June 29th, 2011
You might remember Holley & Ben from the engagement photos I shot for them, back in December.
I was surprised, but so excited to see that Holley & Ben put one of my photos on their wine bottle labels. I had such a great time shooting this wedding. Holley & Ben were decisive and yet laid back through this whole process, which made my job so easy. I was able to get an idea of what they wanted, but I could tell they trusted me to do what I wanted with it.
With the direction and freedom the couple gave me, I was able to make the look of their wedding my own, but also very much representative of Holley & Ben’s personalities.
Their ceremony took place under two giant trees, in front of a beautiful pond full of ducks and swans. And best of all, the weather was gorgeous.
The ceremony was beautiful, yet modest, and frankly, very endearing. Holley looked absolutely stunning.
After the ceremony, we took some family formals and then I headed out with the wedding party for some INformals.
Such a fun group to shoot. Everybody was up for anything I suggested and they all showed SO MUCH character. Plus, we shot these in beautiful New Hamburg, Ontario.
Holley sent me a very reassuring message after first seeing some of her photos:
WE LOVE LOVE LOVE THE PHOTOS!!!! These are exactly what we were hoping for!!!!!! We honestly don’t think that they could be anymore perfect!!!! you’ve captured our day perfectly!!!! thank you so much! another amazing job!!!
It seemed Ben & Holley were having too much fun to even stop for a serious group photo.
After photos, we met the guests back at the reception. Holley & Ben really impressed me with their ability to have their wedding look stylish without making it too extravagant.
The entire day, it was clear to me that these two are in love and perfectly compliment each other.
And they danced the night away…
The dancing paused only for a brief moment while Ben searched for Holley’s guarder … while handcuffed and blindfolded.
Tags: Ben Cressman, bouquet, bride, groom, Hamburg Felt Boot Co., Holley Dammier, New Hamburg Community Centre, Puddicombe House, rings, shoes, veil, Wilmot Centre Missionary Church, wine bottle
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April 27th, 2011
My first wedding of 2011 was a spectacular one. Great people, delicious food and beautiful locations.
It started off with a trip to the beautiful Abraham Erb Grist Mill in Waterloo, for the ceremony.
This place has so much character, and is fitting for Emily and Brad, who both have their roots in small town Ontario.
The ceremony was intimate, with only about 70 of the couple’s closest friends and family in attendance. Afterwards, we headed to the breathtaking La Hacienda Sarria in Kitchener for some photos.
I was ecstatic to have free-reign of this beautiful and unique building.
Emily was very excited to see a preview of her photos:
“Wow… I don’t even know what to say!! Those photos are stunning and I can’t wait to see the rest!!! You do such a fantastic job!!!!!”
After some photos, we headed closer to home for these two, to New Dundee for a delicious dinner catered by Brad’s father, with his company, Village Caterer.
What a great start to a new wedding season.
Tags: Abraham Erb Grist Mill, Brad Thomson, bride, ceremony, Emily Boshart, groom, Kitchener, La Hacienda Sarria, New Dundee, Ontario, ring, Village Caterer, waterloo, Wedding
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March 27th, 2011
You may remember Colleen & Adam, whose wedding I photographed last July. As I prepare for the next wedding season, I thought I’d show you all an example of the photo books I offer as part of my premium wedding package.
11×14″ hardcovers come standard and each couple has a wide range of cover options, including various colours of Linen or Leatherette, Leather or a printed photo of their choosing. Colleen & Adam chose white leatherette with black debossed text.
The layout for each book is custom to the photos that are being used. The photos are carefully edited and arranged using industry-standard software.
All the best photos from the wedding day will make it into the book, telling the whole story from pre-ceremony preparations to dancing the night away.
These photo books are professionally printed and bound and will serve as a memento of a very special day for generations to come. To inquire about wedding photography, contact me by email.
dissolved
In other news about books, I just recently finished an artist book I’ve been working on since January. It’s a photographic book that explores the effects of alcohol. It includes anonymously-contributed stories and found photos contextualized to provoke thoughts about the common perceptions of alcohol consumptions and the impact it can cause.
You can preview it here. It’s also available to be purchased online.
Tags: Adobe InDesign, album, alcohol, alcoholism, art, artist book, book, bound, marriage, photo, photobook, Photography, print, Wedding
Posted in Misc, Updates | 2 Comments »
January 28th, 2011
This February, the 3rd year photography students at Ryerson University are organizing a photo show, at which I have been selected to exhibit.
Here are the details of the show:
Seventyfive Percent: Ryerson Third Year Photography Show will take place from February 3rd – 26th at the IMA Gallery, with an opening reception on
Thursday, February 3rd from 6 – 9pm!
The IMA Gallery is located on 80 Spadina, Suite #305
Then come on out to the After Party, hosted by Maximum Exposure and Function Magazine at the Rivoli Pool Lounge!
The Rivoli Pool Lounge is located at 334 Queen St. West (2nd floor, above the restaurant), from 9pm onwards on the night of Thursday, February 3rd.
19+ only, and there is a $5 cover charge at the door. All proceeds will go towards Maximum Exposure 2011 and Function Magazine Vol.12
–
The piece I’m exhibiting is called “You Have Been Tagged,” a series of images which comment on the uncensored use of social networking sites, namely Facebook. The idea is that many users don’t think twice about what they post online, or the consequences which may result.
I look forward to seeing some of you there.
RSVP on Facebook
Tags: art, exhibit, Exhibition, Facebook, gallery, IMA Gallery, Photography, Ryerson University, show, Toronto
Posted in Gallery Exhibitions, Updates | No Comments »
December 23rd, 2010
In anticipation of their 2011 wedding, Holley & Ben requested engagement photos… at night?!
The couple, from rural Ontario, took a trip to TO to have their photos taken among the big city lights. Holley & Ben had a romantic evening skate at Nathan Phillips Square, followed by a visit to Yonge-Dundas square.
Photographing portraits at night without elaborate lighting equipment was nothing short of a challenge, but it certainly made for an interesting backdrop. I tried my best to capture the movement and excitement of Toronto, while simultaneously capturing Holley & Ben’s personalities, which compliment each other perfectly.
Even though these two are from farming country, Toronto’s bright & colourful nightlife was a suiting backdrop to capture Holley & Ben.
Clearly up for anything, I had the couple pose sitting on a set of benches, which are part of an ad campaign, but fit perfectly with the playful, romantic feeling of their shoot.
Shortly after I posted these photos, Holley sent me a very excited message:
i absolutely LOVE THEM!!!! that is exactly 100% completely what we were wanting!!!!! they look so awesome thank you sooo much!!!
It makes me so happy to know that I was able to achieve what the couple had asked of me, despite all the challenges. Holley & Ben were absolutely a pleasure to shoot, and I’m looking forward to capturing their wedding in the summer of 2011.
Happy Holidays!
Tags: Ben Cressman, Christmas, engagement, holiday, Holley Dammier, ice, lights, Nathan Phillips Square, photos, rink, skating, Toronto, tree, Wedding, winter, Yonge-Dundas Square
Posted in Engagement | No Comments »
November 29th, 2010
A photo of mine (not the one above, that one’s by Josh MacDonald) has been selected to be part of IMA Gallery’s holiday show, Full Frame.
Join I•M•A Gallery for its annual Holiday Show and Sale and to celebrate our 20th anniversary. Full Frame features emerging artists from the School of Image Arts, along with mid-career and established artists. The silent auction will run from November 25 through till December 10.
I•M•A Gallery (formerly Ryerson Gallery) is hosting Full Frame, not only as an art exhibit, but as a silent auction and 20th Anniversary Party for Ryerson’s student-run art gallery.
GALA RECEPTION: THURSDAY DECEMBER 2
BUYERS PREVIEW: 4-6pm
RECEPTION AND PARTY: 7-10pm
80 Spadina Ave. Suite 3
Please come out to support Ryerson student work.
Some Links for you:
[Official Site]
[Facebook Event]
[BlogTO Post]
Tags: art, exhibit, gallery, IMA Gallery, Photography, Ryerson University, Toronto
Posted in Gallery Exhibitions, Updates | No Comments »
August 23rd, 2010
Sarah, a theatre student from University of Waterloo, asked me to photograph her so that she could have professional headshots to bring to auditions. I was more than happy to help her out.
I had worked on theatre productions with Sarah in the past, so I knew she’d be a “natural”, despite the fact that this was her first professional photo shoot.
I love working with actors because they’re masters of controlling their posture, expressions and they take direction well. However, I had little direction to give Sarah, since, as I had guessed, she was a natural.
The weather was certainly not ideal, but the rain held out until right after we finished shooting. With the use of a couple camera tricks, I made sure it looked like a beautiful day.
Once Sarah had received the prints she ordered, she sent me a very excited message:
Ben! I got the pictures in the mail yesterday!!!!
THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL. Thank you.
Tags: actor, actress, drama, girl, headshots, portraits, school, student, theatre, Toronto, university, waterloo, young woman
Posted in Headshots | No Comments »
August 8th, 2010
Did you know that you can add bookmark icons to the home page of your iPhone/iPod Touch? The bookmarks will show up like App icons, so you can visit your favourite websites with just one tap.
Here’s how to do it:
| Step 1:
 In Safari, surf to BenLariviere.com.
Tap the “+” in the toolbar at the bottom of your screen. |
| Step 2:
 Tap the “Add to Home Screen” button that appears.
|
| Step 3:
 Rename the bookmark “BL Photos”
Tap “Add” at the top of your screen. |
| Step 4:
 Your new BL Photos icon will appear on your home screen. Now you can check for updates in just one tap.
|
Tags: app, Apple, bookmark, home screen, icon, iPhone, iPod Touch, tap, web app, website
Posted in Tutorials | 1 Comment »
July 8th, 2010
I met with Colleen and Adam soon after they had contacted me last fall, interested in having me photograph their wedding. Immediately, I knew that I would really enjoy capturing their wedding day.
Upon meeting with Colleen and Adam, it was clear that their wedding party and families would be as energetic and welcoming as they were. This was absolutely the case, which made the whole experience that much better.
Located at the beautiful Glencairn Golf Club in Milton, Ontario, close attention was paid to every detail of their wedding. Capturing the beautiful atmosphere was not a difficult task.
Colleen and Adam shared some very kind words with me in an email they sent just days after their wedding:
Please accept our sincere gratitude and thanks for helping us capture our perfect day. Your time, energy, flexibility, professionalism, and upcoming hard work were (are) so appreciated. More importantly, you have been easy and fun to work with.
I feel like I should be thanking them, as they made my job so effortless and enjoyable.
I’m still trying to comprehend how smoothly the whole day went. The planning and organization that went into their day was obvious; there was no part of the day that I felt under pressure or rushed. As a photographer, who only has one chance to capture each moment, this is very appreciated.
There’s nothing better than photographing a couple who are up for anything, like these two. They had their full trust in me, which made photographing them a breeze. I had a great time getting to know Colleen and Adam and their entire wedding party. What a great day.
To see more photos from this wedding, check out Colleen & Adam’s album in the gallery.
Tags: Adam Kean, bouquet, bride, bridge, CN, Colleen Wolfe, flower girl, Glencairn Golf Club, Glencairn Golf Course, groom, marriage register, Milton, registration of marriage, Toronto, train, veil, wedding dress
Posted in Weddings, Weddings - General | No Comments »
June 17th, 2010
When Ali & Luke asked me to photograph their wedding, I was extremely excited to work with them. These two are both extremely fun, down-to-earth people, so I knew they’d be down with anything I wanted to try, photographically. They decided to have their outdoor ceremony and reception at Ali’s parents’ rural home in New Hamburg, ON. I was thrilled! I knew the photos would come out great, having such beautiful surroundings to work with.
Ali was determined not to let a little rain ruin her big day. The intimate ceremony took place in a small clearing by the Nith River. I don’t think Ali or Luke would have felt more comfortable anywhere else, but surrounded by nature.
It didn’t take long for the partying to begin.
Like I had expected, Ali & Luke were a blast to photograph and I was honoured to have the chance to take part in their special day. I hope all the best to them and their baby girl, Isla (born June 16, 2010).
To see more photos from this wedding, visit Ali & Luke’s Album in the Gallery.
Tags: Ali, Allison, Baden, barn, beer, Boshart, bouquet, ceremony, country, cowboy boots, dirt road, dress, fence, flowers, Isla, John Deere, Luke, New Hamburg, Photography, Schiedel, suit, tractor, umbrella, Wedding, Wilmot
Posted in Weddings, Weddings - General | No Comments »
