s that an international track meet will be in Toronto.

I was at the press conference last week announcing the lineup which will include Canadian hurdler and Beijing bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep (pictured below), Perdita Felicien and decathlete Bryan Clay (USA).

You can read the U of T press release and find out how to buy tickets here:
varsityblues.ca/news/2009/5/5/GEN_0505095908.aspx

The event will also be televised live on TSN - which is probably how I will end up taking the whole thing in. As cool as it would be to try to get myself into this event to photograph, I'm pretty sure I'll be too sluggish at that point to capture anything other than heels and dust.

Priscilla with Toronto Track stars Mark Dillon (high jump) and Massimo Bertocchi (decathalon).

Priscilla shows off her medal. (You can't really tell in these photos, but her arms are pretty pumped.)

U of T director of athletics Liz Hoffman addresses the press as Olympians faculty phys ed dean Bruce Kidd and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep look on.

Tanis & Chris

2009-04-26T23:57:00.003-04:00

Tanis & Chris, originally uploaded by Jing Kao-Beserve.

Congratulations Tanis and Chris! It was a lovely day for a wedding - not too hot (like yesterday) and the rain held off most of the day.

Here are just a couple shots as a sneak preview for now. I'm pretty tired, but happy so far with the results. This wedding is also my first wedding as a pregnant photographer and I really didn't feel limited at all (of course it helped having an assistant help shlep some of the heavier bags).

May 14 update - photos are now posted! If you know this couple then you would know the password to view their photos at www.imajing.com/ordergalleries/090426tanischris

Sally & Sean

2009-04-19T01:11:00.004-04:00

KAO_2271, originally uploaded by Jing Kao-Beserve.

I was back to the Wychwood Barns on Friday, this time to meet with Sally and Sean. As promised, I explored the other side of the buildings, making sure not to repeat myself from Wednesday's shoot and in fact, have lots more ideas for other parts of the building for future shoots.

Sally and Sean come to me by way of Sean's sister Adele, who is also friends with several of my past brides. Thank you Adele! Looking forward to seeing another familiar face next month.

This May wedding will be at the beautiful front lawn of Windemere House with Lake Rosseau as a backdrop. I got a sneak peak at Sally's dress (well, it was a sketch) and am excited to see it in person and to also catch Sean's face when he first sees her. No pressure.

Great job guys! See you again soon. See more on flickr by clicking on the photos above.

Rayonie & Rui

2009-04-16T11:43:00.001-04:00

KAO_2088, originally uploaded by Jing Kao-Beserve.

I had a great time yesterday photographing, and actually meeting in person for the first time, Rayonie and Rui. This couples comes to me through the BMO connection where both the bride and my husband work.

They are getting married next month and really, couldn't be more laid back about it. They are also pretty funny, and almost tricked me into saying something undiplomatic about other people. Nice try!

This was also the first time I used the Artscape Wychwood Barns as a backdrop for a shoot. I've been aching to do it ever since it opened up in November (I did shoot the opening gala for the venue but every time I look at those photos it brings back memories of the stomach flu I was battling that night), and finally made good use of it yesterday. I will return there tomorrow for Sally and Sean and explore the other side of the buildings with them.

Congratulations and I'll see you in a month!

Emmett

2009-04-14T17:10:00.007-04:00

imajing090406_172, originally uploaded by Jing Kao-Beserve.

Some of you may remember my cousin's baby Hewitt (would that make him a second cousin or a cousin removed?), who is now a toddler of 2.5 years old. He's the baby lying on his stomach with the totally contagious laugh.

Here's his baby brother Emmett. The family was visiting from NYC last week and I had a chance to meet the newest addition. It's fun to see the family resemblance but also the contrast in temperament and build (yes, I've been reading the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg in preparation for my own baby).

Click on the above photos to link to some of my favourites from last week's shoot.

George

2009-04-11T15:03:00.002-04:00

KAO_1959, originally uploaded by Jing Kao-Beserve.

Little George Gibson, who won't stay little for very long was a bit overwhelmed by the rambunctious behaviour of our Sixer and Kafrey (especially once you throw his sister Gertie in the mix). But despite his shyness I managed to get a few good ones of him.

More at http://www.flickr.com/photos/imajing

WNP March 2009

2009-04-01T12:09:00.000-04:00

WNP March 2009, originally uploaded by Jing Kao-Beserve.

I've been meaning to post this for a while. Some of you may know that I'm lucky enough to belong to a professional group of photographers group that gets together to share creative vibes. Most of the photographers are from the Niagara-St. Catherine's area so it is a bit of trek for me (especially if it means braving the QEW at rush hour). But the shoot on March 31 was definitely worth it. We had two great models with hair styled by Mandy Wilson of Volume and make-up by Judy St. Angelo.

The models Caitlin and Porsche braved some chilly temperatures and were graciously posed for all 20+ photographers who swarmed them like paparazzi.

Click on the above photo to see more on my flickr site.

Back

2009-02-14T12:15:00.006-05:00

Well I've been away from this from a while, hello again. The winter has been relatively quite in terms of photography, not to say that I have nothing to show for the past few months! My biggest blog challenge has been finding a good way to post photos without taking all afternoon to upload photos. For some reason blogger just doesn't agree with my computer, often freezing mid-upload. I'm going to try out this Flickr tool and see how it goes. It does require one extra step, but it may be worth it as Flickr is a great place to host photos. Let's test it out with some of my fave subjects - dogs!

Sneak Peak

2008-10-27T13:18:00.007-04:00

It was a busy weekend with two weddings (rain held off for both!!), here's a sneak peak from each.... Got lots of editing ahead of me this week.

Cute overload

2008-10-24T00:55:00.001-04:00

Brigid & Keegan

2008-09-30T00:46:00.011-04:00

Or more accurately, The Shamrock Jamrock starring Brigid and Keegan.

Steel pan performer, check. Electric guitar processional, check. Irish dancers, check. Hora (yes!), check. Good times by all, most definitely. And if I had the time to put that in the form of a limerick, I would have, just to keep in the spirit of the festivities. Brigid and Keegan are a stylish and creative combo who threw what might have been one of the most festive weddings I have every witnessed. When it was time to dance, the floor was packed.

The ceremony was lovely. (But it seemed that the officiant's way of arranging the wedding party was almost entirely for the benefit of the photographer. Reverend Leslie was more than accommodating when it came to choreographing where I should stand, but I couldn't help but think that the congregation was getting the short end of the stick when they spent most of the time looking at the back of the bride and groom's heads). This is all at Fantasy Farms, on Pottery Road, by the way. The photos of the girls before the ceremony was done around the corner, at the Evergreen Brickworks.

Kelly & John

2008-09-14T19:54:00.008-04:00

Congratulations Kelly and John! Kelly and John planned a fun, informal and stylish wedding at the Toronto Botanical Gardens. The rain held off for the photos but no such luck for the ceremony. Despite the rain, the happy couple couldn't help but beam the rest of the night.

First look at each other. Because it was a one-venue wedding we decided to do the photos before the ceremony. This gave us the opportunity to set up a 'reveal' in the beautiful Floral Hall courtyard of the Toronto Botanical Gardens.

The floral arrangements were created the night before by Kelly and her aunts! You go! Love the choice of colours.

Kelly with her maid of honour and sister Jen.

One of the many beautiful settings at the gardens.

This is where the guests would have sat if it didn't start pouring....

Rained out outdoor ceremony... oh well! They are still in love. Check the recent weddings section of www.imajing.com in the next few days for the rest of the photos.

Personal notes

2008-08-26T15:00:00.007-04:00

Those who know me know that I am in general, a very easy going person. Professionally, I am calm, collected and on a personal level pretty low key. However, one of the few things I am a stickler about is my agenda/planner/calendar/book. For the past four years I have been using what I would consider the perfect book by Quo Vadis, the Monthly 4. Slim, but with substantial sized pages, the book starts from July and goes to the next December (18 month) which is perfect for my profession where the high season is the summer. The best part is that you can see the entire month over a two page spread.

August is the time I always go to Midoco to pick up the next year's book. Only this time they "didn't order it", as I was smugly informed by the store manager. You are dead to me Midoco. I called the list of suppliers close to me and only the U of T bookstore carried it, but with the school logo emblazoned on the cover (no thanks, that part of my life is behind me!). Fred suggested that maybe I would find something better. So with that in mind I braved the tourist crowds at the Eaton Centre to scour through the shelves of Indigo and Grand & Toy.

Here is what I (just call me Goldilocks) have found in my unintentional field research: month-at-a-glance books exist as giant desktop-use-only versions or tiny pocket book sizes. Books with a day-to-a-page (thought that might be cool to have a dated to-do list kept in one place) rarely include month-calendars, and when they do, they are arranged in a crazy vertical scheme a la Moleskin journals (very beautiful books, just not organized for me). Books with a-week-at-a-glance only sometimes include a month overview page - and when they do the book is either ugly, printed on cheap paper that would bleed ink, the lines are too dark (how could you possibly write in pencil on that?), or only go July - July.

I finally found something at the Essence du Papier store on the main floor of Sears. It is organized with a month calendar followed by a week at a glance, nice colours, subtly coloured lines and best of all, the days are not partitioned in obnoxious half hour blocks that end at 6 p.m. It is not designed for students, artists, executives, teachers, professors or ministers, but for MOMS. (I am not a mother). I think I can live with the MomAgenda logo that is subtly emblazoned on the stylish chocolate brown stain-resistant satin cover and I suppose where it says 'kids' I can just replace it with 'clients', or 'prospects'. Oh, and it cost $50 after tax. A fair bit more than the $12 I used to shell out.

It is still in its shrink wrap and I haven't thrown out the receipt. If I stick with it I will be sure to review it here.

---

Speaking of reviews, I have been meaning to write something up on the newly published novel, "Falling Under" written by my talented friend and neighbour Danielle Younge-Ullman.

Danielle was kind enough to pass an advance copy to me with the condition to review it and talk it up. I was so excited, and then so captivated by the writing that I blazed through the book in one sitting (taking a break for meals of course). Then I was stumped with the task of writing a review. It got harder as the weeks have passed after the official release of the book (July 29) and I saw more and more reviews basically saying exactly what I would've liked to have said about the book (captivating), the writing (raw and edgy), the main character (wryly funny) and the author (brave, talented, etc). Hearing Danielle read from "Falling Under" at her book launch party last week was no help either - it just further confirmed my suspicions that my neighbour is not only a great story-teller, but also a gutsy actor (this fact was also written about several times by her fellow debutants at the Debutant Ball.

So I guess I will just have to fall back to my blogging crutch of using pictures instead of words and tell you about this nice photo of Danielle.

This was from a totally impromtu photo session we cobbled together when Danielle realized she needed an updated high resolution photo of herself in time for a deadline that evening. I had a tightly scheduled day and was on my way out for a quick errand. "Thirty minutes from now, I'll be back, you put on your makeup, we'll meet on the porch" (we live on opposite sides of a semi-detached). And voila. Danielle was a great model and we played with different expressions and angles. The dark background is actually the porch belonging to our neighbour on the other side.

Well, I guess I can cross something else off my to-do list. Maybe it is time to crack into that MomAgenda!

Vanessa and Mark

2008-08-25T01:18:00.004-04:00

Congratulations Vanessa and Mark! Kindred spirits Vanessa and Mark were introduced by coach Brian, who got to know each of them while coaching them in their respective high performance sports (basketball for Vanessa and beach volleyball for Mark), and recognized a great match. They connected instantly and have been in love since.

The wedding day was bright, warm and full of good spirits. A real joy to photograph! Oh, and using my new camera didn't hurt either :). Vanessa is also a Varsity Blues alum and found me through a U of T connection - thanks Christine Cho! The day started at the U of T Trinity College chapel and then over a boat to the Royal Canadian Yacht Club on the island. Enjoy the preview. I aim to have the rest of them posted under recent weddings by the end of this week. Check back then!

Jennifer & Ryan

2008-08-17T01:02:00.000-04:00

Congratulations Jennifer and Ryan! This gorgeous couple was lucky to have beautiful (even hot!) weather for their wedding on August 16. The setting was the picturesque Deer Creek Golf Club in Ajax. Photos of the guys and girls were taken separately at the best man's parent's house and Cullen Gardens (respectively). Thank you to the Johnson's for bringing us together!

More in the recent weddings section of www.imajing.com

Carey and Dean

2008-08-09T19:01:00.007-04:00

Congratulations to Carey and Dean! This happy couple 'weathered' the storm in good spirits and were even willing to frolick in a wet meadow when the rain held off. Bad weather is a challenge for everyone, but it's a good way to keep a photographer on her toes - like fitting a wedding party of 12 on a cramped balcony. The venue in Kettleby, the Manor by Peter and Paul was beautiful and it was too bad we couldn't take full advantage of the landscaped grounds. There were two other weddings hosted at the venue that same day and I'm sure their photographers went through the same challenges.

Enough about the weather. Check out the rest of the photos under the recent weddings section. The password is Dean's last name. Thank you to Krystina and Jeff (May 17, 2008) for the referral. And thank you also to all the wedding guests who cheered Carey and Dean on as they (uncharacteristically) publicly displayed their affections for each other.

Stacie and Chad

2008-07-26T17:18:00.006-04:00

Don't get fooled by the post time of this entry - this is a retroactive post for Stacie and Chad's wedding. I was wisked away to a cottage getaway immediately after their wedding on July 26 so the usual blog post got lost in the shuffle of vacationing.

Stacie is an old friend and we go back to Varsity Blues rugby days at U of T, living together in fourth year in a house of seven women (still friends), and playing rugby together after school with the Toronto Saracens. Since then, Stacie has become a registered massage therapist, then to teacher's college in Calgary where she met Chad. I was of course curious about this guy who swept Stacie off her feet and got to meet him for the first time three days before the wedding at our practice shoot. I was instantly charmed by his warm smile and firm handshake (always a good sign!) and could see right away that Stacie and Chad have a great connection.

Congratulations Stacie and Chad! xoxo

Joanne & Mark

2008-07-20T03:11:00.006-04:00

This lovely couple was a joy to photograph - and it was also great to see lots of friends from U of T and rugby there as well. Once again, the rain held off and there was no sight of the forecasted thunderstorms. Congratulations Jo & Frendo! Thank you for having me be a part of your day.

Stay tuned this week for more photos, filed under the recent weddings section on www.imajing.com

catching up again

2008-06-25T11:18:00.005-04:00

Remember little baby Jake? He was the baby on the striped couch with the fuzzy teddy bear. Well, that was almost two years ago. Here he is again, joined by little brother Henry. We also did a reprise of the previous setting with Henry.

Sisters Olivia and Victoria

Mom and dad, very much in love.
The entire family!

Savario and GusGus

Little Mia - doesn't she look like a perfect cherub?

The kids with mom Amanda.

Welcome to Imajing, Vanessa and Mark - looking forward to your August wedding!

But first, there is Joanne and Mark in July...

And on a completely unrelated note from families and couples, we have young Reema. The styling team of Artisan Raw brought me on for this amazing shoot this past Monday. The settings, all along Queen West were truly inspired and the hair and makeup team of Candice and Lisa made it easy for me.
This was in an overgrown back backyard adjacent to a parking lot. There was also a mysterious stink coming from the weeds. Ew.
Glammed up at Cartel clothing store.
The finale, at a place called the Bomb Shelter. We were all so tired by this point but were all still so inspired by each other and the new setting. Lovin' it.

Family portrait highlights

2008-06-17T11:58:00.017-04:00

When it's not wedding time, it's family portrait time! I've been lucky to get just enough great weather to capture these families at their best. Coincidentally, I also showed up for the last two family portrait sessions dressed in the exact same colour scheme as the families I was shooting. Completely unplanned - I guess that just shows how in sync we were to be that day!

Welcome back Perun and Noah, who both just turned one. And welcome to the Law's who received their family portrait session as a Christmas gift from their sister Karen, a elementary school classmate of mine! (Yes, this is another case of a facebook enabled reunion).

Enjoy!

This is Noah melting. I love this photo, he just looks so fed up. He did great though, lasting for as long as most older kids last, which is about 40-50 minutes.

What's so funny? The two boys were playing 'photographer's assistant' and providing all sorts of funny faces and antics to keep the grown-ups laughing.

Gertrude and Six

2008-06-06T21:02:00.001-04:00

DSCF3542
Originally uploaded by Jing Kao-Beserve

Our dog Six, finally gets to be on the receiving end of puppy mischief and antics. Darius the cat makes an appearance too.

Art Institute of Toronto class of Spring08

2008-06-05T01:18:00.003-04:00

Thanks again to James, Cameron, Angela and the fashion program students. The models you provided were great it was lots of fun to venture beyond the white backdrop today!

Laura & Paul

2008-06-02T01:12:00.003-04:00

Congratulations! Laura and Paul had all the details thought out - from handmade wedding bands they made for each other, to a crocheted huppah made jointly by their mothers, their wedding certainly lived up to their 'casually elegant' billing.

I am pretty tired after my two wedding weekend so I'll just these photos speak for me. Check back later this week under Recent Weddings for photos from both days.

Jennifer & Eric

2008-06-02T01:03:00.002-04:00

Congratulations Jen and Eric!

It was supposed to be a rainy weekend but both weddings I photographed this weekend had sun and blue skies. Jen and Eric did experience a few drops just as they finished signing the registry but as you can see, that didn't last long!

It was so much fun to hang out with this great couple. *high five*!

Gertrude

2008-05-20T12:29:00.002-04:00

Gertrude, originally uploaded by Jing Kao-Beserve.

No, we did not get another dog... although her markings look like she could belong to our club of spotted dogs! This is Gertrude, the new puppy of our friends Chris and Julie.

Krystina & Jeff

2008-05-18T14:12:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Krystina and Jeff! We had a great time at our photo session at the Erchless Estate in Oakville. The weather forecast all week called for rain -- as you can see they were very very wrong. Thank you to Kate and Gabe (look under my 2007 weddings) for sending your sister and new brother in law to me! The rest of the photos will be posted under the recent weddings section of imajing.com later this week.

2008-04-27T15:32:00.001-04:00

Bizarre kitchen accident

2008-04-22T16:38:00.002-04:00

I never remember to check the top shelf of the cupboard before I go grocery shopping when lasagna is on the week's roster. I'll come home with a package, only to find that I already have at least two mismatched (whole-wheat, oven-ready, regular) packages lurking on the shelf.

This week I remembered not to buy noodles and was pleased to find that memory served and there were indeed two packages in stock. I was ready to use the oven-ready ones when I changed my mind and decided to reach for the healthier package of whole-wheat pasta teetering in the basket on the top shelf..... SMASH! I have learned that 1) lasagna noodle boxes should be stored upright, with the tab inserted in the slot, 2) shattered uncooked lasagna noodles are sharp and 3) my dog Six will eat anything remotely resembling food.

The good news is that I am 45 minutes away from a cooked lasagna (made from not-as-healthy regular noodles) and that I no longer have a surplus of lasagna noodles.

Our Neighbourhood...

2008-04-18T10:40:00.005-04:00

IMAJING photography is featured in the artist profile of this month's issue of Our Neighbourhood Magazine - a free publication servicing the Queen West neighbourhood.

The online version can be found atwww.onmagazine.ca

Thanks to August '07 wedding couple Carol-Ann and Matt, I was chosen to be featured in this magazine! Click on the feature story to read Carol-Ann Ryan's tips on wedding planning and also to see one of my favourite shots from her wedding (August 2007). Her husband, who is by the way, Doctor, Matthew Follwell authored the artist profile on page 28 - a elegantly written piece summarizing the garbled point-form notes I sent to him a few months ago. (You have to click on the PDF version in order to read the artist profile).

Thank you Carol-Ann and Matt!

Hannah & Roman

2008-03-31T01:58:00.003-04:00

Congratulations Hannah and Roman!

Just finished my first wedding of the season in a real gem of a venue - the Hacienda Sarria in yes, Kitchener, Ontario. It's a old steel factory that has been lovingly converted into a luxury residence and event venue by owner Ron Doyle. It was a beautiful and for me, inspiring place to shoot.

Check the recent weddings section in the next few days for the rest of the photos!

it's been ages...

2008-02-29T23:06:00.003-05:00

It's been ages since I've written anything here. I haven't gone anywhere and still exist! Let's see, Christmas, New Years, Chinese New Year, Valentine's day, Family day have all come and gone.

I've taken up crocheting and knitting as a creative diversion and have discovered that there is an entire online community of 'fiber artists' - and every time I read another 'knitblog' I'm reminded of how long it's taken me to update mine!

What else... the 2008 wedding season is filling up steadily. Thank you again to all my friends who take the time to pass my name on to their friends. Some of the referrers include Tami and Dan, Kate and Gabe, Krystina and Jeff, Kim mother of the bride, Julie and Chris, and Aphrodite Cooks.

Projects and shoots from the past little while are best summarized with pictures. Here are a few favourites.

creative release

2008-01-03T16:28:00.001-05:00

Happy new year everyone!

I realize I've been away from this blog for too long... a mixture of last minute holiday order printing, holiday entertaining (and being entertained) has all of a sudden brought me to January! I've also had a few photo sessions scattered among the parties.

This year I decided to make the majority of my gifts and took up crocheting again and was able to master making scarves and toques in time for gifting. It's very fulfilling to create something concrete, even if it is later to be given away. I also started a painting of our puppy Six. That's a little bit more challenging, especially since there is no pattern to painting and since it's something I only dabble in a few times a year, my drawing and paint techniques are rudimentary at best. But it is all very satisfying. It has made me appreciate the holidays, though brief, and the creative process. It's like exercises - the photography muscle was getting fatigued and it was time to break stride and make stuff using other 'muscles'.

I hope that everyone reading this has had time to also reflect - whether it is making a new year's resolution or just giving thanks for your abundance in friends, family and food. May your 2008 be a year of fulfillment!

more photos... but i can't show you

2007-11-16T22:22:00.001-05:00

As promised I took more photos today... but I can't show you because I'm staying at my cousin Anna's new condo in Brooklyn and the borrowed wireless internet from the high school across the street is way too slow and intermitent to allow for photo uploads.

So today I woke up in the empty old apartment at around 8 and then promptly went back to sleep - because I could! Unfortunately the second time I woke up was because I was having a terrible dream where all my teeth were falling out. (Ever have one of those? Terrifying!). After shaking that off I proceeded with my plan of Starbucks, Central Park, museum. I only made it to one museum and it was a doozy - the Metropolitan Museum of Art, otherwise known as the Met.

I thought I would just check out the lobby and museum shop - and I thought I would stick to that decision when I saw that admission was $20. But then I caught a glimpse of a huge greek (i think) column behind an open hall of marble statues and I knew that I couldn't pass on the Met. (Upon getting to the ticket booth guy I learned that the admission price was a SUGGESTED amount (it was in the small print that I couldn't see from a distance) but I already had a twenty out and said fine. I later found out that nobody pays $20. I really need to pick up my new glasses).

I did a whirlwind tour of almost the entire place. It's huge. It's inspiring. It's overwhelming. I employed the same philosophy as when I hit the Paris museum circuit: don't know when I'm coming back, try to take it all in. After about 3 hours of it my feet and my brain had enough. Some highlights included the egyptian temple, the Crossing of the Delaware painting, the 'Eternal Ancestors' central African artifact special exhibition, and the baroque tapestries.

Well, hopefully I'll get a better internet connection later this weekend and I can share these photos. My working weekend begins tomorrow with a session with little Juliet!

New York New York

2007-11-15T22:02:00.000-05:00

Some shots from today at the Museum of Modern Art... I'm here in New York city to visit my cousin and take some photos and take in some sights.

My day started very early with a 5 a.m. cab ride to the airport, then a bumpy flight and a second cab ride to Anna and Stanley's almost empty apartment. They are in the middle of a move (great timing I know!) so tonight I'm staying in Manhattan on the Upper West Side and then after tomorrow I'll be joining them in their new apartment in Brooklyn.

Anyone who has been to NYC knows that there is a unique flavour to this city. I'm on a treelined street with ubiquitous brownstones and signs on trees asking good neighbours to 'curb' their dogs. Central Park is a short walk away (which I plan to cross tomorrow get to the east side for more museums, after a Starbucks pit stop of course). The subway system is extensive and exactly how it's depicted on tv shows and movies (busy, and a bit smelly).

The famed Rockerfeller plaza Christmas tree is first of all, huge, and still being set up under a huge layer of scaffolding. Here's a quick shot I grabbed of another area being set up. This is by the Apple store at the SE corner of Central Park.

I'll endeavour to take more photos tomorrow... I was too busy just taking it all in with my mental camera (and holding an umbrella).

November Snapshots

2007-11-14T14:13:00.000-05:00

The latest Imajing Newsletter is now available, click here (PDF) for the November edition of Snapshots.

Contents this month include:
- October recap - recent weddings and family portraits
- Weekday promotion for November
- Snapshot Tip - Off Centre
- Friends - GuluWalk

Tami & Dan

2007-10-28T22:23:00.001-04:00

Congratulations Tami and Dan!

The sun came out just for you on your wedding day. Tami looked fabulous and every bit the part of the bride (even though she didn't want to look too bride-y). I think you can really see that Tami and Dan are a great match for each other! I've known Tami since our university rugby days and we were even roomates in fourth year, so it is really great to see how happy she was on her wedding day.

Also, it was my first time shooting a Jewish wedding so I've learned about some of the traditions such as the ketubah (wedding contract) and the bedeken (veiling of the bride).

The rest of the photos will follow in the next few days on the recent weddings part of my webpage.

Ursula & Dylan

2007-10-13T20:25:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Ursula and Dylan!

Their photos are now posted in the recent weddings section!

Thanks for being so photogenic :) and for being such troopers about going out for photos in the cold! The entire wedding party took golf carts out onto the course and had a great time driving around and coming up with great photo ideas. Thanks it was fun!

Yen & Bryan

2007-09-30T01:53:00.000-04:00

morning light

2007-09-28T10:54:00.000-04:00

What's worth getting up for at the crack of dawn?
Dogs and great lighting.
Oh yeah, and an assigment to shoot the rowing team.

open sesame

2007-09-21T14:53:00.000-04:00

I've just spent almost the whole afternoon playing geek and fixing up the password protection system for my wedding galleries. Over the past year or so I have been getting more and more complaints about not being able to access the galleries and how people's computers keep booting them back to the main page. This is due to a security 'feature' found on the newer versions of Internet Explorer. Much like the Apple vs PC commercials, everything that goes through needs to be 'authenticated' or pass rigorous security checkpoints - which meant that the benign little popups I had for passwords were getting blocked out. What a pain!

Anyhow, it should be fixed now. The new password is php based and when you click on a gallery, it takes you to a seperate password page and asks for the password (which is the groom's last name). I've QA'd it and it seems to all work, but if you do find a bug feel free to let me know!

Julie and Chris

2007-09-16T19:04:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of my dear friends Julie and Chris yesterday. The wedding was impeccably coordinated and set at the beautiful Graydon Hall. I think the only thing people could think to complain about was the cold! I've known Chris since the beginning of our university rugby days - over ten years ago (zoiks!) and was overjoyed, first when he met Julie (aka The One) and again on their wedding day.

Here are just a few images from yesterday. There are lots of images to get through so check Recent Weddings section later this week for the full gallery!

Fashion on location

2007-09-12T23:17:00.000-04:00

Here are some images from today's fashion shoot for the Art Institute of Toronto students Steven and Chelsea. We went on location at the Carlu and got to work with three terrific models, Kasia, Jasmine and Michelle. Thanks for making today so fun!

Cherilyn & Ken

2007-09-03T15:44:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Cherilyn & Ken!

This was a really special wedding for me to photograph as I have known Cherilyn for, wow, over ten years! We started out together at U of T, playing varsity rugby, studying Zoology (neither of us are working in that field now), playing club rugby together with the Toronto Saracens RFC and later working at the faculty of phys ed at U of T. So, needless to say, it means a lot to see Cherilyn so happy and radiant and now married to a great guy. It was also fun to see plenty of past rugby team and clubmates (I haven't played in about 3 summers) and also former colleagues from U of T.

So hi to all you Saracens and FPEH-ers! The rest of the photos will appear in the Recent Weddings section of www.imajing.com. Expect to see them around Wednesday or so (there are lots to edit through!). But for now, here are just a few to tide you over.

Introducing Six.

2007-08-30T16:09:00.001-04:00

Miss Six, the sixth member of our family.

no wedding this weekend...

2007-08-27T00:48:00.001-04:00

...but plenty of excitement!

I was happy to shoot two families, both returning to me after about a year for their 2007 portraits! Daniel, you will find in my babies section of my website - he'll be graduating from that section soon as you can see below. Ella is now a toddler and soon to be big sister. Also I finally got to meet the notorious Cocoa, Cherilyn and Ken's chocolate lab.

I've also included some family portraits from two weeks ago - the wedding work sort of overshadowed my blogging. Welcome Bryon family to the Imajing galleries! And welcome back Feeney family - last time I saw them they were a family of three. We had fun recreating some of the shots from two years ago with new baby Sophie.

Carol-Ann and Matthew

2007-08-19T00:21:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Carol-Ann and Matt! Carol-Ann looked gorgeous in her gown from Lowen Pope and Matt was beaming - even more so than his usual self. The whole event was as Matt described, seamless and stylish thanks for Carol-Ann's efforts. The venue was the Art Gallery of Hamilton and the group portraits were taken at Whitehearn Estate. They made for a truly radiant couple!

The rest of the photos will appear at www.imajing.com under the Recent Weddings section in a few days.

Kate & Gabe

2007-08-12T02:48:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Kate and Gabe! You guys were great to work with today - your happiness as a couple, along with a beautiful day and setting were a real inspiration to shoot. More photos to follow under recent weddings in the next few days - stay posted!

Encounters with nature...

2007-08-04T01:43:00.000-04:00

I just got back from a short camping trip with Fred and Kafrey. We went to Killbear Provincial Park and in the brief three days and two nights there, saw a deer run right through the next campsite, saw a black bear wander right towards our campsite (and then hustle away after Kafrey barked and I yelled - this is at 6 a.m. of the 2nd morning), emerged from torrential downpour completely dry thanks to our new tent, and wondered what the heck that mysterious noise was in the middle of the night (both those were on the second night).

I found a link to the weird noise here (cut and paste):
http://www.naturepark.com/sound16.au

Can you guess what creature that is? There were two of them, having a conversation/fight whatever and it went on for what seemed like at least 5 loud minutes.

No photos of the wildlife encounters as they all took me by surprise - didn't think to take a camera to bed and I wasn't about to run to the car to get it while the bear was sniffing around.

Eventful, fun and too short! Here are some photos from planned activities!

Oh, the noise was from two Barred Owls: The Barred Owl, latin name Strix varia. The call of the Barred Owl is one of the easiest to identify because it sounds like a cross between a dog barking and a rooster crowing! (info adapted from http://www.naturepark.com/bardowl.htm). Too bad we had no idea what it was when we heard it!

Wagging Tails

2007-07-25T19:49:00.001-04:00

As a departure from my usual day as a photographer at an event or at home on the computer editing events, I went up to Fairy Lake in Newmarket to get Kafrey cast in a Wagging Tails segment for Rogers cable television. "Think BodyBreak but for dogs" is how the segment host Nicole describes it.

It was a great way to spend the day: outdoors with my dog with a bunch of other like minded people. We all heard of the casting from Ann and Pete's dog rescue website (www.annandpetesrescuedogs.com). I found out later chatting with Nicole, that she is good friends with Ann and Pete and in fact redesigned their website recently. Even though we have an awesome dog in Kafrey, I love visiting that website for the wonderful writeups about each dog. We almost adopted a dog from there but he wasn't quite right - and we found Kafrey a month or so later at the Toronto city pound.

Wagging tails will air on Rogers local cable channel (I think) but will also be posted on YouTube. I'll pass along the link once it's up. In the meantime, here are a few photos from today. The rest can be seen at www.imajing.com/ordergalleries/070725waggingtails.

Lead actor Charlie.
Madison, the Lewellen Setter.
Sit, Ubu, Sit.
The stunning Sterling.
The dynamic duo, Parker and Dillan.
My muse.
It's a wrap!

Pam and Ben

2007-07-22T10:44:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Pam and Benji!

Pam and Benji were wed yesterday in a beautiful ceremony. We followed that with a fun photo session at Dundurn Castle, where we also got to check out some of the other wedding parties that were there. We dubbed one group the 'rebel' wedding - apart from the bride they were all dressed in black - girls in black mini-dresses and the guys in black shirts and white ties. It was also interesting that the other two groups were huge - each with at least 8 attendants on either side.

Anyways, enough about other weddings. Benji and Pam are a great couple to work with and you could feel the love radiating from the happy couple and from their friends and family. Their first dance was a choreographed ballroom routine to the love theme from Zafarelli's Romeo and Juliet (1960s), which moved the father of the groom to tears.

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After the wedding I visited my parents in Burlington where it was nice to get a home cooked meal not made by me! I followed that up with what I feel was a well deserved power nap! Thanks mom. It was also nice to be there in person to wish my dad a happy birthday! He turns 61 today.

Happy Birthday also to my cousin Anna! She shares a birthday with my dad.

Michelle and Tim

2007-07-21T00:12:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Tim and Michelle!

It was a pleasure to work with this lovely couple - you may remember their engagement photo from about a month ago on this blog. I know it sounds redundant when I start every blog entry with some variation of 'they are such a great couple' etc but it's true! I have the best clients and I have a great time working with them - from the first time we meet to talk details, to the big day and then collaborating on their wedding album and prints.

I love being a photographer... this is my double-header weekend.... tomorrow, Ben and Pam in Hamilton!

07/07/07

2007-07-08T02:40:00.000-04:00

Lucky sevens wedding date for Fran and Don. Congratulations! Rest of the photos to be posted soon.

July Newsletter

2007-07-06T11:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday!

SNAPSHOTS - July 2007
Imajing Photography Newsletter

Contents:
- Creative uses of Imajing
- Snapshot tip - Taming harsh sunlight

Please click below:

imajing.com/newsletter/070701imajingnews.pdf

Night-blooming cereus flower

2007-07-01T18:14:00.000-04:00

The 'tang hua' or, as I found out from google, the 'cereus' flower, is a plant with blooms that only flower for one night. The fragrance is heady and jasmine-like and the plant itself is something to behold. My parents have had their plant for 8 years, and it only started producing the night blooms in the past three years.

Even the buds are impressive - triffids anyone?

There's a chinese saying 'to bloom like a tang flower', used to describe someone who is has a short but brilliant life. Like a rock star, i guess.

I was there in the afternoon and returned after an event at midnight to witness these in full bloom. And after an hour of admiration, noticed that they were already starting to wilt. Wish I had a macro lens - it would've been cool to get some real closeups.

Pam and Ben

2007-06-28T02:22:00.000-04:00

Photographed at Whitehearn, a turn of the century oasis in the middle of downtown Hamilton! Pam and Ben are a sweet couple and I look forward to photographing their wedding in July.

my phone

2007-06-27T00:36:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note that I will be returning calls tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. My phone found its way from the usual spot on the strap of my camera bag to under the seat of the car. I didn't realize it until today - I just thought no one was calling me!

catching up

2007-06-26T18:37:00.000-04:00

Just thought I'd post some photos from the past week or so....

Also, send any July newsletter suggestions my way!

Michelle and Tim's engagement photos. We met out at Millikin Park in Scarborough, right around the corner from their wedding course later that evening. They're getting married next month - check after July 20 for their photos.

Kate and Gabe's engagement photos. They're getting married in August in Oakville, so we had our meeting and engagement photo session at Erchless Estates on the Oakville waterfront. We wanted to check it out to make sure it would be appropriate for their wedding day - the venue passed with flying colours!

Jo-anne and Kevin got married in their home on June 16. They had an intimate ceremony with family and friends followed by a fun photo session right in their front and back yards!

I was happy to oblige Andrew with a headshot session. He needed something that showed him to be approachable, cool, but still professional. I think we hit it with this shot! Much like when I photographed my husband Fred, we only had to worry about his top half - Andrew wore his regular cargo shorts on the bottom!

what do you think?

2007-06-21T01:03:00.000-04:00

Gary Fong

2007-06-19T23:50:00.000-04:00

If you've seen me work then you've probably asked me if that funny thing on my flash is a beer cup. No, it's a diffuser - and then I'll explain the benefits of diffuse and bounced light over direct (aka mug shot) flash. If you still looked like you were interested then I would go on to explain that the diffuser is from Gary Fong.

I think I've mentioned Gary Fong before in a previous post. I've long been an admirer of Gary Fong, as a business person, entrepreneur and photographer. Reading his blog inspired me to start this blog and post my thoughts and work out in the open like this. I could go on....

Anyhow, I was thrilled to see my photo entry for his 'Love my Fong' ad campaign on his blog. A copy of the pic is above. If you've been here before then you would recognize Kafrey dog and Darius cat being hypnotized by the Fong. The other submissions to the right of my photo are from fellow Fong-fans, Brent Jones, Andy Marcus, Jennifer Kiefer.

The link to the Gary Fong blog entry is here: www.xanga.com/item.aspx?user=garyfong1&uid=598132399&tab=weblogs

traditional cheese?

2007-06-14T12:25:00.000-04:00

Article: Say Cheese, A Defense of Traditional Wedding Photography

Take a read and let me know what you think about this article. I'll let you know my take on this in another post.

Did you read the article yet? Click above first and then come back to join the discussion.

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Upon reading the title I sort of cheered to myself - I've always maintained that there is nothing old fashioned or dated about doing the posed group shots - it's a big part of the wedding day and speaking pragmatically, those are the shots that are purchased for framing, albums etc.

I do think that the article unneccessarily polarizes the 'traditional' and 'photojournalistic' styles by placing photographers in one or the other camps. But then it goes on to say if any traditional photographer is worth their salt, then they would capture those candid moments anyhow. So, the title is a bit misleading - the real point of the article is, make sure your photographer is not just some hack with a digital slr passing themselves off as a photojournalist, nor are they some outdated dinosaur who recreates moments with cheesy posed fascimiles - in other words, make sure you photographer is good.

If you've seen me work, then you know that there is a place for the posed shots, and that candid moments will be captured as they happen - ideally without the subjects knowing. "Posed candids" are a part of the deal - those are the run down the hill, kiss her, now dip! type arrangements. I'll find the best looking spot, and then the rest is up to the bride and groom!

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The most interesting thing I did glean from this article is this link to Trash the Dress.

What a great idea! The images are pretty inspiring and it would be amazing to collaborate with someone as if they were wearing their sweats! The idea behind this movement is that since you are never going to wear the dress again, why not take it out again and wear it like you just don't care (the degree of trashing is agreed upon before - you'll see anything from just getting a bit sandy, to all out ripped to shreds in the mud).

Home again

2007-06-13T23:38:00.001-04:00

1) The recipe for Vanessa's potato salad is now posted at Suite 101. Simple and delicious.

2) I'm back from Calgary and Banff - a whirlwind trip - lots of mountains and streams and other great stuff. Good to see some friends and great to spend time with Fred. Here are a few photos.

potato salad

2007-06-06T15:59:00.000-04:00

This baby potato salad recipe from chef Vanessa Yeung is delicious!

Here's the recipe: http://cookingresources.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_best_potato_salad_recipe

newsletter and fashion shots from today

2007-06-06T02:00:00.001-04:00

1) June SNAPSHOTS newsletter is hot off the PDF press here:
www.imajing.com/newsletter/070601imajingnews.pdf

2) Fashion shoots - more lights, more fun this time around. Thanks to the Art Institute of Toronto staff and students.

Photos posted...

2007-05-31T16:51:00.000-04:00

New photos online!

Rhiannon and Eric's wedding can be found at the Imajing
Recent Weddings section.

And game photos of the Toronto Dragons rugby team vs Oshawa RFC can be found in the Dragons RFC section of my website.

Enjoy!

Rhiannon and Eric

2007-05-28T20:57:00.001-04:00

Rhiannon and Eric's photos are coming soon!

It was a beautiful wedding last Friday - Rhiannon wore a gorgeous dark cream coloured gown with beading details along the bodice. It was unseasonably warm, but everyone still managed to look great. Luckily there was a nice breeze going through James Gardens at the time.

Keep checking back, I'll let you know when the rest of the photos are up.

Sarah and James now online

2007-05-15T02:05:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more from Saturday's wedding. The complete set of all the photos are now posted online under the Recent Weddings section of imajing.com, or use the direct link here. The password is the groom's last name. (If you are a PC user, make sure you don't have a pop up blocker set on high on your browser)

Sarah and James

2007-05-13T01:32:00.000-04:00

I'm tired and this cold is kicking my butt and I can't wait to go to bed (not so eloquent right now) But I can't do that without reviewing today's photos and picking out one to post here.

Sarah and James got married today, in an intimate ceremony at the Markham Museum chapel. The dinner reception was at the School restaurant, also in Markham. So here's a favourite that I've picked out quickly. The rest will be posted in the recent wedding section of my website in the next few days.

Cars cars cars

2007-05-09T00:47:00.000-04:00

Photos from the Sunday event at Steeda.ca in Milton are now posted and available for purchase. These photos have been touched up for colour and contrast only - if you order a photo I will do a bit more work on them (cleaning up the cracking pavement as in the example above). Feel free to email me with questions or comments (jing@imajing.com).

Note that there are two pages of photos:

www.imajing.com/ordergalleries/070506steeda

Enjoy!

Food, rugby and cars

2007-05-06T18:56:00.000-04:00

What a weekend! Friday evening was spent photographing the Aphrodite Cooks couples cooking class. Above is a shot of the Nella retail/teaching kitchen facilities. This is after everyone was done cooking and they're just chilling, having some wine.

Saturday was rugby day - although I have to admit I was more excited to see my dog Kafrey's border collie instincts kick in as he herded the rugby guys while they warmed up! (It was a Dragons intersquad srimmage, more like a practice than a bonafide game). Aherding-dog is something I didn't quite get the hang of photographing! (Either that or the dog was doing such a good job keeping the people in a tight group).

And today was spent up in Milton with a group of Ford Mustang enthusiasts! Very cool and educational. The complete gallery of these photos will be posted by tomorrow evening. There are lots of photos to go through! So check back here and I'll post a link to that gallery. In the meantime, here are some shots from the day:

SNAPSHOTS - Imajing Newsletter

2007-05-02T16:53:00.001-04:00

May 2007 - The first edition of SNAPSHOTS, the Imajing newsletter has been sent out! It includes for an exciting announcement, an article on how to look your best for your photo op, Mother’s and Father’s Day gift ideas, and a Snapshot Tip.

If you did not get your copy, let me know and I'll put you on the mailing list for future issues.

In the meantime, click below for the May issue:

www.imajing.com/newsletter/070501imajingnews.pdf

Web stats

2007-05-01T14:43:00.000-04:00

If you run a website then I'm sure you know all about your web stats page.

I hadn't checked mine in a while but found some weird and interesting facts:

- in April 2007 I had an average of 103 visitors a day (cool!)
- most visitors got to imajing.com directly, by typing in the url
- the number of visitors peaked in August 2006 (makes sense, right in the heat of wedding season)
- searching for 'jing photography' brings me up as the second hit on google (phew, so if someone meets me and loses my business card they can find me)
- 55% of my April 2007 visitors are from the USA ?!? (insert sound of record screeching to a halt)

Weird and wonderful!

DIY

2007-04-25T13:00:00.000-04:00

The internet is a great resource for people like me - that is, people who like a Do-It-Yourself solution.

We've had a laser printer on loan for a while now, that we haven't returned because of a printer jam problem. It's an NEC brand desktop laser printer, which I have since learned, is notorious for getting parts. Googling for "printer repairs" was useless, all I got was phone numbers for printer repair shops who either don't answer the phone, or don't fix this brand. I can't remember what I fixed in the search phrase, but happened upon this gem: http://www.fixyourownprinter.com and a quick search and perusal got me to exactly the right solution.

It was mind-numbingly simple too - I just had to take out two components, flip up a flap and then pull the little black rollers back into place.

Other things I've fixed thanks to the internet:

Clothes dryer (needed a new pulley thing)
Busted copper pipes (I know how to solder now)
Vacuum cleaner (new belt needed)
Car (not really, but I was able to diagnose that it needed a new distributor -- this is one task for the pros!)

Anyhow, it's a bit geeky, but I love fixing problems -- the whole search, synthesizing, applying, testing and adjusting of information is really fun to me. Appliance repair is rewarding, but solving visual problems is even better. Like I mentioned in my previous post, sometimes with art, nothing comes out right some days. But when you break through the problem (whether it be a eureka moment, or through careful analysis) it is the best feeling. And usually the best solution is the most elegant and simple.

the process

2007-04-24T02:43:00.000-04:00

Just watched an interesting documentary title, "The Queen, by Rolf". From what I can gather from his website, Rolf Harris is an painter and recording artist based in the UK. The show was part of the CBC Passionate Eye series and the title caught my eye. It showed the process of painting a portrait of the Queen over several weeks with two actual sittings with the queen herself. Rolf has an interesting technique of placing the canvas almost right beside the subject and starts the painting with what looked to me like dubious swirls of colour.

What emerged was a really great portrait of Queen Elizabeth - she's smiling, relaxed, and important details like her brooch and pearl necklace are captured well. The process was fascinating to watch and I saw some parallels with my own work - like bantering with the subject to put her at ease, not getting too caught up in the details of the image and taking time to step back and see the total effect, and the inevitable artistically-blah days - when nothing you put down seems to work out right.

On a completely different note, I made the best tacos ever tonight. Recipe from America's Test Kitchen website (you have to register to access recipes - if you do the free version you get to see most recipes, but get shut out of a lot of other content). The secret weapons of this taco recipe includes sauteeing onions, garlic and spices BEFORE adding the meat, and also adding chicken broth, tomato sauce, vinegar and sugar at the end to round out the taste. Also frying up corn tortillas is the BEST for taco shells. We will NEVER go back to taco-kit tacos again. Ever. It is worth the effort.

vavavavroom

2007-04-10T00:29:00.000-04:00

Pretty car makes for pretty pictures! I studied some car brochures and websites - unfortunately I don't have a giant soundstage or super cool vacant warehouse at my disposal on a day's notice, but I think I did alright with the No Frill's parking lot :) Thanks Chris for letting me practice car photography on your car.

Improving your professional image

2007-04-08T14:15:00.001-04:00

Does your professional image need a renovation?

Just about everyone has an online presence and if you are a professional, the need for a good website, blog or online profile is even more important.

Good images set you apart from the masses. If you are a facebook user, then you see more than your share of out-of-focus, far-away, out-of-date or self-portraits (i call them big-arm photos) photos that pass for profile pics.

So here are some recent headshots. Three very different people but they all end up looking polished and appropriate. First person is Maureen McGowan (www.maureenmcgowan.com), a Toronto based writer who is a finallist in the prestigious Golden Heart writing competition. Thank you to Danielle for referring Maureen to me. I think this shot works because it's warm, and sincere - just like her in real life! We tried out a couple of different tops before deciding that the black v-neck worked best. This was photographed in the writer's home, in front of her favourite bookcase.

Second example is actor Michael Holtz. The final shot was selected by his agent (even though we both preferred a shot with a more serious expression). Usually we think that only actors and models need headshots, but this is not the case!

Last and most recent example is Monika Dutt. I recently re-connected with my elementary school classmate through facebook and found out that not only is Monika now a family physician with an MBA and Masters in Public Health, she is also the St. Paul's (Toronto) Green Party candidate for the federal election! That last one was a very recent development, and she was suddenly faced with the fact that a vacation snapshot from last year does not a headshot make. I'm pretty pleased with the result - she looks confident and pulled together - exactly how you would expect someone with her impressive CV to look.

Like a crazy bear lost in a swamp...

2007-03-22T12:41:00.000-04:00

That's how Billy Ray Cyrus' dancing was described by Bruno, the flamboyant Italian judge on Dancing with the Stars the other night. If you can picture a crazed bear, then you can picture the rest! Thank goodness for digital recorders, which lets me fastforward the commercials so that I only waste 1.3 hours of my life instead of the 2 hrs if I watched it live. Another guilty pleasure show is America's Next Top Model (also with way too many commercial breaks) - but as it turns out, watching ANTM has actually been educational when it came time to do my first fashion shoot (see previous posts).

Another time-sucker is the vortex known as Facebook. It's the latest incarnation of those networking websites like friendster, myspace etc except that this one actually works, looks good, easy to navigate and best of all, is fast. The downside is trying to find an old classmate with a name like 'Matt Jones' or 'Sarah Smith', so I just let other people find me instead - I'm pretty sure I'm the only Jing-Ling Kao on Facebook.

Good novels are a love-hate thing for me. I love getting into a good book, but once I do, I devote every spare minute to finishing the story. Most recent one: "Until I Find You" by John Irving. Great writing, addictive plot, a bit twisted.

And, final time-waster is the "Fine Gold" store at Dufferin Mall. I bought Fred a watch as a wedding present from there - albeit a bit last minute on my part. Was told by the manager that I could get it engraved for free and in one day, just bring it back. But when I brought it back later that week, that manager was nowhere and was told by the-woman-who-is-now-my-least-favourite-store-clerk, that not only would it cost to get it engraved, but also cost to get a link taken out! Anyhow, I got it engraved and resized, only paid for the engraving, and waited 10 days for it -- they never called me to tell me it was ready because they filed the watch under the 'layaway' instead of 'repair' bin. Don't bother with that store.

To balance out the universe, I will tell you about a great jeweller - Amalia on St. Clair West, north side, west of Christie. Great service and craftsmanship - we got our wedding bands from him. (I didn't get the watch from there because the other place had a good sale on watches more in my price range but instead I bought a headache).

Fashion foray

2007-03-14T00:30:00.000-04:00

Today was my first experience shooting fashion! And I am excited!

James King, who is the director of student resources at the Art Institute of Toronto called me in to shoot the final term projects for the fashion students at AITO. I have to admit I was hesitant because I had never shot fashion before... but I'm glad I did it! I bought myself a big roll of seamless white backdrop and rented the rigging. The lighting was just a bunch of off camera flashes (I haven't brushed up enough on using 'real' studio strobes yet - so I went with the known quantity).

The students and the models were great, and Cameron, the course instructor was super!

When it comes down to it, lighting is lighting and people are people... what was I scared of? :) I think Fred put it best - I deal with the toughest models with brides on a regular basis - brides, although they look their best, are for the most part not experienced models, in the middle of their most important day, somewhat stressed, and wearing a big white dress. Some differences I did note, especially afer going through all the shots: models can be put in uncomfortable poses - in fact they usually look better when they look awkward; shooting from a lower perspective is better for models - again, it exagerates the awkwardness, and long legs - and while regular people look better when shot from above, it just makes the models look like their head is too big and legs too short - not good. Also harsher lighting is ok for fashion. I still have a lot to learn, but my curiosity is piqued!!

Designer - Ashley Lynn Storm, model - Kseniya

Designer - Luis Rajiv Agcilar, model - Leeann

Designer - Luis Rajiv Agcilar, model - Nancy

Designer - Rosa Mindreau, model - Megan

Connections

2007-03-09T18:50:00.000-05:00

Just met with bride Yen, who will be getting married to Bryan in September <-- Yen was referred to me from Leighann <-- Leighann is Len's girlfriend, I've known Len since U of T (1995!) They were both at our wedding last weekend, see below

While I was signing the photography agreement for Yen, I realized that today, March 9, is Jamie's birthday. I've known Jamie since grade 8 (1989, i think) <--> Yen and Jamie, I mean James, used to work together --> they both know Leighann --> Leighann was the one who helped me get back in touch with James about 6 years ago.

awwww

2007-03-07T15:52:00.000-05:00

2007.03.03

2007-03-07T01:38:00.000-05:00

Where have I been the past week or so?

Getting married! It was a very small ceremony with 28 guests, in fact it was a surprise to most of our wedding guests.... they thought they were coming to an engagement party! We followed the church ceremony with a meal at Filippo's restaurant.

So if I've been a bit elusive lately, I'm sorry -- had to keep it top secret!

Busy February

2007-02-28T09:24:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've last posted! This month has been jam packed, not only have I been meeting with lots of brides and grroms about their 2007 weddings, but I've also been working the last (but most intense) month of what I've been calling my 'winter job'. As you know, I've been doing some work for GuluWalk (www.guluwalk.com) and last Thursday, February 22 was the inaugural gala event.

I'm happy to report that the event was a great success and that I survived! I'll be picking up the rest of the events photos today (courtesy of Lini Campbell photography). There were 270 people in attendance, tons of great live auction and silent auction prizes, keynote speech from former UN ambassador Allan Rock and great music from Donne Roberts of African Guitar Summit.

And, we raised $50,000 from the event!

The team effort was amazing - Martha, Jackie and Christina were volunteers that really led the effort. All the event volunteers, especially Bonnie and Monique (the brain trust!) were invaluable. And our auctioneer, Kirill really topped it off. Yeah us! The original logo and icon is by Allen Ford, and he and Adrian gave me the freedom to play with the design and layout of the final products. Below is the menu and a few pages from the souvenir program.

on photography

2007-01-31T22:56:00.000-05:00

There are a few photography websites I like to visit regularly and invariable, they lead to interesting links... I know I've barely scratched the surface of photography blogs - and these range from that of wedding photographers, fine art photographers, equipment reviews, technique blogs...

I was half asleep this morning when I heard the announcer on AM 680 say something to the effect that 'blogs are for losers, next on 680'. I must've fallen back asleep. But it brings up an interesting point, does being committed to blogging mark you as a loser or, gasp, geek? Granted, like cable tv, there is more than enough bad programming out there - but for every lets say 50 crappy websites, there is one winner. The author is informed, articulate, entertaining and makes you want to check back to see what they'll write about next!

One such winner I found today is georgebarr.blogspot.com. Found him through Luminous Landscape. George Barr is a fine art photographer, who happens to also be a doctor. From what I have seen so far, his photography is devoid of people
(my favourite subject) and showcase the beauty of both natural and man-made forms.

I've been on a bit of an architectural kick inspired by the Varsity Centre bubble. It's such a cool space and I've found the sheer scale of it to spark a different corner of my creativity.

Another photographer I found recently is Steven Evans. I was on the Canadian Opera Company website looking for a friend's email address (she works there) and was struck by the photograph of the new Four Seasons opera building. The photo was properly credited and a quick google led me to the website above. Architecture is showcased and makes me appreciate the artistry not only of the photographer, but also of the architect who designed such beautiful buildings in the first place. I would think that with CAD and whatever imaging technology available that the architect would know how the building would look from every vantage point, but the photographer can reveal a new way of seeing the space through lighting, colour, and composition.

As Joyce from "My Name is Earl" would say, the wide wide web is amazing!

Varsity Bubble

2007-01-31T22:23:00.000-05:00

The assignment - photograph the new Varsity Centre domed field in use by varsity and intramural teams... the football team was nowhere to be found but the men's varsity soccer team was in full attendance and the injured guys were especially fun to shoot on the sidelines. The guys were willing participants for all my 'posed candid' suggestions and thanks to their accurate kicks, my personal nightmare of having a 1kg zoom lens smashed into my face didn't come true.

As always, the student-athletes pictured below are welcome to download photos for their own personal use. Publications and organizations, I'm counting on your honesty to contact me for usage permission. Thanks!

2007-01-22T17:07:00.000-05:00

2007-01-18T20:43:00.000-05:00

2007-01-16T12:40:00.000-05:00

new toy

2006-12-31T00:53:00.000-05:00

New toy - I can't believe I waited this long to get a compact digital camera. Fun! It really changes things when you can pull a camera out from your pocket and take a video of your friend's cute puppy... Hopefully the embedded link above works (also playing around with YouTube).

Tech specs - new camera is a Fujifilm F20 - great price (if I spent anymore that what I did I'd feel guilty for not investing it into equipment that actually helps generate revenue like lenses etc). The best part about the F20 is the ISO 2000 - so that means i can shoot in low light situations without the yicky effects of the onboard flash. It even has custom white balancing available, and full control over what ISO to use. It would be nice to be able to control Fstop and shutter speed too but then we're talking about a whole other price range and why bother if I can do that on my SLRs.

attention foodies

2006-12-15T00:21:00.000-05:00

If you blog on blogger then chances are you've already read on your sign-in dashboard that Harold McGee has a blog.... Harold McGee is the author of one of the best reference books ever. "On Food and Cooking" is a big red book that occupies the place of honour on the bookshelf by the kitchen. In it you will find more information than you will ever need to know on anything food or food science related. Why do onions make you cry? Why does asparagus make your pee stink? Is a tomato a fruit or vegetable? How does mayonnaise hold together? It's a truly amazing book and I'm even more excited to discover that there the author keeps a blog.

Happy reading, he can be found at curiouscook.blogspot.com.

holiday hermit

2006-12-15T00:08:00.000-05:00

I didn't realize how long it had been since I last posted until my mom mentioned it today on the phone. While it's true I haven't taken as many photos these past two weeks, I have been extremely busy fulfilling holiday orders including designing wedding photo albums for parents; wrapping up my last couple weeks of my contract with Athletes for Africa; and also balancing the holiday party get togethers -- I think I've only cooked once in the last little while. Once again, I can only be thankful for being busy, and just remember to take some time each day for myself and not be glued to the computer monitor. I think Fred put it best, sometimes talking to me is like talking to Mr. Wilson (neighbour on Home Improvement), always with half my face obscured...

I still have holiday cards to mail out (you will be getting it late!), but I'll repeat myself and wish you all a happy healthy holiday season!

Here are some recent album page designs -- just so you see that I have actually been producing work!