TVOKids Reading Rangers eBook: The Mayor's Muffins

Update: we're proud to share that our Tumbleweed's Yard Sale eBook has just been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award (formerly Gemini) as a Digital Media Nominee in the category: Best Cross-Platform Project.

Back in August there was a post about a Reading Rangers eBook we photographed for local Ontario television studio TVO for their TVOKids division.

And now that our rhyming is in good shape from the last eBook, we're all set to get to work on some tongue-twisting fun with the recent release of The Mayor's Muffins (...yes, bean muffins...) available free for Apple and Android devices. Download the eBook to find out how to master tongue-twisters with Cookie's famous precious, peppy, puffy bean muffins!

White Dress: Creative Portrait Photography Toronto

Click images to see them larger - go on! They look better that way!

[Update: a couple of these pieces are now showing at Gallery 44 in the 401 Richmond building for a short time!]

This is the stuff I love to do....

The new element here was being ready to shoot at day break. Some swear by morning light, but during summer in Toronto, that means you're set up, ready & shooting as the sun is coming up somewhere between 5:00 - 6:00am. Luckily in October you can get an extra hour of sleep, but the trade off, of course, is that it's already starting to get cold. That means a well-rested (or better rested - it's still early!), but rather chilly model.

Just under 10 degrees celsius is definitely nippy for a little summer dress and a photographer constantly asking for such small adjustments from frame to frame, but Erin's pretty tough in the cold with no complaints all pinned with extra fabric everywhere. As a bit of a sissy in the cold myself, I know I would have been useless - not to mention the fact that the dress might not have suited me quite as well. Just the cut of it, I guess....

Erin Siegel is an artist and designer who also happens to model. Check out her art & design work here and her modelling portfolio here.

Alison and Laura: Opera with Extras!

Classical Guitar Goodness: Altius Duo

Up today: some Classical Guitar goodness with Altius Duo (Chad Yacobucci & Adam Batstone) based right here in Toronto.

I was also pleased to learn that Chad is now the director of the Guitar Orchestra to the Toronto Guitar Society now in it's 4th year! Small world....

Keep up to date with Chad and Adam including performance dates on their brand-spanking new website due out soon.

Behind the Scenes: Red Dress Twirl (a peek under the dress...)

UPDATE: Take a look at some of the creative process over at Retouching Academy.

The positive feedback on last week's Red Dress Twirl post has been wonderful and everyone is curious about how we came up with the dress. To satisfy that curiosity, we thought it might be easier - and hopefully more entertaining - to put together a short video.

Red Dress Twirl

Girl can twist & twirl a dress like nobody's business! [Update: click here for a peek under the dress!]

This is actually a part II and you might recognize Marife from our testing session not long ago where I tried my best to explain the concept of this photo above.

Amazing makeup by Maria Velve and technical assisting by Cristy. And a huge thank you to both of them for helping with wardrobe as well - you might be surprised how much effort it takes to organize a dress made to fit a 9 foot-tall Venezuelan model!

I think this might have been the very last photo shoot we did in my old studio just off the Queen West strip. Looking forward to future adventures in my new studio at 401 Richmond!

Which profile pic do YOU prefer?

All right, so...there's been a bit of outside pressure for a while now to update my LinkedIn profile picture to make it somehow more..."appropriate." (point taken if you look at the old one at the bottom of this post)

The problem is that any time I use myself in front of the camera (not always recommended), something totally ridiculous comes out! It's not easy to get in front of the camera - even when it's my own. Anyone who knows me already understands that I love all things ridiculous, over-the-top and that although I have a serious side, it's just plain more fun to clown around.

The end result is that a serious, professional and therefore more appropriate picture has simply never come into being. And so today's post is an attempt to fix that and to satisfy all those who have been pushing for that long overdue change.

So the strong contender is the top image in that snazzy disco suit, although I've also come up with a runner-up option here below:

You can let me know what YOU think! ...and while you're at it, go right ahead and connect with me on LinkedIn if we're not already - after all...it's Friday (the 13th), so let's get this party started!

Previous (and LinkedIn-INappropriate) photo here:

...what's with all the silly moustaches ¿right? Have a great weekend!