JAMES HODGINS PHOTOGRAPHY

Later this summer Vanja & Anthony will become husband & wife but today they were just as happy being engaged for their engagement session with us.  Now we hear this a lot…….”We don’t really photograph that well” and it always makes Joce and I laugh.  Let’s be honest, how many of you have gone and had Professional Portraits done before?  As a couple?  Not to many I am sure.  Most of your couple pics would be from family snapshots on special occasions or friends snapshot while partying.   In the end however our couples quickly realize that they DO photograph amazingly.   Especially when it’s with someone you love.  When your in love, you are always at your best, and the camera captures it exactly how we see it.  Thanks again you two, it was  great time with an amazing location.  Looking forward to posting more.

Halfway through the session Anthony mentions that he has his guitar, and it really means a lot to him and is a big part of his life.  Vanja has a good laugh while I roll my eyes and say “you tell me this NOW?  Why not say something before, OF COURSE we will do images with the guitar!!”  hahaha.  And of course we did.

While I was on my commercial shoot today a bunch of us where going through my phone looking at the various images I have uploaded to it.  We had a good laugh over my “Mining Maniac” image that I believe I took somewhere in Utah (It was somewhere in the States) years ago.    I remember finishing the actual image we needed for the project and while taking a break I asked “Miner Moe” to make a crazy face like he was playing an Xbox, because the controls he was using was controlling some heavy equipment, it reminded me of a video game.  Anyways, I think that was the birth of my first Hodgy Humor image.

We just finished documenting Lesley & Savario’s wedding today.  Boy was it a hot one, but I am not complaining since it was supposed to be rain with thunderstorms today.  Joce and I had a great time with everyone, Lesley & Sav were so laid back that the day went smooth & steady.  Sav’s smile didn’t leave his face all day, and it was even bigger right after the ceremony when he said I do.  Normally I post an image of the bride and groom on location some where, but I just loved how the series of images I captured as they were walking out of the church.  The lighting was perfect, and I chose to capture this in B&W to focus on the couple and less on the colored backgrounds of the guests.

Thanks again Lesley & Sav, it was a pleasure to be a part of your special day.  We will have to compare fish stories when you get back from your honeymoon.

What a fabulous day it was today.  Not only did we get to document another amazing Sudbury Wedding, but we also got the chance to hang out with some great friends at the same time.  I have known Mark since high school, we fished together, hung out at the clubs (way back in the day) and we pretty well hang around the same crowd.  Today he married his beautiful wife Sheri at her parents property on Long Lake.  Well, it’s no hidden secret that Mark like’s to fish, any time, anywhere, any chance he can get.    Even today I played a little joke on him telling him I won a free trip to Alwaki Lake lodge for 3 people all inclusive fishing trip, but we had to leave tomorrow (knowing full well he had an after wedding brunch at his in-laws).  Well you could see the wheels turning in his head, I knew what he was thinking, the same thing I would have tried to figure out.  “how can I get out of brunch.”  We had a good laugh about it.

After visiting Sheri’s place in the morning we quickly learned that there were LOADS of opportunities for wedding photos.  She had it all, sheds, fields, wooden bridges, huge tree’s you name it, this property had it.  So why rush back into the city when we had our little paradise here?  Bridge?  If there is a bridge, then there must be a creek?  If there is a creek, is there fish? LOL.  Anyways, to make a long blog short, we all thought it would be funny to have an image of Mark fishing on his wedding day.  So we put a Hodgy Humor spin on it and came up with this.  I love it when we have loads of time to get creative.

Thanks again everyone for a truly wonderful wedding.  Family, bridal party, heck even the weather was perfect.  We had a blast as usual.

down memory lane that is.  Recently we had one of my previous brides come in and order more images from their wedding.  I photographed Jason & Sylvie Tripp back in 2005 where we did all the formal images before the ceremony.  Back then the Bell Mansion was a beautiful place to photograph weddings and they were pretty well booked every weekend.  I remember there being 6 photographers with wedding parties on the grounds photographing and we would all rotate around mansion picking our spots.  I went through the whole wedding again and remembered the day all over.  I thought I would snag a few images and post them here to share with you.  Enjoy.

Friday Joce and I attended the Lasalle Secondary School Prom event to create photos of the students.  We had a blast and were really impressed with how organized this event was.  I photographed for 3 hours while Joce previewed the images with the students and recorded orders.  We LOVE photographing events like this as everyone is excited, full of smiles, and dressed to the nines.  The girls dresses were STUNNING (some of them perfect for a “Trash The Prom Dress Session” and most of the guys color coordinated their outfits with their dates.

We kept the posing and lighting very simple with a just a couple of poses to choose from with a slight variation in cropping.  I used a 3 light setup (one softbox for main light, background light with grid and a stripdome softbox up and behind the backdrop for a hairlight.  Thanks again  Lasalle for allowing us create some amazing images of you at your prom.  We look forward to your future events.

We have taken all the thinking out of this one.  It’s a no brainer for those of you who struggle with getting that perfect fathers day present for your hubby or boyfriend.  It really couldn’t get any simpler than this.  Not only will Dad get an amazing present this year that will always be close to his heart, but moms………this is for YOU as well.  Dad can have the panel and you can get all the other prints to show off to your family and friends.  Hey, keep a few, wrap them up and give them to Grandma & Grandpa for their Grandparents Day (I am sure there is a day for this).

I know some of you struggle to pick out that fathers day gift.   I have seen the gifts that some of my friends get and well.  They suck.   Not all, but most of them do.  You probably never knew that they felt this way, like the dads would really tell you the truth.  “Hey hon, thanks for the fathers day present, but to tell you the truth,  I really didn’t need a new hose!”

We have just a few slots left as the initial response to this event has been amazing.  Call now and reserve your slot.  Surprise Dad with the ultimate gift.  Fathers Favorites will be over before you know it but the “thought that counts” can last for a long long time.

THE FATHERS FAVORITES EVENT PAGE

I am working on a canvas wall sample for my home and I thought I would share with you the thought process and the before/after of the finished product.  I get emails and phone calls ALL the time asking me how I workflow my images or how do I get my colors in my  photo’s to pop.  Anyone can pick up a camera and take a great picture, digital has opened the door for a whole new bread of photographers.  I still get surprised though when “photographers” ask me about the 2 most important elements in creating a great photo.  Exposure & White Balance.  If you master these two elements, then you have won 90% of the battle.  Fortunately for those of you that don’t have it mastered yet, there are numerous plugins, and color overlays that you can apply to your image to make it look like you “ment to do that”.  Anyways, back on track.   With the below image I took in Belize I already had the finished image in mind.  I knew that I wanted a long panorama canvas print (around 40 inches) for my wall.  The way the clouds were formed in the sky, the broken down dock with it’s leading lines into the shack.  All I needed was good composition, good white balance and a perfect exposure with my trusted P&S Canon G11

Like my presentation in Chicago on Elements of a Competition Print I want to focus your attention on the subject matter which is the dock and the shack.  Darkening down the sky and foreground  will bring your focus to the shack using the leading lines of the dock. All the elemnts were present in my original image, I just used some quick workflow to enhance them.  The key to a great digital image is to not “fix your image in photoshop” but to “enhance what is already there.”

MAYBE, I should focus 4 feet in front of me.  I am in Edmonton on our NoBs Tour and Rob is speaking at the moment.  I am sitting here………my face hurts………..and my knee hurts even more (painfull to walk), but I am a tough cookie, and I will present in 2hrs like nothing happened.    I WISH I had video of this as it is freakin funny, but this one will have to do and if you use your imagination you can picture it actually happening.

Here is some more Hodgy Humour for ya. Monday morning when Rob and I were driving to T.O we stopped at the Petro/Starbucks in Parry Sound.  As Rob was pumping gas and I was reading he opens the door and says “Hey, there’s Bill!”.  I like up and sure enough Bill the Dj was just getting into his car.  I JUMPED out of the car and sprinted towards the car (sneakily).  Just as Bill was about to close the car door, I push it open yelling “GET THE $%&(@#%* OUT OF THE CAR!” with my imaginary “hand” gun.  Well Bill FLIPPED OUT………………because it wasn’t Bill.  I turn to see Rob peeing himself laughing.

Then, at about 3:30 am today I get up to use the bathroom.  Just as I was about to walk in Abbas was walking out (in his underroos).  I scream like a girl and say “Crap Abbas, you scared the bejesus out of me” and I look away (cuz he’s in his underroos) waiting for him to go by.  But he doesnt.  And I am getting uncomfortable.  Until I realize that it is my reflection in the bathroom door mirror. DUHHHHH!

That’s it for the moment.  Now I need to get heavily medicated.

H

P.S  Did you notice the big red goose-egg on the top part of my for-head?  Watch the video again.

Well the weather is getting warmer, the ice is coming off the lakes and the yellow grass will soon be turning green.  Along with the mosquitoes and blackflies it’s also the starting of our outdoor family portrait sessions.  Joce and I LOVE creating beautiful family portraits, especially on location where we can all feel relaxed, comfortable and enjoy some summer fresh air.  Personally, and this is my opinion, but I think EVERY family should have up to date family portraits on the walls in their homes, offices, and cottages (anyplace where people can enjoy the image).

Your kids may be leaving for College or University, heck they might already be gone and the only family photo on the wall was from 1982.  Next time the whole family is back home together book a family portrait session so you can have these images to enjoy in between the visits.  A family portrait can mean more to the people involved than you probably realize.  It might not be today, tomorrow, or even next week, but when they get older,  looking back at that family portrait will bring back all the memories they had at that time of their life, and yours too.