National geographic photographer Joel Sartore...

"At Close Range with National Geographic" follows the exploits of photographer Joel Sartore.

This originally ran a couple years back and is now being shown again and if you want to see some stunning imagery, peak behind the scenes of National Geographic photography assignments, and meet a truly interesting man, you really should watch this.

At the very least it will make you want to travel to (and photograph) Nebraska. Seeing "Nebraska's Big Rodeo" has been added to my list of things to do before I die.

After watching the show I visited Joel's website, the fact that he is an outstanding photographer was reinforced and but the best part was learning more about him as a person.

You can read his essay on his wife Kathy's battle with cancer and how it changed his life, Joel's insightful words will make sit back and take pause.

"Now, forgive me for saying this, but cancer can also be a blessing. An amazing experience that forces us to make amends, to set things right, to concentrate on living. To pay attention.

Cancer made me a better father. My work had made me a stranger to my three kids. They got along just fine without me. I was so bad that I once tried to get Kathy’s midwife to induce labor to get me back out on the road the next day.

But now we’re both changed, for good."

You can read the rest here.

Ordering his book "Photographing Your Family" will help me keep one of my New Years resolutions.

Day 3 with Joe McNally - repeating flash...

Here is day 3 with Joe.

Now I understand that most people don't have the number of flash units Joe uses in the shoot (when I saw the table with all 14 laid out I got tingly all over!), but it is cool to see the thought process and work that goes into a shoot like this.

See you on Wednesday when I will be reviewing our product of the year.

2010 COLOUR OF THE YEAR

Pantone, the global authority on colour and provider of professional colour standards for the design industries, recently announced that Turquoise is the colour of the year for 2010. Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise is a colour that most people respond to positively. It's universally flattering and appealing to men and women alike.

With both warm and cool undertones, Turquoise pairs nicely with all colours in the spectrum. It adds a splash of excitement to neutrals and browns, compliments reds and pinks, creates a classic look with deep blues and livens up all other greens. Turquoise is especially trend setting with yellow-greens.

For brides wanting to incorporate it in their wedding, Turquoise can either make a statement that is elegant and dressy or casual and fun. Because of its versatility, it's a great accent colour for decor as well as jewelry, purses, shoes, hair accessories and even nail polish for women and ties and shirts for men.

THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER GREAT YEAR!

As 2009 comes to a close, Viva la wedding would like to take a moment to thank all the wonderful people we’ve had the pleasure to work with throughout the year.

We are so grateful and feel privileged to have had the opportunity to coordinate so many fabulous weddings and bond with such great couples and their families over the past twelve months. Thank you for having chosen Viva la wedding and allowing us to be a part of your special day. We wish you all a happy and healthy future.

Of course these weddings would never have been possible without the hard work of the many outstanding vendors we are fortunate to have access to in the Ottawa area. Thank you for your talent, professionalism and willingness to go above and beyond to make our couples happy. Viva la wedding is looking forward to working with you all again in 2010.

Photo Credits: Two Tone Studios

Joe McNally - part 2 of "Controlling color"...

Today is part two of "Controlling color" from Joe McNally.

3 days, 3 videos from Joe McNally...

For the next three days I will be posting lighting videos Joe McNally did for Nikon School.

Yes Joe shoots with Nikon but please don't let dissuade you from watching, because it doesn't matter if you use Nikon, Canon, or candle light, light is light and when Joe takes the time to show us something it is not a Nikon moment, it's a learning moment.

Today is part one of "Controlling color".

See you tomorrow for part 2.

We wish you a Merry Christmas...

A vey Merry Christmas from my family to yours.

It is our sincere hope that you are surrounded by those most important in your life and that you feel truly loved.