Hey all! I just wanted to quickly mention that my new Photography blog is up and running! It will be paired up with my new Photography website (coming VERY soon!), but I thought I would at least throw the link for the blog on here for the time being! I will still be posting here every now and then, I just needed something to throw on some business stuff, sorta like a "News" page....
here's the link to the new blog:
Michael Wachniak Blog-ographer
Rock on, World! Rock on!
M
Monday, November 19, 2007
Thursday, November 01, 2007
"Redneck Spacehelmet" Wins By A Landslide!!!
I cant believe I won!!!
I entered a pumpkin carving contest held by BluDomain last night, in hopes to win one of the 3 Prizes: a free website template for my photography portfolio. These guys' websites are amazing, but a little out of my price range for the moment.... so I JUMPED at the chance to win a free one....
they mentioned that they would announce the winners at midnight last night so I waited, and waited...and WAITED some more.... at 2am they said "winners will be posted at noon tomorrow"
...not impressed....
so I woke up today (11am White Rock time)....RAN to the computer...
....and....
....there was my photo.... I WON!! I was 1 of 3 winners out of over 500 entries!!!
My whole family pounced on me when I ran upstairs, and Grit is so proud that "she was the photographer for the winning photo" lol Thanks babe!!! :)
so stay tuned on http://www.michaelwachniak.com/ in the next few weeks for some REAL BIG changes :)
Friday, October 05, 2007
Best Friend Engaged!
Hey everyone, long time no talk! I was in Calgary last week picking up a car I bought from my best friend Ben, and while I was there I had the privelage of photographing him and his new fiance's engagement session. The day was perfect, the setting was perfect, and it was a real honor to be the one to capture this moment in time. If you told me 14 years ago when Ben and I became friends that I would be shooting this, I'd probably laugh at you and continue to read "How to Become A RockStar". We've both come a long way I suppose.
Photographing people as in love as these guys clearly are, its hard to remember that I am actually working. Aren't you supposed to hate your job? ;)
Congradulations, Ben and Katherine!
Photographing people as in love as these guys clearly are, its hard to remember that I am actually working. Aren't you supposed to hate your job? ;)
Congradulations, Ben and Katherine!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
My 15 Seconds of Fame - Part 1
During my time at home after getting off the ships in April, I have been in quite a few shows around the Vancouver area as a background extra. The gigs are pretty sweet, you dont do anything except sit outside in the sun and read or listen to music or chat with everyone, and then run to set - do your 1 hour of work (usually consisting of walking...thats it), and then go home. At the end of the day you are paid usually a hundred bucks or so, and if you are lucky you show up for a few seconds on the shot instead of being thrown to the cutting room floor. Either way though, like I said its really only tiny gigs that I am going for.... I might be able to point out the blur in the background as me , but usually I wont be able to prove it :)
In any case, they are now all finally surfacing on TV, this being the first one. This is a screenshot of a "Psych" episode...funny show...it usually airs Fridays. Its filmed down on the White Rock Pier and the location is supposed to be set in Santa Barbara, California. Go figure :).
Anyhoo... that stud-muffin in the back left wearing a pink shirt (yes pink shirt) is me. Like I said, I play a "blur" on television....at least you can recognize that hot ass as me :) You could tell the walk too if you saw the show.... Apparantly I think my shit dont stink :)
-M-
In any case, they are now all finally surfacing on TV, this being the first one. This is a screenshot of a "Psych" episode...funny show...it usually airs Fridays. Its filmed down on the White Rock Pier and the location is supposed to be set in Santa Barbara, California. Go figure :).
Anyhoo... that stud-muffin in the back left wearing a pink shirt (yes pink shirt) is me. Like I said, I play a "blur" on television....at least you can recognize that hot ass as me :) You could tell the walk too if you saw the show.... Apparantly I think my shit dont stink :)
-M-
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Tornados, Canada Day, building the deck, and Dinosaur Park
Happy belated Canada Day! =)
We made it here to Brooks safely! yay! The drive to Calgary was great, just a little rain but it was OK. We met dad at Peter's Drive-In and Grit had her first Peter's Milkshake....damn those are good!
When we finally got to Brooks, there was quite a large storm brewing, and by 11:00pm...everything started to go a little crazy... things started to shake, hail started coming down, winds started blowing, and I started to get a wee little scared....
The next morning Dad heard that the old house we used to live in and the houses surrounding were PUMMELLED by hail to the point of ripping siding off the houses, breaking windows, pulling trees out of the ground, and scaring the hell of a lot of people! There are reports of milions of dollars of damage to the area (as per CTV news) but the biggest thing is how long it is going to take to get contractors to fix everything... yikes!
Moving on...
Canada Day morning, I couldn't make it to Elbow Falls like I have been for the past 4 years (save for last year, being on ships) because I was in Brooks... so I thought I would go out to Dinosaur Park with Grit... she was blown away! She didnt want to leave lol! I got some good pics too! (I have posted some pics below, but most are from Grits camera because my dad's PC cant post RAW files).
I have also been helping my dad build his deck, and we have been having a blast doing it! I dont think it will be done before I leave, but we have done a LOT, and it was so much fun!
Ok, enough for the random post, I'll get the pics up now and hopefully I will think of something cool to write soon!
love ya!
-M-
This is one of the houses damaged from the severe thunderstorm in Brooks, AB July 29th 2007
This is our old house, and one of our trees lying in the middle of the road.
Dinosaur Park on Canada Day!
This is an amazing photo Grit took just as we were leaving Dinosaur Park. You go girl!
Grit relaxing and soaking up the view at Dinosaur Park.
Dad and I....building the deck ;)
The deck is coming along!!
We made it here to Brooks safely! yay! The drive to Calgary was great, just a little rain but it was OK. We met dad at Peter's Drive-In and Grit had her first Peter's Milkshake....damn those are good!
When we finally got to Brooks, there was quite a large storm brewing, and by 11:00pm...everything started to go a little crazy... things started to shake, hail started coming down, winds started blowing, and I started to get a wee little scared....
The next morning Dad heard that the old house we used to live in and the houses surrounding were PUMMELLED by hail to the point of ripping siding off the houses, breaking windows, pulling trees out of the ground, and scaring the hell of a lot of people! There are reports of milions of dollars of damage to the area (as per CTV news) but the biggest thing is how long it is going to take to get contractors to fix everything... yikes!
Moving on...
Canada Day morning, I couldn't make it to Elbow Falls like I have been for the past 4 years (save for last year, being on ships) because I was in Brooks... so I thought I would go out to Dinosaur Park with Grit... she was blown away! She didnt want to leave lol! I got some good pics too! (I have posted some pics below, but most are from Grits camera because my dad's PC cant post RAW files).
I have also been helping my dad build his deck, and we have been having a blast doing it! I dont think it will be done before I leave, but we have done a LOT, and it was so much fun!
Ok, enough for the random post, I'll get the pics up now and hopefully I will think of something cool to write soon!
love ya!
-M-
This is one of the houses damaged from the severe thunderstorm in Brooks, AB July 29th 2007
This is our old house, and one of our trees lying in the middle of the road.
Dinosaur Park on Canada Day!
This is an amazing photo Grit took just as we were leaving Dinosaur Park. You go girl!
Grit relaxing and soaking up the view at Dinosaur Park.
Dad and I....building the deck ;)
The deck is coming along!!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
YeeHaaw!! Calgary-bound!
Well, its almost time to pack for Calgary! Grit's doing her suitcase now, and I will raid the closet shortly after her... we are leaving tomorrow morning at 5am for CowTown!
We were checking prices of flights a week or so ago, and to our demise we were looking at a gruelling $220 bucks each!!! ONE WAY!!!! HELLLL NO!!! So, we sat and thought, and thought and sat, and sat and thought some more.... days went by, and still nothing......Then we thought of something: what if we could catch a ride with someone, even a perfect stranger, and just pay for gas (and pray there were no assrapings that followed!).... but how could we find somone like that? Then it struck us like a ton of bricks....
.....and on the fifth day, God created Craigslist. And it was good.
After only a few hours of posting our ad, we had a lead! and then another! and another!
Hopefully we weeded out all the serial killers... because we leave tomorrow in an unknown Dodge Caravan, with an unknown couple... :)
its not that we couldnt afford the flights, we just cant justify spending all that money when we could get there cheaper AND with a slightly better adventure in the meantime!
Now Grit can see the mountains, and hell, maybe there will be enough adventures this vacation to light a spark under my ass to write some more on my blog LOL
We are getting picked up by my dad tomorrow night in calgary, and heading straight to brooks until the 6th, and then we are coming up to calgary for the stampede July 6th - July 13th, and then heading to my 10 year high school reunion.... UGH!
The stampede is gonna rock, and I am glad that I have a few photo gigs to do while I am in Calgary!
I will keep everyone posted, and I hope to see or hear from some of you guys while I am there!
talk soon!
YEE HAAAW!!!
-M-
We were checking prices of flights a week or so ago, and to our demise we were looking at a gruelling $220 bucks each!!! ONE WAY!!!! HELLLL NO!!! So, we sat and thought, and thought and sat, and sat and thought some more.... days went by, and still nothing......Then we thought of something: what if we could catch a ride with someone, even a perfect stranger, and just pay for gas (and pray there were no assrapings that followed!).... but how could we find somone like that? Then it struck us like a ton of bricks....
.....and on the fifth day, God created Craigslist. And it was good.
After only a few hours of posting our ad, we had a lead! and then another! and another!
Hopefully we weeded out all the serial killers... because we leave tomorrow in an unknown Dodge Caravan, with an unknown couple... :)
its not that we couldnt afford the flights, we just cant justify spending all that money when we could get there cheaper AND with a slightly better adventure in the meantime!
Now Grit can see the mountains, and hell, maybe there will be enough adventures this vacation to light a spark under my ass to write some more on my blog LOL
We are getting picked up by my dad tomorrow night in calgary, and heading straight to brooks until the 6th, and then we are coming up to calgary for the stampede July 6th - July 13th, and then heading to my 10 year high school reunion.... UGH!
The stampede is gonna rock, and I am glad that I have a few photo gigs to do while I am in Calgary!
I will keep everyone posted, and I hope to see or hear from some of you guys while I am there!
talk soon!
YEE HAAAW!!!
-M-
Friday, June 01, 2007
Shhhh, its a secret...
Hey all! How goes the battle?
I've been working on the 'photo-business' over the past while... finding clients for weddings, portraits, pet photography..etc. and I have also been assisting this amazing photographer in Vancouver. I have become great friends with him (please dont insert Brokeback Mountain theme here...'why cant i quit you?!!!! ' lol) he has taught me a great deal and has actually sent a few jobs my way so that is great. I have also been doing some movie work (background extras) just to kill time... I have been on an episode of "Psych", "PainkillerJane" and "Kyle XY" since I have been back home... I was called out today for "Stargate: Atlantis" but sadly...didnt have the car lol... oh well.
I have also been reading "The Secret" ....for those of you who don't know what this book/film/phenomenon is, I'll explain: You (yes you) actually create your life. If you want a million bucks, you feel it, and you get a million bucks. If you want love, you imagine it, and you get Love.
Essentially: You think...therefore you are.
what a powerful book... almost too powerful actually, it has scared me on more than a few occasions now.
Just to prove a point, I am going to write down something here today and you will see how quickly it materializes into my life... the last few tests have been almost 'twilight zone' scarey....
I have been kinda scattered lately as to what I want my focus in Photography to be on... then I thought that since I love everything, why dont I become a photojournalist... without the schooling haha. So I emailed some friends who are photojournalists (one was a photographer for the Olympics in Athens, and the other works for The Canadian Press) and asked them for advice. I also looked up some stock agencies for Press photos...and even passed the test on Getty Images' site. Now all I have to do is upload some samples, but you only get one shot so I wanna do some new ones and then send some... I want the photos to be FRESH.
So....for my little 'Secret' test... I have told the Universe that I AM a Famous Photojournalist, and I LOVE my life and my job and my family, and I have an abundance of everything I could ever possibly want and need.
So let it be.
Thank you, Universe ;)
-M-
I've been working on the 'photo-business' over the past while... finding clients for weddings, portraits, pet photography..etc. and I have also been assisting this amazing photographer in Vancouver. I have become great friends with him (please dont insert Brokeback Mountain theme here...'why cant i quit you?!!!! ' lol) he has taught me a great deal and has actually sent a few jobs my way so that is great. I have also been doing some movie work (background extras) just to kill time... I have been on an episode of "Psych", "PainkillerJane" and "Kyle XY" since I have been back home... I was called out today for "Stargate: Atlantis" but sadly...didnt have the car lol... oh well.
I have also been reading "The Secret" ....for those of you who don't know what this book/film/phenomenon is, I'll explain: You (yes you) actually create your life. If you want a million bucks, you feel it, and you get a million bucks. If you want love, you imagine it, and you get Love.
Essentially: You think...therefore you are.
what a powerful book... almost too powerful actually, it has scared me on more than a few occasions now.
Just to prove a point, I am going to write down something here today and you will see how quickly it materializes into my life... the last few tests have been almost 'twilight zone' scarey....
I have been kinda scattered lately as to what I want my focus in Photography to be on... then I thought that since I love everything, why dont I become a photojournalist... without the schooling haha. So I emailed some friends who are photojournalists (one was a photographer for the Olympics in Athens, and the other works for The Canadian Press) and asked them for advice. I also looked up some stock agencies for Press photos...and even passed the test on Getty Images' site. Now all I have to do is upload some samples, but you only get one shot so I wanna do some new ones and then send some... I want the photos to be FRESH.
So....for my little 'Secret' test... I have told the Universe that I AM a Famous Photojournalist, and I LOVE my life and my job and my family, and I have an abundance of everything I could ever possibly want and need.
So let it be.
Thank you, Universe ;)
-M-
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