Many of you know that I regularly attend Yoshinkan Aikido classes at Aikido Canada here in Windsor.  Every few months, a group of us attend seminars put on in different parts of Canada and the United States.

This past October, we attended Break Fall 2011 in Uxbridge Ontario.  This one-day seminar consisted of a number of teachings from some of the best names in martial arts in Canada.  The list of instructors include Hanshi Cezar Borkowski, Kyoshi Kevin Blok, Kyoshi Norm Beauchamp, Shihan Patricia Blok, Renshi Scott Campsall, and Renshi Ted Theelen.

The following day, I also got to witness a test for the rank of first degree black belt (Shodan).  This was a great honor, as the test requires much preparation and concentration.  I was allowed to take photographs, and I posted a few of them below.

Thank you everyone who organized Break Fall 2011, and I look forward to attending next year.  Osu!

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Here is a few of the photos from Alin and Shelly’s wedding.

I’ve known Alin and Shelly for a number of years, and we had a great engagement photo shoot at Mackenzie Hall in Windsor.  We had a fun day with lots of awesome photos, and one heck of a reception to top it off!  They had several dessert tables, a chocolate fondue fountain, and even two Micheal Jackson impersonators!

Best of wishes to both of you in your married life.  Take care!

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Back in 2008, I started working with a great actor here in Windsor.  Rob Tymec and I have done a number of projects together since them, and each one has been better than the last.

This time around, Rob has once again brought laughter and chills to his audience through his famous Ghost Tours in Amherstburg and along Sandwich Street in Windsor.  Crowds of people would gather every Sunday evening in the fall to take the tour and hear about the ghost stories that are in their local environment.

I wanted to share a few of the promotional photos we took in order to get this event known to the public.  I had a great time editing these photos and also making the designs.  If you’d like more information about these ghost tours, you can contact Rob Tymec at robtymec@hotmail.com

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Justin and Shannon originally contacted me from Alberta, and from what I understand, these two are living now in the Yukon.  It’s a bit too cold up there for me, but I’m glad that they came down here for their wedding!

Their wedding was outdoors, and that day was probably the hottest day we had all summer!  Nonetheless, we all had a great time and also got some fabulous photos.

Shannon and Justin were game for anything on this day, and very easy going.  For me as a photographer, I couldn’t ask for anything more out of my brides and grooms!  Thanks again for a great (and hot) day!  Take care.

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As many of you know, I have been a student of Yoshinkan Aikido here in Windsor since early 2009.  One of our annual events we have at our dojo is called Summer Synergy, a seminar that attracts martial artists from all over Canada and the United States.

Some of the guest instructors who were part of this event were Shihan Micheal Jacobs, Sensei Dane Harden, Shihan Patricia Blok, Renshi Scott Campsall, and Kyoshi Kevin Blok.

We had a great day of teaching, and afterward got a delicious Chinese Cuisine dinner at a local restaurant here in Windsor.  I wish I had brought my camera to the restaurant, because the food they serve there is the best Chinese food I’ve ever had!

Here’s some of the photos.  I look forward to seeing all my fellow Budoka next year at Summer Synergy.  OSU!

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Hello all.  I photographed Rami and Jill’s wedding and I wanted to share a few of the photos with you.

You might remember the engagement shoot I did with these two.  The results we got were even better than what we got previously!

Rami, Jill, and I had a great time at their wedding.  One thing that they did totally differently than most weddings I’ve been at is having a “you kiss, we’ll kiss” policy at their reception.  It’s a simple concept really … you first kiss someone and then the bride and groom will kiss in the exact same fashion!  Little did Rami know that one of his groomsmen was going to be singing to his lady and followed it with a kiss!

Then Rami shocked me by doing the same thing, but only better!

Good luck out West Rami and Jill!

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Hello everyone.  This is a bit unusual for me to post about, but I wanted to share with you a great achievement that I’ve earned in my Aikido studies.

This certificate was awarded to me this past June for completing 10 months of Aikido Kenshu.  For those of you who might not know, Kenshu is a special kind of training that involves a lot of physical and philosophical study.  The translation of the word “Kenshu” means “sword sharpening,” and throughout this course, I learned a lot and was able to advance my aikido a lot.

I studied intensively every week for 10 months under the supervision of Kyoshi Kevin Blok, an 8th degree black belt in the art of Yoshinkan Aikido.  Martial arts has been a passion of mine since I was a teenager, and I’m happy that I have a great teacher here in Windsor that I can learn from.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  I am going to train for another 10 months come Fall 2011.  OSU!

Hello everyone.  Here’s a few images from Rami and Jill’s engagement photo shoot.

Jill initially contacted me from Saskatchewan, and let me know that she was having her wedding here in Windsor.  Once we talked over the phone and met for coffee, we decided to do the engagement photo shoot down by the river with the Ambassador Bridge in the background as well as the Ford Center.

Little did we know that it would still have been cold outside!  Rami and Jill were troopers for freezing outside just to get these fantastic photos.  Take care!

Hey all.  I wanted to let you all know that I’ve been featured in the June 2011 issue of Biz X magazine.

A while back, I got contacted by Biz X and asked if I’d like to be featured in an upcoming issue that talks a lot about the artistic community in Windsor.  I jumped on the opportunity to be featured in such a prominent business magazine, and they made getting involved in their magazine very easy.

The article is on Page 36 of the June 2011 issue.  You can view the online article here.

Thanks to Marissa Reaume for managing this for me, and also thanks to Darleen Schiavo for getting in touch with me!  Take care.

Hi everyone.  Just wanted to share a few quick photos from Shannon and Justin’s engagement shoot!

Shannon found me online and booked me as her wedding photographer all the way from Alberta.  We had a great shoot at Willistead Manor, despite the uncooperative weather and my umbrella getting trashed!

Looking forward to the wedding this summer!  Take care Shannon and Justin!