Staal Foundation Open 2017
Even though it was a couple months ago, I figure it's better late then never on posting some of my corporate work. It had been 2 years since I last covered some of the Staal Foundation Open which takes place right here in Thunder Bay, and even then, I only made it to a couple days. This time around, I was able to attend most of the week which allowed me to see so much more of the festivities.
Even though it was a couple months ago, I figure it's better late then never on posting some of my corporate work. It had been 2 years since I last covered some of the Staal Foundation Open which takes place right here in Thunder Bay, and even then, I only made it to a couple days. This time around, I was able to attend most of the week which allowed me to see so much more of the festivities.
The first day of the event saw the Fountain Tire Classic which included a lot of current and former NHL starts, with none other than Bobby Orr! It was such a great event for the entire crowd in attendance as well as the kids who participated. I got to meet, and photograph all the Staal's too, who make the entire event happen in the first place.
It goes without saying that there as a lot of good golf played too. Not only by the pros but also the celebrities too. Throughout the week I managed to capture so many great golf moments but also everything else form the kid zones, to the volunteers and everyone one else who made this even possible.
I can't wait until next years event as I'm sure it will be just as epic!
Samantha + Brandon Wedding - Fort William Country Club
Another beautiful Saturday afternoon, another gorgeous wedding. Samantha and Brandon were the latest couple that allowed me the pleasure to document their special day. It all started with some getting ready shots, first with the women, who were over at the Victoria Inn. As soon as I arrived I started snapping away capturing some candid moments. Some of the reactions were priceless, and those are my favourite types of photos. After spending a bit of time with the girls, I rushed over to where the guys were staying, which was the Valhalla Inn. Luckily, Thunder Bay is pretty small so it doesn't take long to get anywhere.
Another beautiful Saturday afternoon, another gorgeous wedding. Samantha and Brandon were the latest couple that allowed me the pleasure to document their special day. It all started with some getting ready shots, first with the women, who were over at the Victoria Inn. As soon as I arrived I started snapping away capturing some candid moments. Some of the reactions were priceless, and those are my favourite types of photos. After spending a bit of time with the girls, I rushed over to where the guys were staying, which was the Valhalla Inn. Luckily, Thunder Bay is pretty small so it doesn't take long to get anywhere.
Just like the getting ready photos with the girls, it was the same with they guys. They were all pretty relaxed, even Brandon. Although, I could still feel some of the nervous tension in the room which is completely natural. It was then off to the Thunder Bay Marina for some pre wedding photos with the whole wedding party.
The bus unloaded everyone at Byte Restaurant and we were off from there. There were some quick 'first reaction' photos and then we just walked all around the Marina, stopping here and there for portraits and plenty of candid photos along the way. Our final destination at the Marina was Breakwater Taphouse, for a cold refreshment which was very much needed seeing as how hot outside it was. Everyone relaxed for a bit but that didn't mean I stopped taking photos. Some of my favourite shots came from this part of the day.
Once everyone was refreshed, they hopped back on the bus and I jumped in my car to make my way to the final ceremony which took place at the Fort William Country Club. Admittedly, this was my first wedding there and I've been doing this for almost 6 years. After spending some there for this wedding, I really hope I have many more weddings there as it's absolutely gorgeous.
As soon as everyone arrived, there was a quick washroom break and then we all hopped on the golf carts and drove out to the fourth hole. Even though we didn't have much time, we got a lot accomplished. I was able to get some portraits of Brandon and Samantha with some of the surroundings as well as the entire wedding party. I knew I had to at least get a wide angle shot with Mount McKay in the background. The best part about the 4th hole was some very kind golfers allowed the wedding party to borrow their golf clubs and hit some balls. So I captured some very fun action shots of the guys and gals actually hitting golf balls!
Things slowed down a bit once we got back to the club as it was time for the girls to get ready and wait for all the guests to arrive. This is usually the time of day that I get the most candid photos. Well, this and the actual ceremony. Once everyone arrived, the ceremony took place and like with everyone wedding I do, it was quite beautiful.
The reception began shortly after which took place inside the club house. After seeing all the wonderful guests interact at the ceremony and also spend quite a bit of time with the wedding party, I knew the reception was going to be a great time and an awesome opportunity to capture some fun and intimate photos. The food was really good, the speeches were funny, there was the shoe game and of course the first dances. They even had a photo booth set up with a Fuji Instant Camera which the guests loved. After taking the photo, they were asked to put it on a frame so Brandon and Samantha would be able to share in those moments. It was a really a great idea.
The evening ended for me with a whole lot of dancing and eventually some really nice fireworks. Not only did everyone in the room pretty much dance at some point, everyone also went outside for the fireworks. I even managed to peel my way through the crowd to get a few shots of the happy couple looking on. It was a fitting end to my night as the whole seemed like one giant celebration which is how it should be. Not only were Brandon and Samantha the perfect couple to photograph and so were the friends and family. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of their wedding day.
Sophie + Caleb Wedding - Whitewater Golf Club
My first spring wedding of the year was at the Whitewater Golf Club with the amazing Caleb and Sophie. I had the pleasure of photographing their engagement session last year and I knew right way after capturing them during that day, that their wedding was going to be a great time. Let's just say that I wasn't disappointed. Upon arrival, I didn't even see Caleb or Sophie, but I wasn't expected to. Not many people were there at 1:00pm so I unloaded my camera gear and started to get some photos of the decorations and atmosphere before everyone arrived.
I recommend this for every wedding as it gives me a moment to take it all in and also get photos of things before they are altered or moved around. As the guests started to arrive I continued to get some candid photos of people, as I do with every single wedding. Honestly, the candid photos are the ones that couples tend to like the best, so I make sure to get a ton of them during the entire wedding day. I would go as far as saying that the bulk of the photos from each wedding are the natural, unposed ones.
My first spring wedding of the year was at the Whitewater Golf Club with the amazing Caleb and Sophie. I had the pleasure of photographing their engagement session last year and I knew right way after capturing them during that day, that their wedding was going to be a great time. Let's just say that I wasn't disappointed. Upon arrival, I didn't even see Caleb or Sophie, but I wasn't expected to. Not many people were there at 1:00pm so I unloaded my camera gear and started to get some photos of the decorations and atmosphere before everyone arrived.
I recommend this for every wedding as it gives me a moment to take it all in and also get photos of things before they are altered or moved around. As the guests started to arrive I continued to get some candid photos of people, as I do with every single wedding. Honestly, the candid photos are the ones that couples tend to like the best, so I make sure to get a ton of them during the entire wedding day. I would go as far as saying that the bulk of the photos from each wedding are the natural, unposed ones.
As I mentioned before, Caleb and Sophie were so great to work with during the engagement session. They were extremely relaxed and easy going. That came through with this wedding as well. It wasn't your traditional wedding where they had to only see each other at the ceremony. They were walking around talking before hand and we even did portraits before the ceremony took place. I'm not saying it's imperative all couples go about it this way, but it really allows for a a more spaced out wedding where the portraits aren't so rushed. I also got the chance to so some quick ring photos as well.
Whitewater is such a beautiful location, inside and out so people not only took advantage of mingling inside but the patio served as a the perfect spot to hang out as well. As the guests arrived I was told that Sophie would be spending some time getting ready downstairs so I followed her down there and captured some fun shots of her and her bridesmaids. Again, everything was just so relaxed it made my job that much easier.
Sophie and Caleb had decided to do the bulk of the portraits before the ceremony so we gathered everyone up and headed out to the front area where there is a nice field surrounded by some trees. Having shot here a few times before, it is the perfect locations for the family portraits as it is close and the backdrop is pleasant enough. Even though we had left plenty of time to get the portraits done, we did have to cut it short because of rain. Luckily, we did get all the group photos in, as well the guy and girl photos of each wedding party. We weren't too concerned with the couple shots of Sophie and Caleb because we would have time later in the evening around sunset to get those ones.
Once we headed back to the reception area to prepare for the ceremony, everyone was getting excited for it start. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperating. As soon as we were just about to get going, the rain came down hard. There was a moment when they were considering doing indoors, and they even moved almost all the chairs inside. Luckily, that was the last of the rain, and the ceremony would take place outside after all. I was so thankful, because the lighting was absolutely perfect. It was overcast which made for the perfect atmosphere. Plus it meant it was bit cooler as well.
The ceremony was beautiful, but it's hard not to be with such an amazing location as the backdrop and of course such a great couple in Sophie and Caleb. It didn't rain again and everything else went off without a hitch. Once the ceremony was done, everyone headed back inside to get ready for the reception. As with most receptions, the food was fantastic and the speeches were also very moving and funny. Obviously, not being part of the family, I am a little detached from everything, but with that being said, I could fee the emotion in the air and I made sure to capture all those emotions.
Other highlights include Caleb and Sophie smashing cupcakes into each others mouths, a garter and bouquet toss which had some splendid moments. And of course the first dance, followed by the dances with both father and mother. I also got the chance to do some portraits with Sophie and Caleb out on the golf course just as the sun was setting. I truly believe every single wedding couple should get away for at least 20 minutes to do this. Not only did it give them a bit of a breather from the whole day, but it also allowed us to just focus on the two of them, even just for a bit. It also goes without saying that shooting portraits as the sunsets allows for the absolute best lighting of the entire day. Suffice it say, we came away with some intimate and unique photos that I hope they will both cherish the rest of their lives.
That was my night for the most part as my work was done at 10pm that evening. There were so many great moments throughout the day but on a personal note, my favourite one came from something new that I just started doing this year. As any wedding photographer would admit to, there are very few lulls during a wedding but seeing as how I had a moment to eat, I took those fleeting moments to obviously scarf down some fantastic prime rib as well as do up a short slideshow of the day. It was only 20 or so photos but it only took a short amount of time for such a truly memorable payoff. I chose some of my favourite photos from the day all the way up to the reception and created an short little looping slideshow on my older then old iPad. I handed it to Sophie and Caleb and left them to it. As I walked around to take some more photos I couldn't help but peak over to see how they were doing. To my surprise, the slideshow brought a smile to Caleb's face and tears to Sophie's. That moment, right there, reminded me why I love wedding photography so much. After that, I made sure to pass it around to all the guests in the reception and I think just about everyone viewed it.
In the end, it was a small gesture on my part, but one that I think, at least gave them a sneak peek into the story I would eventually tell about their wedding day. Which is what I am sharing with everyone right now through the photos below. Lastly, something new I am offering for free at the moment is a personalized slideshow for each wedding. Even though it is a substantial amount of work, I just love the end result and it's worth the extra time and effort. You can see that directly below. Thanks as always to the Sophie and Caleb for letting me be a part of their wedding day!
For those who would like to view all the photos from the wedding day, follow the link below.
http://chondonphotography.pixieset.com/sophiecalebwedding/
Staal Foundation Open
This past week saw the Staal Foundation Open come and go. Luckily, this year I was able to be a part of it in some way. The Walleye, asked if I could spend some time each day photographing the event and gladly said yes. I have done many events in the past but this was my very first professional golf tournament. Suffice it to say I was super excited to get out there and document some of the action.
This past week saw the Staal Foundation Open come and go. Luckily, this year I was able to be a part of it in some way. The Walleye, asked if I could spend some time each day photographing the event and gladly said yes. I have done many events in the past but this was my very first professional golf tournament. Suffice it to say I was super excited to get out there and document some of the action.
Without knowing much about the event going in I checked out the website to see what some of the daily highlights were. Along with golf of course, there was always something going on. If you haven't already, and are interested in finding out more about all that went down, head on over to the website.
Without further ado, scroll down to see some of the moments I was able to capture during the event. There was lots of great action and when I wasn't photographing I was able to watch some fantastic golf as well. I can't wait for next year to roll around. I'm sure the event will be even bigger and better then this year. And of course, thanks to The Walleye for asking me to cover the action for them.
Katie + Kurtis Wedding
The last wedding of August for me was Katie and Kurtis. It was almost like the best was saved for last! My day started at the Vahalla with Katie and her bridal party. They had rented a hotel room and I was there to capture all the fun. It was a pretty relaxed atmosphere but as the time to leave came closer you could feel some of the nervous tension in the air. But it was a good thing. Everyone made their way down to the limo waiting outside, hopped in, and just like that they were off.
The last wedding of August for me was Katie and Kurtis. It was almost like the best was saved for last! My day started at the Vahalla with Katie and her bridal party. They had rented a hotel room and I was there to capture all the fun. It was a pretty relaxed atmosphere but as the time to leave came closer you could feel some of the nervous tension in the air. But it was a good thing. Everyone made their way down to the limo waiting outside, hopped in, and just like that they were off.
The wedding took place at Whitewater Country Club. This is always a beautiful location. As everyone gathered on the outdoor patio overlooking the forest Kurtis waited anxiously for his future bride to make her way down the aisle. Once she started, everyone stood up and admired the gorgeous bride. She really did look quite beautiful. The ceremony itself was fairly short and the live music playing the background was really a nice touch.
Next up was the greeting line and then it was off to do some group portraits. We didn’t go very fair as there was a nice shady spot just by the clubhouse. Luckily we found some shade because it was one of the hottest days of the year. The entire wedding party was very fun to work with. I even got the guys to jump in the air a few times which made for some pretty silly yet spontaneous results. My favourite shot with the gang was when the bridal party picked up Kurtis. You could see that they were struggling a bit but they pulled it off!
Thankful to get out of the heat we all made our way to the reception area inside. After spending some time photographing the little details the speeches started right away. Instead of just clinking glasses together, guests were required to sink a golf ball on the putting green. Suffice it to say, many guests cheated. The rules would eventually change later in the evening as any guest who didn’t sink it on their first try had to kiss someone from the wedding party. There were some good ones.
Once dinner was done it was time for the first dances. First up was Kurtis and Katie and then Kurtis and his mom. We were then able to sneak out for a few minutes and get some really nice sunset shots. Even though it was very overcast it was still a great setting. I finished the night by capturing Katie and Kurtis cutting the cake. Oh, and the cake was the best one I have seen to date which you can see in the photos below. Thanks as always to the wonderful bride and groom for a great day. I had so much fun.
