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We’re opening a new studio!
by Vince Hempsall, Feb 08, 2010
February 3, 2010 – Two of the most talented photographers in Nelson, BC, have combined forces and are celebrating the grand opening of their new studio on Friday, February 12 beginning at 6:00 p.m.
Heather Goldsworthy of Imageobscura and Melissa Welsh of Melissa Welsh Photography and Wonow Media Ltd, are inviting everyone to their location at 560 Baker St, Unit 3, where there will be wine and appetizers served. The two are also offering free studio sessions that night, capturing Facebook profile pictures for guests. (Fun backdrops and costumes will be on hand in case people want to get funky with their images.)
“Heather and I studied photography together 10 years ago and besides being great friends we have offered each other a lot of support in our businesses over the years,” Melissa says. “When the chance came up to share a studio space, I jumped at the opportunity.”
The 600-square-foot studio, which will be available for rent by other photographers and artists, features soft, natural lighting via a central skylight, as well as strobe lighting, stands, tripods, reflectors and tabletop working area. The space also has a comfortable, open seating area that allows for client meetings, critiquing events and brainstorming sessions.
“We believe in building an involved, creative community, not fostering competition between artists, so our door is always open,” says Heather. “Drop by for a brainstorming session, flip through photography magazines and design books or just poke your head in to say hi.”
Melissa Welsh is a multi-disciplined photographer who specializes in photographing people. Her work can be found in private collections around the world as well as in regional, national and international publications. She has shifted focus for 2010 and is committed to shake things up in the family portrait genre.
Specializing in commercial and food photography, Heather Goldsworthy provides a wide range of location and studio photography services including product photography for websites and packaging. In particular she is excited to offer her newest service – “Hot Shots.” Designed for business owners, Hot Shots allows you to have your product photographed on a clean white backdrop and a resultant image file within two hours. It’s the ideal service for websites, online merchandising and cataloguing. Imageobscura is the only company in the Kootenays to offer this type of service to local business owners.
Heather and Melissa look forward to seeing everyone at their studio’s grand opening at 560 Baker St., Unit 3, on February 12 after 6:00 p.m.
For more information contact Melissa Welsh at 250-505-5705 (e-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) or Heather Goldsworthy at Imageobscura, 250-551-6543 (e-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)).
5 STEPS TO A PERFECT PRESS RELEASE
by Vince Hempsall, Nov 30, 2009
For Immediate Release – In response to recent questions about how to write effective press releases, the staff at Wonow Media Ltd. in Nelson, BC, have decided to divulge five important secrets that will help any business produce material guaranteed to be read by publication editors.
“The word has gotten out that we write excellent press releases and so people have been asking what our secret is,” says Vince Hempsall, co-owner of Wonow Media. “My immediate response was, ‘Would you ask a surgeon how to perform a tonsillectomy at home?’ But then I realized that, as a magazine editor for the past 16 years, I know what my colleagues are looking for and it’s time to share some secrets.”
Wonow Media has created the “5 Steps to a Perfect Press Release” guide and it includes the following:
STEP #1: Making Contact. Collect the contact information of as many media people as possible and then send your press release to all of them. Even if you’re a small business in the arctic circle, don’t assume The Globe and Mail won’t be interested in your news because most editors are always looking for good stories outside of main city centers. Of course, there are thousands of publications in North America so you’ll want to get started now collecting their contact details…or hire Wonow Media because the company already has them all.
STEP #2: Lose the ego. Editors are not interested in helping you sell more product or lasso you more customers. They want stories that will be interesting to their readers. Which means your press release needs to present an objective view of your company’s exciting news. Stick to standard reporter prose and avoid “I” and “We” except in quotes.
STEP #3: Just the facts. As with all news articles, the lead (ie: first) paragraph of your press release should stick to the facts. Save the hype and the “sell, sell, sell” for your ads and provide the information that will not only catch an editor’s eye but will also sum up the entire point of the press release in 50 words or less.
STEP #4: Short and sweet. The perfect press release is one page. You could waste time writing more but take it from a busy editor, we won’t read anything beyond one page.
Step #5: Making Contact Part II. The last paragraph of a press release should always include the phrase: “For more information contact…” and list your phone number and e-mail address. Following that paragraph, there should appear four characters that will ensure an editor will take the press release seriously. Want to know what those characters are? Hire Wonow Media and find out.
For more information, contact Vince Hempsall at Wonow Media Ltd., 250-352-0921, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
New Indoor Rock Climbing Initiative in Nelson, BC
by Vince Hempsall, Oct 22, 2009
There’s a new indoor bouldering initiative in Nelson, BC that will be located in the Factory on Vernon St.
Check out “Kootenay Rock Climbing Cooperative” on Facebook.
It’s not the recession…
by Melissa Welsh, Oct 21, 2009
Here’s an article by Lisa Barone I thought was interesting:
http://outspokenmedia.com/online-marketing/you-just-suck/
Wonow’s Double Exposure in Climbing
by Vince Hempsall, Oct 06, 2009
Just picked up the Oct. 09 Climbing magazine and noticed Wonow received double exposure: Mel and I wrote and photographed a story for them about our deep-water soloing trip in the middle east country of Oman which appears on page 76. And on page 78 in the “Reviews” section the editors mention our new West Kootenay Rock Guide book. Nice! Below is a proof of the Oman article that appears in the issue.
Mileage_Oman_279.pdf
ANATOMY OF AN EPIC
by Vince Hempsall, Sep 24, 2009
It seems only fitting that the day I celebrated my 37th year on earth was also the day I learned some of life’s most valuable lessons about surviving on said earth. For example: pay attention to the sky.
We were 750 feet up a rock climbing route called “Lusting After Women” on Mt Gimli in British Columbia’s Valhalla Mountain Range and we were gawking at the beautiful sunset – not because we cared one iota about the stunning colours but because we still had 300 feet to the summit. “What the hell time is it?!” I said to my climbing partner. We had no idea but it was obvious what was supposed to be a six-hour romp up an easy route had quickly gone sideways thanks to cold hands, dodgy route finding and challenging rope management. We had left behind watches and ignored the sun’s position all day. Now we were faced with climbing the rest of this mountain in the dark. And we had only one headlamp between us.
Which brings me to the second valuable lesson about survival: be prepared. As cliché as this boy scout axiom is, it’s true. Whether you’re driving over the Salmo-Creston pass or climbing in remote wilderness areas, bring a source of light. No, not a Bic. (Although that comes in handy too.) You want a real source of luminescence like a flashlight or headlamp and fresh batteries. Petzl has a tiny, yet powerful, emergency headlamp that retails for about $30 and will easily fit into your first aid kit so you’ll never forget one again. (You did bring your first aid kit right?) Check out a review of the Petzl e+Lite at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rVnXDXKMqU
A few other items that you want to carry with you at all times when rock climbing in the Valhalla Mtn range are: gloves, a warm, waterproof jacket, a toque, sunscreen, and an emergency foil blanket. Oh yeah, and carry lots of water. No matter how heavy you think two litres of water is, hump it up the cliff with you. That day on Gimli, we ran out of water on the summit and faced a grueling 4-hour descent back to the car feeling lightheaded from dehydration. We were so punch drunk by the end of the descent we were literally bouncing off trees before falling face-first into the stream near the car-park.
Read More..
Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle by Chris Hedges
by Vince Hempsall, Sep 20, 2009
Are all Pulitzer Prize winners depressing? Not to say this well-researched book doesn’t reveal certain truths, but is North America really a total black hole of debauched revelry? I’m only 3 chapters in but already I’ve read about arenas of wrestling fans shouting, “Slut! Slut! Slut!” and an anatomy teacher who lives with 7 sex dolls…and treats them like real women. Have we completely given up a world of literacy and nuance for one of reality TV and trivial gossip? Stay tuned.
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
by Vince Hempsall, Sep 16, 2009
In my opinion, no other comic strip cartoonist has ever come close to touching the genius of Bill Watterson. I remember getting hooked on C&H as a newspaper delivery boy in Quebec in the ‘80s and I practically cried when Watterson walked away from the strip in 1995 after years of fighting against his syndicate for marketing rights. Frankly, I’m glad there aren’t any Hobbes dolls and Calvin beer bottle openers in the world. Just give me my three-volume, leather-bound set of brilliance.
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