Alyssa + Steven Portraits
Alyssa and Steven are a expecting a new addition to the family so it was perfect timing to get some maternity photos along with some beautiful portraits of the two of them. Alyssa had the great idea of doing the mini session up on Mount McKay, along the trail that leads to Crescent Lake.
Alyssa and Steven are a expecting a new addition to the family so it was perfect timing to get some maternity photos along with some beautiful portraits of the two of them. Alyssa had the great idea of doing the mini session up on Mount McKay, along the trail that leads to Crescent Lake.
After driving down the trail a short distance, we parked our cars and set up along the trail. The fall colours were still in abundance and it looked so beautiful, so I knew it would be hard to capture some great photos. Plus, Alyssa and Steven looked so good.
It was my first time photographing Alyssa and Steven but they made it very easy on me because they were complete naturals in front of the camera. We spent about 20 minutes on the trail, and then I suggested that we get a few quick photos by the entrance to Mount McKay were I just recently learned there was a beautiful swing hanging from a tree. One of my favourite photos from the session was Alyssa and Steven by the swing.
I also noticed a nice field with high grass off to the side, so we finished up with some awesome backlit photos there. Even though it was a 30 minute session, it really felt like an hour because we came away with so many great photos. Thanks as always to Alyssa and Steven for a memorable fall photo session.
Danielle + Steven Engagement - Centennial Park
I will be photographing Danielle and Steven's wedding next year but we decided before it got to cold out, we had better get their engagement photos done. We did so this past weekend and the weather turned out to be pretty cool. The location was Centennial Park and upon arrival, Danielle looked at me and seemed just a bit hesitant, not completely sure if we should still do the photos. Mainly because it was starting to snow pretty heavy. Well, I assured her that the photos would turn out fine and the snow would only add to the character, which it definitely did, as you can see from the photos below.
I will be photographing Danielle and Steven's wedding next year but we decided before it got to cold out, we had better get their engagement photos done. We did so this past weekend and the weather turned out to be pretty cool. The location was Centennial Park and upon arrival, Danielle looked at me and seemed just a bit hesitant, not completely sure if we should still do the photos. Mainly because it was starting to snow pretty heavy. Well, I assured her that the photos would turn out fine and the snow would only add to the character, which it definitely did, as you can see from the photos below.
We kept the shoot fairly simple and laid back, as are all of my sessions. If you look at my previous posts, you will see that I have had quite a few sessions at this park but I will never get tired of shooting there. Plus, with the snow coming down it provided a very unique atmosphere which I took advantage of. I made sure to get in close for a lot of the photos and also pull away to get some far away shots. Danielle and Steven were complete naturals behind the camera and it really came through in the photos. Even with the last shot, they pretended to put their tongues on the cold metal pole. At least I think they were pretending ... it looks pretty real. :)
I'm very much looking forward to capturing their wedding next year, and if this engagement session is any indication, it's going to be so much fun.
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..
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!
Steven + Cara Wedding
It was time for yet another wedding and this one was just as fun as the others I have done this year. Even though it was a smaller wedding, it actually made it a bit more intimate which really allowed for a good pace and some great photo opportunities. It also helped that Steven and Cara were such a fun couple to photograph. That also goes for pretty much the entire crowd of people that attended.
The ceremony took place at First Presbyterian Church in Fort William. It was my first time photographing in this particular church. You can tell from some of the wide angle shots below just how big it actually was. As the crowd gathered I captured some candid moments, and there were a lot of them. Then it was time for Cara to make her way down the aisle. Probably the cutest moment of the day were the two ring bearers dressed as the secret service. The rings were contained in a 'top secret' case so they had quite the responsibility!
It was time for yet another wedding and this one was just as fun as the others I have done this year. Even though it was a smaller wedding, it actually made it a bit more intimate which really allowed for a good pace and some great photo opportunities. It also helped that Steven and Cara were such a fun couple to photograph. That also goes for pretty much the entire crowd of people that attended.
The ceremony took place at First Presbyterian Church in Fort William. It was my first time photographing in this particular church. You can tell from some of the wide angle shots below just how big it actually was. As the crowd gathered I captured some candid moments, and there were a lot of them. Then it was time for Cara to make her way down the aisle. Probably the cutest moment of the day were the two ring bearers dressed as the secret service. The rings were contained in a 'top secret' case so they had quite the responsibility!
Soon after Cara made her way to the alter. It's often easy to forgot about other peoples reactions during this moment but I think I caught one of the best of the day when Steven could hardly hold back the tears. It's true emotion like that which makes my job all worth it. I'm sure it helped that Cara looked stunning in her wedding dress.
Once the ceremony was done Cara and Steven whisked off to Whitewater Golf Club where the reception and portraits would be taking place. I followed behind them anxiously looking forward to taking their portraits. Because the wedding party was so small, we were all able to hop on the golf carts and eventually make our way to one of the back greens that overlook the river. It turned out to be such a nice day that even the ride along the path was very serene.
We spent about 45 minutes total getting to the greens and then taking photos with some of the prettiest backdrops in the city. My favourite moment was when Cara's maid of honour secretly wrote lovely message in the bunker. Of course, this ended up being a great shot as we were finishing up.
It was then time to hop back on the carts and make our way to the reception. Before that began though, we took some time to get the family portraits done. It went by very quick as everyone pretty much did all the shots in one take. No blinkers!
After that I rushed into the reception area to take some nice details photos of the decorations. They were all very lovely. The cake area was particularly beautiful as there were old photos draped around it amongst a vintage looking mirror. I didn't have much time left after this so I got some nice candids of the receiving lines and then a couple speeches and the first kiss.
Whitewater Golf Club is always a great venue and with a such a beautiful day for the wedding it couldn't have gone any better. Cara and Steven were a lot of fun to photograph and I'm very happy with all the great photos I ended up capturing!
