more wedding photos

A few more of some of my favourite photos from Kait & Pat's wedding. I'm keeping most of them under wraps though, as I still have a few last ones to edit before I mail out the cd to the newlyweds. I had to optimize these for web, so the quality looks pretty low here on my blog, but they look much stronger in their full resolution.

Over the last 2 weeks, between this shoot and a few other I've been working on, I have edited over 600 photos! In conjunction with a full-time job that keeps me at the computer all day, this is crazy talk. But you know I'm loving every minute of it, even if my fingers are seizing up.

Enough rambling! More photos after the jump.

like sweaty, sardonic sardines

Because I seem to have an insatiable urge to put myself in awkward situations, I decided to try doing some runway photography. I pulled on my press pass as if it endowed me with some kind of prestige (or courage) and headed for the photographer's podium at the end of the runway.



Within a few minutes, all the other photographers had arrived and I found myself in the midst of quite the boy's club. Since I was standing in the back row and I couldn't see over the heads of the other photographers, I moved to the front and looked behind me to ensure I wasn't blocking anyone.

I was just starting to relax when I noticed one of the men make eye contact with another photographer and gesture towards me and shake his head in a mixture of impatience and condescension.

I looked and him and said, "Excuse me, is there something that I should or shouldn't be doing?"

He paused, gave me and my camera a rather disapproving once over, and said, "first time, eh?"

I laughed and answered, "yeah, I guess it's pretty obvious. Now can you tell me what I'm doing wrong?"

"Well, first of all you're standing all wrong. You're supposed to stand 2/3 behind the person to your left."

"Oh, I see. Thanks."

He paused, looking at me critically again and added, "or you could just sit down and not do anything, ha ha." He gestured towards the only other female on the podium who was at the moment sitting down and fiddling with her camera's settings.

"Well, what kind of photographer would that make me, now?"

I clenched my teeth, swiveled to face the runway, and proceeded to shoot two shows while engulfed by a a crowd of men that could only be described as ripe-smelling and creepy. And while I envied their expensive equipment and obvious familiarity with runway photography (stand there, snap photos as models expertly pose), I did not appreciate their arrogance or rudeness.

Packed shoulder-to-shoulder with these men and their sardonic attitudes, I silently wondered why some people feel the need to be rude and holier than thou when they could so easily just be helpful. It seems once certain people achieve even an inkling of power, they let their jerky tendencies run wild.

For god's sake, everyone has to start somewhere, and any newbie is painfully aware s/he's going to make missteps. I will never understand why some people choose to amplify the awkwardness instead of offering a little guidance.

I am vowing here and now that when my career grows to the point where I have knowledge to share, I will do so with pleasure.

future me

Sometimes I try to look into the future and imagine myself looking back into the past and thinking, "wow, I never thought I would get through that, but I did."

It might sound strange, but I find this exercise very comforting.

I like to think that a year from now I will look back and marvel at how it all came together. That all these days of sitting at my computer for 15 hours, and eating countless egg salad sandwiches, and wondering what that weird smell coming from under the counter is but being too afraid to check, and worrying that all my clothes are too hideous to wear to fashion week, and calculating how much I have to run to work off all the chocolate and cheese I eat, and wondering how I will ever become an in-demand photographer, and not knowing where I will be living in a year... will all be worth something.

My idealized version of future me (sitting in my real photo studio, drinking a big mug of blackberry tea, not worrying about money, wearing fabulous clothes) will chuckle as I look back on the long, worry-filled days of me spilling on myself and losing things and freaking out, and grin. And then future me will probably spill that tea on my fabulous clothes and be lectured by future Brian about being more careful and taking more pride in my stuff.

I try to throw some realism in there too, you know?

kait & pat

Fabulous, beautiful wedding. About a million photos to choose from and edit. More photos to come once they're all done and the bride and groom have had the first look!

summer makeup picks

Let's take a second to acknowledge that this collage is clearly not my best work. Ok? Ok. Moving on, here are my picks for makeup this summer. Clockwise from top left:

Aqua Eyes Eyeliner by Makeup Forever
One day I felt like being indulgent and got my makeup done before going out on a Friday night. Apparently, I wasn't the only one going unnecessarily glam, as the store had just been cleared of dozens of fans and their moms who'd come to get their makeup done before going to the Britney/Pussycat Dolls concert. I was very sorry to have missed seeing those finalized makeup looks. "Homer, you've got it set on whore!" Anyone?

Back to my point. The makeup artist put this eyeliner on me and it stayed vibrant all night. I bought one in violet and wear it constantly, even when it doesn't match my outfit because it glides on beautifully and really stays.

Nars Eyeshadow Duo in Scorching Sun
I don't own this duo yet, but I plan to once I pinch my pennies for a few more weeks. I tried it on at a Sephora in Manhattan and was struck by how well the pigment could be applied, and was shocked that it suited my ghostly pale skin. All the reviews I've read of it claim this duo of bright gold and glazed apricot is flattering to all skin tones.

MAC Paint in Bare Canvas
Quite simply, it's a fantastic base that will make your shadow stay put, and prevent creasing. It can also be worn alone for a lovely, smooth look. I would especially recommend using this or a similar eye base for a special event such as a wedding or prom... or any night if you're a sweaty individual or if there is any kind of booze involved.

"Tresor D'Afrique" Palette by YSL Beauty
Annoying colonialist name aside, this palette is pretty fabulous. Richly pigmented, it went on really well when I sampled it, and would flatter both warm and cool skin tones of all shades.

Eye Shadow Quads by Annabelle
Finally, other drugstore brands are taking a hint from L'Oreal (HIP) and trying to knock off higher end brands such as MAC and Makeup Forever by offering highly pigmented eye shadows. Canadian brand Anabelle took it a step further and created customizable palettes (à la MAC) at a much lower price point. I've yet to try these (besides on the back of my hand) but I like them in theory because I like anything customizable and affordable. I really would have appreciated this a few years ago, but I am happy that Canadian teens will be able to afford to get creative with their palettes. Babysitting money stretches a lot farther on a drugstore brand budget!

Newbie Collection by Bare Escentuals
A fantastic price ($18) for an into kit to one of my top 5 all-time products, bare minerals foundation et al.

California Kissin' Gloss by Benefit
I've had my eye on this baby for a while now, so I jumped for joy when in arrived in the mail as part of my bday gift from Brian's family. With its blue shimmer, it offsets the yellow in one's teeth, and apparently brightens the smile. While I'm not 100% sold on that, it definitely brightens my mood with its minty, sparkly goodness. It reminds me of retro Crest toothpaste from the 80s.

MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo
A few weeks ago, I attended a Mad Men party (I am so white). After one vodka soda, I was forcing this lipstick on every female attendee. It has a completely matte finish (much like the lipstick available in the late 50s-early 60s) and really sticks to your lips for a long time. I think it's my new go-to red.

Lastly, MAC has finally started posting tutorials. As much as I like watching the all sassy gals on Youtube, it's refreshing to watch videos that don't have star wipes or terrible theme music. The sculpted lip video is especially good.

my meditation

When I'm feeling moody, this is what I do to meditate:















When I'm feeling down, it's either this or a crime spree, folks, so we can all be glad I chose the damn dandelions.

bachelorettes and brides-to-be

So the moment has arrived. My first friend to get married is taking the plunge in 9 days. And so it begins. It makes sense that Kaitlin breaks the marital ice, I suppose. She's traditional, dreamy, and she just looks like a bride... if that makes sense(?)







Rings are popping up on other fingers, dates are being set, and the rest of us enjoy the oh-so-necessary bubbly, over-the-top girliness, and the emotional ride with our friends. Any excuse to eat pastel-coloured cookies and I'm there!



I was so touched when Kait asked me to be her wedding photographer, so I used last weekend's bachelorette party as an excuse to get warmed up.



But seriously, how gorgeous is she?