It was a busy week for concerts

We like shooting concerts, I mean, who wouldn’t? You’ve got two maybe three songs, sometimes from what is called “The Pit” which is space between the front row and the stage – sorry to all you front row people – or sometimes you are all the way back at the soundboard, but either way, it is a rush to have the opportunity to photograph some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry.

This past week we photographed Elton John, Papa Roach, SixxAm and Five Finger Death Punch, and while we normally alternate who is shooting, I (Mark) was lucky enough to shoot all of them.

Here are some shots from those shows. You can see more of our work from this week of concerts here: Our Archive

London, Ontario – Canada. September 29, 2016. Sir Elton John performs in concert. Mark Spowart/WideOpenStudios

Our Big News….

Ok, we have been teasing this for a little while now, and for those of you who know us personally, this may not be news to you.  However for the rest of London we are happy to announce today that on May 1st, 2014 we will be opening a new photo studio/gallery at 432 Waterloo Street in London. 

Or at least thats when we get the key!  There will be some painting to do and move our lights and equipment in, but we expect to be up and running in very short order. 

In addition to this being a studio where Joe and I will shoot work for our corporate, advertising and communications clients, it will also be studio available for rental – fully equipped with lights, backdrops, stands, stools…etc – as well as a dedicated space for workshops including everything from “There’s An App for That – Smartphone Photography” to “Photography for Communications Professionals” to “Photography 101” these are just a some of the workshops we have been developing.  

We will also be offering private instruction for those who are more comfortable not learning in a group setting. 

And finally, we want our studio/gallery to be a social place as well.  A place where photographers of all stripes can come in and chat. With that in mind in late May we will be hosting what will be our first “Sunday Studio Social” a relaxed time to stop by, bring some recent work to share and get to meet other photogs in and around London. 

That’s it for now, follow us on Twitter @WideOpenStudio to keep up to date on future announcements, and check back here as well. 

This is the first bit of news, more info – and pictures – will be coming soon. 

Cheers.

Mark. 

Happier Times….

London Knight captain Scott Harrington celebrates after the London Knights won their second OHL championship in as many years.  What a difference a week makes, the Knights were slammed by the Halifax Mooseheads 9-2 last night at the Memorial Cup. 

Into the fog…

Shot this on Friday in Toronto, I was there picking up some new gear that I used to shoot this picture. It is also a good day to be looking skyward as Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield makes his return trip to Earth today. 

 

Feature Photography

Feature photography is always a fun assignment…in this shot we wanted a gritty, intense “in your face” type of feel.  A single light source, selective focus, the right lens and of course London Knight starting goaltender Anthony Stolarz.  This was shot for Metro London and ran on  page one today. 

Event Photography

 

From sporting events to grand openings to festivals, event photography is probably least thought of in terms of hiring professional photographers for.  

The truth is, by hiring a photographer you reduce the stress on your staff who “may try” to capture a few good shots, and you free them up to the do the work they are best at. 

Wide Open Studios has a number of commercial and non-profit clients who we shoot for on a continual basis.

This picture was shot at the Stars on Ice show at Budweiser Gardens for Metro London.  The lighting was dark, and from the start of the show, I had 30 minutes to capture an image, edit and file to editors in Toronto to make deadline. 

All in all, it worked out very well. 

 

Performance Photography

We are often asked “Do you shoot……?” And our simple answer is “Yes, we sure do.”  As professional photographers, Joe and I have probably shot in most genre’s you can think of.  We have found ourselves on top of cranes, in water, in airplanes, always angling for the best possible shot.

One of my favourite genre’s is performance photography.  From classical to rock, shooting musicians as they perform always leads to great pictures.

This was from an outdoor concert a couple of years ago with local tribute band The McCartney Years.  Bright sunny day, and it wasn’t long into their first song that this picture presented itself.

It is one of my favourites.

Cheers.

Mark Spowart.

Trip Tease – Blue Mosque – Istanbul, Turkey.

While it is most commonly referred to as the “Blue Mosque” its official name is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque and it was constructed from 1609 to 1616.

It is said the design of the mosque is the culmination of two centuries of both Ottoman mosque and Byzantine church development. It has one main dome, six minarets and eight other secondary domes. Inside the mosque is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles. The upper levels of the interior are dominated by blue paint and more than 200 stained glass windows.

We will be visiting this famous mosque on our Instanbul – Backpacking Photo Workshop.  The hostel we have selected to stay at for this trip is the Old City Hostel. http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Hotel_Review-g293974-d1582503-Reviews-Old_City_Hostel-Istanbul.html  that is within walking distance of the Blue Mosque.

We have secured the minimum number of bookings needed to run this trip, and we still have room available for others to join us.

This trip runs September 28 to October 4, 2013 and the cost including airfare, accommodation, admission fee’s and ground transportation is $2599.00 + HST.

For more information or to book this workshop email us at contact@wideopenstudios.com

Trip Tease Revealed – Gros Morne National Park.

We were finally able to stop grinning long enough to put some info together on this trip.  Gros Morne Adventures have created a customized trip for Wide Open Studios designed to provide us with some breath taking photo opportunities. 

Date: August 2013 (final dates being confirmed now)

Cost: $2999.00+HST, includes return airfare from Toronto Pearson, accommodation, all meals, ground and water transportation, airport transfers and dedicated guide for the week. 

If interested, or would like additional information, please contact us at contact@wideopenstudios.com  

 

 

 

Trip Tease Revealed – Havana Cuba

 

 

 

 

 

Havana.  Just say the name and your mind fills with images of colonial buildings, classic cars from the 50s, cigars and of course rum. This city offers some spectacular photographic opportunities as well as a healthy does of culture.  We will be traveling to the warm climate just as ours in Canada starts to get a little chilly. Pack you camera gear and your swimsuit, the first and last night of our trip will be spent in beach resort town of Varadero, famous for its white sand beach. As with all of our tours, cost includes roundtrip airfare out of Toronto,(we can arrange transportation from another city if needed) accommodation, meals where indicated, two photography workshops as well as instruction each day when we are out shooting. 

When: October 19 – 25, 2013.                 Cost: $1599.00 + HST.