It has been a long time. Due to unforseen circumstances, I had to take our blog off line for a while… now, we’re back… kind of.

I have created a new blog that caters to photographers (both amateur and professional) who love to travel. I get asked questions about my trips, what camera gear I used, what techniques I used for certain photographs … plus many others. I have been fortunate enough to have many outstanding photography teachers plus, I have had the honour of visiting many places on our planet. The goal of this new blog/site is to discuss photography from a traveller’s perspective.

So… you can check out our new blog/site, www.holyfstop.com

We hope you visit often… and don’t forget to subscribe to receive our updates to the site.

Take care and all the best,
Roël
p.s. after this post, this blog will no longer be updated, but its content will remain intact

My apologies as my last post was a bit rushed… I was trying to complete it when I heard the boarding announcement for my flight home from Venice.

As you know, I just spent the past week with Joe McNally in Italy.  IMHO, he doesn’t need an introduction to fellow photographers or his clients… he is one of the world’s finest photographers.   For those of you who are not familiar with his work, his images have graced the covers of National Geographic, Life Magazine and Sports Illustrated… just to name a few publications.

Joe is a master of light and he uses some incredibly complex lighting setups (I’ve never met anyone who travels with 12 speedlights!). Watching Joe work and having the opportunity to shoot along side him was an amazing experience, to say the least. Whether I was shooting on my own or helping Joe setup his lighting, it is amazing how much you can learn from him.

Our week together had us working pretty late into the evening and one day, we even started working at 4am to photograph some lovely ballerinas at sunrise (yawn). I must say that I was exhausted by the end of the week – and it was an incredibly rewarding experience.

To the other photographers who were present in Venice: it was truly a pleasure to meet all of you.  And to my friend Rob in Ottawa: thank you again for this wonderful opportunity.

Joe: thank you for a phenomenal week and I hope our paths cross again.

Here are a few images that I shot during the week…

Our regular readers will have noticed that I have been absent for the past week…. but it as been one heck of a week!

Once in a while a guy gets really lucky… and lady luck has been smiling at a lot at me lately.

I am sitting in Venice airport waiting for my flight home.  I just spent the past 6 days shooting with legendary photographer and author, Joe McNally (special thanks to my friend Rob in Ottawa for giving me this great opportunity).  Joe, IMHO, is the best photographer alive on the planet … period.  It has been an exhausting week but my head is spinning with all of the great things we did.

Anyway, my flight is being called… I will post a few more images once I land and get a little sleep

Ciao bella,
Roel

A little while ago, Anne and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. We went out for a really nice dinner – and what I didn’t know what Anne bought me a little gift – a clock! But it is no ordinary clock – it has my name on it.  Not sure where she found it, all I know is that it is a great gift.

When I was a kid, I always wanted a personalized mug. Every other kid had one, but since my name was so “unique”, none of the stores had a “Roel” mug in stock. Oh well.

So, not only is there a clock with my name on it, it appears there is a beer with my name too.  How great is that?

For those of you who know Anne and me really well, you will attest to the fact that we adore our dog, Zeus. Not only is Zeus our Chief Executive Dog (he slept his way to the top), we think he is the cutest little guy on four paws. Then again, we are very biased.

For those of you who have a dog, you will know exactly what I mean. When Zeus was a puppy, we would teach him tricks, how to sit, etc.   Then one day I realised that  we teach dogs very little… but dogs teach us a lot.   They are very old and wise souls, IMHO.  They know how to have fun, play, be themselves – and they are one of the few creatures on the planet that know how to love unconditionally. Who could ask for anything more?

So, if you have a dog, give him/her a great big hug and a cookie. We’ll be doing the same for our little Zeus!

As a lot of people are now booking vendors for their wedding day, we’ve been receiving a lot of inquiries and meeting with many people regarding our services.  A question that often comes up is, “How soon after our wedding  will we receive our proofs, etc?”

The answer:

Within one (1) week of your wedding date, your images will be posted in a password protected online gallery and you can share this with anyone you choose.  Then, within three (3) weeks, you will receive your printed proofs and DVD of edited high resolution files.

The album process is a little more complicated than that, however, after you select the images for your album, you will be shown the initial design within three (3) weeks.  Once you approve the final artwork for your album, the finished product typically takes about 7 to 9 weeks to be delivered to us.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to drop us a line at info@roelphoto.com

Contracts by their very nature are designed to protect both the consumer and the service provider. A well written contract will clearly spell out the deliverables (products or services) that are to provided and the payment required.  The conditions on how both parties will operate are also clearly listed in plain english.

Sadly, I have witnessed some couples who did not have a contract with their photographer, which lead to a disastrous result. And some couples who had a contract ended up paying additional fees for things they “thought” was included such as proofs and digital files.

Here are the four main things to look for before you sign a contract with your photographer.

Deliverables – Make sure that all items that you want in your package are clearly listed in your contract and are included in the fee being charged. These include, but are not limited to the length of coverage, high resolution files, printed proofs, albums, parent books, prints and engagement sessions.

Extras/Options – Make sure that the contract outlines the fee charged for additional options such as overtime, travel charges and what the photographer deems to be “additional products”. If there is an additional fee for items, what exactly is that fee?

Photographer’s Standard Fee – What is the fee, including taxes, for the deliverables in your contract. What are the payment terms? What forms of payment do they accept (cheque, cash, credit cards). Make sure their Canadian GST/HST number is listed as it must be on all invoices and receipts issued by legitimate Canadian businesses.

Terms & Conditions – I often call this the “fine print”. Read this section carefully as it discusses cancellation policies, payment terms, refunds of payments, backup equipment, limits of liability, etc. These terms need to benefit both parties, not just the photographer.

I wish you well for your wedding day…

For those of you who know me well, you know I can get quite philosophical at times, especially when it comes to topics such as life, love and the universe.

I’ve been slowly (emphasis on that last word) going through my images I shot in Spain late last year and one of them really stood out amongst the others … it is the one above which I captured just outside of a church in Cadiz, Spain.

Someone once told me that the eyes were the gateway to one’s soul.  I actually don’t understand that statement on an academic level, however, I do understand when I look into someone’s eyes and listen to that inner voice that is in all of us.  People come in and out of our lives so quickly and it is so hard to know their “story” and what they are all about with such brief encounters.

Anyway, as I entered this Spanish church, this gentleman caught my attention and I gazed into his eyes.  As I walked around the church which was really beautiful, I couldn’t help but feel some sense of connection with this man, even though I had never met him before.  I couldn’t even speak his language.  As I exited the church, I looked at him again and asked him (with hand gestures) if I could take his photograph and he graciously said yes.

So, as I continue to look into this man’s eyes to this day, what is important to me is that I actually had the opportunity to connect with another human being on a non superficial level, if only for a moment.  I didn’t care what he did or what he was… all I saw was a friendly soul who was reaching out to me.

I still do not know this man’s name – and whoever you are, thank you for the opportunity to know you on a deeper level.