Ahhh the life of a dog, wake up, scratch, eat, go for a walk, play fetch, go for a walk, sleep, repeat…Yes it’s true even dogs need a vacation sometime. And when our dog Fritty does it he does it right, he hits the beaches of Southampton! With wedding photography season well on the way we thought it might be nice to take a little get away before it all begins. There are so many awesome places in Canada to take a vacation, but we always seem to be drawn back to my parents place by the beach…gotta love it When we get there we usually adopt Fritty’s daily routine as well and eat twice as much as we usually do. Fritty and I try to keep all the eating under control with our morning runs on the beach. His legs may only be 3 inches high, but this wiener dog can book it something fierce!! He is always leaving me in the dust but that’s ok, we love enjoying the sound of the waves hitting the shore, the sun on our backs and the feeling of the sand under our feet.

Dave loves the beach just as much as Fritzi and I do so we decided to all head out for an afternoon stroll together. Dave has this game he plays with Fritty, through the stick and… hide…No…no it’s waaay less complicated then it sounds but they both love it. So on one of these many adventures they have together Fritzi decided to out smart Dave and give him a taste of his own medicine… he ran for it with his new found stick. We later found Fritty in a “cave” not too far away with his stick in tow and he wasn’t willing to let go of it any time soon! Check out little Fritty… he has a serious addiction to fetching sticks…I think we may need an intervention.

The three of us set out on a great adventure. Dave, my Dad (Larry) and I. The weather was bone-chilling, drab and not very inviting, but being a total optimist Larry was certain the grey skies were gonna clear up so we started our trek to the beautiful little village of Tobermory. Being the only tourists crazy enough to visit in the chilly weather we had no trouble finding a parking spot or a seat at Craigie’s (Famous Fish and Chips, delicious and highly recommended!!). Both Dave and Dad love to SCUBA and Tobermory is known as the fresh water SCUBA diving capital of the world. It’s a total hot spot for divers because of the scattered shipwrecks that lie in the surrounding waters, especially in Fathom Five National Marine Park. I think the shipwrecks are a little too spooky for my taste, so I prefer to chill on the rock beach in the warmer weather.

We checked out a few of the dive shops and got some sweet pics of The Chi-Cheemaun (Translation "Big Canoe) the passenger and car ferry connects Tobermory to Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron Check out the shot Dave got of the logging truck pulling off the Ferry, it’s crazy! It’ll give you an idea of the size of the boat.

Ok so we were so freezing cold by this point, and don’t get me wrong I love Tobermory. I honestly thought this was it and we were heading back home but my Dad really really insisted we check out the Grotto and now I see why. The Grotto is this beautiful little cave located near the rock beach, the only problem is you need to be Indiana Jones as it’s next to impossible to get to. There are two ways you can get to the Grotto

1. Scale the rock face that goes 90 degrees straight down to the crashing rocky waters (not recommended) or
   
2. Squeeze through a tiny little cave that nobody knows about, work your way down and pray the bars on your cell phone don’t disappear.

We choose option 2 and made our way down with only a few scratches. Ahhhhhhh at last, The Grotto and it’s alluring beauty. Check out the turquoise water…ohhh soo beautiful, that’s actually light glowing through from the other side. Dave was so mesmerized by this he decided to take a refreshing dip in the near freezing ice pool… Like any dedicated photographer/retired girl guide would be, I’m always prepared with the Canon ready to fire. These photos will serve as proof to everyone back home that Dave was brave enough to laugh in the face the freezing waters of Lake Huron and take this legendary plunge. Ok maybe I’m over-dramatizing it but trust me, it was really freakin cold!!

Ya know… it’s not until you’re in the presence of a sweet little new born baby like Lauren that you remember how amazing life really is. Those tiny little fingers and little toes, you really could get lost staring into her sparkling eyes all day. I felt so lucky to be honoured with the opportunity to photograph the cutest little angel on Earth.

Lauren’s Mommy and Daddy, Melissa and Sean are sooo in love with this darling baby girl. You can just feel the care and emotion they have for her. As we were getting set up for the shoot I had so many ideas running through my mind, making the decision was difficult. I had brought so many props and backdrops for Baby Laurens shoot, Dave joked that it looked like I packed my bags for a weekend getaway (I don’t get it???…I’m not known as a chronic over-packer am I??). As my creative thoughts were spinning, I thought I’d take a look in Lauren’s closet.

I can honestly say that I thought Paris Hilton had a lot of clothes until I met this baby fashionista and the closet was just as pink It turns out the couples friends, family and co-workers were just as excited as Melissa and Sean for the arrival of Little Baby Lauren!! Coincidentally enough, Melissa is a Nurse on the Maternity Ward of the Hospital where they welcomed Baby Lauren into the World!!

I got started on the sets. Dave had this great idea that required fresh flowers so as Dave ran out for those Melissa asked me if I wanted to hold Little Lauren. It was so cool holding a little newborn like that again, it’s been a little while. Lauren held on to my finger so tight it was loosing circulation lol, she’s too cute! Melissa and I chatted about anything she might have in mind. She really wanted us to surprise her so we did our best to give her something really special.

I’ve always wanted to photograph a baby in with little white angel wings sitting on a soft cloud of feathers. Something magical and different from the ordinary. After we finished shooting with a few of the different back drops Dave arrived with the fresh flowers. Dave had this great idea "Baby of the Blossoms" Melissa LOVED it! We were all having a fab time, it was a lot of fun playing around with all of our ideas and being creative!

Daddy Sean soon arrived home, he’s in school to become an Orthodontist so it looks like the little family has the health care industry covered! I was excited to get the family all together and capture some beautiful shots of them. I know in a couple of years they will look back and be happy they took the time to photograph Lauren at this age. Babies grow up sooo fast you don’t want to lose a moment, it really makes you see how important it is to capture the memories before they’re gone.

What is The Hour you say? Who is George Stroumboulopoulos?? Only the coolest Talk Show Host known to the Canadian Television Industry. I know the last name may be a mouth full to most, but Dave, myself and many others affectionately refer to him as STROMBO. He may have a baby face but don’t let that fool ya, George Stroumboulopoulos has worked in TV Land for a while. Starting out his career at MuchMusic as producer and host of The Punk Show, host of The NewMusic, LOUD, MuchNews and recently “The Strombo Show” on 102.1 The Edge.

We have to say we are giant fans of his show “The Hour” and watch religiously. Since Dave and I are from Toronto and just a stones throw from the CBC building where the show tapes, we feel sooo lucky to be so geographically close to Strombo… oops The CBC… that we can just mosie on over for a visit whenever we feel like it. We think The Hour is wonderfully entertaining and brings a smorgosbord of variety to the table ie… humour, personality, celebrities and 2 minute updates on current worldly events (which is good for those of us who have trouble focusing our attention long enough for the 11 o’clock news)…Anyway, as predicted Dave and I had a killer time on set of his show and we’re introduced to some hilarious yet enlightening guests such as Ted Danson (Sam from Cheers) and Doris Roberts (the Mom from Everybody Loves Raymond). With so many highlights to our day it’s difficult to choose.

I know a serious high point for me was when Dave was so awesome at Celebrity Jeopardy that he won himself a Strombo shirt…Oh and when I won the George Stroumboulopoulos travel mug for knowing that Annie Leibovitz is a Photographer for Vanity Fair, that was cool… And talk about a high quality travel mug. It doesn’t leak like regular Non-Strombo travel mugs do…oh no… It’s safe to say that Dave and I were both stoked with our CBC prizes (I still can’t get Dave out of his “Lucky” Strombo shirt. See photo…lol)

We started our morning off right with a highly nutritious Breakfast of Bacon & Eggs at a local greasy spoon. We meet up with some photographers Tif, Alex and Jaymz to chat about whats happening in the world of photography, catch up and bounce ideas of each other. It’s great hearing what everyone’s up to these days and finding an excuse to eat Bacon!!! I know this isn’t the best shot of us, but hey… Sorry guys! haha.

After Breakfast we headed out to the live taping of “daytime”…I was running around (while Dave sat in the audience…supervising lol) shooting the show, guests, crew and the rockin’ audience. We met some awesome people on the show like the Hosts of daytime Kim McCleary and Gurdeep Ahluwalia and Producer Marissa Corrigan. Oh, and we can’t forget Michael Craig of Barefoot Wines had a pretty awesome set up too…(In case you’re wondering Michael, yes, we will shoot for wine. haha)

Since we started our day at the ungodly hour of 7am we ran to Starbucks and downed 2 Grande Lattes, picked up Fritzi the weiner dog and headed out to Sutton, Ontario. We were on the way to meet Jen and Brent our super sweet couple that we’re shooting this Summer. On the way we took a detour and nature hike with little Fritty (as Dave calls him) He’s sooo happy that Winter is over, his little legs are so short he can’t do much in the snow. We got so many shots of all of the beautiful budding plants and flowers, but my faves by far were the gorgeous sprouting Fiddle Heads.

While hiking in the forest Fritzi discovered a little pond and dove straight in. He learned how to swim last Summer he’s really become a little water rat!! We had to bribe him with Hagen Daas to get him out of the water.

We met Jen and Brent at their beautiful little stone chapel by the lake. I was blown away by it’s charm and the location on the water is so amazing. Needless to say we were totally stoked!! We caught this little “church mouse” peaking at us so I had to snap a shot! We headed down the little winding road led us to “The Briars” a gorgeous country club with tons of old world charm and lots of beautiful shooting ops for the big day!!! Look at these two… Jen and Brent are so cute together, we can’t wait to capture their love for each other on June 28th. 

We finally rolled into Toronto/home at 10pm. This is an interpretation of how it looked to us after our crazy day!!!

Hey Everyone!!!

This month, DaveBiesse.com Blog Subscribers will have the chance to win wicked-awesome prizes including $100 Gift Certificates from Fitness One, Dave Biesse Workshops and maybe even a Photo Session with Dave and I…woo hoo. So dust off your digitals, get out into the beautiful Spring sunshine and start shooting.

Photos will be posted on our Blog and winners will be chosen based on reader votes… Deadline for this months entry is midnight May 31, 2008. "The Champ" will be posted on the Blog June 7, 2008 so you will have a week to get your votes in.

This photo contest theme is… "Spring is in the Air! "

So get out there and start shooting!!

Dave and I had another great day shooting with our buddy Jaymz! We had a photo shoot set up with Tiffany who’s been a good friend of mine for years. Tiffany is super beautiful and she knows how to pose lol, which made my job a lot easier… Look out Canada’s Next Top Model!! We were going for a sexy and modern look which I think we achieved, I just wanted to get some beautiful shots of my amazingly gorgeous friend. I’ve known Tiffany since I was 15and I really really wanted to capture her outgoing,fun-loving personality as well as her beauty! Tiffany and I had an awesome time shooting together and I’m so happy that Tiffany was absolutely thrilled with her shots!

Here’s Charlotte rocking the ring flash mounted right onto her camera. It’s a seriously heavy rig, so it’s lucky Charlotte hits the gym regularly!

At the end of the shoot, James grabbed this great snap of the two of us I friggin love the ring flash.

I got a call from Tif on Tuesday asking us to cover a class for a workshop they run at Mooredale (in Rosedale, Toronto). Since we love teaching our own Photography Workshops , of course we were happy to help out. We had a great time with the class and it was a lot of fun teaching the ladies some lighting, exposure and posing tricks.

Teaching the class prompted me to share some of the very basics of photography with you that a couple of ladies seemed to really appreciate.

Firstly, understanding what the variable’s are which you control with your camera to create an exposure…

These are:

1. Aperture (the width of the diaphragm inside the lens - see diagram of f1 and f22 to the right)
2. Shutter Speed (the length that the camera is open to allow light to hit the sensor or film
3. ISO / ASA (the sensitivity of the sensor or film to light)

It’s official - this has to be by far the coolest invitation I’ve ever received for a wedding!

We are shooting Natasha & Kester’s destination wedding in Barbados this September - and we can’t wait!

Since meeting these guys last Summer, we’ve become not only great friends but we’re working on some ideas for products that will blow you away when they’re released in October. The wedding invitations were hand delivered, which made it even more exciting to receive! Check out the photos!!

Amazing work guys! Can’t wait to Meet you in Paradise!

After wrapping on Sunday, Charlotte and I jumped in front of the ring flash and Kevin Chan grabbed these 6 frames in a record breaking 12 seconds…. I think it’s such a cute story telling! We’re going to have it stretched on a canvas for the studio!

Hi guys,

I’ve had a few blog readers already asking how I managed to produce the bus image of Marathon Man, so I thought I’d show you the three images I used to produce it. It was one serendipitous timing that the bus full of kids was parked right there by the CN tower, because Trent (aka Marathon Man) had wanted to try the idea. We set him up holding my camera bag (so there would be shadows on his hands and he’d get a realistic pose).

I shot him from a low point of view with a 16mm lens, making sure there was enough room to put a bus in the image. I exposed so the sky would be white for easy dropping in of the bus and new sky. I then shot the bus lying on the road - the kids of course were screaming because they wanted Marathon Man’s attention! Finally I dropped in the image from my trip to Australia… very ominous!

Yesterday, Charlotte attended a workshop run By James Van Hees at his amazing photography studio in Waterdown, Ontario. I was on board as a guest speaker/photographer for what turned out to be a very successful day!

We had a fantastic day - I had a great time doing some of the teaching to assist James. Meanwhile Charlotte was participating with the class and doing some behind the scenes photography. She styled and photographed some of the shots… the following are her images… check out the Holt’s setup!

We wrapped up shooting with a ring flash and had a great time playing around with Jen. She’s a blast to have as a model and was really into doing the wackier stuff. Check out this shot of me, James and a few of the other photographers!

Here’s a quick shot of the gang who attended…

Trent Morrow is a 34 year old from Australia’s beachside suburb of Bondi Beach. He looks like a regular guy, but he has a secret identity…Marathon Man! Marathon Man has many super powers, one of which is the ability to face the most harsh extremes on the planet the Sahara Desert. The Marathon des Sables is a 243km event held over 6 days through the Sahara in temperatures up to 50 degrees and is considered as the "toughest footrace on earth". These unbearable extremes are no match for Marathon Man who also uses his super powers fund raising to rescue children in Africa suffering from the devastating disease known as ‘Noma’. We meet up with Marathon Man as he was saving a falling school bus full of children in Toronto. Luckily Dave had his camera so we could capture this courageous real life super hero in action!! If you’d like to help Trent support his noble cause the Facing Africa Charity you can be hero too!

Extra!! Extra!! Marathon Man saves the day as a school bus of children falls from the sky!

This hero is changing the lives of children one marathon at a time…

Today we took the day off and decided to head out for lunch and a walk through Toronto’s beautiful High Park with Fritzi!! Fritzi’s Charlotte’s two year old Dachshund (Wiener Dog). He had an awesome time playing fetch as well as exploring the walking trails of virtually the whole park. Charlotte had some fun taking photos of him for the grandparents

Fritzi’s such a little social butterfly constantly running up to other dogs (both giant and pint sized) and is always ready to make new friends. Since he has such little legs it’s hilarious watching him try to navigate through the long grass! We try to make it easier on him and mainly stay on the open ground.

Even with such short legs, this little guy can move! I think Charlotte is considering him for the Wiener Dog Races in Buda, Texas next year. Oh yes Wiener Dog Races exist…and here’s a video to prove it…but first a word from our sponser

Here are some more cute shots Charlotte took for Fritzi…

At the end of our walk, Charlotte and I grabbed icecream… Needless to say, Fritzi knew that good things would come to those who waited, so sure enough he did finish off mine at the end!

ANZAC Day is held on  April 25th every year and is probably Australia’s most important national occasion. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula to open the way to the Black Sea for the allied navies. It was a massive loss for Australia and New Zealand as soldiers fought to their doom. The honorary day was established as a day of commemoration for the 60,000 Australians who died during the war. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they soon took in that name endures to this day.

Charlotte and I attended the services held in Toronto to honour the fallen soldiers.

Dave and I have a deep love and respect for nature and the underwater world. Dave’s (an avid scuba diver) originally from Perth, Australia and is very familiar with aquatic life. Quite often our Destination Weddings take us to tropical locations so we have had the chance to fall in love with all of the breathtaking beauty of the Ocean. While in Jamaica 2 weeks ago we loved exploring the aqua blue waters for tropical fish and Dave and I even saw a baby Sting Ray…so cute!

Last night Dave and I watched a great documentary Sharkwater, by fellow Canadian and filmmaker Rob Stewart. Sharkwater hopes to reverse the way the media has portrayed sharks and give people information and the tools they need to see Sharks as an essential part of our Eco System.

DaveBiesse.com is proud to be a Green Company. We do everything in our power to be environmentally aware and “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” whenever possible.

Our studio only uses energy efficient lighting and appliances. We also try to send all invoices, paperwork etc. electronically to help minimize our impact on the environment.

We love, love, love our Destination Weddings and they keep Dave and I traveling the globe. This site http://zerofootprint.net/about/calculators is great and is one of the companies we use to soften our carbon footprint.

Another site we love is the

We are proud to say that David Suzuki is Canadian J and has done so much to educate the world on the effects of Global Warming. I highly recommend this site it has been really interesting with many useful facts and tips!

I’m sure that many of you have already had the chance to see one of the most informative documentaries on the effects of Global Warming, An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore.

www.climatecrisis.net

Dave and I just finished watching The 11th Hour. Wow, that’s another eye opener. Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, this film gives us another warning that we need to make changes right NOW or suffer the consequences of serious irreversible harm to our planet.

Check out two other very interesting Doco’s (Dave’s Aussi-ism meaning Documentaries) we both find to be very educational are…

Who killed the Electric Car?

…and A Crude Awakening

In Honour of Earth Day here is a list of ways to help save the planet…

In your home

1. Recycle everything: newspapers, bottles and cans, aluminum foil, etc.
2. Don’t use electrical appliances when you can easily do by hand, such as opening cans.
3. Use cold water in the washer whenever possible.
4. Store food in re-usable containers.
5. Donate used items to a charitable organization or thrift shop.
6. Don’t leave water running needlessly.
7. Turn your heat down, and wear a sweater. Turn off the lights, TV, or other electrical appliances when you are out of a room.
8. Turn down the heat and turn off the water heater before you leave for vacation.

In the office

1. Recycle office and computer paper, cardboard, etc.
2. Use scrap paper for informal notes to yourself and others.
3. Print or copy on both sides of the paper.
4. Use smaller paper for smaller memos.
5. Re-use manila envelopes and file folders.
6. Use dishes, glassware and coffee cups instead of disposible dishes and cups.

Inspirational Earthly Quotes

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. ~Native American Proverb

Don’t blow it - good planets are hard to find. ~ Time Magazine

Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites. ~William Ruckelshaus, Business Week, 18 June 1990

Because we don’t think about future generations, they will never forget us. ~Henrik Tikkanen

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

Your grandchildren will likely find it incredible - or even sinful - that you burned up a gallon of gasoline to fetch a pack of cigarettes! ~Paul MacCready, Jr.

It couldn’t have been a more perfect day. As the sun shone down and the waves splashed to shore, Jocelyn and Cory vowed their love for each on this beautiful Thursday afternoon. Surrounded by many loving friends and family, the gorgeous couple became Man and Wife on the white sandy beaches of Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Dave and I were absolutely honoured to be a part of their special day.

The attention to detail was impeccable. We loved the stunning orchid’s and floral arrangements on the tables and chairs, little wooden fans to cool the guests from the Caribbean heat, the breathtaking Bridesmaid gowns, buckets with tiny brushes to “bush the sand from your feet” and not to mention Jocelyn’s absolutely gorgeous fairytale wedding dress.

After the ceremony the chamagne popped as the wedding party and guests gathered to celebrate the new marriage. The elegant centerpieces and table settings were perfectly arranged below in preparation for the dinner and reception. As the guests headed to their seats, the glowing newlyweds made their way down to the party awaiting them on the white sand beach. You could really feel the true love, joy and emotion Jocelyn and Cory have for each other. Tiki lamps and romance lit the way to the end of a perfect wedding day.

I’m very excited to share with you the photography of stylist, photographer and girlfriend, Charlotte Leonard!

Charlotte has been shooting weddings with me for the past 6 months, and we’re very pleased to be present some of her images to you.

Charlotte has a TV Broadcasting background, and has had a keen eye for photography for many years now. However it’s been amazing to watch her meteoric growth since we’ve been working together… I can’t wait to share more of her images with you soon!

During our trip to Jamaica this week, we had the fortune to meet a lot of really cool people - both locals and fellow travelers. Fiona and Darren are two people who Charlotte and I got chatting with and really connected with. They’re Canadian too, so we all decided to have some fun one evening and did a little shoot for them… enjoy the show!