The Hunger 12
The Hunger 12 took place this past Saturday in the downtown area of Port Arthur. As the name suggests, this was the 12th year, and I think about the 3rd time I have photographed it. It's always the perfect excuse to dress up, go out, and see all the awesome costumes that everyone came up with. As with the previous years, I was taking photos for The Walleye.
Kim + Ted Family Portraits - Tree Farm
This year alone I have photographed a few sessions at the Tree Farm and it is alway a favourite location of mind. The thing is, it's always in the same area. I always forget that the actual forest is massive and there are a ton of great spots throughout. Well, Kim and Ted suggested that we do their portraits at the Tree Farm but in a different section. I'm so glad they did, because it opened up my eyes to so many new spots.
Brittney + Adam Family Portraits - The Cascades
I always enjoy photographing my niece Brittney and her family. This time around we chose the Cascades as the location for our session and it turned out being perfect weather. It was also a special occasion, as Brittney is due in the coming weeks with her third child. So she also wanted a few maternity photos as well.
As soon as we arrived, Chase and Kayden were off to the races, running around. I'm used to it though, as it is consistent with what they normally do each session .. which I love by the way. I would much rather have that energy then them just sitting there looking at me.
NADF - Business Awards
The Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund Business Awards took place this past Friday at the Valhalla Inn. I was hired to photograph the event and I had a great time doing so. The NADF is a non-profit Aboriginal Financial Institution (AFI) providing business financing and support services to Aboriginal entrepreneurs and businesses to establish, expand, or acquire a business in remote, rural and urban communities in Northern Ontario. The awards presented celebrate the contribution of Indigenous people to the economy of northwestern Ontario.
Jamie + Cory Wedding
One of my last weddings of the year was another family affair. It was my wife’s niece Jamie and Cory’s wedding. It goes without saying that I was very excited to capture it. I knew it would be a fun day, but that didn’t mean that I wouldn’t be working hard all day, which is exactly what happened.
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.
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.
Denise Baxter Headshots
My colleague Denise needed some updated headshots done for her new position at Lakehead University. So, we set aside an hour recently at my new Studio and captured some great photos. I decided to go with a darker grey background because I think it went well with her attire. We got a few different angles, some various lighting setups, and even some 3/4 and full body shots.
Lindy + Tyler Wedding
My wedding with Lindy and Tyler started at the Murphy house, which just so happens to be one of the more beautiful homes in the city. I have only ever done one other wedding there about 4 years ago and it was inside. So, I was very excited when Lindy and Tyler decided to have an outdoor wedding.
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.
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!
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.
CCAB Thunder Bay - Hot Topic Series
This past Thursday, the Valhalla in hosted the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business - Hot Topic Series. As I have mentioned in some of my previous posts, this was another first for me regarding this event. I didn't really know what to expected going in, but as I always do, I just rolled with the punches. The purpose of the event was to focus on partnerships between Canadian companies and Aboriginal communities to launch businesses in urban and rural markets. The discussion explored issues including the creation and alignment of shared goals, team building and management, and resource maximization. There were a variety of speakers at the event and they discussed some of the challenges and also some of the solutions in running a successful business.
Jumpstart 2017 - Lakehead University Hanger
I’m still amazed at how many great events there are going Thunder Bay, and a lot of them I don’t even know about. Case in point, I was asked to photograph Jumpstart this past Friday, which is an event put on by Canadian Tire. Jumpstart’s core purpose is to raise funds, lift spirits and support dreams. If you want to learn more about this great organization, I encourage you to head on over to the website.
St. Patrick's High School - New Football Field Opening Ceremony
This past week I was asked by Firedog Communications to photography the Opening Ceremonies of the St. Patrick's High School new turf football field. There were a lot of students and family there to celebrate the occasion, which is a long time coming. It was my first time seeing the field since it's completion and it looks awesome. The media was there to cover the event as well, and you could just sense the excitement from everyone there.
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.
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.
Dannielle + Steve Wedding
Most of the time my weddings consist of couples I am meeting for the very first time. Everyone once in a while though, I get to photograph an old friend, and in this case, it was Dannielle. We went to the same elementary school way back in the day. Well, when it was time for her to get married to Steve, she ended up contacting me to capture her wedding. Of course I said yes, and that was that.
We did end up doing an engagement session last December and that is when I first met Steve. As soon as I got to know him a little, I could see that they were indeed the perfect fit. It made me all the more excited to eventually photograph their wedding. It also, helped that I knew I would see some old classmates at the wedding too.
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.
Kendal + Richard Wedding - Rose Valley Lodge
Admittedly, Kendal and Richard's Wedding was one I was looking forward to because they seemed like such an amazing couple, and also, because they were getting married at Rose Valley Lodge. I had never photographed there before so I was so excited to be able to. They, and the location did not disappoint!
I arrived at the venue about 1 hour before the wedding which gave me time to get a few getting ready pictures of Kendal. It was in a small wood cabin which was just down the path a bit. There was a lot of natural light in and around the cabin so I was able to get a few beautiful portraits of Kendal and also of the dress.