I always like to take my birthday off to do whatever I want to do that day. This morning I went out to Victoria Park with the D300s and the 50mm 1.8 lens. We got a lot of snow yesterday, so I thought it might be a good time to see some fresh, clean snow in the park.
Ryan and I have started planning some vacation time for 2010, which put me in the mood to look through some of last year’s vacation photos.
Over the next few posts I will highlight some of our vacation moments of 2009.
First of the year was our May trip to Ottawa, ON and Alexandria Bay, NY.
Ryan and I arrived in Ottawa for Victoria Day Weekend (May 2-4) when the Canadian Tulip Festival is in full bloom. This festival is the largest of it’s kind in the world. With three million tulips blooming, it’s quite the spectacular site to see.
After a great weekend in Ottawa, we headed south to visit my parents for a day. We ended up having to stay a bit later than planned due to some car trouble, but were on our way to our next destination of the Thousand Islands by late afternoon (we were planning on leaving in the morning).
We stayed a night in Gananoque before our trip across the border to Alexandria Bay.
Our stay in Alex Bay was great! We stayed at Captain Thomson’s Resort and had a fantastic view from our balcony. We spent our evenings sitting and enjoying the clear skies and view of Boldt Castle on Heart Island beautifully lit up and spent our days both touring Heart Island and also enjoying the weather on patios.
The view from our private balcony at Captain Thomson’s: 
Boldt Castle:
After leaving the Thousand Islands, we were on our way back to Ottawa for Race Weekend! I was to be running the half marathon, so I wanted to be there a bit early to get prepared.
We checked out the 10K race and saw some amazing elites competing for the top spot on the Saturday evening. Ryan shot some photos that evening in preparation for the next day’s Marathon & Half Marathon.
On Sunday, My nephew and niece ran in the Kids Marathon and about an hour later it was my turn to start in the half marathon. It was a warmer day than usual with bright sun and very little shade. It was a great course. I definitely enjoyed the day.
Here’s a shot of my niece wearing all 3 completion medals (mine, hers and her brother’s).
Below is the first photo with the portions that were changed marked.
- The curtains were changed from patterned to solid
- The shadows were removed
- Glare was cleaned up on Ryan’s glasses
- Ryan’s mouth was replaced with his mouth from another photo
As some people said, the crop was a bit different from one photo to the other and also the exposure was increased on the people in the back.
Thank for playing!
This photo is one that was taken of my family at Christmas just with the camera on self-timer on a tripod. For a quick family portrait before dinner, it turned out well, but a few (fairly) quick fixes were made before printing it in 8x10 for my family.
Look closely at the following two versions of the same photo. Can you spot the differences?
Leave a comment with the differences that you can see. I’ll post the changes that I made in a new post this coming week.
2009 was an exciting year for Ryan and I. We’ve both been avid amateur photographers for a long time, but this was the year that we officially started our photography business.
Shoot the Thrill Photography came into existence early in 2009 and we are happy to say that it is steadily growing stronger. We’ve had the pleasure to shoot several family portraits, 2 equestrian shows, a number of road races, and a wedding.
Of course, we didn’t strictly photograph for business, we took some fun photo excursions as well (ie. Toronto Zoo, African Lion Safari)
I am looking forward to everything that 2010 will bring, especially the weddings and portrait sessions that are already booked. I get excited every time I receive an inquiry or talk to someone about photography. I absolutely love taking photos and I know that Ryan does as well.
And what would a photography year in review be without photos?
The following are some of my favourites of photos I’ve taken in 2009.
Last night and again this morning, Ryan and I had the opportunity to witness the Olympic Flame for the first time in 22 years.
The last time we saw it in person was during the 1988 Calgary Olympic Torch Relay. I was out in Eastern Ontario (where I grew up) and Ryan was in Cambridge. We spotted a couple of 1988 torch bearers at last night’s festivities.
We first spotted the torch on its way down Duke Street, again over on King and then went to the event at City Hall where there were musical performances celebrating the temporary home of the flame for the night.
This morning, we got up early to see the torch off with the sights and sounds of Aboriginal drums, singing, and dancing.
The torch was then lit again and it took off out of town. I ran alongside of it for 1km, taking in the experience.
It was a great sight to see and I’m happy that I was able to see this wonderful symbol not once, but twice. Hopefully, it will come around again in my lifetime.
This past Thursday evening was the opening ceremonies of the 13th annual Christkindl Market at Kitchener City Hall. The festival lasts 4 days and is running until this Sunday (tomorrow) at 5pm.
Ryan and I have made an annual tradition of going to the opening ceremonies, which begins with a candle-lit processional from Victoria Park to City Hall with the Grand Philharmonic Choir. After the choir sings, the narration is read, and the tree is lit, we explore the German Christmas festival. Vendors sell crafts, food, toys and more in the indoor market, while outdoor vendors supply the festive crowds with meats, cheeses, waffles, and even some spirits.
Although there was no snow, the festive cheer was abundant.
Frohe Weihnachten!
