ONWA Family Portraits

I was asked to come in once again to take some family portraits at ONWA. This is something I do a couple times a year, and I look forward to it each and every time. Usually there are between 5-10 families that come out, but this time around, there were only two. It just meant that I got to spend more time photographing each family. It was also nice to see two new families which I hadn’t photographed before!

The sessions took place during the afternoon and it was a hot sunny day. Luckily, there is a cluster of trees on the grounds which provided some shade So I took both families there and simply captured some nice portraits and candid moments. I always love photographing children so it was awesome that one of the families had a couple kids.

You can view some of the highlights below!

Makaila + Sean Engagement - Thunder Bay Tree Farm

I have been photographing Makaila and her family for the past 4 years, so when she asked me to capture her engagement session I simply couldn’t wait to do so. I’m so thankful to be a part of the next step in their life. Plus, I know it’s always a fun time. I was excited to see Lucas come along as well as their dog Bear, who is so handsome and friendly. So, even though it was an engagement session, it was kind of a family shoot as well which was nice.

We chose the Tree Farm for the location which is always a good choice. This time of year can sometimes result in wet conditions but it was actually really nice out there. All in all it was super fun session with a lot of great little moments. They were usually centred around Lucas who is always a character.

I’m very much looking forward to Lucas’s next birthday session and of course the Makaila and Sean’s wedding coming up in the not so distant future.

Cosbey Quintet Portraits - Trinity United Church

Over the years I have don’t so many family portrait sessions but my latest one with Michelle and her family was probably one of the most unique ones yet. Their family happens to be the Cosbey Quintet and they wanted formal (and casual) portraits of their entire group, which obviously consisted of 5 total people.

They decided to do the session at Trinity United Church which ended up being the perfect location. As much as I love photographing people, adding instruments into the mix, make it even more exciting. I have photographed a lot of bands before and local artists but I haven’t done too many formal portrait sessions with many so I was super excited for this one.

Luckily for me, Michelle and the rest of her family were great in front of the camera. We ended up getting a good mix of photos that they can eventually use for promotional purposes and their website. Hopefully some day in the near future I’m able to get out to one of their actual performances and capture them in action.

For anyone looking to find out more about the Cosbey Quintet, head on over to their Facebook Page.

The Chanterelle - Corporate Photos

The Chanterelle is definitely one of the nicest venues in town to host events, so when they approached me to do some headshots and corporate photography of their employees and venue, I jumped at the chance. Only some of the employees need headshots so once we finished those we did some candid photos and some action shots as well. It all took place in the back lounge which is personally my favourite part of the entire building. I had been there on a few occasions on weddings and events that I have photographed in the past.

We got a lot done in the hour that I was there, but then again, it’s almost impossible not coming away with great photos in a venue such as The Chanterelle. I believe I have a couple more weddings this coming year that are taking place there so I’m very much looking forward to those. If you or anyone you know is looking to book an event, I encourage you to check out their website.

Ashlyn + Family Portraits

My last portrait session of 2018 was one to remember. I think it will go down as the largest hour family session I have ever done, ever. It was Ashlyn’s Dad’s 80th birthday so the whole family was there, and it was so great to see. I laughed because it was almost like an assembly line when we were in the backyard. I would photograph one family and the next would be waiting to go next. I am no way complaining, and I just loved how efficient and organized Ashlyn and her family were. It could have easily taken 1 hour to just get all the groupings done but we did in a little over a half hour.

That meant I still had some time to go inside and capture a few candids of everyone having out. It was really nice to be able to do indoor and outdoor photos all in one session. Once inside, it was a very relaxed atmosphere which meant the candids were extremely natural. Before I knew it, the session was over and it was time to leave. It was fitting end to 2018, and I couldn’t have asked for a better family to ring in the New Year with.

Leshya Family Portraits - Tree Farm

Winter is quickly becoming my favourite time of year for portrait sessions. It’s hard not to like it when you get to spend an hour at the snowy tree farm with a family like Leshya’s. Here parents were visiting from out of town for a short while so we planned this session over a month ago to make sure we can get some portraits of everyone. Plus, Leshya is 8 months pregnant, so that’s another reason to get some photos as well. Oh, and it’s also Christmas Eve .. so why not right?

As I mentioned above, the weather was perfect and the conditions at the Tree Farm were amazing. Right off the bat I know Leshya and her family were going to be very fun to photograph. It ended up being even more fun then then I thought! Everyone had a great sense of humour and were willing and able to pretty much do anything I told them to. Plus, they had plenty of improvisations of their own. It was a good mix of canid and naturally posed photos.

I told Leshya, that if we ever do another session, that she has to bring her two dogs. Supposedly they are very energetic but I think I’m up for the task. We will have to see how it goes!

Kimberly + Family Portraits

Kimberly and her family invited me out to their house in the country to capture some portraits of everyone and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to do so. The drive out there was beautiful and once I pulled into the driveway and saw the house I was amazed how beautiful it was too! I knocked on the door and was greeted by Kimberly. Everyone was just finishing up getting ready so I used those few minutes to scope out the property and look for interesting backdrops which was definitely very easy to come by.

Right off the bat I was greeted by Teddy, their dog, and he gave a personal guided tour with a stick in his mouth. As I checked out the property I played with him a bit and got some good initial photos. I could photograph animals all day if I had the chance, so I had a blast capturing photos of him throughout the session.

Once everyone made their way outside, we headed to the backyard amongst the tall trees. Did I mention how beautiful Kimberly’s property was yet? They were such a fun family to photograph. I always use a sense of humour when I take photos and they were all right on point with me. It made for a super relaxed atmosphere. We spent most of the time in the backyard but I did want to make sure I got some photos in front of the wood shed as well. It had a lot of character and some of my favourite photos came from that area. One of them being Kimberly posing with Teddy.

Lastly, we got one last group photo on the deck overlooking the backyard. After that I was done! It was such a fun session and I love going to families homes and spending some time getting to know them and hopefully capturing some memories that will last them the rest of their lives.

Kayla + Family Portraits

Kayla was given a gift certificate for a one hour session with me and we decided to take the photos this past weekend. They have a house right on Lake Superior so it was the perfect setting. I always enjoy big family shoots the most because there is just so much variety. Plus, whenever kids are involved, it makes it that much more fun. I just love photographing kids.

We spent the first part of the session outside right by the water which was the perfect backdrop. Even though it was a bit windy, we came away with some great photos. Before we headed inside I asked everyone to go around the house and we did a few more quick photos there as well. It wasn’t as windy there!

To end the session, I spent some time inside just grabbing some candids of the kids being kids. That was definitely my favourite part of the session. It was great meeting Kayla and her entire family and I hope I helped create at least a few memories that will be passed along throughout the years.

Alex Portraits - Tree Farm

This past Sunday I had a great time with Alex, his girlfriend and another friend at the Tree Farm. It was a 30 minute session and it went by fast but the resulting photos turned out great. The reasoning behind the session was because Alex’s mom essentially ordered him to get updated portraits as a Christmas present. So we had a good laugh at that at the beginning of the session.

Everyone was a tiny bit nervous at the start but as you can see from the photos they became complete naturals by the end. The Tree Farm is definitely one of the nicest locations in town to get family portraits done and the weather was perfect that day too. Thanks again to Alex for letting me capture some memorable photos. I hope his family likes them!

ONWA Family Portraits - Christmas

Earlier in the week I did one of my recurring portrait sessions at ONWA. This time around there were 4 families which ended up being plenty. It allowed a bit more time for each family which resulted in even more photos than usual. Seeing as how it was pretty cold out, we decided to just set up indoors. As much as I love how the outdoor photos turn out, it just made much more sense to do it inside, especially with the families with babies.

Luckily ONWA still had their backdrop up from their Poetry Night which I photographed as well. So I just had to worry about bringing some of my studio lights. Once I set up we were off the races. There were actually a few families I hadn’t photographed before so that’s always great to see. As usual, I think everyone had a lot of fun and shows in the photos. Even the little ones behaved for the most part. Although, it was tough at times propping them up on the chair and not having them slide down slowly! We made it work though.

I’m very much looking forward to the next session in the Spring, and I hope the weather is much warmer by then.

Heather + Family Portraits - Mission Marsh

Even though winter is here, it hasn’t been ‘too’ cold so it’s great being able to get out and so some portraits sessions. This past Sunday, I met up with Heather and her family down at the Mission Marsh. I figured this time of year it would be quite pretty with the snow and it indeed was. From the trails to the beach area to the boardwalks, there are plenty of different spots to take advantage of. It is right on Lake Superior so there are certain spots that can get quite windy. Luckily, I always try and keep things moving.

Of course Zoey was the star of the session and she led the way most of the time. That’s ok though, because I love photographing children. She was the perfect little model too. Every time I asked to take her photo with everyone else, or especially on her own, she posed right away. So much so, that I had to work to get a few good candids of her!

Since Thunder Bay has seen some decent snow over the past couple weeks the trails and forest were covered with a nice layer of it. It was pretty easy to come away with great photos because everyone was so natural. The main reason we did the session this weekend was because Heather’s parents were visiting from out of town so the timing worked out perfect.

I could have easily spent another 1 hour photographing everyone it was that much fun. I’m looking forward to the next session!

Zaylee Mae Cake Smash Session

Zaylee Mae will be turning one very soon so her mom Brittney decided it would be a good opportunity to do a cake smash! Using the word smash may be a bit generous, but you get the idea. Zaylee Mae definitely needed a bit of encouragement to even touch the cake which was quite funny. For the first few minutes she just stared at it, not really knowing what to do. Once Brittany gave her a little taste of the cake Zaylee settled right in.

By the end of the session she had a face full of cake and a smile on her face. Although, there was a tiny bit of crying mixed in to and I made sure to capture some of those photos. At the very least, they can be used at her wedding way down the road. I apologize in advance!

Overall it was a very fun session and I’m sure by the time she turns two she will be much more aggressive with the cake.