they’re here! the ‘Y’ experience 2.0 has been announced today as well as a new type of workshop that we’re really excited for!
the ‘Y’ will be held at the end of september – the 20th through the 23rd. the other workshop’s timing is tba by you!
for more info, please visit www.stillmotionexperience.com!
-amina
this morning, justin and i started driving from toronto to columbus. what i don’t think we realized is how empty pennsylvania and ohio are. we started getting hungry round 1-ish but didn’t end up finding anything to eat til 4:00 or so.
we pulled off the highway at a random exit and started looking for a place to stop. and then we started seeing signs… “north east 3 miles”. we figured that meant that there was a town coming up soon, but we weren’t really all that sure what it meant.
sure enough, there was a town. and in that town was a cute little organic shop with fresh foods that we were eager to try. while we waited for our food to be made, we chatted with the ladies there. i asked whether the town we were in is actually called “north east”. sure enough, it is. this girl is from north east.
then we started chatting with her 9 year old son who was lugging around his little brother. apparently, mike has one tooth.
oh, the things you stumble upon when you travel as much as we do…
-amina
Anthony // From Anthony’s View
after the first blog post went up, anthony wrote me a very touching email thanking us for capturing the stories that make them them.
i thought it might be nice for them to contribute a blog post and share their perspective:
From the moment we first met Patrick, Amina, Justin, and Jessica, they made an effort to make us feel like a part of the SM family. Emily and I’s experience with Amina and Justin that day was not a meeting of clients and photographers, but more like that of a couple getting a photo shoot from friends. Even though it wasn’t our first time meeting Amina, it was our first time in front of the camera with both Justin and Amina.
The day went by fast and it felt natural, like friends hanging out and catching up. There was my ridiculously feeble attempt at trying to use my hands to manipulate Emily’s jacket in a way that shows what makes me happiest about her (it made for an awesome image!). Justin and Amina shot till their hands froze, literally. After deciding to take refuge in a coffee shop for a break and some hot lattes, I noticed that Amina’s hands had turned a deep red from being exposed to the cold for too long. It was that moment that I felt that both Justin and Amina were going the distance for us not because we hired them to, but because they cared enough to bare the elements just a bit longer so that they could get those wonderful shots they got.
And speaking of shots. The story told by Amina and Justin totally resonates with Emily and I. What never came up in our conversations that day with them is that Emily likes to touch my nose for no apparent reason. And when she does, I’ll always try to do it back to her. The shot taken by Justin of me apparently pointing at Emily is actually me trying to touch Emily’s nose. Also, Amina’s image of us sitting on the park bench brings back memories for us of the day I proposed to Emily at a winery in northern California – of us relaxing in the glow of the mid-afternoon sun over a bottle of wine.
Emily and I can’t wait to see the rest of the images. Apparently, they are under lock and key until we visit the studio the next time we’re in town. I think the one thing that sums up our day with Amina and Justin is a neat little gem I noticed our contract with Still Motion – “Welcome to the Still Motion family”. Because we sure feel like a part of the family after that day.
an in-between shots shot. never ceasing to amuse each other…
you know that they make each other tick when they look at each other like that. and the fact that they stood in EXACTLY the same way… they’re so in tune.
can’t stand still can ya guys? we asked them to stand together, but didn’t say anything else. they’re so dynamic together – always doing something. it almost looks like they’re dancing.
i edited a few images from serena and liang’s wedding today, while playing a bit of catch-up with my emails and admin stuff.
i came across this image and thought i’d share it.
liang writing his vows. you know that feeling you got on your wedding day when you just couldn’t believe the moment was here? you don’t feel all “there”. that’s what i feel when i see this shot…
effect done in-camera.
-amina
during one of our first conversations, i asked nicole if she could write me a list of her short term and long term goals. i figured it would take some time to really think about it and i expected that perhaps a few weeks later i would receive it in email form.
i did receive an email, but it didn’t have the list. it did say, however, that i should expect a package. nicole said that she would be sending “a box of her” to me that would explain everything.
so i waited. i had no idea what to expect. what is “a box of me”?
and then it came. in a cardboard box.
it sat in my office for about a week before i could open it. it came during a time when we were hosting a workshop, and i wanted to devote 100% of my attention to it. i told nicole this… and i think the anticipation nearly killed her!
the process of opening the box took about an hour and a half. i sat on the carpet in my office and pulled the various items out. each one led to questions. there were so many more questions than answers. it’s a good thing nicole sent some chocolates for me to munch on, because this box required a lot of energy to process.
before i delved in though, i thought to myself, “do i take some pictures of the opening?”
on one hand, i wanted to document my experience – since i could feel already that this was something that would change me as a person. but would i be more present if it were just my bare hands?
i decided to be present through my camera, something that i continually strive to be at every wedding that i shoot.
thank you, nicole, for being so open with me. our growing relationship is turning into a life-changing one for me.
-amina
to view nicole’s complementary post, click here.
anthony // from justin’s view
i choose you, and the coast.
- justin
anthony // from amina’s view
this weekend, emily and anthony flew up from san francisco to hang with us and so we could get to know each other a bit better before their wedding in may. we went out for indian food (holy was it ever good) and then out for a shoot afterward. we chose to go to port credit, where there’s a combination of architecture with water, much like the feeling of san fran. given that they love the city but also enjoy slow strolls along the beach (well, anthony does. emily prefers to speedwalk) we thought it would be a good choice.
i wanted to start this blog post with the last image of the day. at first glance, you may see a couple hanging out together with some weird in-camera effect that makes them look double. here’s what i see:
emily and anthony met each other in san franciso which is very far from home for them. though they live there now, their roots are in canada. it just so happens that their families live about 20 minutes apart in toronto. their life now is west coast style with an emphasis on the city – especially since that’s where emily spends most of her time.
anthony has catholic roots and is really looking forward to their ceremony and finally getting married! emily most excited for the banquet when most of the day’s events will be over and she can just relax and enjoy the evening. and though they have slightly different roots and beliefs, their differences complement each other so well.
anthony loves to make espresso. he is currently mastering the art of the perfect coffee. some days the two of them will hang out together, he’ll be making espresso, and she’ll be drinking his creations.
when i look at this image, i feel the hustle and bustle of city life. i feel what it is to be a couple in love no matter where they are. i feel the duplicity of their relationship, their excitement, their beliefs. and the fact that they are reflected in a coffee shop window, just makes it for me.
-amina
below are some other images i enjoy. i love how in the photos where you don’t see their faces, you still feel how they’re feeling.
stay tuned for justin’s perspective.
so, you’ve seen the same-day edit – now here’s the photo perspective. melissa and billy had their reception at the paramount, a venue that has 6 built in projectors and screens, as well as lcd panels around the cocktail area. we thought it would be fun to surprise them with a photo same-day edit as well. so jeff and i worked feverishly after the photo session to get some photos edited and had them played during the cocktail hour and dinner. it was a great prelude to the cinema sde.
melissa and bill had a uniquely laid back day. getting ready in the morning was a breeze, but with so much going on. melissa loves getting ready for things, even if there’s nothing in particular to get ready for. so it was a lot of fun watching her as she was having her hair done and getting into her dress. but the highlight of the day for me was the photo session. it was soo much fun, and so real.
when we were talking before the wedding about where to go, it occurred to me that melissa and billy would no longer be living separately after the wedding. you see, billy bought a house not too long ago which he recently moved into, but melissa was waiting to move until after the wedding. when we arrived there for the photo session, the house was half furnished – an amazing backdrop for portraits. now, they won’t just have really great images from their photo session, but they’ll have the captured memory of what their home felt like the day before they started living together.
when we got there, the bridal party was snacking on some freshly arrived pizza. as we love being inspired by spontaneous things on the wedding day, we incorporated the pizza party into the shoot. man it’s fun photographing people with their mouths full of cheese!
and because we had quite a bit of time for photos, we took it easy. some people slept, some people watched a movie in the living room, and some of us were upstairs taking photos incorporating the place where melissa and billy will start their daily life together into the day they started their married life.
the last photo is one of my favourites. mel wanted a break from her dress so she changed into one of Billy’s shirts, sweats, and slippers and started washing the dishes as Billy made coffee. what an amazing window into what tomorrow holds for them.
-a
today marks day two of our speaking schedule in las vegas. justin and i are at wppi (the wedding and professional photographers international convention) and were asked by canon usa to speak on the advantages, strategies and techniques of adding cinematography to the photography repertoire.
being that justin and i are photographers that often shoot cinema, we have a pretty unique perspective on the matter. we know how challenging it can be to shoot photo on its own, and to shoot cinema on its own – but to combine the two…. let’s just say that the results can be out of this world.
but does it have to be daunting? that’s a question that many photographers are asking themselves. with HDSLRs at our disposal, so many are itching to test out the waters.
so here’s where we come in. over the last few days, and for the last time tomorrow at WPPI, we are sharing our perspective on how the transition can be made smoothly and in a really fun way. so for those of you who’d like to join us, check out our talk at the canon booth tomorrow (wednesday) at 1:15.
-amina
today marks day two of our speaking schedule in las vegas. justin and i are at wppi (the wedding and professional photographers international convention) and were asked by canon usa to speak on the advantages, strategies and techniques of adding cinematography to the photography repertoire.
being that justin and i are photographers that often shoot cinema, we have a pretty unique perspective on the matter. we know how challenging it can be to shoot photo on its own, and to shoot cinema on its own – but to combine the two…. let’s just say that the results can be out of this world.
but does it have to be daunting? that’s a question that many photographers are asking themselves. with HDSLRs at our disposal, so many are itching to test out the waters.
so here’s where we come in. over the last few days, and for the last time tomorrow at WPPI, we are sharing our perspective on how the transition can be made smoothly and in a really fun way. so for those of you who’d like to join us, check out our talk at the canon booth tomorrow (wednesday) at 1:15.
-amina
Awesome Amina, I hope you enjoyed Ohio! Feel free to visit C-bus anytime! We’d love to show you more of exciting Ohio!
So I have to know, what did you eat?