What I've been up to this summer!

I haven't posted in a while, because I was busy finding work, but also, because I was having a fun time working on different shoots...

Love is in the air!

Sabrina and Dan tied the knot on Sept. 14! Congrats to them! :)

I recently joined forces with another Ottawa photographer by lending a hand with Wedding and Engagement shoots. I'm pretty excited about this new opportunity to work with Aaron Rodericks. Check out a few of my shots from Sabrina and Dan's engagement shoot. I also took these!

Later that summer...

Eliezer, with ema and aba (Sari and Alec)

I had a blast with a family photoshoot in August, with a friendly trio of Mom (and baby to arrive soon), Dad and little Boy who invited me for a fun day at Hog's Back Falls.





 Can't get away from dance!

A fun action shot for my Ballet in the Streets project

September rolled around and I was in talks with one of my Ballet in the Streets models and friend, about creating new shots for the project, and we came up with these, on the spot. 

 I also had promised to work with her on developing some professional headshots, and some funkier ones as well. Amelia is a contemporary (and ballet) dancer - I wanted to give her some great shots she could use to show her great personality and her versatility as well.

Dance photos: studio shots

Dynamite Girls. "Itch" Creative shot!

This past May I was asked to photograph some lindy hop and charleston dance teams. The style of dance was incredibly different from my Ballet and Contemporary shots (naturally!) but the whole "formal team photo" added a layer of difficulty and an expectation for a certain look and process that was also new to me.

Jam Crew.

I found it much more difficult to shoot entire groups of dancers, than I did working one on one. That's to be expected. I also felt more restrained by a schedule and client wishes than I did while working on my own dance photos. Again, this is pretty obvious. However, I'll say that I found that the technical aspect, the expectations and the post-processing (foreseeing it) often got in the way of great photo opportunities...

The Coaches formal photo. The lighting and faces are great here!

I found that I was often overly concerned (or not enough) with even and correct lighting. I was stuck with a background that was sufficiently large to accommodate the entire team at a time, which promised lots of post-processing. In turn, I directed models with this in mind, and I'm sure this restricted the more creative poses we could have explored. Then, there is the client's expectations. It is great when team coaches give you clear direction and help coordinate their group while in front of your lens. What complicates things is that there is a technical aspect that they don't quite grasp and a very clear picture in their head of what they want. This means that their requests sometimes contradict themselves; they want something "perfect" but allow you only 5 minutes to achieve it, or they want a specific action pose but not all of the subjects will then be visible, much less adequately showcased. A balancing act for sure.

Move from the famous "Big Apple"

Although I was working with a rough shot list, many people were running late or down right unprepared, which added stress on me as I was well aware of the schedule... did I mention these teams were performing in less than two hours from the moment we started the photo shoot? Yeah. And I had the bright idea of adding an hour as "buffer" but never thought to specify that this may be "too" tight a schedule for a performance day.

The "Fly"

In terms of lighting, it's important to be aware but you should generally do all your tests before hand and only adjust as needed. I set my lighting ahead, but I didn't pay as close attention to subtle lighting and shadows on certain subjects, which meant that many of my shots were rendered useless. In any case but without obsessing, make sure the faces are ALL properly lit (unless it's an artistic decision); that's what people care about most! There is a thing we call "visual weight" and human subjects have more weight than objects and faces, have the most weight.

The "Frankie"

As for expectations; a meeting with your client and a sharing of inspiring images may facilitate the communication and help break unrealistic expectation on either side. This sometimes happens because the client has a precise image in mind (kind of like when you go to the stylist with a celebrity's photo in hand... you're not walking out of there with that new head, just the haircut). Sometimes, however, this happens because the photographer is the one who has a fixed idea of what he/she wants to photograph... it's important to remember your clients keep you in business! Be open, be honest about your abilities but don't sell yourself short.

DBoys in a M. Poppins Inspired dance number

Next time, I will either buy/rent a larger background or shoot in a more suitable venue or "photo friendly" spot. I do not want to relive the nightmare of coordinating in such a confined space that dancers were very limited in their pose options. Live and learn!


I expect that this is only the first of many shoots of this type for me, and it was an incredible learning experience. Nonetheless, the images achieved were surprisingly good, considering the challenges I faced and am better equipped now to tackle these types of projects again soon!


To see some of the photos from that studio shoot, visit my website.

Why I Dance

I have tried my entire life to explain to my friends, my family and mostly, to non-dancers, why it is that dance is so important to me and why dance matters.

This is a great start to understanding a dancer, and how we all were born to dance... Some of us are just fortunate enough to recognize it very early on.

Watch and share! 

Social Media Craze

In 2006, I embarked on a journey. What was this thing called Facebook, which was all the rage? I really couldn't care less about Myspace - as I'm not a musician or DJ - but all my university and travel friends seemed to be on this Facebook...


So I created an account. 

And here I was, in what would become the trend-setting social media platform, just dog-paddling along. It was nice; I could find friends, make new ones, keep in touch and share photos.

When I was out of work in 2010, a friend of mine from Swing Dynamite told me; Twitter's where it's at... If you want work, you have to network, get a twitter account!


So I joined the Twitterverse. 


I was chatting with some other communication professionals such as myself, and they admitted to me: "We do not read our Twitter feeds... can you imagine how much time we'd waste?" And I wondered, "Where do we draw the line of necessity to have an online presence for personal and professional reasons, and when does it become madness?"


Thus, the saga continues.

At the cross between Twitter and Facebook, I took a left and stayed with LinkedIn. Then I ventured to Stumbleupon and wasted many an evening gazing at beautiful landscapes and reading many quotes that I would not have the genius to have written. Somehow, I must have been dazed and ended up with a Youtube account and weekly digests - like a tattoo you get when you're hungover. I carried on.

I've had this particular blog for a while, before which I had a FB blog. I was told it was probably good to have a writing sample somewhere... Quick, Blogger, it's a must-see destination!

I started promoting my photography freelance services and needed a website... so I heard about this new cool place to be: Tumblr. Lately, I've been catching up and updating it, but I just can't seem to stay on top of my blogs... If you're a follower, you may have noticed this fact.


Speaking of promoting my photography... I had an exhibit in January for which I created a FB page. Now, I have the tedious task of maintaining it AND of creating one in my name as "photographer". Say what?


Naturally, when everyone started protesting Facebook and inviting me to Google+, I said, "WAIT A MINUTE!". I'm sure it's wonderful; who doesn't love Google products? But do I really need two of the same TYPE of social network? I mean, how many places can you REALLY be at once? That's what Social Media is... if it stands for your online presence, then you need to maintain it and how many of these can you expect to commit to?

Then, well... Wow. I fell in love and threw my principles out the window. Online boards are just my imagination translated into cyberspace. So I "requested" a Pinterest account (read: please, won't you let me be part of the cool kids?). I'm still having this affair, but I have decided that I must also do the responsible thing, and contribute to my community... And so I have a Yelp account now as well, which like anything worth doing, takes time to build.

This leads me here; updating my blog about a month and a half since my last post. I feel like an underachiever... probably because I'm spreading myself like the last of the peanut butter. These icons are like stamps on a passport that just keep on giving. It seems rather inevitable, especially for a communications professional like me.

I guess the lesson is: know the platforms, decide what you want out of them and use them in the fashion & at the frequency that works for you... and stick to fewer and do them well!

Can change for a dollar really change the world?

This is a beautiful short. 

I have been reading a lot in the news, on blogs and through social media lately, about changing the world, about changing one's thoughts and perspectives, about being kinder and more at peace from within. For those of us who don't quite get the ripple effect idea yet, this can certainly help the message get across.

Although I am not a fan of panhandling, I do find it sad that some people have to resort to it to survive, or in this case, to help their fellow human kind. This is a good example of how far a small gesture can go. 

If we thought a little less about ourselves and did one nice thing day... it may just change the world.

Be grateful. Do something kind today. 

Ottawa Fashion Week 2012

Wow... so many things happen so quickly! Where to begin?


By some stroke of luck, I got accreditation for Ottawa Fashion Week 2012.

Stella & dot, (c) Mercedes Déziel-Hupé, 2012

That said, I do intend on filling you in on my latest photo adventures and I will surely blog about my experience flying solo at OFW 2012!


In a week, I'll have pics! For now, here's a nice line-up of Stella & dot's show, from this season's runway show.

Ballet in the Streets: In the News!

Ballet in the Streets (c) Mercedes Déziel-Hupé

It's been an adventure and I have been so very fortunate so far. My show - Ballet in the Streets - has been up for a little more than two weeks with Avant-Garde Bar & Gallery and will come down on January 31st. The reception has been really positive and I'm happy that my images have been intriguing and pleasing many different people. I hope to continue producing great photographs and to continue to improve. In the mean time, it feels so good to get recognition for hard work and a good cause... passion for dance, and arts, here is Ottawa! 


Here are a few of the great little features this show has received thus far. Thank you to all who've featured Ballet in the Streets. Thank you also to Ottawa Xpress for the calendar mention and blurb and thank you to Rogers Daytime for welcoming me on your January 12, 2012 show, to talk about the Opening and the Ballet in the Streets project.


Ruby, TFO
Ottawa Citizen, Social Section
Apt613
Ottawa Studio Works
2HPhotography



If you haven't seen the show up, I encourage you to do so and to stay tuned to its next venue... but you can start by viewing it online.


Gallery 1
Gallery 2
Gallery 3

Ballet in the Streets: Opening next week!

Ballet in the Streets:
Dance photography as seen by a dancer

Ottawa-Gatineau, Jan 5, 2012 — In collaboration with Avant-Garde Bar & Gallery, new artist and trained dancer, Mercedes Déziel-Hupé presents her very first photographic exhibition. Ballet in the Streets is a collection of photographs shot in the national capital region to make a statement about art, and moreover, to highlight the importance of dance to our culture. The project was shot in the Fall of 2011 with the collaboration of professional and recreational ballerinas and contemporary dancers — the artist's principal dance disciplines.

"I have been dancing for 17 years and counting, I stopped only to focus on my university studies. Although classical dance is behind me and I've embraced swing dancing, these dances [ballet, jazz and tap] will remain special to me. They were my home; the disciplines through which I have grown both as a dancer and an individual" says Déziel-Hupé. "I absolutely love dance. I believe the reason I didn't become a professional dancer, was so that I could become (among other things) an advocate for the art. I hope that this will do justice to my passion and my respect for this art-form. Who knows, I may work on more dance-related photo projects in the very near future."

Avant Garde Bar & Gallery remodels its space to welcome the show

Avant-Garde Bar & Gallery is also opening its doors to artists' submissions and this is the very first experience for both parties; the venue and the artist.

“Avant-Garde Bar and Gallery decided to explore the visual form of art to the fullest by officially remodeling its space for frame-based displays of rotating artistic exhibits” explains Nina Iouguina, co-owner of the bar and gallery. Such bold move was inspired by recent collaboration between Nina Iouguina and Alex Yugin, owners of Avant-Garde Bar, and Mercedes Déziel-Hupé, communications manager at the Ottawa Art Gallery. “With Mercedes' extensive expertise in the world of art from business-minded and her creativity-driven perspective, we are genuinely looking forward to successful take-off of Ballet In The Streets.” She adds: “ the exhibit features an unusual mixture of classicism and urban modernism, and Ballet In The Streets is going to effortlessly flow along with the interior design of Avant-Garde Bar whose walls have been inspired by anything but ordinary works of Kandinsky, Malevich and Stenberg brothers."

WHO                      Mercedes Déziel-Hupé presents her collection of ballerina photos shot in Ottawa-Gatineau.

Classically trained dancer now turned communications specialist and photographer, Déziel-Hupé
                shares her passion for dance with this first exhibition.

WHAT                     Ballet in the Streets: Exhibition of dance photographs.
WHEN                    Opening Jan. 12, 7-9 pm, on view until the end of January
WHERE                   Avant-Garde Bar & Gallery, 135 ½ Besserer, Ottawa, ON

Artist Statement

This collection of photographs is my tribute to my time as a dancer, from classical to contemporary. Through photography, I embrace a new side of this otherwise ephemeral art form. I have been inspired by great photographers such as Lois Greenfield, who's studio approach to dance photography is unmatched. I am also inspired by the "Ballerina Project" which is a New York based phenomenon that celebrates the Big Apple as a creative hub. Originally from the Capital region, I have experienced Arts as being overshadowed by politics. I photographed ballerinas and contemporary dancers in urban and industrial settings to emphasize how different they are from the environment in which we live. Despite the fact that they seem to stand out, the idea is the showcase the beauty and relevance of dance, especially in this fast-paced image-led world. The dancer is a complete artist; from daily regimen to rehearsal, to exercises and performance. A dancer embodies strength, yet the dancer is surrounded by precarious circumstances. Dance changes everyone, from the performer to the spectator, the hobbyist and the photographer. A dancer can be molded, but a dancer is usually born. It's in the urge to move, to feel beauty and life, through your body. I wanted to show how dance shows through very easily. And how it is part of a dancer's life, every day, everywhere. By presenting it outside of its normal frame of reference, whether that be the stage or the classroom, I state not only the existence, but the effervescence of dance in the capital region. I wish to render dance accessible and encourage reflection by bringing the dancer to the street.

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