Under the Sea – Friends of the Library host annual fundraising Dinner for the BUPL

The Friends of the Library hosted their annual fundraising Dinner for the BUPL (Bonnechere Union Public Library) on April 27 2013. This year’s theme was “Under the Sea”

This is the first time we were asked to participate and the evening was really fun! The Legion was transformed in to an under water oasis  and looked fantastic. Some of the attendees wore costumes and the decorations which was the work of a team of helpers were really AMAZING!

The Greek God Poseidon who was portrayed by Chris Hinsperger owner of the Bonnechere Caves made and appearance and presided over the evening…(Great Job Chris!)

The decorations were AMAZING!

George from Frisco’s was on hand serving freshly sautéed shrimp along with a selection of dishes and salads that were made by the Friend of the Library Volunteers.  It was obvious the food was enjoyed by all!

The annual fundraising dinner hosted by The Friends of the Library to support the Bonnechere Union Public Library was enjoyed by everyone who attended.

Bonnechere Valley Township Mayor Jennifer Murphy (whose costume was an adorable tiara with the letter “C” …get it?) presented Judy Sauvé with a volunteer award for all her hard work with the many local organizations she is proud to be part of.  Judy accepted the award to a standing ovation!  Now that is Valley Pride!

The evening entertainment was provided by The Red Shoes.

Both wearing their cool Red Shoes, they performed a great selection of Under the Sea music.

 There were games to entertain guests with prizes, and a silent auction.  We enjoyed ourselves and so did everyone we spoke with.  If you have not attended the annual dinner before we recommend you plan on attending next year.  It is not only a fun evening it is really a great cause  to support our local library

I know we can’t wait to see the decorations next year, we are told they get better every year.

Our Blog was Published! Special Treasures – Ottawa Valley Photography

Our last Blog post that Jenn wrote about our HDR class experience “Drawing with Light: An HDR Experience in Our 2nd Photography Class” was published on Photographic Visions Daily.  How cool is that! 

Our Blog about week 2 of our Drawing with Light Class was published by http://paper.li/swlund/1328843597

It feels cool to have a post published or mentioned by someone else!

Here is a screen shot!  I had to take a screen shoot and look again because I thought for sure I was seeing things.  I mean to have a photography blog link to our blog is pretty cool!

Our blog post appeared under Stories on Photographic Visions Daily.

Our post can be seen here: http://paper.li/swlund/1328843597

It sure is looking like 2013 will be an exciting year for us!  See Jenn, I always tell you, You have a gift for words…and well I am always right!

Special Treasures Photography win Two Judge’s Choice Awards – Ottawa Valley Photographers

For me as a photographer it is very gratifying when a photo you take is noticed, it is even cooler when you start your day with an e-mail to say that one of your images received an award! We post a few images on View Bug every couple of months, and this morning we received an e-mail saying:

Hi SpecialTreasures,

You are a Rockstar! Your photo ACW2c (228)w was selected by the judges as one of their favorite photos.

It was a photo we titled “With this Ring…”

How cool is that!

With this Ring…selected by the judges as one of their favorite photos!

Back in March the judges also selected on of our photos for their “Two Thumbs Up” Award.

In March 2013 “Hold my Heart” was selected by the judges as one of their favorites and received The Two Thumbs Up Award

It just feels really cool to have your photographs noticed, even if it is just on a small scale…We all have to start somewhere!

Drawing with Light: An HDR Experience in Our 2nd Photography Class

As a follow up to Lisa’s blog last week, I thought I would blog once again about our Photography course. When I initially read the course outline and realized our second class was going to be on HDR photography (High-Dynamic-Range) I was slightly disappointed. As a photographer I love to learn but I also tend to put myself in a box from time to time. Learning HDR was outside of that box. I had decided it wasn’t for me  after  learning about what it was and seeing other photographer’s work. I always enjoyed the images and respected them creatively but I had decided it wasn’t something I was going to learn. Now  what happens when you cut yourself off creatively as a photographer?  You do not realize what you are missing!!!!! I made a conscious decision to listen and learn the HDR for the “only reason” that it was in the course curriculum. I was absolutely inspired by the end of the class. I LOVED IT! I see what Lisa had been excited about in the past when she would create these beautiful HDR photos. The technique really does allow you to have more control then I originally thought and clearly takes skill to master. In the photo’s below you will see that we used the trial version of Photomatix pro (due to the watermarks). I have a feeling I will be indulging in the full version at sometime in the near future. We also used CS6 to process  HDR images and I practiced using CS5 when I got home.

The weather was beautiful and because Algonquin is beside Pembroke’s gorgeous Marina, we had a chance to get some really great shots. Again, Angie Wren was very helpful and informative while teaching HDR in an understandable, inspiring way. Overall this class surpassed my personal expectation! It Got me thinking outside of my box again!

Introduction to Photography Course – with Ottawa Valley Photographers Lisa & Jenn

Do you Want to Learn to Take Better Pictures?

I am really excited to announce I will be teaching an Introduction to Photography Course.  If you want to learn to take better pictures please join us!

This course will be held at the Bonnechere Union Public Library in Eganville on June 11, 18 and 25. The class will run from 6:30-8:30.

We will also have a Photo Walk on June 27 where you can practice what you’ve learned.

This is designed to be a beginners course to introduce you to photography.  It is perfect for anyone with a DSLR or a point and shoot with manual settings.  If you don’t have a camera with manual setting you may still learn a lot about what you can do using the scene modes and rules of composition to take better pictures.

To register or for more information:

Call Lisa 613-628-9222

or the Bonnechere Union Public Library (BUPL) 613-628-2400

Come and join us to learn how to take better pictures!

Come on and visit our Facebook page, we

Come on and visit our Facebook page, we have pretty photos from session sneak peeks!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Special-Treasures-Photography/198910016796120

Hey everyone, Don’t forget to check out

Hey everyone, Don’t forget to check out our Pinterest Boards…we have loads of stuff to inspire brides! http://pinterest.com/stphotoottawa/