Alexei Anikine Photography Blog

Note to self: If posing a couple with guns, make sure guns are not loaded

2010-07-29T10:03:00.002-04:00

Sicilian wedding photographer accidentally shot, killed by couple after he had them pose with guns

By Corky Siemaszko
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Maybe he should have just told the happy couple to say, "Cheese?"

A wedding photographer in Sicily was accidentally killed when he asked the prospective bride and groom to pose for a picture using hunting rifles as props - and one of them went off.

Read full story here

Karen and Jean-Michel engaged!

2010-07-24T20:55:00.028-04:00

I met up with Karen and Jean-Michel in Val-David, where they chose to live away from the city. Looking at the scenery, its easy to see why. The town is quiet, gorgeous, everything is within a short walk. The best part was that Karen and Jean-Michel are probably the most fun I had shooting so far. There's something, some intangible quality that I can't put into words. When I was with them taking their photos, right off the bat we got along really well. Turns out after the shoot over lunch we both have a lot similarities, which really explains the chemistry. Enjoy these photos!

Alexandra and Mark Engaged!

2010-06-27T01:07:00.022-04:00

I gotta hand it to Alexandra and Mark: they are a lot of fun to be around!! We met up one afternoon that was supposed to be rainy, but as you can see that went better than expected. Everyone's mood was better, and we definitely had a blast. Alexandra and Mark have their own personal brand of humour, a combination of their personalities and a wonderful relationship. I had to stop myself from laughing several times just to be able to take pictures :) I hope you get the same amazing sense of energy from these photos!

The worst camera is the one you don't have with you

2010-04-25T23:47:00.005-04:00

Today I had to alter my morning routine slightly because last night I found one of my tires went flat and would not take any more air. So today I took the bus to church in the morning, got to the bus stop, looked up and was amazed at what I saw. I haven't walked along this street in years, never needed to really, not with being able to drive. This being a fairly long walk, I decided not take my normal DSLR with me and travel light. This was taken with a Google Nexus One phone, tweaked for more colour saturation (with the resulting sky artifacts), around 8am on the corner of Cote Des Neiges and Dr. Penfield, facing south.

If I had no camera on me at all, this would have been only a fading memory. :)

Rose and Michael Married!

2010-03-13T22:35:00.000-05:00

I had the privilege to meet Rose and Michael today to photograph their wedding. It was the first time I shot a civic ceremony, and boy was it fun! Rose has a very expressive personality, all smiles. Michael was not very far behind :) They are a wonderful couple, fun to be around and even more fun to take pictures of. Congratulations again!

Here are some of the shots from this wonderful occasion:

Announcing our Bride and Groom photo contest winner!

2010-03-12T19:00:00.002-05:00

Good evening!

We want to congratulate Percilia for winning our photo contest. We had 25 entries at the Bride and Groom 2010 wedding show, and tonight at 7pm we chose one at random.

The prize for winning this contest is a rebate of $1000 of any of our wedding packages.

Thank you all for coming to the show and participating in our contest!

Alexei

Bride and Groom 2010 Wedding Show!

2010-03-09T22:16:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday, March 7, we took part in a wedding show put on by Bride and Groom Canada. The concept was a little bit different than Marions Nous: couples come through the main doors, have a cocktail, a light snack, look at the magazine on a comfy couch and then take a tour of two large ballrooms.

This was a cozy event, no need to rush through hundreds of vendors. It was a pleasure to be able to spend time chatting with couples in a relaxed environment. We wanted to thank all the couples that stopped by!

The most fun by far was our photo contest: the idea was for a couple to look cute while we try to take a picture. With their permission we may post a few of these in the next few days.

Here's what our booth looked like:

Fatherland - InfiniTheatre

2010-03-09T18:40:00.002-05:00

Just finished with the photos for this media call:

Sunday morning in Westmount. Fifteen-year-old Eric Brook is writing a history essay about Uday and Qusay, the sons of Saddam Hussein. His father Joe, a successful accountant, is about to take Eric′s reformed drug-addict uncle Victor to see their elderly father at the seniors′ residence. It′s a quiet, uneventful day... which turns suddenly menacing when Victor reveals that he owes money to a local mobster – money he doesn′t have – and the mobster is on his way over to collect. The irresistible force of Victor′s desperation confronts the immoveable object of Joe′s outrage as young Eric, excluded from the conflict by his father, finds himself drawn to the bright flame of his uncle′s recklessness. In the boy′s imagination his uncle and father become Uday and Qusay Hussein in the fateful aftermath of the American invasion: two men trapped in a sumptuous house as a mortal enemy approaches. Alternating between the Brook home and the Iraqi villa in which the Hussein brothers have taken refuge, Father Land advances toward twin resolutions: one decreed by history, both by loyalty shot through with spite. It is a story of the debt owed by sons to fathers, by fathers to sons, by blood to blood.

March 9th to 28th, 2010 at the Bain St Michel 5300 St Dominique
Press

Previews March 9, 10
Opening March 11
Tues. through Sat. 20:00
Sunday MatinÈe 14:00
Monday DARK
General Admission $20
Seniors & Students $15
Groups (6 or more) $10

Written by Arthur Holden
Born in Montréal, Arthur Holden has made his living as an actor and screenwriter in this city for two decades. Onscreen, he has appeared in various film and TV productions including The Aviator, René Lévesque, and the upcoming Québec 1759. Screenwriting credits include the English remake of the hit Québec series Rumeurs and a made-for-TV movie, Out of Control, due for release in early 2009. Father Land is his first stage play.

Directed by Guy Sprung

The Daily Miracle @ InfiniTheatre

2010-02-01T16:55:00.003-05:00

This one of the most fun media calls I've shot. The actors are enjoying themselves and putting on a great performance. Go see this if you have a chance!

The following is from InfiniTheatre's website:

The Daily Miracle

STARRING

JEAN GUY BOUCHARD, ELLEN DAVID, ARTHUR HOLDEN, SHEENA GAZE-DESLANDES, HOWARD ROSENSTEIN

Marty's back to work after suffering a nervous breakdown; Elizabeth's daughter is sick at home with a babysitter; Carrie uses all her charms to impress as she dreams of a job in television while Benjamin is just trying to get the paper out, all overseen by the ghosts of an industry that used to be. It's another night on the news desk, where a few battle-scarred, overworked copy editors wrestle with fractured syntax and crushed ideals to get the next edition out. Tempers frayed from layoffs, cutbacks and corroded ambitions; it's a miracle they can get the paper out at all. A miracle that happens every day.

Read press release

January 26th to February 14th, 2010 at the Bain St Michel 5300 St Dominique

Previews January 26, 27
Opening January 28
Tues. through Sat. 20:00
Sunday Matinee 14:00
Monday DARK
General Admission $20
Seniors & Students $15
Groups (6 or more) $10

Written by David Sherman

David Sherman is a journalist, screenwriter and playwright, former playwright in residence at the Centaur Theatre. He has worked at The Montreal Star and The Gazette as a copy boy, music critic, feature writer, reporter and lastly, as a copy editor. He began writing the Daily Miracle a few years ago while he was working as an editor on the news desk at The Gazette. The play The Daily Miracle is a work of fiction, as are the characters, but the true strains and stress of working the desk in today's deteriorating newspaper industry are stranger than fiction.

Directed by Guy Sprung

Contest Winners announced!!!

2010-01-15T17:06:00.002-05:00

We've just completed our draw for the "Under the umbrella" contest that we held at the wedding show this past weekend!

Congratulations to Felecia for winning the Saturday draw, and to Genevieve for winning the Sunday draw!

Marions Nous Jan 2010!

2010-01-13T19:27:00.001-05:00

This was my first year going to the wedding show "Marions Nous" or "Lets Get Married", this past weekend. It was a blur, lots of great people coming by to check out our work. The one thing I wasn't really counting on, or one could say forgot being so busy setting everything up, was seeing people that I know that are now all of a sudden engaged. My former schoolmates, former colleagues, former photography clients for other events; I was pleasantly surprised to see them all and find out how they are doing.

The most fun I had by far was running the "Under the Umbrella" contest. A couple poses under the unbrella, I take their photo, send it to them by email, and they're entered into a contest to win a substantial prize for their wedding package. Some couples jumped, some kissed, some looked exceedingly cute; all in all, it was fun for everyone!

Baby Shoot!

2009-12-17T18:40:00.005-05:00

Boy was this a lot of fun!!! Met up with my friends David and Fanny to get some shots of their kids, Ethan and Joy; gotta say, the way Ethan and David laughed together is totally infectious. Of course, the priceless pic at the end of Joy trying to see if a chocolate phone is actually made of chocolate :) Enjoy!

Facebook status to "married" at the altar!

2009-12-02T03:17:00.000-05:00

I thought this was the funniest thing ever! What do you think?

Monica Shore Quartet @ Diese Onze, 4115 St-Denis

2009-11-12T22:52:00.001-05:00

Last night I decided to check out this jazz performance, and boy, everyone that came was in for a treat. It was hard not enjoy this sublime performance even though I was trying to take pictures :)

Monica Shore, voice
Chad Linsley, piano
Tim Nolan, bass
Hans Verhoeven, drums

Rabbit Rabbit @ Bain St-Michel, 5300 St-Dominque

2009-11-10T19:20:00.001-05:00

I shot this media call for InfiniTheatre without knowing exactly what this play would be about. From the scene that was photographed, this is a quite intense play, dealing with human vices that rarely see the open light of day.

Rabbit Rabbit
written by: Amy Lee Lavoie
directed by : Guy Sprung
starring: Ashley Dunn
Howard Rosenstein

Description:
Larry is a pedophilic birthday clown who's just paid for an hour with Britney, a sixteen-year-old prostitute. The dingy little hotel becomes a confessional where life secrets are shared and the spectre of loneliness is denied, even if only for a little while

Bent @ Espace 4001 on Berri

2009-11-05T17:05:00.002-05:00

(description from Altervitae website)
by Martin Sherman

A story of acceptance, tolerance and love
in the wrong time and the wrong place.

Martin Sherman's worldwide hit play took London by storm in 1979 when it was first performed by the Royal Court Theatre, with Ian McKellan. The play itself caused an uproar. "It educated the world," Sherman explains. "People knew about how the Third Reich treated Jews, and, to some extent, gypsies and political prisoners but very little had come out about their treatment of homosexuals." Gays were arrested and interned at work camps prior to the genocide of Jews gypsies and handicapped, and continued to be imprisoned even after the fall of the Third Reich and liberation of the camps. The play highlights a largely ignored German law, Paragraph 175, making homosexuality a criminal offense, which Hitler reactivated and strengthened during his rise to power. Altera Vitae Productions' version also focus on the unconditional understanding and acceptance of self and others.

Directed by Carolyn Fe
Featuring: Vance De Waele, Christopher Moore, Adam Leblanc, Yves Jacquier, Serge Turcotte and Mark Waters.
Stage Manager: Anne-Marie Pierre
Sound Design: Dan Legault
Light Design: Scott Drysdale
Fight Choreography: Oliver Koomsatira

CONTACT
Phone: 514-823-8823
Email: www.alteravitae.com/email

"The Follow-Up" by Montreal Improv

2009-11-04T23:56:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine, Vinny runs Montreal Improv. This is from the show I just attended:

Description was copied from Montreal Improv Website

The Follow-Up

Wed. Nov 4 @ 9pm
@ Le Cagibi (5490 St. Laurent)
5$

Montreal Improv presents "The Follow-Up", a show that puts as much emphasis on the comedy as it does the trivia. A simple trivia question is followed-up with a related but near-impossible question. The guest panelists are rewarded as much for their phony answers as much as their real ones. It's a friendly challenge of quips and arcane knowledge. Laughter and brains, together at last!

The Follow-Up is at Le Cagibi (5490 St Laurent) on the first Wednesday of each month. Host FRANCOIS VINCENT reads the questions to MARC ROWLAND and the three other guest panelists. Each month features a different eclectic mix of Montreal performers and personalities.

THIS MONTH'S GUESTS:

SEAN MICHAELS is a writer (Said the Gramophone, one of Time Magazine 2009's 25 top blogs)

AMY LUFT is a journalist (CTV Montreal, The Gazette & AP, host of Trivia Night Sundays at Grumpy's)

LEA RONDOT is an actor (Dirty Little Spoons - sketch, The Real Inspector Hound - theatre)

_________________________________________________________________

Without further ado, here's the organizer, Vinny Francois:

I would call this next one "caught off guard by the question aka deer in the headlights" look :)

The next few are the laughs that were had by all:

And for the final question of the night, all four guests concentrating on being the very first to answer:

Gerald Tremblay elected mayor of Montreal for the 3rd term

2009-11-02T02:16:00.019-05:00

Here are some photos from the victory celebration that happened this Sunday night. Gerald Tremblay was elected for the 3rd consecutive term as Mayor of Montreal. Here are a few photos; some of the constituents were overjoyed :)

if you would like to use these images (or other images) for your publication, or would like to commission your own photos, please contact me

Roméo Dallaire presentation

2009-10-29T19:32:00.001-04:00

Roméo Dallaire, Canadian senator, force commander of United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda, author of "Shake Hands with the Devil" giving a presentation at Marianopolis College.

"Be My Baby" @ Theatre Monument National

2009-10-28T16:16:00.002-04:00

I was shooting the media call for this play today. The only thing I can say is that if I didn't have to take pictures, I would have been laughing the whole time :)

Excerpt from www.persephoneproductions.com:

"Be My Baby
by Amanda Whittington, October 29-November 14, 2009 at Studio Hydro Quebec at the Monument National (St. Laurent near the corner of René Lévesque)

Set in a Church of England mother-baby home in 1964 in a small town in the North of England Be My Baby follows the fortunes of Mary Adams and three other young teenage girls who have been sent to the home to have their babies and who are subsequently forced to give them up for adoption.
The girls in the home find comfort in each other's friendship, clinging to their youthful fantasies of love and marriage, but ultimately they must face their individual tragedies alone.

Using the background music of a variety of 60's pop girls groups, the music and singing perfectly capture the passionate innocence of the play's characters, giving a bitter sweet sound track to this deeply touching story. "

Nature and Steel

2009-10-26T16:18:00.003-04:00

Walking around Old Montreal, spotted this lonely leaf trying to hold on, not to be blown away by the cold october wind.

Nimah and Ryan Married!

2009-09-20T14:59:00.002-04:00

This was the first Caribbean wedding that I had the privilege to shoot, and the one thing I can take away is that everyone wears their heart on their sleeve and dancing the night away is a valued tradition. Nimah and Ryan were a blast, serious in their commitment to each other and fantastic to shoot as they were being their usual fun selves. Enjoy these photos!

Cary and Ben Married!

2009-08-29T23:16:00.038-04:00

This was such a fun day, Ben and Cary could not stop smiling; it was contagious to all! As I was going through the photos, I had a permanent grin on my face; I don't think I've had more fun (yet!!!) shooting a wedding. Here are some of the highlights from this very special day.

Cary and Ben Part 2

2009-07-24T15:47:00.004-04:00

And here is part 2 of the engagement shoot:

One Montreal evening...

2009-07-16T21:32:00.004-04:00

One summer evening in downtown Montreal I saw a string of people spanning 3-4 blocks, between Peel and de Musee. I got a closer look, and it turned out to be a demonstration against official Iran election results.

Catching up from last year

2009-07-16T13:41:00.006-04:00

Last year I was invited to shoot a Hindu wedding, of Rajeevan and Tharmini, both very bubbly and joyous individuals. I would like to share with you a few of the shots from that ceremony.

Cary and Ben's Engagement Part 1

2009-07-11T22:55:00.010-04:00

This was definitely a fun shoot, Cary and Ben are an energetic couple, with an overflow of emotion. I've thought about posting all the shots in one entry, but decided to break it up into two parts: Part 1 is more serious, Part 2 will be more zany and silly. It was tough for me to keep a straight face during the shoot, more so while going through the photos. I hope you'll share that opinion when Part 2 is posted.

Summer Bliss...

2009-07-09T13:57:00.003-04:00

Hot summer day, around 1 in the afternoon

Lyne & Josh wedding pics

2009-07-07T02:24:00.005-04:00

This past saturday, July 4, my good friend Lyne got married to a wonderful gentleman, Josh. Here are a few shots from this wedding:

Just a tidbit for now...

2009-07-06T12:31:00.005-04:00

There are many more images coming from a bunch of things that happened this weekend. Just wanted to share with you these two, from Place Émilie-Gamelin, aka Berri Square:

Chad Linsley Quintet at JazzFest 2009

2009-07-02T16:18:00.004-04:00

To inaugurate this blog, here's are some shots from a Jazz Festival show yesterday. This has been performed by a good friend of mine Chad Linsley, and his quintet: