For My Dad....

It has been an unbelievably bad week here at Casa Weatherbee. I got a phone call on Thursday night from my Uncle Bob to let me know that my Dad was missing. His boat was found on his beloved Lake Ferguson, where he has been trailering for the past 12 or 13 years, and his Maple Leafs hat was found on the lake near his favorite fishing spot.
The helicopters and police search dogs spent all day Thursday looking for him, and when there was no trace of him, we were forced to start thinking the unthinkable had happened. We spent the rest of the weekend waiting for the divers from the OPP to find his body in the lake. I am devastated to report that his remains were pulled from the water yesterday (Sunday) at 12:15pm. From what we know, he decided to go fishing on the evening of the 12th, and had some sort of accident that caused him to end up in the water. Our entire family, including most of his siblings, his wife, his children and step children, and so many of his friends from Ferguson Lake campground surrounded us while we awaited the positive identification. The support I have felt over the past few days, and the prayers that have been uplifted for my family have overwhelmed me. We feel blessed to have known such an amazing man, and we are devasted that he is gone. His loss will be felt greatly all over Ontario, as he has made so many friends over the years.

I want to personally, and publically thank the OPP officers who headed the investigation (especially Joe, Sean and Shawn who spent the most time with our family) and who did such an incredible job in bringing him to the surface. We can never thank you enough for the closure you have brought us.

I would also like to thank all of Dad and Linda's friends at Ferguson Lake, who have given so much to our family over the last week. From the support, to the food, and the offers of a place to hang and gather our thoughts, I know my Dad was right when he said Ferguson Lake was the best place to be in the summer. You have truly overwhelmed me with your love, and compassion. I know that there was no other place on earth that would have been a more appropriate place for his passing. There are so many of you, I couldn't begin the list, but know that you have made this so much more bearable with your love and support.

Finally, to my family....my amazing husband, my brother and sister, Katie, Linda, Brandi and Amanda, my Uncles and Aunt, Dorelle, Sharon, Barb...it's been a long few days, and we are ready to grieve. I look forward to the day when we can be together and celebrate my fathers life....when the pain of his death isn't so near to us. I love you all! xoxo

I have been Tagged!

I have been tagged by 2 of my photographer friends... Deanna , and Anna Karin . This means that I am supposed to share with you, my blog friends, a few random facts about myself. So...here goes!

The Rules.

Post the rules before you give the facts. Post eight random facts about yourself. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag eight people and list their names. Leave the people you tagged a comment on their blog, letting them know that they’ve been tagged.

1. I absolutely hate to fly. Yep it's true. I have been on 4 flights within the past week, and I felt sick to death on everyone one of them. I've tried taking valium but it doesn't even come close to helping out. On the last flight I was on, I tried using my Ipod to distract me, but it died half way down the runway as the plane took off. On the same flight, I was sitting beside a pilot, who shared some lovely crash statistics with me while we were 6 miles in the air. Uh...nice timing, buddy. lol!

2. I have no pets, and I do not want any. I think that may make me a bit of a monster.... ;)

3. I dislike birds, and actually any creature with wings in fact. This is for many reasons, but mostly because I am afraid they are going to fly into my hair. It has happened, and that's all I'm going to say.....

4. I have a birthmark that is shaped like Africa. True story.

5. I have been shooting with an SLR camera for more than 20 years. :) My first one was a Yashica with a 50mm prime, and I still have it today. I got to keep it because no one else knew how to use it.

6. I used to teach drivers education. Those of you who know about my horrible sense of direction might find that alarming! lol! I really hated the job, but I loved working with the kids. They kept the whole experience bearable. I still remember most of my students, even 10 years later. It surprises them, but they might be even more surprised to know that I have no recollection whatsoever about any of their driving skills.

7. Cherry cough syrup makes me gag. Even a whiff will make me nearly loose my cookies. If you made me drink it, I would probably vomit for hours.

8. I love what I do in an insane way. I think about photography all day, every day. In my dreams, I have a camera and am shooting.

Okay, here's my special 8:

Jenna Simpson
Shannon Bird
Krista Jefferson
Trevor Meeks
Dan Deveau
Sara Moody Veldhuis
Kimberly Hill
Vicky Byerly

Overwhelmed with Info!

We left New Orleans late on Monday night, after a meal at a restaurant in the French Quarter. I've got to tell you, as photographers, it seems we *may* have problems committing to things sometimes. It's bad enough when there is only one of us waffling about what we want to do, but imagine there is 10 more people who are just as indecisive! LOL! We literally wandered from street corner to street corner mulling over where we were going to eat supper. We probably wasted an hour just trying to commit to a restaurant! lol! It was totally hilarious!



My initial impressions of New Orleans are that it is an amazing city, full of rich culture and history with beautiful architecture, but equally full of heartbreaking desolation. We were there exactly two years after Katrina hit, and in many areas, it's like it happened yesterday. The devastation left by the storm is still hauntingly apparent in so many areas on the Gulf coast, but none more so than some of the poorest parrishes in New Orleans. Truly, the sight is something I will never forget. In a funny little *aside*, the Reverend Al Sharpton was on my flight to New Orleans. Just a little trivia for you there! ;)

The seminar with Mike Fulton from Tri-Coast Photography was absolutely amazing. What a fantastic workshop....we all learned so much, and already I've been able to incorporate new techniques into my work in the few short days I've been home. I can't thank Mike and Jordan enough for putting it on, and for being such incredible leaders. I met some great new friends who I just adore, and learned more in my time there than I could have in a year on my own. I honestly can't begin to list all the things that we did there, but I know my clients will see a change right away. I look forward to pushing myself artistically further than I ever have before, and this time in the states was the perfect catalyst to help me do that.

Here's a few shots from the workshop. I would like to thank the models, Joanna, Joey and Sarah for their time and their patience as they modelled for us. It wasn't easy, but it sure was fun! ;) You guys ROCKED!

New Orleans Shootout!

I'm back from my workshop, and it was truly amazing. I met some fantastic photographers ( Mike Fulton ; Jordan Chan ; Suzy Min ; George Kuchler to name just a few!) and shot till I couldn't shoot anymore. Our first day was in New Orleans, where George met up with us to spend the afternoon working with us. We were so lucky to have him hang with us until Mike and Jordon arrived later in the afternoon. He shared his favorite spot in New Orleans to shoot portraits, and it was like hanging out in a photographers paradise. There were more photography locations in one block than I have ever seen. It showed me that maybe I'm not looking hard enough for cool spots, and from now on it is going to be my mission to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Some shots from our NOla shootout, and many thanks to our gorgeous models, Caroline, Christi, Angel and Melissa for their time and talent during the day. These girls went above and beyond the call of duty in modelling, even jumping into a fountain in Jackson Square (which we did get them kicked out of, by the way!) Ahhh....good times!

Big Easy Dan

I was lunching at the beautiful Cafe Pontalba in New Orleans, an open air cafe with the breeze blowing around, and the sounds of the street musicians right beside the cafe. It was my first hour in New Orleans, and as we were getting up to leave, I made the aquaintance of the most delightful fellow, at the table next to ours. He was sitting in the most incredible light, and of course, I couldn't let such a moment go by unrecorded. Dan, thanks for letting me take your photo, and for checking out my blog so you could see it. It is probably one of the best portraits I've ever shot, and I just want to thank you for that. :) Please send me your email address, so I can send you the full resolution file, so that you may have it to enjoy as much as I do.

Without further adieu....Big Easy Dan.... :)