A few Canadian Landscapes

These are just random but I thought I would share a few of my canadian landscapes!

Taken on the way home from Whistler, BC

Mt Rundle at Sunrise. Banff, AB.

Dinosaur Park, AB at sunrise.

This was taken the same day as the photo above in Dinosaur Park, AB. There were about 6 deer and believe it or not NONE of them moved... it was SO quiet and it was just me and them. It was amazing!

What's this??

ooooooh, scary!!!!



Nah, its just a cute little baby sloth!



I am just testing my BIGGER photos today, as  you might have noticed that the menu is missing from the right... its currently on the bottom of the blog, but in the next day or two I will have a menu right on the top so I can have these big photos from now on!

Yay!

Who should I be for Halloween?

These are going to be very popular this year I assume, but they are just really fun and I think I could do a fairly good version of both... any thoughts? 

Perhaps something else instead?

Random Photo Post #2

Ok I found a few more photos that I thought I'd share today. 

This one I always think is so cute. He was with his father who was throwing fishing nets into the water from the shore. He looks so peaceful and in his own world. If there were any clouds that day, I bet he would be looking for funny shaped ones and trying to guess what they look like. This was taken in Phuket, Thailand in Spring of 2006. 

This is an abstract shot of a MerLion statue in Singapore. With the post-processing it kind of has a Cloverfield look to it, which is fine by me ;)

This tired litte (not so little) guy was sleeping in the shade at the Singapore Zoo.

Nothing too fancy with this photo, but I really liked the feel of the architecture and color palette. The main reason I took this photo is because of the building number (I was born in '79). This was taken in Venice, Italy in June 2006.

Another Venice, Italy shot. I have probably photoshopped this photo like 20 different times, and every time I love it more lol! Here is #21! :)

And last but not least, here is a sunset shot I took from the side of the cruise ship while sailing out of Langkawi, Malaysia. Still the best sunset shot I have taken today. It was so surreal seeing it in person, and I can just remember the way the sky changed the color of everything around me. People just stopped what they were doing and stared in awe. Definitely a special moment I will remember forever. 

be good,

Michael

Hi. My name is Michael, and I enjoyed "Sex and The City: The Movie"

Yup... I admit it... not only did I enjoy it, I REALLY enjoyed it! I actually only started watching the tv series last year while my girlfriend Grit and I were still working on the cruise ships! She had a few seasons on DVD (in German, mind you), but once I got passed having to read the english subtitles, I was HOOKED! My favorite? Carrie Bradshaw of course! :) I am SO glad though, that Grit doesn't have as MUCH of a shoe fetish as Carrie does! And maybe I am just not understanding everything because I have yet to see all the episodes, but wasn't Aidan a better guy than Big? Maybe its just because I like the actor better, or maybe it is because my favorite episode is when Aiden and Carrie went up to a cabin for the weekend and Mr Big showed up and they had a huge brawl out in the mud lol... it was just great to see Big's ass getting kicked ;)

Oh my God, I'm ranting about SATC on my own blog.... and I just abbreviated it SATC!!!

$@%!!!!

well, I'm off to drink beer and watch a Victoria's Secret DVD or something... anything to regain SOME level of testosterone...

The End. ;)

Find a happy place!!!!

I have come to realize just how much I love summer... of course I am
realizing it a little late as it is already fall. It's been raining
here in Vancouver the last few days and it even though it's supposed
to be clearing up by Sunday, I am already mentally preparing myself
for the inevitably cold months ahead.

So, I am calling on my readers for your ideas on fun and preferably
warm things to do during fall and winter! I am not a great big fan of
shopping (unless I need or really want something) and I am trying to
cut down on my coffee intake LOL. What makes you happy when it's not
so pleasant outside?

On the bright side, because of the weather we have currently been
cursed with, I am getting more and more stoked about Brian and Yari's
wedding I am shooting in Puerto Vallarta in less than 2 weeks!! It's
going to be A-MAZ-ING!!!!!

Have a warm cozy day!!!

Michael

Random Photo Post #1

I have been wanting to share some of my older UN-wedding related photos for some time now, so I thought today was a great day to start! I will be posting them randomly throughout the days to come so I can hear your thoughts and share with you some moments of my life that has meant so much to me!

The first set is from the time I worked on a cruise ship as a photographer (jan '06 - April '07). These 3 photos are taken while I was in the South Pacific. The islands: Ouvea, and Isle of Pines. They were my first two places I went while on ships, and it was such a contrast to what I have seen my whole life. The first 26 years of my life I spent in a semi-bubble... living in BC, Alberta, Manitoba, and the only places I ventured outside of that was Texas, Montana, and Newfoundland... and then I was just literally NUMB when I left the BC airport, landed in LAX (WOW!), and then 14 hours later I was in Melbourne Australia. Keep in mind I did this alone. When you join ships as an employee, you don't go with friends, you go alone. You MEET some of the best friends you will ever have in your life, mind you, but it all starts off with just you. It was kinda scary! After being in Melbourne 1 day only, I was escorted onto the first ship, The Mighty Pacific Sky. What came next was even more unimaginable... the wide open ocean for days at a time... and then just when I thought I was about to lose civilization altogether, there it was. An Island. A different kind of civilization.

I have so many I want to share with you, and I cannot wait for the days to come when I can tell you tales of my travels!

I can tell you a caption from each, but I think for the most part I want the photos to speak for themselves. What I WILL tell you, is the last two photos (taken Feb 3rd 2006 on Ouvea, New Caledonia) was taken the day I received the worst sunburn I have ever had. lol... typical.... just typical... a fluorescent Canadian heads into the South Pacific and stands in the sun at NOON without suntan lotion...

Namaste my good friends,

MW

Scott & Sheryl: Wedding!!!

Scott & Sheryl were the very first wedding couple I met up with last year, so I was SUPER stoked when their wedding day came up in September! These guys were so much fun to shoot, and I really loved their little twists on their wedding day (one of them being the Florida Gators Garter lol... p.s. Scotts a fan lol!). It was so awesome to spend the day with them, and party all night with them! (These cats know how to par-tay!!!!) The ceremony was held at St. Paul's Parish in Richmond, and afterwards we then head to Van Dusen Gardens and Jericho Beach for a few 'formal-ish' photos! Once we decided we had enough of getting sand in our shoes lol, we headed over to Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club for the reception. 

I had a blast with these guys, they even got me on the dance floor! (sorry, no photos of me doing 'The Robot' ...I hope)

I hope you enjoy the photos!

Sheryl's Fairy-Tale Dress

Sheryl's garter. (but Scott's team, The Gators!)

Sheryl's mom putting Sheryl's earrings in.

I LOVED the colors in the Sheryl's boquet!!!

Doesn't she look fanTAStic?!

I loved the lighting on the chairs at the church.

The Unity Candle

This is what I call: Sexy Light ;)

I keep on thinking Waldo is hiding somewhere here... sadly no. I looked.

The happy couple :)

The Reservoir Dogs ;)

ahem.... Bow-CHIKKA-WOW-WOW!!  :)

A little kissy-face at the beach!

First Dance

What a cool lightshow! 

This guy really has to teach me some moves!

The last photo of the night really sums the whole day up.

The Gift of an Elephant

While babysitting my niece Kaia today, I had to smile. We were playing with her little horse toys, and apparantly they were all gathered today for a horse WEDDING.

Kaia: "Ok... this horse is the bride. This horse is the husband. These three are the flower girls. This one is the mother... oh, and this one is the photographer. You can be him, Uncle Michael."

Uncle Michael: "Great! Ahem... OK guys, smile for the camera!" *click* *click*

Kaia: "oh, I'm sorry Uncle Michael, you have to take your seat now... the wedding is about to begin..."

Uncle Michael: "But.. but I am The Phot.."

Kaia: (pointing to the toy chair) "...there ya go. Thanks."

When my sister finally came home, she had a present for me. It was a hand-carved elephant. Now, I don't think she knows that I really love elephants, but there it was... not a monkey, not a sheep...not a bird... an elephant. What a cool gift!

I am also not ashamed to admit that when I got home, I played with the new gift on the couch... maybe it was because of the "horsing-around" earlier at 'the wedding', but I felt like being a kid... there you have it ;)

I am planning on blogging every day for the next month, starting today, and I thought "What better way to start something like this than to share something you love?", and I love the gift of giving. (As a matter of fact, I have a contest coming up that you do NOT want to miss!!!)

Namaste,

Michael

The Nine Month Wait Is Finally Over!!!!!!

I *CAN'T* believe I forgot about this! How did I let this almost slip past me?!

"HEROES" IS BACK ON MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it Christmas in September?! Was I a good boy!? 

you can check out the new trailer on the NBC Heroes Website... GO! Hurry!

I am going to run to the couch and practice sitting RIGHT NOW! :)

Sheryl & Scott: Sneak Peak

I just got back from Sheryl & Scott's wedding at The Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, and I thought I would post a quick sneak peak before heading to bed! I had a blast with these guys (I even got pulled into the centre of the dance floor and rocked out a wicked "robot"!!!!)

Plus, on top of it all, I get home and 'Anchorman' is playing on tv... which is hilarious because the groomsmen and I were killing ourselves laughing today quoting the movie lol...

I'm Michael Wachniak. You stay classy, Vancouver! ;)

Ashley & Kris: Wedding

From the moment I heard Ashley and Kristopher were heading to Vegas for their honeymoon, I really wished I was small enough to fit in their luggage... I mean, come on... who wouldn't want to be in hot weather, soaking up rays by the pool, maybe take in a show, walk 'The Strip'.... I bet they are lying in the sun sipping out of a meter-long bottle O' booze right now... well maybe not, its only noon... but isn't that what Fridays are all about? :)

I love these bottle photos! :)

ahhh, the perfect weather for a perfect day!

Ok, doesn't this just melt your heart?!

the sun came out for only a few seconds, but it was enough to create this dramatic shot!

The Ladies were simply stunning.

The guys however, had a different idea of posing...

Love Love Love this first dance shot!

After the first dance, Kris hopped up to the stage with Killer Band "Retrosonic" and sang to his beautiful bride. What songs you ask? Shaggy's "Angel", and none other than Billy Idol's "White Wedding"!! He ROCKED the house!!

Special shout out's and thank you's:

- Carrie for second shooting this with me, you rock girl!  

- Lisa Gregory (flowers, cake, reception hall decorating) one of the BEST weddings I have seen this year.

- Ashley & Kris: You guys are dear friends of mine now, and I am so glad you gave me this opportunity of being a part of this amazing day. I certainly will remember it for a very long time.

- Swaneset: everytime guys, without fail, you always amaze and dazzle me. Hope to see you again soon!