The Trews Time Capsule Tour @ Crocks
Last night, at Crocks, The Trews rolled through town and it was quite the show. Before The Trews went on though, La Reese took the stage. Due to timing on my part, I was only able to catch the last couple songs of La Reese performing, but they sounded really good. I hadn't heard any of their music going into the concert but I will definitely be checking them out.
Heidi + Rob Wedding
As the wedding season winds down for me, it's easy to look back on the year and really appreciate all the amazing couples I had the chance to photograph. Case in point, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to document Heidi and Rob's wedding day. My day started in the early afternoon at the Prince Arthur Hotel where Rob and the guys were getting ready.
When as I arrived, I was great by all the guys, all of whom I was meeting for the first time. I'm a pretty easy going guy so after the quick introductions I just settled in and started taking a ton of candid photos, along with some detail shots. Shortly after I arrived, Rob's father showed up for a bit and helped him prepare for his big day. I came way with so many good photos from that part of the day.
The Hunger 11
Halloween has come and gone but over the weekend I had was fortunate enough to capture all the craziness that was The Hunger 11 in downtown Thunder Bay. This was my third year capturing the event for The Walleye, which was hosted by Definitely Superior Art Gallery. I will continue taking photos of The Hunger as long as I'm able to because it's such a great event. For those who don't know about it, it's a night of live performances at various bars in downtown Port Arthur where people dress up for Halloween to show off their costumes and just have a good old time.
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.
Great Lake Swimmers with Megan Bonnell - @ Crocks
Last night, the Great Lake Swimmers made their way to Thunder Bay along with Megan Bonnell. They played at Crocks and both performances were simply fantastic. Admittedly, I had never heard of Megan Bonnell but she had an amazing voice and put on a really intimate performance. For the first few songs she played the keyboard and for a few other songs she played the guitar. I really love stripped down shows and I'm glad I didn't miss this one.
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.
Thundercon 2016
This year marked the second time Thunder Bay hosted ThunderCon at the Vahalla Inn. I really wanted to check it out last year but I just never got the chance too. Well, this year, I made sure to contact The Walleye to see if they needed any photographic coverage and they immediately said yes. So I packed up my camera gear and headed off to the unknown with my wife Anne.
Alexa + Shawn Wedding - Mine Centre
Ok, so where to start? Officially Alexa and Shawn celebrated their wedding at the begging of October but it really did feel more like an adventure! The wedding took place in Mine Centre, and the reception in Fort Frances, which is 45 minutes away. Since the wedding was out of town, my wife Anne joined me and we made it a little getaway at the same time. I am so used to doing weddings alone here in town that it was so great having my wife join me for this one. Plus, it gave her a chance to relax while I shot the wedding on the Saturday.
Amy + Andy Wedding - Chippewa Park
Amy and Andy recently got married at Chippewa Park this past September, and I was lucky enough to be chosen to photograph it. The wedding itself too place at Chippewa Park, nestled in the forest down this beautiful short trail. I have been to Chippewa many times but I never even knew this little area existed until I arrived for the wedding. It was definitely a pleasant surprise, and as a photographer, I was excited to be able to shoot a completely new location.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Leah + Family Portraits - Hillcrest Park
Hillcrest was one of the latest locations of a family portrait session, and it was a chaotic, but fun one. Anytime kids are involved, there are always going to be great moments to capture. Leah, who is part of my Niece's family, decided to get some family portraits done, seeing as how they were all down for a baptism. There were 3 families in total, including my niece Brittney, and they all had kids. So, suffice it to say, I had my work cut out for me, but in a good way.
Raeanne + Lance Wedding - Valhalla Inn
Raeanne and Lance recently got married this past September and I was fortunate enough to be entrusted to document their day. Each wedding I do is a new adventure and challenge and this one was no exception. Both Raeanne and Lance were such a great couple to photograph and follow around for the day. That also goes for the entire wedding party. Everyone was extremely easy going and that just made my job that much easier.
MMIW Pow Wow - ONWA
This weekend ONWA was host to a very important event, the MMIW POW-WOW. It was a traditional POW-WOW to honour missing and murdered indigenous women. I have done many sessions over the years at ONWA, photographing families, so I know just how important and giving this organization is. My wife Anne and I just got in from Fort Frances this afternoon so we made it there with about 30 minutes left. During those 30 minutes I was able to capture some images of the event. The least I could do is spread the word through photos for such a serious issue.
Anika + Family Portraits - Old Fort William
Last time I photographed Anika and her extended family it was over at the Marina and that was such a blast. So I couldn't wait to see them again with the location being Old Fort William this time around. Right up until the morning of we weren't sure if the weather was going to cooperate but the rain ended up holding off and we managed to get an hour plus of photos in.