michele bowman ~ Windsor Ontario Wedding Photographer, London, Chatham Southwestern Ontario & Destination Weddings

michele bowman ~ Windsor Ontario Wedding Photographer, London, Chatham Southwestern Ontario & Destination Weddings http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/ windsor ontario wedding photographer & unique wedding photography. specializing in wedding photojournalism & storytelling. located in Southwestern Ontario, primarily documenting unique weddings in the Windsor Ontario & Essex County area, but also available for travel & destination weddings. en Copyright 2010 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:39:23 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification catherine & joe ~ a windsor ontario wedding this past weekend, i had the great privilege of documenting another fabulous wedding here in Windsor.

i do have to preface this blog post by saying that the weather here in Windsor has been way too hot for weddings this past July, and i think from now on i'm going to suggest to all July brides, that they plan for a hawaiin themed wedding. shorts, t-shirts, and maybe a slip & slide or a sprinkler (for the guests to enjoy).

it's been CRAZY HOT!!!!

ok, i'm back to the wedding post now.

Catherine & Joe's wedding was not just a hot wedding, but it was a lovely wedding.

i met these two lovebirds last Christmas, for the very first time, even though Catherine had hired me to document her wedding during a phone call last summer. these two make Boston their home, and i was so blessed that i was able to be involved in their big day.

when i first spoke to Catherine, she had mentioned that originally they had dreamed of a small and intimate affair, but quickly realized that their dream wedding was going to be something very different.

Catherine is Croatian, and Joe is French. small and intimate weddings are not in either of these group's vocabulary.

i am part french canadian, and i know that not only is family a HUGE deal, but the party WITH the family is super important!!!

i found out that Croatian's are no different.

it's all about the family, the love, the friends, the family (i had to mention that again since it's so important), and the gathering together to surround a newly married couple with blessings and hugs!

oh, and there needs to be a lot of food and desserts.

don't even get me started on the sweet tables!!! oh my !!

i always wish i not only had time to eat dessert when i'm at a wedding, but that i actually had room to eat some of the sweets. i'm always too full after dinner!

a big thank you goes out to Joe & Catherine, for not only being a terribly sweet and loving couple, but for having fun with me on your wedding day! it is always so wonderful to be a witness to the wedding of two people that absolutely adore each other, and you two were no different.

i wish you all the love and happiness in the world, and i am so very blessed to have met you both.

Catherine, your wedding dress is my most favourite dress EVER!! thanks for buying it so that i could photograph it!

now, onto photographs!!

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]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/07/catherine-joe-a-windsor-ontario-wedding.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/07/catherine-joe-a-windsor-ontario-wedding.html weddings chatham kingsville london michele bowman st.francis of assisi church wedding photographer windsor ontario wedding photography leamington windsor ontario wedding photography Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:39:23 -0500 mary & rick's windsor ontario wedding

another windsor ontario wedding~

this past weekend, i had the honour of documenting another awesome wedding!! July is my busiest month this year, so my lucky blog readers get to have eye candy every week this month!! aren't you lucky?

Mary & Rick got married here in Windsor, in a lovely Polish/Catholic ceremony here in town, with the reception held at St.Francis of Assisi Church Hall. i don't think i have ever been served so much food at a wedding before. it was impressive!!!

Mary contacted me last december, about the possibility of documenting her summer wedding, and i'm so thankful that she did! Mary is the good friend of one of my brides, Laurie, and the two of them talked about all things wedding when they climbed Mt.Everest last November.

yep, you read that correctly.

two of my clients are cool enough (and maybe a little bit insane enough) to have climbed not only Mount Everest, but they also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro a few years ago!! these adventurous pharmacists do these crazy things to raise money for charity, and i think it's fabulous!!

ok, sorry...... too many exclamation points in that last little bit. i'll try harder in the next paragraph.

Mary & Rick are not only adorable together, but they are goofy as well, and have the greatest sense of humour. even in the insane and unbearable heat of last Saturday, they both just had fun & joked around, laughed at each other, and i wouldn't have been surprised one little bit if they'd put one another in a headlock or something.

it was HOT HOT HOT, and i'm sure they were thankful for the air-conditioned limo.

if there had been a pool at Branteaney's B&B (where we took some photos), i wouldn't have put it past them to just jump in fully clothed. the bridal party was ready to run through the sprinklers (but they decided that an air-conditioned limo filled with cold drinks and brownies was a good alternative)!

i don't normally get quite as much time to just take fun photos of the bride & groom, as i did on this day, so there are quite a few more styled photos than i normally take. it was fun to just try some new ideas and make some quirky portraits.

i am so blessed to work with clients that are not only interesting and adventurous, but that are genuine and real. i just love people who can just be themselves and have fun, show me their love for each other and those around them. it's just such a treat.

when writing about each wedding, i try to think of something out of the ordinary that i got to experience, and there was one thing that happened at this wedding that made me smile.

for the reception, they hired a DJ AND a polish one-man band for the music. i have to say, that i have never heard polish disco before, and now i can say that i have. that guy was great!

Mary & Rick, thank you for just being you. thank you for allowing me to document some of the special moments of your wedding day, and to have a small glimpse into your lives. i know that you will have a marriage filled with love and laughter (goat chin moves & head-butts), and i'm sure that your new home will be fabulous. i wish you all the very best, and thank you for the heartfelt hugs when i left your reception. i love hugs.

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church~ Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Windsor

reception ~ St. Francis of Assisi Parish Hall, WIndsor

decorator~ Soiree Event Extraordinaire

flowers ~ Flowers by Phil Sadi, WIndsor

cake ~ The Pastry Table, Windsor

DJ ~ Donovan Mariani, Open Air Events

gown ~ Bridal Couture, Windsor

make-up~ Nayeli Castellanos, Karitas for You

hair~ Megan, Unity Salon

]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/07/mary-rick-windsor-ontario-wedding-photographer.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/07/mary-rick-windsor-ontario-wedding-photographer.html weddings bridal couture engagement photographer flowers by phil sadi michele bowman wedding photography open air events windsor pastry table windsor soiree event extraordinaire windsor st.francis of assisi church wedding photography windsor ontario wedding photojournalist windsor ontario wedding photographer windsor ontario wedding photography Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:40:28 -0500 stephanie & kevin's windsor ontario wedding a wedding here in Windsor Ontario~

it's that time again.....

BLOG TIME!!!!!

yes, it's a couple of days later than i hoped it would be, but i'm in the midst of wedding insanity around here, and i'm pretty much editing around the clock, so i'm hoping that no one will mind a blog post on Friday instead of Wednesday.

thanks a bunch.

last year, i got a phone call from a bride, we'll call her Stephanie, and we just hit it off immediately! i got a sense from this lovely bride, that she had some SERIOUS plans for her big day, and i couldn't get enough of her excitement!! you see, not only did Stephanie have some BLING BLING ideas for her wedding, but she was totally and madly in love with her fiance, and you could hear that in her voice.

when she asked me to be a part of her day, i knew that i was in for a treat!

i wasn't disappointed.

Stephanie & Kevin's wedding was last Saturday here in Windsor, and i think that the day lived up to Steph's expectations, in more ways than one. family & friends came from all around, to surround this couple with love and attention (and marshmallows), and i don't think i've ever seen so many tears of joy at any wedding thus far.

one thing that stood out to me, was the fact that Steph's grandmother flew in from Florida to not only be at the gown shop when Stephanie picked out her dress, but again when she had her dress fittings! that's the kind of love that encircled this couple last weekend, and didn't disappoint.

it was a HOT day yet again (imagine that.... a hot day in July) , but we tried to keep out of the blazing sun and spent some time finding a couple of shady locations for photos! let me just say, that an air conditioned limo-bus filled with cold champagne and beer always helps to keep people cool. just sayin'.

The ceremony was held at Assumption Church at the University of Windsor, and even though it was NOT air-conditioned, it was a beautiful service with lots of tears of joy.

Stephanie & Kevin picked the St.Clair Centre of the Arts for their reception , and i don't think they could have picked a nicer place. decked out in some BLING decor, with a cake that kept on going, the dinner and party was fantastic! i'm sure the party continued into the night, with dancing, hugging, and pelting with marshmallows (don't ask).

i want to take a moment to thank Stephanie & Kevin for letting me be a part of their wedding day. You guys obviously adore each other to pieces, and the commitment that you have for each other is wonderful to observe. you have had some crazy ups and downs with jobs and moving around lately, but all those things have made you guys come together and really commit to each other in such a great way. with the help if your 'lucky penny' , i'm sure that you will not only have the most awesome life together, but a life filled with adventure and love, boating adventures and the most wonderful family around.

big hugs to you both!!

scroll to the bottom of this post to see some of the awesome vendors that helped make this day special!

now.... the PHOTOS!!!

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florist~ Girard & Co. http://www.girardflowers.com/

decor~ Designs by Diane http://www.designsdiane.com

cake ~Renee's Fine Cakes http://www.reneesfinecakes.com/

DJ & photobooth ~ Flashpoint Productions http://www.flashpointpro.com

wedding gown ~ David's Bridal http://www.davidsbridal.com

shoes ~ Deborah Thomson http://www.figgiephotography.com

reception ~ St.Clair Centre of the Arts http://www.stclaircentre.ca/

hair ~ Nicole White from Parlour, Windsor

invitations ~ You're Invited, Chatham http://www.youre-invited.ca

]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/07/stephanie-kevin-windsor-ontario-wedding-photography.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/07/stephanie-kevin-windsor-ontario-wedding-photography.html weddings assumption church chatham david's bridal designs by diane flashpoint productions girard & co flowers windsor kingsville leamington michele bowman renee fine cakes salon u4ia st.clair centre of the arts wedding photography sarnia wedding photography windsor wedding photojournalist windsor ontario wedding photographer you're invited invitations chatham Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:37:21 -0500 lesley & eric's Chatham Ontario backyard wedding a wedding in a backyard near Dresden Ontario~

i don't know how to begin this blog post, because there are just so many things that keep popping into my head about this wedding and how i feel about this couple! i'm finding it difficult to put it all into words.

please bear with me as i try to muddle my way through all of this.

today, eric & lesley are dear to my heart, but i didn't know them until they contacted me about documenting their wedding.

i have a confession to make......

you see, i grow attached to my clients, and when they get married, it just makes me smile from the inside out! i put every ounce of my being into my work, i try to make it personal and truly capture the essence and emotions of the bride and groom, and i grow attached.

when total strangers let me into their lives , like Lesley has, and allow me to get to know them even just a little bit, then i can't help but get all mushy about their FABULOUS wedding and all the lovey-dovey stuff of marriage.

not only has Lesley been sooooooooooo much fun to work with, but she took me purse and shoe shopping when i met her for lunch in Ottawa in June, and well........ that put me over the edge. i kinda (in a wee, small little way) like shoes and purses.

Eric & Lesley met on the train, Eric pursued Lesley with everything he had in him, Lesley was eventually won over BIGTIME, and they have been together ever since.

seriously? meeting on the train? awesome.

these two live in the Ottawa area, but they celebrated their wedding at Eric's family farm near Chatham.

it was the most charming wedding i've been to yet, mostly because of all the little touches of home and the effort of the community to make this an event to remember. jars of flowers grown in the neighbour's yard adorned the tables, homemade tarts for dessert, friends who fixed up their farms so that we could have beautiful locations to shoot photos, a tractor ride to the reception ,a local band to help this crowd party through the night, Eric's dad and his 'SURPRISE' wheel barrel of fireworks at 10:30pm, pulled pork sandwiches and potato salad for dinner, and the love and laughter of family and friends.

oh, and when you have a father that will dance AND do 'air guitar' at the same time, you know that you're having a great wedding. just sayin' !

the only downside to the day, was that i fell off the road when i was walking back to the reception after shooting bridal party photos. yep, i fell OFF the road!

i was walking along the road, carrying all my camera gear, minding my own business, when all of a sudden i twisted my ankle on the side of the road (which is at least 2 inches higher than the gravel shoulder) , and i found myself flat on the ground in a big cloud of dust, camera gear and all. first i looked to make sure that no one saw me (check), and then i limped back the to the tent. oh, did i hurt my knee!!! it's still purple and scraped, but oh well, i'm a clutz sometimes.

Eric & Lesley......

words cannot describe how thankful i am that you chose me to not only document your wedding, but to be a part of your lives. your joy, laughter, super-fun nature, and love for each other is contagious, and i am so grateful to have been a part of it all. i know that the next year will be a challenge with Eric being deployed, but you have such a great network of friends and family that will support you and hold you up until you can be together again.

my sincerest wish is that you have a lifetime of joy and happiness together!

thank you so much for everything.

here are a few photos from the big day!

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]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/07/lesley-eric-windsor-ontario-wedding-photographer.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/07/lesley-eric-windsor-ontario-wedding-photographer.html weddings chatham wedding photography michele bowman wedding photography retro suites chatham wedding photography windsor ontario windsor ontario wedding photographer Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:47:52 -0500 rita & bryan {windsor ontario engagement photography} this blog post is being written a few days later than i had hoped it would be, so i apologize to Rita and Bryan for taking soooooooooo long to post some of their engagement photos! being in the throngs of my busiest time of the year, i just needed a couple of extra days to get things done.

thanks for your patience!

Rita & Bryan are getting married this fall, and i can't wait!! these two are terribly sweet, fun to hang around, and they are just perfect for each other.

one of the things that i appreciated the most about doing this engagement session, was that even though these two were a bit camera shy at first, they still trusted me, let me do my thing, and ended up having some fun along the way.

oh, and they are super brave mosquito fighters as well. i would position them for a shot, take my shot, and then we would all start swatting at the mosquitoes that were attacking us! poor Rita seemed to take the brunt of it. i need to start bringing Deep Woods Off to every session i do.

these two met at the University of Windsor, namely Essex Hall, where they both studied (and then became) engineers. they wanted to incorporate the university into their photos, so that's we did. when i asked them what they adore about each other, and what they do for fun, they both answered that they love each other's sense of humour. i also found out that they like to speak in funny accents to each other as well, so i begged to them to do that, since (for some reason) i find that entertaining. it was a version of an irish/scottish accent, which was pretty impressive.

i am not good at fake accents at all, so i always appreciate people who give it there all and do their best.

These two have a nice fall wedding planned in Windsor, and i can't wait to photograph the big day!!

well, now is the moment where i post some photos!!

(disclaimer~ a great many mosquitoes were either harmed, squished or killed during the taking of these photographs)

]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/07/rita-bryan-windsor-ontario-engagement-photography.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/07/rita-bryan-windsor-ontario-engagement-photography.html engagement engagement photography essex county kingsville wedding photographer leamington photographer michele bowman wedding photography portrait photography windsor southwestern ontario university of windsor windsor ontario wedding photographer Wed, 07 Jul 2010 08:25:27 -0500 good friends the other day, my daughter asked if i would do a little photoshoot for her and her 7 friends. yep, you read correctly, SEVEN teenage girls and me!!

i guess that's what you do when your mom is a professional photographer right?

everyone had to wear white and blue, and they were ALL wearing high heels!! it was kinda funny watching some of them try to walk in such high heeled shoes, but since they were ALL better than me at doing it, then i'd better not say much.

these girls are good friends, and they wanted a photo to commemorate the ending of grade 11 and the beginning of summer.

here is a collage of these gorgeous young ladies and an extra one of my daughter (because i'm the mom and blogger, and i think she's pretty awesome).

aren't these girls all GORGEOUS!!! seriously people, these are some STUNNING YOUNG WOMEN!!!

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]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/07/good-friends.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/07/good-friends.html personal photography michele bowman wedding photography portrait photography wedding photography wedding photojournalist windsor windsor ontario wedding photographer Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:03:26 -0500 christine & matt ~ windsor ontario wedding photography

it was hot, it was sunny, and it was Matt & Christine's wedding day!!

i met with these two lovebirds last year, when the met me at a local Starbucks and they open their lives to me, and shared the story of their love.

true love.

i'm a sucker for a good love story, and one that begins in childhood & in the teen years, blossoms into something real and adult, and then culminates in a wedding, is.......

moving, touching, awesome, a gift from God, real.

real.

not without struggles, challenges and hard work, this love story has been through it all, and has arrived at the other side stronger and God-centered.

beautiful.

this wedding day was a bit different than normal, since it started out in Windsor, and then became a cross border event. the reception was being held at the Dearborn Inn in Dearborn MI, and i was excited to get the chance to check out another wedding venue! i do have to say, that i've been very blessed to be photographing weddings that aren't all at the same venue, which gives me the chance to experience new things and have a wedding adventure every weekend!

i'm just an adventurous kinda gal :)

let's see...... what kind of stuff happened on their big day.

well, there was the fact that i got to watch the groomsmen iron their shirts, which was great, because i always enjoy seeing men tackling domestic chores.

Matt was gifted with some ROCKING cufflinks, which were little mini yellow Jeeps!! fabulous!

i didn't get pulled over at the border, and actually got through really quickly, so that was great because i didn't have to get all ninja on a border guard (i wasn't going to miss this wedding, no matter what).

ok, i might not have got all ninja on the border guys...... it would have more than likely looked like big-baby tears.

i'm ashamed.

back on track now.....

when we headed out to take some photos of the bridal party, we were ATTACKED by throngs of mosquitoes!! it was INSANE!

luckily, i was surrounded by videographers that seemed to have sweeter blood than i, so they took the brunt of the attack.

according to Matt, God put an old Jeepster Jeep in the parking lot, just for us, so that we could get some photos near a cool car. he was a happy groom.

Christine had two surprises for Matt, which were a cool Jeep groom's cake (i LOVED it) and she also sang for him later in the evening. very romantic.

hmmmmmm..... looking back, i see that this was quite the Jeep centered wedding!! fun stuff!

i would like to take a moment and thank Matt & Christine for allowing me to be a part of their lives. you two are some of the most lovely people i know, and i am so thrilled to have been able to witness such an important moment in your lives. you are both funny, loving, and gracious, and i smile every time i think of you both.

i can't wait to see what awesome things God does in your lives, as your journey as a couple and a family begins.

very exciting stuff!!

God is good.

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]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/06/christine-matt-windsor-ontario-wedding-photography.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/06/christine-matt-windsor-ontario-wedding-photography.html weddings bridal couture windsor dearborn inn michigan glow make-up studios michele bowman wedding photography oakwood bible chapel perfect shutter videography rainbow flowers and gifts sugar art designs vinyl underground wedding photography windsor wedding photojournalism wedding photojournalist windsor ontario wedding windsor ontario wedding photographer Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:46:45 -0500 melissa & steve ~windsor ontario wedding photographer this past weekend, i had the pleasure of documenting Melissa & Steve's wedding here in Windsor.

i have to start my post by saying that it was was FLIPPIN' HOT outside on Saturday, and i found out that with the humidity (i think it was about 80-90%) it felt like over 110F !!

the other problem was, that it was an outdoor ceremony and it was surrounded by trees, so no breeze!!

i think i almost died 3 times during the day (i don't do heat/humidity well, and never have). if there had been a pool close by, i wouldn't have put it past us all to just jump right in and cool off!!

ok, enough whining and complaining. i'll get on with the post now.

i met Melissa last summer, when she and her mother drove out to Kingsville to meet with me about photographing the big day. i instantly fell in love with Melissa, and both her and her mom kept me in stitches during our whole meeting!! i couldn't remember when i'd laughed so hard!!

i couldn't wait for their wedding (and i can't believe that it's been a year since we met).

in October, i photographed Steve & Melissa's engagement session just before the leaves all fell for the season, and it was a blast.

steve & melissa like a good party, and i don't think their wedding disappointed. they were surrounded by good friends, awesome family, and a good mood that just wouldn't quit!

the day started at Steve's place, where the guys were in great spirits even though they knew that wearing a tuxedo in the sweltering heat might be the end of them.

at Melissa's parent's place, the party continued with mugs of champagne, some tears of joy, and HOT PINK Louboutin shoes!!! i love fabulous shoes!!!

the ceremony was held outdoors at Branteaney's Bed & Breakfast, and it was a beautiful service that was the shortest i've ever witnessed (which was probably a good thing for the guests in suits in that heat). i think i am now a huge fan of Branteaney's. it was such a nice change from an indoor ceremony, and the setting was serene and beautiful. other than the clouds of mosquitos (because of all the rain we've had recently) , it was picture perfect.

i didn't want to spend too much time outdoors if at all possible, because when the bride and groom have to towel each other off before each photo, you know it's too hot . we fought through the heat and a few rain showers, and got some photos on the picturesque grounds. i couldn't believe how everyone was being so wonderful and patient, but i did work quickly.

next came the air-conditioned party bus, the nicely air-conditioned bar in downtown Windsor, and the air-conditioned reception hall (Torino's in Tecumseh)

gotta love the invention of AIR-CONDITIONING!!!

oh, and i love that cold water and gingerale were invented too :)

the reception was a party to remember, and the first time that i've ever met a blow-up doll named Alejandro. he was quite the party animal!

i want to thank Steve & Melissa for letting me party with them all day long, it was a blast!! you have both been so much fun to work with, and it was an honour to be a part of your big day. i will forever remember Alejandro, the fact that i worked with a groom with quite a few rapper names, and a bride that is courageous and stylish enough to sport Christian Louboutin shoes in HOT PINK!!

you two are such a great couple, and i hope that our paths cross again very soon.

hugs to you both.

some fabulous vendors~

gown~ Bridal Couture, Windsor

make-up~ Esthetica Day Spa, Windsor

hair~ Youseff's Salon, Windsor

flowers~ Oak Farms, Leamington

ceremony ~ Branteaney's Bed & Breakfast, Lasalle

officiant~ Joe McParland, Civil Marriages

shoes~ Christian Louboutin

reception hall~ Tourino's Banquet Hall, Tecumseh

photo booth~ Perfect Shutter Photobooth

cake~ Renee's Fine Cakes

decorator~ Windsor Event Decor

DJ ~ A. Donavan Mariani, Open Air Events, Windsor

now for some photos!!!

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]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/06/melissa-steve-windsor-ontario-wedding-photographer.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/06/melissa-steve-windsor-ontario-wedding-photographer.html weddings branteaney's bed & breakfast cakes by renee michele bowman wedding photography oak farms flowers leamington torino's banquet hall tecumseh wedding photography windsor ontario windsor ontario wedding photographer Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:28:05 -0500 arica & josh | a windsor wedding photographer in Tennessee
last March, i drove to a local Starbucks, and met up with a photographer from my church, for the very first time.

as i got to talk with this lovely young lady, i quickly realized that she was pretty awesome and i think we clicked right away. she knew that i was just getting my photography business up and running, and she needed a 2nd photographer for some weddings last year, so we hooked up and it was the beginning of a great relationship.

Arica Ingratta is younger than i am (by about 15 years i think.... man, that makes me sound old), but she is a fabulous artist and wonderful photographer in Windsor (her company is Manifesto Photography) . even though she is younger than i am, i was seriously impressed with her maturity and her love for God and serving Him. i couldn't wait to work with this great lady.

not long after the two of us met, Arica approached me one day and asked what i thought of this guy Josh. you see, i have known Josh for about 8 years now. i met Josh's parents when we started attending Heritage Park Alliance Church, and i think Josh was just finishing up high school or something. Josh's family are some of the dearest people around, and his dad can scale a tree faster than anyone i've ever met (it's quite amazing actually).

Arica seemed to have a little crush on Josh, and mentioned that they had gone out for coffee one night. i told her my opinions about this great guy and his family, and she seemed pretty intent on seeing him again.

because i got to work alongside Arica week after week, wedding after wedding, and we spent all day together shooting these weddings , i was able to hear about her budding romance and watch as the love between this couple blossomed and grew.

it was pretty evident early on, that God had set up this match, because the more Josh & Arica sought after God, then closer and closer they became.

i just loved seeing the sparkle in Arica's eye every time she talked about Josh, how he made her laugh and how he loved her so very deeply. they challenged each other on every level, and it was just so wonderful to watch this all unfold before my very eyes!!!

i am very blessed to be deeply in love with the most awesome man on the planet, and our love for each other grows deeper and deeper as the years go by. every time Arica spoke of her love for Josh, i just knew that it was the same type of love that i feel for Darryl even after all these years, and i couldn't have been happier for the two of them.

everyone deserves this kind of true and deep love with their spouse!!

last weekend, i had the honour of photographing Arica & Josh's wedding, in a log cabin at the top of some mountain in Tennessee (can you say, scary road?). it was quite the media circus, since Arica's good friend Stacey is a wedding photographer as well , and we were joined by the videography services of Iris and Light (from California). there were 4 of us with cameras, trying to NOT get in each other's way, and it made me chuckle a bit!! i think we were all pretty great and didn't get in each other's way too much, and i know that i was pretty thrilled to have so much creative talent around me. the only trouble is, that when you have so many artists trying to document such an amazing wedding, in such a fabulous location with such great people, you MIGHT end up being an hour late for dinner.

just sayin'.

the whole wedding was perfect from start to finish.

Arica & Josh were surrounded by the people they love most in the world, they made sure that their wedding was centered around God, through lots of prayer and worship, and i was deeply moved.

i have never photographed the wedding of a close friend before, and i do have to admit that it was challenging in a few ways.

first, the pressure to take great photos is pretty high, especially when the bride is a photographer herself, and secondly, because you are emotionally involved.

there are so many times that i was just crying, hiding it all behind my big camera, as i watched love unfolding!!! i got so carried away in the moment, that i would forget that i was even working, and i just found myself wrapped up in all the awesomeness of what God was doing. it was almost too much to take!!!

you know what?

i actually find that watching parents crying is the biggest thing that sets me off with my own tears. i can't take it!!

i guess i am imagining what it'll be like when my own kids get married and start their own lives.

oh great, i'm tearing up even now. how embarrassing!!

here are a few photos (ok, a bit more than a few) of Arica & Josh's special day.

i wish them all the happiness in the world, and i want to thank them for asking me to help document their wedding.

Arica, you are truly one of a kind, and the best wedding date around. i have been blessed to have you in my life, and i will always remember your sneaky-sneaky face as you steal cannoli from the dessert table, before dinner. i loved being your shield from the crowd.

Josh, you are truly a man of God, and i know that you will treat Arica with all the love and respect that she deserves.

thank you both for allowing me to be a part of your lives.

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]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/arica-josh-a-windsor-wedding-photographer-in-tennessee.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/arica-josh-a-windsor-wedding-photographer-in-tennessee.html weddings arica ingratta gatlinburg tennessee kingsville wedding photography manifesto photography michele bowman wedding photography photojournalism windsor ontario smokey mountains wedding photography wedding photography windsor ontario windsor ontario wedding photographer Mon, 31 May 2010 13:03:38 -0500 my little diving adventure ~ Chac-Mool Cenote before i took the trip to Mexico, i tossed around the idea of doing some scuba diving while i was going to be there.

you see, i am a scuba addict and i have a little adventurous side to me.

i'm not a rebel, i'm not some crazy party animal or drinker, and i'm afraid of heights, but i do have a little side to me that needs to get out once in a while.

that side of me craves the underwater world, and the wonders beneath the sea.

i decided to research the scuba diving opportunities in the area of Playa del Carmen, and i quickly realized that if i chose to dive a local reef, then i was going to be disappointed.

i have been spoiled by the spectacular reefs in Roatan, and i knew that the over-populated and strained coastline along the Mayan RIviera would not offer the experience or photo worthy reef i so longingly crave.

i knew that i had the option to travel to Cozumel for the day, but i actually didn't have the time to do an all day trip, and because of flying and diving restrictions, i couldn't leave such a trip until Friday.

i guess i could have chosen to do the bull shark dive with a local dive shop, but my sense of adventure doesn't include free swimming with some of the world's most aggressive sharks!!

(please don't get me wrong, i love diving with sharks and dive with them all the time, but bull sharks are just ANGRY sharks and i decided that i would be prudent)

on a side note..... i would like to do a cage dive with great white sharks one day. sharks are wonderful and misunderstood creatures.

anywhoooo...... i found out that the Maya Riviera has some cool diving spots called 'Cenotes' , which are actually underground, freshwater rivers that are accessed by sinkholes. they are rivers that the Mayan's used way back when, for freshwater.

there was one problem to my little plan.

i don't like caves and small places, and i don't like diving in the dark.

unfortunately, diving the cenotes requires being in the pitch black most of the time, as well as swimming through a few small spaces.

yep, i wasn't too sure about all of this!!

i'm not a big fan of Mexico, the way that big hotels & tourism has essentially destroyed everything beautiful and natural about such a wonderful coastline. i knew that i would probably not travel to Mexico on my own accord, ever again (unless it was for another rockin' wedding of course), so i just needed to suck it up and dive a crazy dark cave and get over myself!

go me, being all brave and everything.

i packed up all my dive gear, lugged it all the way to Mexico, and signed up for a cenote dive!!

it was an awesome adventure.

my dive guide was Tomas, he drove Yoaz (a student from Isreal) and i to the dive site on Wednesday morning, and i sucked it up and did my best to NOT have an anxiety attack underwater.

i took a nice bright light, had my underwater camera with me, and leapt into this little pool of water that soon opened up to caverns and underwater beauty.

full of stalagmites and rock formations, these underground, water filled caverns were something to behold.

even in the darkest dark, and through little spaces, i was calm and cool.

i am a pretty experienced diver now, and i know my limitations, i am confident in my abilities, and i felt that my dive guide (Tomas) was well-trained enough to keep me safe.

Chac-Mool (named for a Mayan god or something) was the location for our 2 dives, and everything about it was right up my alley. from the wild dogs to the little farm and shady snack hut, everything about my cenote adventure was 'me'.

i know this was a crazy long post about my little cavern diving adventure, but i just had to share my insanity with you all.

i am a firm believer that everything i am, and everything i'm passionate about, makes me the photographer and the person that i am.

so, here are a few photos from my little diving adventure...

the table where we get ready. i love getting ready for diving!!

the entry hole into the cenote. i wasn't too sure about this, and i almost backed out at one point!

not a great photo, but you can see that we weren't the only ones in the caverns

a dive group in another entrance to the cenote

a dive group just floating around at the surface

cool stalagmites

this is my favourite photo of the day. i love the way the light shines in from above, and the colours are just so beautiful!

we surfaced in an air pocket, which was totally dark except for our dive lights and camera flashes. this is a tree that i'm floating beside.

my view when i surfaced from my last dive. what a great ending to a great adventure!

one of the wild dogs. just a little puppy!!! too cute!

the shady hut where we ate our lunch! i was skeptical.

]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/my-little-diving-adventure.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/my-little-diving-adventure.html personal underwater chac mool cenote mexico wedding photography michele bowman wedding photography playa del carmen underwater photography Sun, 30 May 2010 17:27:50 -0500 kathy & gil { playa del carmen wedding photography} last fall, i met up with Gil & Kathy in Belle River, to discuss the possibility of traveling with them to Mexico in May, to document their destination wedding.

we hit it off, and i was thrilled that they asked me to join them, on what would be my very first destination wedding. of course, i was thrilled that Playa del Carmen just happens to be on the ocean ( the bestest thing EVER), but i was even more thrilled that i would get to have an adventure alongside two awesome people & their families!!

by the way..... going away to get married, next to the ocean and with just a handful of people, is a FABULOUS decision!!!

that's my public service announcement of the day.

oh, and if you're looking to get a dog, buy a hairless one. my house looks like a couple of dogs exploded all over it (not that this has anything to do with weddings, but it's on my mind and i just thought i'd share).

last Monday morning, i boarded a plane for Cancun, and started my journey to Mexico! did you know that shooting a wedding abroad requires quite a bit of advance planning and lots of gear!!

also, when you plan to go scuba diving as well as all the camera gear, it looked like i was MOVING to Mexico, not just staying for a few days.

(in my defense though, i was also heading to Tennessee on my way back from Mexico, to photograph my friend Arica's wedding).

i arrived in Cancun to the longest immigration line in the HISTORY of immigration lines, but after that it was much more relaxing.

the resort i stayed at, was The Royal Playa del Carmen and it was INSANE luxurious! i mean it when i say INSANE!!!

i was especially fond of the extra soft pillows that arrived in my 'magic box' (room service box) and the turn-down service every night. i think i need to pay my kids to turn down my bed for me at night, light a scented candle, and leave chocolates on my pillow. yep, that would be sweet!!

unfortunately, the weather wasn't quite as awesome as the people and the location, and it pretty much rained every day, all day, for most of the week. luckily, the rain stopped long enough for the ceremony to be outdoors, but quickly started up again and Kathy, Gil & i had to run for cover while we were doing some beach shots. oh well, it was hot, we were being spoiled, and i was near the ocean. who needs the sun anyways?

i want to take a moment to thank Gil & Kathy for your hospitality, for bringing me along to photograph your wedding, and for opening up your lives and your hearts to me. i loved having that fantastic meal with the both of you (we totally should have ordered more lamb chops) and

i was so happy that you were both so easy going and flexible with all the rain issues!!

Gil, i'm sorry that i didn't have time to give you more body surfing tips, but the waves kinda sucked that day!!

now, here are a few photos of our little adventure!

this was our first attempt at a beach session before the wedding. it started thunderstorming about 5 minutes after this photo was taken

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we finally got a day without rain (my last day there) and i was able to get this awesome couple out for some day-after beach photos!!

]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/kathy-gil-playa-del-carmen-wedding-photography.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/kathy-gil-playa-del-carmen-wedding-photography.html weddings destination wedding photographer destination wedding photography mexico wedding photography michele bowman wedding photography playa del carmen royal resort playa del carmen wedding photography windsor ontario windsor ontario wedding photographer Sun, 30 May 2010 13:00:44 -0500 andy & laurie {windsor ontario wedding photographer} i'm home!!!

i feel so horrible that this blog post is a week late, but i've been away for the last 9 days, shooting 2 destination weddings, and i arrived home late last night.

i did try to get some work done while i was in Mexico, but the internet at the resort was very slow and very sketchy, so my well intentioned blog post did not happen.

so, i'm home and i'm back to work!!

on May15th, i had the honour and the pleasure of photographing Andy & Laurie's beautiful wedding in Amherstburg at Pointe West Golf & Country Club (which is just outside on Windsor Ontario)

i met Andy & Laurie last fall, and we had a super fun engagement session this past February, in the snowy cold.

their wedding day was definitely one for the record books!! it was a day of adventure and laughs, broken gear and a fun trolley ride!

first off, when we arrived at Andy's parents house, we found that we had a wardrobe malfunction with one of the groomsmen. i'll tell you right now, that duct tape isn't really made to hem pants!! of course, duct tape is pretty awesome and you can do so many great things with it, but you can't use it to hem suit pants, and it doesn't stick to neoprene (well, that's another story for another day).

after my gallant offer to hem this poor guy's pants, i quickly realized that i was supposed to be taking the photographs!!! soooooooooooo..... my 2nd shooter took to the task and hemmed away!

it was pretty funny.

thank goodness we didn't have any wardrobe malfunctions at the bride's house.

(always a good thing)

the ceremony and reception went off without a hitch, and i even got a ride in a trolley car into Amherstburg to take some photos.

who doesn't like a trolley ride?

i do have to admit that there was one little hiccup during the day. my main camera body broke, and i am so very thankful that i not only had an assistant that could run back to the trolley to get my back-up camera, but i actually HAD a back-up camera!!!!

public service announcement~ if you are a wedding photographer, you should NEVER photograph a wedding without a back-up camera body!

(you're welcome)

my camera is now in the shop, getting some lovin' and fixin' of the lens contacts.

because i was leaving the next day for 2 destination weddings, i had to go and buy another Nikon D700. fun stuff!

Andy & Laurie are away on their european honeymoon, but i'd publicly like to thank them for trusting me to document their wonderful day, allowing me to have a small glimpse into their lives, and for being such beautiful people that just adore each other to pieces.

nothing makes me love this job more, than witnessing true love between two special people.

i'm just a big softy for a good love story.

now, here are a few photos of the big day!!

awesome vendors~

cake~ The Cake Lady, Windsor

flowers~ Rainbow Flowers, Tecumseh

officiant~ Royal Wedding Gardens, Lasalle

venue ~ Pointe West Golf & Country Club, Amherstburg

wedding gown~ Becker's Bridals, Toronto

]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/andy-laurie-windsor-ontario-wedding-photographer.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/andy-laurie-windsor-ontario-wedding-photographer.html weddings amherstburg kingsville wedding photographer leamington wedding photographer michele bowman wedding photography pointe west golf and country club wedding photojournalist windsor ontario wedding photographer windsor ontario wedding photography Wed, 26 May 2010 16:13:08 -0500 a rare find and falling from the sky when you're underwater, you see such a great variety of creatures and fish, that it's actually mind boggling sometimes! God has created so many weird and unusual life forms, and sometimes it's hard to even see their purpose at all. i love the diversity under the ocean, and i crave finding the weird, the cool and the rare.

Darryl and i have been to Roatan five times, and we always stay at the same resort ,every time. we love the people, we love the resort, and we just feel like we've arrived at home every time we step off the boat.

the first year that we went to Cocoview Resort, i learned the skill of underwater photography, but at the same time, it was my very first on a reef and in the caribbean!! i was enthralled by all the fish, and i thought every one of them were cool, awesome, and photo worthy!! i took pictures of EVERYTHING!!!! it was actually quite ridiculous. i think i averaged about 1000+ photos a day, and i couldn't get enough of it.

unfortunately, i don't get quite as excited about parrot fish as i used to, and i don't even take photos of damsel fish anymore. i know, it's so sad.

i crave the small, i crave the unique, i crave the rare.

now, i do have to say that it's pushing it so show me MICROSCOPIC!!! please Kirk, put away your magnifying glass and stop finding stuff that makes my eyes cross just trying to see what the crap you're showing me!!!

a nudibranch is like a slug, and they are not very common along the reef. well, they're probably more common than i think, but they're nearly impossible to see because they blend into the reef so well.

Kirk (our awesome dive master) kept telling me that he was going to find me a lettuce leaf sea slug ( and i told him that was his goal for the week), but every we went to a dive site, we came up empty handed!! i didn't even know what to look for to find one of these things!!!

after a few days, i was ready to give up on finding one.

one afternoon, i was diving along Cocoview Wall with the hubby, and we were going so slowly along the reef that we were almost going backwards! in my head, i was talking to myself about the sea slug problem, and i was just REALLY wanting to find one!!!

all of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, i see something fall from a coral head.

it was white, about 2 inches long, and it caught my attention.

i stopped, swam over to see what fell, and saw a little white thing. i thought it might be a piece of coral that had just fallen from a reef head down to another piece of coral.

well, slowly this little white thing moved, started righting itself, and KAPOW, it was a LETTUCE LEAF SEA SLUG (or nudibranch)!!

can you believe it?

God gave me a lettuce leaf sea slug at the very same second that i asked for it! LOL!

i should have asked to see a million dollars, since i've never seen that either.

ahhhhhhh.... the little miracles that make me smile.

here it is (oh, and you'll see why they're hard to find. they look like the reef!!)

there are fish in the caribbean, called 'blennies' . they are usually very small, and i seem to have an incurable addiction to photographing them. most of them are 1 inch long, teeny tiny, and super fast and hard to photograph. you'd think i'd give up on trying to get photos of them, but nope. the challenge just makes me want to photograph them even more!!! LOL!

my old underwater camera, couldn't really take photos of blennies, since they were too small. i wanted to beat my camera up.

Darryl bought me a new underwater camera for Christmas, and it was the maiden voyage of my Canon G11 last week. i found out that it does a decent job on the macro stuff.

good times!!

ok, back to the blenny story.

Darryl and i were going along Cocoview Wall again, and i was photographing some little blenny on a sponge, and he summoned me over to photograph something else. i swam over, and found the weirdest looking fish staring back at me. it was about 3 inches long, brown, and it was butting it's head against the coral in front of it.

i took a bunch of photos of it, and then swam away.

up on land, we tried to figure out what the heck this fish was!

nobody knew.

NOBODY!!!!!

it wasn't until the next day, that we found a dive master that knew what the heck it was. Kirk told me that it was a 'Goatee Blenny', and that he's only ever seen ONE in his entire life! when a dive master says he's only seen something once, it's a big deal , since he does thousands of dives!!

when i say that i've only seen something once, it's not big deal, since we've only done just over 200 dives in the last few years, and some of those are fresh water dives when zebra mussels are the most exciting thing you ever see. i did dive in the Detroit River once , and that was just disgusting!!!

ok, so without further ado, here is the GOATEE BLENNY!

]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/a-rare-find-and-falling-from-the-sky.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/a-rare-find-and-falling-from-the-sky.html personal underwater cocoview resort goatee blenny michele bowman wedding photography scuba diving underwater photography Thu, 13 May 2010 09:59:54 -0500 nick & melissa | windsor engagement photography a couple of days ago, i met Melissa & Nick in Kingsville, for their engagement session. i live in Kingsville, and i love shooting here, so these two adventurers made the trek from Windsor and out to the county. they really wanted to get some photos in a flowering apple orchard, but no such luck. the apple trees were flowerless, but that didn't dampen the mood one little bit.

these two are quite the pair!! i know i say it all the time, but i think my clients are the best around, and these two are no exception.

they laugh, and laugh, and laugh together all the time. they make faces at each other, they tickle each other, and they just adore each other to pieces.

it's wonderful to see, and i told them how i could just tell how much they truly loved each other.

i am really looking forward to documenting their wedding in WIndsor, this coming fall, and i'm so very thankful that they have trusted me with such an important job.

Melissa & Nick...... thank you for allowing me to get to know you, and to have to opportunity to be a small part of your lives. i can't wait for your wedding, and your love is truly inspiring.

now, let's get on with a few photos!!

let's start with the sweet faces.

it wasn't 2 minutes into our session when the laughs started!! awesome :)

tickle fight! (Melissa lost)

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we wanted to go into the candy shop, but it was closed. bummer.

there's nothing like finding a cool doorway and taking kissy photos of a couple in love.

just sayin'.

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yep, more tickling and a bear hug all in one!

]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/nick-melissa-windsor-engagement-photography.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/nick-melissa-windsor-engagement-photography.html engagement engagement photography wedding photography windsor wedding photography windsor ontario wedding photojournalist Wed, 12 May 2010 16:01:15 -0500 my little adventure ~ we're not in Windsor anymore! things have been quiet around the blog, and for good reason.

i was away.

away away away.

there is a place that pulls my heartstrings, and those of my hubby. this place is secluded and beautiful, raw and poor.

Roatan Honduras is this special place.

our 5th trip to this unique island, now sits on the top of all the previous trips. we were spoiled with the most fabulous weather EVER, and stellar diving conditions. it was awesome, amazing and wickedly cool, all rolled into one OFF THE CHARTS trip!!!

Darryl and i are a super happy married couple. we are both business owners and the busy parents of 3 teens.

life doesn't lend itself to much free time these days, and it's our regular trips to Roatan that keep us sane. it's so important to spend some quality time with your hubby, and we have a unique way of doing just that.

Darryl and i are avid scuba divers. if we actually had a mass of disposable income, we'd be on live-aboards in the Galapagos, diving with hammerheads at Cocos Island, and scouring the South Pacific for the most remote and secluded dive destinations.

the more sharks the better.

just sayin'.

for now, we spend our vacation time and money, on a little off the charts dive resort called Cocoview, located on a private cay that can only be reached by boat. it's our home away from home.

last week, we packed up all our dive gear, and travelled to our little slice of heaven.

when you get off the Cocoview boat, and the dock staff see you, get all excited, and run over to hug you, then you know that you are staying at the the best place EVER!!!

we've been to Cocoview five times now, so the staff know us by name and hug us all week! it's awesome!!!

i know that i am a wedding photographer, but deep down inside, i wish that i could be a full-time underwater photographer for National Geographic or something like that. i have the patience of a saint, and i can out-wait any fish, and my love of all things aquatic just keep me wanting more. my friends and family know this about me, but my leap into wedding photography was spurred by my adoration and addiction to underwater photography and because i bought a DSLR with the hopes of taking the ocean by storm! well, i didn't quite take the ocean by storm, but i quickly fell in love with documenting weddings and other than being a world-renown underwater photographer, i can't imagine doing anything else.

we live in the Windsor area, which is not really known for its oceans and spectacular reefs, but more for its murky lake and the Detroit river. when i get the chance to see all of God's awesomeness and get to visit the turquoise waters of the caribbean, then i'm like a kid in a candy store!!!

i would like to share a few photos with you, so that maybe you can get a sense of the beauty that i got to participate in. i am truly blessed .

(oh, and i got to use my new Canon G11 for the first time, and after a few rough days of figuring out how to use it, i quickly started loving it)

one more thing....

the majority of the photos that i took, are of creatures that are teeny tiny (under 1 inch long). i love to find all the macro life, and my Canon camera rose to the challenge and i was able to capture quite a few blennies (which a adorable little fish). anyone can get a photo of a damsel or parrot fish, since they are ALL over the reef and easy to see. i crave finding the small, the unique, and the rare. i was lucky enough to find lots of rare creatures. i guess i get caught up in the thrill of the hunt or something.

this photo is of some shrimp and a cryptic teardrop crab in a sponge along Cocoview Wall. this crab looks brown underwater, since you lose colour under the sea, and it's only about 1 inch in diameter.

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this is a Sailfin Blenny. he's about 1.5 inches long, and this is his fighting stance. he saw his reflection in my camera and thought it was another male blenny. he came out of his hole to fight!

this little guy is a Flamingo Tongue, which is like a slug/snail thing. he's about 1 inch long, and they are almost always found on these types of coral/gorgonias.

this is a decorator crab. they are pretty small, and they are camouflaged like a growth that normally grows on this type of coral.

this is a lionfish. i had always wanted to see one, but not here. these guys are uninvited visitors and they are not welcome in the caribbean. they are native to the south pacific, and here they don't have any predators! they are now being hunted and killed by all dive masters.

we also ate some lionfish one day, and it was YUMMY!

this is a lettuce leaf sea slug (or nudibranch). i had never seen one before, and i was blessed to find two of them this week!! they are about 2 inches long, and move slowly along the reef. i LOVE them!

this is a green moray eel. i found it along Cocoview Wall, and it was about 4 feet long. people think that eels are scary and fierce, but they really aren't. they look fierce because they have to open their mouths to breathe, not because they are attacking or anything. i love finding eels!

here's another eel. he's just a little guy. i love finding this eel, because they are just so sweet looking !! i think they're called Goldentail Eels, but i might be mistaken.

this little brown seahorse was found on the wreck (the Prince Albert) which is located right outside the resort that we stay at. i was pretty happy with my find, since seahorses are actually pretty hard to find.

here's a little juvenile blenny that i found on a sponge. i am always happy to find a blenny!

this is a Christmas Tree worm. they are about 1 inch tall, and they are found all over coral heads, and in every colour imaginable. i just like photographing these little guys, since they are a pretty and they are all unique. lovely little things.

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can you believe this cutie? this guy is like a box that floats around with his cute little fins. i am in LOVE with his colouring!!! he's a Cow Fish, just in case you were wondering.

this is my hubby, and the bestest diving buddy ever!!! i love scuba diving with the man i love.

this is a tiny find, called an Arrow Blenny. he's about 1.5 inches long, and it's only a few millimeters thick. they float in the water and have weird, jerky movements. strange fish.

ok, that's enough for the today. i'll post a few more tomorrow, and tell you the miracle of the sea slog find, and our rarest upon rare fish find!! exciting stuff!

]]> http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/my-little-adventure-were-not-in-windsor-anymore.html http://www.michelebowmanweddings.com/blog/2010/05/my-little-adventure-were-not-in-windsor-anymore.html photography underwater canon g11 cocoview resort michele bowman wedding photography roatan honduras scuba diving underwater photography windsor ontario wedding photographer Mon, 10 May 2010 12:12:41 -0500