Hey everyone! I hope things are going well! I am so excited that we are now offering online Gift Certificates and a Wedding Registry to all our clients!

Now you will be able to send and receive Gift Certificates from our Boutique which can be used for any products & services that we offer! Birthdays, Weddings, Anniversaries? Why not give them a gift that will make them smile? :)

Do you and your hubby/bride-to-be have a wedding website? Simply put this link onto your Gift Registry page and your friends and family can give you two the gift of a lifetime!

Michael Wachniak Photographer –  Boutique

WARNING: Please send this link to friends and family ONLY IF you would appreciate the gift of beautiful gallery wrapped canvas images and storybook albums gracing your house more than multiple toasters, wine flutes, and breadmakers. :)

If you have any questions at all regarding this new feature, please don’t hesitate to email me or call me at 778 878 4531

All the best!

Michael

Hey Everyone! I am beyond excited to announce that today is the first day on my blog for year 2 of Cans for Comments! Created last year by the amazing Chris + Lynn Photographers, Cans for Comments started off as a blogging concept where for every comment left by readers, Chris + Lynn would donate either one can or one other non-perishable food item to their local food bank for Christmas. Within minutes of posting this ‘idea’ on the blog, this amazing event was already spreading to other local photographers…but it didn’t stop there… soon photographers in other cities were doing it, and then other provinces, and then other states…Cans for Comments was International!!! It even started spreading to blogs from other professions, like designers, and radio personalities, it was amazing!

This year, will be even better.

I started my participation last year on December 4th and so to carry tradition, from today (Friday December 4th 2009) until Saturday December 12th 2009, for every comment made on any of my blogposts, I will donate 1 can or other non-perishable food item to The White Rock / South Surrey Food Bank.

Honestly, it doesn’t get any easier than this folks. Give someone the best gift they can have. It doesn’t cost you anything but a second of your time and perhaps a comment or cheesy joke like ‘Q: What are a Wedding photographer’s favorite flowers? A: Posies.’ lol Do whatever! Just comment! Better yet, why not comment and then go drop off another can to your local food bank yourself? Seriously! I gotta tell you that leaving a comment feels pretty good knowing you’ve just fed someone, but dropping off that can yourself I GUARANTEE you that you will feel amazing! Last year’s total number of comments was 50! This year I hope to crack another one out of the park! 60? 70? 80? The sky is the limit, and you can bet your sweet gingerbread latte that I will be bloggin’ some things that will make you want to stay home from work and comment all day!! Well… maybe not THAT good, but seriously, you’ll like what I’ll be posting…I HOPE!

Click here to check last year’s entry on Cans For Comments, and also to see a cute photo of Adobe, the doberman. Why not comment on her Christmas scarf while you’re there?

Here is a list of fantastic people who are a part of Cans For Comments this year. I know there are more that I haven’t listed so please feel free to COMMENT …*wink wink* …if you are one of them, and I will be sure to update the list as soon as I can!

john heil photography
kristel wyman photography
the other angle photography
blue olive photography
tracey l heppner photography
kayci gough photography
white album weddings
sakura photography
david redding photo
pelaez photography
kp photography
erin wallis photography
studio jeanie
chris + lynn

I have been holding off on new business cards for quite a while now. I really wanted to find something that not only looked professional, but something that went above and beyond from the moment you held it in your hand. First impressions are SO important! (Letterpress pun intended. Impression? HA!)

I have to say that after searching and searching I found there are a lot of Letterpress Companies out there and most of them do an amazing job, but the folks at The Mandate Press are (in my opinion) the best of the best. From start to finish they exceeded my expectations (which trust me, were high to begin with!).

Quite Simply -
Quality of Card: 100%
Customer Service: Infinity %

If you are looking for a letterpress company I highly recommend The Mandate Press. Thank you guys so much! :)

Last night Grit and I decorated the Christmas tree. I know….its still UBER early… and we were reminded that when I insisted on playing Christmas Music before starting on the tree. If ever there was a proper time for British choir boys to be singing “O Come All Ye Faitful”, November 18th isn’t it….this I promise you.

I thought it would be fun to make a time-lapse ‘production’ of the tree. The best part is, I didn’t realize until I set everything up that I actually need a different remote control in order to DO a time-lapse. Determined, I set the camera on 10second timer and actually ran over to the camera every single time to start each photo!

I’m actually pleased with how it turned out! My video editing skills are getting better (just another thing I enjoy tinkering with in my own time), and I am very pleased with how cheesy the entire thing is. We will have a laugh with this when we’re 85! :)

p.s. and yes I actually drew the mistletoe/holly thing at the end… talented I know. ha!

When Grit and I were in Germany in September I had the opportunity….nay…the PRIVILAGE of partaking in Oktoberfest. It was truly amazing, not to mention *slightly* overwhelming, but I held on with all my might! I actually didn’t know until I got there that there was more to Oktoberfest than just Beer and Dirndl’s. It was a full out carnival! Food, drinks, rides, music….CHAOS!! (note to self: ignorance makes for better surprises!)

And with that…a video. This was an absolute blast! The best part is Grit didn’t want to go on the ride so I went with her friends and they don’t speak English… so ya… made it even MORE interesting!

For the photographers viewing this, yes I did take my 5DmkII on a ride that plummets to the ground in a complete free-fall of DEATH. I also don’t edit video much, so this one is pretty silly….nevertheless it was fun and I wanted to share. Yes it was edited in iMovie and not Final Cut Pro.

Oktoberfest. Video Editing.

There’s a learning curve.

For both. ;)