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