DANCE4LIFE 2010 in Calgary - update with photos! :)

A couple of weeks ago I posted an invitation to a rocking event that takes place every year in one of GoodLife Fitness gyms called Dance4Life. It's a fundraiser for AIDS awareness around the globe that falls on the day of the new BodyJam release (dance based class - I LOOOOOVE Jam!!)..:) So basically it's one huge dancing party!! I mean it can't get any more fun than that! Last year I shot this event by myself but this time I thought it would be even more interesting to bring friends along with me and they did an amazing job! Thanks sooo much for coming out to shoot with me guys!! You can check out their photos here (our Facebook Dance4Life page), Ekaterina Ulovich , Iryna Koleganova and Julia Eskin. We had TONS of prizes in donations and were able to raise $800 that day...If you would like to support AIDS awareness fund please go to our Facebook page and get in touch with the best Jam instructor EVA - Erin! :))) She'll let you know how you can help.

We had 80 people this year! YAY Jammers!!


Rocking team of the most wonderful Jam instructors!


Go Robin!! :) Sweet moves!


My great pal Elaine! You were great up on the stage, my friend! Great intro!


Noone could have warmed up the crowd better than Elaine!


Loved the new tunes from Release 51! Can't wait to learn the choreography.


It's all about having fun and good time with friends!


Adrienne is really givin' er!


Love this pic! 

Calgary Family Photographer: Elena and her Family.

We had such a blast taking photos of Elena and her great family - her husband Doug, her mom who was visiting from Germany and her two lovely dogs - Mika and Molly. Seriously I have never seen dogs with longer eyelashes! That was amazing!!



Cute little Molly:




First time using my new 8mm fisheye lens:


Some fun moments we had with the dogs!:))


Look at the eyelashes!!






Elena and I both loved the sky above downtown on the day of the shoot!


Her and Doug are such a fun couple!:)


Thanks so much for inviting me to take your photos, guys!

Dane Sanders Fast Track Photographer Workshop in Calgary - May 5-6, 2010!

What we've all been waiting for is finally here: Dane Sanders has announced his rocking workshop here in Calgary that will take place on May 5th and 6th, 2010 (yes, a TWO DAY intense workshop with lots of practical knowledge and tips plus Dane's marketing ideas for photographers!). If you missed Chris Becker's Workshop last November and though to yourself: "Man, I really should have gone and learnt some great stuff that's applicable to my business!" you really should go to this one! Plus you won't feel left out when everyone posts photos from the workshop on their blogs and Facebook and tags your friends...haha jk. :)))) Join the Facebook Group to find out about all the updates and be on the mailing list. If you're new to the industry (just like I am!) it's a fantastic way to network and make new friends among photographers and interact in a great and friendly environment learning new things about you, your business and your clients. So come and meet 40-50 photogs in your area, bring your photography gear, hang out and learn from one of the best photogs in the wedding photography industry!

I suggest that you read Dane's book Fast Track Photographer, it was mind blowing for me!

And if you decide to register please click here! See you at the workshop!! Oh and by the way Dane is offering A LOT of goodies for those who attend the seminar! It's just too good to miss.

Calgary Family Photographer: Amanda, Bis and the kids!

This past Sunday I had the pleasure to spend some time and photograph this amazing family - Amanda, Bis, Emily and little Bis. We had so much fun exploring new shooting locations and simply enjoy the beautiful Calgary weather (yes that happens too! :)) and lots of sun! :) The kids were so funny, goofing around..hehe :)

I'll post a few teasers for now and will blog more about this great session as I go through the photos!

DANCE 4 LIFE

Calgary, brace yourself! A huge event is coming and YOU want to be a part of it! No seriously..:)) please mark your calendars for January 22, 2010 to come out and have some fun! Dance4Life is an annual dance party fundraiser to support HIV/AIDS research around the world meaning that thousands of people all over the world will be raising money dancing at the same time. How cool is that??

Details:

What: DANCING PARTY

Where: GoodLife Fitness Canyon Meadows, 13226 MacLeod Trail SE Calgary, AB

When: Friday, January 22 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Please join Facebook Group for updates and to see more photos I took at the event last year! It was sooo much fun!

Hope to see you there!! :)))

I Will Shoot For Movie Tickets!

Most of you know how much I LOOOOVE going to the movies! I wish I could go to the movies every night...ahhh..my dream. The last movie I have seen was Avatar (highly recommend by the way! - it's totally rad!). There're a few others I want to see so I had an idea - I will shoot a mini photo session for you here in Calgary (30 min) for a $100 gift certificate to Studio 16 theatre (regular price for the full session is $275). If you wish to take me up on this limited offer you may email me at lanaphotography@gmail.com as soon as possible or leave a comment below this post that you want your name to be entered in the draw (I will need your contact info emailed to me still) - you don't need to sign up for Blogger to be able to leave a comment. I will have the draw tomorrow at 8 pm and will announce the winner on my Facebook Fan Page - so please join and let's have some fun!! I may have other similar draws in the future if this one goes well. ;))

2010 - Here I Come!

Today I was looking through my 2009 blog posts and found this post.

There were my New Year resolutions and I wanted to see which ones I was able to keep..Lol :)))

- Become a better photographer every single day. I'm sure my families and couples are better judges of that. :) I did my very best trying to produce the most wonderful images for them to cherish and I'm hoping I succeeded a bit. :))

- Learn something new about lighting, posing, composition ..FUN stuff every day! - hell yeah it was fun!!! I couldn't wish for a better year! I have attended a very awesome seminar hosted by an award winning top 10 wedding photographer Chris Becker - a mind blowing event that really got me thinking. There's a couple of photography forums that I highly recommend: the [b] school, POTN, Photography Schoolhouse, DPS - Digital Photography School. There are some fantastic resources for photographers t gain knowledge and network.

- Less PC, more books. I actually made an effort to borrow books from the library this year after realizing membership lapsed like over 1,5 years ago. Oops. After reading a few Russian novels I entered the world of....TWILIGHT series by Stephanie Meyer. I read all 4 books in just a few weeks and wish she had written more Twilight sequels! My friends are making fun of my new passion - the Edward/Bella story but I don't care..:)))) All I can say - great books, awesome first two movies (I can't wait for the Eclipse to come out this June) and a beautiful love story.

- Blog at least several times a week. - DONE! :)) I have done 3 blog posts a week on average (if my mad math skills don't fail me lol :)) and really enjoyed it! Blogging is fun!!

- Spend more time with my family. I'm almost there but not quite yet. My mom has come to visit us from Russia and we've done a whole bunch of fun things together - like I signed her up for membership at Goodlife Fitness and we jam together! :) We go to the movies and shopping, she's truly one of my best friends! Tim has started kindergarten last September and I love doing little school projects with him.

- Travel to  a place I've never been before. YEAH!!! My family and I went to Vancouver, BC for the first time. It was amazing!!! You can read the whole story here and here.

- Be happy with what a new day brings. With my busy schedule I am really learning to appreciate the little things in life (like a cup of hot coffee in the morning when we have no heat in the apartment, haha :)), or getting the fireplace going and just sitting in front of it with my family talking about everything. Love those moments.

- Start gym again. SCORE! I`ve been going to my favourite gym Goodlife Fitness faithfully with my mom and we are enjoying it a lot! We have some amazing instructors - Elaine, Erin, Mel, Denisa, Emmy, Ali, you guys rock!!

- Get a new body (I`m talking about a camera body, what were you thinking? :)). I got a Canon 7D about a month ago and I just love this camera!! It`s truly great, and it has expanded my photo possibilities.

 Now I have to start thinking about my goals and resolutions for this year. :))

And since every blog post is better with a photo - here`s a picture of Tim and my mom taken a couple of days ago when we were on the way to Kananaskis:



HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!