I JUST LOVE EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY.

Last night, I had the privilege of covering a prestigious event , at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. Known as Toronto PFLAG. It is the annual awards gala, celebrating diversity. The Emcee was Mike Chalut,  --a good friend who has his own show on 103.9FM (The Mike Chalut Show. )
The show kicked off with REVERSE, singing "Glad to meet you"  Other notable acts were by ; Dora Award winner John Alcorn, Lisa Horner, Danielle Wade.
ALLY award recipient , actress Sharon Gless ( of Queer as Folk and Cagney and Lacey  fame, ) was introduced by .......Rosie O'Donnell.  The fast-paced , upbeat show, concluded with a raffle prize draw.
Lots of money was raised, for a great cause.
Here are some memorable scenes from the event:

The theatre where event was held. (Notice the rainbow!)

Mike Chalut , doing a great job emceeing. He is so personable--and soooo funny!

Police chief Bill Blair giving a speech, while...

                                           Sharon Gless and Rosie O'Donnell listen intently.

                                                                               

Rosie, vocal as ever. But not as much as......(singer below)

By her own admission, after being away from the public eye for a while, Rosie clearly enjoyed the limelight.

Sharon's speech was touching. 

The raffle;  Mike draws a lucky number. 

"Oh my God!  I won!!!" she says. 

All too soon though, the evening came to a close  and we dispersed into the night. 

One word of advice to aspiring event photographers; 

Take your tripod ! Don't leave home without it. Often, the use of flash is not permitted. In that case, 

a sturdy tripod will keep your camera steady for the those long exposures.Tripod  or even monopod not 

allowed in either? Try resting camera on something e.g. the back of a headrest, (of an empty seat , in front of you. ---while holding your breath of course! )  Who said event photography was easy?

Event; Fun, high-energy performance by Nomadica

Event coverage is one aspect of photography that I really enjoy!  I had a few exciting events in succession  lately, but none more exhilarating than the show put on by Nomadica last night at the Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar. The blend of Arabic, Gypsy, Jewish Funk was so upbeat, some just could not contain their excitement, and were dancing among the tables. (see photo)  Here are just a few pics of singer/performer/ belly dancer Rula Said, her husband David Buchbinder and the band.
(A reminder to photo enthusiasts; if you aim to cover events such as this, don't leave home without your tripod, because of course, flash is not permitted. )

Jazz'n'Laughs...

Ilana Waldston

We had a real  fun afternoon  recently, Ilana and I,  creating new publicity photos --and  images for  her website. And of course, I got to hear some great jokes.  It was the ideal way to work! -- all play!
Shortly after, I received an invitation to see her perform at one of her upcoming gigs.  I thought I'd pass on the information and maybe I'll see some of you there.   Ilana's quirky humour ,  unusual song choices and comedic patter  make for a highly entertaining, fun evening.
Who couldn't use some lovely music and a few laughs these days?
Ilana will be appearing at the Cherry Street Restaurant (one of Toronto's hidden gems where the ambiance is warm and casual, the food is delicious.)  on Thurs April 26th, 7.30-10p.m.
Then, on June 15th, 8.00-10.30p.m, she will perform at The Trane Studio--a premier jazz venue with a warm and sultry vibe.
Knock'em dead Ilana !--see you there.

  

Happy Valentine's Day!

Guess who I ran into today .   Cupid --and his friend!---at Holt's. While his arrow missed its target (my heart,) I did enjoy the delectable , decadent chocolates the two were sampling.
Hope you are all having a great Valentine's Day.

Lisa

Photoshoot with aspiring model

Valence came to me , hoping to embark on a career as a model. Fortunately, he has the physique, the height that is just what's required in the fashion industry. We had fun portraying him in different outfits, different "Looks", for the sake of showing variety, versatility.   Valence brought his own clothes, but I suggested that in subsequent shoots for his portfolio, he might consider hiring a professional stylist.
This day, we captured a  business look, a casual look, and something  a little more hip.   This shoot was a couple of weeks ago.   Today, Valence had his first audition.   I hope he got the job!    Best of luck Valence, in your  exciting new career!

Cool Moves!

Trainer Kim  Doucet  wanted some photos of  her as she is performing some exercises.  It was a fun session and she demonstrated some cool moves. She was almost successful in making me like working out! --and that takes a lot!   (says she, as she is reaching for another slice of pizza---and a glass of wine!)
What about you -guys? How is YOUR New Year's resolution?    Thinking of quitting? Don't you dare!
Maybe the obvious enthusiasm on Kim's face will inspire you to keep up the hard work.
Take a look at some of Kim's moves;

Kim has so much energy--and workouts  make her jump for joy!

Actor Headshot Photography

Daniel Kelly is a successful Toronto actor. Though only 19, he has a slew of credits, most notable of which is that he is a regular on the Canadian TV series "Degrassi." (In addition to acting,  he sings and composes his own music. We talked of collaborating on the shoot for his first CD cover. )
On the day of the photoshoot, the weather was quite mild for this time of year, so we headed outside for part of the shoot.   There is nothing quite like natural light, especially when it is not too bright but diffused by clouds. We both agree that we like these outdoor shots the best.  Take a look. Which one do you think he should choose?