February 2011

{Ottawa Wedding and Boudoir Photographer} My first video blog -oh my!

I am so pleased to be able to work with clients on destination weddings in Canada, the US and the Caribbean and on boutique boudoir sessions in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto. And the clients that I am able to meet are wonderful given that many times I meet them for the first time on their wedding day or when they arrive for their boudoir sessions. So, upon the encouragement of a good friend I have put together my first video blog. It is my hope that the video blogs will help my clients gain a familiarity with me even before we meet. If I can get past my nervousness and start to be less "quirky" on camera, I am sure that this will be a great ice breaker :)

It's not easy to talk about yourself, so in this video, I take the oppourtunity to thank my 2011 clients and some of the excellent people I have had the oppourtunity to work with recently. In addition, I hope to share with you with a little something that inspires me in my work.

If there is something you really would like to know more about, please let me know and I'll add it into my next video blog.

I will apologise for the number of times that I say amazing and awesome...and thanks for bearing with the first go at this...thank actually took about 15 takes! :)

Some of the vendors mentioned in this video post include:

Luxe Destination Weddings
Exceptional Ceremonies - Lynn and Kieth Langille - Bilingual wedding officiants
Lynn Lee of Weddings Unveiled- Ottawa Wedding Planner
Sophie Bifield Cake Company
Black Book Lifestyle - Winterlude Fare and Flare event with live fashion installations by Justina McCaffery, Tailliffer and James Jefferson.
E Fashionista

Please visit the new m photography Facebook page and "like" it to receive lots of great inspiration and...dare I say...there may be some amazing 2012 contest information with an amazing blog to come... you gotta like it!

Want to see more? View my portfolio.

Follow me on Youtube
For some m wedding inspiration "Like" m photography on Facebook

Contact: melanie@m-contemporaryphotography.com

613.769.6019

Senior Coffee Table book: Slide show

This is a sample layout of a coffee table book/album that could be purchased as a keepsake for your photos.

I have inserted photos of senior girls into this album. The album was designed by LCH Design.

The first page is the custom cover, which adds to the price, and your name would go where it says “Pressley Rose Taylor”

Contact me for more information about having an album designed for yourself! All wording can be changed & added to…

Enjoy!

{Finally - A Facebook Page!} Ottawa Wedding Photographers

I will finally be able to stop bothering my family with my shameless self -promotion and obsession with wedding cakes, shoes, wedding dresses and wedding blogs, zines....the list goes on...it's a problem. So finally...after much pecking from my publicist friend, I have migrated my wedding and boudoir photography content to an m photography facebook page. I don't know heaps about how to use it effectively quite yet, but for the sake of my fam and friends that already are endeared to me...change is here.

What I have discovered is that I can post some of my favorite wedding inspiration within seconds! So many great wedding inspiration ideas can be found on my new page...because I KNOW that you ...my future and current brides actually will care. Whereas my mom and cousins and married friends...welll they just don't find it as cool as we do.

So I invite you to join my Facebook page to keep track of all the new and wonderful things to come this year and to be inspired by some of my favorite wedding ideas for everything from wedding invitations to seating plans to whimsical wonderful vintage styling.

My big weaknesses are most definately beautiful cakes, beautiful wedding dresses and not least of all fashion forward mags like Vanity Fair, Wedluxe, Elegant Weddings and Grace Ormond's Wedding Style. I'll bring you all my favorite posts from these genius mags for inspiration as well.

So please visit the new m photography Facebook page and "like" it to receive lots of great inspiration and...dare I say...there may be some amazing 2012 contest information with an amazing blog to come... you gotta like it!

Want to see more? View my portfolio.

Follow me on Youtube
For some m wedding inspiration "Like" m photography on Facebook

Contact: melanie@m-contemporaryphotography.com

613.769.6019

{Winter Wedding Inspiration} Ottawa Wedding Photographers

I just could not help but post this inspiration board of a Winter White wedding theme around Snow white. It was so pretty it just stopped me in my tracks. If you are planning a winter wedding in Ottawa here's is some inspiration just for you! Tell me the simplicity of teh red apple agaisnt snow isn't classic an so very lovely...

Want to see more? View my portfolio.

Follow me on Youtube

Contact: melanie@m-contemporaryphotography.com

613.769.6019

Amanda {senior 2011} Winter photos

Miss Amanda wanted to get out there and have some variety in her senior photos! She has summer, fall & now winter photos… I would be really in a bad place if I was Amanda and had to choose my favorites! As I am editing I am in love with so many of them! She’s another gorgeous senior, who has an amazing future ahead of her!

Tenley {9 months} snow photos & Valentine Card

{Luxurious Wedding Cakes-Sophie Biefield} Ottawa Wedding Photographers

It's been a busy period even though it supposed to be a bit of a rest period for us wedding photographers. It has been a whirlwind. Following Christmas I was preparing for the Wedding Palace Bridal show and following that, an amazing number of great client consultations for wedding and boudoir photography for 2011. Then I was off to shoot a luxury destination wedding in Dominican Republic at Dreams Palm Beach. I have a number of weddings still to blog from 2011, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, while I was at the Wedding Palace Bridal show I almost fell over when I met Sophie Bifield. Her cake design was something I have only seen in luxury wedding magazines and was thrilled to know that she was opening up here in Ottawa!

So recently I have had the oppourtunity to work with Sophie to photograph her most recent designs for Sophie Bifield Cake Company and get to know her a little better. If you are looking for a unique wedding cake for your wedding and want to abandon the traditional stacked cake with ribbons and flowers...these will take yours and your guests breath away!

More about Sophie:

Why you started in creating beautiful cakes?
I started making cakes shortly after I got engaged. Living in Toronto at the time, my eyes were opened to the endless possibilities of the edible arts. I didn't realise that cakes could be so artistic until I started searching for my own wedding cake. Having always been a perfectionist when it comes to details, I struggled to find what I was looking for in Ottawa where we are getting married. I took an intensive cake design course and fell in love with cake - all of my artistic talents which I had sidelined for so long were finally being put to use - and that's how the Sophie Bifield Cake Company was born.

What is your favorite cake flavor? Is there a most popular flavor?

My favourite flavour is chocolate hazelnut. The most popular flavours tend to be chocolate or vanilla - they're a safe choice when feeding so many guests.

What inspires your wedding cake designs?

The overall design takes into consideration the bride/groom's vision, the venue and the mood of the event. The details on the cake are then often inspired by so many different things. Sometimes the details are inspired by details of the venue, the brides dress, the couple's story, a theme or even something sentimental like a family heirloom.

What cake designer(s) inspires you the most?

Alexandria Pellegrino of Cake Opera Company is very inspiring. Her cakes are well executed and I love the theatrical details that she adds. Lori Hutchinson, The Caketress is also a great designer. I love how she creates fabric textures and adds fine details to her cakes. Michelle Wibowo in the UK is amazing at celebration cakes. I especially love her life size cow and basset hound.

What can people expect to pay for a stunning custom cake from you?

Cakes start at $5 per serving and go up depending on the complexity of the design. Delivery and setup within the Ottawa area is also included in all of my prices.

If you were to design your own wedding cake (and you just might) what will it look like?

You will have to wait to find out :) ... Actually, I'm not sure yet - the downside to designing and making my own cake is that budget isn't an issue so I don't have the same restrictions that many brides have - Working without restrictions can sometimes hinder the creative process and I have to start again - I have piles of possible designs. I will make one promise though - it will be a masterpiece.

Are there wedding cake trends that are emerging from the ribbon bound flower dressed cakes of yesterday?

I still get a lot of requests for ribbon bound flower dressed cakes, but often times I get these requests because couples are unaware that almost anything can be created using sugar, including flowers, or because they believe that simple designs are always cheaper (this is not always the case). Not too many of my couples are willing to step completely away from the cakes of yesterday, but they are daring to rearrange the flowers and ribbons to create a more modern feel on a traditional cake.

What is the number one thing you want brides to know about working with a custom cake designer?

A lot of time and effort goes into each and every cake, often a cake will take an entire week to create. For this reason, cakes can be expensive, so pick a cake designer who you trust will deliver what they promise and who you feel understands your vision. A custom cake should be just that - custom.

You can also contact Sophie through twitter, facebook or phone!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ottawacake
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ottawacake
Telephone: 613.869.7674

Winter Note Card Sale!!

Who’s ready for a sale!!!!! I need to get on this before we are all so sick of winter that we never want to see another sign of winter until next December!

Too late, you say?

This should brighten your wintery snow day!!!

Here is what I am offering, you can place your orders by email, on my Esty, or give me a call!!! If you want to pick up your cards, or if you know you see me often somewhere, I will refund the shipping! It’s most profitable for me if you order direct by email or phone. I can receive paypal or check. Shipping is $2 for first set and $1 more for each additional set.

The envelopes are included with the card, Cards are 4.5 x 5 in. notecards. Envelopes are 4 3/4 x 6 1/2 in.

One set of 4 winter note cards regular price is $8

Buy 2 sets for $12

Buy 3 sets for $16

Buy 4 sets for $18

This sale is on the WINTER cards only. MIX & MATCH!!

These are the 4 prints available… each of these is also available as a Mounted Print for display on your wall. I have a few in stock already framed if you are interested in those, email me & I’ll tell you the options!