Chanelle

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Chris

I wonder how many of us watch a TV show… or a movie… see a character in it and wish we could meet them in real life. Of course that is the allure of these shows, create a fictional character that we can identify with, admire, maybe wish we were more like that person … its these traits (and of course the gripping plot stories) that keep us watching. Get the mix right and you have a hit show, perhaps with decades of longevity. I remember growing up as a young child, my father was an avid fan of shows like Hawaii Five-O which I’m sure you’re aware has been reprised from the ashes as a ‘new’ TV series. Now I’ve become a fan of this new version. Like many other people, I gravitate towards a genre in TV and movie culture. I like action, mystery, crime – to be a little cliche its a gripping mix when the writer gets it right. Watching shows like Nikita, Combat Hospital, Flashpoint to name but some, knowing they are filmed in Toronto, yet look like they could be anywhere fascinates me a little. To me that’s excellent cinematography on the directors part.

Recently I had the pleasure (well ok, I admit I was excited as heck!!!) of meeting Chanelle Larocque, originally from Barrie. Chanelle is an accomplished actress both on stage and on various TV shows, including those aforementioned. In the photography industry, we often joke around about how small a world it is, and indeed, bearing fruition to this, I know Chanelle’s mother Joanne, who is a hobbyist photographer and a co member of the Barrie Photo Club. Chanelle’s agent had requested that she have some ‘bikini shots’ and summer wear shots done to add to her portfolio/resume, so Joanne asked me if I would be interested in the opportunity. I dismissed the idea of doing an in studio shoot (a little too much like a catalogue shoot for me). I already had a beach shoot scheduled, so my suggestion that we do the shoot at the beach made sense. Typically we as people, associate swimwear images with beach.

Chanelle was fabulous to work with, very easygoing, great personality and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire shoot. It was fun from beginning to end, and with mom and dad shooting behind the scenes, we had an abundance of photos from the shoot. With summer just around the corner, the weather was glorious, blue skies and sunshine, and a few of us returned home with a little sunburn. Chanelles easygoing and relaxed attitude will stand her well in her career and it’s only a matter of time I think before we see her on bigger screens. I look forward to working with her again in the future

Heres some of my favourites from the shoot with Chanelle

Chanelle

Pro Image Hair Academy

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Chris

It seems almost ironic for me to be going into a hair salon on a regular basis during the year, especially since I’m pretty much bald. Well I do have the ‘friar tuck’ hairdo going on if I let it grow… I tend to shave it as I think it looks cleaner. Of course the hot summer weather doesn’t play nicely with bald heads….but that’s a story for another day. Its makes me smile inside when I walk in laden with camera equipment and lights…to have the young lady behind the counter cheerfully ask me if I have an appointment……

Located on Dunlop street, the Pro Image Hair Academy represents the leading edge in beauty technology and teaching, offering advanced techniques in all areas of the hair industry as well as esthetics and make up courses. Check them out at http://www.proimagehairacademy.com/index.htm

I really enjoy photo sessions at the academy because the people there are so much fun to work with. Students are working on hair and make up on some gorgeous models, with a theme they are given to work with and my ardous task? I get to photograph them. The photos are used in grading the students expertise and work level, which means I not only have to show the person at their best, I also must show the hair styling and make up at its best also.

heres some favourites from the recent session at the Pro Image Hair Academy

Imagery by Barrie Photographer O Driscoll Imaging

PIHA 2012

Katie

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Chris

Shaking off the doldrums of winter, its refreshing to get back outside for a season of summer shooting with models and many weddings on the horizon. Gloriously warm sunshine on the skin (don’t forget the sunscreen)… yes summer weather is on the way. Katie was in touch recently about shooting a concept based around the Giorgio Armani commercial for Aqua Di Gio (see it here)

I loved the idea and was excited to get out with the camera for this. Obviously here in Ontario, getting a tropical rainforest was going to be somewhat of an issue, so there was going to be a little compromise to be made…and after a little searching of locations…settled on beach 2 at Wasaga Beach.

The town of Wasaga Beach has the longest freshwater beach in the world, around 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) of white sandy beach on Nottawasaga Bay and is simply amazing to see. The sand is soft … in fact sandy dust poses a problem for photographers there so if you do happen to visit there to take photographs, its a good idea to keep that camera bag closed and a lens cap for those idle moments. The waterline is extremely shallow and you can go out quite a distance before the water depth begins to increase.

Katie and I got together for the first part of this series recently and we had a gorgeous day for our shoot. A mild breeze, moderately warm 17°c, blue skies and sunshine. Since it was an early start, her daughter Tanika came along also, and was an absolute angel, very patient with us. (Photoshoots can be boring when you sit on the sidelines)

Heres a look at a few favourites from the session…

Katie

Tanika

Getting back to Nature

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Chris

The Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre is located on 3,000 acres of wetlands, fen and forest in Midland, Ontario. The Centre includes an amphibian and reptile display hall, hiking, biking and skiing trails, canoeing and kayaking routes, an observation tower and boardwalks, birds of prey display, education classroom, event facilities, gift shop and naturalists on staff. Open all week from 9am to 5pm – ( 9am to 9pm July & August Thursdays), the Wye Marsh is an excellent place to get out and get close to nature every day.

Friends of the Wye Marsh Incorporated (FWM) has operated Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre since 1985, and is committed to connecting people with nature and promoting an understanding of the vital role wetlands play within the environment. Staff and volunteers are dedicated to conserving the Wye Marsh and the natural heritage of the Wye Valley while providing low impact educational, recreational and research opportunities to benefit present and future generations.

As a non-profit organization they depend on tourism, donations, education, fundraising, and an active group of volunteers to fulfill the stewardship commitments of the Wye Valley and to sustain the day to day operations of the Wye Marsh. Connecting with the community is very important to the Friends of Wye Marsh. Our aim is to continue a year-round fully integrated series of educational experiences to ensure people understand the significance of protecting the environment, and more specifically the Wye Valley.

I recently had the opportunity to spend a day there, camera in hand and had a fabulous day. The staff are extremely friendly, knowledgeable – oh…and patient like you wouldn’t believe… specially with a lens in front of them for a good part of the day when one wants to get ‘that perfect shot’. Theres nothing like stepping outside, being able to put a few sunflower seeds into the palm of your hand, and have seemingly unafraid chickadee’s swoop down and land… and eat right from the palm of your hand. This time of the year, the Canadian geese are in mating season…so as I hiked out, there was some rather loud protesting (at least that’s what I hope it was) as I hiked close-by the mating area.

Reaching the lookout tower was amazing… being able to see for miles around. The pond had the biggest tadpoles I had ever seen…bigger than my thumbs in fact. It was a little amusing to watch a few ducks… 3 males ‘fighting’ for the attention of a female…it made for some spectacular take off and landing water shots.
Wye Marsh…
website:
Facebook:
Heres a few favorites from my day there…

Mallard Ducks

European Eagle Owl

Canada Goose

Harris Hawk

Grass Reflection

Lanner Falcon

Marsh

View over Wye Marsh, Midland from the lookout tower (click to view larger size)

Jake

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Chris

As a photographer, I have the privilege of celebrating the special moment and relationships in people’s lives. Whether it is the birth of a new baby, the engagement of a couple getting ready to be married, or a moment in the life of a family, I am often given the honor of capturing these moments. It’s about capturing their spirit who they are and the relationship they share, and can even represent the celebration of an important time in their lives. Many ask ”When is the best time to have my children professionally photographed?” The simple answer is NOW! Your children will never be as young as they are today. Families are always growing and changing. Now is the time to preserve these memories forever. Technology continues to evolve, 10 years ago we had he floppy disc, today we see that as antiquated and use CD’s or DVD’s. While an ideal storage medium today, who knows what technology will bring in the next few years. Photographs are often how we remember those important moments. Prints hanging on your wall show favourite moments from your lives together, and are a perfect way to document your child’s growth.

Three year old Jake visited the studio recently for a photo session and what an inquisitive little guy he was. I’m pretty sure that by the time he left, he knew my studio just about as well as I do…its fun seeing the world again through young eyes, every corner turned is filled with wonder. Here’s some favourites from Jakes session…

Jake

Spencer is one year old

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Chris

It doesn’t even seem like it was over a year ago that I was photographing Jessie when she was expecting. I remembered having Jessie and Jay here in the studio for their maternity shoot and I was excited to shoot their son Spencers first birthday recently. Thanks to Michelle Heron (belly2bebe photography) for the loan of one of her amazing backgrounds. As I don’t get children into the studio too often to shoot, I don’t have backgrounds that are child orientated, and for Spencers birthday, I didn’t want to just have the plain solid colour background that I typically use. I was also ably assisted by Cameron Stamper, currently at Georgian College studying photography. Time just shot by at the birthday party and it was time to go home all too soon. I must admit it was quite a giggle having Spencer ‘smash’ his cake, and was equally amazed at how much of it he ate… maybe I’m just not around 1 year olds enough not to be surprised by that…

Heres a few favourites we shot that day…

Spencer

The beauty of art

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Chris

I remember at secondary school (in Ireland), taking art for my final two years of school. In Ireland, as opposed to Canada and the US (not sure about other countries), we have a state exam after the first three years of secondary education called the inter(mediate) cert. Its at this time we choose academic subjects (Math, English & Irish are pre requisite) to study for the final two years, for the next state exam called the Leaving Cert. These subjects are intended to prep us for the career choice we wanted to go into….for those going to University, subject related to a points system and then it came down to two grades in whatever subject pass( lower level) or honours (higher level). When I left school, my interest was in electronics, so essentially I needed math and science. I took art really to make up my subject numbers…to my surprise, I enjoyed that class over the two years. I will admit that my art teacher wasn’t too keen on my drawing castles all the time, despite her best efforts to get me drawing other subjects. However, I rank with Mr Bean when it comes to drawing people. Stick people looked better by comparison to my efforts. Regrettably, live subject drawing was part of the exam back then. I feel sorry for whomever had to evaluate my ‘attempt’ and be kind to me.

A few weeks ago, an artist named Amie Cotter got in touch with me. Amie is from Kent in the UK and is currently doing her doing A level in art in school (what I referred to earlier as higher level). Amie absolutely loves drawing and feels is the most beautiful way to express yourself. Amie had come across a photo I had shot last year with Orillia model Mandi Bowen. I remembered the photo well as it took several shots to get the placement of the various hands just right (for the visual concept I had in mind). Heres a quick reminder of that photo….

Mandi Bowen

Amie loved the concept and when she got in touch with me, asked permission to create a drawing of it. Over the past few weeks, Amie has kept me up to date with the ‘work in progress’ and I have to say I would love to have her artistic ability.Today I saw the finished version of the drawing and it just wowed me. I love it!!

I think Amie will do well in her chosen field

Mandi Bowen by Amie Cotter

HotBod

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Chris

Christy Toms by Barrie Photographer Christopher O Driscoll

A few weeks ago, I had Christy Toms from Barrie in the studio for a fitness shoot. Having met Christy on a previous shoot last year, Christy is now in amazing physical shape and I was excited to work with her.

Christy is an outgoing, motivational and high energy individual that will push you to the limits when working to get that body shape you desire. I think over the winter months (albeit not much of a winter this year) we indulge a little more in the comfort food and come spring, we want to shed those pounds and be in great shape by the time summer comes around.

Christy grew up playing many different physical sports, in which softball was her favourite. She previously played very highly competitive softball through the Provincial Women`s Softball Association, where training to be in shape was highly important for performance. After these years, She became very involved in fitness as well as staying active and staying healthy.

Over the years, She has learned a lot about fitness which led her to decide to obtain her Personal Trainer Specialist Certification. In this way Christy says she can pass on her knowledge and assist others with their fitness goals. This has culminated in Christy launching HotBod

So if you are ready to make a positive change and transform your body into that HotBod you’ve always wanted., with HotBod Bootcamp, you can be in the best shape of your life. HotBod is a fitness boot camp geared towards reaching your personal goals and making you faster, stronger, fitter and sexier. All classes (limited number of people per class) are designed to provide you with an intense workout that will get you noticing that HotBod in 6 weeks!! MEN AND WOMEN BOTH WELCOME!

Want more information? Visit Christy online at http://www.hotbodbootcamp.ca or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/HotBod-Bootcamp/

Classes begin on May 7th so don’t delay, grab your spot now and maybe we’ll see you there

Christy Toms

Tabatha

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Chris

Last weekend, Tabatha joined us here at the studio for a long awaited shoot. Since we were celebrating St. Patricks day here (for those of you that don’t know, I’m Irish), we decided to shoot a St. Paddies day theme – its easy…lots of green and a little gold goes a long ways. To make it even better, Tabatha is a red head, traditionally the hair colour of the Irish Cailín (Irish: girl)

Saint Patrick’s Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, “the Day of the Festival of Patrick”) is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. Today, St. Patrick’s Day is probably the most widely celebrated saint’s day in the world. Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick’s day grew.

We had a blast on our shoot with Tabatha and look forward to seeing her come back again for a future shoot. Here’s some favourites from the photo session

Tabatha

Cassie

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Chris

As photographers, we often place much emphasis on technique, the ‘right’ equipment for the session we’re about to do. Many a conversation between fellow photographers revolve around that topic…but sometimes we forget to think about a photo session from the perspective of our model, our client. Its important for us to remember that, for our subjects, being in front of the camera can be intimidating. While it is true that people who are confident in themselves and with their body have an easier time in front of the lens, It is nevertheless a good idea to maintain an awareness and sensitivity where the subject is concerned.

Last weekend, Cassie joined us here in the studio for a creative session, which was also her first photo session. Understandably nervous, the team here, Jessica Hart (mua) and Jessica Jungbluth (hairstylist) wasn’t long putting her at ease and we were soon rocking out some amazing images. Heres a quick look at some of what we captured that day….

Cassie