Dwayne Brown Studio - Ottawa Commercial Corporate Photography

If A Face Could Tell A Story

2013-06-19T07:55:00.000-04:00

All faces tell a story! Some faces are just more detailed and tell a far richer story. Yesterday we got to photograph Ray Cyr at Expographiq, who is one of the owners and has been running the operations at Expographiq for a little less than forever! Ray is the spriest and sharpest 85 year old I've ever met and has probably the best handshake I've experienced. I've known Ray for a little more than a dozen years now and his first question when I see him is always "how is my family?", then he wants to know how I am. He's an iconic leader at Expo and he's held with the highest respect. Yes he's old school (old school is awesome btw!) - he works hard and smart and expects the same from everyone who works for him. Just like a person's face, Expographiq has a rich and dynamic story - and there's no doubt that Ray Cyr is the heart of that story!

A Moment In Time

2013-06-17T12:04:00.001-04:00

Despite the many years I've been shooting, I'm still so humbled by the 'moment in time' that gets captured if all the stars are nicely aligned and you're in the right place at the right time. I've been shooting imagery for Ottawa's Elmwood School for probably 10 years now, and I'm so lucky that so much of their visual brand has been celebrating that same magic. My last shoot of the year for Elmwood is always capturing the senior graduating girls gathering in their white grad dresses then a historic photo of them on an old stairway in the original school building. The icing on the cake for me as a photographer is capturing the excitement that happens in front of the school when all the girls get to see each other for the first time in their beautiful white grad dresses. Such cool and beautiful moments! Congrats to all the awesome Elmwood Grads!

GET TO BE A DAD DAY

2013-06-17T09:17:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Father's Day and that was of course nice, but the days that I cherish so much more are all the other days that I get to be a dad!

Sometimes we can focus too much on the inundation of life's challenges and responsibilities (many of which are part of parenting), but what makes it all worth while for me is that I have two remarkable children. Claire has the biggest heart and a beautiful smile to back it up - and she has the innate ability to put anyone at ease and make them feel so special. Alex has such a creative and critical mind, always questioning and exploring - and will do great things with his determined mind.

Father's Day is really about our kids I think - and I'm so fortunate to have two amazing ones!

four small galleries at the hph

2013-06-15T07:35:00.000-04:00

Okay they’re not really galleries, but I do have a few handfuls of framed photos for sale up on the walls in the four washrooms at The Hintonburg Public House! Drop down for a drink or a little dinner to the HPH and peek at some photos and some of Clare Brennan’s Stickmen. All proceeds from the sales of the ‘Faces of WellingtonEnd’ portrait series (including the large metal sheets that the imagery is mounted on) will go to the subsidized care fund at The Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre.

© Karen Buckshi

Wakefield

2013-06-13T06:53:00.001-04:00

I'm back from a couple days in Wakefield and I wanted share a few of my favorite snaps from the town.

© Dwayne Brown

über canadian

2013-06-12T00:17:00.000-04:00

I'm staying in Wakefield Quebec for a couple days this week, taking a short break from the studio. I've done some walking (I don't really hike), ate some meals (complimented by local beer), read a hard cover book (as well as one on my phone), relaxed and drank coffee (caffeine relaxes right?) - and taken loads of photos with my phone. (the break was a break from work - not photography!) I wanted to share this image because it screams Canadian. You just know they have a stack of Canadian beer empties and an old ski-doo in that garage! Seriously, I love the image and I've really enjoyed capturing others around town. I'll share more soon!

Brand Trust

2013-06-11T09:37:00.001-04:00

I was listening to something the other day on the radio about trusting in a brand, and just how important it is for large corporate brands to build trust and how that translates into revenue. I believe it's just as important when building your personal brand - and as everyone who knows me they know I believe that a personal brand needs to start with photography.

Mike Fraser a financial services consultant here in Ottawa, contacted me a few weeks ago to talk about his personal brand and how photography could help it. For me it's not complicated to capture an image that evokes trust - you keep it simple, natural, positive and authentic. That said, there's always subtleties within the simplicities. Jacket on or jacket off? Tie or no tie, or if we chose a tie - what color would it be? Smile or no smile, or how much smile? All of these subtleties I believe contribute to or take away from how much you trust in an image, therefore how much you trust in that personal brand. This is an exciting time for personal brand development and I believe everyone who does business with others, needs to really work at how they present themselves in this social media hungry time - and I'd love to help!

© Dwayne Brown

the exposed project continues in wakefield

2013-06-10T23:08:00.000-04:00

It's rewarding to be giving imagery away even while taking a couple days off. I rested this envelope against the tracks that run through the town of Wakefield, just in front of famed The Black Sheep Inn. I'm always so curious to know what folks think when they open the envelope and find something inside for free. Hopefully they smile!

© Dwayne Brown - theXposedProject

METALHEADS

2013-06-03T07:27:00.000-04:00

In amongst a busy period for both Clare Brennan of FIFTY and I, we wanted to share some of our personal work! I’ve been really enjoying meeting and photographing some of the cool folks who make up the WellingtonEnd neighbourhood – artists, musicians, designers, residents, business owners………all really interesting creative types. Clare is one of the cities best creative directors, and he’s also an awesome sculptor. His sculptures are a creative and whimsical use of wood, metal and found objects.

A special note……proceeds (via silent auction) from the sales from Dwayne’s ‘Faces of WellingtonEnd’ will be going to help grow the subsidized care fund at The Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre, located right here in WellingtonEnd! We both would love it if you could drop down to The Hintonburg Public House to see the show next Thursday, June 6th at 7:00pm!

Blending Personal and Corporate Brands for Social Marketing

2013-05-26T08:47:00.000-04:00

I've been using photography for years to help organizations elevate and enhance their corporate brands, but its so fun these days when I get blend the capturing of those corporate brands with those of the individuals who work for those organizations. Over the past few months or so I've been photographing many of the sales and marketing team for The Lord Elgin Hotel, Hotel Indigo Ottawa and The Courtyard Marriott - all hotels managed by Atlific Hotels. It's so cool that Atlific's brand is very focused on attention to detail and genuinely friendly service - and that everyone I've had to photograph also reflects that brand so perfectly. It's great that these hotels see the value of social marketing and of course that I get to photograph their people for it! :)

© Dwayne Brown

A Life of Their Own

2013-05-18T09:28:00.002-04:00

As droves of tourists flock to Dow's Lake to photograph the beautiful and historic flowers of Ottawa's Tulip Festival, I'm happier to wait till the end of the festival when the tulips are on their last legs. I find the randomness of the unfolding petals so lovely - a poetic dance almost. Each petal taking on a life of their own, with a stoic and beautiful surrender to the inevitable. Beauty is everywhere! :)

© Dwayne Brown

Your Brand

2013-05-15T07:31:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I got to photograph a friend of mine for his personal brand and it reminded me why a photograph is so important and such a critical step in developing your personal brand. It's so much more than a first impression of you, or the literal face of your brand - it's your best opportunity to really think about how you present yourself to your audience. It's more than just what you're wearing, it's also about the tone and emotion of the photograph. In photography we have so much control over how the viewer emotionally responds to the image, by how we capture and present the image. Smile or no smile. B&W vs color. The composition and crop of the photograph. The subtle context of the environment we choose to shoot in. All of these choices change how the viewer sees you and how effectively they trust in your personal brand. I so appreciate that my friend Jean-Yves Blanchard gets all of this and trusted me to capture him the way I did. I wanted the image to convey a sense of trust, experience and confidence, while at the same time not be too stuffy or conservative - and I really wanted the image to engage without the obvious sell of an open smile. Thanks JY for trusting!

© Dwayne Brown

Openheart

2013-05-11T09:33:00.000-04:00

It's always such a treat to shoot for the University of Ottawa Heart Institute! Earlier this week I was able to spend a few hours photographing an open heart procedure for the Heart Institute's magazine 'The Beat'. It was such a cool experience to be dressed in my own set of sterile scrubs, capturing this amazing team working together. The whole tone and feel of the room was calm yet extremely synchronized, with each team member supporting each other and profoundly focused on the task at hand - keeping the patient's life delicately balanced while they repair her heart. To say I was respectfully humbled to be there capturing this amazing dance would be such an understatement! I'm constantly reminded just how fragile our health can be, while also so appreciative that there are such compassionate and talented healthcare professionals striving to help us with it, and not just maintaining the present level of care for patients - but always pushing it forward!

Impromptu Sunday Portrait

2013-05-05T19:07:00.000-04:00

I'm constantly reminded how lucky I am to be a photographer. As a photographer we're always looking, always observing and always engaging trust. This afternoon I was having a quiet Sunday afternoon sitting at The HPH working on a little production and my buddy Matty (one of my favorite HPH servers) asked me if I'd like to meet and maybe photograph Valerie a friend of his - she was playing a little guitar at the end of the block in front of the big old church, he said. How could I possibly refuse! I left my computer at the bar and went to say hello. Valerie was a lovely, humble young musician with a cool urban edge - and super photogenic. I explained my 'Faces of WellingtonEnd' portrait project and she agreed to come up with Matty for a few shots. It's cool and critical how quickly the relationship of trust needs to be established between photographer and subject, regardless if it's an impromptu personal portrait with a stranger or an executive for a corporate gig. Thanks so much Matty for the suggestion and a special thanks to Valerie for trusting! :)

© Dwayne Brown

Nature's Most Amazing Paintbrush

2013-05-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

We all love great design and the talent behind it - but is there truly a better designer than mother nature? :)

© Dwayne Brown

Weekend Free Download - Spring Branches

2013-05-04T07:42:00.000-04:00

As much as I love the trees and bushes once the leaves pop - I really prefer to shoot them without the leaves. More emotion I think - sadness with the suggestion of hope perhaps. I'm always reminded that hope is everywhere, we just need to seek it out and embrace it. I photographed this Weekend's Free Download image the other day while visiting a special place for me along the Ottawa river - a place that's full of hope.

© Dwayne Brown

Please use this 'link to download the file'. Feel free to print it, frame it and enjoy it - just please don't use it for any commercial applications without written permission.

theXposed project is back

2013-05-02T00:13:00.002-04:00

It feels great to be back giving away free imagery with theXposed project! Follow the project on twitter at @exposedproject and keep looking for the envelopes around WellingtonEnd and other parts of Ottawa.

© Dwayne Brown

Fancy That!

2013-04-24T08:43:00.000-04:00

Probably the very best part of being a photographer, especially a people photographer - is the folks you get to meet and connect with. Last night I got to photograph Martin Gomez, the creative director of the Ottawa based design shop Fancy Boys. I photographed Martin for my 'Faces of WellingtonEnd' not just because he's recently moved his studio into the neighborhood, but more importantly because he has this awesome reputation of being a really good guy! After our shoot we chatted over a couple pints at The HPH, sharing stories about design and photography - but I think we connected more on our shared philosophy of really appreciating our clients and embracing the people we get to collaborate with. It's cool to see Martin and Fancy Boys doing so well - really nice folks doing great design. Welcome to the neighborhood! :)

© Dwayne Brown

Faces of WellingtonEnd

2013-04-19T09:49:00.000-04:00

A super big thanks to Marshall Page of Hintonburg's Marshall's Gym, for being the first for me to photograph in a series of portraits I'm shooting for an upcoming personal show (faces of WellingtonEnd) that will be up at The Hintonburg Public House at the end of May. For those who know me, people and faces are my absolute favorite thing to capture. I just love the people I get to meet and the stories beyond their eyes!

© Dwayne Brown

Photo Walks

2013-04-15T22:37:00.000-04:00

I love going for photo walks with my son Alex! I was lucky enough to go on a birthday photo walk with him the other day - it's cool that we tend to gravitate to the grittier side of our neighborhood. Happy Birthday Alex! :)

© Dwayne Brown

© Alex Brown

© Dwayne Brown

Dr. Mark Walker - moving innovation forward

2013-04-12T08:03:00.001-04:00

We had a great shoot yesterday for The University of Ottawa photographing Dr. Mark Walker! I always count myself so lucky to get to photograph such interesting people that are truly moving innovation forward. Dr. Walker is a high risk obstetrician and Clinical Epidemiologist. He has published over 190 peer-reviewed articles and has made a significant impact in our understanding of folic acid in pregnancy, thrombophilia in pregnancy, and is a highly regarded perinatal health services researcher. In much simpler language, he's making pregnancy and births significantly safer for babies and mothers - and his research is having an international impact!

© Dwayne Brown

Authentic Brand - Expographiq

2013-04-05T00:09:00.000-04:00

We had a fairly straight forward yet really rewarding project last week for Ottawa's preeminent exhibit design company - Expographiq. Tanya Buckley was looking for a series of profile portraits of her senior project managers and design team to accompany project proposals, but wanted imagery that would really reflect Expo's authentic and honest brand. What a better way to help capture that, than to photograph her people in black and white and in their natural work environment! And the black and white imagery will be such a nice compliment to offset their colorful product photography of their exhibit projects. It's so cool to work with a client like Expographiq, who really appreciates the value of authentic and natural imagery! :)

© Dwayne Brown

Weekend Free Download - Chateau Laurier

2013-03-30T09:27:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about being a photographer is being able to share and give imagery away! This Weekend's Free Download is an image I shot yesterday at Ottawa's Chateau Laurier Hotel, while out on a downtown photo walk with my 13 yr old son Alex - something we both really enjoy doing! :)

© Dwayne Brown

Please use this 'link to download the file'. Feel free to print it, frame it and enjoy it - just please don't use it for any commercial applications without written permission.

The Ottawa Conference Centre

2013-03-29T19:56:00.000-04:00

Firesky

2013-03-29T04:50:00.000-04:00

Instagram has become such an interesting creative tool and partner for so many photographers and creative people. It allows me to share work observations and gives me an online venue to share my perspective of the world around me. But it just occurred to me that I tend to not blog those images - they end up being mostly only shared on the online Instagram venue. So I'm going to make more of an effort to post more of my favorite Instagram images on my blog, sometimes with words and sometimes just the image. This image I shot the other evening while walking up Somerset to meet my daughter for dinner - I love the dramatic sky that was emphasized by the Toy Camera app and the filter I used in Snapseed. :)

© Dwayne Brown - Instagram @dwaynebrown