Steve and I are photographers, and thus, make photographs. But what you might not know is that we are also artists. And not just photographic artists, but multimedia artists.

You see, taking a photograph is just one part of what we do.

When we make a photograph, there are a lot of things that we have to determine before we can even take that picture. First, we have to choose the light, the equipment, the angle, the distance and the subject. Only then can we decide to make a picture. It is these determinations that set one photographer apart from another - in particular their use of light and how they choose to pose and compose their subject.

The next part of the process is what we do to the images once we get them into our digital darkroom. As visual artists, the actual making of a picture is just the first step in the process. The very best photographers already have an idea of what their finished image will look like, and so make the picture in camera with that in mind. Only then do they get to finish their vision by using the tools available to them to polish their image. It is this polish that further sets one photographer apart from another.

For many, the process ends there. For others, there is the album design and wall collections that they present to their clients, helping to choose the best pieces for ongoing display.

We are no different - we also finish our images and present them to you. We use slideshows and stills+ presentations to bring you back to the moments in the photographs. We also design albums for to get our clients started on what can be an overwhelming task.

But we do more. We take those photographs that we made, and we create art pieces with them. Not framed prints or canvases (which we do, in fact offer) but, Organic Art Pieces where the final piece is so much more than just the sum of its parts.

We use wood and concrete and other natural materials to make our photographs more than simply an image behind the glass.

There have been two very popular materials that we have placed in our clients' homes and we are just thrilled that one of those materials can now be matched with an Art Book cover. It's called the Bebbalicious (no, we didn't name it, but think it's kind of cool) and is the exact same material as that we use on one of our Art Piece Collections.

Here is a closer view of that Collection:

This is the material close up (warning, the colour in real life may be slightly different than what you see on your monitor):

And here are the incredible, Bebbtastic, Bebbalicious books:

What an amazing way to display Art, real bona fide art, on your clients' walls! And then, the ones you can't fit on the walls (because you know there will be way too many) can go into a matching Art Book! So fantastic!!

If you haven't seen these exclusive covers, check out Finao where you can order your own Bebbalicious Album Cover! And if you are interested in purchasing these Organic Art Pieces for your own clients, let me know - we are just sorting out how best to offer them and details will be coming soon!

They're here, our new Bebbinar dates and locations for 2009!

And, did you notice, this is a brand new Bebbinar blog too! Long in the making, this blog is chock full of information, with more to come all the time. The top navigation will give you the 411 on the Bebbinars, while the body of this site is just like a regular blog and will have all sorts of entries.

One of the features we're looking most forward to is a before/after from our Bebblings. ampersant;nbsp;We're going to be showcasing some of the incredible studios that have been to our workshops and share the changes they have made since attending. ampersant;nbsp;

So, stay tuned....and enjoy!

BEBBINAR DATES, 2009

North Vancouver: May 26 - 28 with opening reception on May 25th at Bebb Studios

Brighton, UK: June 16 - 18

North Vancouver:November 3 - 5 witha opening receptiona on November 2nd at Bebb Studios

For all the details about our syllabus, fees, how to sign up, etc, please check out the different tabs in the menu bar!

What a workshop!

I know, I know, I have to say that, right? Um...no! This was another amazing group of people who have bonded as Bebblings and have been Bebbified! (Let's see how many Bebb words I can use!)

We changed things up this time, because as effective as our previous program has been, we were getting bored. And we never want to get bored with what we're teaching. So, while we covered all the mainstays of a Bebbinar, the most important of which is reclaiming your life, we added some more shooting, did website critiques, and so much more!

We could write forever about what the Bebblings (or Bebbinis for Mel McLellan) mean to us, but we just want to show off some images. At the end of the day, after all, we are still photographers and this is our reward for all our hard work!

On the photography day (yes almost an entire day was spent on photography!) we wanted to show our students where to find, and how to see, incredible light. That meant teaching them to see differently and to look for the light before finding the location. (One of our favorite sayings is that the light often is the location).

So, here is Steve showing some of our students how incredible soft frontal light, how to make the background go black, and the importance of walking around your subject, rather than shooting hundreds of frames in the same light.

One of the things I love about photography is finding little pockets of light and using them to my advantage. As we walking from our first location, I just glanced over my shoulder and saw some really cool light under a set of stairs. It was off the beaten track and is something that you could walk pst every day without seeing it.

We grabbed the models, and the class, and headed into this little area to work with this unique light. There were two lessons we wanted to teach - using the light on the face and then using the same light in the background. Here are just two of the images from that area:

It was about high noon, on a bright sunny day, when we were shooting. And that was fantastic, because many people struggle with that kind of unforgiving light. So, on the way to a very bright location, we stopped for a moment to show our students how incredible another kind of light can be. In any urban setting (well any setting at all, but especially an urban one) light bounces in from strange places. In an urban environment, there is a lot of sidewalk bounce, and that can be tricky to work with. We wanted to show our students how one little area, and great bounce, could make for incredible imagery.

I'll have more images up soon - hopefully some will also be from our Bebblings! They really did a great job under very tough conditions. I also have some awesome images done with Radio Poppers and off camera flash - sweet stuff!

So, hang tight, we'll be adding more images very soon!

Every so often you come across someone that just makes you smile. That's Leslie Gilbert. We saw her for years at conventions and parties, and knew that she was a ton of fun. What we didn't know was how good she is, as a mother, photographer and friend.

Like so many people that come to the Bebbinars, she was doing ok, but wasn't going where she really wanted to go. A gentle nudge or two, a couple of a ha moments, and the knowledge that she could do it were all she needed to take that leap. Leslie is certainly one of our success stories...she is doing what she loves, loves what she is doing, and still has time for her life.

And she still makes us smile everytime we see her!

In her words:

I have had my business for about 8 years. I thought I was doing well, but something was missing. I didn't feel like I was moving forward or really growing like I wanted to.

Last April, I found out what that was.

I attended a Bebbinar, a small group that met in Atlanta. Small enough that we really became connected to each other and felt comfortable enough to bare it all. Jen and Steve opened themselves up to us and did not spare one detail about how they do everything. They fueled my passion for what I do!

I walked away from the Bebbinar finally knowing who I am as a photographer and how others see my style. I set goals for myself to accompish after I left. I would like to report that a lot of them have been met! I was working out of my renovated 3 car garage that looked like a crappy run down garage from the outside. No one could see that the inside was great until they got in there. I had to change their reaction. We completely renovated the whole studio, inside and out. Now there is a whole new reaction when clients come.

The Bebbinar gave me a whole new outlook on life and how I run my business. One of the best experiences of my life! Jen and Steve are 2 of the most passionate, caring, real people you will ever meet. If you have the opportunity to learn from them, do it! You will have no regrets.

To check out more of Leslie's work check these out: website, blog

Here are a couple of images that Leslie has on her blog right now!

Infamous for coining the phrase, "Bebbling" Ben Harrison is definitely one to watch. We met him, and his wife Laura, in Chicago, and knew, immediately, that these two were not going to be anonymous for long. It is with incredible pride that we have seen them grow over the past year - really grow! We are thrilled to have played even a small part in their journey.

steve + jen bebb (at the Chi-town bebbinar) quite possibly changed our lives and our marriage ... we are proud to say that we are officially bebblings!

Steve and Jen are probably two of the most generous, authentic and caring people you will ever meet. They honestly rocked our worlds at the bebbinar and we will forever be grateful for attending (sappy, i know, but the honest truth) ... we have been to several conferences, workshops, etc and have listened to many great photographers but we can honestly say that the bebbs are among the best we have ever heard (and no, we do not get royalties, kickbacks, or anything of the sorts for saying this:).

What separates Steve & Jenn from all the other photographers we have heard is that they are not trying to create "mini bebbs" ... and by that I mean that they are not trying to create mini versions of themselves ... they don't just give you the "ten steps to success" ... they take a humble approach that forces you to bring out the "rockstar" (for lack of a better term) photographer that is inside each of us. They are not trying to get you to be something you're not, they are all about harnessing the passion inside of you that made you want to be a photographer ... and giving you the tools to turn that passion into a successful business.

they spared no juicy details: sales, marketing, first impressions, techniques, seeing the light, pricing, 4 day work week, etc ... they have an amazing ability to instruct and connect with you and they literally had people in tears (in a good re-discovering who you are kind of way & in a they just "tore me a new one" kind of way).

And your probably wondering how they changed our marriage ... drumroll please ... the four day work week. It is worth the price of admission merely to hear them explain this ... whether you are married or single, this will change the way you think about your business and life in general.

Anyways, this is getting way too long but I just had to give props to my new homies Steve & Jen ... if you have the opportunity to go to one of their workshops, you are literally crazy if you don't ... it will be one of the best moves you ever make for your business ... period

Check out more of ben + laura's work at their website and blog!

www.benharrisonphotography.com/blog : the blog

www.benharrisonphotography.com : the website