Breanne SINIBALDI

Goodbye Blogspot

2011-02-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

My new website is finally complete!! I will no longer be posting here so please come follow me on MY NEW BLOG and WEBSITE!

COMING SOON!

2011-02-15T12:48:00.000-08:00

Only a few more days until the launch of my new website and blog!

STAY TUNED!

These are a few of my favourite things ... Apps 2

2011-01-30T17:53:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I posted some of my favourite apps. Here are the last 6 favourite apps.

7. Dragon Dictation (Free)

Praise: Easy-to-use voice recognition application that allows you to speak and instantly see your words in text on your iPhone. Great for when you need to text while driving. You just use the dictation to record what you want to say, it puts it into text then just hit TEXT and who you want to send it to and SEND.

Beef: Like most voice application softwares it sometimes won't recognize the word you're saying then you have to go back and fix it, which in the end typing it may have been faster. BUT still pretty cool app.

8. Where's Waldo in Hollywood ($1.99 - Currently 30% off for limited time only)

Praise: This app is very VERY addicting. Basically it's a digital version of the childhood books. You find Waldo BUT then you also find the girl, the dog, the wizard and also various other people. It gives you a list of them to find before you can go onto a new level.

Beef: None, it runs great and fun to play when you're waiting in line places.

9. Scrabble ($2.99 - bought it when it was on sale at Christmas for $0.99)

Praise: I think I honestly really only like this game because Fraser and I play it together. Over the Christmas holiday when we were away from each other for almost a month we would play back and forth daily. But it is a lot of fun if you already really like Scrabble.

Beef: This app crashes a lot. It needs a bug fix for sure!

10. Flixster (Free)

Praise: Great for finding out what movies are playing now or coming soon. You can pick your favourite theatre in your area and then see show times.

Beef: It's not as 'pretty' as the Cineplex app but it's WAY more functional.

11. Bump (Free)

Praise: Share photos, music and contacts with other iPhone users with a little 'bump'. Just pick what you want to send, hold your phones and gently bump them together. Files are then transferred from one to the other. Pretty cool!

Beef: I wish you were able to transfer more than just photos, music and contacts. Would be nice to be able to transfer apps, at least the free ones. Or transfer any type of file you may have stored on your phone.

12. Kik (Free)

Praise: Free smartphone to smartphone chat application that replaces text messaging. It's fast and free! It's basically BBM for iPhone (I think they may actually be being sued because of that). You can see when someone receives and reads your message.

Beef: Not a lot of people I know are using it so I don't use it that often. And it's a bit buggy when I do use it, randomly will shut down or not load a message.

And that concludes my favourite apps, hope you enjoyed and found some new apps to add to your iPhone.

These are a few of my favourite things ... Apps

2011-01-13T08:41:00.000-08:00

My life line to the world for the past two years has been my iPhone. This year for x-mas Fraser bought me the new iPhone 4! I was pretty excited, and with a new phone comes new apps of course. So without further ado...

FAVOURITE APPS

(My Home Screen)

My home screen gives you a good idea of the main apps I use daily. These main screen apps are my favourites because I use them daily, but I wanted to showcase some of the other fun and clever apps I've found that I don't use as regularly but are still my favourite.

I chose 12 apps, here are the first 6 (in no particular order):

1. Dropbox (Free)

Praise: Allows you to sync your files online across many computers. Its fantastic! With the app on my phone, and program installed on my laptop and computer I can share files between all three. You can access 2gb storage for free, anything more requires monthly payments.

Beef: When you drag and drop a file into the drop box it moves the file. I wish it would create a copy.

2. iTorch4 (Free)

Praise: Great app to turn on the camera's flash so you can use it as a flashlight. Great for when you need to find your keys etc.

Beef: None, it's a great app to have on your phone.

3. Remote (Free)

Praise: Remote lets you control the iTunes library on your Mac on your phone. Fast-forward, pause and rewind. Choose a song, shuffle an album or skip to the next track.

Beef: Sometimes syncing will cut out but I think that's just my bluetooth not the app.

4. Pocketbooth ($0.99)

Praise: Turns your camera into a vintage photobooth. So much fun! And you can upload to Facebook, twitter, email, text message etc. right with one click of a button. Very convenient.

Beef: None, it's too much fun to complain about.

5. PS Express (Free)

Praise: Great app to quickly and easily edit your photos. Lot's of editing options right at your finger tips.

Beef: Wish there were more uploading options. It's nice to be able to email or text right from an app rather than having to exit and open another app.

6. MobileRss (Free)

Praise: I have the free version of this app and it's great (just has a few ads). I follow WAY too many blogs and this helps me keep up to date while away from my computer. It's linked with your Google Reader account and you can access all blogs you follow and all 'starred' items.

Beef: None, other than the ads but that has nothing to do with the usability of the app itself.

The next top 6 posted later this week.

(Photobooth fun - Personal Photo)

Totally Inspired

2011-01-04T20:06:00.001-08:00

Who knew that a regular log onto Facebook could lead to so much inspiration. I noticed that a friend of mine, Jen Allison, had posted a YouTube video. Now normally I don't give into the majority of the video's people post (I've seen Reggae Baby and Antoine Dodson warns a Perp (original and remix) more times than I'd like to) but I took a chance on Jen's and WOW I'm glad I did.

Take a look:

Vivian Maier's work is extraordinary. From the first few images I saw in the video I was hooked. I wanted to know more about her, about what's being done with her images and above all see more. After a quick google search I came across John's blog. He is the one who found and purchased her negatives from a local auction.

I was sad to find out that John was never able to meet Vivian and that she was never praised in person for the amazing body of work she'd produced. It sounds like it took John a while to figure out who the mystery photographer was, and once discovered he "Googled" her only to discover that Vivian had died only a few days before his search.

Upon reading John's blog a bit further I found out that they will be producing a video documentary of her life and images. I wish I lived closer to Chicago so I could attend the exhibition of her work they will be having this Friday.

More and more information is being discovered about her life but this is the biography so far that was posted on the exhibition informations site;

After immigrating to the United States as a refugee from World War II France, she eventually ended up in Chicago as a nanny to wealthy North Shore clients, but her passions ran much deeper. Over 100,000 negatives and more than 3,000 prints of her massive body of work were discovered in an estate auction shortly before her death in 2009.

While not much is known about Maier herself or her reasons for keeping her photographs hidden, this first exhibition of her work reveals a keen eye for observing the people and fashions of Chicago in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.

Here are a few of my favourite images;

(SOURCE FOR ALL IMAGES)

The lighting, the contrast, the composition, the timing. WOW! The history of photography was always one of my favourite courses when I was in Photography school. I appreciated the complexity that it took for photographers back then using all manual / film processes.

A part of me has begun to feel though that the art of photography is dying. In the world today EVERYONE has a camera, anyone can call themselves a 'photographer' a bit of the mystery and the art behind it has been lost. We are becoming a "been there, seen that, done that, more, more, more, now, now, now" kind of generation.

I can take pictures, I know how to use my camera, I've got an eye for composition (or so I've been told) but am I really a 'photographer'? Do I poses the same impact with my images as someone like Vivian? Hell no! Do I hope to one day be able to look back on my collection of images and be proud of the work I've produced? Hell yes! But I know I've got a lot of work to do. Though I'll never be as great as those that came before me. I can at least continue to have fun with and keep pushing my own boundaries in photography.

What to do?

2011-01-03T08:03:00.001-08:00

Staring at my ceiling thinking about all the things I need to get done today.

- Quick post via iPhone

11 for 11

2011-01-01T10:01:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy evening last night. I won't go into detail how my night was but I learned never to offer to babysit a sick puppy again. To sum it up my night was pretty "poopy" if you get my drift.

Plus, the Chinese food that I ordered at 1:30pm to be ready for 6:30pm wasn't ready until 9:00PM!!! So needless to say I was one hungry cranky lady last night. But the food was delicious and the left overs will be even better today.

The start of a new year always has everyone thinking about their 'new year resolution' lists. I'd like to think of this list as things I'm going to accomplish, rather than things I'm going to try to do. I already posted my top 5 the other day but here they are again in a little more detail plus the remaining 6.

1. GET MARRIED!!!

'Save the Date' fridge magnets we made
(They do have the actual date, but removed for privacy reasons)

2. Focus more attention on family and friends

3. Complete first year of business school (maintain current GPA)

4. Update blog to Wordpress and post regularly (in the works)

5. Get more involved in the Kingston Community

6. Take better care of myself (eat better, start working out again, go back to yoga)

Tried an Intro to Ashtanga Yoga at PATH YOGA with my sister this past fall and it was amazing.

7. Read the books I bought a long time ago and still haven't read or finished reading.

(These are only a few. I went on a book buying spree when I used to work at Indigo)

Check out Terry's website here

I was fortunate enough to meet and speak with him this year at a meet and greet held at my school before a presentation he made for the Kingston WritersFest.

(Buy Online)

(More about the book)

8. Continue to find freelance work and expand my business

9. Get out and photograph more

10. Travel

11. Just say 'yes'

I'm sure I will continue to add to this list as the months go on. But at least this gives me something to start with.

Happy 2011

What a year!

2010-12-23T22:25:00.000-08:00

Looking back on this past year I realized I've had a crazy roller coaster of a ride, a lot of changes. Change is always a good thing right? Sometimes it seems scary though. You start off on a path and then that path leads you to; a dead end, a fork in the road, a yellow brick road, or a pot of gold.

I'm a planner, a list maker and a fairly organized person. (If you know me well you’re probably going FAIRLY?? Haha and to that I say “SHUT IT!”) No matter how much I plan, list or colour code things don't always work out exactly that way. And that's one of the main things I've taken away from 2010.

It's been a crazy year but I'm happier than I have been in a long time. I'm very much looking forward to 2011 and all of its new adventures.

So stay tuned, as there will be some changes happening to this old blog of mine. New look, new posts, and new life.

Now that's enough gibber jabber, on with the recap!

After being unemployed / self employed / random retail jobs throughout 2009 after graduating Photography school, I was excited when a random online search in January 2010 landed me a 3 month design/photography internship with They Integrated in Belleville, ON. I was really excited about the opportunity to work with this small, but big in talent ad agency. They have and continue to produce a lot of amazing work. This being my first "real" graphic design job I was excited to soak up as much knowledge as I could.

I was able to work on quite a few interesting projects including:

Arte Vino - Art, Wine & Food Festival. I was the lead designer on this project and was excited to see my work live when I attended the event last June.
(LEFT: Poster - RIGHT: Ticket)

Mill Creek Farm - Pea Package. Stretching my illustrator skills to the max I worked on a package design for a small family run pea company.

Other Logos - I worked on various other logo projects. These are just two that I completed. 'Sparkle' was for a companies corporate golf tournament. 'Jack&Jill's' was for a road side produce vendor concept.

My internship had been extended past its initial 3 months but after only another 3 months I was abruptly terminated. Nothing like coming back after a weeks vacation, driving an hour to get there then being told "sorry we're letting you go" and having to drive an hour all the way back home. Let's just say I wasn't too impressed. But looking back now it was the best thing to happen to me.

I was let go on a Monday in early August, a week before my birthday no less. I gave myself a day to sulk, a day of self-reflection and research and by the third day I'd sent in my application to go back to school.

I spent the rest of the summer visiting family and friends. Playing out on the water on our Sea-doo and working odd freelance jobs. It wasn't long before I heard back from the college I applied to. "CONGRATULATIONS you've been accepted into the Business Marketing Program starting September 2010." YIPPIIEE!!

Getting back into 'student' mode after having graduated and working for a year was a bit of an adjustment. But I'd done it before I could do it again. This time I was a bit more worried because at 25 going back to school and starting in a first year business program I knew I'd be lumped in with a bunch of fresh out of high school teenie boppers. I'd set my sights on just getting through the two-year program. Having to take courses like Accounting and Math (neither my strong suits) I just told myself "just pass, don't worry about your A's, just pass. Don't worry if you don't make any friends, just pass."

I was pleasantly surprised when right off the bat I made some amazing friendships and not only passed but was able to achieve over 80% in both Accounting and Math (along with all of my other courses ranging in the 90’s.)

I went back to school to learn Marketing in hopes of gaining a better 'business' understanding of the creative world I want to work in. I had no idea I'd meet some truly amazing people. Friends I'm positive I'll have for a very, very long time. Even just that has made this entire 'going back to school' experience totally worth it.

All right, let's get back on track. Along with going back to school my freelance business has picked up quite a bit. Completing this fall/winter two more jobs for the Queens University Human Media Laboratory.

Just a sample of some of the graphics done

A few more design jobs are in the works but not ready to show quite yet, posts to come soon I promise. And also I had many amazing photo shoots this year.

Now the 2010 update just wouldn't be complete without also mentioning FRASER PROPOSED!!! This was by far the most exciting thing to happen to me this year. After dating my high school sweet heart for over 8 years he proposed the Thursday before Thanksgiving weekend.

Though I was a bit suspicious (who wouldn't be after 8 years) I was still quite surprised at the amount of planning he put into it.

I'm not going to get into the whole engagement story (that may come in a later post) but I've attached some photos for your eye candy enjoyment. LOVE my ring!! It's perfectly me in every way.

The Fur Trade Cabin - (Fraser works at an outdoor education center and this is where they bring the kids in the fall to teach them about fur trading)

So happy to become Mrs. Johnson (or maybe I'll convince him to combine our names and we can become the Sinohnsons eh? eh? I think it's a good idea)

LOVE my ring!!

New Years is just around the corner and I'm excited to be spending the holidays with my family back home in Sault Ste. Marie. It's been a while since I've spent any length of time here and am grateful to have almost a month off of school to spend in the great white northern Ontario winter.

2011 is going to be a very exciting and amazing year. I'm in the process of making a "To Do" list for the year. More of an ideas and goals list to keep me motivated and on track, but a to-do list non-the less.

Top of the list teaser:

Already got a head start on #5 by being nominated for the Kingston Arts Council board by my dear friend Ashleigh Fortune (we met this year and I feel like we’ve been friends forever). Found out just before Christmas holidays that I was accepted and am now on the Kingston Arts Council Board. Can’t wait to start getting involved in the New Year.

Now I'm not sure who's actually read this entire GIANT blog post. But for those of you that stuck it out to the end …. MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sunday Funday?

2010-09-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from my homework this afternoon I came across this really funny video. All you wedding photographers out there (and anyone really) should get a kick out of this.

Found it while looking at posts on Gray Photography's blog.

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. Mine was a busy one. More on that in an upcoming post.

Naked Steel anyone?

2010-09-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

Remember two posts back I featured Sarah and Jesse's wedding? Remember these AMAZING rings?

I was able to get the link from Sarah so if anyone is interested you can find more information about these custom rings on Chris Ploof's website. Chris' studio is located in Rhode Island but there are many galleries in the US and Canada that feature his rings. Plus he is also available for custom creations.

On a side note I finished my first week of classes and it went MUCH better than I expected. Majority of the classes were just introductions, going through course outlines and getting to know fellow classmates but it was still a great experience. I'm excited for what the future will hold.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

BIG site update!

2010-09-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

It's about time!

The photography section (and a bit of the design) has been updated with new content. It has been a crazy summer and I'm proud to say that I've decided to go back to school. Business Marketing here I come!

I'm always working on expanding my portfolio so if you know anyone that is looking for design or photography services pass on the good word.

Keep an eye on the blog for more updates to come soon.

Sarah & Jesse - Full Post

2010-08-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Just getting over a recent head cold. Who gets sick in August? Apparently I do. Feeling better today so thought I'd finally post some more pictures from Sarah and Jesse's wedding from a few weeks back.

Their bridal party was so much fun to photograph. They were up for anything Sherie and I threw at them. Thanks guys for being so cooperative.

Aren't their rings AMAZING! I love the woodgrain look.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I've been watching the Mad Men seasons all weekend. Just can't get enough of the 1960's Ad world. (That may have inspired my warm, vintage looking images.)

Mackey Family photoshoot post to come next.

Addison

2010-08-04T19:17:00.001-07:00

LOOONNNGGGG over due post for the new pictures of Addison. There were so many great ones. I'll let you know the link once I post all the photos to my website.

Enjoy!

These bathtub ones are my favourite.

Hope everyone enjoyed their long weekends. Mine was filled with an awesome wedding, afternoon baby shower & hosting a good friends birthday party.

Sarah & Jesse - Sneak Peak

2010-08-04T18:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a little snip-it of the wedding I shot last weekend in Massey for Sarah and Jesse. It was a blast to shoot. I was extremely thankful that my cousin Sherie was able to come help assist.

Enjoy!

Baby Lyon - Sneak Peak

2010-07-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

Last fall I photographed my cousin Hayley's maternity pictures (link - part way down post). Well baby Addison arrived and what a character this little gal is. She has the most gorgeous eyes I've seen on a baby.

We attempted to take some baby pictures when she was first born but she was a little camera shy. (May post some of these to compare how big she's grown in a year)

Anyways, here is a sneak peak from our recent shoot.

I can tell this one's going to be a spunky young lady :)

The cutest kids you'll ever see ... FULL POST

2010-06-22T16:04:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody, hope you enjoyed the little sneak peak a few weeks ago. If you missed it you can check it out here.

Sorry it took me so long to post this but I've been having a lot of issues with Google Blogger lately. For some reason its not allowing people to click to enlarge images anymore. And the layout is IMPOSSIBLE to work with for long posts like this. Anyways, I apologize for the delay.

As I said before these are some cute kids, just preparing you.

Enjoy!

Some very adorable baby rolls.

Too close! Too close .... ok thats better ... haha please don't punch my camera

More posts of some other cute kids coming your way soon.

Shazam Week 6

2010-06-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

Here we go, more music I've shazamed lately.

1. Suzie McNeil - Hung Up

2. The Script - Breakeven

3. Bonobo - Black Sands (I feel like this song is in a Pixar movie, maybe UP? Can't find it on any soundtrack lists)

4. Cage The Elephant - Back Against the Wall

5. Alana Davis - Round & Around

Enjoy!

Cutest kids you ever did see! - Sneak Peak

2010-06-20T12:19:00.001-07:00

This weekend I headed down to Brighton with my amazing friend Elaine to spend some time with her sisters kids.

I need to photograph some cute kids for a personal project I'm working on (more about that later) and this gang of youngsters were the perfect ones to start with.

They were all pretty comfortable with the camera right off the bat so I was able to snap some pretty amazing shots. They were so interested in the camera that the two older boys each took turns snapping a couple pictures themselves which was a lot of fun.

Here's a sneak peak at the day's shots;

The oldest boy, Thomas, wanted to show me his camera :)

Had a blast photographing the kids. Hopefully I can find some more youngsters soon to finish up my project.

Sprout

2010-06-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

After the recent showers we've been getting here in Kingston my garden is starting to come to life. I noticed my first green bean plant sprouting out of the ground! :) Yippie!

It started to drizzle again tonight but before it started to really come down I got out to take some pictures on our dock.

And for those of you wondering what was in that Henrys bag of goodies .... CANON 5D MARK II!!!! :) Pretty excited for the new opportunities this camera well open up.

Here is one of the first video's I attempted with this camera. Its definitely tricky to keep the camera steady and focus. I'm on the hunt for a decent DIY steadicam and glidetrack.

For the record before you judge the shake in this video:

1) It's raining outside

2) I'm on a shaky dock

3) I'm trying to hold the camera steady while keeping focusing and moving to the side, all while trying to avoid GIANT chunks of bird crap.

Dock Chairs from Breanne Sinibaldi on Vimeo.

Enjoy!

Shazam Wk 5

2010-05-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

This is turning into a 'every 2 week' update. I've been really busy lately. Lot's of changes and updates to come.

I PROMISE to update you all soon, waiting on a couple of things to fall into place before I can finally make an official post.

Until then, here's another post in the "you've been shazamed" series.

1. Florence + The Machines - Dog Days are Over

2. Kelly Clarkson - Long Shot

3. Train - Hey, Soul Sister

4. Chk Chk Chk - Must be the Moon

5. Paramore - Fences

Hope everyone enjoyed their long weekends. I planted my first vegetable garden, hit a couple golf balls and went for a motorcycle ride on the new bike. :)

Also made an exciting new purchase!! :) (Updates on that later)

Hope everyone has a great week ahead.

Shazam Wk 4

2010-05-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

It's that time again ... You've been shazamed!!

1. Allison Moorer - Crows

2. Rob Thomas - Her Diamonds

3. Pearl Jam - Just Breathe

4. Lady Antebellum - Need You Now

5. Young Artists for Haiti - Wavin' Flag So proud to be Canadian!!

AND because I missed last week, here's a double shazam week!

6. Gomez - If I Ask You Nicely

7. Kris Allen - Live Like We're Dying

8. Pearl Jam - Just Breathe (Apparently I'd forgotten I'd shazamed it before)

9. Bob Marley - Jamming (For the record I knew this was him singing. I just wanted a reminder to download some of his songs when I got home)

10. Carly Rae Jepsen - Bucket

Enjoy!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I know I did! (updates to come in the next post)

Shazam wk 3 & Algonquin Exhibition

2010-04-27T06:37:00.000-07:00

Its that time again ... you've been SHAZAMED!!

1. Timbaland feat. Daughtry - Long Way Down

2. Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat - Lucky

3. Patty Griffin - Move Up

4. Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

5. Allison Moorer - Crows (couldn't find link online)

Hope you've enjoyed this weeks songs. I have a pretty random taste in music. Some songs that I shazam are ones I may already know but just want a reminder to download at home later. Or they are songs that I am just curious who it is. Working at They Integrated I've been introduced to some amazing tunes that I'm sure will continue to show up in my shazam posts.

Also wanted to give a quick shout out to the second year Algonquin College photography graduates. I drove up to Ottawa last night for their exhibition and was blown away with the talent of this years group of students. If you live in the Ottawa area and are free today between 9-3 I suggest you go down there and take a peak at their work.

Congratulations to all graduates and to those that won awards. Big congrats to Jen Allison, Thomas Dagg and Christos Spentzos who all picked up some killer awards!

Sorry for the lack of photos but I've got some cool updates coming soon!

Hint: Nishika

You've been SHAZAMED!

2010-04-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

"You've been SHAZAMED! Week 2" - (If you missed week 1 click here)

1. Alicia Keys - Doesn't Mean Anything
2. Jean Elan - Killer (shazamed for a girl at work, good tune though if you like techno vibes)
3. Muse - Uprising
4. Paolo Nutini - No Other Way (LOVE this guy's voice)
5. Paolo Nutini - High Hopes

Hope you enjoy this weeks version of SHAZAMED!

Midway Country

2010-04-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

For those of you in the Kingston area you've probably taken a drive out HWY #2 on your way to Ganaoque. On your way you may or may not have noticed a run down motel on the left hand side. Since moving to Kingston I'd always wanted to go check it out. So, one lazy Sunday afternoon we decided it was time to go explore.

At first I was a little hesitant walking around this abandoned place but after opening the first door and peaking inside the fully furnished room I started to get more in to it.

Majority of the rooms were still furnished, some in better condition than others. But it was obvious that people had been using this as a temporary home or hang out. One room you would find a very old can of Off bug spray, the next a empty bag of Tostito chips.

I'd love to go back and bring some flashes to do some environmental portraits. One day.

After uploading the photos I really liked how they looked in black and white instead of colour. It was a pretty bright day, but all the colours were really muted and had no life. The black and white I feel adds to the spookiness of the location.

My sister snapped these next two while I was off using my polaroid camera. Used up my last pack of 600 film :(

I realized after I got home I didn't get any digital pictures of the interior rooms upstairs because I was too busy playing with my polaroid camera. Unfortunately majority of the polaroids didn't turn out.

Here are a couple of the polaroids that did turn out.

Well that concludes my adventure to the Midway Country Motel. It was well worth the afternoon. It was the perfect time of year to go too because there were no creepy crawlers yet, as I'm sure that place would become INFESTED once the warmer weather comes.

B

ps. This post took me FOREVER to do because of the new Blogger layout system. Anyone else notice the annoying change? Anybody use Wordpress? I'd like to switch over but not sure how complicated it would be.

Lock’s Letterpress Course

2010-04-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

As a graphic designer i've always been interested in the history of typography and letterpress printing. There are so many beautiful business cards and invitations created by letterpress printing still today. I've always wanted to learn hands on how it was done and after a quick Google search, when I moved to Kingston, I found Lock's Letterpress Course run by Margaret Lock from her home here in Kingston. (Full details of the course below photos)

This two day typesetting and letterpress printing course taught me how to set lead type by hand and print on a Vadercook proof press. It was surprising how relaxing I found setting the teeny tiny pieces of metal letters and using various depths of metal to create the leading between lines of type.
While there I snapped a few pictures of the process. I meant to share my experience A LOT sooner but the poem I was printing was a gift for my sisters for christmas so I held off and then forgot about the images until backing up my hard-drive's this weekend.

The Vadercook Proof Press

When you first start setting your type you start by setting your longest and shortest lines.

My poem above my work station. I arranged my poem into groups of lines and spaced everything out on paper beforehand. (Meaning I decided what typeface size, leading, kerning etc.)

The typeface drawers

My poem all set and ready to print. (Unfortunately I was too busy printing so I didn't get any pictures of mine going through the press)

This is one of the other poems being letter-pressed.

If you ever get a chance to take part in a letterpress printing course, DO IT! It was a lot of fun. Now I do recommend you have a decent level of patience as it is VERY time consuming and knit picky placing each tiny letter, teeny tiny letter spacer and rows and rows of properly spaced leading. Totally worth all the time once you see the final product.

For more information on the course here in Kingston you can contact Margaret Lock @ lockfp@queensu.ca. The cost for each participant is $185. The workshop hours are 9:30am-5:30pm, Saturday and Sunday.

Course Description:
Introduction to Typesetting and Letterpress Printing

Participants will learn basic typographic design concepts, and how to set lead type by hand and print on a Vandercook proof press. The two-day workshop will cover setting type, letter-spacing capitals, distributing type, imposition, proofing, registration, and printing on handmade paper. As an exercise, participants will design and print a broadside up to 11 x 14 inches in size. Participants should bring a short, favourite piece of poetry or prose (fewer than 20 lines of poetry, and fewer than 160 words for a piece of prose).

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You've been SHAZAMED!

2010-04-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

This past December I used my christmas money to FINALLY buy myself an iPhone. I'd been eyeing it up since they were first announced a few years ago. One of the very first apps I downloaded was Shazam. Many of you with cell phones (and even those without) already know of the Shazam App, but for those of you that live under a rock and don't know what the app does check out their info here.

Shazam is the app I definitely get the most use out of so I thought it would be fun to create a weekly (or bi-weekly, depending how this goes) blog post with the songs I've recently SHAZAMED!

so let's get this thing started ...

"You've been SHAZAMED! Week 1"
(sorry can't help but put it in all caps because all I hear in my head is the tone of Emeril's voice when he says "BAM")

1. Slow Club - When I go
(sorry, couldn't find a better version for this one)
2. Bon Iver - Skinny Love (LOVE this one)
3. Andrew Bird - Fitz and the Dizzyspells
4. Boys Like Girls - Two is Better than One
5. Carly Rae Jepsen - Bucket

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.

Also, I've recently jumped on the Twitter bandwagon so if you've got it feel free to follow me.

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A new addition to the family ...

2010-04-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

and by family I mean my family of lenses ;)

Finally caved and picked up one of the lenses that has been on the top of my wish list for awhile now. Can't wait to test it out this weekend. If money were no object I'd get the L series f/1.2 BUT its $2599.99 so ya, not going to happen right now.

Pictures to come soon I promise. I've got some big news and big plans but can't share them yet.

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Another great stop motion

2010-02-27T13:22:00.000-08:00

Just found this great stop motion video over on Bluebird Vintage

Angela Kohler and her husband created it for their friend. After checking out her website I found out she's an awesome photographer from California. And has another interesting stop motion reel you should check out on her site.

AND if you still can't get enough video check out my blog post over on They Integrated.

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Movie Magic!

2010-02-24T19:49:00.000-08:00

It's a fact that HD video being introduced into the DSLR's has changed the face of photography. I've noticed it more and more that photographers are making the switch and beginning to introduce video onto their websites and blogs. People want to see "behind the scenes" action. They want to see how you shot it, how you interact with your client and what equipment you use.

It's not enough to be a great photographer anymore. You have to be a great businessman/woman. You have to have a killer eye for composition. Retouching skills, design skills, basic web building skills etc. etc. The list goes on and on. AND on top of that technology is changing SO fast that it takes a lot of time (and money) to keep up.

So what keeps us going? What keeps us from packing it in? PASSION! You have to love what you do in order to stick with it. So with raw, creative video now on the horizon of being a very sought after part of a photographers lifestyles, I've been researching and bookmarking some key sites and blogs to help me stay up to date.

My camera of choice at this point would be the Canon 7D. Making its way onto the market after the 5D Mark II it has some great updates and improvements that intrigue me. But the $1,849.99 price tag is out of range right now. (Another thing added to my very long photography wish list).

A video that I recently found (Thanks Shawn @ They Integrated for sharing it with me) by Director/DP Phillip Bloom took me totally off guard. I was astonished by the quality produced by the 5D & 7D video. This AMAZING 7 minute video is totally worth your time. It was beautifully shot, beautifully composed, perfect soundtrack and perfect timing. All I could muster after watching it was WOW!

If you have 7 minutes please take the time to watch this beautiful video.

Skywalker Ranch from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

Another 'video' style that a lot of photographers are doing is time lapse. One that I'm sure a lot of you have seen already is this one;

But it's one of my favourites so I thought I'd share it anyways. Along with this one;

WPPI 2009 from LemonLime Photography on Vimeo.

by LemonLime Photography. I've been following their blog for some time now and have always LOVED their photography style and really enjoy watching the video clips they feature on their site once and a while.

Oh and this one;

The Wall from LemonLime Photography on Vimeo.

Love that one also. Who am I kidding I love all their videos so check out their site!

So there is my long overdue decent blog update. I've got a couple projects in the works so more updates to come (sooner rather than later) I promise!

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This is Adam

2010-02-23T16:47:00.001-08:00

Adam complained that I don't update my blog often enough. So here ya go :)

-

More to come later.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

2010-02-14T08:24:00.000-08:00

WOW Its February 14th already! Time is just flying by lately. Just a quick post to say that I haven't forgotten about my little blog and will be back with more regular updates soon. Including a few projects I've been working on lately.

Hope everyone enjoys their Sunday.

Its been over 7 years since my boyfriend and I started dating. Seems like just yesterday we were at our high-school semi.

Still love him more than anything.

Happy Valentine's Day

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David Thorne - Australian humorist, satirist, internet personality and author

2009-12-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

and hilarious!
I was introduced to David's site by Derek Cooper on a train ride to Toronto the other day. Thorne gained public recognition in late 2008 when he received media attention for one of his stories, in which he tells a tale of a prankster who tries to pay his chiropractor's bill with a drawing of a seven-legged spider.

Anyways, his site is hilarious so go check it out. Make sure to read "Part in Apartment 3" and "Blockbuster Late Fees".

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The Photo Club by Joey L

2009-11-23T14:12:00.000-08:00

Joey L is another photographer that I've admired for quite some time now. I couldn't help but pass this along.

Joey started a gangster rap crew that refuses to rap about anything non photo-related. He just posted his first music video for his song called "Nikon Girl", an old school track about a guy who shoots Canon and falls in love with a girl who uses Nikon... But they could never be. If you are into it, then check out his next single "Get Flashed" on his myspace.
It all started out as a joke, and it still remains a joke, except they have gotten more serious about the production. I'm sure there will be a lot more videos to come from these guys.

See Video on his myspace HERE.

Or watch below;

Enjoy!

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A Toronto experience I won't soon forget

2009-11-19T08:10:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I took a trip over to Toronto to visit some friends. Well it started off as a trip to see my good friend Rachel but then turned into a whole extravaganza of events.

Earlier in the week I was reading some of my favorite blogs and when reading through Chase Jarvis' I found out that he was coming to Toronto on the Thursday for a CAPIC (Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communications) conference regarding Social Media. I immediately hopped over to their website and was able to get a ticket for a reasonable price because I am a student member.

A little history on Chase if you've never heard of him.
First off, Chase Jarvis is one of my favourite photographers. I was introduced to him by one of my photography teachers at Algonquin College, Jonathon Harrington. So for about 3 years now I've been following Chase's work and his blog postings.
He is well known for his down to earth and easy going personality, along with of course his AMAZING photos. His blog is one of the top in the photography industry, leading the way with innovative ideas that have never been seen before. He continually posts "behind the scenes" video, pictures and info on his blog regarding his studio, staff and jobs.
I won't go too much into his background, but a good resource to check out if you're interested is this link I found for Journey Magazine or of course his own blog and website.

The conference was held at the Gladstone Hotel on the corner of Queen St. W. and Gladstone in Toronto. The conference was based around Social Media, which Chase has become a huge part of introducing to the photography community. "We are surrounded by social media. The question is, how do we use it to enhance our brand, build our client base and find new clients?"

Chase started off the evening by asking everyone in the audience who had a camera to take it out and snap a picture of him. (Really regretting not bringing my SLR because my point-and-shoot is in a major need of an upgrade. (Please excuse the not so nice imagery)). I don't think there was one person who didn't have some type of camera with them, proving Chase's point that "the best camera is the one thats with you".

I really wish I would have had a video camera there with me as well. He was so inspirational. I remember just sitting there in awe that I was in the same room as Chase Jarvis! I can't remember all of what he said but one thing that did stick with me was. "Just do it!" If you want to be a certain type of photographer why are you wasting your time taking pictures of things you don't like. One example he used was "if you want to be a food photographer why are you shooting weddings?" At some point you just have to jump in.

I could tell from the audience that everyone found this very true, yet some were still left wondering, "but how?" How do you take that leap? You've got a family, bills to pay etc. His answer to that was to work for the amount of money that you need to survive each month (plus a little extra) then don't work anymore. Spend that extra time on your own personal work. Shoot things you love!

His presentation also included some video of the behind the scenes from his San Disk shoot in New Zealand. You can watch the video here on his blog. Please don't skip it. GO WATCH IT.

Did you watch it? I hope so because its well worth the 5 minutes of your time.

Chase spent a great deal of time answering everyones Q&A's leaving no stone unturned. It was an amazing environment to be in. A room filled with professional, student and amateur photographers. Everyone learned about the benefits of using facebook, twitter and blogs to help enhance their "brand". So even if NOBODY reads this, or NOBODY posts any comments I still have hope that one day if I'm persistent and have great content that I'll be able to make a name for myself in the design/photography world.

After a few more questions it was time for the book signing! I waited patiently in line and when my turn came, I'll be honest, I was at a loss for words. We chatted about Queenstown, New Zealand. One of my favourite places during my travels there earlier this year. And he signed my book - "Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right!"

In the end I had an amazing time. Wished I could have stayed after the book signing to chat with him a bit more but it was getting late and I had an assisting job the next morning.
After that evening the rest of the weekend was a whirl wind. I won't bore you with the details but lets just say it was a memorable one. :)

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A little retouching

2009-10-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

I should start off by saying HAPPY THANKSGIVING everybody! I hope everyone gets their fill of turkey this weekend. I know I will be :)
Lately I've been doing a little retouching of a few fashion images for Kingston photographer Derek Cooper. It was another fashion shoot at the Alcan building before it is torn down. We learned our lesson last time and avoided the pigeon poop filled areas. Focusing our time in a large open garage type space.

We had a great team of creative individuals to work with again this time.
Makeup artist and hair stylist for the shoot was the very talented Gabriela Soares.
Stylist: Ryan ... (Don't have all his contact info yet, but once I do I'll update)
Assistant Stylist: Georgette Simms
Model: Katherine Eaton (Amazing model to work with. She stuck it out though it was quite chilly in the space)

Here are the full images that were produced from the morning shoot.

I really enjoyed retouching these pictures. I think retouching may turn into my calling. Here is a closer look at the before and afters.

After the photo shoot I walked around the abandoned warehouse with my polaroid and snapped a couple. Once I get them scanned I'll post a few.

Hope everyone has a great long weekend. More updates to come soon!

B

Fall already?

2009-09-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its September already. This summer just flew by. The last couple weeks have been jam packed with jobs so I thought I'd post a couple pictures of the things I've been working on. This post should make up for the lack of posts in the past month.

The end of August I took a trip home with my sister Lauren to photograph Jenny & Greg's wedding. This was my very first wedding and despite a very rainy day, faulty camera equipment and a scare of losing all the mornings images (scare only! All images were recovered) the day produced some beautiful photos.

September started off great at Vanier Public School to photograph their staff for a new display case. Everyone there was so photogenic I had an amazing time.

And to top it off my cousin Hayley and her husband came down to Kingston for a visit the other day. She is 8 months pregnant and expecting her first baby on October 3rd. It was so great to see them, ours families don't get together often enough.

This last one I applied some filters to try a different look.

And that concludes my past month. It was definitely a busy one but a great one full of many firsts. Hopefully next month is as busy as the last job wise, and hopefully I'll be able to update this blog more regularly. Every weekend this month is already planned with small traveling adventures so more posts to come soon!

Women's Arts Festival

2009-08-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

As per my previous post I spent this Sunday taking part in the Women's Arts Festival. I'm so thankful to have all the love and support from my family. Especially Kim (my boyfriends mom) for helping me find the awesome display unit and Fraser for helping me set up, sitting with me all day and helping me tear down. :)

Thought I would post some pictures of what my display looked like. Kim and I found it online at J&J Displays. They were fantastic! They are based in Mississauga so I received my order really fast and shipping was very reasonable.

The part on the top right under the sign looks a little bare but we forgot to take a picture until we had already started to tear down. There was a holder there for my promo brochures and another for my business cards.

It was a really great day. I loved talking to new people and enjoying the warm weather. I sold a couple prints and had a lot of interest in my work. I wish I would have been able to wander around and check out some of the other vendors. I did a quick walk around before the festival started and there were some amazing things for sale.

Hopefully I'll be around Kingston next summer to participate again.

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Women's Arts Festival

2009-08-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, August 16 if you are in the Kingston area come by City Park and check out all the Women's Arts Festival has to offer. Not only will you see around 200 women Kingston artists you will also find me!
I'll be there advertising myself and selling some matted photos. There is no admission charge and with so many different booths featuring arts, crafts, music and culture you are sure to find something you like.

Here is the poster for the festival;

A part of my proceeds will go to support: Women's Counselling Programs, Childbirth Kingston, Kingston Community Health Centre, Street Health Centre and Health Pursuits Reading.

For more information on the festival you can visit their website.

Hope to see you there!

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New Promo Cards

2009-07-31T17:13:00.000-07:00

In the hunt for work and trying to get my name out there I decided it was time to create some promo cards. I'm really happy with how they turned out. On a minimal budget I decided I would try and print them myself rather than paying for a professional printer. And I'm actually quite surprised at how well they turned out.

I showed a few friends and family as a test in the beginning stages to see if they could tell that they were hand made. Everyone said they looked very professional and were surprised when I confessed that I had made them myself. I'm hoping once distributed they land me a few jobs.

It was low cost but time consuming cutting, folding and sealing. I created a little over 100 cards with enough paper and stickers to make many more if needed.

Images above include the initial print, cutting, folding and stickers to seal. Did I mention it was time consuming?

Hopefully it pays off.

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Assisting Derek Cooper

2009-07-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

On July 22nd I had the privilege of assisting Photographer Derek Cooper on a fashion photoshoot.
He found this great location at an abandoned warehouse. There were endless possibilities for places to shoot on site.
Also assisting on the shoot was Jonathan from Sugarman Designs. We had a great time walking around this creepy warehouse finding the perfect places to setup.

Modeling for Derek was Aleks a Toronto based model. She was fantastic. The warehouse we were in was home to multiple pigeons and the evidence was all over the floors. She had a great attitude and stayed positive throughout the entire day of meandering through the warehouse, avoiding broken glass, bird poop and cracked floors.

Wardrobe was provided by the very talented Mayra. All bikini's and clothes were designed and sewn by her. If you have a minute check out her stuff because it is fantastic!

Makeup and hair was done by Kaitlyn Tillaart. She was so fast at creating multiple looks with both hair and makeup. They suited the location, model and wardrobe perfectly.

Here is a peak at some of the locations we used and some behind the scenes during the photoshoot.

At the end of the day we were all excited with the final results. Going through the images yesterday it was evident that we achieved some great results. Derek had an amazing vision and it all came together thanks to everyone involved.

Here is a shot that Derek and I did a little retouching on yesterday. Still needs a bit more before its complete but just a sneak peak at one of the results we achieved from the day of shooting.

Have a great weekend!

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Updated Look

2009-07-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

Back in Kingston and getting ready to start getting out there and marketing myself. I have a ideas set aside that I'll share later. First on my list is an update to my websites graphic design page. I want to create a consistent look to my photography page with the three following categories.

*Design Page*

I split them into "Advertising", "Design" & "Identity" categories. There is unfortunately no new content, but I added more descriptions to make sure everyone knows which are CONCEPT designs and which were real. I need to get some more 'real' jobs.

If anyone needs any graphic design work, big or small, just let me know. Please feel free to pass on my name to anyone you know that may have design or photography needs.

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Creativity runs in the family

2009-07-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty busy lately getting settled into my new Kingston home as well as driving up to Sault Ste. Marie to visit friends and family. While at home I had the pleasure of shooting my cousin Sherie's amazing paintings. She is applying for a grant in order to continue creating her beautiful pieces and needed photos of her work. Nothing like having a photographer in the family.

Copy-board lighting worked well for this type of job. Would have worked even better if I had more room for my lights and longer distance for my tripod but nothing a little tweaking in photoshop couldn't fix. I was so glad that I used my grey card. If people ever tell you 'nah you don't need that' they are a liar! When photographing her paintings I wanted to make sure that I had the EXACT colours that she produced. By using the grey card it allowed me to colour correct the images quickly, with confidence that I had the correct colours. There was such a big difference between the colour corrected image and the one that wasn't. It was really interesting to see the different colour casts that initially weren't that noticeable.

It was a lot of fun to spend an evening with Sherie. We hadn't seen each other in a while so it was great to catch up and reminisce of old times. We were pretty creative even as kids. Making our own home movies with news broadcasts and talk shows. Or spending a weekend painting, a fairy table comes to mind. So many great memories.

She is amazingly creative and a beautiful painter. She studied Visual Arts and Art History at the University of Windsor and spent a few months teaching in South Korea.

Here are a few of the paintings that she's completed so far;

Calla Lillies - A wedding present for her sister Christine.

Lily - Definitely my favourite

Korea

Rib Cage

Artist Palette

As you can see she is very talented! If you are interested in contacting her to commission a piece just email her at; me_sherie@hotmail.com

Have a great weekend. I'm off to enjoy my cottage on St. Josephs Island with some great friends.

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and so it comes to an end ...

2009-06-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day in Christchurch, New Zealand. It has been an amazing year. How often do people get to say they went to New Zealand twice in one year. I feel very fortunate but now back to reality. Moving to Kingston, Ontario and really looking forward to it. Hopefully I am able to find a job as soon as I get back.

The last few days have been jam packed with things going on. A lot of Frasers friends from Canada are now gone. We spent a lot of nights meeting people downtown to say goodbye.

Yesterday we walked around downtown to get some last minute souvenirs. I got a wicked t-shirt that I'll post later. While walking around I brought my camera and got some good pictures of buildings and areas we visited downtown. If you're on facebook add me and you can see my album here.

It helps out a lot when photographing to have a boyfriend who will chat it up with anybody. We were walking past this empty lot where a building once stood. You could see the old rooms on the side of the building along with broken windows etc. Stroke of luck the care taker was just about to lock up and let us through the fence to take pictures. Whipped out my polaroid and took a couple shots. Didn't want to take up too much time of the caretaker. Thanks to Fraser for chatting him up while I took more pictures.

Here are a couple polaroids I captured. I like polaroid because you're never sure what you are going to get, but also not so fond of it because I thought I had some great shots but once I got back to the room and they were fully exposed most were out of focus. I guess thats how it goes. Win some you lose some. Still somewhat happy with the results.

I think I like my landscapes better.

Leaving in approximately 20 hours. Flying out Sunday morning at 7:00am (NZ time) and getting into Ottawa Sunday night around 7:00pm. Yippie!

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Panoramic

2009-06-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

Not much to update. Thought I'd post a panoramic that I put together using AutoPano from my trip up to Castle Hill.

Panoramic from Castle Hill.

** Home in 8 days **

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School of Media and Design Award 2009

2009-06-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

I found out a week or so ago that I was nominated for the School of Media and Design Award 2009! I wasn't sure about posting any information on it because I didn't win. But then I thought, hell I was nominated and that is a great accomplishment. I found out later that it was someone in the Game Development program that won it. :( oh well.

This is the post that my teacher had up on the Algonquin College Blog;

To Students of the Photography Program:
It gives me great pleasure to announce that Ms Breanne Sinibaldi has been nominated for the School of Media and Design Award 2009.

“This prestigious award is presented to a graduating student who has demonstrated achievement in leadership in program-related activities, application of learning outcomes for the benefit of others and excellence in reaching the learning outcomes of the program and applying the knowledge to higher levels.”

Congratulations to Breanne for being nominated!

The winner of this award will be announced at the Graduation Ceremonies on June 19, 2009.

Garry Carter, Coordinator

Thanks Garry and all of my teachers (Jason, Denine, Bowie, Andrew & Jon) at Algonquin. It was an amazing experience, amazing program and amazing people. I owe a lot to all of you for your passion and knowledge in photography. It made me want to come to school each day and soak in as much as I could and work hard to create unique, creative photographs.

B

A fun new TOY!

2009-06-17T01:25:00.001-07:00

Received an amazing surprise today. Fraser came home from school and on his lunch break he bought me my first pin hole camera! :) In all the years I've taken pictures I've never actually used a pinhole camera before. I know shocking isn't it? It didn't take very long to set up and I can't wait to go out tomorrow and take some pictures with it. (It was dark out when he got home and our apartment isn't that exciting to photograph)

This new camera inspired me to do some research online and find out what pictures tend to look like when using a pinhole camera and different techniques you can use to create different effects. Example being; the size of the hole and the length of the exposure.
For those of you that don't know what a pinhole camera is you can check out Wikipedia for more information on it.

While Googling pinhole photography I came across this interesting site where on April 24, 2009 they had "Pinhole Photography Day" and people from all around the world used their pinhole cameras and then submitted the images they captured. I'm glad I found the site because in their captions they added their exposure times so now I have a better idea of how long to expose the film.

The camera after assembly.

It needs some jazzy (thats right Alex & Ryan I said JAZZY) stickers or something. Tomorrows goal!

My first roll of film is just a 12 exp, 400 ISO in colour. After that one I think I'm going to try and find some black and white film and do some more landscapes. Only 10 days left so I better get shooting.

B

Same place, different times

2009-06-14T22:02:00.001-07:00

I visited Castle Hill in the summer months of New Zealand last time I was here. Now I was fortunate enough to come back and view the same thing but in their winter months. Love comparing the changing seasons.

**NOVEMBER 2008**

**JUNE 2009**

More polaroid adventures

2009-06-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

Thought it was time to post some more polaroid pictures from my adventures here in New Zealand. The other day Fraser and I took a drive out to Castle Hill. We lucked out with a beautiful day. Not too chilly and amazing clouds.

The pictures turned out a little yellow and I'm not sure if that is because the polaroid was a few months expired? I know part of it was just what the landscape actually looked like, but still a little too yellow. But I'm still happy with them.

Took a bunch of digital shots as well but haven't gone through those yet. With only 2 more weeks in my New Zealand adventure I need to get out and take some more pictures around town. I've had such an amazing time here. It is definitely a country I recommend visiting if you have not. The people are amazing, you can drive from one side of the country to the other in just a matter of a few hours, and the scenery is unbelievable. Most pictures just don't do it justice.

Looking forward to getting back home and seeing my friends and family. A lot of small trips are in the works already for when I get back that I am really excited for. Kingston, Ottawa & Sault Ste. Marie here I come!

B

Live it up!

2009-06-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

I've been having a hard time lately getting inspired and finding ways to motivate myself. Not only creatively but also personally. I found this great quote the other day and turned it into a little photo quote.
I went out the other day and bought a little paint set and some canvas. Need to get back into painting and creating. Now what to paint? Any suggestions or requests?

Also found inspiration in this;

"Be a fan, be a lover, be a student of your medium and that’s how you’ll become great at it. Never think you’ve mastered it, there’s always something new to learn somehow."

I can't remember where I found it or who wrote it but I love it.
My time here in NZ is almost over. I'll be back in Ontario on June 28th. Then back to the grind, back to reality. Need to start looking for a job but won't be able to do that until about mid-July because I'll be going up too the Sault! YEAH! I can't wait to get home and see friends and family.

B

Tagged

2009-06-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

So these used to be mainly a facebook note obsession but I've noticed a couple blogs that I follow have been tagged so I figured I'd take my turn at it ...

What is your current obsession?
Currently in NZ and obsessing over Vanilla Chai Lattes from Coffee Culture, my Google Blog Reader (if you are an avid blog follower (such as myself) get Google Reader. It keeps all your blogs in one place and lets you know who's updated.) and Shopping (funds permitted of course)

What's for lunch?
On an apple and peanut butter kick, so probably that.

What's the last thing you bought?
Found this great clothing store called DOTTI and went a little overboard on new outfits.

These are a couple of the things I picked up. But also got some really great summer dresses.

What are you listening to right now?
Gin Wigmore! Check her out if you haven't heard her stuff yet.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
I'd love to be on my beach at my cottage on a nice hot and sunny day, with a good book and cold beverage, lounging in my hammock and taking a quick dip in the lake.

What's your favorite quote (for now)?
I'm not sure where it came from but a good friend once told me - "Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but gets you no where."
also like;
"Lucky is what happens when 'opportunity' meets 'preparedness" Chase Jarvis

What's your dream job?
To always love what I'm doing. Whether it ends up being photography or design I don't know at this point. But my dream job would combine both and allow me to create new and exciting things each day.

What's your worst habit?
Probably biting my nails and lounging in bed until all hours of the daytime (aka right now haha).

Do you admire anyones style?
I admire girls that can just take a bunch of random items from their closet and whip them up into an awesome outfit that looks great. I need to work on that. I tend to opt for t-shirts and jeans most days.

Describe your personal style?
Well as stated above pretty casual with t-shirts and jeans. But slowly trying to move away from that into more accessories, and fun dresses. I'm in love with the current vintage style of Urban Outfitters and Dotti.

What are your favorite movies?
I'm not really the type to have a "fav" because I'm too indecisive and I change my mind all the time about favorites. But I currently like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" & "Role Models".

What inspires you?
My friends. I've got a lot of really creative and inspirational friends that keep me striving to do better. Also a couple blogs that I follow;
A Beautiful Mess
Design is Mine
&
Photopreneur (great info for entrepreneurs)

What's your favorite book?
I'm not afraid to admit that I really like the Harry Potter series. Which I actually just finally got around to finishing the 7th and final book in the series.
Right now I'm reading "A million little pieces" by James Frey. Very interesting book, only a few chapters in so far but it has me hooked.
And when I was little I really liked my Fraggle Rock books.

Do you collect something?
I read this question and really had to think about it because there really isn't ONE thing that I do collect. I've tried to find things in common that I can buy in my travels but it always seems to come down to a picture frame or photo album. Not much of a collectable.
I do have a plate collection that my mom and I were collecting. Still not sure if we have the whole series, but its by Donald Zolan. They are still hung on the walls at home. My favorite and initial plate that started the collection is "Small Wonder"

What do you like most about yourself?
I like that I have a lot of characteristics of my parents in me. I take after my mom and dad in different ways and if you know them, its pretty obvious what I take from each.

If you wanna play along... TAG! you're it.

B

Instant Satisfaction

2009-06-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

I've had my mom's old polaroid camera for a few years now. It wasn't until recently that I realized how much I love taking pictures with it. I took it out on a couple adventures this weekend when I went to Akaroa and Lyttelton. I was able to get Fraser's scanner working on my computer and spent a few minutes this afternoon scanning and editing dust spots.

These two were taken in Akaroa.

And these two were taken in Lyttelton.

Let me know what you think.

B

Lyttelton (proper spelling)

2009-05-30T04:21:00.000-07:00

Drove over to Lyttelton today for an adventure to find Eddie's lentil salad. No such luck but we did find a great little cafe for lunch that made the best smoked turkey / sundried tomato sandwich i've had in a long time.
This was another great little harbour village with small shops and restaurants.

The drive back we drove up along the mountain pass again. Such amazing views, I'll never get sick of it.

I've been experimenting with polaroid film lately and have gotten some great shots of my trip so far. Fraser has a scanner here so hopefully I can get it hooked up and post them soon.

B

Akaroa

2009-05-29T00:35:00.000-07:00

Fraser and I took a drive today to Akaroa. Its a cute little harbour village with lots of little shops and restaurants. I found an awesome "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" owl set for only $23! I don't have a picture of them yet but I'll take one soon. I don't know what it is about owls but I'm obsessed with them lately.

We walked around the harbour and then took a drive up the mountain. The views are incredible, you can see the snow capped mountains in the distance. The roads have so many twists and turns, ups and downs you have to have a really strong stomach.

Tomorrow we're taking a drive to Littelton for another adventure.

B

Climbing

2009-05-29T00:28:00.000-07:00

Went indoor rock climbing the other day with a couple friends here in New Zealand. Improved a lot this round. I was able to get up and over an overhang for the first time. Once over however I had to come down, my arms were just WAY to tired. I'll attempt again next time we go.

Here are some pics from the evenings adventures.

2009-05-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

New Favorite Magazine!

Last time I was in New Zealand over Christmas I found this great magazine called Pilot. It was the first issue for the magazine and I fell in love with it right away. The layouts, the typography, the PHOTOS oh my!
I went to visit a local magazine shop today and found out they had released issue #2 so I picked it up. My expectations were set high because of the first issue and flipping through the first thing I noticed was the editorial statement - "Don't worry. Everything is going to be amazing." - and boy was that an understatement.

It was full of creative fashion ads, amazing photographers and innovative designs. I found a great photographer named Carlo Van de Roer who has an interesting series of Orbs and open spaces which I found very beautiful.

I'm hoping I can get copies shipped home, its THAT amazing.

B

Rain, rain go away

2009-05-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

So it has been raining and cloudy here for a week straight. Despite the rain I've been keeping busy with some fun indoor activities.
Went to Lightworkx Studio the other day to take part in a photo/video shoot for a new commercial for "Dogs Breakfast". They have some amazing products. Their website doesn't give a list of full products yet but they are a sister company to NOOD that you can find back home in Vancouver.

It was really interesting to see not only the tungsten lighting for the photography side of things but also seeing how they light for video.

Found an amazing breakfast joint the other day called DREXELS. They have the most scrumptious french toast I've ever had. So full afterwards but so good.

A new pair of shoes have been added to my collection while here. My first pair of rock climbing shoes. A very popular hobby of many friends here in NZ. Having my own shoes will be great to start climbing more and hopefully feel confident enough to try outdoor climbing one day.

This weekend Fraser has a few days off so a few out of town adventures are in the works. More pics to come.

B

Update from CHCH

2009-05-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

(Pic from the Sydney Airport)

Long overdue update on my time here in New Zealand. I've been here a week and its been extremely relaxing. Fraser was on his last week of placement so I'd explore a bit in the town during the day or just relax and hang out at the apartment.

Each night there always seems to be something new and exciting going on. Tuesday we went Rock Climbing at the YMCA climbing gym. Thursday was a birthday party dinner for our friend Emily. Went to a great little mexican restaurant mmmm enchiladas!

Friday night went out to a local pub to here Fraser's friends band play. Saturday we went to this excellent film festival for Banff Mountain Film Festival Tour which was being featured in Christchurch. Check out the link here. It was excellent! So many crazy people out there. Click the link to see the preview video and if it comes to a city near you go and see it. They featured about 10 different videos all running different lengths and featuring different aspects of adventure sports. Skiing, rock climbing, hiking etc.

There is always a new shop or restaurant to check out in this town. Each time I go exploring I always find something new.

Pics to come soon I promise.

B

Safe

2009-05-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Made it to Christchurch, New Zealand safe and sound last night. The time change will take some getting used to. Its 3:17 pm here on Monday, May 11 but back home its 11:18 pm on Sunday, May 10.
Traveling 38.5 hours isn't as daunting as it sounds. I do have one beef. I always ask for a window seat. I like to be able to see where we are and sometimes of course take the occasional touristy window shot. BUT why is it that every window seat I ALWAYS get is right beside the freaking wing. Hahaha, every flight I was on this trip I was directly beside the wing so could not see the ground unless I tried looking at the window to the left or right. I noticed it on my first flight and thought it was kinda humorous seeing as I love to take pictures. The second flight I was a little more annoyed because I wanted to see Australia from the air. Then the third flight I just had to laugh because it seemed ridiculous that EVERY FLIGHT I got stuck with the wing.
Anyways, thats my rant about window seats.

Just hanging out in my room waiting for Fraser to get off placement.

Pictures soon.

B

Hello from Down Under!

2009-05-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

In the Sydney airport now. 15.5 hour flight was actually pretty great this time around. Ended up with my own row of seats so i sprawled out and slept for about 5 hours! :)
Watched 4 movies ... Bridal Wars, Yes Man, Curious Case of Benjiman Button & Doubt. All very entertaining.

Not much really to report ... have a 9 HOUR layover, ugh. Ended up in a new part of the airport though so have to switch terminals at some point via bus. But considering I have so much time I'm not going to rush it. So thought I'd write a little post to say hello and so far so good.

I'm off to take a gander through the shops ... battery life on the laptop is dying so need to go find a plug hopefully. A plug, a drink and a comfy chair!

More soon.

B

Only 32 more hours to go!

2009-05-08T21:10:00.000-07:00

> Sitting here in the vancouver airport. Love that I can access the
> net free on my touch here.
> Found this really cool area with fountains and restuarants. Didn't
> know it even existed last time I was here. Got a little more
> adventurous and explored further than 2 gates away from my departure
> gate.
> Plus the check in guy informed me all the food places close at 8:30
> so I made a mad dash to find where they were.
> Going to go read a bit. Pics to come later.
>
> B
>
> Sent from my iPod

New Zealand here I come!

2009-05-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

Only 4 more days until I fly out for my 38.5 hour trip across the world to Christchurch, New Zealand. Trying to organize clothes, camera gear, laptop etc. etc. etc. Really have to conserve and not bring too much. Don't want to have as much carryon as I did last time. Not fun lugging around 3 HEAVY bags during LOOONNGG layovers.

I'll try and post some pictures while I'm away. Not doing as much traveling as last time, but will hopefully get some weekend trips in around Christchurch.

Ok, thats all haha just to excited for words.

B

Finished Portfolio!

2009-05-03T07:01:00.001-07:00

Exhibition is finally complete and was very well attended. Not only that, I managed to walk away with TWO awards! :)

I was not expecting it at all and was really excited about it. Always nice to be recognized for all the hard work I put into things.
I won Best Website (Sinibaldi.ca)& Best Magazine Cover

I also got a lot of great feedback on my portfolio. Told I was in the running for best portfolio but was beat out by a very good friend of mine, Rebecca Leach. (Blog & Flickr). I know how hard she worked despite some crazy circumstances. Her book rocked the show! :)

Thought I'd post my full portfolio on here so those of you who could not make it to the show could still check it out.

Enjoy!

Questions, comments & critiques are always welcome!

Spring time road trips

2009-04-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

The past couple weeks have been super busy and the next few coming up are going to be even busier. I was finally able to get home for a bit last week after not being home for over a year. It was great to see all my friends and family. Also helped that it was Easter weekend and had a fantastic family dinner.
Friday I left for Nova Scotia. Drove all the way to Moncton the first day and then to Wolfville the next. The reason for the trip was to pick up my boyfriends little brother, Cameron. I drove down with my boyfriends mom, Kim.
While in Nova Scotia we visited Peggy's Cove, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, Halifax Harbour and Point Pleasant Park. We lucked out with weather both days, a little chilly but overall sunny and blue skies.
Heading back to Ottawa tomorrow then once back in Ottawa I have some finishing touches to do on my portfolio and exhibition pieces, then I leave the next day to go back up to the Sault with my sister for a little visit.
So busy all the time, but wouldn't have it any other way. I love to travel and love spending time with family and friends.

Here are some pictures from Nova Scotia.

I'M DONE!!

2009-04-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

Portfolio is submitted, critique is complete, exhibition prints are printed and ready to be mounted. Done, done and DONE!
It feels so great to be finished. A little scary though breaking out into the 'working' world.

Hopefully those in the Ottawa area will be able to attend my programs exhibition, April 27 & 28. (Details below)

I'll post my completed portfolio once the exhibition is over.
Looking forward to a nice break. Heading home, back to Sault Ste. Marie to visit with family and friends.

Have a fantastic weekend everybody. I know I will ... I'M DONE!

B

Digital Composition Revealed

2009-03-31T21:57:00.000-07:00

So it was actually only 6 photos that made up this composite.
Never trying to cut a dog off of carpet again!

B

Digital Composition

2009-03-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

Finally completed my digital composition assignment. This took all semester before I finally came up with a concept, and executed a concept that I was remotely happy with. (People hanging from a clothesline by clothes pins was not one of my brightest ideas).

See if you can guess how many images it took to make this photo?

I'll reveal the answer in a day or two.

B

Canterbury Crusaders

2009-03-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

As many of you are aware I spent my christmas holidays in amazing New Zealand! It was one of the best, if not the best, trip I've been on in my life. While I was there I did a photography field placement as part of my college curriculum with Lightworkx Studios.
I had a great time working with the guys at the studio. They were a lot of fun and I learned a lot, even just being there for only a little over a week.
While I was there I was able to take part in the Canterbury Crusaders Rugby team photo shoot. It was really cool to see a large shoot with multiple extras ("models") and how they organized everybody and got them into groups and had them pose in different ways.
The final ad was to be the players in the front and then fans in the back cheering them on. Nearing the end of the day we had gone through all the players (for that day at least) and all the extras. They then asked me if I'd like to have a couple shots taken just in case they needed some more faces for the crowd. I jumped at the chance, literally, and took a couple shots posed and jumping in the air cheering.
Didn't think anything of it until recently Fraser (boyfriend in New Zealand) informed me that my face now appears in 3 out of 4 of their new ad posters. The posters appear on the back of buses, flyers on street posts, posters in bars and billboards on sides of buildings all over New Zealand!

Here are three of the posters I was able find online. I could only find small versions but I was still able to see myself clearly in them. (I circled me in yellow).

So not only did I have an amazing 2 month vacation traveling around the country. I also had a fantastic placement and an awesome keepsake of my time there.

B

Website Faults

2009-03-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody,

Thanks for all the kind words about my new website. Though I'm very happy with my design I've run into some user errors. I have been contacted by a few people who are having a hard time viewing my site.
The main page with the navigation buttons will show up but none of the slideshows are working. If anyone runs into this problem, please let me know. Much appreciated as I try and sort out the problem.

The first couple issues appeared only on MacBook computers which is weird. But now some other MacBook Pro users are having similar errors. This could be due to your browser or flash player being out of date.
I've found that those who cleared their history, emptied their caches, closed the browser and then re-opened it, it seemed to work then.

Thanks again to help from Jason, I think the problem is fixed. But if anyone runs into problems please let me know.

Thanks for your patience and help with this issue.

B

Seeing Black and White

2009-03-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

This year I had the opportunity to work with Matthew Hennebury of Well Fed Artist an Ottawa body painter. I had this crazy idea one day to shoot a model painted in black and white checkers with a black and white checkered background to fall into my "linear" portfolio theme.
Never thought it would actually work out when I first came up with the idea. And it was down to the last few days before the studio time that I was able to find a model who agreed to pose nude. So a big thanks goes out to Anik Sylvia Tremblay of Barrett Palmer Models.
And of course a huge thanks to Matt who spent approximately 3 hours painting black and white checkers. (I think this will be the first, and the last, checker experience for him).

Thank you both so much.

B

NEW WEBSITE

2009-03-24T16:30:00.001-07:00

New website is FINALLY complete. After a few weeks of headaches its finally ready. Thanks again to Jason for all your help setting it up.
If anyone is having issues viewing on their computers please let me know. I've tested in on quite a few and it seems to be working just fine.
Comments would be appreciated.
www.sinibaldi.ca

Thanks!

B

Sneak Peak ...

2009-03-17T20:45:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd post a sneak peak into my portfolio this year...got a whole linear/design theme going on.
This is my 'self portrait' that will be displayed as a 'letter from the photographer' type layout in my book. Really excited to get it all finished. I have some creative promo pieces in the works. Hopefully I can find the time to complete them.

Another image I'm quite proud of is a portrait series I did of my dad. This one below is a picture that is going to be in a "Line of Sight" series in my portfolio but will later be part of a series of just him.

Thats all for now. You'll have to check back later for more updates and soon to be my final portfolio.

Welcome!

2009-03-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

Finally got this blog thing figured out! Thanks to some help from Jason and Remi.

Only 15 more days until my portfolio is due. YIKES! Getting there though, still a couple things to edit and then I can start printing. New website should be up and running within 2 weeks.

My day was full of packages. Got my new Chimera softboxes. Little annoyed that the FedEx guy just left it on the front step and didn't even bother knocking on the door. Also got a fantastic package from Fraser from New Zealand. Full of yummy goodies like Mi Goreng noodles and Tim Tams ... mmmmm

Anyways, back to editing ... more posts to come.