Archive for August, 2011

Jessica and Alex | PEI wedding | Sand, Surf and Sun!

August 21, 2011

PEI Wedding Photographer

Barbara Ann Studios

Jessica and Alex chose to get married in Jessica’s homeland and a beautiful choice it was. I am a little bit biased because of my Maritime upbringing but I do believe it is one of the most stunning places on Earth. Despite all the bad weather and rain the East coast has been receiving lately, the sun burst through (maybe it could be because of my famous Anti-rain dance that has a 100% success rate!)  I just love the big white tent and the color of the sand in their pictures.

PEI Weddings

A beautiful Province for your destination wedding. Full of sun, sand and surf and that gorgeous red sand.

Photography Tip:

Heading to the beach in a summer is something that most of us do. Be careful with your camera however because sand can be deadly to our “babies”. Sand seems to crawl into the smallest places and once it is in there, it is very costly and impossible to get all out. I would know, my husband brought my old film camera to stag party at a beach once. So make sure you bring a bag for your camera!

Wedding Tip:

Talk to vendors and friends who have already been married to get a good idea about how much things cost. It’s one thing to say my budget for this is XXX but it is another to be realistic about how things cost. You may have to alter your budget or alter what you think you need for your wedding.


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Kyle and Kelly | I do | Stittsville and Kemptville Wedding

August 21, 2011

Ottawa Wedding Photographer

Barbara Ann Studios

Kelly and Kyle got married in Stittsville and then we made out way back to Kemptville. I can’t believe it, but we managed to get in 5 different locations for some pictures. They did schedule a lot of time for pictures but each location was only a few minutes away from each other too. The bridal party was fantastic and the girls were so much fun to work with!

Kemptville Municipal Centre

located in kemptville south of the city.

Photography Tip: One challenge for photographers is to compose a good picture by controlling how the picture’s main subject is viewed and what emotions are felt by the person looking at the picture. This can only be done through great composition. Use “rules” (and I have them in quotes because rules are sometimes made to be broken) such as The Rule of Thirds, Negative Space, eliminating clutter from the picture, and leading lines. Bottom line: experiment.

Wedding Tip: When scheduling your wedding, remember to account for how long for pictures AND the travel time to get to each location. If you plan for a minimum of 2 hours for family, wedding party and couple pictures and the locations are not too far away, this should be sufficient to get the shots you are looking for. However, the more time you give, the more shots you will have (and the more varied). But I agree, it is a delicate balance of how long you want to have between the ceremony and the reception (and where the wedding is taking place). Conversely, a lot of my couples are opting to have a first look so that they can spend more time on photos prior to the wedding. This means that the ceremony can be later and the couple can join their guests during the cocktail hour.

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Natalie & Mathieu | Strathmere Inn | Ottawa Wedding

August 18, 2011

Ottawa Wedding Photographer

Barbara Ann Studios

Some people think 22 is too young to get married. Normally I would agree. However, not in the case of Natalie and Mathieu. I witnessed and captured such great love and emotion from this couple it brought myself and the officiant, Alan Viau, to tears. There are so many amazing moments with this family and couple, I just couldn’t blog them all. Oh and did I mention that Natalie has AMAZING bone structure (I sound like Tyra Banks) I look forward to photographing their babies for The Wee Bairn when they come :)



Strathmere Inn

a gorgeous wedding venue located south of the city with amazing cuisine, staff and grounds. One of my favorite places to photograph weddings. A must see if you are looking for a wedding venue.

Photography Tip: Pictures sometimes will be more interesting if the point of interest is not in the center of the picture. Consider some negative space when say, taking pictures of a flower. Place the flower to the right or left of the frame. It makes your photos somehow different and more appealing to the eye. Normally I will take something dead centre when symmetry is involved such as buildings/roads or repeating patterns.

Wedding Tip: The bridesmaid dress. Yes the dreaded bridesmaid dress. There, I said it. Take it from me, no one wants to be wearing a dress that is horribly out of style or is a disgusting color AND the dress does not have to be long. Some of the best dresses I have photographed were short and very modern. One of my fav dresses was black, short and had a chic ruffled neckline. At least then, the girls have a chance of wearing it again after spending all of that money. If you are shopping for bridesmaid dress and you like things “puffy” please read this tip numerous times…your gals will thank you for it :)

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Natalie and Cid | Strathmere Same Sex Wedding |

August 15, 2011

Ottawa Wedding Photographers

Barbara Ann Studios

Natalie and Cid got married on a hot hot hot hot day! AND they had hot pink as their colors too! Alan Viau conducted the ceremony and did a wonderful job as always! There is a reason he is on my recommended list: he is amazing at what he does and couples newly engaged should look him up!

This gorgeous same sex couple committed to each other at one of my favorite venues, Strathmere Inn. The food is out of this world, the staff amazing and makes for a great backdrop for any occasion. Here are some of my favorite images from the day (and one of the cakes below is my FAV because of the team):

Strathmere Inn

located just south of the city, this wedding venue has exceptional grounds, amazing staff and out of this world cuisine.

Photography Tip:  Whether shooting with your phone or a dslr, keep in mind that if you are photographing people, keep the background plain. For example, if focusing on your baby, don’t worry about having an elaborate background because you want the focus to be all on your child. Additionally, change up the look of your pictures by trying different angles. I am known for getting down on the ground during weddings to get that different angle and making images unique. Bottom line, it is digital. If you don’t like it, try something else!

Wedding Tip: Limos. Do you really need the Hummer Limo? I know, it will look cool and everyone will stare. However, I am a practical gal. The idea of spending $1500 or more to drive around in one of those is not very appealing to me. I have photographed a lot of weddings and basically it is a form of transportation. Those vehicles have not stood out to me or been memorable. However, what has remained in my mind are the couples that have a unique ride. I have seen couples use an old Bentley, a brand new Bentley, a vintage Stingray and a Cinderella Carriage. They were either free (because it was a family member’s car) or very reasonably priced. In the end, it is your choice, however I can think of better things to spend that $$ on :)

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The Robillard Family | Ottawa Lifestyle Photographer |

August 12, 2011

Ottawa Family Photographer

Barbara Ann Studios

Alyson and Mike were clients of mine a few years ago when I was the lucky one to photograph their wedding. I felt so honoured when they asked me to photograph their family after they had their first child. I never thought I would get into family photography but when I have previous clients that are so great and the CUTEST boy ever! I could not resist. Here are some of my favs….

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Lindsay and Martin Say I Do! | Stanley’s Maple Farm | Ottawa

August 6, 2011

Ottawa Wedding Photographers

Barbara Ann Studios

Lindsay and Martin got married on a gorgeous summer day at Stanley’s Maple Farm. I must say, Lindsay is the Queen of DIY weddings! The items she created for her wedding were out of this world! There was so much to photograph and all of the ideas were perfect for the wedding. PLUS she had the cutest BCBG shoes!!! (yes I have a little shoe problem)

Stanley’s Maple Farm

wedding venue for country styled weddings located south of the city of Ottawa

Photography Tip: Go up close! So often I see photos where the photographer has stood too far away from the item/people they are photographing. Get rid of that wasted space in the photo and move into your photo! It makes it more interesting and let’s people focus on what you had intended to photograph.

Wedding Tip:  More and more couples are opting out of the traditional garter throw and “retrieval” and instead just doing the bouquet toss (or not at all). I must say it is kind of nice. It can get awkward when the groom removes the garter:) Another way to do away with traditionally throwing the bouquet, invite all the couples in the room to dance (slow), the DJ asks people who were married 5 yrs, 7 yrs, 10 yrs, etc. to gradually leave the dance floor. In the end, the couple who have been married the longest and left dancing get the bouquet (usually the grandparents).

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Kim and Tom Get Married | Ottawa Wedding Photographers |

August 3, 2011

Ottawa Wedding Photographer

Barbara Ann Studios

Kim and Tom tied the knot at Orchardview on what was supposed to be a huge day of Thunderstorms, turned out to be a day we dodged the rain. Funny things always happen during weddings too…the groom (god love him) dropped the unity candle into the river.  One of the guests saved the day and rescued it out after a few tries. However, the shot I got from it was priceless and something I think they will always look back on and remember:

Orchardview

wedding venue with a country setting located south of Ottawa

Photography Tip:  Some people with dslr’s always ask me “what is the best all round lens to take with me?” In my opinion, it should be one that covers the most varied situations – I would suggest a zoom that covers from near and far away. I use 70-200mm and I use it for 95% of each wedding. Of course, prices vary :0      However, if you want a specific lens for your camera, just give me a shout and I will help out.

Wedding Tip: ask your guests to enjoy your wedding ceremony “unplugged” – too many times guests think they need to get 1000 pictures of you during the vows. Do you know how many times I have witnessed a parent watch their child get married through a viewfinder? Frankly, I find it upsetting. BE IN THE MOMENT! Have your officiant asked guests to put away their cameras during the ceremony and enjoy the moment through their own eyes. If you do this, I guarantee you will get better pictures because I have had countless images ruined due to guests (aka Uncle Bob’s) walk in front of me to get their own shot, push me out of the way to get their own shot, or use their flash and ruin a shot I just took.

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Brent and Nadine are getting Married!!! | Ottawa Engagement Session|

August 1, 2011

Ottawa Engagement Photographer

Barbara Ann Studios

Nadine and Brent are getting married at The Marches next year and couldn’t be happier! We walked around downtown one evening before sunset for some shots. I took a look at Nadine’s ideas for the wedding and a lot are DIY – a more common occurrence these weddings. Everything she and family members are making are amazing and I must say it is a great way to add your personal touches to any wedding. I can’t wait to see the wedding invitations!


The Marshes

whether for amazing food or a round of golf, the Marshes will surely wet your appetite for the finer things in life.

Photography Tip: Take care of your camera in the summer and do not leave it in your hot car. Treat it like your dogs: you wouldn’t leave them in a car:) I have seen the effects of a hot car on memory cards (not mine thankfully). You do not want to lose precious memories to heat.

Wedding Tip: If you are the next Martha Stewart, why not take advantage of your skills for your wedding. Because they can be expensive, utilize your skills in areas to save money but not compromise the overall look of your event. For example, don’t decide you are a florist and make your own bouquet…leave that to a professional. Instead, add personal touches from your own creations such as invitations, table names, candy table, thank you cards, etc.

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