I will be somewhat reachable via email, so if you do need to get in touch while I’m gone, please send a note to tegan@teganmcmartin.com and I’ll do my best to get back to you quickly.  Check back here in a couple of weeks for a few photos from our adventures!  xo

A sincere thanks to everyone who left a comment on my blog during the month of December!  Together we raised $27 in support of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.  2011 was my first year participating in this initiative, which was started in 2008 by Vancouver photographers Chris + Lynn, and has been continued by several other local photographers since then.  Lots of room to increase my donation amount for next year!  Your support was truly appreciated – thank you :)

Since December was a fairly quiet month around here, I also wanted to share a little bit of what I’ve been up to over the past while.  I’ve felt so grateful to be surrounded by amazing friends and family during the holidays – I hope you were able to take a few moments with the ones you love to appreciate all that we have as well.  Here’s to big holiday feasts, new babies, close friends, and lots of love.

stay tuned for a more complete 2011 wrap up, as well as exciting new things coming soon!

What a honour it has been to be one of Danielle‘s bridesmaids as she & Dustin begin this new chapter together.  I have no doubt that these two are true soul mates; they come alive in the presence of one another, and inspire others with their love and generosity.  Plus they both own great 80′s paraphernalia and know how to have a good time!  haha.  Kidding aside, I simply couldn’t be happier for this amazing couple.

While us girls got ready on the morning of the wedding, I of course captured a few shots of the transformation :)  Thankfully, I did not have to attempt to be both the photographer & a bridesmaid for the day, as the lovely & talented Rebecca Sehn joined us later on.  I was happy to catch what I could, though, as we prepared to meet Dustin & the boys.

Huge congratulations to d&d – thank you both for allowing me to be a part of one of the biggest days of your lives… hope you have a wonderful time in Mexico!  Looking forward to celebrating more of life’s milestones with you.  xxoo

the gorgeous view from our suite at the Century Plaza Hotel…

Custom bridal hanger by A.J. Bouchard of MyAmberColouredWorld on etsy… she’s a BC girl who does amazing work – check her out!

Pretty hair by Nicole Kamensek.

Fabulous makeup by Rae Pelat.

Photo of yours truly by Emilee – thanks Em! ;)

What was truly amazing though, was the outpouring of love and support that began the very next day… and is still evident around our city.  This is what Vancouver is really about.  I wanted to capture a few photos of this positive wave, and the natural place to go would be its epicenter: The Bay on Georgia Street.  Let’s hope we are remembered more for being a city of caring & compassion than for violence and destruction.

On this particular gorgeous sunny day, I was over in my hometown of Victoria visiting the family.  My cousin and her husband were hosting a small gathering at their beautiful home… the boys played bocce in the yard as us gals visited and soaked up a few welcome rays.  And as always, my camera was fixed on the adorable Micah.  Love her!

Here’s to family, sunshine, and chocolate.  Happy Easter everyone!

In addition to the shoot that my travel buddy, bethany, and i had organized during our stay in vegas, there was so much to do and take in at the conference that we actually needed an itinerary to keep track of everything.  Yes, we crafted ourselves a complete schedule of events for our 3 day, 3 night stay – with little room for eating or sleeping.  I am happy to report that we didn’t stick to this schedule religiously, although it was definitely nice to have a guideline for things we didn’t want to miss – great tip for anyone considering attending wppi in the future!

The first night we arrived, we decided to head out on the town and get our bearings, maybe take some touristy shots, and generally soak up all that is “the strip”.  Well we ended up having such a good time that night that our first full day of “conferencing” was a little slow to start in the morning ;)  I did manage to catch becker‘s great presentation that day though… so much insight into the photo experience, branding your business, and forming real connections.  I love listening to people who are that passionate about what they do!  In the evening, we attended a fashion show and live shoot hosted by “noted fashion photographer” Nigel Barker (you know him as the sexy judge on America’s Next Top Model)!  While unfortunately this seemed slightly awkward for Nigel, it was definitely interesting to see a major fashion photog in action.  And plus he has hair now!  haha.  The night was rounded out with a great networking event afterwards.

Our second day was all about hitting the massive tradeshow floor(s) at the conference.  This was perhaps the most overwhelming aspect of wppi… 2 huge ballrooms at mgm converted into hundreds of vendor booths, all selling anything from website design & photoshop tips to albums & camera-geek gadgets.  SO much to take in!  It was awesome to see some familiar faces giving short presentations on the tradeshow floor though – a great way to catch some demos in more of an up close and personal setting.

I also sat in on an extremely helpful class by Sal Cincotta that day…  wow.  He totally got right into the nitty gritty of the business of photography – no secrets!  It was so refreshing to hear someone speak that candidly about this area.  Much needed and appreciated!

So before this post turns into a complete novel, i do have some photos to share from the trip ;)  All in all, i’m so glad i was able to attend my first wppi… i met some amazing photographers and learned so much about where this industry is headed.  So excited to be a part of it!

Here’s Bethany doing some last minute business before we take off out of Vancouver…

Our lovely room at the MGM Grand…

And a typical sight along the strip.

This is what photographers do when they go out for a meal ;)

And I couldn’t resist these girls… a good representation of the vegas nightlife…

The entrance to one “wing” of the conference…

On the tradeshow floor… some tips from the lovely and uber-talented Katya Nova.

This was my view of Jasmine Star‘s excellent class… so much that I needed to hear in this presentation!  From keeping your priorities straight, critiquing your own work objectively, and reviewing your business practices, Jasmine always seems to know how to get me motivated and inspired!

Here’s Jasmine on the tradeshow floor walking us through some awesome photoshop actions!

And finally, taking a break before starting the journey home.