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brink.

Published May 7, 2010 LIFE Leave a Comment

Yesterday I finished up an edit of a session I was so proud of. I had a huge conversation via email with a bride-to-be who is days away from her wedding that I can’t wait to photograph. I met with a couple who plan on getting married under a huge tent and they booked us for their wedding later this summer. I looked at my calendar for the month of May and it looks quite full, with lots of neon streaks of highlighter everywhere, and it makes me excited and happy and nervous all at the same time and like I’m standing here on the brink of something really good; something that I’ve been waiting for. It hasn’t always been easy and there have been many weeks and months that have come and gone where I’ve wondered how this was all going to turn out. But now I feel like I’ve actually gotten somewhere, that I’ve made it to where I only hoped to be during those long weeks and months that went before. It feels like I’m standing on the brink of a dream that I think and hope might only get bigger and better.

It’s all been worth it.

I’ve shot one wedding so far this year but I feel like my actual season of weddings kicks off next weekend. I’ve got more brides and grooms than I could have ever imagined who’s weddings I’ll be sharing on here between now and November and I simply cannot wait to get started.

Watch this space.

melinda + matt engaged.

Published May 5, 2010 ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY 6 Comments

Forecast for Sunday called for almost guaranteed afternoon thundershowers in Toronto. We rolled into the parking lot a little bit early and had a scout around this location we’d never used before under sunny skies. We were all like, yeah, thundershowers? I don’t think so. Let’s put this umbrella back in the car. And then, of course, as we were heading to our meet up point to find Melinda and Matt, big dark clouds rolled in and we couldn’t help but smile. Never doubt the weatherman.

But the rain did hold off long enough for us to have an awesome time walking around with Melinda and Matt taking their photos and chatting about weddings, life, and everything in between. We even treated ourselves to ice cream at the end of the shoot, so things couldn’t have been too bad weather-wise (although I’m pretty sure that even if it had been snowing Matt might still have dragged us over to the ice cream truck!) I don’t know if any of you who follow my work will find Matt’s face a little bit familiar, but if you do – I had the pleasure of photographing his sister Jen’s wedding last fall (which is where I first met Matt and Melinda). Let me say it’s awesome to be hired by people who have been a part of a wedding I’ve photographed before. These guys are going to be married on what I’ve found to be the single most requested and sought after wedding date of 2010, and we couldn’t be happier that it will be their day that we’ll be documenting. Wouldn’t have wanted anyone else :)

Melinda, Matt, we had an awesome time with you taking your photos and getting to know you guys better. I’m kind of sad to report that Dave’s ankle never did swell up like we all thought it would – not sad for Dave, but sad because that might have made a pretty funny story :) Hope you love the photos! Here are a few of our favourite shots:

feast.

Published May 4, 2010 LIFE Leave a Comment

It’s easy to take the plates into the living room and set them down on the coffee table in front of the television. The little half table we call a dining table that we have pushed up under the window of our minuscule kitchen makes it even easier. It’s easy to fall into a routine. It’s easy not to be able to see any other ways, to just go about every day in the same way. It’s also easy to decide to make a change.

Dave and I used to always eat dinner at the table together, I mean always. And writing this makes me think of the old Seinfeld episode where Kramer tells Jerry that when you’re married you eat dinner together at the table and ask each other “and how was your day? What did you do today? I don’t know, what did you do today?” but I swear it was never like that. Over the past few months we’ve fallen into the routine of eating in front of the TV, crouched over our plates, flipping channels and wondering “what’s on?” Our kitchen sucks, but we’re trying to make ourselves work with it. Last night we made a really simple meal that was just looked too pretty to take into the living room, so we sat at the dining table and chewed long and slowly and it was divine.

Chicken breast stuffed with ricotta, parmesan and fresh basil over tomatoes and some homemade garlic bread. It was a feast. You should try it.

hannah + dave: engagement photos.

Published May 3, 2010 ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY 2 Comments

It’s Monday and I couldn’t think of any better way to start the week than to share with you this engagement shoot we did a few days ago with two of the most lovely people ever…I seriously loved just about everything about this shoot! The sun was setting and the wind was blowing through Spencer Gorge as we traipsed about down cliffs and beside waterfalls with Hannah and Dave, two of the most smiley, laid back, easy going and friendly people you’ll ever meet, and I can’t speak for anyone else, but let me tell you that I loved every second – even when the sun disappeared and it got absolutely freezing – even when we had to wait for a turn in front of the waterfall (and meanwhile got some of my favourite shots of the whole evening – yes!) – and even when we all almost fell to our deaths trying to maneuver our way down a slippery slope while clutching onto shrubs and bits of grass for leverage – yes. It. was. worth. every. second. :)

These two are just so cuddly and happy together it makes you want to grab the one you love and hold them close. Dave’s job takes him to the other end of the country for the next few months, and we were so glad to have the opportunity to spend some time capturing their love before he left. He’ll be back in plenty of time to help with the last minute preparations for their September wedding for which I can hardly hardly wait now after hearing a bit more about their plans for their big day! Hannah and Dave, thank you so much for being so wonderful. We hope you love the photos – here are just a few of my favourites:

good things come in small packages.

Published April 30, 2010 LIFE 2 Comments

Dave and I were recently out at an engagement shoot and we picked a spot that he and I have been to many times before for a wander around that we thought would be a perfect location to bring one of our couples to. Yeah, us and about a gazillion other photographers with their couples. Ha ha.

Ok, so it wasn’t a gazillion, it was maybe three or four. As they passed us on the path to the spot that I knew would be the spot, I found myself gazing longingly at their cameras that were “better” than mine and their entire backpacks full of gear that I knew I just had to have…I watched them out of the corner of my eye and thought oh, they totally know how to pose their couples better than I do…and oh, they’re doing that, should I be doing that too?…and so, I started to feel a little down. A little bit like maybe I didn’t “belong” in the club.

Dave and I stopped off after the shoot for a quick bite to eat and talked. I told him how I had felt when we saw those other photographers.

“Yeah, but do you think our shoot went well?” He asked. Yeah. Really well.

“Are you happy with your shots?” Yeah, I am actually.

“Do you think our couple had fun?” I think they did.

He reminded me what we’re about: capturing people in the moment, having a good time, being comfortable, and being themselves. That we couldn’t do what we do as effectively with a million bits of gear to figure out and lug around and set up. That we accomplish our goals by creating a relationship with the people we’re photographing and by letting their relationships with each other shine through. And that at the end of the day it’s not about the cameras we use but the experience we create. To be honest, at the end of most sessions I feel like we’re just a group of friends out having fun. And most of all he reminded me that one of our greatest “pieces of equipment” are ourselves, which is something that no one else can buy or duplicate.

So we don’t have a lot of gear. But as one of my photographer friends recently wrote to me in an email – “just learn to rock what you’ve got”. So our approach to taking photos might be a bit different than what others do. But I like that about us. I like the way we do things. And I think I have to learn to be OK with the fact that my different doesn’t have to mean that it’s wrong. It’s just me. Talking too much, laughing too much, lowering my camera to tell a totally random story, asking questions, balancing on tippy rocks, five-foot-two, not a lot of extra gear, absolutely loving taking photos…that’s just me.

Cadbury’s Mini Eggs. Jewelry from Tiffany&Co. Cupcakes. Mint Polos. Newborn babies. Strawberries. My cat Cleo. White dandelion wishes…

Why yes, sometimes good things do come in small packages.

leaving on a jet plane…

Published April 29, 2010 ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY Leave a Comment

No, I’m not leaving on a jet plane any time soon (don’t I wish though?!). But Dave is. Not my Dave. Another Dave. Whew, is it just me or am I confusing even myself today?

I’m talking about another Dave who’s photos we took last night along with his super sweet bride-to-be Hannah. He leaves tomorrow on a jet plane for most of the summer and I just couldn’t bear the thought of having him go without getting one or two little sneak peeks at the photos we did of the two of them for their engagement session.

So here you go Dave and Hannah……more to come soon!

charlene + jeff: engagement photos.

Published April 27, 2010 ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY 2 Comments

Meet Charlene and Jeff. If you’ve never met them before, well, I was in the same boat with you until this past weekend, when Dave and I met them for the first time at the train station in Toronto for their engagement session. Don’t worry, you’ll love them.

Ok, I’ll admit, I was a little nervous. This was literally the first time where I met a couple for the first time and minutes later had my camera up in their faces taking their photos. But, it only took a few frames to realize that my fears were totally unnecessary and silly because Charlene and Jeff were amazing. I kinda had a feeling they would be from the emails and phone calls Charlene and I have been swapping back and forth over the past few months. Shouldn’t have worried. We loved them.

For their shoot we met up bright and early on Saturday morning and wandered around Union Station and the surrounding areas, chatting about the wedding (later this fall in Parry Sound), life in Ottawa (where these guys live), how these guys met (they grew up on the same street a few doors down from each other), being a post-grad student (Charlene is just finishing up her Masters), and what foods gross us out (foods mentioned included whole tomatoes and brussel sprouts – both of which I love haha). We escaped the security guard with the thick accent, stood in the middle of Yonge Street with cars whipping by, and sipped lattes and ordered random food by just pointing to it and hoping to be pleasantly surprised by the contents. Never a dull moment :)

These guys admitted to us that they were a bit nervous about having their photos done but I think they just said that to cover up the fact that they are both professional models in their spare time. Seriously. Here are some of my favourite shots from our time together. Charlene, Jeff, you guys rock. Hope you like the pics…can’t wait for the wedding!

sweet mondays: three healthy (+ one not so healthy) things.

Published April 26, 2010 SWEET MONDAYS Leave a Comment

So, I’m a bit of a health nut. I run almost every day; Phys Ed was my favourite subject in school. When I was in university I worked at a camp and I can remember my boss laughing (in the nicest possible way, of course) at my flax bread sandwich as he chowed down on his Harveys hamburger next to me. I grew up with a vegetarian mom but it wasn’t until I read the book Fast Food Nation that I cut beef out of my diet, and another few years when I was working in England and walked by a neighbourhood butcher shop every morning and watched them unload whole carcasses off the trucks that I cut out all other red meat too. The thought process for me in making these decisions was basically this: If I can’t come to terms with how it gets on my plate, should I really be eating it? So now the only things left are chicken and fish, and sometimes I wonder what the next “big thing” will be that sends them out of my diet as well? I’ll let you know :)

Striving to being healthy is something that I truly believe affects my whole life. I think the exercise thing and the eating right thing are all about putting good things into my body that will help it run smoother, boost my energy levels, put me in better moods, and overall help me to have a more positive outlook on life. I was kind of joking about being a health nut. I drink lattes probably more than I should. When we go to the movies, I always have to buy a big bag of candy – like, enough that my tummy hurts afterward! But I think that it’s all about balance. How often do we tell our kids the phrase “Garbage in, garbage out?” I think it’s so true. I don’t know about you, but life’s short and I want to contribute something during my time here that’s worth a little bit more than garbage. And I want to feel good while doing it!

So that’s my soapbox :) I try to be healthy and eat right and exercise because it makes me feel good. And in light of that, here are a few healthy things that have made me smile and encouraged me on this past week for this Monday’s edition of sweet mondays. I realize that I’ve been lagging behind a bit in my normal blog posting routine, but I hope to get back on track this week – I have a few shoots I’m looking forward to and will have a lot more photos coming your way soon!

1. The Kitchen Shrink. Dave and I lived in England a couple of years ago and I can remember buying this book while we were there. Funny enough, it wasn’t until last week that I really sat down with it at the kitchen table and really read through it and wow. Yes, it is a recipe book that contains healthier meals. But it’s so much more than just a health cook book. It talks all about eating more balanced combinations of foods and how the foods you eat, when you eat, and how often you eat actually do affect things like how well you sleep, how stressed you are, how much energy you have, how depressed you feel, etc. The biggest thing I got from the book is creating meals and snacks that are balanced – and seriously, I’ve been doing it for a few days now and am already noticing the difference. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, I couldn’t recommend the book highly enough – check it out here.

2. The Food Revolution. My mum and I first fell for Mr. Oliver when he was a scrawny kid with his own show called the Naked Chef who’s accent reminded us of one of my mum’s brothers back in England. I keep up with Jamie on twitter and have been watching his mini-series on revolutionizing cafeteria food in the US school system and I couldn’t be more on board with his efforts. Biggest take home message for me: chocolate and strawberry flavoured milk contain just as much sugar as pop, and yet it is being served to elementary school kids for lunch. As Jamie says, if plain milk were the only choice, they’d drink it. Totally agree. Kids need the best start possible in life. They deserve it! Please check out Jamie’s website and be a part of the revolution for better food for our future generations by signing his petition.

3. Frozen Bananas. I have so many in my freezer it’s almost embarrassing. But I have a thing where I can’t eat a banana that has a brown spot on it. Bananas that haven’t quite turned from green to yellow are ideal for me. So we end up with a lot of bananas that Jenn can’t eat in the freezer. Is this healthy? I think so – now I have an endless supply for my delicious Strawberry/Banana/Milk/OJ smoothies!

4. Office Desk Setup. This is not healthy. With the warmer weather over the past few days/weeks, my computer has been having little panic attacks whenever I try to do anything more complicated than surf the internet, so I’ve set up this big honking fan next to it to prevent it from overheating and deciding it needs to shut itself down (which has happened twice now). Surely there’s got to be an easier way??

Have a happy, healthy Monday :)

gail makes entertaining oh so easy.

Published April 21, 2010 OTHER PHOTO SHOOTS Leave a Comment

I’ve known Gail since I was about twelve years old and am so happy to call her a friend. She’s just recently started up her own catering business and put on a yummy spread at a local church this past weekend…danishes, strawberries, tea…yum yum :)

Gail caters to wedding anniversary parties, bridal showers, baby showers, seminar snacks and lunches, open houses, corporate conference snacks and lunches, family reunions…you name it. If you need an event catered with refreshments, snacks, appetizers, or light meals, Gail provides the food, the flatware, and all the prep so that you can get out of the kitchen and can enjoy being with your guests. And she comes with the friendliest attitude and warmest smile, free of charge :)

Gail’s business is called Entertaining Made Easy, serving Burlington and the surrounding areas.

Here’s her website – http://www.entertainingmadeeasy.net/

Gail, you are going to do so well with your business! Here are some of my favourite shots from the morning:

there’s a spring in my step!?

Published April 20, 2010 LIFE Leave a Comment

These photos were shot last night as the sun was setting around our little neighbourhood, by me: bleary-eyed, sneezy, and all. Not going to let a little seasonal allergies get in the way of making some photos. I wonder which one of these beauties is the cause of this headache? It’s ok, huge blossoming trees: I forgive you :)