wine-o

late afternoon sun at see ya later ranch

the vines at blasted church vineyards & brandon and me at nk' mip

the desert cultural centre in osoyoos

at long last, i'm back from my hiatus, also known as a wine expedition in the okanagan.  the husband and i went armed with friends and a camera, and let the fun ensue.  we hit some of the best wineries in the lower okanagan, and lucked out with four gorgeous days of sunshine!

so, after countless swirls, sniffs and sips, we were all a bit tipsy, but came home with some fan-frickin'-tastic wines and thought that i'd share some of my favorites.  they come highly recommended. :)

sunday's picks

lang vineyards, naramata, bc - 2001 riesling icewine

our first 10 am tasting... and this was the best of what i could remember.

blasted church winery, naramata, bc - 2007 gewürtztraminer

amazing and citrusy... and welcome after the wait for the "wine snobs" ahead of us!  the view and pool at the vineyards was a-maz-ing.

inniskillin estate wineries, oliver, bc - 2006 chenin blanc

hello, lover.

monday's picks

sumac ridge, summerland, bc - 2006 stellar's jay brut

the tour is highly recommended, and we had the pleasure of sampling this sparkling wine in the cellar.  this ain't no baby duck.

see ya later ranch, okanagan falls, bc - 2006 riesling

this has been a favorite winery of mine for a while... one of the few that i can get in our local shop, but the view from the tasting room was worth the drive!  also, loving the 2004 ehrenfelser icewine.

tuesday's picks

gehringer brothers estate winery - 2007 desert sun, 2007 sauvignon blanc, 2006 late harvest riesling

this winery was awesome.  one of the oldest in the area, they had a vast selection of tasty varietals including those yummy icewines.  most bottles were reasonable, to boot!

we also visited: red rooster winery (naramata, bc), burrowing owl vineyards (oliver, bc), nk' mip cellars (osoyoos, bc), dirty laundry vineyards (summerland, bc) and golden beaver winery (oliver, bc... don't ask!)  shout-out to steph and roger and the fabulous victoria rd. bistro for the best lunch, EVAH!

all in all, it was too short, a bit too cold, a bit to much to drink, and way too much fun.  i'm a sucker for the vino, now, for life!

how did you... | photography, powell river, bc

I get a lot of questions about photography, and, honestly, I'm no expert. Far from. But I do have some great equipment and a degree in photography (film--which isn't a LOT of use nowadays!). Most important of my equipment, you ask?

Lenses, baby.

And, a Lensbaby. That's right. These little doohickeys are the funniest and funnest lenses going. It bends with my fingers. Provides great shots, like my FAVORITE macro "ring shots", and the image above. No, that isn't Photoshopping that makes the image stretch in and out of focus, it's the Lensbaby (2.0, to be exact). By moving the bellows (a.k.a. flexible tubing), I can hit "sweet spots" to create these selective focus images.

Dying to know more? Check out their website... here!

it just makes cents | event photography, powell river, bc

It's been a long time coming, but I finally finished editing the fashion show photos for the fundraiser, "It Just Makes Cents". This event was to raise moneys for the Oncology Room in the Powell River General Hospital, in the name of Jody Rodonets. It was a fabulous event in McKinney's Pub in the Rodmay, and ended with a fantastic party. Well done to the organizers and all that attended!

about me

I was tagged by Sarah!

Here are the rules.  Link to the person who tagged you.  Post the rules on your blog.  Write six random things about yourself.  Tag six people at the end of your post.  Let each person know he or she has been tagged.  Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

R A N D O M  F A C T S  A B O U T  M E

1. I am unnecessarily afraid of microwaves.  Particle-excitement = heat?  Weird.

2. I find myself saying "alrighty" more than I should.

3. I am born on the last day of the zodiac year.

4. Current musical obsession?  "Electric Feel" by MGMT.  And I now want to make a playlist that features songs all about animals.

5. I am really tired of people asking me when I'm having children.  I'll let you know.

6. I haven't done laundry in two weeks.  Do not judge!

Now, listen here.  I'm more of a blog "stalker" than a blog "follower" or "friend", so I don't have anyone else to forward it to, other than those who tagged me!  I'll update if I have some willing participants!

UPDATED - I have a volunteer!  Val... it's all yours! :)

a must :: photojojo

I really want to use my blog to help you all advance and flourish with your own photography, so I'm going to make the effort to post other blogs, sites, and information that I find exciting, interesting and relevant in photography today!  Oh, and fun stuff, too. 


Photojojo is an amazing resource for all sorts of photo-related goodness... must haves, techniques, tips and tricks, for amateurs and pros alike. I highly recommend you sign-up for their bi-weekly email newsletter with all the latest Photojojo-delightfulness... and you can do so here!

right corner pocket

sometimes all the elements of a great photograph are accounted for and carefully thought out... and sometimes, you just plain fluke out.  this is a shot from mckinney's pub from a fashion-show fundraiser that i shot last saturday.  i'm in love with the cross-processed colours and the motion blur... just thought that i'd share a personal fave.

fall romance | wedding photography, powell river, bc

without further ado, here are some of my favorites from j + c's wedding last saturday, october 4th. i am delighted with the photographs--the light from those dark storm clouds was awesome... and the whole portfolio has this fantastic vintage charm to it... chalk it up to the timeless red roses, autumn leaves, cowboy hats and the back of a barn... 

that last one... are you kidding me?  look at those amazing eyes and gorgeousness!

this group shot is sooo much fun!  i love umbrellas--and thanks all for braving the intermittent rain and really, really cold wind!

i heart fall | wedding photography, powell river, bc

it's not very often that i get to shoot a real fall wedding... complete with amazingly rich colours, falling leaves and well, i'll be honest, wind AND rain! here's a sneak peek at yesterday's happenings!