Alan Dickson Photography

Weddings, engagements, more weddings, babies, grads, Diva Parties, new computers...Did I mention weddings? It has been a crazy busy last 2 weeks. The photography we have been doing lately has ranged from extreme to challenging to I LOVE WHAT I DO! Capturing people  through photography  has got to be one of the most rewarding experiences one could hope for. As the Thunder Bay weather has been smiling on us for the past 2 weeks, I have been outside shooting to my heart's content, and Susan & Chris have been no exception. The fun thing about engagement shoots is I get to look into the life of a couple that I will be photographing for their wedding. As with all weddings we book, we include an engagement session - not just a simple session in the studio, but a session that gives our couples hundreds of images to have and Facebook to all their friends. What was fun about Susan & Chris' engagement  shoot was the ideas they had and the locations they picked. I find that the more extreme the ideas, the more creative I get. We went to 3 spots in 1.5 hours and it was non-stop energy all the way. The pair have a real love for the outdoors and a real love for each other. Out of the many hundreds of shots we took, here are my fave's.









 



  





Susan and Chris - You are a great couple to photograph! I can't wait for your wedding day this summer! Alan

13th Birthday, 13 Friends! What a great way to celebrate a birthday! Sandra and her daughter Janessa wanted to give Janessa's friends a party that they would remember for the rest of their lives. They came to the studio in co-ordinated outfits, did hair and makeup in front of the Hollywood mirrors we have in the waiting room, cranked the tunes and then hit the White Room! Nothing can beat the energy these girls showed up with, and with Sandra and Alan at the helm, they had a blast!  The studio is a natural for Diva Parties, with lights, mirrors, and a big screen TV, and the White Room is perfect for the type of modeling shots needed for those Oh-so-Fab images! We had done Diva parties with our own girls before, and Sandra is a good friend so when she asked on behalf of Janessa, we just had to say yes. And to top it all off, each girl went home with a special photo to commemorate the night, and a Facebook CD of the whole party for Janessa and Sandra to post to the web. Here are some of my favourite shots:













Many thanks to Sandra, Janessa and the girls for their energy, spirit and sense of fun! Happy Birthday, Janessa!



Keep watching the website for our new "Diva Party" packages, coming soon!

The big, expressive eyes, the bundle of energy, the laughing face...the wet nose? When mom Shannon booked an appointment to have her son and new puppy photographed, we knew it would be fun for everyone involved, because kids and puppies together have so much spunk, energy and charm. But when they came in and we saw that the 'puppy' was in fact a Samoyed, that bumped up the charm factor considerably. Samoyeds are natural beauties, with their lush off-standing coats and bright dark eyes, but what struck us the most was the fact that both Ryan and Koda seemed to possess 'kindred spirits' - when Ryan was smiling, Koda was smiling. When Ryan was bored, Koda was bored. In fact, I put together a collage of images that highlighted that sameness of expression. Some of them are just too funny! Take a look at some of my favourite images:









Thanks to Shannon, Ryan and Koda for being such good sports and allowing us to share that bond between people and their pets with all of you!

Hi there - this is Alan posting. I thought I'd give Heather a break from the computer today. Imagine this: -18 degrees, beautiful sunshine and a couple in love - this makes for a great engagement portrait. I have known Kristi's family for years now and am looking forward to doing her wedding this August. Kristi and Toby love the outdoors, snowshoeing, sledding etc, and they suggested Centennial Park as a perfect place to capture their engagement session, since it's one of their favourite places. They were both very comfortable in front of the camera, very easy going, and were a fun couple to photograph, even in the sub-zero temperatures! We went all over the park, looking for different angles and moods, from free and fun-loving, to moody and romantic. The thing I like about shooting on sunny days is the blue of the sky - it creates a lot of opportunities for emotion because of the high contrast of light and shadow. It's portraiture at its best, knowing how to control the light to make your shot say what you want it to. Here are some of my favourite shots from their session:





 







 





And here's one last shot of the couple viewing their engagement shots in our studio. Thank you, Kristi and Toby, for making this session a fun one, and I'm looking forward to photographing your big day in August!

Wow, Christmas is always a crazy time for us here at the studio - brides bringing back their albums, family portraits in high gear, plus, for us, our annual photo Christmas card! Our kids (Brynn 16, Graeme 14 and Megan 10) think and plan for months how this will look, and just like Hallowe'en costumes, the ideas get changed repeatedly, right up until the day before the event! This year, I had the idea of using one of our really large frames as an 'informal' frame, and it worked out quite well, with Alan's brother Keith pulling the trigger for us this year (thanks Keith!) We always finish off with a few goofy shots, just for us, but this year, they were SOOO good that we just had to share them on the card with the 'nice' one. Take a look at some of the images:







So to all our friends, family, clients and colleagues, have a safe and happy holiday and a wonderful New Year celebration. May 2010 bring blessings on you and yours, for hope, peace and joy in the months and years to come. Merry Christmas everyone!

This summer, Alan got a call from UP Magazine, the Westjet Airlines travel and advertising publication that promotes Canadian destinations. They were doing a feature called "Loaves and Fishes: Salvation and Salivation on Lake Superior" and they needed a photographer to shoot the fishing charter company and the subsequent gourmet dinner at Lot 66, a local Thunder Bay gem of a restaurant. He was happy to oblige, especially since Alan loves cooking, and he spent the better part of the day enjoying the kitchens of Lot 66. Chef Mike Roulston is, like Alan, self-taught, and derives much of his culinary originality and prowess from the creative mind of an artist, also much like Alan. Lot 66 has been around for 3 years, and is co-owned by Mike and business partner, Bianca Garofalo. It is a dynamic and artsy place, and part of a new breed of local establishment that is urban and edgy and very chic. But the real star is the amazing food - take a look at some of the images from the shoot:

 

 







And today - December 22 - is a special day for the chef of Lot 66 - it is his birthday! So Happy Birthday Mike! Make it a good one, and congratulations to Lot 66 for being featured in a national magazine and promoting our beautiful city!

It's said that a picture paints a thousand words. These stunning photos of Baby Hope can't even begin to paint her story, so we'll let her mom tell you, in her own words:

"My husband Mike and I had tried for a baby since our wedding night. After a year and half, we were ecstatic to find out we were finally expecting our first child. The pregnancy was going well until April 15th when I went into labour. I was only 27 weeks pregnant and was flown to London Ontario where they could better deal with a premature baby. I got to London on time where my father and sister-in-law were waiting for me. Allt he doctors told me it was going to be alright before I went in for an emergency C-section. Unknown to me, the doctor had gone to my father and told him to expect the worst. Our baby was born 2 lbs 8 oz and 13 weeks early. She was not breathing and needed to be resuscitated. It was not looking good. They wouldn't let me see her. Mike and I decided to name her Hope. It seemed fitting and at that point, hope was all we had for our baby. The next few days  are foggy. The first time I saw my little girl I felt joy she was alive, but sadness overwhelmed me. She was so little and even got smaller. She reached 1 lb 9 oz before she started gaining weight again. She was just skin and bones, hooked up to a ventilator to help her breathe. Tubes and IVs coming out of her little body. Her skin was translucent and she looked so weak. I stayed in St. Joseph's with her for 5 days. I spent as much time as I could in the NICU with her. Praying to a God I had never talked to before. Hope would need to be in the care of doctors and nurses for the next 2 months. Throughout the time, Hope had many hurdles to overcome. It was one thing after another. Reflux, a heart murmur, infections, the list went on and on. There were doctors who told us that Hope would not walk, would be deaf or even blind. My heart broke with every word of bad news. Hope had to go through many tests, be on many drugs and watched constantly. Slowly but surely, things started to look up. Her heart murmur was no more, she could breathe on her own and stopped having spells that would bring all of her vitals down. Finally the news came that there was no brain damage seen on her MRI. Hope was starting to be true to her name! After 2 long months, we came home to the Thunder Bay NICI. Hope continued to thrive and I brought her home on June 17 2009 at 4 lbs 5 oz. The days at the NICU seemed so long ago now. I think back to that time like it was a bad nightmare, it just doesn't seem real. You never know how strong you are until something terrible like this happens to your family. Hope is doing great! She is 7 months now and meeting all of her milestones. We don't hear bad news anymore and the doctors seem to think she is going to be a happy healthy baby. I think you can see that in all of the great photographs that Alan took. He really captured the miracle that is our Baby Hope!" Kelly Elliot














Thanks Kelly for allowing us to share in your miracle. Hope is truly a picture perfect little girl and we were blessed by being able to capture some of the dreams you have for her on 'film'. We almost lost our youngest daughter twice and know the feeling of utter helplessness yet quiet strength. You and Mike will never be the same - Hope has changed your lives forever in the most powerful of ways. What a great gift from God and what a perfect little miracle!



December 2, 2009

Here's a shot of Hope that Kelly had sent in an earlier email. Look at the difference from then until now - She must have the most amazing will to live, and parents who never gave up on her! She's going to be an amazing woman when she grows up!

Large windows, blond wood, natural colours and a fresh elemental style that personifies the Great NorthWest. That is the face-lift that has been given to Thunder Bay's city hall building, which was officially re-opened Tuesday, November 3. Both Alan and I were hired to commemorate the occasion, which had a brief drum ceremony, a re-dedication of the cenotaph, the presentation of original artwork and the sealing of a time capsule, to be opened in 50 years. Several of the city's dignitaries were on hand,  including Mayor Lynn Peterson, Ken Boshcoff, Jack Masters and the family of Thunder Bay's first Mayor, Saul Laskin. Not only beautiful, the new city hall is eco-friendly, with improvements to both windows, insulation and building structure. As a flagship of Thunder Bay's new 'Clean, Green and Beautiful' Initiative, the new City Hall embodies that vision, combining beauty with ergonomics. Here are a few images of that blustery but historic day:


























Congratulations to the team who worked on this project, from designers to contractors to tradespeople, to those who had a vision for this project from start to finish, and most of all, to the citizens of Thunder Bay - we have a world-class City Hall now, one that is as beautiful as it is diverse. This just goes to prove that we are 'Superior by Nature!'



For more information on this new 'Clean, Green and Beautiful' City Hall, click here and follow the link to the City website.

Attention all Brides! Alan Dickson Photography is launching a new service that will be unveiled at the upcoming Wedding Wishes and Bridal Fair, Sunday November 8. The show is full of exciting displays, exhibits and vendors, and we encourage all brides, grooms, moms and bridesmaids to attend and find out what ideas can be sparked from a show like this. Make sure you come over and see our booth - we'll have about 20 original new enlargements to view - just a few of the highlights of this year's weddings, and several different albums to take a look at, including the new Monterey, a beautiful Pressbook album that looks like something right out of Chapters bookstore! Also new - the Engagement Book, a fun, romantic change from the usual engagement portrait (check out Kendra and Jason's Engagement session featured on the blog!) And as I said earlier, we are taking this opportunity to launch a new 'service', never before offered in Thunder Bay - but we're not giving out any clues! You have to come to the show to find out what it is... See you Sunday, November 8!

This fall is a special time for Kendra and Jason, as they have been engaged for just over one month. Alan had photographed Kendra before, in family portraits, and as a promo ad for the TBRHSC. So when they decided to have engagement portraits done, they all agreed that the portraits couldn't just be 'the same old thing' -- Alan wanted to pull out the fun side of this wonderful couple. They were game for anything, so this Sunday, they headed to a variety of very different locations around the city. What began to emerge was a celebration of colour, from falling leaves to red maples, from old brick to funky-town graffiti. Kendra and Jason were in their element, laughing and smooching and having a ball with the camera.


















 It was impossible to pick just one image out of the 300 plus that Alan shot, so they are opting to have an engagement book done, with 20 of their favourite images in a beautiful press-book album. With the engagement session so amazing, we can't wait for what will unfold when we shoot their wedding next year!



 Thanks Kendra and Jason, for allowing us to capture just a fraction of what makes you both so special!