Pear Studios

Jamie, an aesthetician and business owner, and Tim, a surgeon and executive at a private medical services company, decided on an intimate, low-key yet elegant winter wedding at fabulous Graydon Hall Manor, one of Toronto’s most exclusive event venues. Tim’s grown children played a central role in the celebrations, as did Jamie’s parents and the couple’s extended circles of families and friends. Karina Lemke coordinated the event, with Keith Gawronski and his attentive staff at Graydon Hall Manor looking after every little detail.

The ceremony was presided over by Jeremy Citron and was held in a small chapel in front of 100 guests who were treated to some of the most unique wedding vows we’ve ever heard. The menu, which included grilled tiger shimp, scallops and rack of provimi veal, was designed and executed by world-reknown chef Arpi Magyar and his talented kitchen corps. Cuban-born guitarist Luis Mario Ochoa and his accompanist Sarah filled the ceremony and cocktail hour with beautiful music, and the talented Michael Coombs took over as the evening’s DJ.

Jamie and Tim’s wedding is featured on Luxe Mountain Weddings and the Urban Style Bridal Network, and will be published soon on Wedding Bells Online, Vie D’Amour, and BridesView.

For a short trip through their day, we invite you to scroll down or view the slideshow.

If you’re not offering albums to your clients, or if you dread the prospect of designing and delivering albums, then our upcoming Album Mastery workshop is just for you.

Hosted by Douglas Foulds, this day-long interactive session at our Leslieville studio will show you how to:

• Sell your clients (and yourself) on the idea of an album
• Select album formats and album vendors that are right for you and your clients
• Select and prep album-worthy images
• Design beautiful and timeless albums quickly using Photojunction and Photoshop
• Manage the album review cycle using Albumexposure
• Deliver albums with a flourish

Photojunction, by the way, is our preferred application for the design process. It’s fast, flexible– and, best of all, it’s free from the good folks at Queensberry. It is designed to work in tandem with Photoshop, but it can be used standalone. We’ll be touring the Photojuction interface as we design an album from start to finish in real-time. You’ll be amazed how quickly you can assemble a great-looking book!

DATES: Sunday, May 6 or Sunday, June 10

LOCATION:Pear Studios, 20 Leslie Street #108, Toronto

TIMES: 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM

FEE: $99 plus HST; PPOC members $69 + HST

To register, e-mail us at hello@pearstudios.ca with your preferred date (and PPOC membership number, if applicable).

March Break is over and so is our Teen Photo Camp. We had a lot of fun with field trips every day to some of Toronto’s most visually interesting and diverse neighbourhoods:

• Leslieville (getting to know our cameras)
• Allan Gardens (flowers and macro lenses)
• Wards Island (cityscapes, boats, cottages, and panoramas)
• Queen Street West and the Design District (graffiti and architecture, composition and the rule of thirds)
• Chinatown East and Riverdale (market scenes, controlling depth of field)
• Union Station, CN Tower and Harbourfront (wide angle images, slow shutter speeds)
• Dundas Square, Eaton Centre, Old and New City Halls (street scenes)

Each day, we explored our cameras’ manual and semi-manual (Tv, Av) settings and experimented with ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Composition and storytelling were also key concepts on which we worked. At the end of the week (and after a home-cooked lunch by yours truly) we selected our favorites, applied some post-processing techniques in Capture One and Photoshop, and then printed them BIG on our Epson professional inkjet right in the studio.

The images from the camp were nothing short of spectacular. With the exception of the 9-image panoramic composition immediately below, these images are as-captured, straight out of the cameras. Ah-mazing!

SUMMER CAMP DATES will be announced soon. Be among the first to know by following us on Twitter or by liking us on Facebook. Or, just drop us a note at hello@pearstudios.ca and we’ll add you to the announcement mailing list.

Pear Studios was honoured to provide full event coverage of the 17th Annual Starlight Children’s Foundation Gala held on Saturday, March 3 at the Allstream Centre at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

The event was hosted for the second year in a row by Ben Mulroney and, thanks to the generosity of those in attendance, Starlight raised a significant amount of money — including a record 71 “wishes” valued at $3,000 each — in support of seriously ill children and their families.

For us and everyone in the room, the most important and moving aspect of the evening was Isabella’s story of courage and perseverance. That’s her below in an image captured from a slideshow. Bella’s father Stephen, who demonstrated considerable courage himself, recounted the joy that that Starlight brought into his daughter’s life. The white bears that feature prominently in the photographs from the evening were inspired by Bella’s own companion bear, Andy. One of those bears now has a home at our Leslieville studio.

We invite you to view some of the highlights of the evening in the following gallery:

The gallery images are suitable for web use (with attribution) and high-quality printing up to 4×6 inches. For other uses, please contact us.

Hi Friends,

We want to invite you to a fabulous baby show that will be happening Sunday March 11th, 2012.  If you are a soon-to-be new mommy or you just had your little bundle, then you are going to want to come down to this show that is happening at Intercontinental Yorkville Toronto Hotel.

pear studios will be photographing all the beautiful mommies attending the show so be sure to come down, be pampered for an afternoon and visit our booth for a special gift.

To kick things off this week, we are having a contest for 2 free VIP tickets to the show (valued at $45 each). VIP ticket holders receive all spa treatments in the BEAUTY BAR, full Mocktail + Coffee Bar in the Chanel-inspired lounge and access to the VIP Gifting Lounge to commence the event.

Here is how you enter to win:

Send us your favourite pregnancy photo of yourself  or your favourite newborn/baby/toddler photo your took of your child/children (must be non-professional images) and a few lines written about why it's your favourite or even about the memory you have of that very moment it was taken.  The pear studios team will pick the 2 winning entries and you will be notified by email.  The two winning photos and stories will be published online :)

Send your First Name, Last Name, photo and story to: hello@pearstudios.ca

Contest closes March 1st 2012 at midnight.

To buy your tickets online or for more information about The Original Baby Soiree, hop on over to www.mamalovesu.com for all the details.

Every event we shoot, we are always so honoured to be invited to share and capture any and every special moment in a child’s life. This Hindu blessing ceremony was the last event in 2011 for us and what a lovely and intimate affair it was.  We were referred by our friend, Ayen Deb of Lucreative Media.  I did a mix of stills and video to create a fusion presentation.  As always, thank-you for inviting us into your lives. Enjoy the show

This recent session was with Corrie Harding-Keizs of RE/MAX Condos Plus. We started out with a few business looks but I loved her orange top she arrived in that I asked if we could do a more casual shot just for kicks! Make-up artist Eleni Gountanos was a treat to work with as always!
Corporate headshots are a great way to start the introductions with your clients! Be it in studio or on location – we love to consult and create the image that represents you and your business. We even arrange for hair and make-up services so that we can ensure that you will look your best!
Be to sure to ask us about our executive group preferred rate!

We’re off to the annual Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) conference and trade show in Las Vegas from February 15 to 23.

The WPPI conference is one of the premier events on any wedding or portrait photographer’s calendar. Each winter, up to 10,000 shooters flock to the Strip to share, learn and see the latest innovations and technologies. The trade show, covering 500,000 square feet in the MGM Hotel, is simply unreal.

We’ll be spending two full days attending intensive, hands-on workshops: Kristina gets the unbelievably talented wedding photographer Jim Garner, while Douglas will work with two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning shooter Greg Adams. The rest of the week is packed with more classes, seminars and networking with other professionals. It’s exhausting and exhilarating at the same time.

Douglas has attended three previous WPPI conferences, winning two Awards of Excellence in the print competition. He previously studied with award-winning photographer Ken Sklute and, more recently, with Charles and Jennifer Maring. This will be Kristina’s first WPPI. We’re both very much looking forward to the trip and the chance to get ready and recharged for the busy wedding season ahead.

We’ll be Tweeting our thoughts and observations throughout the conference. Follow us @Pear_Studios

We’re thrilled to announce our March Break 2012 Teen Photography Camp at our Leslieville Studio (a.k.a The Big Pear).

If you’re between 13 and 18 years old with an interest in photography, this hands-on camp is for you. We’ll spend lots of time in the studio and out in the neighbourhood learning how to get great images from a D-SLR camera using available light. Each day will begin with a review of the previous day’s images, and the week culminates in an image competition with great prizes! Everyone will also take home a professionally printed portfolio of their work, as well as a certificate of completion.

DATES: Monday, March 12 to Friday, March 16, 2012

TIMES: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

LOCATION: pear studios, 108 – 20 Leslie Street, Toronto

No prior knowledge or experience is required. All you need is enthusiasm and a desire to have fun!

FAQ

1. What kind of camera do I need?
   Any digital SLR camera with manual controls for shutter speed, aperture and ISO, with a lens and memory card. Any brand will do. If you don’t have a camera, we can loan one to you for a nominal fee.
2. How much does it cost?
   The camp fee is $395 plus HST for earlybirds. After February 29, the fee is $425 plus HST.
3. Is lunch provided?
   No, but we do have a full kitchen and you are welcome to bring your own lunch. There are also several restaurants nearby. We’ll provide healthy, nut-free snacks and fruit juices.
4. How many campers will be attending?
   We’re limiting registration to 16 so that everyone gets lots of attention from us.
5. How do I register?
   Download and complete the March Break 2012 Teen Photography Camp registration form. Fax it to 416-777-0303 or scan and e-mail it to hello@pearstudios.ca or, if you’d like to meet us beforehand, drop it off at the studio (call first to make sure we’re in!).

Questions? Call us at 416-777-0303 or e-mail us at hello@pearstudios.ca

We’ve always found the Big Wedding Shows to be somewhat impersonal, and perhaps a bit overwhelming. There’s no time to really talk with potential vendors, to get their thoughts and advice. If you feel the same way, we think you’ll love what we’re planning!

Join us at our Leslieville studio on Sunday, February 12 at 1:00 PM for an informal gathering of some of Toronto’s best wedding experts.

You’ll enjoy short, interactive sessions in a stress-free, collaborative setting, followed by mingling and conversation over cocktails. This is your chance to pick the brains of the people who’ve, “Been there and done that.” Our goal is to share our experiences, answer your questions and help you become a more informed wedding shopper.

To get on the guest list for this event, RSVP to hello@pearstudios.ca or by calling 416-777-0303 or 1-866-507-0303. In keeping with the theme of this event we’re capping the guest list at 30.

And best of all: it’s FREE.

Our guest speakers include:

Karina Lemke, event planner and floral expert, karinalemke.com
David Dunkley, couture milliner, daviddunkley.me
Konstadin, confectioner, konstadin.com
Erin Bosak, event planner and stationer, erinbosak.com
Solmaz Schillaci, decor, favours and all things bling, facebook.com/pages/Dress-It-Up/108989149147014
Eleni Goutanos, makeup artist, e_pavlou@hotmail.com
Kristina Laukkanen and Douglas Foulds, photographers and film makers, pearstudios.ca

We look forward to seeing you at the studio!