As the month comes to an end, I can’t help but wonder where it all went. Seriously! didn’t 2010 just start like yesterday? But as the days pass by, I’m counting down my days to when I can actually go outside without my 50 layers on and just go crazy with my shoots.  I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries for portraits especially, and I’m putting them off till the weather gets a little better so we can all have a great time being outdoors.  Speaking of portraits I’ve been dying to share this session with you guys. Maryam and Javaid happen to be one of my dearest friends - I remember meeting them when they just got married a few years ago and now I can’t believe they have two little cuties of their own!  You may remember Zain and Alia from when they made their debut on my blog last year. (In case you missed it, Alia’s portraits, Zain’s portraits). Javaid is this incredibly talented and creative videographer, AND he also owns this amazing Cafe in downtown with Maryam, called Cafe Supreme! Guys if you haven’t been to it yet, make sure you go and try their sandwiches, salads, cookies, omg everything is so delicious!  Okay now I leave you with their pictures, hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Hi Guys! Last summer I got a chance to photograph a video shoot of an amazing group.  Yes you guessed it…JOSH!!! I’ve been a such a huge fan of Josh from god knows when…And the fact that they’re Canadian only makes me feel more proud and connected!..I remember hearing their song ‘mein hoon tanha’ and wondering what these guys must be like! I’ve attended several concerts of theirs and but I never thought a day would come when I would be actually photographing them!  So you can imagine how ecstatic I was when I found out that I would get to be there during the recording of their music video.  The whole experience I must say was amazing - everyone on the set was totally down to earth and awesome! I also got to meet Karam Singh of Republic Films (he was the director) and Gurminder Banga of Banga Photography, along with a lot of other fabulous folks.  Special shout out to Manisha Ramji and Mrinal Chag…you guys were awesome as the female leads! and of course Sonam Dudeja and Ayesha Butt of Glow Studios!

I’ve been dying for the day to come when the video was released so I could share my coverage with you guys too…and lo and behold..the day has come!!!! So enjoy some of my pictures that I got during their shoot, there’s also a few pictures towards the end giving you an idea of what it was like behind the scenes and finally the music video itself for ‘Teri Aankhon’! It’s amazing!!!

Thanks again Rup and Q for this awesome opportunity! You two are such talented singers and just great guys!

Enjoy everyone!! and I’ll be back with more blog love soon!

Some behind the scene lovin’

and of course I had to get a picture with them! I am their fan first and photographer second

and now the video! it was totally worth the wait!

Niti and Samir are one of my 2010 couples, and they really wanted their engagement shoot to be all about the gorgeous fall colours of Ottawa - So we did, what any trooper would do..we headed out even though the temperature was below freezing.  Niti and Samir also loved the idea of doing a shoot at the Mackenzie King Estates in Gatineau Park.  This has to be one of my most favourite locations so I was super excited!  I just love all the character and the feel of of it all - even though I’ve been there so many times, I always find something new when I’m there!

The day comes - and I get to the park, only to find out that the main roads are closed because there is a marathon taking place - I remembered taking a back road to get to the estates in the past, so I quickly changed my route and headed to the Estates.  The one thing which I totally hate about Gatineau Park is how I get NO RECEPTION on my cellphone while I’m there. So, even though I made it there, I wasn’t sure if Niti and Samir would be able to find their way - but luck was on our side! They made it and we were blessed with an amazingly sunny day (cold but sunny).

So enjoy these pictures! I can’t wait for their wedding because I know it’s going to be just wonderful.

Just when I think things are going to become a bit settled and I can blog a lot…a million things just happen and I’m back to where I was last week!  So i’ve been meaning to start a new segment in my blog called ‘Spotlight’..this is where I would like to feature my favourite vendors as well as some of my favourite photographers and I’m honoured to introduce you guys to Kevin Swan of Swan Wedding Photography (www.swanweddingphotography.com). I’ve been following Kevin’s work for a while and recently had the pleasure to sit and have a chat with him on all things photography. I hope you enjoy his answers as much as I did.

Until next time!

1. How did you get in to Photography and specifically Wedding Photography?

I was introduced to photography by a co-worker at Nortel years ago.
He was an avid photographer, and took our team out to Gatineau Park to
introduce us to the basics of photography as a team-building activity.
I loved it, and continued learning more and more on my own.
Eventually, after trying my hand at taking photos at weddings of some
friends and family, I decided to take the next step and launch myself
as a serious wedding photographer.

2. How long have you been shooting Weddings?

I began taking amateur photos at friends' and relatives' weddings
about 9 years ago, then joined up with a local wedding photographer in
2007 as a second-shooter. 2010 will be my third year shooting
weddings professionally, on my own.

3. How did you develop your style? What influenced your style?

I tend to favour a clean, faithful photographic style. I like to keep
my subjects as sharp as possible, and I shy away from an overprocessed
look or using a lot of filter effects that I feel will quickly become
dated. My style was influenced by studying the work of many other
established professionals, and I found myself gravitating toward a few
photographers whose styles I really liked.

4. Any funny stories from your time shooting weddings?

It never ceases to amaze me how small children are able to sleep
through the loudest parties! At more than one wedding reception, I've
seen infants in strollers, sound asleep while people are doing the
Macarena and singing along at the top of their lungs!

5. What equipment are you using now? What are your favorite lenses?

I shoot with a pair of Nikon D300 cameras, with the battery grip. I
stick with genuine Nikon equipment - all my lenses and flashes are
Nikon. My favorite lens is easily the 17-55 f/2.8. The focal length
range is perfect for event photography, and the fast aperture and
pro-grade glass consistently deliver sharp, distortion-free photos. I
also love the 50 f/1.4, but working with such a shallow depth of field
is not very forgiving. You really have to be paying attention to your
focal point to get the most out of that lens. Finally, I also love
Nikon's 10.5 f/2.8 fisheye. I rarely deliver more than 1 or 2 photos
taken with this lens to the clients, because the effect quickly gets
gimmicky, but when used sparingly and artistically, it can really set
your photos apart from those of the couple's other guests.

6. Any advice you would give to someone getting in to Wedding Photography right now.

I think wedding photography is more about people than it is about
photography. Digital photography has really lowered the barrier to
entry to the field, so the key to success is your personality, and how
you deal with your clients. You have to be personable, outgoing, and
flexible. Set yourself apart from your competition. You have to be
good at several different skills in order to be successful -
specifically the photography itself, post-production in Photoshop
and/or Lightroom, album design, and general business skills, like
dealing with suppliers and having a good system to keep yourself
organized.

7. How do you feel about Photographers helping other photographers?

I think when photographers work together to improve each others' work,
everybody wins. The photographers grow their skill set, and the
clients end up with superior photos. It's important for new
photographers to be able to bring something to the partnership, so
both parties are able to feel good about joining forces and working
together.

Today I’m here to share a set of Bridal Portraits I did for Ruqayya and Qussai.  When I got to their place, Ruqayya was still getting ready. Her sister and sister-in-law were both helping her out. Qussai seemed a little nervous, but I could tell that he knew what this meant to Ruqayya.  I would see him glance over at Ruqayya after every few minutes - I was totally loving being there and being able to absorb all the emotions.   At first we took some pictures at their beautiful home and then headed over to our location. (Ruqayya and I had been talking for a few weeks about the perfect location - and when I had driven by the Rockeries a few days earlier, I knew this had to be the most perfect spot for them!)  Ruqayya and I got to drive there together since Qussai had to make a pit stop - this gave the two of us to just chat and get to know each other better.  I realized what a warm and genuine person she is!  Ruqayya and Qussai were total naturals in front of the camera and I totally loved photographing them!  They both are so warm and welcomed me into their lives so openly.  I want to thank you two for allowing me to become a part of something so special in your lives!

Ruqayya sent me this email a few weeks back after she got her pictures and wanted me to share this with everyone. Here goes!

When I first contacted Amna, I knew I was making the right decision.

I had already had a look at her website and blog (which I thought was beautifully designed and very professional) and I felt confident that she could give us the style of photography we were looking for (something that would be a perfect blend between structured and freestyle).

On the day of the photo shoot I was excited and nervous; I didn’t know what to expect, seeing as we had never had a professional photo shoot before. Soon after we started, we both felt really comfortable. Amna was great and both my husband and I could tell that the pictures were going to turn out beautifully! The session turned out better than I could have imagined and we couldn’t wait to see how the pictures turned out….we were not disappointed!! Every person we have shown the pictures to is already thinking about some occasion to have Amna as their photographer. I know 100% that this is not the last time I choose Amna as our photographer.

She is amazing at what she does and you can instantly tell that she is a natural. She has a great eye for things and was so flexible in the shots that we took. She would remind us that if we had certain ideas that we wanted to try, just to let her know. She is very sweet and so understanding and I have raved about her work to just about everyone.

Thank you Amna for everything you did; it was definitely a dream come true. I wish you the best, and know that I am definitely going to be a returning client

With lots of love,

Ruqayya E.