welcome to james day photography

Last year I organised for a photoshoot to be done in Canada last year by Jason Leon Photography in Edmonton, and this year I, at the last moment got on the phone to see who might be available to do a shoot for Lauren and I with barely a few hours notice. Ryan Schembri, the absolute champion said, “yeah, why not?”..I really like his style.
Ryan Schembri is one of Australia’s most accomplished photographers, working out of Sydney, but travelling world-wide photographing weddings and other assignments, and speaking at conferences the world over.. he is rather inspiring for some lowly photographer like me.
Ryan and his father Martin actually inspired me to open up my studio in Armidale. Thank you both so very much.

We took these photos near Ryan’s studio (X-Sight - Sydney) in Pyrmont..
(for your info-i’ve edited these with Ryan’s permission. If Ryan was editing them they would like even better than they do now.)

Isn’t she gorgeous. Yes.. yes she is.

Thanks again Ryan, I owe you one big time.
JD

This afternoon Lauren was good enough to do a shoot with me around Armidale. We spent just a short while doing all the crazy things that I had in my head. It’s nice to photograph occasionally just for fun.
I hope you enjoy these!

my favourite.

JD

YO YO YO.
Cool Whip Rocks my socks. Has anyone ever tried it? It’s a “whipped topping” that I guess is meant to accompany desserts. I prefer just to eat it straight. My grandpa used to buy it for me as a kid.. and I haven’t had it since then.. I remember always running to the dessert section as a kid and trying to find it in the freezer section.. So anyway the other night I saw an Ad for it on TV and I was over the moon as you can’t buy it in Australia any more.

Oh, also on the food side of things.. Barclay’s and B-WET restaurant at the Sheraton in Calgary has the best Calamari I have ever had. Sorry rockfed.. but there’s is better)

Oh why not.. let’s stay on the food subject..
The other day Lauren and I went for a picnic over looking the city of Calgary.. All these super fit, hungry looking business people on their lunch break people kept running past.. The least I could do was to offer them a muffin.

Last but not least.. this has nothing to do with food.. but every time I’ve driven past this wall I thought how cool it would be to do an engagement shoot for a Calgary Wedding in front of this wall.. Anyway.. so I got impatient and did this photo in front of it with Lauren and I.

Yesterday evening, I was talking with Keith and Maureen (lauren’s parents) and I said that at some point while i’m here i’d love to do some photos of them together.. before I could even blink, they were all ready to go, and we were in the car. I said that i’d do the shoot similar to an engagement shoot… but I think the shoot would probably be best described as a “sweetheart shoot”. After we spent 20 minutes doing that.. I ended up getting out the tripod & taking some photos of Lauren & I myself..
Also, you’ll probably be surprised to know that these photos were taken with a little compact point and shoot digital camera.. no fancy digital slr.

I’m still in Canada.. they haven’t kicked me out yet.. even though i’ve been driving around illegally. Yesterday I met with 2 awesome photographers, Jesh De Rox, and Jason Clark. Jason is actually the photographer that photographed Lauren and I at Christmas time and his brother in law is the one and only Jesh De Rox. Jesh is the master of showing the spiritual connection between a couple. Jason is in my opinion the master of creating the most romantic atmosphere during a shoot. I hope to do another shoot with Jason someday as the atmosphere he brings to a photoshoot is just unmatched.

One thing I still find amusing is that Lauren’s family asks me reasonably regularly if I’ve made a blog update recently… and they get really excited when I have.

So what else have I been doing? I mowed someone’s lawn the other day…who i’ve never even met… that was cool..(lauren’s fam offered to do it for this person.. and in turn asked me as I really don’t have a massive amount to do).
Also, Keith, who is Lauren’s dad has been re-shingling the roof so I’ve been helping clean up the old shingles that they throw on the ground. My back is a bit tender now..Does anyone really read this or do you all just scroll through photos?

Anyhow.. Jesh De Rox who I had lunch with yesterday in Edmonton sells these textures, called “Fine Art Textures”. I decided to buy a set and they absolutely rock. It’s a disc of images which look great when overlayed over your images.. they’re not everyone’s cup of tea.. but I love ‘em.

Here’s what I’ve been spending a bit of time mucking around with while Lauren’s been at work.