In planning our own wedding over the past year and a half, we have really learned to appreciate not only all of the hard work and planning that our couples go through, but also the value of hiring wedding professionals whom we both trust and respect.

There are so many tiny little details to take care of for a wedding, and a lot of them can be very easily overlooked. It is also very easy to become overwhelmed when looking at everything all at once (I'll admit that it's happened a couple of times). When you hire professionals to take care of you on your wedding day that you know, trust, and have a great relationship with, all of the stress and worry disappears, and your perfect day can come to fruition.

We have learned this, and we have gone to the best in the industry to take care of us on our wedding day:

Pauline from MyBouquet (florals)
Angelica from Simply Beautiful Decor (decor/linens)
Anne Kelly from Inviting Elegance (invitations/stationary)
Maria and Rosanna from Ingenious Designs (favours)
Club Roma (reception)
Judy St. Angelo from Glamr Arist (make-up)
Joe and Vinny from Spirit of Sound (DJ)
Dave and Matthew from Niagara Classic Cars and Cabs (transportation)
Dave and Charlotte (photographers)

Without this amazing lineup of wedding professionals taking care of us, I don't know where we would be. We are forever grateful for their hard work and professionalism. Thank you.

We met up with Angelica (Simply Beautiful Decor) and Mandy (MyBouquet) this morning to go over all of the final details for floral/decor. To say that we are "giddy" is an understatement! Everything is coming together so perfectly, and we couldn't be happier.

Pauline even put together a bit of a sample bouquet/centerpiece for us. It isn't final, as they still have to add some of our soft-pink colors, but it gives you an idea. They even let us take it home with us to adore and love. Here are a few photographs of it that I took on our (new) dining room table.

Less than 4 weeks to go and we will be Mr. and Mrs. Caporicci. How exciting! We love going through this with our couples, and once we have gone through it, we will have such a better understanding and appreciation for our future couples.

Have a great Monday!

Posted June 14, 2010 by Bryan Caporicci  |  Category: Chit-Chat

I have spoken a number of times about the role that I play in the photographic industry. As an educator and a leader for many other professional and aspiring photographers, I am joyed to teach and help other photographers get their businesses to an all-new level.

Along with my EnlightenMe partner, Robert Nowell, we are speaking at an upcoming Professional Photographers of Ontario meeting in Western Ontario. See below for the flyer.

The seminar we are giving is on "Album Design". Buoyed by the success of our last "Album Design" seminar, we are excited to be able to give it again to a whole new crowd in Western Ontario.

If you are a professional photographer and would like to know more about album design, design fundamentals, how to do it quicker, better, and easier, this is the seminar for you! Registration details are below.

See you then!

Posted June 10, 2010 by Bryan Caporicci  |  Category: Chit-Chat

The photographic industry in the Niagara Region is full of wonderful people and great photographers. I am proud to call many of Niagara's finest wedding and portrait photographers my friends.

A lot of people consider photographers competitors, when in fact, that couldn't be further from the truth. Every photographer has their own style, personality, and business philosophy, and they attract couples and clients who resonate with them. There are no two photographers who are identical in style, personality and business philosophy, and therefore, we all attract our own set of clients.

Therefore, we can all be friends! Woo hoo!

I founded and organize a large group of local professional wedding and portrait photographers that I called "We Niagara Photographers". It started off a few years ago with going out for coffee with a few of us, and now there are over 60 photographers in the "group", and we get together every month to socialize, hang out, shoot, learn, and have fun.

This past Friday, I organized our We Niagara Photographers get-together to first have breakfast at the lovely Cora's in Niagara Falls, and then out for a photo-shoot.

Here are a few of the images that I created while out on the photo-session, with Emma and Ally. Big thanks to the girls for coming out and modelling for us!

Enjoy!

Posted May 31, 2010 by Bryan Caporicci  |  Category: It's Fun!Chit-Chat

I am asked often "What makes you different as a photographer", and what an amazing question that is!

When I teach photography and business to both aspiring photographers and other professional photographers, that is one of the first questions that I encourage them to think about; What makes you different as a photographer? Why should your clients hire you over someone else?

Without going into a long spiel (I'll save that for our meet-and-greets in the studio), I wanted to quickly SHOW one of the ways that we have excelled both for our couples and in the industry.

Three simple words - "Off-Camera Flash"

As a non-photographer, you may be wondering "What does that mean, Bryan?", so instead of going into tech-talk of Manual power, Radio Poppers and Lightstands, and confusing terms such as Aperture, Shutterspeed and ISO, I am going to simply show a few samples. From this point on, however, let's refer to this technique as "Bcap Lighting". It is a technique that I have taught several seminars on, simply because it is a technique that many photographers aspire to master.

Let's talk about the very simplest form of lighting - "On-Camera Flash". This means that there is a flash (light source) on the top of your camera, and you point it directly at your subject. Out-of-doors, this can be useful for filling in some harsh shadows, however I still don't like how it looks. Indoors, the use of on-camera flash is even more obvious, because it makes your subject light (with a flat, direct light), and it makes your background look dark. The result is a deer-in-headlights type of look, one that is neither flattering, creative, or emotive. It looks just like any image that anyone could take with any camera. Nothing creative or professional about it. This is why I stay away from it.

Then comes in "Bcap Lighting", where we use multiple flashes (sometimes as many as 5), all off of our cameras, strategically set up around the reception room to light it up and provide a more realistic and life-like ambience. This technique has taken us a while to master and fine-tune, but we are now confident that no matter where we are photographing, that we are able to "bring" amazing and beautiful light.

Click "Read the Full Entry" for more information, for before-and-after comparisons, and more examples of our "Bcap Lighting"

Posted May 27, 2010 by Bryan Caporicci  |  Category: Chit-Chat

I have previously mentioned my involvement with the Professional Photographers of Canada and the Professional Photographers of Ontario. Not only am I an active member, but I am also on the Board of Directors for the PPO Hamilton/Niagara branch.

Through the PPOC, I am ever-expanding my knowledge on photography, marketing, lighting, posing, branding, packaging, and so on. I am always striving to improve my skill-set and grow as a photographer so that I can better serve my clients.

I recently submitted 4 images for the Professional Photographers of Canada's National Image Salon, where professional photographers from around the nation submit their images for judging and competition. This year, I was told that there were over 1200 entries from Canada's top photographers, and I am proud to say that mine scored amount the best. Two of my four images were accepted and displayed in the National Salon, with a score of "Accepted" and "Merit".

I am privileged to have received this honour, and I am excited to continue to improve and grow my photography.

Below is the Press Release from the PPOC.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
2010 PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS OF CANADA NATIONAL IMAGE COMPETITION

May 12, 2010 Mont-Tremblant QC

The 2010 National Image Competition of the Professional Photographers of Canada took place this week during Inspiration 2010, the Annual Convention of the PPOC, in Mont-Tremblant, QC.

Bryan Caporicci, LPPO a professional photographer from Fonthill, ON, had 2 images accepted and exhibited in the National Image Competition, judged prior to the Convention by a panel of Master Photographers from across Canada. Acceptance in the competition earns the maker Merits toward several Degrees offered to PPOC members, including the prestigious Craftsman of Photographic Arts and Master of Photographic Arts. It is also an indication of the makers’ ability to produce above average images for their clientele.

The competition features entries from across Canada in many different classes, including Portraiture, Wedding, Commercial, Digital and Specialist categories. Members also are able to enter Salons in their respective regions of Canada annually, increasing their opportunities to earn recognition for their skills as a PPOC member.

The Annual Convention also presents seminars by an international assortment of the world's foremost photographers, as well as a Trade Show where suppliers display the latest in equipment and services to the Professional Photographic industry.
For more information on the activities and services offered by the Professional Photographers of Canada, interested readers may contact the organization by phoning 1-888-643-PPOC, e-mailing - , or visiting the PPOC Web Site at http://www.ppoc.ca.

PPOC wishes the recipients and their sponsors continued success.

Submitted by: Brian Lee, HLM MPA Cr. Photog. National Exhibition Chair, PPOC

Posted May 19, 2010 by Bryan Caporicci  |  Category: It's Devotion!Chit-Chat

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