Lisa + Family Portrait Session - Tree Farm
I still can’t believe how nice it was at the Tree Farm for my most recent mini sessions. It felt like summer. Hopefully this weather lasts a bit longer. Lisa and her family were such a pleasure to photograph. As always I got a good mix of posed photos and a few candids mixed in for good measure.
I still can’t believe how nice it was at the Tree Farm for my most recent mini sessions. It felt like summer. Hopefully this weather lasts a bit longer. Lisa and her family were such a pleasure to photograph. As always I got a good mix of posed photos and a few candids mixed in for good measure.
Erin + John Wedding - The Chanterelle
Erin and John said their vows on the very first day of this month and I was happy to be there to capture their wedding day. With only a couple more weddings this year before the season wraps up, I’m thankful for every single wedding I have had the pleasure of photographing.
Erin and John said their vows on the very first day of this month and I was happy to be there to capture their wedding day. With only a couple more weddings this year before the season wraps up, I’m thankful for every single wedding I have had the pleasure of photographing.
Their day stared at their family church which was small but full of character. Even though I wasn’t allowed to actually photograph the ceremony, I still managed to get a lot of great candid photos before and especially after as everyone congratulated the bride and groom.
The weather held up, so the wedding party and parents made their way to Trowbridge Falls which is definitely one of most beautiful spots in town for photos, especially in the fall. We started by the bridge and eventually headed down to to the rocks by the rapids. I obviously captured a lot of formal portraits of the all the combinations, but I still made sure to mix in some candid moments here and there.
The reception took place at The Chanterelle. I’ve lost track how many weddings I’ve shot there this year, but that venue never gets old. I love capturing weddings there. As always the food was great, the speeches were emotional (and funny), and it was just a very fun and loose evening.
Thank you to John and Erin for trusting me to photography their wedding day. I had a great time doing so.
Hannah + Chris Maternity Session
Chris decided to do the session at his grandparents’ property, which ended up being an absolutely amazing backdrop. I also got to meet their dog Indy, who reminded me so much of our dog Bea. Such a personality. As you would imagine, the photos turned out perfect, which is almost impossible when you a have a beautiful couple like Hannah and Chris.
For my maternity session with Hannah and Chris, I got to drive out to the country on a beautiful fall day. Chris decided to do the session at his grandparents’ property, which ended up being an absolutely amazing backdrop. I also got to meet their dog Indy, who reminded me so much of our dog Bea. Such a personality. As you would imagine, the photos turned out perfect, which is almost impossible when you a have a beautiful couple like Hannah and Chris.
Pumpkin Mania 2018 - Belluz Farms
It was a long time coming but I finally got the chance to make the drive out to Belluz Farms Pumpkin Mania 2018. All these years living in Thunder Bay and I had never been to Belluz Farms before. So with my video camera in hand along with my photography camera as well, I set out on the open road to find Belluz Farms.
It was a long time coming but I finally got the chance to make the drive out to Belluz Farms Pumpkin Mania 2018. All these years living in Thunder Bay and I had never been to Belluz Farms before. So with my video camera in hand along with my photography camera as well, I set out on the open road to find Belluz Farms.
I joke when I say find because google maps told me exactly where it was. Suffice it to say, I still managed to go down a few wrong roads. So did the person driving in front of me if that was any consolation. Once I finally found the farm, I gave my donation and parked the car. The parking attendant told me the pumpkin drop was pushed back until 3:30 which was a good thing. I honestly thought it would be at 4:30, so I was happy I decided to get there for 3:00 an no later.
Having never been to the farm before, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew I had 30 minutes until the drop though so I decided to check out the corn maze which was right where I parked. My main goal for the event was to capture some video with photos being secondary. So I started getting some video of the maze. After about 5 minutes I realized I didn’t know my way out. I started panicking just a little because I didn’t want to miss the pumpkin drop. Luckily, I found my way out rather easily.
So I headed over the main area where the drop was to take place and set up camp. It was a good spot and more and more people kept crowding around, especially kids. There were a lot of them there, which so fun to see. I could only imagine being a kid and going to something like that. It really put a smile on my face. In any case, I knew I wanted to be closer, much closer. So I put on my kindest most professional face and asked the attendant lady if I could go around the fence and into the main area. She eyed me up and say my camera and backpack and said sure.
I think all the small children were appreciative of the face that I was leaving as I am sure I was blocking a lot of their view. This being the first time I attended this event I really didn’t know what to expect so I asked some of the other workers and another man taking photos how far back I should be. I never really got a straight answer so I just winged it.
The first pumpkin dropped from the crane into what looked like a makeshift kid pool and exploded upon impact. It kind of caught me off guard just how far the pieces fell. It was very exciting. There was still one more pumpkin to go, and this one was filled with candy. So once it finished dropping the crowd would be allowed to rush in and grab all the candy they wanted.
For the that pumpkin, I would say I was about 20 feet back which I thought was enough. It was barely enough. As I was recording the slow motion video the pumpkin smashed into the grand and pieces flew in every direction. Luckily I was paying attention because one chunk came hurtling towards me and I casually spread my legs and it flew under. I haven’t even checked out the video yet but I’m pretty sure I got it on film.
I spent the next 30 minutes or so capturing a bit more video the venue and some of the animals as well. I also made sure to get some photos of the pumpkins which you can see below. Once I left I knew I wanted to drive down the same dirt road to get once last shot of the mountain. On my way I saw the cutest small cat strolling down the side of the road. I wanted to stop and take him home but I assumed he had a home out there. The last shot of the day was indeed from the spot I saw on the way in. It actually turned out quite good. I would have liked it to be about 1.5 hours later in the evening but now I have an excuse to go back. Plus, I think more colours should still come in.
All in all, it was super fun couple of hours. If I can, I will most definitely be coming out again next year. The only downside is that I am now craving pumpkin pie …
Cara + Family Portraits - Centennial Park
On Saturday, I had the pleasure to meet and photograph Cara and here family over at Centennial Park. They all came in from Schreiber, which is about 1.5 hours away from Thunder Bay. Even though it was just a mine session, 30 minutes was just enough time to get some really good photos of everyone, not just the entire family but a lot of various pairings.
On Saturday, I had the pleasure to meet and photograph Cara and here family over at Centennial Park. They all came in from Schreiber, which is about 1.5 hours away from Thunder Bay. Even though it was just a mine session, 30 minutes was just enough time to get some really good photos of everyone, not just the entire family but a lot of various pairings.
The main area we used for the backdrop was the cabins which are always so beautiful. That's not to say we didn't take advantage of other spots along the way. Cara an her family were so natural behind the camera and even Carlo and his sister managed to pose for a some very fleeting moments. It also helped that the weather continued to be just perfect, especially for November. I know it's not going to last forever, but I really hope it does go on a bit longer.
Meagan + Family Portraits - Centennial Park
This past weekend I had yet another family portrait session, and even though it was 30 minute one, I came away with so many memorable photos of Meagan and here family. I have been doing a lot of session lately at Centennial, but it's hard not to, seeing as how beautiful it is there, especially this time of year. Plus, anytime kids are involved, it really is one of the best location in towns offering a little bit of everything.
This past weekend I had yet another family portrait session, and even though it was 30 minute one, I came away with so many memorable photos of Meagan and here family. I have been doing a lot of session lately at Centennial, but it's hard not to, seeing as how beautiful it is there, especially this time of year. Plus, anytime kids are involved, it really is one of the best location in towns offering a little bit of everything.
The Fall colours, are quickly fading, but as you can see from the photos, there is still plenty of colour hanging around. For this session we started at the log cabins and did most of the photos there. It goes to show you, even in a single area like that, you can get a lot of great photos. Of course it helps when you have a very fun and easy going family like Meagan's.
We wanted to make sure we had enough time to grab some photos by the water so we headed back a bit early to do so. I would have to say, some of my favourite photos of the session came from those last few minutes. It was so great meeting Meagan and her family and I really hope I get to photograph them again in the future because it was so much fun!
Jamie + Cory Engagement - Vickers Park
It looks like winter is slowly creeping in so I was so excited when Jamie and Cory contacted me for an engagement session. I decided to do it at Vickers Park because there was still some colour there and plenty of leaves. Plus, there was a playground for the kids too!
The shoot didn't get off to the greatest start though. As Jamie and Cory were getting the little ones ready I decided to get up close for a quick photo of Sophia and she wanted nothing of the sort. She screamed and cried like I just took away her favourite toy. Luckily it didn't last long and she calmed down shortly after. Jamie told me that she was just going through her terrible 2's phase. Well, it wasn't the first time I have made a kid cry during a portrait session. I'm sure it won't be the last though.
It looks like winter is slowly creeping in so I was so excited when Jamie and Cory contacted me for an engagement session. I decided to do it at Vickers Park because there was still some colour there and plenty of leaves. Plus, there was a playground for the kids too!
The shoot didn't get off to the greatest start though. As Jamie and Cory were getting the little ones ready I decided to get up close for a quick photo of Sophia and she wanted nothing of the sort. She screamed and cried like I just took away her favourite toy. Luckily it didn't last long and she calmed down shortly after. Jamie told me that she was just going through her terrible 2's phase. Well, it wasn't the first time I have made a kid cry during a portrait session. I'm sure it won't be the last though.
We made our way to the middle of the park and found a nice spot where there were some leaves and an open area. Jamie had a fantastic idea to bring a red wagon, some pumpkins and she also managed to find matching outfits for both Teagan and Sophia! Sophia was not the happiest camper for the first few minutes but as soon as Cory propped her on her shoulders and started running around she loosened up quite quickly. After that, we were off to the races.
Even though it was an engagement session, we managed to get a lot of family portraits well along with some great candid photos of the kids. I think they enjoyed the playground the most, and some of my favourite photos came when they were on the swing set.
I'm looking forward to Jamie and Cory's wedding next year! They are such a great family to photograph and they always make me look good.
Makaila + Family Portraits - Centennial Park
This past Saturday marked the third time photographing Makaila and her family. Each time it was to celebrate Lucas's birthday. With the past couple sessions it has always been the immediate family, so I was quite shocked when I saw about 20 people ready to take photos. It turns out, they invited the extended family for portraits as well. This was completely fine with me and the more the merrier. It was actually great meeting some of their extended family, especially their grandmother.
This past Saturday marked the third time photographing Makaila and her family. Each time it was to celebrate Lucas's birthday. With the past couple sessions it has always been the immediate family, so I was quite shocked when I saw about 20 people ready to take photos. It turns out, they invited the extended family for portraits as well. This was completely fine with me and the more the merrier. It was actually great meeting some of their extended family, especially their grandmother.
Since there were a few more people this time around we focused on getting a lot of family portraits first and then it was time to focus on Lucas. Right from the get go he was running around. I couldn't believe how much he was moving around, especially compared to just a year ago. I don't think he cried once either and he was the perfect little poser.
Ask we have done the previous 2 years, Makaila brought some balloons. Near the end of the session, she gave them to Lucas, who of course eventually let go of them and watched as they sailed into the sky above.
It's so rewarding seeing families like Makaila's each year and watching their son Lucas grow up. I look forward to each and every session and I can't wait until next years.
Amy + Family Fall Portraits
For the third time in as many years I had the chance to photograph Amy and her wonderful family. As with the first session I did with them, we chose the huge park just off Cumberland Street by Boulevard Lake. It has a ton of neat little spots for photos and it's a short walk up to the Boulevard trail.
For the third time in as many years I had the chance to photograph Amy and her wonderful family. As with the first session I did with them, we chose the huge park just off Cumberland Street by Boulevard Lake. It has a ton of neat little spots for photos and it's a short walk up to the Boulevard trail.
We started off by just having some fun with the leaves. Lots of great shots came from that alone! There were also some cool looking trees around so we took advantage of those as well. After that we made our way to the Boulevard trail and eventually to the Lake. Everyone had such a great time and there was so much energy. The hour went by super fast and I simply cannot wait until the next session.
