Marlene's Designer Portraits
231 Highway 52 R5G 1J1 Steinbach, MB, Canada

I had the opportunity to photograph these clients this summer. This was almost two years in the making! Originally, we had booked something for 2019, but the family could not all get together (one lives out of province). So I guess this is a 52nd Wedding Anniversary Portrait! Better later than never! It was such a pleasure photographing in this beautiful location with perfect weather! I LOVE the expressions and the laughter in the portrait they chose!

5 members of Professional Photographers of Canada-Manitoba met at the St. Norbert Trappist Monastery on September 29th for a Photo Walk and Talk. The colours were just gorgeous and it was a great evening! Colleen Serban, Becky Fleury, Kim Downie Charmaine Toews and myself. Such fun!

Location session at Falcon Lake this evening. What a beautiful setting to create and capture family memories.

I was the Toastmaster at our meeting yesterday. We had a small group, but the meeting was excellent nonetheless. Sheryl presented us with her speech titled 'Dates' and Jon evaluated it. We also had an interesting Table Topics portion, and I took on the role of Table Topics Master. I chose random photos and assigned each a number and had each of us pick a number. When it was their time to do an impromptu 2-minute speech, I shared the photo and asked them to explain the st...ory behind, or being told, in the photo. We each had an opportunity to do this. In my opinion, this is one of the best parts of Toastmasters. You get a chance to speak on a variety of topics - it hones your skills to learn how to articulate, without resorting to using um's and ah's and other filler words. I have found that being a part of Toastmasters has helped me in my business - articulating what I need to say, interacting with clients, being more clear in a message I want to get across. I love it! If you're interested in joining us on Zoom as our guest (no charge), just message me and I'll send you a link!

So great to meet with fellow photographer Mark Bilash at the Steinbach Fly-in Golf Course, Santa Lucia Restaurant patio! We had a great visit, talked about photography (of course) and just got to know another PPOC member a bit better! Nice to have the restrictions lifted so we can meet outdoors at a restaurant. Hopefully, the first of many.

I love repeat clients, especially when Sandi comes in for an updated real estate photograph!

As you might be aware, I am a member of Toastmasters. I joined so I could become better at speaking 'off the cuff'. Being a part of Steinbach Professional Development Toastmasters is perfect for me as the members are all professionals - and I like the club because we meet at 12:00 noon every Wednesday! If you are a business owner, you can join us for this event, free of charge. Guests are always welcome. Please click on the Eventbrite link to register: www.bit.ly/3x97JA...w and join us on April 30th 7pm CST as Toastmasters Region 4 International Director & business owner of First Ascent Consulting, Inc., Distinguished Toastmaster Harold Osmundson and CEO of The Culture Mastery, Toastmasters Magazine Featured and dubbed 'The Culture Guy' Christian Höferle as they partner to present leadership, Leadership Development and Communication across Cultures. This is an Online event. Zoom link will be sent to all registrants. See more

Joining Toastmasters has helped me so much! Our first meeting of this new club was on January 9, 2019 and we chartered in August of that year. I have completed Level One in my Persuasive Influence Path and almost done Level Two. If you want more information or to come to the meeting as my guest, please contact me.

This past weekend the Professional Photographers of Canada held their first virtual Conference. It was a fabulous experience to see so many great speakers that pre-recorded their programs but were also there live to answer questions. The PPOC did an amazing job of bringing this virtual conference to our members. And, of course, the Awards is what everyone waits for. I had the privilege of being the Jury Chair for the Portrait Panel of Judges, which was an experience i...n itself. Our Manitoba members really did us proud. We have such outstanding photographers across Canada and our province has some of the best in the country! Other members that did well were Mark Bilash, JoEllen Sevcenko and Jocelyne Hebert. Next year I will be able to enter! Well done. So proud.

April is Camera Room Renovation month! Dark Paint GONE! (Benjamim Moore - Iron Mountain). This is the south wall - new colour is Benjamin Moore Richmond Grey (I know - it looks greenish) and the studio background is now Grey Huskie - a lovely warm grey! The room looks so much brighter already! (That ratty t-shirt is probably 26 years old - and makes a great painting shirt. That was one of my favourite T-Shirts of all times "The Shorts" "The Gloves" "The Shoes" on the front and on the back - "The Mouse". Love it! lol

Throwback from 10 years ago (2011). What a precious memory that we created together. Little Kaylee is not so little anymore! I find it so sad that photographers in Manitoba are still not allowed to photograph according to the latest from the MB Government. Priceless memories like this can't happen. What a sad thing for families who cherish these moments.... #cherishedmemories #portraitphotography #MitchellManitobaPhotographer #SteinbachManitobaPhotographer #accreditedphotographer #PricelessMoments

At the beginning of 2020, I did something I hadn’t done before. I posted a ‘Word of the Year’ for the first time ever. My word: BETTER I had 10 things that I wanted to be BETTER at. Did I accomplish all of those things? No. But that wasn’t the goal I wanted to aim for all of those things, but I would have been surprised if I would have met them all. ...Continue reading