Hi all! 

Just winding down after week filled with project due dates at school - somehow every other week there ends up being a project due in literally every single class. It's madness. 

Anyway, we're nearing the end of the semester and things are gearing up towards exams - we have even been given our last assignment in Design class! Thank goodness. I'm excited that I will probably be done all my exams after the 11th of December. That's 3 days earlier than I thought I would be done. Yay! 

Now if you know me or have been following my tweets (@DanielleEPhoto) or Facebook page, you will know that, not only am I quite busy with school, I'm also working - A LOT. This is very exciting to me because I am working very hard on building my business and brand name into one that people trust to provide good service and great photos. 

Last weekend, I had loads of fun at the Brant Sports Complex in Paris, ON, photographing Western Ontario Section Sectionals. I love sectionals because it give me a little bit of insight on who to look out for in the future of skating. Not only that, it also gives me a chance to socialize with the skaters and parents during the breaks. I love to meet all you guys and get to know you and what you like to see in photos and what you don't like. I try and remember all these little things so that when I wind up photographing you, I don't end up with 50 photos of a spin even though you hate spin photos. It really makes a difference! 

This weekend, I am headed up to Keswick, ON, which is right on Lake Simcoe. This is a new experience for me - I have never photographed this competition before and I have also never been to Georgina Ice Palace. K.I.S. should be a fun couple of days - StarSkate competitions are a completely different ball game from competitive competitions. 

I'm back from Keswick and in residence late Sunday night and on Wednesday, I'm going to have my first visitor in Rez! I'm very excited because, as many of you know, I don't really know anyone on my floor and I get very tense when I spend a lot of time in Rez. On Friday, Laura and I are headed to Tillsonburg for a WOS competition that I have photographed many times in the past - John McKay. I am pretty sure that I've been to this arena before - I believe it is where I competed in my last competition in 2008. I believe I placed 6th of 12 - a fun little tidbit from when I competed (which was very rarely). 

After John McKay, I'm back in residence for my FINAL week of classes before exams! Yay! I'm happy that first semester will be finished, though sad that I probably wont have class with the group of girls that I've gotten close with this semester. 

On December 1st, I am heading over to Cambridge to photograph the Special Olympic competition that is happening. This will be the first competition that I will be able to photograph solely under my own name - I am very excited. I also love Special Olympic Competitions! I'm very proud of each and every skater that performs. 

In between all this I'll be catching up on the Grand Prix Series and cheering on Brittany & Ian and hopefully Kirsten & Dylan at the Junior and Senior Grand Prix Final! Also, keep an eye out for the results from Challenge - hopefully WOS does well enough to get a bunch of skaters to Nationals! 

This brings us to the week of exams and then Christmas break! Phew!

That's all for now folks - I just thought I'd update ya'll on what I've been up to in the past month as I wait for my dreaded english class to start!  

- Danielle xoxoxo

PS - If ANYONE knows a legitimate media source that needs a photographer for Nationals in Mississauga in January, please let me know, I am still looking for a a media source to write me a letter so I can apply for photo accreditation!