Yearly Archives: 2010

In the Studio: Faris!

Faris playing with the seamless by Ottawa Wedding Photographer, Christian Lee

I finally found some time last week to complete my makeshift studio space in the basement at home, and I was thrilled to have my first model on the weekend – Faris!  Faris hasn’t had the easiest first 8 months of his life, he was born with a condition called Craneosynostosis, which basically means that the plates in the skull are forming unevenly, and on top of the cosmetic asymmetry, it causes other complications like double vision.  Faris is going to be admitted to Sick Kids hospital in Toronto for corrective surgery after the holidays, and since the surgery will produce a dramatic change in Faris’ appearance, Allison & Ramzi (Mom & Dad) wanted to have some photos done before the surgery.

I don’t think any of this bothered him at all, because he was in great spirits all afternoon while I blinded him with the lights in the studio, and Mom & Dad  kept-up a constant barrage of whoops, whistles, songs, and rattling toys – to keep him in the game.  It was a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to having him back for a “post-op photo-op” in the New Year, after his speedy recovery!

P.S. The doctors at Sick Kids are even planning the way they do their incisions, so they won’t affect the part in Faris’ hair when he’s swimming.  Crazy!

Carleton Grill at the Sheraton Hotel, Ottawa

I was delighted to be asked to do the food shots for the Carleton Grill at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Ottawa.  I have done work for Patrick, the restaurant’s new food/beverage Manager, a few months ago in his old role at Graffiti’s Restaurant in Kanata.  He is one of the most involved restaurant managers I have worked with, and he has been very helpful and accommodating when setting up on-location shoots.  We shot a good number of their popular menu items for their upcoming website redesign by SiteBenefits, and also grabbed some photos of their stunning signature buffet – it’s huge with the downtown lunch crowd, and I can see why.

I was expecting Patrick to be as involved in this shoot as he was at Graffitis, so I decided he would be a great candidate to test some of my new technology.  I’ve enabled my iPad to be a wireless proofing device.  As I’m shooting, a small JPG version of my photos are being wirelessly transmitted in realtime to the iPad.  What this means is that my clients can be totally involved in the process and see exactly what I’m seeing, and be able to provide direction & feedback on-the-fly.  Both Patrick and the Sheraton’s Executive Chef were huddled around the iPad throughout the shoot – I think it was a hit!  Sometimes it pays to be a bit of a techno-geek.

Patrick reviewing photos real-time on the (ahem...custom branded) iPad

Lunch at Mariposa Farms

Snow on Hallowe’en, huh?

I’ve made kind of a commitment to myself that I would start using this blog less for my personal stuff (moved that to Facebook), and using the blog for my more serious photography stuff.  I’m going to break my rule today, not just because I like breaking rules, but because I had such a great time today with Annie & Shane (with Liam), and the food at Mariposa farms was not only delicious, but GORGEOUS as well.

Ottawa Wedding Photographer, Christian Lee

Foie gras mousse...OMG

Mariposa Farms only serves Sunday lunch and special events – so it’s really a treat to have a chance to go.  Many will recognize the name from some nicer restaurants in the Ottawa area – which often feature “Mariposa Duck” on their menus.  You should call to make reservations well in advance, ours were made on that gorgeous Thanksgiving Monday afternoon.  The rustic, farm-style atmosphere is beautiful, with a wood-fire grill smouldering underneath beautiful pieces of duck, bison, elk, or whatever happens to be on the ever-changing lunch menu.  The flatware & glassware is all eclectic mix-and-match, which is a very cool cottage feel.  One of the best parts: bring your own wine…and no corkage fees.  AWESOME!
Ottawa Wedding Photographer, Christian Lee

Duck leg confit, with duck and goat cheese ravioli

I had Foie Gras Mousse to start (above), followed by Confit Duck Leg with a duck & goat cheese ravioli, and a local artisan cheese plate for dessert.  Whoa…I haven’t had a lunch like that in a while….not sure if there’s going to be room for dinner.
All-in-all a great way to get over a snowy Hallowe’en!
Ottawa Wedding Photographer, Christian Lee

Local Artisan cheese plate

Casey’s Ottawa East

I went with Eric from Sitebenefits this past week to do a shoot for the newly renovated Casey’s in Ottawa’s East end for their website (www.caseysottawa.com).  We got some photos of their beautifully redone dining & bar areas, as well as (my favorite part), food!

Married: Megan + Andrew

I was thrilled to have the privilege of spending the day with Megan and Andrew on a gorgeous autumn afternoon, photographing their beautiful wedding in & around Cornwall, Ontario.  They were guests at Karen & Shawna’s wedding that I photographed last fall, and I was stoked that they asked me to photograph their day.

Whiteboard in Megan's NAVCAN suite, by Ottawa Wedding Photographer Christian Lee

Megan Gareau getting before the ceremony by Ottawa Wedding Photographer, Christian Lee

Andrew & Megan's bridal party at Cornwall's historic Cotton Mill, by Ottawa Wedding Photographer Christian Lee

The photo above was taken at the Cotton Mill, a big part of Cornwall’s history and we thought it would be a very cool place for some shots with a bit of an edgy/urban flavour.  Exactly a week after the wedding I got an email from Megan, who was standing in front of the historic property as it was consumed with flames.  Sadly, this gorgeous property was completely destroyed, and Megan and Andrew’s could be some of the last photographs of the place.  Megan jokingly said that she was hoping that this wasn’t a sign that their marriage was going to burn to the ground, and I reassured her that it was more likely that it was a sign that it is going to be BURNING HOT!  :)

Check out a slideshow (MUSIC: INXS cover by Beck Hansen) capturing some of the many highlights of the day:

A special thank-you goes to my super-talented photographer friend, Linda Luu-Keifl from lightworkstudio.  She did a great job as a 2nd shooter / assistant, and made the 16+ hour day feel like a breeze.

Congratulations, Megan & Andrew!  You guys were a blast to work with, and I wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

T w i t t e r
C o m m e n t s
S u b s c r i b e