Davinci Cruise Night

Anyone who reads my blog posts, knows that I try and get out and photograph some of the vintage car shows throughout summer and fall. I was just out at the Kakabeka Car Show a few weeks back it was my first one of the year. Surprisingly, I had never made it out to the Davinci Nights weekly car show before. I know it has been going on each year for quite some time. Well, I finally got the chance to check it out and I’m glad I did. There were a lot of cars in the parking lot and even some I had never seen before. It was also a nice cloudy, almost gloomy day, so the lighting was perfect.

I spend about 40 minutes walking around slowly and just admiring the cars and capturing all the details that caught my eye. That was until the rain started coming down. My gears is waterproof so I wasn’t too worried, but cars started leaving so I figured it was time to head out. Plus, there will be many more shows to come in the following months.

Check out some of the photos I captured below!

Classic Car Country Cruiser Night - Kakabeka Falls

This won’t be a long write up by any means, I simply wanted to share some photos from the first Classic Car show of the year in Kakabeka Falls. I love classic cars. One day I hope to own one. Until then, I will continue to photograph them and live vicariously through their owners. There are quite a few more shows coming up this summer and I’m very much looking forward to photographing some of them if I’m available.

For this show in particular, a lot of cars showed up which is always awesome. It also meant that I couldn’t always get a clean photo of a single car without something else in the frame. What I did instead for a lot of the photos, and something I do anyways, was focus more on the finer details of each car. I got in close and peered into the inside as well to see what caught my eye. Stay tuned for future posts covering other events throughout the summer. When I have more time, I’m going to try my best to do some video as well.

Janine + Steven Wedding - Old Fort William

Admittedly, I truly don't know what to expect with each and every wedding I do. Yes, there are always going to be similar parts to the day through each wedding but sometimes, there are those brief moments during the day that just catch you off guard, and often for the better. Well, this wedding provided one of those moments as soon as I arrived. As I parked my car and I was grabbing my stuff I heard distant music in the background. I didn't really think anything of it, I just thought it was part of the wedding music. Then, it got louder, and louder still. All of a sudden I had a flashback of the Karate Kid. Before I knew it, there it was, an old camper streaming down the road, arms waving out the windows, blaring the following lyrics.

You’re the best!
Around!
Nothing’s gonna ever keep you down
You’re the Best!
Around!
Nothing’s gonna ever keep you down
You’re the Best!
Around!
Nothing’s gonna ever keep you dow-ow-ow-ow-own

It was just such a surreal moment that I wasn't quite sure that what I was seeing was actually real. It was. Oh, it was. Then it parked in front of the entrance and the all the groomsmen and Steven walked out of the vehicle. My first though was that I needed to get a photo of them in front of the camper. And that's exactly what I did. There you have it, the first photo of the day. That set the tone for the rest of the wedding day and what a day it was.

Once I got that cheesy 80's song out of my head I focused on the task at hand. And that was to capture Janine and Steven's day. Everyone gathered on the balcony shortly thereafter and that is where I started getting a lot of great candids. This was a unique wedding in that Steven and Janine did their portraits before the ceremony. So they actually met on the balcony not to long after Steven and the gang arrived. 

The minute everyone was good to go and tall the family members arrived, we took the shuttle bus to the Fort to do the family portraits. I absolutely love doing the portraits before the ceremony because it's not as rushed and it leaves a lot more time to get more photos. Plus, when you are at a location like Old Fort William, you can't help but not want to spend a couple hours there. 

There are so many wonderful spots there so I simply chose a nice wall in the shade to work and we were off to the races. That way everyone can stay in one spot and just switch out for the required groupings. After getting all the family photos out of the way we then focused on some of the wedding party photos in the same location. From there, I decided to use a different backdrop for the bridesmaids and Janine. Another great thing about the Fort is that the wall surrounding it is gorgeous. So we were able to get some great shots using the wall too. 

It was then off to where the barn and animals were. My favourite moment of the day (aside from the grand entrance by the boys) happened as we were walking to where the animals were. Everyone was greeted by a herd of goats. Well, as Janine leaned down to pet one, he decided to use her bouquet for lunch. I managed to get a few shots in sequence showing the incident. It was so priceless and everyone had a great laugh.

We finished up there and eventually headed back to the shuttle to head back to the ceremony where everyone was waiting. It was about 45 minutes in between so it gave me a lot of time to get photos of guests interacting and arriving. Then it was time. The wedding party made their way to the alter and ceremony took place. All in all it took about 30 minutes or so and it was very beautiful. I just love turning around, facing the crowd, and seeing so many smiles and raw emotion. 

When the ceremony was all done Janine and Steven wanted to spend a little more time getting some portraits on the trail so that's what we did. It was the perfect time to do so as the sun was low in the sky which made for perfect lighting. Plus it gave them both a chance to be 'almost' alone with one another. After about 20 minutes we head back to the reception area.

That was pretty much it for me. I spent another 1.5 hours photographing guests, the introductions, getting some great detail shots, the first dance and eventually some of the first speeches. As with most weddings, I'm always amazed at just how many great little moments there are throughout the day and it's up to me to document these moments so Janine and Steven can remember them for the rest of their life. Thank you to both Janine and Steven for a fantastic day!

Annette + Andrew Wedding - This Old Barn

With wedding season just about over, I'm now able to catch up on weddings from the past month. The first one I'm proud to post is Annette and Andrew's. They quite possibly chose one of the most unique and beautiful locations I have had the pleasure to photograph, This Old Barn. The backdrop for the wedding, with the hay bales and fields was so picturesque. As soon as I arrived at the wedding I quickly started grabbing photos of the decorations and eventually people as they arrived. The rest of the day went by so fast, but I managed to get so many great photos. 

It was a relatively small and intimate wedding which is always fun to photograph. As I mentioned in a previous post, this allows me to get even more photos of guests and moments between them. Not that I can't do that with larger weddings, but when the crowd is much smaller it's just that much easier to get in close. As people arrived, I got a ton of good candid photos and I also peeked in once in a while to see how Annette was doing. Overall, it was a very relaxed wedding and no one seemed nervous at all. 

Once it was time for Annette to make her way down the isle, everyone smiled as she did so. Andrew was of course beaming and there were tears of joy in the crowd as well. The ceremony was really nice and there were some truly genuine moments. When photographing during the ceremony I always look for reactions in the crowd. Those sometimes end up being some of the best photos of the day. 

After the ceremony was over, there was a quick congratulations inside from everybody and then it was off to the fields for all the formal family portraits. It was almost impossible not to walk away with fantastic photos seeing as how the backdrop was just perfect. We took advantage of the wide open field and the hay bales. When we finished the family photos we had some fun with just the bridal party. One of my favourite photos of the entire day was when Andrew tried to jump up on the hay. Let's just say he came up short the first time. I will say this, they were quite big. I don't even think I would have been able to make the leap.

The next stop for the bridal party portraits was at the top of the hill. It overlooked Mount McKay and also, the wide open field with which we just came from. Not only did I get in close on a lot of the portraits, I also made sure to step back quite a bit and get some nice expansive photos that show off just how huge the property was. 

We then made our way back to the main area and mingled for a bit. I just love this part of the day because everyone is just so relaxed. I was able to snap a few more photos of Annette and Andrew along with a lot of candid photos. Before we knew it, it was time for the reception. What I liked about the reception was that it was split up nice. Everyone ate, then there was a break to wander outside, then some speeches, and another break. Eventually it was time for the 'pie' cutting. I didn't count but I believe there were at least 10 different homemade pies. I'm sure it was more. I'm not one for sweets, as my wife would attest to, but I had a slice of pumpkin and blueberry. Both were fantastic. Of course the whole layout of the pies was beautiful as well. From what Annette told me, she handled the decorations for the whole wedding. 

During some of those breaks, I always made sure to follow the guest outside and there were no shortage of request for quick family portraits. Something I have been doing at some of my recent weddings is bringing my little Instax Polaroid printer. I use my Fuji X-T1 and print directly from it. I can't stress enough how popular it is. Once people see and hold the little polaroid in their hand and watch it magically expose in front of their eyes, they alway tell other family members and friends. Before I know it, I'm getting multiple requests. 

As it got darker, it was time for the first dance. Everything was lit up beautifully and with the guest gathering around watching, it made for the perfect first dance. After that they had the parent dances and eventually the guests. And then my night was over. I am still amazed at how many photos I came away with. Annette and Andrew were the perfect couple to photograph as they did anything I told them to. If I had an idea for a photo that I wanted to try, they did it without hesitation. Having such an easy going and kind couple to photograph made my job that much easier. Thank you!

Darlene + David Wedding

There are still a lot more weddings I can look forward to photographing this year but Darlene and David’s was one that couldn’t come soon enough, for a couple reasons. The first one being that it was at Old Fort William which is one of the nicest locations in town. Secondly, upon first meeting them prior to the wedding, I knew it was going to be a very intimate and fun wedding. Well, it met both those criteria and exceeded beyond what I expected. I arrived, as I always do, about 30 minutes before the wedding to capture some unique and candid photos. With guests constantly arriving, mingling and taking their seats, there were definitely lots of opportunities for photos.

The ceremony took place just in behind the main building right by the pond. This is where almost all the weddings usually take place and there is a good reason why. It is beautiful. As everyone waited for Darlene to make her way down the aisle, David and his best man along with other family members waited down the paved path. As people showed up they said hello and even got a chance to talk a bit with David. It was kind of nice to have it set up like that, where David is able to interact with everyone who wanted to, before thew wedding. The wedding didn’t start on time, which is often the case, but Darlene was later tested because supposedly she had to send someone home to grab her shoes which she forgot. 

Well, the shoes finally arrived and they were ready to get started. Everyone made there way to their seats and the ceremony began. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. It wasn’t too hot, and there were even sporadic clouds to offer some shade. Darlene and David would eventually meet at the alter and it had officially begun. Soon after saying their vows, and sealing it with a kiss, they made their way to the signing. The final task was one that I haven’t really seen before but it was very cool. Everyone was asked to hug the person beside them in celebration. If presented a few really sincere and delicate moments between the guest and even the wedding party. 

Once everyone cleared away, we quickly went through the portraits. I must say, with rain looming, these were the fasted portraits I have ever done at a wedding to date. The good news is, is that we came away with all the ones we wanted. Afterwards, I made my way upstairs to the balcony and grabbed a few more pics of guests mingling and waiting to enter the reception area. It continued to rain a bit more so they opened the doors and the reception was officially on. The ballroom at Old Fort is very nice and the decorations and decor that David and Darlene chose only accentuated that. It took a while for people to eventually sit down, but then again there was no hurry to do so. That is the great thing about an afternoon wedding. 

As afternoon snacks were served, the speeches also began. There were a few tears shed and all the speeches were all very heartwarming. The food was great and completely different then other wedding I have photographed or attended before. They decided to go with kind of an English Tea theme. There were different sandwiches, jams, sausage rolls, teas and a few other surprises as well. I’m not really doing it justice as the names of all the snacks made me feel like royalty. Let’s just say everything tasted fantastic and it really came together with the overall decor. The last speeches were from David and Darlene. As a photographer it’s obviously my job to take photographs, but even for me, I wanted to just take some moments and listen to what they were saying. You could tell just how much in love they are with one another. It came through, in not only the speeches, but the entire day. I don’t think David or Darlene stopped smiling the entire day. 

My day was done after that. We quickly gathered by the cake, got a few photos of the cutting and then I was off. It was great to be a part of Darlene and David’s special day. One of the main reasons I love being a wedding photographer is obviously because I enjoy taking photos, but another reason is because I get to experience a couple’s most important day in their lives over and over again. And then I get to tell that story in my own special way.

That Vintage Look

As a wedding photographer I’m always looking for ways to provide an even better customer experience. Something that shows that I am willing to go that extra step, often for no extra charge. For the last few clients that I have photographed for I have been choosing a few select photos and giving them a ‘vintage’  look. It has gone over very well which is why I am going to start offering this as part of all my wedding packages. 

The best way I can describe what vintage looks like is by checking out a few samples of my last wedding with Michael and Madeline. You can see the before and after. Each photo is completely unique as you can see. Now, this isn't necessarily for everyone, but I really feel this is just one more way to offer yet another extra for every client. For free. 

In case you are still looking for a wedding photographer or simply interested in a portrait session don’t hesitate to contact me anytime. Next year is booking up fast but dates are still available I would love to sit down and help you choose the right package. In the meantime enjoy the photos below! 

Here are 3 photos before they were converted over.

And here they are converted over to a 'vintage' look. Remember each photos is completely unique. I go in and spend quite a bit of time making sure it looks just right and also matching it to the overall feel for the photos.