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Shelby and Sergiu’s Spring Engagement – Toronto, Ontario

Shelby, Sergiu and I planned to meet up in late May for their engagement session. But last spring was wet, wet, wet, wet, with a side dish of rain, which made it a bit more challenging to find an evening for the session.

On the night when we finally met, there was a weather alert for a bit of a storm. It looked like rain would be patchy and I suggested rescheduling, but I give full marks to Shelby and Sergiu for having zero fear when it comes to the weather. Engagement shoots are a great way to get to know people (and is a great way to get used to the camera if you’re a bit nervous). And what I learned quickly about Shelby and Sergiu were that they are fun and cool (and amazing weather forecasters), and most of all, to quote Sergiu, they are not risk averse at all!

Our first stop was Graffiti Alley, where the colourful walls were a edgy contrast to Shelby’s tulle dress. We then went down to Cherry Beach, which was still recovering from spring flooding. But when life gives you puddles, you make reflecting pools. Best of all, the storm held off and created a beautiful pink sky and rainbows. My favourite shot of the night is the last one below – the lightning had started to come over the lake and my shrieks may have made them laugh a bit. We had to run for cover, but not before we got a dramatic night for photos. Can’t wait for their winter wedding next month …

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Deanne and Derek’s Winter Engagement – March 2017

 

It’s been a while, I know.

2017 has been quite a year – sadly, my dad became ill and passed away and it was one of those moments in life where it was important to take time away from my computer. I lightened my workload and took the time I needed away from the pressures of blog posts and the Instagram frenzy. A needed pause – time to be with family and friends. Time to take a breath.

But friends, please know that I have so many photos I’m looking forward to sharing. During this time, I’ve been working with fabulous people and have been as focused as ever on making beautiful images with them. So many great celebrations – weddings, engagements, anniversaries, new babies, and more. If anything, I’m just more convinced than ever about the importance of photographing these milestones. There’s so much work to show from the past year or so and I’m looking forward to catching you all up in the coming weeks. The last blog post (from Allison and Steven’s engagement) was shot just a few days before my dad was diagnosed with brain cancer. With such a long gap between posts, I thought it only fitting that I start back with the last shoot I did just before he passed away. It’s my personal bookends to this time in my life.

First up is Deanne and Derek’s very cold winter engagement. We had to postponed this one a couple of times, mostly because February was unusually warm and wasn’t snowy enough to look like winter. Okay, correction. This session took place near Georgian Bay, in Ontario’s snow belt. In my hometown (well, like the next village over, if we’re getting specific). But it’s a place that’s always snowy in winter. And there WAS snow. It just took until March for the snow to recover and look less brown and melty. I have a personal belief that all shoots take place at the time when they are meant to happen. And the fortunate part about postponing was that it eventually took place on the same day that Deanne and Derek picked up their new (SUUUUPER ADORABLE) puppy.

I can’t convey just how cold it was that day. Puppy stayed warm in the car (and in Derek’s coat!) while we braved quick bursts of photographs. Thanks to Deanne and Derek for embracing the weather and for being brave enough to jump in a snow drift when I suggested we jump in a snow drift. Can’t wait to reconnect with these two in a couple of weeks for their autumn wedding. So, at long last, here we go …

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Allison and Steven’s Winter Engagement – February 2016

I love winter engagement sessions. February is an especially good time. The days are getting longer by then and I find there’s often spectacular sunsets.

When Allison and Steven suggested skating for their engagement session, I was especially excited. It’s always fun when couples incorporate their interests into their sessions – Allison and Steven are both hockey players (Allison is also a totally rad roller derby player). Last winter was unseasonably warm, so finding outdoor ice started to become a bit of an issue. Thankfully, we stuck with the idea and found a good Saturday afternoon to head down to Nathan Philips Square for a skate. We then went to Cherry Beach to take in the sunset. I had so much fun on this one and am excited to share their summer wedding on the blog.

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Late Summer Engagement Session in Toronto – September 2015

I’m really excited to share photos of Nivedita and David’s beautiful November wedding. But first, I’ll take you back to their engagement shoot in September.

Engagement shoots are a lot of fun for a few reasons. For one, we have more time to explore and we can take our time to really play with a location. This is great because it allows for some time to relax in front of the camera and to get used to taking photos together. It’s a nice way to get comfortable with me (and with the camera) before the wedding day. More than that, engagement photos are a couple’s first family photo and it’s always a pleasure to find creative ways to capture this start.

With Niv and Dave, we met up at the University of Toronto and found classic heritage buildings as a backdrop. After a switch from their gorgeous Indian outfits (and just wait til you see their beautiful wedding clothes in a future blog post!!), we worked our way down to Cherry Beach to catch the sunset in a more natural setting. It was a blast to spend this perfect late summer night with these two and it made me even more excited for their wedding in November.

 

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Winter engagement session with Ashley and Kevin – February 2014

Winter engagement shoots are beautiful. The snow is clean and crisp. The light is low and the shadows are long. The trees are bare and dramatic. A lovely backdrop for romance. So when Ashley suggested February for her and Kevin’s engagement session, I was really excited. We met up at my aunt’s horse farm and had fun with their inquisitive golden retriever, Mr. Henry.

I feel I have to mention that these two look this adorable and it was about -20’C with the windchill. AMAZING! I can’t wait to see them on their warm July wedding date…