Home Again!

Last Friday night was Business of the Year Awards. I really enjoyed photographing the winners!
Thank you to Jonathan from Traptow for lending me one of your lights. It was so kind of you...it's almost enough to make me forget 'The Cheezie Incident" from Monday night at the convention.
Almost.
The World of Women show was a great way to spend the weekend. I met lots of new people.

PPOC Alberta held another great convention, this time in Lethbridge. Fun night always has a theme, and this year it was Pirates. I love Pirates!!!
Our speakers were excellent. We heard about creativity, weddings, cool ways to light & compose groups, photoshop work, commercial work, albums....I sound like a geek...but it was all very COOL! Speaking of cool, this is our new name & logo on my plate - it just doesn't get any geekier than running to the hotel room before eating your second course just to photograph the ICE block it's served in.....but I really liked it.
...I was also not the only one to photograph dessert...but I was probably the only one standing on my chair to do it.
The best part, aside from Pirates, food, no sleep and too much coffee, is spending time with the other photographers. There is so much to learn, usually just by sitting there listening to everyone else, or viewing the amazing work that did well enough in print competition to be accepted for display. I am just so grateful to be able to do this for a living.

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While I was gone, Cara Liddel took FANTASTIC care of my Business After Hours table at the Millenium Centre. She does a better job than I do. THANK You, Cara!!

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This weekend is the Central Alberta Mountain Club Turkey Trek out at Shunda Creek Hostel. It's my last TT as Programs Chair, meaning, I don't do the Kitchen Coordinating for the next one! The theme is, of course, Pirates!!!! (any guesses who helped pick that one?)

It's Small Business Week!

Today was the Business Expo at the Harvest Centre. It's not just a chance to share breakfast & lunch with nice people, (although it is that!) but a treat in the form of interesting guest speakers.
We had Dr. Nick Bontis, who googles the same things every morning, to keep up on what's going on. Maybe he'll find this curiously addicting photographer's blog! Dr. Bontis is a freaking fireball of information relating to knowledge management and intellectual capital. You could say he has energy, the way the sun has gas. His website is quite neat, and full of links. Good stuff for anyone who uses his/her noodle for a living.
He was just plain fun to listen to as well as full of information. He speed reads, and advocates speed reading as a means to avoid being slogged down in the scads of communications blown our way. I don't know about the other ladies, but those penis enlargement e-mails get tossed before I can get to the badly spelled body of the spam.
The lunch speaker was Patrick LaForge, president of the Edmonton Oilers. He was great! Very insightful, and extremely funny.
The week wraps up on Friday night with the Business of the Year Awards. I am very pleased to have a part in it as the photographer for the awards, and as a Silver Sponsor.
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This weekend is the World of Women Show at the Parkland Pavillion. I'll be there!
Sunday night, as soon as I get my things home, it's off to Lethbridge for the PPOC - Alberta Convention. Then it's all photography all the time. Probably my favourite thing about getting to be with other photographers is the insanity. As a younger person, I was the LOON amongst my friends. The wild one. CRAAAAAZY.
In a group of other photographers, I fit right in. It's like I've found my mother ship.
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Tuesday night is Business After Hours at the Millenium Centre. I was going to have someone staff my table for me, and during my search, the phone rang. It's my friend ( and the world's best Esthetician) Cara Liddel, from Body Contours Health and Beauty Spa. The Chamber has apparently been put in the painful and awkward position of asking her NOT to come to Business After Hours, which she is currently registered for. It seems that the Millenium Centre has a bit of a poo trap on its hands in the form of a spa owner with an exclusivity clause in her lease, and she is vigorously enforcing it. So the way I see it - all the smart kids at the Millenium Centre don't really have any business hosting a Chamber event for all members that ALL chamber members are not allowed at.
That's just my Two Cents. Competition is not a bad thing. I'll get off my soapbox now.
----as a side note, Cara, who is very familiar with my work, and suddenly free on Tuesday, has agreed to be my representative at Business After Hours. Win / Win!
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This week's slideshow brought to you by Lindsay and Ward.
Ward, if she's still laughing like that in five or ten years, you've got it made!

Lindsay & Ward

So much laughing! (and pinching - Ward, you meanie) You two are an awesome couple. I am really looking forward to August 4th. Thank you for choosing SUCH a beautiful spot for your Engagement Session.

Kelowna was beautiful!

We had a great weekend, the weather was beautiful, the half marathon was ...only kind of hard! We picked apples, and ate them right from the trees; we saw salmon spawning.
Thanksgiving dinner was delicious, the drive was nice...I'd say I enjoyed my weekend.

We have Auntie Jeannie & her daughter Naomi here with us for just a couple of days. They live in New Zealand, and they are awesome. Their visits are never long enough.

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This couple is SO cool. They were totally ok with doing family bed shots, and it suits them. This lucky baby has has loving, fun parents.

Ann & Koji

This is a lovely couple who has been married for nine years. She kept checking to see if he was smiling.
Gone for the weekend! I'll be in Kelowna til late Monday.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

Gala = Good!

**Bridal Gala Attendees - there's a goody for you at the bottom of today's post**
1000 people through the doors! That's a lot of brides and their handlers. What a cool day. I met lots of interesting people, and two brides who have booked with me for next year were there.
I can't believe how nice it is to see them. They are confident, beautiful, happy people - I feel like their 2nd mom or something. "There she is! That's MY bride!" I can't wait to work with them. Engagement session plans are underway now. One will be in Kananaskis.
Once again, it's other photographers who make the world go round...and save my sorry a##.
Thank you to Dave Brunner for helping me with my T.V.
Thank you to Vicki Reid for getting me advil when I SO needed it.
Thank you Lenore Bullman for the fries. I was starving.
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Now for the Couples - Thank you for your kind comments! Your feedback is so appreciated.
If you are considering me for your wedding day, you can earn a $500 Print Credit to be included in your contract with the starter package, which is $3400 + gst.
How can you do that? By answering two survey questions by October 13, 2006.
All bookings with paid retainers by the dealine are eligible to receive the print credit as a big THANKS for helping me improve.
1. What did you like about my booth and / or presentation at the With This Ring Bridal Gala?
2. What can I do better, improve upon, or make easier for brides & grooms who are looking for a photographer?
Send answers via e-mail to contact@adriennemarie.ca

Thank you to everybody who stopped to talk, look around, and watch the slideshow. You made it a very enjoyable day!