Mario P. Menard Photographer

BLOG HAS BEEN MOVED

2010-06-16T10:29:00.002-04:00

My blog has been moved to www.ottawaportrait.com/blog

Professional Portraits

2010-06-01T15:38:00.006-04:00

Having a nice portrait done is not only a fun experience but also a very rewarding one! Did you know we include retouching & modifications in all of our prints we sell? I would much rather have my clients leave the studio not only satisfied with the overall experience but also satisfied with how they look on the photos.

You can visit our portrait page at www.ottawaportrait.com/portrait.html

Portraits in the Park

2010-05-28T13:23:00.002-04:00

We're enjoying some beautiful weather in the Ottawa region and the landscaping & trees are already in full bloom. Perfect time for doing a family or a romantic walk in the park portraits.

I invite people to visit our website for sample images in our slideshow and our pricing.

Here's the link: http://www.ottawaportrait.com/portrait.html

Commercial Photography

2010-05-28T13:11:00.006-04:00

Sometimes it's about being at the right place at the right time. Sometimes it's about the size of your camera influencing a person. Last saturday evening I think it was a combination of both! Following our wedding shoot, Louise and I stopped at Bigg's restaurant for a late dinner. I brought my camera bag along because I never leave my equipment in the vehicle; and I also like to look at my shots while I wait for dinner. The owner came to see me and asked if I did commercial photography. After dinner I waited a bit for the light to be right. This shot turned out pretty decent.

Beauty is in Everyone

2010-05-11T09:48:00.005-04:00

I swear, on a weekly basis there's someone that walks through the doors of my studio and one of the first comment they make is "I'm not a photogenic person, you have your work cut out for you". I usually reply "When's the last time you've been to a professional studio"? Most will either answer "never" or "on my wedding day" Most people are exposed almost on a daily basis to aim & shoot and cell phone cameras, usually the recipe for a mug shot! Even the most sophisticated DSLR camera won't get decent results if the lighting is poor.

As a professional photographer, I am in the business of making people look beautiful! I have the skills to pose people and use specific lighting techniques that will bring the best out of people. We use sophisticated photo editing software to retouch and alter portraits in order to make it even more flattering.

Beauty is in everyone; it's knowing how to record it and polish the finish product.

BUSINESS PORTRAITS

2010-04-22T12:20:00.005-04:00

Every week I come across a business card or a website with an amateur photo of the business person. The design of the website looks great but the photo of the person looks awful! I often say to people, if you don't intend to use a professional business portrait of yourself on your business cards or website, you'd be much better off by not using any. You're a professional and your image should look professional.

We offer business people great business portraits that works! We also include retouching & modifications with our business portrait packages to make you look even better. From $149 to $249 to look great & professional is a pretty darn good deal don't you think?

Ottawa Boudoir

2010-04-21T13:40:00.008-04:00

Without any doubts, the best boudoir photo session available in the Ottawa market is offered by our studio because of the variety of poses, styles and quality of our work. See for yourself!

GREAT ADVICE FOR WEDDING PLANNING COUPLES

2010-03-13T10:41:00.005-05:00

Check out our wedding advice: http://www.ottawaportrait.com/wedding.advice.htm

If you're planning a wedding, these advice will come very handy.

New Redesigned Website

2010-03-07T16:09:00.003-05:00

I invite everyone to have a look to our new redesigned website. It's loaded with beautiful photos and lots of information you'll need whether you're getting married or need a nice family portrait done or perhaps you want to surprise your love one with a sassy boudoir portrait of yourself.

You can view our portfolio at www.ottawaportrait.com

Enjoy

Ottawa Wedding on The Hill

2010-01-15T17:00:00.003-05:00

When I first glanced at the cover of Ottawa Wedding Magazine at the bridal show last weekend, I gave it a second look because the shot was very familiar. However, the shot ended up being taken by some other photographer.

The hill is a very popular destination for taking some very creative wedding photos. The architecture and the lighting in certain areas makes it ideal for scenic portraits. This is a sample of a nice wedding we shot last summer. Various samples can be found on my website. Beautiful couple. The groom is a Governor General Guard.

2010 Brides & Grooms... Beware!

2010-01-13T10:34:00.001-05:00

2010 promises to be a big year for weddings in Ottawa. We've just came from the Wedding Palace Bridal Show this past weekend and judging from the number of people who have attended the show and the number of interested couples who stopped by our booth, I am confident we should be booked solid this year.

If you're planning to hire a professional photographer to cover your wedding, congratulations, you are very wise! When you'll be browsing the numerous photographer's web sites, pay close attention to what you're seeing. When you narrow down your choices, beware! Ottawa has an over abundance of people who claim to be pros in the wedding industry, many even have elaborate web sites that may give the illusion they're professionals, but it isn't the fancy flash presentation of a web site you should be concentrating your focus on but the quality of images you're looking at.

Wedding photography is probably the most important service you should be investing in for your wedding day. I realize this is a cliché and pretty biased for a photographer, but I hope by reading this you will learn a few crucial tips regarding the importance of your wedding day memories. I cannot stress enough how important the services of an experienced professional photographer will play in the recording of your wedding day memories. Your wedding album is an archive for your children and future generations. Are you willing to gamble on such an important day of your life?

First, let me speak from my 24 years of experience in the wedding industry. Countless brides and mothers have contacted me over the years to ask me if there’s anything that could be done with their wedding photos which they had contracted the job to a cousin, uncle or to a part time photographer who had a fancy SLR camera. Needless to say, those who chose that avenue regretted it deeply after the wedding! A person can invest in the most sophisticated and expensive DSLR camera but if they don’t have the professional training & experience of shooting weddings, they are bound to fail! Even students who have graduated with high honors from photography programs will attest when they took on their first wedding assignments, it tore their guts out because of the high level of stress they underwent in order to deliver professional looking images in a very fast paced & stressful environment. Stressful? Yes stressful because they also lacked the experience to coordinate the photo shoots and the people involved while trying to concentrate on composing artistic images throughout the entire day.

Wedding photography is without any doubt the most difficult photographic task a photographer will take on! Mostly because of the quick thinking and evaluating of technical data that is changing every minute throughout the day. Composing artistic images with the correct exposure for the subjects and the environment they're in. But above all, the responsibility of wedding photography MUST be taken extremely seriously! It is the most important day in the life of a couple. it is a one day event, there is no room for irreparable
mistakes! Furthermore, the composition of professional looking images one has to compose frame after frame. Composing professional looking images shot after shot requires experience plain and simple! A few good shots out of 300 just won’t cut it! Taking 500 to 1000 images in order to capture a dozen good ones is a sure sign of a photographer that lacks technical & composition knowledge. You shouldn't have to go through so many images in order to select 30 or 60 images for your wedding album. It is just too much of an overwhelming & frustrating task! On average I capture around 300 images per wedding. This being said, 95% of my clients will upgrade their wedding album to accommodate more photos because many of the photos "were too nice to part with" they say.

IMAGES THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME

Photojournalism and freestyle approach has become very popular in the wedding industry. I must admit, these type of images are a beautiful way to record emotions in a candid way that traditional posing cannot. However, composing an entire wedding album of such images will prove to be a messy album! A wedding gown to a bride is like a religion! She will invest a considerable amount of time choosing the “perfect” gown! To a bride, her wedding dress is what she's been dreaming of since she was a kid and fantasizing about her fairy-tale wedding. Freestyle/photojournalism photography isn’t an elaborate way of showing a gown at its best. It will show certain detailed aspects of the gown but will fail to show the bride in her gown in a whole artistic perspective. Classic & scenic posing will best document a bride in her gown that freestyle/photojournalism will miss. (Because freestyle/photojournalism approach is shooting the event as it unfolds, the photographer doesn’t take the time to arrange the wedding gown and subjects and pay attention to specific lighting techniques.) Think of it as those beautiful wedding dress catalogue photos you've looked at so many times! Those are the type of images that will best represent your wedding dress and will be the most flattering poses for you. Combining multiple shooting styles will result in a more artistic and storytelling wedding album. An experienced wedding photographer will best document these styles and will be the most consistent shooter shot after shot. Your wedding album will be more artistic & storytelling if it is composed of artistic scenic portraits, classic and documentary/photojournalism approach.

COLOURS & DETAILS

One of the most common compliment I receive from my wedding clients is regarding the colours of my photos and the details. I am proud of this! I pay very close attention to colours and details and this all begins how the shot is taken in the first place. The crucial element in wedding photography is light; how you measure it and how you work with it! Too many inexperienced photographers who shoot a freestyle approach rely too much on their camera's automatic metering features. The freestyle approach leaves them little choice because it is the fastest way to record multiple images in so little time. This in most cases will result in their images being overexposed, flat lighting, flat colours and very dull photographs. In many cases, the bride's wedding dress will have washed out areas where details are no longer present in the photograph. I am very critical of this approach of shooting because I personally think it is careless. Photography has come a very long way in the past decade. Modern tools allow us to be even more creative and allow us to have better control over the quality of our finished products. However, if there is one thing that hasn't changed, it is the basics of photography where light is everything! Too many inexperienced photographers leave their hand held meters in their camera bags and rely on their camera's meters. Working with natural light and being able to modify it is an integral part of photography; especially wedding photography!

Getting optimized exposure in the first place is crucial; post production work becomes easier and the results will be more pleasing. This is why my work consist of nice saturated colours. Of course the medium I choose to print my work on is just as important! I have been approached by numerous wedding album companies in recent years and their product wouldn't bring the best out of my work. These albums are often called photo books or digital albums. The paper they print photos on isn't premium photographic paper. Not only am I not convinced of its durability compared to conventional photographic paper, but the results are very flat (even with a glossy finish). All wedding albums I sell (even digital albums) are printed on professional photographic paper are are coated for protection. I am very selective when it comes to photographic paper or any photographic supplies for that matter!

GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Before you hire a photographer for your wedding, be selective and pay close attention to what I have mentioned in this post. There are many excellent photographers in Ottawa; professional photographers that is! There are also some very inexperienced and careless ones as well. Many purchase fancy DSLR's and think shooting weddings is easy money to supplement their income. Don't be fooled by the fancy flash websites and attractive prices. Hire someone who has plenty of experience and mostly someone who has high standards, someone who takes wedding photography very seriously! A professional photographer who has made photography his/her FULL TIME career will take your wedding very seriously.

Good luck

Mario P. Menard

Professional Photographer

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-01-03T20:40:00.000-05:00

The new year is here, we wish to give you our sincere greetings for the new year.

2010 promises to be a great year for our studio! We have new exciting products to offer our clients. If you haven't booked your wedding yet, I highly recommend you act fast! We're already more than 50% booked for 2010. Next weekend we'll take part of the Wedding Palace Bridal Show and we expect to be fully booked within the couple weeks following it.

I would also like to encourage women who have been thinking about giving their partner a sensual boudoir portrait for valentine's day to call me to schedule a no-obligation consultation.

NEW EXCITING PRODUCTS FOR 2010

2009-12-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

This is one of the new products we offer in our new 2010 wedding price list. We invite you to contact us to schedule a consultation for your upcoming wedding.

The "WOW" Factor

2009-11-20T15:34:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned this before but this has to be the most rewarding aspect of photography! The "WOW" factor! making clients look beautiful and making them happy is the biggest reward I get from photography.
The reason for this post is a recent testimonial I received from a client who very recently came here for a photo shoot. This client was not only ecstatic about the results but also very emotional when she saw the finished product.

Here's what she had to say:

Dear Mario,

I want to tell you how much I enjoyed my photo shoot with you. You made me feel very comfortable, and that was a huge thing for me.

It seemed like I hardly had to wait to get my photos and when I saw the finished pics in the studio, I could hardly believe my eyes! You had done something I didn't think possible; you had made me look beautiful! I cried from amazement almost all the way back to my office.

I don't know how I am ever going to wait the 5 weeks till Christmas to give my husband the enlargement, but I know this will be the most special gift he has ever gotten from me, and will be as ecstatic with it as I am.

I thank you with all my heart for this gift of myself, and will most happily and highly recommend you to anyone who wants photos done by you!

Sarah

Touching the lives of ordinary people

2009-10-07T09:24:00.000-04:00

A very touching story comes once in a while to make us reflect on the values of life and how we make a difference in this world. These differences may be little to some, but to others they make a world of difference. Photography in my opinion is the most powerful medium that man has ever invented! Not only does it stop time but it makes us reflect on past events that have faded with time.

A couple months ago I received a call from a woman to book a photo shoot. She wanted to have a portrait of herself; not any portrait, but a portrait that would be her last! The woman is from out of town, about 90 minutes from Ottawa. I gave her our address and began giving her driving instructions. She politely declined the instructions saying she would take the train to Ottawa and take a cab to my studio. This trip may seem a little excessive to some but to me, I was touched by her faithful determination to get to my studio. You see, Mary was a former client, in an indirect fashion that is. 16 years ago I photographed her daughter's wedding in a small Ottawa valley town. The entire family were a pleasure and a privilege for me to have worked with. Down to earth and very grateful and appreciative for everything life had to offer. A family of christian faith who never took anything for granted and were very appreciative for all the family portraits I was shooting on that day.

Upon her arrival, I greeted Mary and we sat down to talk for a little while. I wanted her to be as relax as she could be for the photo shoot. I was curious and asked her considering her health condition, why did she choose to come to Ottawa, to my studio to have her portrait done? She gave me the raised eyebrow look and snapped "Because you made us all look so good Mario, why would I go anywhere else"? She continued: "This obviously is going to be my last portrait because of my cancer and I wouldn't even have considered having someone else do my portrait". She then stood up rubbing her hands together and said "Let's do this" in a cheerful manner. I was speechless for a moment because I was so touched by what I had just heard! At 81 years of age, a disease that would take her life within a month or two but her spirit was amazingly witty and cheerful!

The photo shoot went very well, we laughed and had fun. We would stop after a few exposures and talk about family and events. After 25 or 30 exposures I was confident I had at least 10 very good shots that reflected her true spirit and personality. We then came into my office to download the shoot on the computer. While the photos were downloading, she commented how impressed she was with modern technology. When she finally saw the results she deadpanned "You see, this is why I insisted on coming here, I knew you'd make me look like the jewel that I am"!

Mary was overwhelmed with the results and ordered a 11X14 and a dozen 8X10's for her children and grand children. I was able to print everything while she waited. I figured if she was faithful and determined to the point of getting on a train to Ottawa and getting into a cab to come to my studio, it was the least I could do. She was very thankful for it and even more so with her portraits. We talked for a bit and I served her a cup of tea with a couple biscuits. She even stayed around for my next appointment because her train's departure was in a couple hours. Mary would at times give the young lady compliments on her looks and how the young lady had wisely chosen me as her photographer. The young lady looked at me and smiled, obviously charmed with Mary's remarks and cheerful spirit.

When it came time for Mary to leave, I insisted on driving her to the train station. I had safely packed her portraits in cardboard to prevent any damage and slipped in into a bag. Upon arrival at the train station, I helped her out of my SUV and walked her inside, told her how thankful I was for her faithful business and said goodbye.

I must admit, I was emotional to see her walk away; this lady's determination and spirit had to be deeply admired. I've thought about her every day ever since. Those portraits were her final memento of herself she would leave her family...

A few days ago I received a long distance phone call. It was from Mary's daughter; the daughter I had photographed her wedding 16 years ago. She was calling to give me the news that her beloved mother had past away. I immediately felt a sensation of immense grief, the news felt like I had a canon ball in my chest! Mary's daughter thanked me on behalf of her entire family for the wonderful portrait I had done for her mother. She also told me something that brought tears to my eyes. Mary had left a note with her framed 11X14, telling her family that this was her portrait to be used at her funeral and asking her family to thank me for "The amazing portrait that was created by our amazing family photographer Mario Menard".

Mary's daughter or her family weren't aware of their mother's trip to Ottawa. Mary had left the portraits with her friend living next door and had asked her to give the portraits to her daughter upon her death. It was her final way to say I love you with a memento that will be cherished forever.

In my 24 years as a professional photographer, I have done countless portraits of people, many of elderly people who some would share with me that those portraits were "just in case" type of portraits. I was always somehow touched by this but most of all, as a photographer who is passionate about recording and composing memories, I've always been aware of the importance of such portraits and how it touches many lives. However, this story has touched me the most in my 24 years. It touched me deeply because Mary was an endless enthusiast with a wonderful cheerful spirit. Her heartfelt smile prompted people to smile back with kindness and appreciation. Mary has touched me and made me realize more profoundly the importance and the meaning of a portrait... It is a memento that is cherished by the people we love, this, we all are aware of already. But most of all, a portrait is a direct communication that connects us with the people we love the most after they're gone. It is an archive of our presence; an heart felt archive for the ones we love and leave behind.

Mario P. Menard

All New Sassy Boudoir Photo Shoot Movie

2009-07-17T22:40:00.000-04:00

I'm very excited to introduce 3 new boudoir packages this week. Unlike conventional boudoir package, I've decided to push the boundaries of boudoir photography with this new product. First let me be more clear and descriptive about the Sassy Boudoir Photo Shoot Movie; it's not a photo package. It's shot at different outdoor locations and in studio. Rather than concentrating on lingerie and classic boudoir poses, I've decided to introduce a fashion theme to the outdoor location photo shoots in order to create a portfolio feel to it. The studio photo shoot contains glamour and boudoir themes and unconventional themes to make it more interesting.

This results in a product geared for a younger crowd, the conventional classic boudoir poses seemed to attract less and less the under 25 crowd. The video or movie montage of the photographs are a great idea and gives a younger feel to it.

I invite woman to view the video available on my web site and also on You Tube. You'll find both links to each video at www.ottawaportrait.com

Your comments are welcome

Cheers!

Mother & Daughter - Just Beautiful Chemistry

2009-06-11T09:32:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I had the honour of shooting the wedding of a former client's daughter. Beautiful wedding and beautiful chemistry between the mother and daughter. The bride and flower girl that is! A few years prior to this wedding I shot the wedding of the mother of the bride (now the grandmother). Repeat customers are very heart-warming for me because it shows me I do my job well and it allows me to feel closer to my customers. I wish to congratulate this family for a wonderful wedding and give them a heart warming thank you for giving me once again the opportunity to be part of it again.

2009-05-31T20:01:00.000-04:00

Ottawa Boudoir Photography

2008-10-02T15:43:00.000-04:00

Ottawa Boudoir
Official site of Ottawa Boudoir Photographer Mario P. Menard can be found at www.ottawaportrait.com or www.ottawaboudoir.com

Welcome to my blog about boudoir photography. Boudoir photography is an elegant, sensual way of portraying women like they've never been photographed before...

A boudoir portrait can be tailored to reflect your personality, charm and glamourous side of yourself!

Our services include high resolution digital capture and state-of-the-art digital imaging software for applying soft light & retouching to your skin. You will even be able to see your portraits instantly! Our services are tailored to meet your needs and make your portrait a unique and personal one.

Treat yourself to the ultimate personal gift & let us create a masterpiece of yourself!

A Boudoir Portrait? Why Not?

2008-10-02T15:35:00.000-04:00

TEMPTED BUT CAN'T FIND THE COURAGE TO DO IT?
Let's face it, the thought of posing in lingerie in front of a stranger can be a daunting task. It's normal! Many boudoir clients who came here to our studio admitted they were nervous on the morning of the photo shoot up until the first shots being taken. Some have even admitted they were so nervous that they almost called to cancel the photo shoot! I even had a couple clients who never showed for their photo session (PLEASE don't do this) likely because the task was too daunting for them.
However, every boudoir client have one thing in common; they loved the experience and were in awe with the results! My best advise for women who would like to have their boudoir portrait done but are nervous about making the decision, call for a free consultation. It will be my pleasure to answer all your questions. I have been in this profession for over 20 years and my talents aren't limited to creativity and the technical aspects of the photo shoot but also how to make clients feel at ease in a very fun and professional atmosphere. This is something an experienced professional photographer learns over the years, if the subject appears to be stressed in front of the camera it will certainly reflect on the final product! Learning how to make the client feel at ease so they can be at their best throughout the photo shoot is as important as lighting and posing techniques.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS ME!" Or "I NEVER COULD HAVE IMAGINED THAT I'D LOOK SO GOOD ON PICTURES!"
As an experienced professional photographer, I find this common testimony very interesting. The fact of the matter is, to the general public photography has become a fast food! Especially in this digital age where people are exposed to photography on a daily basis. Almost everyone has access to a digital camera; snapshots are being taken on an almost daily basis at home, at work, and at social events. It is easy to conclude we're not photogenic people when we glance at the numerous mug shots family and friends have snapped with this little digital camera. On very rare occasions a good snapshot will emerge and you'll say "Wow, this one's not bad." Truth is, no matter how many snapshots are taken of you whether it is a point-and-shoot digital camera or a more sophisticated DSLR camera, you'll never look as good compared to what a professional photographer can create!

OILS, BRUSHES & CANVAS.... LIGHTING STROBES & CAMERA

Professional photographers are quite simply modern day artists! Before photography was invented, artists used oils, brushed and canvas to create artistic expressions. Each and everyone of them had their own unique way of interpreting light and creating portraits.

The very same basics apply to modern day photographers. We work with light but modern technology allows us to control light. Although the basic fundamentals are the same, we photographers have better control of our finished product thanks to technology that allows us to fine tune a photograph from the beginning to the end product. Lighting strobes, softboxes, reflectors, sophisticated high resolution digital cameras, computers & top of the line photo editing softwares are everyday tools a professional photographer uses to work. However, It isn't the tools that will best document this artistic expression but the eye behind the camera will! The experienced photographer will ensure you are at your very best!

Mario P. Menard

2008-10-02T15:28:00.000-04:00

Ottawa Boudoir

2008-04-30T14:49:00.000-04:00

Photography is about lots of things. Sometimes it’s about documentation and memories. Sometimes it’s about promoting commercial interests or celebrities. Sometimes it’s about a client’s self-appreciation. And sometimes it’s about being in love. These are all very legitimate reasons for hiring a photographer. Boudoir photography is all about love! Love of yourself, love of your partner.

You want to present your boyfriend or husband with a set of professional boudoir pictures. Maybe it’s for his wedding day gift. Maybe for an anniversary or holiday. Whatever the reason, he’s a guy, so you already know he’s going to love sexy pictures of you. But how do you find the right boudoir photographer for the job?

One who’s going to make you feel comfortable, and still create those tastefully hot images you want? Making the decision to do a boudoir photo session is the first step. Finding the right boudoir photographer, and preparing for your session is the next.

http://www.ottawaportrait.com/photos/Boudoir42.jpg