Darla + Family Portraits

My first portrait session this past weekend just goes to show that even though it's winter, it shouldn't stop you from getting outside with your family and getting some photos done. That's exactly what I did with Darla and her family, and the results were awesome. The occasion was actually a special one, in that it was her mom's 60th birthday. I couldn't think of a better reason to get the whole family together for some portraits. 

As soon as I arrived I met Darla and her mom Darlene, along with the rest of the family. Before we got to settled inside, I suggested that we go to their backyard to take some outdoor photos. It was a bit cold for the kids but they managed to survive and it was totally worth it. It helped that it wasn't too cold out, it was a pretty mild afternoon. 

Once we finished outside it was time to head inside the house. I spent the last 30 minutes or so just following around the family and capturing moments. There were some posed photos of course, otherwise I was simply staying in the background. I came away with some real keepers! It obviously helped that Darla and her entire family were so easy to work with. 

ONWA Family Portraits

Whenever November rolls around I get really excited because it usually means I get to photograph some wonderful families over at ONWA. This year, the weather held out just long enough to do some outdoor portraits of 8 different families. I have lost track of how many of these sessions that I have done, but I do know that each one gives me the opportunity to meet some new families and also catch up with a few recurring ones. 

Since the weather cooperated, I once again took advantage of the huge yard ONWA has. Even though the leaves have long since fallen, the trees near the back portion of the grounds were a great spot. They also had a very convenient wood pile by the fence which proved to be an amazing backdrop. 

As always, every single family was a joy to photograph, and it just makes me even that much more excited for the next session which should be sometime around next spring. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Amy + Family Portraits - Centennial Park

My second session of the day this past weekend was with yet another family that I have had the pleasure to photograph before. Amy and her family chose to do a mini session at Centennial Park and, as you would expect, the photos turned out awesome! We started off at the playground and let everyone play around a bit which allowed me to get some very candid photos. We eventually made our way down to the cabins along the train tracks and managed to get everyone to sit still for a few moments so we can get some family shots. 

Usually for sessions like this where there are 3 children, a lot of the photos are going to be candid, which is right up my alley. It's just so hard to get kids to sit still and pose, and plus, the candid photos are the ones that I find usually stand out the most. In any case, I was able to get a good mix of photos this time around all in 30 minutes!

Amy and her family are always so fun to photograph, and as I mentioned in my previous post, it's always great seeing the kids grow up a bit each year.

Tyra + Family Portraits - Tree Farm

I ended the weekend with another family portrait session, but in this case it was actually family. Tyra and her family are very close and I have been photographing them casually over the years. This time around, Tyra decided to make it a formal portrait session at the Tree Farm so that's where we did it, and it was super fun. Not only did we have the youngest one there Jaime, Tyra also brought her to 'not small' dogs. We definitely had our work cut out for us but I think I was able to come away with some really good photos. 

Of course, about 5 minutes in, Jaime decided to fall down in a puddle of mud. At least he got that out of the way. It wouldn't have been a true portrait session with out at least one kid getting dirty. The Tree Farm is always a good location because it's just a nice casual walk and there are unique spots to stop along the way. With and hour to work with, we were never felt rushed, although it was getting dark kind of fast, especially with all the tall trees. 

As you would expect from photographing family everyone was comfortable and I think it shows in the photos. It was definitely a good way to end a busy weekend of photos! I think I will be photographing Cora's 40th birthday this weekend which is going be a Mad Hatter party. Stay tuned for those photos!

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. 

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. 

Krista + Family Portraits

It's been a busy Fall season for portraits and I couldn't be happier. This by far my favourite time of year to take photos and I'm so glad that families are taking advantage of the beautiful colours and warm weather. Krista decided to get family portraits done just down the street where she lives by the waterfront. I'd like to think I know most of the areas in town but I have come to realize that there are still so many locations out there that I didn't even know existed. Case in point, my photo session with Krista and her family. Let's just say that I was pleasantly surprised at how awesome of a location it was.

It also helped they everyone was so fun and easy going. Whether it was the train tracks or climbing up on the ledge to overlook the city, we managed to take advantage of some truly memorable spots. Also, it doesn't always work out perfectly with timing, but I also managed to get everyone out just around the golden hour, which as any photographer knows, produces some of the best light. 

I think I will definitely be heading back to this location for another session sometime soon. I just need to find a family to join me. 

Karyn + Family Portraits - Friendship Gardens

For my second family session of the day, I had the opportunity to photograph Karyn and her family and Friendship Gardens. Surprisingly, I haven't done too many sessions here and I'm not sure why. It's actually quite beautiful and there are so many great little spots to take photos. Plus, it's so well kept by the city. I could tell Karyn and her family were a tiny bit nervous at first being in front of the camera but it didn't last long at all. As soon as we did the first couple shots we were off to the races. 

Since the park is somewhat big, we basically just slowly walked around and stopped here and there. Everyone was so easy going and pretty much welling to do whatever I suggested. I still can't believe how fast the session flew by. Thanks again to Karyn and her family for a fun filled portrait session on a very nice Thanksgiving Monday.

Kristi + Tobin Family Portraits - Centennial Park

In reality, I have only been doing professional photography for about 6 years now. But in that time, I have had the chance to photograph families multiple times and Kristi and Tobin are one of those families. My favourite part of photographing the same family each year is that you get to see the kids grow up in the process. That, and it's that much more comfortable when you already know the family, especially the kids.

We chose Centennial Park for this session because it's Fall and the colours are just right. Plus, it's always a beautiful location to shoot portraits at. As I do with most of my portraits session, we set up for a few posed photos but the majority of the shots were just candid ones. where I simply let everyone interact and let the moments happen. 

My favourite part of the session was when we finished off by the water. Those were definitely some of my favourite photos. I really can't wait until next years session!

Jayme + Charlie Engagement - Trow Bridge Falls

Jayme and Charlie's wedding day isn't until next year but that didn't mean we could take advantage of this great Fall weather and get out for an engagement session. That's exactly what we decided to do! The location they chose was Trow Bridge Falls, which couldn't have been a more perfect setting. With the leaves slowly falling and the water flowing it provided a fantastic backdrop. It also helped that I had such wonderful couple to work with.

They mentioned that Charlie originally proposed at Niagara Falls while they lived in Southern Ontario, so, since they have recently moved back home to Thunder Bay, they figured it was fitting to do the engagement photos at some local Falls. 

It was an hour session so we had plenty of time to try out different spots at Trow Bridge. The first area we used was the bridge overlooking the Falls. I have always loved that bridge and, if done right, it allows for some truly majestic photos. The reason I loved photographing Jayme and Charlie so much was because they were so natural in front of the camera. 

We eventually made our way down to the water and that's where they broke out the champagne. Jayme also brought a very nice blanket which was the perfect contrast to the backdrop. Suffice it to say, these were some of my favourite photos of the session. 

Just before we finished off, we took a moment to capture a few more photos on the swings and by the colourful forest. It was a perfect end to a beautiful engagement session. After meeting Jayme and Charlie, I'm even more excited to shoot their wedding next year.