Chic:

I have to admit I was more nervous than usual to arrive at Irene’s door the day of her wedding.  Just the Wednesday before she had been a student in our Photophilia Workshop and after taking our class, I’m sure her expectations of us would be that much higher for what we could do on her wedding.  Within 5 minutes of being in her presence I knew it was going to be a wonderful day.  :o)

When I reflect on our time with Irene & Victor, the biggest thing that comes to mind is how much we laughed, both with them and their friends and family.  Laughter carries joy, healing, love, friendship, freedom and it is obvious that this is shared between Irene & Victor and their circle.

Dave’s Geek image above was shot at the new SAIT parking garage.  We heard about it from our good friend and master architect Kelvin Lim (limarchitecture.com).  Seriously, this is one parking garage that is worth checking out.    The wall is made from cut out circles of metal each one angled slightly differently to give you the gorgeous image of clouds in the sky.  Pure architectural genius captured by pure photography genius (yeah, that’s my guy I’m talking about and yeah, I’m totally biased).

I love my Chic image because of the great shadows and repetition in the glass.  It’s one of those shots you just can’t plan and jump for joy once you see it in the final take.

Irene & Victor, I couldn’t imagine having a better day with the both of you.  You totally lived in the moment and meaning of your day together and that is what creates spectacular images…. which we have many more of coming your way. )  We are honored to call you friends and look forward to making more wonderful memories with you!

]]> http://blog.dqstudios.com/irene-victors-wedding-geek-chic-sneak-peek/feed/ 0 http://blog.dqstudios.com/adventures-in-montreal-with-pauline-todd/ http://blog.dqstudios.com/adventures-in-montreal-with-pauline-todd/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:43:34 +0000 Quin http://blog.dqstudios.com/?p=1657

We had the privilege of shooting a destination engagement session for Pauline & Todd in Montreal.  Pauline is like a really old daughter, or perhaps better said, a much younger sister to me.  She’s got a heart that loves so deeply and utterly that it’s easy to be overwhelmed by her love at times, and that is what makes you love her all the more.  Pauline and Todd have spent time ministering to the poor in Africa and their desire to go back is what brought them to Montreal to learn to speak French and equip themselves to better serve those in need.  Todd is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge – useless or useful may sometimes be debated, lol.  Together they are an incredible couple and I consider any person who’s spent quality time with them, blessed.  Especially me.

Upon arrival in Montreal, one of the first things you notice is the bikes that you can rent anywhere along the street, and return at any designated bike rack.  Pauline needed no convincing, even in her pretty, flirty dress that girl was all game to ride!

This hands shot above is probably one of my fave engagement images of all time!

Stellar image above shot by the young dragonball Logan.

Another of our faves by super-assistant Logan.

Thanks for making our time in Montreal so memorable Pauline & Todd!  We love you!

Was really excited to receive a prototype of a new strobe light modifier in the mail. It came in a small package as slick as the name and logo suggest.

The Aurora Firefly Beautybox is part octabox and part beauty dish.

What makes the Firefly noteworthy?  Several innovative features including a novel quick umbrella setup and very-cool foldable brace.

Quick setup, compact and well thought-out.  Remember it’s a pre-production model, but man it looks promising.  Click on this link for a quick video first-look at how the Firefly impresses.

What’s your take?

Chic:

Over the last number of years Dave and I’ve had the honor of photographing the weddings of a circle of friends in Seattle.  Throughout the numerous times we’ve travelled to Seattle we’ve fallen more and more in love with this place.  Part of the reason is because we always fall in love with our Seattle clients which makes our memories of a place that much sweeter.  This time was no exception.

Jocelyn & Mike are people full joy and confidence that’s not just on the surface for people to see, but emerges in a deep, spiritual way.  When we first met them, we knew immediately we were a perfect fit.  Jocelyn & Mike love to laugh.  We love to make people laugh.  Jocelyn & Mike are foodies.  We love to eat.  Jocelyn & Mike are rock solid for Jesus.  We love livin’ for Jesus too.

Dave’s Geek image above is the precious moment that Mike saw Jocelyn for the first time.  It’s one of those images that I’ll be forever jealous for not taking myself.  I LOVE their expressions of such joy and happiness.   Mix that with off camera flash and unique reflections and you’ve got this frame of pure Wonderful.

My Chic image was my attempt to capture the hustle-bustle of Pike’s Place without taking away from the glamour of the day.  This is an image that will take you a while to sift through, but that’s what I love about it.  Soak it up.  :o)

Jos & Mike, we thoroughly enjoyed every moment of celebrating your day with you!  Yours is a marriage that will be forever and we can’t wait to see where you will go together, for His glory.  Stay tuned because there is so much more coming!

So much more from Rowena & Brent’s wedding to share.  I loved the colors, the mood, the joy.  I especially loved it when Rowena & Brent sang their vows to each other.  I loved the cupcake decorating competition.  I loved the open-air dance party that rocked under the trees at the end of the night.  I hope you enjoy the images as much as we enjoyed creating them!

“THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR A GRRRRREAT EVENING!!!

It’s amazing how connected we feel to you guys and every time we are around you, we always walk away even more in love with each other and for that we thank you. We are a new couple and each day we discover something new about our relationship, but around you guys we grow even more powerfully (especially in our communication). We came to learn how to use our camera and we walked away learning how to work together and for us… well that was wonderful!

Thanks for continuing to inspire us not only in an art form but as a power couple!”

A few months back we met Rockie Lee for a one-on-one Omakase Workshop focusing on of camera lighting and posing, and he blew us away by emerging from our time together with the following image:

It’s stuff like this that keeps us inspired to push further and higher, not just in pursuit of creating pretty pictures, but in hope of something bigger than ourselves. Perhaps it’s helping a photographer reach their next level, or maybe it’s encouraging a couple to love deeper today than yesterday. Whatever it is, I feel incredible blessed that I can call this my “job” and hope that we can continue to find creative ways of spreading the love.

Anyways, let’s see more pics from this shoot! It was a rainy day so we got a few minutes of permission to shoot in the Richmond Olympic Oval and ended up creating art in the parking garage. Who says you meed pretty locations for great imagery? )

Ceremony . St. David’s United Church

Reception . Triwood Community Hall

Shoot Location . Inglewood Calgary

Shoes . Zappos, RSVP

Hair . Jackie Johnson

Makeup . Steve at Pur Hair Salon

]]> http://blog.dqstudios.com/paula-jasons-wedding-teaser/feed/ 2 http://blog.dqstudios.com/quikeys-update-release-cs5-and-lr3-support-for-mac-users/ http://blog.dqstudios.com/quikeys-update-release-cs5-and-lr3-support-for-mac-users/#comments Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:13:23 +0000 Dave http://blog.dqstudios.com/?p=1487

We’re proud to officially release support for both Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3 for all QuiKeys Mac users!

What’s new?

Photoshop CS5:

New improved QuiKeys Heal tool takes advantage of  Content Aware goodness.  No need to sample a point: just scribble out unwanted blemishes and distractions saving even MORE time!

Lightroom 3:

+ Speed increase.  We’ve tweaked the programming to make QuiKeys faster than ever when used with LR3.  More speed = Better

+ New Local Presets Management.  New Local Preset implementation allows you to call up custom brushes and gradients of your choice!

Best Part: it’s a FREE upgrade for all QuiKeys Photoshop or Lightroom plug-in owners.

How do I get it? Email dave (at) quikeys.com with details of which version of Photoshop and Lightroom you’re running and I’ll set you up.

What about PC users?  We’re on the job and working on solutions for you as well   Stay tuned for more great news this summer …..

Geek:

The last couple of weeks have had us on the road trippin’ from Penticton, to Vancouver to Seattle, both shooting and being shot, and best of all hanging with wonderful friends and family.

Rowena & Brent’s wedding in Penticton was the perfect way to kick off our travels.  They chose the beautiful Ponderosa Point Resort as “home” for their friends and family to celebrate with them.   It was the perfect venue for this couple because the words that describe the location also perfectly describe Rowena and Brent:  raw, beauty, serene, natural, warm, organic, free.  How awesome is it that Rowena did not once step into a pair of wedding shoes and spent her entire wedding day barefoot?  Even down the aisle, and yes, even climbing up those rocks!  Born in South Africa, she not only stays true to her roots, but also to her heart.  Rowena LOVES kids.  I mean, she totally comes alive when she’s around little ones.  I love that she made her wedding day a party for the kids, even inviting our own little Cheungitos to take part in the cupcake decorating competition, and gave away prizes and treats to all that were lucky to be young enough.

I have to talk about Brent separately because it is so rare that I see a man look at his wife the way I see him look at Rowena.  When Brent looks at Rowena, his whole face, body and self softens and his eyes are filled with a different light.  It’s like there’s nothing else in the world that matters to him, all in one fleeting moment.  I wish I had a greater arsenal of eloquent words to describe it.  I’m simply left feeling honored to have been witness to such a love.

Rowena & Brent, we had such a blast celebrating with you on the lake.  Thank you for the awesome memories and good times!  Stay tuned for more coming soon!!!

Chic:

Remember that song “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes”?  Well, Paula did Paul Simon proud when she bought her hot pink wedding shoes, complete with a diamond studded “I Do” in the soles.  Shoe lovers will have to check back for pics of Paula’s shoes, you won’t want to miss seeing these!

I have so many favorite moments from Paula & Jason’s day.  I loved how Paula’s sister’s speech made her laugh and cry all at the same time.  I loved how Paula’s dad danced their father-daughter dance with such joy and abandonment until tears streamed down his face and he didn’t even bother to wipe them away.  I loved how Jason could totally razz his buddies, and take it all back in stride.  You can tell his heart is very, very big.  And this is just the beginning of getting to know these two.

I can’t wait to share the images that show you what I’m talking about.

We loved our day with you Paula & Jason!  Have a blast in Turks and Caicos!!!