Happy Hat Man

I know, as a professional, that I'm not supposed to have favourite clients; but when someone has been in front of your camera multiple times, it can be hard not to have a soft spot for them. Arlo is one of those people... probably because I've been taking pictures of him since before he was born when I did maternity pictures for his wicked cool parents, Seana & Braden. I swear, he gets cuter every time I see him! And he has the *best* collection of hats I have ever seen! The shots from this mini session were a gift for his dad's birthday, and very well received by the whole family.

Backyard Bliss

Somehow I missed posting these shots a few months ago when I spent an afternoon with this adorable family in their backyard here in Creemore. Ashley & Phil are so easygoing and their daughter Anneliese is becoming one of my favourite kids to photograph. She absolutely loves being in front of the camera, and always gives me huge smiles. Expect to see a lot more of them in the future, they hire me for everything!!

 

Happily Ever After

Another mini-session for Father's Day had me meeting up with this family in June. We visited a nearby abandoned farm and had some fun in the last bit of golden light the evening had to offer. How cute are the three siblings together?

Sunny Summer Session

Last month I did a cluster of mini-shoots for Father's Day, starting with this brother-sister duo. Lucas and Kaitlyn. Their mom was planning to give the portraits to the kids' dad as a surprise, and I'm sure he melted at the sight of Kaitlyn's adorable smile! We walked around the local park and beautiful gardens here in Creemore, soaking up the lovely sun.

 

The Forgione Family

Summer's Last Fire

Sometimes it's nice to take a break from paid jobs & I have been doing so many weddings lately, so I got together with my friend Nicole, who is a visual artist and model in her spare time. This summer I had acquired a few vintage dresses but had yet to use them for a shoot, so Nicole and I decided a fun creative session was in order. We spent the day in and around Creemore at a few of my abandoned locations getting some amazing shots of her with the brilliant red/pink hair colour she's currently rocking.

Baby On Board

At the beginning of this week I had my first-ever maternity shoot with my friend Seana, another amazing person I have met through Store 54, and a fellow lover of all things vintage. We had both discussed ideas for the session, agreeing that a vintage theme with props would be brilliant, given her style and my photography techniques. I met up with Seana and her partner Braden at their adorable house near Collingwood first to do some couple shots, then Seana & I headed to a farm in Singhampton to do some belly pictures. The farm is owned the family of a friend of hers, and it IS still inhabited by the grandfather, though much of the house has been left untouched for many years, giving it a retro/abandoned feel.

I can't wait to meet the little one (due at the end of September) and hopefully do some beautiful newborn pictures for the couple as well. They have opted to be surprised by the sex of the baby, though when asked, Seana admitted she thinks it may be a boy. We'll see!











 

 

A Second Chance

Last weekend I  photographed a beautiful backyard wedding (my first real wedding job!) in Wyevale, where the bride and groom were both tying the knot for a second time. Diane & Steven each had a child from their previous marriages, and the two were the only ones in the wedding party; Steven's daughter Katie was the maid of honor, and Diane's son Quentin was the best man. The small ceremony included close family and friends, with the five of us taking a short drive to Tiny Beach not far from the house for formal shots afterwards. There was something so sweet and intimate about the whole thing that even had me tearing up a little during the ceremony, and I shouldn't have to tell you that its kind of hard to take pictures with watery eyes. But I'm so happy I got a chance to share the day with this family and witness the fact that sometimes, a second chance at love was in the cards all along.

Kempenfest 2012

Well last weekend marked the occasion of my first ever festival as a vendor - and despite some small letdowns, I think it was a great experience. I ended up getting a second place ribbon for my fabulous vintage booth setup, and tons of people raved about how they loved my work. But the sales side just wasn't really there. I found it to be a lot less of an 'art buying' crowd for the most part, and instead was mainly people passing through on their way to the music stages or midway. Alas, I got the chance to show my stuff and network some contacts for the future - like the new wedding client who booked for next year; based on a brochure her sister grabbed from my booth on the weekend and passed along.

I don't think I would do Kempenfest again, however, I would definitely love to do another arts festival. But in the meantime, I will be getting my work back into Store 54 (a local young entrepreneurs co-op) as well as a few other cafes and shops who have expressed interest in showcasing my stuff. There's always a brighter side, right?

House of the Moody Blues

I found this abandoned house years ago but never had the right chance to explore it; instead I watched it sit, empty for the longest time, waiting for the opportunity to arrive. When it did, I discovered a treasure trove of retro junk, piled high in almost every room. Obviously someone is/has been using it as a storage locker for their stuff, though it doesn't appear that anyone had been there in a while. My favourite part was the retro blue paint in several rooms - I call it "Moody Blue".

The Gowan Sisters

These two sisters wanted to give their parents some portraits for an anniversary present, seeing as they will both be away at school next year. We spent an hour in the later afternoon sun wandering around their grandparents farm in the Creemore hills. I think both Nicole & Carlee had a lot of fun during the shoot, and I'm glad they loved how the shots turned out; no doubt their parents are going to be very happy to have some nice photos to hang in the house once the girls have left for college.

 



 



 

Young Love

My youngest sister, Tatiana and her boyfriend Brandon wanted some couple portraits done, so even though it was the hottest day of the year, we set out to spend some time at Harborview Park in Collingwood.