(Click here for a map)

I have been working on all the portrait sessions from my free studio over the last month… wow, what a thrill that was! I’m happy that I was able to get in as many friends & family as I did, and for all the fantastic comments I’ve received – so thanks!

Commercial studio has finally wrapped up in class for me, and it’s time to start working on my own studio. That being said, I picked up some new gear over the past couple weeks – wireless transmitter for my flash, as well as a 45″ umbrella and stand to put it on with my flash unit (kind of how photographer Lisa Bettany does many of her setups). I’ve only set it all up once while I was down visiting friends in Rochester (Thanks Sara! Hope you like your portraits!)

That said, I will be working on improving my business plan for this Fall, which includes offering additional products to clients and creating a new pricing structure that reflects the commercial quality I provide my clients. So, from now until August 31st, my portrait sessions will be just $75! Contact me here to book a session!

I must admit, I’m really happy with how my little business is progressing! It is allowing me to be creatively free, challenging me to break out from my comfort zone and really improve my skills as a photographer.

First there was the Canadian earthquake that struck on Wednesday, and two tornadoes that ripped through two cities in Southern Ontario.

And then today; I attended the protests downtown Toronto. What I experience was not what I was intending on experiencing. Like many others, all I wanted was to be near the hype and excitement, and of course, to get a few pictures.

(Click here for all photos)

The first blockade was at University & Richmond. Nothing exciting, lots of cops and mounted police. We could hear a little bit of the protesters up on Queen Street, and overheard from a cop’s radio that they had smashed in a Starbucks.

“For your safety, I cannot allow you to pass. If you do, it will be a threat to police and security, and you will be taken down.”

From University & Richmond, we walked south to Adelaide and over to Bay. We ran into the protesters heading south, and continued to walk with them. It was intense, with lots of yelling and tears, passion. These protesters were passionate, and I give them credit for that. They’re standing up for something they believe in. But it’s the violence that silences everyone else. Violence will not solve anything, ever. And to quote Toronto Mayor David Miller, “…they call themselves anarchists when really, they are only criminals.”

Eventually there was a cloud of smoke, and the first thought was it was tear gas being dispersed. I ran to get closer to see, and then I saw flames.

Seeing the flames, and the crowd running in every different direction was like being in a movie. It was unreal. I kept thinking, “This isn’t Canada, we don’t experience such displays of violence here…”

As I got closer to the car I realized it was a police cruiser, which was even more nerve-wracking. If these protesters (anarchists, criminals, terrorists…) were torching cop cars, what else were they capable of?

The police formed a line around this time and started beating their shields with their batons. A scare tactic, echoing between the buildings, sounding a bit like gun fire.

I realized we were in trouble when they would no longer let us pass, and get away from the burning carnage. Instead, they were pushing us even closer, causing increased panic in the people around me.

A small group of us gathered under the BMO building roof, right at the corner of King & Bay. We were maybe 50 feet from the burning car, and there was a mix of emotion behind me: tears, sheer panic, yelling, laughter. One girl was screaming, “You can’t leave us here! If the car explodes we are all going to die!”

We stood behind the pillar until the police line on the other side escorted us out of there. We had to raise our hands like prisoners in order for them to lead us out, as if we were the criminals. Then we were stopped alongside the south side of the building, and told to stand still and keep our hands out of our pockets.
My phone was in my pocket but I was able to get out a few text messages anyways.

A few minutes later we were told to keep walking to safety.

We made it to the next block and stood there, waiting for the car to blow up (it didn’t).

It was intense.

A few photos from Father’s Day weekend :)

LOVE THEM. It’s kids like these ones that just make photography so easy!
Thanks Liz for letting me borrow your adorable offspring!

(I think this would make a great Goldfish advertisement :)

Here are a few more photos I’ve done with the professional equipment!
Thanks Geoff, Lindsay, and my dear husband Nic for modeling for me :)

I am looking for willing candidates to sit for me for just half an hour. I promise to bring out your best features, and I welcome any suggestions and feedback!

Studio Sessions are now FREE!
-Each booking includes a professional portrait experience;
-Your choice of one print package;
-Web gallery to share, and/or order additional favourite prints from our session!

Contact Lisa by email waterstonephoto@gmail.com or call 519-575-6027 to book your preferred session, and/or to see my portfolio.

Availability:

*Friday, June 18^th:

6:30, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, or 9:30pm

*Saturday, June 19^th:

12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, or 4:00pm

*Friday, June 25^th:

6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, or 8:00pm

*Saturday, June 26^th:

12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, or 4:00pm

I’ve always been more of a one-light, natural/dramatic lighting kind of photographer, and for the teacher to introduce two lights and fancy equipment, it threw me for a (little) loop.

Well as it turns out, I love it. I think the results I’ve achieved so far have been awesome, and I can only imagine where I can take my photography creativity to next.

Below are some of the photos I’ve taken in class. Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be able to book studio time for anyone interested in “professional” studio portraits. Interested in a free portrait? Email me (waterstonephoto@gmail.com) for details.

First off, a few of my classmates in an awkward family photo :)

And then Tyson & Ally came in for us to photograph. They were our superstars!

Click to view additional photos from the shoot!

A lady and her friend were happily browsing the market when I asked for their photo. I noticed they were trying on hats and seemed to be enjoying the still-quiet, early morning out at the market. The lady in pink agreed, and took a few moments to pick out the best hat for the photo.

(almost as soon as I’d taken her photo, I wish I’d composed it a lot better)

…this is not the Mini

After checking out the mini Mini Cooper (it’s 26″ shorter than a Mini), Bill captured my photo, and then made the connection of how we knew each other.
I first “met” Bill at the 2009 New Hamburg fall demolition derby & fair. I had anonymously (or so I thought) snapped his photo while waiting for the next derby heat to begin, and he found me while browsing photos from the event on Flickr. It’s always neat to put a face to a Flickr name ;)

Wandering through the vendor zone, I met Randy, owner of a kiosk selling various home decor items. I purchased a small bench picture frame with shells and oceanside flare. He agreed to let me take his picture while he was still setting up a few items for sale. Randy has been to a variety of markets in Southern Ontario, and is almost always at the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival. (Maybe I’ll track him down next year and give him a copy of this photo :)

An hour or so after I visited a few neighbourhood garage sales, I stopped in at a kiosk full of ethnic charm. Drums, necklaces, crosses, rings, tribal decorations. I’m always drawn to these kiosks to get a dose of distant culture, without actually leaving town. Handcrafted items have not just their unique, sometimes imperfect looks and feels, but they also carry the love that flowed through the artist’s hands. Victor introduced himself to me and we chatted about the variety of items he was selling. El Salvador crosses, Indonesian necklaces, Mexican drums, Peruvian bean-bead necklaces. I purchased the Peruvian bean necklace and asked Victor if I could take his photo. Such a nice man!

One of the garage sales happened to be a fund-raising effort put on by the youth of St James Lutheran church. I purchased custom-made reusable bags to support their cause, and then asked to take a group photo of the youth helping out. I hope they had a successful day!

Sights, smells, sounds… colours, shiny cars, dusty books, greasy foods, condesation covered cans of pop, sweaty kids, diesel, jet fuel, fried foods, cooling off in the shade

Met Donna, owner of a 1947 Dodge businessman’s coupe and a 1956 Dodge Coronet. Donna and her husband have owned these cars for about five years, and travel around every weekend during the summer to show them off.
Her husband keeps the business man’s coupe in shiny shape.

I told her I was a student photographer at Conestoga, and Donna offered to let me in one of the cars to get a few interior shots. I gladly accepted.