United Way

Isn`t it time you got your family together...

This year, for the first time in the long history of our studio we are offering Ottawans a chance to get that portrait you have been talking about for years. Whether its the whole gang in jeans and T shirts, a shot with the family dog or even a cool poster with Dad`s motorcycle...bring your wildest ideas to us and watch us make some magic. We do love animals and yes, the studio is capable of photographing your family and your horse!

Btw...yes, thats Paul Dewar and family having some fun with a shoot that defines their family quite well. Thanks for finding the time guys to get this together...

For lots of examples of our work...click here http://www.couvrette-photography.on.ca/2/portrait.html

Call the studio to arrange your sitting at 613 238 5104

DETAILS: This offer is valid only on sittings booked between November 1 and December 30 2009. The entire sitting fee will be donated to the United Way of Ottawa which helps families in our own community. Prints are at our regular prices and you are under no obligation to make any purchases. Deadline for delivery for Christmas is December 1st. We can accomodate groups of up to 40 people at our Gladstone Studio. All sittings must be studio sittings during our regular hours. Sittings on Saturdays, in the evening or at another location are at a premium. This offer is not valid for commercial clients headshots or any commercial assignments.

Name dropping...oops.

The coolest thing about my career is the people I get to meet. I have photographed the weddings of Chief Justice Barbara McLachlin, designer Justina McCaffrey and socialites like Mike and Marlen Cowpland and the Potters. My commercial site shows portraits of every Prime Minister from Trudeau to Harper . I believe I am the only photographer who has been given this honor.

Ok...that was a long preamble...but what I really wanted to show you was a new site featuring some of my work with my friend Kim Campbell. Enjoy.
Thanks for the link Kim....hey I guess that must be what they call a testimonial...lol

This may seem a little daunting to many customers who assume that we are pricey, but let me assure you that this is not the case. You might be very surprised!!!
We also pride ourselves on being down to earth and have a lot of fun with our shoots.
Call, come by and take a look...we keep our best stuff at the studio.


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Ottawa actress Sonja Smits

Recently we spent a couple of days in the Picton area shooting portraits of Canadian
actress Sonja Smits for a travel promo. Sonja was great to work with and our Ontario
"summer" even let up for awhile so I could get these shots. Check out the current issue
of Ottawa Life for the full spread.

Executive Portrait of a BC Lawyer.

We photograph a lot of Judges and Lawyers. I photographed the wedding of Chief Justice
Barbara Mc Lachlin and the family portraits of hundreds of local Judges and Lawyers.
The way I see it..if a lawyer writes you a testimonial it should give you double bonus points...lol

Check it out... (scroll about half way down...)


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The "Cowboy Bride"returns....

If you look a few posts down you will see a familiar face... as I photographed this clients wedding a couple of years ago. She is still a "horse person" and I guess it runs in the family as the groom is a blacksmith....

As you can see from my fine art shot....the little one already has some boots...lol.

Yousuf Karsh and I, Ottawa Citizen.

I am honored that the Ottawa Citizen has chosen to feature me in their story on Yousuf Karsh of Ottawa on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Yousef and I met many times and I expressed my gratitude for the influence he had on my career. My one regret is never having had him take my own portrait or never having taken his, thought I did have the pleasure of taking a portrait of his brother Malak Karsh. As well, I wisely purchased an original print by Yousuf that he signed for me. The image is, in my opinion his finest work, a portrait of Pablo Casals. It is also one of the best investments I ever made.
My Karsh stories are many and I will save them for my own eventual book, but suffice to say I
was honored when he referred a number of clients to me upon closing his studio and equally honored when a number of corporate clients considered me as his replacement. Karsh was an artist, a businessman and one of the most refined gentlemen I have ever met...he truly possessed an old world charm that is rarely seen today. Without Karsh, I doubt my career would have developed technically and artistically as it did.

Click on this link to the Citizen page and if you click on my self portrait you can hear me speak on Karsh. The series is extremely well done...Yousuf would approve.

Merry Christmas to all...

Each year we do quite a few concept cards for our clients and every year for the last twenty years...one for ourselves. This years theme was of course my kids newfound interest in gymnastics and dance....

Ottawa Dog Portrait

Dogs are great in photos...give me dogs any day rather than cats...and I have three of the
felines at home. The shoot took a grand total of five minutes with such a cooperative model.
To date we have photographed cats, dogs,birds, rabbits and horses....and a range of smaller pets.
No snakes please...although perhaps my current assistant might be ok with them....

Don`t be shy, bring that animal in when you book your family...we are all animal lovers.

Wanna see more......click away...

Family Portraits at Home in Ottawa

Tis the season to start planning!

We love these sessions...and it gets us doing our exercises by loading all our "stuff" and
getting out on location.

To see more....click away.

Ottawa Children`s Portraits.

I really hate November...Whats there to like anyway....its cold, its a wish washy month,
outdoor shoots look blah and besides...its gray...

Soooo....here is a nice outdoors portrait just to make us all feel better. I have photographed these kids every year for the parents Christmas card...for the last decade. Apparently, it is highly
anticipated by the family and friends and a top secret project...no, this is not this years...you`ll have to wait.

Ottawa Christmas Family Portrait

Tis the season to start planning. I pulled these two files from last years Christmas shoots just
to get people in the mood. The Christmas season is probably the most enjoyable time to do
family portraits...it seems people's moods are up and that really works for me. These home sessions are more challenging than in the studio...but thats half the fun.

To see more of our Christmas family portraits take a peek at our site.

Ottawa Glamour Boudoir Makeover

Soooo...we posted a Makeover on Youtube a few months back and so far we are up to around 800 hits. Take a look, but if you do, make sure to push the button indicating view in high quality. Thanks to Youtube`s new higher quality it looks great....here is the link.

Ottawa Christmas Portraits.

Its that time again...yay. As soon as the blahs of November are over we will get back to shooting outdoors or on location at people's homes. For now, here is a studio session that was lots of fun.
Our Centretown studio is equipped for shooting everything from motorcycles indoors to groups of 50. To see more of our portrait work....click away.

Ottawa Wedding Photographer

Sooo....I dug back and started thinking about some of my faves over the last couple of

years. This is a page from the digital album of an Italian wedding at Sala San Marco.

Yes...the food was amazing.

Upper Canada village is such a great location...

Sala San Marco... all decked out.

Ok... we went a little wild here... infrared and filters.

One of our photojournalism snaps by my assistant....and yes, the rain did clear.

Just kicking back at the Museum of Civilization... some guys know how to have fun.

These are two noted musicians... I won't drop names... and yes, these

are their stage outfits. The shot was done in our studio on Gladstone Street.

Ottawa Wedding Photographers

So what I`d like to do first is post some of my faves over the last couple of years and

tell you a little bit about our style....

This engagement photograph was done this spring in my studio on Gladstone Street. The couple were a lot of fun to work with...and it really helped set the tone for their
wedding shoot a couple of months later. Many of their wedding images are now up on our new Flash site, which can be viewed here.

Here is the first wedding EVER at the new Metropolitan Bible Church...

We had a great time shooting at the Mill in Perth this summer. The area is full of great locations, some of which are also on the new Couvrette Site.

Got Bikes? We are the only studio in the city with the ability to shoot motorcycles in a controlled lighting setup. How about bringing your bike in for a coooool engagement portrait.

Here is the first shot of one of my favorite coverages of this summer...Bring on those Italian
Weddings.

Yes... that IS her home, not the Chateau Laurier. We covered this wedding last summer on a beautiful day at her house on the St. Lawrence Seaway. Sara was such a nice bride, relaxed, cordial, and yes, on time for the shoot.

A bit of photojournalism by one of my photographers at a fun country wedding...

Serge captured this one in an elevator... good one buddy.

Here's one I got on a crazy rainy day... we could not resist this old barn as we drove by on the way to the reception.

Once again, Serge caught this shot at what must have been his most fun assignment of the summer.

Okay... so we played with this one a bit in Photoshop.

If I was entering this in a competition I would probably entitle it "Runaway Bride"... but no, she did stay for the wedding.

I shot this at the Bride's parents soybean farm silo this fall. Who knows what you will find when you get out of the city. In Ottawa, some fancy architect would charge you a fortune to put this post modern look on your house...lol

Who says studio portraits can`t be cool...

This was taken at Strathmere... sometimes I see things at locations that many photographers walk right by...

What do you do when a couple comes in for an engagement portrait in full Korean Wedding dress... this was my solution. Somehow they wouldn't have looked right in a gritty street or running through a park... Each couple has a unique image... and our job is to find out how to capture it.