Together Forever

Last fall I did engagements for a great couple, Amy & Casey, who finally tied the knot a month ago at a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Mono. I had a fantastic day with their families, full of laughter and good times all around. I've been friends with the groom's sister for years, so being already comfortable with their group of people made things even better. I unveiled my portable "photobooth" which mainly consisted of some fun props, making for hilarious candid shots during the reception. I was so happy with the photos from the entire wedding, and wish Amy & Casey only the best for their future together!

Girls in the Garden

 

As a small business owner myself, I can appreciate the need for barter and trade systems within a community setting, so every once in a while I will get together with my friend Jamie-Lynn who owns a local hair studio, and we do a commercial shoot that is mutually beneficial for all involved. She finds a few girls to use as models, as well as her friend who is a makeup artist and has me do the photography, so all of us get something we can use for portfolio/marketing purposes. And it's not too shabby that I get free hair services later on! It was a fun day, we had a lot of laughs and despite the coldness, it turned out amazingly. Everything was shot on-location at the hair studio in and around the house & gardens, with only natural light. I think it's important for small business owners to support each other whenever possible, especially us talented ladies, and I hope to do more shoots like this in the future.

Hair by: Jamie-Lynn Fehst, A Small Hair Studio  &   Crystal Walley, Crystal's Salon at Home

Makeup by: Amanda Jay

Engaged - Amy & Casey

Living in a small town area, the majority of my business tends to be people who know people I know, and good news travels fast. I have been friends with the groom-to-be's sister for a long time, so she was the one who suggested me for him and his fiance's wedding next year. We got together to do some engagement pictures with the autumn colours last weekend at two local abandoned farms. I quickly realized that Casey hates having his picture taken, so it was a bit of a challenge getting him to relax, but Amy was great about keeping him interested, even after he made fun of my cheesy props. Haha.

Now and Forever

My third and final wedding of the season was probably my favourite. I have known the bride, Chantelle since elementary school, and we've been friends for years, so I was elated when she asked me to be her photographer. After meeting her finance Mike, I was even more excited for the wedding because the two of them are both such amazing people and totally in love, which makes my job very easy. The morning ceremony & lunch reception took place at the gorgeous Hockley Valley Resort; short and sweet, with close family and friends present. It was a perfect day to wrap up my summer of wedded bliss, and I know these two will be together for a long long time.







 

Tying the Knot

The first weekend of this month was the season's first formal wedding; I ended up being with the clients all day, from 9 am with the girls getting their hair and makeup done right to midnight when the reception was just getting into party mode, so by the end I was pretty exhausted, but excited to have been a part of it all. The bride Sarah and I met in public school (we even were in Girl Guides together when we were younger) so our families have known each other for a while, and it was nice that I already had a great comfort level with everyone. Plus her now-hubby Taylor is such a genuinely nice guy it was hard not to be happy around them, and all their family & friends. The ceremony and reception took place at the beautiful Nottawasaga Inn, and we made a short trip to the nearby heritage house of Sir Frederick Banting for some couple shots afterwards. It was a day full of love, laughter and tears, as well as a learning experience when shooting a full day wedding! :)

 

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.

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.

Secret Garden

When I first got into photography and before I had found my "abandoned" niche, I used to take

pictures of everything else. A year into college I got a macro lens and instantly was captured by

the world of tiny things. My favourite thing was spending an afternoon in the garden with my

face in the flowers, getting very up-close-and-personal with the finer details of nature. I think

it changes your perspective a bit too, because it translates into your everyday life; you notice the

little things that others pass by, and all you can think is... "That would make an amazing photo."