Cory Skretting Photography

I haven’t posted anything in some time.  Between being busy and running into technical difficulty my blog has been pretty dull.  Of coarse I am not too sure i have had many “real” visits either.  I am amazed at the number of spam comments I receive.  Everytime I get a message that their is a new comment to check out….it turns out to be junk!  My appologies to anyone who has actually sent a “non-junk” comment it could very easily get lost in the shuffle.

Last year I decided to try my luck at blogging, I do like to write and I love photography so why not.  Half way through the year the blog was put on the back burner.  I did write some posts and try to upload images for it only to run into errors or crappy computer issues and not publish them for lack of time.  So today I am just writing something to have something done!

Yes 2011 was a busy year in many ways… work, volunteering and my photography.  I had many photography oppurtunities to learn from.  I worked with more people I did not know.  So obviously I met some terrific new people   I shot two fabulous summer weddings back to back.  Engagements, newborn session, families, and graduates from jr. high, high school and university, then ended the year off with a gorgeous boudoir session.  I want very much to share an image from every session but uploading to my blog is being difficult.  grrrr grrr……Instead I suggest you read the sidebar with the twitter updates.  Links are usually there. On that note your welcome to follow me on twitter

In December I made a discovery, a great technology love for ……the iphone!  I know I am such a coutry bumkin, millions of people around the world have been using an iphone for some time now, but it’s still new to me   With an iphone I have became very facinated with it’s camera and the many apps available for it.  The idea of clicking a quick pic and editting it on the spot to share immediately with family and friends is crazy addictive!  My favorite social networking hobby has become Instagram.  I have found many other wonderful iphonographers to connect to and share with.  It is a great inspiration tool and break from my DSLR.  Don’t get me wrong, for quailty my 5D mk II kicks butt and won’t be replaced any time soon for portraits and weddings.  Yet knowing I can easily carry my iphone, capture fleeting moments and do it all so quickly is…..well like I already mentioned a break, inspiration, hobby, and oppurtunity to learn and network all in a wonderful compact package

Well that will have to do for an update, bye for now……

This summer has been go, go, go!!!!  I haven’t had a long free period of time to share here on the blog.  After spring grads, I was fortunate to shoot an engagement shoot and some family and children pictures.  Lots of fun chasing kids through the playground and catching their beautiful smiles.  In July I shot 2 gorgeous weddings! 

 Both weddings were very different from one another, the first having a mountain/camping setting to the reception.  Though it was indoors it featured some rustic decor and rich brown color the grooms cake decked out in camouflage (as was the brides garter), hunting rifles and antlers.   Slushies were the drink of the evening in both blue raspberry and a red fruity flavour (vodka and rum optional).  The slushies represented their favorite camping drink while out in the mountains “roughing it” with the grooms mom, as she likes to make slushy margaritas while camping   However it was the midnight buffet of campfire favorites that really set off the theme.  Hot dogs, marshmallows with fondue (and other candy treats) and smores!!!!  A fun filled night for all I was very happy to be a part of this special day.

Wedding #2, actually was in the mountains.  An incredibly beautiful setting being a golf coarse/casino resort nestled in the Rockies.  What really stood out to me was the old reclaimed, mission building where we all stayed.  Back in it’s day it was a catholic boarding school for native children.  The resort is on native land, and the photographs on the old brick walls showed a history of not only the school but the tee-pees, the Indian clothing, the beautiful history of our countries natives.  From antiques, iron crosses, weathered brick walls with vines climbing up them we have a unique setting for a fabulous wedding.  The wedding party walked a long brick path to where the couple shared their vows from one side you have a gorgeous mountain view, and the other a fantastic old mission building.  And it was a beautiful sunshiny day!

Through August, I’ve done engagement shoot, and family shoot and I have took a little time to enjoy my own family too.  Water Slides, huckleberry shakes, the house of mystery and a little back to school shopping.  last weekend we took in the old fashion activities at the Prairie Tractor Museum where my husband and son compete in antique tractor pulls.  Before you know it the summer is over!

But then of coarse we get gorgeous autumn !!!!

pictures will be shared soon

When the dark clouds loom and roll in like a freight train, when the thunder claps and the lightning splits the sky…I can’t help but shiver.  I tend to freak out a little over thunder storms.  Okay sometimes more than a little….alright, alright I confess I have been known to send my kids down to the basement and to make a cozy hiding place under the stairs.  If I knew why it worried me so much, I’d probably write about it.  But I honestly can’t figure out why I think, in the back of my head that a tornado is going to wipe us out.  Well… last night some ugly growing clouds sure didn’t help with my worries.  The kids and I watched a very dark sky drive by the north of us from the east, only to combine with another mass of whirling weather west of us and turn around to roll right over our farm.  The hair on my arms stood up, I sent my kids inside and….grabbed my camera!

Fortunately this summer storm only brought a lot of rain, and we were all relieved to see the “thunder banger” pass on through with a goodbye rainbow. With all the humidity and heat we are starting our first day of summer with….I am definately going to be watching the skies tonight, and throughout the next couple months.  Atleast having my camera in hand brings a sense of comfort for me ;)  God Bless and Happy Summer!!!

I wrote this a while ago for our church newsletter.  I came across it today and thought this would be a good blog, especially as I am thinking about my daughter and the confidence she dispalyed at her recent Grade 9 grad ceremony.  She spoke well, clear and didn’t stare at her paper reading fast.  I was proud of her, proud to be her Mom and of course it made me think about my Mom and the confidence she built up in me when I needed her most.  So that brings me to sharing this ….forgive me I may be repeating myself

Above is a picture of my Mom and me, this was just as she began her chemo treatments before her hair began to fall out 2006.  That young lady in red is my daughter   She was the last student to exit at the end of the ceremony, so she turned and blew the audiance a huge kiss, very “tad~da”!  And the last image was a portrait I took of her.

God Bless!

I have done a lot of writing in my last posts….so I thought my next post should be some wedding work.  Here are some highlights from a wedding last year with an incredibly gorgeous couple.

God Bless and happy shooting! :)

“When a mother saw a thunderstorm forming in mid-afternoon, she worried about her seven-year-old daughter who would be walking the three blocks from school to home. Deciding to meet her, the mother saw her walking nonchalantly along, stopping to smile whenever lightning flashed. Seeing her mother, the little girl ran to her, explaining… happily, “All the way home, God’s been taking my picture!” Fear is often caused by our perspective.”

I just read this and it made me think….what is our perspective…..?

I have been praying a lot these days for a dear friend’s little boy lying in the hospital having seizures, swelling on his brain, so much uncertainty, so much unknown.  They believe he has meningitis, then they say they are back to square one and now he is in an induced coma.  I can only imagine what my friend is feeling.  Yes my kids have had their fevers, illness and injuries and as mothers isn’t it our job to worry over our kids?  But I never had to go the through watching my child unconscious and not being able to fix it.  My perspective of this situation is fear.  I can only imagine that I would feel fear, sadness of course and helplessness.  A person may also feel like ” Why Lord why?!!!  How can this be happening, this isn’t fair!!!”  God is awesome, he doesn’t expect us to be perfect and not question.  He knows the outcome and even if we don’t understand what is going on he will give us answers….in time.   He knows our fears, and he doesn’t exactly take them away.  But when we trust him to be in charge when we believe in his plan, when we have faith in his word he gives us courage.  Amazing courage through faith, that can overcome our fears. 

I Thank God for my friend as she has amazing faith.  She is a friend I can talk to and feel renewed, I can trust her, I can count on her.  She helps keep me on track in my faith, makes me think before I speak and she probably doesn’t even realize that.  Now I pray that God can use me in that same way for her, put his words in my mouth so that I can help her feel renewed and turn our perspective to his awesome glory and ability to make miracles come true.

So my thoughts are not exactly like the story I read.  It’s rather happy and well right now mine is rather sad, but maybe that is a matter of perspective and I just don’t understand yet.  I think I’ll trust in God and build courage to face the thunder and smile for God’s camera.

Thanks for reading and I hope you to will take a moment to pray for this little boy and ask God to share a miracle with us by healing him.

I haven’t had a chance to do a blog this past …month!  My goodness where the heck did February go?!  It has been such a long winter, so many of us our complaining about snow and cold and yet it seems February has just disappeared.  I have many things on my agenda in the next little while, meetings, kids stuff, business paper work, filling out grant applications for a community project, and Dinner Theatre!

In our small town our church has an annual Dinner Theatre.  It is a weekend where the entire congregation gets together to serve dinner and present a play to over 200 guests each night.  I have been involved with this for the past hmmm….4 or 5 years now.  Before that I was always sure to buy a ticket and enjoy the show.  One of my favorite things has been the opportunity to act.  I so love to get on stage and be my character.  It is exciting to pour on the attitude, and personality of who ever and grab an audience.  I personally love the chance to get a laugh.  Two years ago I played an old grandma who couldn’t hear very well….you can probably imagine the fun with that   I never want the main character roles, I much prefer to have a smaller role where I can give it my all and be the best whoever I am supposed to be.  No matter how small a role it may be, by doing your best you can actually get a lot more attention from the audience then a main character might.  This is also my life philosophy… No matter how small – you do your very best!  My mother once said if your only job is just to clean a toilet, then you better be damn proud when you look in the bowl!  All jobs are worth doing your best. 

Alright this blog entry is going to be a short one, I have a lot of little things piling up that require my best attention;)

God Bless!

Alright, alright…last post was all me babbling.  Today I thought I would share some engagement work.  I absolutely love engagement shoots.  Just two people, in love and very willing to share it with everybody.  You get guys who are cooperative…because the last thing they want to do is upset their wife to be.  After guys have been married awhile they tend to get into this “how much longer?”  “are we done yet?”  mode.  Nah, I have been very fortunate to have fairly cooperate subjects.  But that’s only ’cause I am so darn great to work with !

On with the pictures….

Oh yeah!  I really appreciate feedback, but please no spam, no advertising, no inappropriate stuff.  And don’t forget my images are mine, copyright of Cory Skretting.  Also sorry, I do use facebook, but I would like to keep my blog and facebook separate for now.  I have a lot of friends on facebook, who would only “like” because they know me.  I am looking for honest feedback, and a new group of friends with a common passion for photography.  Once I get the hang of blogging, then perhaps I’ll invite people through facebook.  In the mean time, God Bless and thank you for taking a minute to read my ramblings and browse my work.

This summer I shot a wedding for beautiful fun couple…okay I probably call everyone beautiful.  But I truely do feel that the people I do photos for are beautiful people.  It’s myself in pictures that i don’t like much, I pick myself apart for my weight, my smile, my complexion, the list goes on and on.   Yet I have never done pictures for an ugly person.  I have actually turned down people because I felt they would be picky, complaining, and want everything for nothing.  Or because I knew them and knew of their back stabbing antics, lying, cheating….really ugly things, right?  Okay, before I say more I’d better make a point of saying I’ve  also turned down people because I was already booked somewhere else, or it simply didn’t work out.  I wouldn’t want everyone to feel that they were ugly in my eyes because I haven’t done their pictures, okay?!

 I believe beauty does come from within. Even if I had a gorgeous super model in front of me to shoot, if they were ugly on the inside,  my heart would not be in the work..  Yeah, I could shoot it and get paid (and probably would if the oppurtunity was there).  But really the beautiful portrait would be the wonderful spirit, the inner joy, the real smile the eyes that share love, peace, happiness or a lifetime story that grabs you and tears at your heart.  It wouldn’t matter if the teeth were crooked, or the complexion was acne scarred, or the hair was not perfect and the clothes were not runway.  Real beauty does come from within and it will come through in a photograph.  I had another idea for my blog today, somehow I got off track. Oooppps,  but maybe it needed to be said.  Anyways I’ll save my other blog for another day and end with the thought… real beauty in a photograph and  putting your heart in your photography.  Don’t just click, because….feel it!  If you work on feeling it, then your subject no matter how self conscience they may be, will feel it.  Warm up, get comfortable, open up and then the beauty will come out!  If they are comfortable and happy with the time they spend with you, they will enjoy the final image more as well!

Happy Shooting!

If you know my daughter then you already know that she likes to “have fun!” especially in front of a camera. She is not the slightest bit embarassed by being caught making silly faces, in fact she’s the first to say “did you catch that?” No she may never be a super model for the camera, but her personality and spirit is the kind I’d rather shoot any day!  So by request I did a photoshoot for her and made her an album.  Enjoy your children through each stage of life because they sure do grow up fast!