Wow, time has certainly been flying for me and Candice. We've been busy finishing off wedding season shooting, now comes all the albums, prints, Thank You Cards and everything else that goes into completing a wedding contract. We had a great year with some amazing weddings and are already planning how to make next year even better. Bookings and inquiries have been very steady for 2010 and talk about being organized...we've had bridal couples book for 2011 and one booking for 2012!

Candice has been shooting business portraits and I've been busy with real estate photography, a few model portfolios, and some family portraits.

Speaking of family portraits, if you're thinking of a beautiful family portrait for Christmas, time is running out. We really need to get those shot before the end of the first week of December to guarantee delivery prior to Christmas.

We're running a CANVAS PRINT Christmas Special until December 5th. Book a family portrait session for the special price of $99.95 and receive our Christmas Gift Card for a 20" x 30" Canvas Print for $300.00 (regular price $600.00).

Hey everyone, that's it for me today...too many prints and albums to get out before Christmas! Have a great week and we'll talk to you soon - Craig

As everyone who reads this blog knows, my daughter Candice plays a big part in our wedding shoots. She has a more gritty artistic vision than I do and yesterday we put that vision to the test. Our wedding couple was Lindsey and Cory, two really great people whom I've enjoyed getting to know. They both have several tattoos and wanted a portion of their wedding pictures done in a more gritty urban setting vs. the traditional park, beach, garden area.

I scouted out some possible sites a couple of days prior to the wedding, took shots of those sites and discussed them with Lindsey and Cory. We settled on two downtown locations. From there Candice and I talked about how we would pose and light them.

Here are three more of the images:

I like how these turned out! I think they represent what Lindsey and Cory wanted as part of their wedding album.

We also did the more traditional shots in a garden location near where their ceremony was held. But these, and other images we captured downtown, are going to add some great variety of their wedding albums and prints.

If you're looking for variations in your wedding album, give me or Candice a call and let's discuss the possibilities. We're always interested in new and different photo options.

Hey everyone, that's it for me today. Candice and I are right in the middle of a busy wedding season so posts might not be a regular as I would like. Have a great week we'll talk to you soon - Craig

Sometimes things fall together as they should, whether through planning, luck, experience, or a combination of all three. That's what happened with this image.

Candice and I were photographing Natasha and Ian's wedding in Osoyoos, BC last weekend. They were a fun couple to work with and the setting was beautiful. We were well into the evening fun when we asked the bridal couple to join us down on the dock for some twilight shots.

Every time Candice and I have a wedding reception on a lake we hope for a colourful evening sunset. Add a beautiful bride, a handsome groom, some well placed lighting and we are going to get some smoking hot images. None of that is luck! But throw in a bottle of Champagne and hit the shutter at exactly the right time (that's partly luck).....and you've got a winner.

Unfortunately, the web doesn't do justice to images, but in print, this image is gorgeous. The champagne bubbling and flowing down Ian's hand is clearly visible.

It's going to make a great image in their wedding album.

Hey everyone, that's it for me today. Have a great week and we'll talk to you soon - Craig

Candice and I enjoy "on location" photo shoots for both the challenges of producing an excellent image for the client and the actual working with the clients.

The image above was produced for a automobile customization company here in the Okanagan Valley of BC. Our client wanted a unique image that showcased their products and was suitable for inclusion in a proposed poster.

We travelled down to Skaha Lake on the Easter weekend for the shoot. The client supplied the vehicles, products and model for the photo shoot.

It's a family owned and run business and they were awesome to work with. We presented our ideas, they present their's and we came away with some excellent images.

To make the products stand out from the lakeside scenery I suggested that perhaps we leave the model, vehicles and rims in colour and change the background to black and white. I think it worked and the clients were trilled with the final image.

A great way to spend a day during the Easter holiday!

Candice and I are back into wedding and engagement season and that means lots of shooting images.

This weekend we shot Lindsey and Cory's engagement up on Knox Mountain Regional Park, a popular site for wedding photography.

Lindsey and Cory we awesome to shoot and lot's of fun.

The above image is one of my favourites. It shows off their tattoos, which they wanted, the setting is great and provides them with a memory of the city they are going to be married in (they live in another city).

Engagement sessions also give me and Candice a chance to get to know the couple before their wedding day. It establishes a relationship that is carried over into the wedding shoot. If I had my choice I'd do an engagement session with every couple that contracts us to photograph their wedding for that reason!

Hey everyone, that's it for me today. Have a great week and we'll talk to you soon - Craig

We shot this garter toss at a recent wedding Candice and I photographed. It's always satisfying, after checking the LCD on the back of the camera, to confirm that we did indeed capture the garter, or flowers, in flight. Not always the easiest thing to do!

Wedding receptions are always fun, everyone's in a great mood, and usually the party is on! Getting great reception pictures, on the other hand, can sometimes be a lot of work. As previously mentioned in another post, sometimes the location of the reception poses a few photographic problems. Poor lighting is probably the biggest concern for most wedding photographers and definitely a challenge. It tests our skills as photographers to make sure we get a nice selection of reception pictures for the bridal couples album.

As promised in our last post it's time for another in the series of photography tips for the bride and groom to consider while they're planning their wedding photography.

Tip #2 - The Gown and Other Details...

Most brides spend years dreaming of their wedding dress. Capturing the essence of the gown can be a task of its own.

Candice definitely has the eye for "the shot" and is very attentive to detail. Here is a quote from an email we received recently from a bride whose wedding we photographed:

"I was very happy that I chose Wyman Gallery Photography for Adam and my wedding. Candice's creativity and eye for a great shot really impressed us and made our day special....please tell her."

It's great to hear back from our clients that we did a good job, and it's especially nice when they're complimenting your daughter!

We pride ourselves in paying attention to details. It ensures the bride, groom and all others are perfect in every photo.

When you're planning your wedding photography don't forget to bring extra makeup, combs and brushes for the formal pictures.

There's a reason television and movie stars never appear in front of the camera without the assistance of makeup! It just looks nicer.

Hey everyone, that's it for me today. I hope you have a great Easter weekend and we'll talk to you soon - Craig

The above image was from a wedding Candice and I had the privilege of shooting last summer. Sean and Maura were an awesome couple who we really enjoyed getting to know. The picture was taken just before dark and with the use of carefully positioned lighting equipment we were able to capture Sean and Maura nicely and include a very cool sunset down the lake.

Today I'm going to present the first in a series of photography tips for the bride and groom to consider while they're planning their wedding photography.

Tip #1 - Avoid "Un-captured Moments"

One of the most common questions after the ceremony from family and friends who are going to be included in formal portraits is "Where do we go now?". Does Grandma need to be at the park for pictures? Who is taking her and when is her photo scheduled?

"Un-captured moments" are a direct result of guests not being sure if they are in official photos and where the photos will be taken.

Wyman Gallery works with the bride and groom to pre-coordinate and schedule all photos well in advance of their wedding day. Each bridal couple is given a "Photo Coordination Worksheet" to complete several months before the wedding date. From that information we prepare a Photo Schedule and present it to the bridal couple well before the wedding. We encourage them to pass this information along to all family and friends who are going to be in the formal portraits. This let's everyone know when and where their presence is needed for the wedding pictures.

This detailed preplanning creates a smooth transition from ceremony to photos so the bride and groom can relax and enjoy their day.

Just part of the service we provide in all wedding packages!

Next tip - "The Gown and Other Details....".

Hey everyone, that's it for me today. We'll talk to you soon - Craig

Good morning everyone. A fairly short post today to show you another image enhanced through the use of PhotoShop.

I made the original image of model Kaylee yesterday in our studio. We shot it as a plain silhouette, black against a white background. I allowed a small amount of light to fall on Kaylee so there would be some detail in the silhouette and to make the image more interesting.

Here is the original image as shot in the studio:

I think it's an interesting image which would be a nice addition to Kaylee's model portfolio.
If you would like to discuss a model portfolio shoot send us an email or call at 250-212-9581.

We have hair stylists and makeup artists available who work with us on model portfolio's, portraits and weddings.

Hey everyone, that's it for me today. We'll talk to you soon - Craig

Every time I know there will be some sort of "prop" available during formal wedding shots I get excited about the image possibilities. A prop, whether it be umbrellas, a dog, a boat, an automobile, or a beautiful Harley Davidson motorcycle adds something special to a bridal photo shoot.

The above image is from a wedding Candice and I shot this weekend. The brides brother offered the use of his fully pimped out "Fat Boy" Harley Davidson for some of the bridal party shots after the wedding. The bride and groom really had their heart set on some pictures from the top of Knox Mountain. Unfortunately, when I checked with the City of Kelowna - Parks Department I was told the park was still closed due to winter conditions. A very helpful clerk put me in touch with one of the senior people in the Parks Department and because our photography company has a City of Kelowna business licence he agreed to give us authority, and a key, to use the park for wedding pictures.

We got some great images, including the one above. The wind was blowing quite a lot and under normal circumstances that would cause problems with the brides gown, hair etc. But in this case, with the bike properly positioned, it provided enough of a breeze to blow the brides veil out, adding a nice touch to the picture.

Candice and I were very happy with the images we got and can't wait to present them to the bridal couple.

When you're planning your wedding consider the possibility of using some sort of "prop" for your formal wedding pictures. Although we are careful to not over use a prop, it can definitely add something special images to your wedding album.

Hey everybody, that's it for me today. We'll talk to you soon - Craig

Today I wanted to show you the magic of Photoshop and why I believe that in today's wedding photography market the photographer has to be proficient in Photoshop to meet the expectations of bridal couples.

It's sometimes very difficult to get a romantic shot of the "first dance". There are several reasons for this; the lighting at the reception venue is poor, the venue itself is not a romantic setting i.e. a large hall etc. or perhaps there are so many guests gathered around the dance floor it's difficult to get a good position for a shot.

The image below shows a typical first dance shot I took in 2006 at Abbey and Tyson's wedding.

The location of the reception was a large, bright hall. Not exactly romantic, but unfortunately very typical of these venues. As you can see, although the couple looks great, in love, and romantic, the surroundings are not. How do I, as a photographer, present a romantic "first dance image" to the couple for their wedding album?

Here is the completed image as presented to Abbey and Tyson.

I think I was successful in producing a romantic image and Abbey and Tyson were so pleased that in addition to including it in their wedding album, they ordered a large framed wall print. The lights, the mood and the romantic atmosphere were all added "after the fact" through the use of Photoshop.

When you interview a wedding photographer don't forget to ask about their post processing of the images and ask to see samples. It sometimes makes all the difference between a nice image and a stunning image.

Hey everybody, that's it for me today. We'll talk to you soon - Craig

Hello, and welcome to Wyman Gallery's photography blog. This is our first post so I'd like to spend a few minutes telling you who we are and what we do.

Wyman Gallery is a photography company located in Kelowna, BC Canada. Although we are available for all types of photography at the present time we specialize in wedding/bridal photography, model porfolio's, real estate photography, and portraiture.

My name is Craig Thompson. I'm a member of Professional Photographers of Canada, Professional Photographers Association of British Columbia, and the National Association of Photoshop Professionals.

My daughter Candice also is part of the company and works with me on all wedding photography assignments. She also specializes in business portraits for our corporate clients. In addition to the photography side of the business Candice produces our "Memories DVD's" for wedding clients.


As a team we are excited about our new blog and the increased interaction with our photography clients, friends and family.

One of the most challenging questions a bridal couple faces is how to choose a wedding photographer. It is such an important decision! Here is a link to an article I recently posted on our website:

http://www.takegreatpictures.com/guide_for_brides.fci

The article is loaded with advice for the bridal couple on how to interview prospective wedding photographers.

It's not often that we're photographing a wedding and worrying about being hit by lightning! Last summer, at Cedar Creek Winery in Kelowna we were photographing Sean and Maura's wedding when a huge storm quickly rolled down the valley. Here's an image of the bride and groom with a lightning bolt striking the hillside behind them. After this image we quickly scrambled for cover as the intense storm rolled over the winery.



I hope you enjoyed our first blog post and that you've learned a little bit more about myself and Candice.

Each post will feature a few new images, perhaps some helpful information, and an invitation to submit your questions and comments to our blog. Our intention is to give you a better understanding of who we are, our style of photography, and a chance to get to know us better.

We'll leave you with a recent image from a model portfolio session. We're always looking for new models who need a new or updated portfolio. Give us a call or email to discuss our model portfolio services.



Hey everybody that's it for me today. Have a great week and we'll talk to you soon - Craig