Cydney + Tyler Engagement - Trow Bridge Falls

My latest engagement session was kind of a unique one because Cydney and Tyler were visiting Thunder Bay for a couple days from Minnesota. They decided to hire me to take their engagement photos while on vacation, in a city they had never been before. How cool is that!? Suffice it to say, I jumped at the opportunity. 

The next step was deciding on a location that would wow them. After all, I wanted to make sure they saw some of the beauty Thunder Bay had to offer. I thought Trow Bridge would be a good location for that. It has the beautiful trails and amazing rapids. 

As with most couples I meet for the first time, they were a bit nervous for the beginning of the session but that quickly faded. Aside from choosing the locations in the park and a little bit of direction, Cydney and Tyler were so easy to photograph. 

During the session I gave them some ideas for spots to explore in Thunder Bay so hopefully they took me up on some of them. I know they weren't in Thunder Bay for too long but I'm so honoured that they chose me to capture such a special occasion. 

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. 

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.

Min + Brooke Family Portraits - Mission Marsh

This was my second time photographing Min, Brooke and the rest of the family. For this particular session, I wanted to mix it up a bit and do a few different locations. Luckily, Min and her family were up for it! I decided to focus on the Mission Marsh area as well as the area around it. I couldn't believe how much taller Charlotte was since the last time I saw her. Of course there was also Shelby, their dog who joined as well.

The first stop was along the trails in East End. We didn't stay too long, but I did manage to get a few initial family group photos and a bunch of Charlotte who was instantly posing for the camera.

After we finished there, we hopped back into the vehicles and drove to where all the deer hang out on the dirt road. I asked Min if she and her family were up for more a rustic background and she was totally down for it. There are a ton of great hidden backdrops if you look hard enough and my absolute favourite is an abandoned car in the field. Some of my favourite photos from the session came from that spot. 

When we were done with the car, I peeked around the corner and there was a huge hollow pipe that Charlotte absolutely fell in love with. It was hard to pull her away as she kept on wanting to play in it. It was worth it though, as she provided me with a gem of the photos which you can see below.

The last stop on the was at Mission Marsh. By the time we got there the sun was perfectly low in the sky and I got some great backlit photos. It was so awesome photographing such a laid back and go with the flow family. I even managed to get some keepers of Shelby.  

Jamilee + Michael Engagement - Kam River Park

Over the weekend I got the chance to photograph another fun engaged couple in Jamilee and Michael. We decided on Kam River Park as the location. The weather ended up being perfect once again, so it turned out to be the perfect session. I had actually photographed both Jamilee and Michael, as well as their family in the past. This time around it was just about them though!

Kam Park is one of the 'new' locations I have been suggesting to a few engaged couples booking with me. Even though I have now done a couple session in a row there, that doesn't mean the photos are going to be the same. If anything, it has challenged me to find different angles and perspectives to work with. Of course it helps that each couple is completely different and unique which creates a totally different look and feel. 

We ended up walking around Kam River Park, stopping here and there, and just having both Jamilee and Michael simply interact. I really try to keep these engagement sessions as natural as possible with minimal direction. There is nothing against completely posed photos, I'm just more of a photo journalistic type of guy. 

Before our time was up, we quickly drove to Simpson Street and took advantage of this huge brick wall that I have been wanting to use for the longest time. The photos captured by this wall were my favourite photos of the session.

Jamilee and Michael were so amazing to work with and I'm glad I was able to spend an hour with them capturing some moments along the way.

Megan + Nick Engagement - Kam River Park

I'm currently running a small Facebook promotion for engaged couples looking to explore some different locations in town. The response I got so far was amazing, and one of the first couples to book a session was Megan and Nick. It was my first time meeting them that day, but it didn't take long for me to see just how great of a couple they were.

Megan and Nick decided they wanted to start the session at Starbucks, which is where Megan used to work, and also where they got engaged. So, that particular location was the perfect one to start at. I decided to simply get some candid photos showing natural moments between them, just like if they were hanging out by themselves. 

The next stop on our session, which I suggested was Kam River Park. It's not necessarily an unknown location, but I don't think it's really used all that much for photo sessions. That's why I decided to recommend it to a few initial couples. 

What I like most about Kam Park, is that it actually has a lot of different spots within it, including the Via Train, the tunnels, the boardwalk and some of the views. We literally took advantage of all of them. Megan and Nick were very easy to photograph and most of the time I didn't even really have to direct them. It's hard not to have a certain posed nature to engagement sessions, but I think we found nice balance, and Megan and Nick played a huge part in that. 

If this session was any indication, I can't wait to meet all the other couples that have taken me up on my offer. I couldn't have asked for a better first engaged couple to photograph in Megan and Nick.

For those interested, you can view my current promotion by clicking here!

Amy + Brad Family Portraits - Chippewa Park

I had the pleasure of photographing a new family a couple days ago at Chippewa Park. Amy, Brad, Jared and Beau were such an awesome family to photograph, I really hope I get to do it again next year. One of the main reasons I love family portrait sessions is admittedly the possibility of kids being present. They always have so much energy and emotion, and this session was no different. 

I think Beau was a bit confused by me at first, as you can tell by the first photo. He was definitely sizing me up and determining if he was going to smile at all for that day. Luckily, it didn't take long for him to warm to me. Jared, on the other hand, was going from the minute they arrived. I didn't see him at first as I met Amy and Brad at their vehicle, but that was because he was already at the park running around. He didn't stop running the entire session. But, he did give me some good moments and poses throughout. 

This time of year, Chippewa is always nice. The colours were out and the weather was decent. It was a bit chilly but it was actually kind of nice. I tried to keep the session moving at a good pace because I know kids don't have the longest attention span. I essentially let Jared lead the way for most of the session, or, at least make him think he was. :)

I couldn't have asked for a more fun family to spend an hour with!

Lucas' 4th Birthday - Tree Farm

One of the best things about being a photographer, at least for me, is creating relationships with families over the years, and seeing how quickly the children grow up. Case in point, Lucas is already 4 years old, and it truly seems like yesterday that I was photographing him on his 1st birthday. That first session was essentially propping him up on a chair and trying to capture photos before he started losing interest. This session, is now running in behind him trying to get him to settle down and pose for a few seconds. 

The location for this session was the tree farm. It was the perfect setting and right away, Lucas loved it. As always, Makaila brought a good amount of props which allowed from some truly unique photos. Of course, Lucas was proud to use every single one of them. He continually announced to everyone that it was his party. I'm lucky that I was invited. :)

From what everyone told me, Lucas is quite the hockey player so he made sure to bring his hockey stick. Along with posing for some great shots, he also decided to snapshot some pine combs at me while taking his picture. Something he greatly enjoyed. Lucas had so much energy and you can really see that in the highlights below. I really can't wait until his 5th birthday next year!

Carter + Kaylee Portraits - Friendship Gardens

This was my third session with Carter and Kaylee and this time around we chose to do the portraits at Friendship Gardens. Each time I photograph them, I'm amazed at just how fast they grow up. The entire session was basically everyone following Carter around while he screamed at the birds. Suffice it to say, he had a great time. Even with a few falls here and there he recovered instantly. Luckily, Kaylee was able to keep him in line for a few posed shots here and there. 

Fall is by far my favourite time of year for portraits. The colours are just so beautiful and easy to come away with great photos. I simply can't wait until next years session and see how much bigger both Carter and Kaylee get. Thanks as always to Lincoln and Vicki for letting me spend 30 minutes with their beautiful children!

Brenden + Anika Family Portraits - Centennial Park

My latest portrait session took place at Centennial Park with Brenden, Anika and their little girl, Delilah. It was a very relaxed session and I was amazed at how calm Delilah was in from of the camera. She was actually the perfect little model. As were Brended and Anika, who I hardly had to tell what to do. 

We took advantage of some of the cabins as backdrops, beautiful red tractor and finally the barn area. Unfortunately there were no horses out, but that didn't stop us. We ended the session with a few photos in the trail by the entrance. I still can't believe how quickly the hour went by. Brenden mentioned getting some extended family portraits done in the near future so I can't wait for that!

Julie + Family Portraits - Wild Goose Bay

My latest portrait session took place at yet another location that I had never photographed at before, Wild Goose Bay. Julie wanted some family portraits while they were all visiting here in Thunder Bay, and also because it was her parents 50th wedding anniversary. I of course jumped at the chance. 

As soon as I arrived at their house right on Wild Goose Bay, I introduced myself to the family and quickly scouted out their beautiful property. It was the middle of the afternoon so the biggest challenge was working with sun, but as long as you have shade, you can come away with some great photos. 

The side of the house was painted blue and completely in the shade so were off to the races. I was able to capture some extremely natural posed family photos along with some great candids of the kids, who were full of energy. 

Even though it was sunny, that was no reason to hide from it, so we also took advantage of the gorgeous view of Lake Superior and the Sleeping Giant. It was such a fun session and I couldn't believe just how natural everyone was in front of the camera. Everyone also had their own ideas for certain photos which I always encourage. 

Not only was it a beautiful location, it was an equally beautiful family which I felt honoured to capture. 

Hassanali + Family Portraits - Loon Lake

This past weekend marked the second time I had the pleasure to photograph Hassanali and his family. The first time I did so was a couple years ago and took place at Centennial Park. For this particular session, they were renting out a cottage on Loon Lake, so it was the perfect location. 

Just like last time, Hassanali had some of this family visiting it from the States as well as overseas. Seeing as how the cottage was very beautiful, I decided to use it as a backdrop. Plus, it was the only real shade so it made perfect sense. Everyone was so much fun and natural to photograph that it really made my job super easy. I even got a couple suggestions here and there for poses or spots to use, and I am always open to that. 

The majority of the session was spent capturing the different combinations for family photos but I was able to sneak in a few candid shots as well. All in all, it was a pleasure spending an hour of my time with Hassanali and their family, and I think the photos reflect just how great of a time everyone had! 

Angie + Family Portraits - A Day in Quebec

This particular portrait session wasn't really your typical one, seeing as how it was purely family. During our trip to Ottawa a couple weeks ago, we managed to set aside a couple days to go visit my cousin Angie and her family up at their cottage in Quebec. It was the first time I had seen my cousin in a long, long time and the very first time I had met the rest of her family as well. Suffice it to say, I was very excited. 

The cottage itself was located in Gracefield, Quebec. A place neither me or Anne had ever been before, so we didn't know what to expect. The drive up was beautiful and we could tell right away that it was going to be very nice, just from the views we saw along the way. It only took about 1.5 hours to drive from downtown Ottawa to the cottage, which really wasn't that bad at all. As soon as we pulled in, we noticed no one was around. We checked inside the cottage itself quickly and no sign of life. In the distance, we heard talking and laughter and realized that everyone was down at the dock, which made perfect sense, seeing how nice it was outside. 

So we made our way down got acquainted with everyone. My Uncle Don and Auntie Pat were visiting as well which was awesome. I hadn't seen them in a few years too. In a way, it was a bit of family reunion. My cousin Angie joked ahead of time that we didn't have bring anything and we could stay the night, only if I agreed to take photos of her and her family. It was a deal I couldn't refuse. 

As I mentioned above, this wasn't really a traditional session as I was taking candid photos all day. Once the sun went down a bit, that's when they all got changed and we did some 'formal' portraits. If you could do all my portrait session like that, I would be simply amazing. We were able to go out on the boat for a while and generally just hang out on the dock and have fun swimming and eating. 

It was so nice being able to spend time with family and also come away with some really great moments that I know Angie and everyone else will hopefully cherish.