While it’s always sad to see the Summer come to an end, who doesn’t love the Fall? Can you think of a better way to spend a sunny Saturday morning in October than putting on a warm cozy sweater and a pair of Wellies, stopping by Starbucks to grab a Pumpkin Spice Latte, then taking a walk through the park among the colourful leaves? Unless this sunny Saturday morning in October happens to be your wedding day of course. If that's the case, you’d probably prefer to spend it walking down the aisle in a beautiful gown, saying I Do, then celebrating your marriage with family and friends.
More and more couples are choosing to get married in the Fall, taking advantage of the beautiful outdoor scenery this time of year has to offer. Browns, oranges, golds, yellows, reds - all popular colours for a Fall wedding. Here’s a little inspiration to put you in the mood.
Picasa 3.5 is not your parents photo album, it now has name tags (which performs more like facial recognition), you can perform geo-tagging with Google Maps, they have an improved import room, and much, much more.
As if facial detection/recognition wasn't enough, after you've tagged an image with a name it will search your Google contacts and match the two together.
When a soldier returns home from Iraq or Afghanistan they pass through an airport in the small town of Bangor Maine.
It will be the first American soil their feet will have touched after having been away for too long.
And the chances are really good that the first faces they see... the first hands they will shake will be those of the Maine Troop Greeters.
The Maine Troop Greeters are men and women committed to welcoming every soldier returning home from war and to give a proper send off to every single man and woman heading overseas.
They offer a warm handshake, provide a free cell phone so they can call loved ones, a snack to keep them going, and hug to let them know we care.
Since they started greeting flights in May of 2003, the Maine Troop Greeters have welcomed over 3900 flights, more than 800,000 service men and women, and 172 military dogs.
Check the schedule to see if there is a screening in your area, if there is, please don't miss it.
Stories like this move me, deeply.
But I am embarrassed to admit that there is this small place within me that's just a little bit envious.
During the "Vietnam Era" we were warned not to travel in uniform, especially when passing through airports, because it was not uncommon to be heckled, or worse, spat on. Seriously.
Some forty plus years later there are those still waiting for their welcome home.
If you’re a subscriber and the video did not get “pushed” to your email, be sure to come back to the blog to see the trailer for "The Way We Get By".
Each year thousands of Canadians are touched by breast cancer. It not only impacts individuals living with the disease, but their families, friends and loved ones as well. October is a month to build awareness and pay tribute to those affected by it.
Looking for ways to join the fight for a cure in the Ottawa area? Here are two events that shouldn't be missed.
Marry Me Productions is playing host to Something White for Something Right at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel on Saturday November 7th 2009. Not only is this a great excuse to wear your wedding dress again (or anything white after labour day for that matter) but all proceeds are benefiting The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. This event is only a few tickets away from a sell out! So... what are you waiting for?
While I was waiting for my new R-Strap to arrive I was wondering what to expect, though to be honest, I wasn't holding out much hope because I've had more than my share of bad relationships with camera straps. In fact I will soon be opening the worlds first "bad camera strap" museum.
I have spent so much time (and too much money) looking for a good comfortable camera strap. I have them straight and contoured, I have them cushioned with soft foam and bubble air pockets, and regardless of the strap I used it was a pain in the... well, the neck.
If you have ever had a camera strap around your neck (and if you're reading this blog, you have) you know exactly what I am talking about.
As if the camera isn't heavy enough, add glass, and the faster the glass the heavier it is.
So if you are shooting with a heavy camera and a fast lens you have a bunch of problems, you have a weight pulling down on the back of your neck and pulling you forward at the same time, and if that isn't enough, your camera is tipping forward and down, let's add a flash to this scenario and things really get worse.
As you move the camera is swaying (and you're trying to prevent it from banging into things), and you feel like you are being swung around by a rope attached to your neck.
If you shoot with two cameras you have all these problems plus you have to keep the straps from sliding off either shoulder and your gear hitting the ground.
Getting a taste for how miserable the traditional camera strap has made my life? I am sure this mirrors many of your own experiences as well.
It was with a little hope and much trepidation that I opened the box from BlackRapid the day it arrived.
I took it out and was immediately impressed with the quality of workmanship, but brought myself back to reality with "quality does not necessarily equal comfort".
So I grabbed a camera, attached and adjusted everything and just stood there.
It was comfortable. I bounced up and down a little. Still comfortable. I wasn't be pulled in any direction, I still had proper balance, my neck didn't hurt, my camera was in perfect position to grab and bring to eye level.
So far so good.
But I was standing still, what if I threw more movement into the equation?
I moved, I walked, I bent over, I squatted, I moved as if I were really shooting and the R-Strap was still comfortable, still holding my camera where it needed to be.
It was then I realized I was falling in love.
;)
Then my teenage daughters started arriving home from school and as they walked through the door I would accost them with the details of my new R-Strap, they politely nodded and walked by, surely thinking to themselves "my gosh man, could you be more boring".
Two weddings and many portrait sessions later nothing has changed, this is the camera strap I have been waiting for.
I shoot with two cameras and rumor is there will soon be a new 2 camera R-Strap.
Can life get any better!
The slogan for the R-Strap is "The Worlds Fastest Camera Strap", if I had my way it would be "The Worlds Best Camera Strap".
