Talk4Healing Photoshoot - ONWA
When ONWA approached me to help Talk4Healing update all the imagery for their website I jumped at the chance. It all happened in the span of 3 days and before I knew it I was at ONWA photographing a wonderful group of women. For those of you who don’t know, Talk4Healing is a culturally grounded, fully confidential helpline for Indigenous women available in 14 languages all across Ontario.
Emily + Jared Wedding
Emily and Jared got married this past August and once again I was so thankful to be a part of it. For any wedding I do, I always feel honoured to have been chosen and entrusted with such an important day. I was also very excited to finally photograph a wedding at The Chanterelle. I had done a couple events there but not a wedding so it was pretty stoked about that. That is actually where I first started my day with the boys.
Pumpkin Mania 2018 - Belluz Farms
It was a long time coming but I finally got the chance to make the drive out to Belluz Farms Pumpkin Mania 2018. All these years living in Thunder Bay and I had never been to Belluz Farms before. So with my video camera in hand along with my photography camera as well, I set out on the open road to find Belluz Farms.
Elliot Brood @ Crocks Thunder Bay
Last week I was happy to finally see Elliot Brood live at Crocks here in Thunder Bay. I had heard quite a few of their songs over the years so it was great to finally witness their music live. It was an intimate show at Crocks, and if I’m being honest, those are my favourite kind. I photographed the concert for the local newspaper The Walleye, so if you live in Thunder Bay, watch out for some of these photos in next months issue which should be out by next week.
Lakehead University New President Ceremony
This past Saturday I photographed I very prestigious event at Lakehead University in which Chancellor Lyn McLeod officially bestowed Dr. Moira McPherson President and Vice President. I couldn’t believe how many people where there in support of her. Not just honoured guests but colleagues as well.
Best Bite Shawarma - The Walleye
Every once in a while The Walleye asks me to go to a restaurant here in town and photograph one of their dishes for an upcoming issue. If I can do it, I always say yes. I love food, so it’s pretty much a no brainer for me. This time around the restaurant was Best Bite Shawarma. I’m not going to write a review of the food or anything like that. You are better off heading over to The Walleye’s website for that. But I will say that since photographing the dish, I have been back two more times. The food there is amazing and of course the service is just as good.
Festival of Colours 2018
Summers are usually pretty busy for me with weddings and portraits so I’m not always able to make it to some of the local events here in Thunder Bay. Luckily, this year I was free to check out the Festival of Colours down at the Thunder Bay Marina. It is honestly the one event I look forward to most out of the whole year. What’s not to like? You have dancing, colours, unlimited energy and lots of great music.
ONWA 3rd Annual MMIW Pow Wow
It was my second year in a row photographing the MMIW Pow Wow at ONWA. Admittedly, it is one of the events I look forward to most. It's for such an important cause and the amount of people in the community and abroad that show up is amazing to see. For those of you who don't know, MMIW stands for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
Brittney + Adam Family Session - Hillcrest Park
As I have mentioned in previous blog posts I always enjoy portraits sessions where family is involved. This time around it was with my niece Brittney, her husband Adam and the rest of their family. We decided on Hillcrest Park later in the evening and we couldn't have asked for a better day for portraits. The weather was perfect and the sun slowly setting in the sky, so the lighting was ideal.
Thunder at the Bay - Motorsports Extravaganza
I love cars. If I was rich I would probably a whole lot of old vintage cars and probably a few new ones as well. Alas, I do not have that kind of money, so for now, I just photograph them. The Thunder at the Bay car show at the CLE grounds is a yearly event that I very much look forward to. It's the biggest car show of the year here in the Thunder Bay, which means lots and lots of different vehicles to drool over.
Kevin + Ayano Portrait Session - Cascades
Last week I was lucky enough to spend an hour with Kevin and Ayano at Cascades, which is by far one of the nicest locations in town to not only walk around, but of course take portraits. Almost all of my portrait sessions are very casual and natural. We simply went for a walk to the water and stopped along the way to take some beautiful portraits. I also captured some candids along the way as well.
Thunder Bay Ultimate League Night
The Thunder Bay Ultimate League asked me to capture some promotional photos for the upcoming 10th Anniversary season coming up. I am definitely no sports photographer but I jumped at the chance, and challenge, to do so. Having played ultimate frisbee in the past, a long time ago, I understand the game so it somewhat helped me in anticipating moments. It's still a really fast pace sports at time so it was still very challenging.
Faith + Joe Wedding
Every once in a while I am asked to photograph just a small part of a wedding, which is always a nice change of pace. That is exactly what happened for Faith and Joe's wedding. They just needed me for the ceremony and some portraits afterwards. All in all, it was just under 2 hours. Even though it went by very very fast, short weddings like this are extremely fun and challenging in their own right. After all, I still want to make sure I tell their story through my point of view.
BrewHa Craft Beer Festival 2018 - Thunder Bay
It was that time of year again this past weekend, for one my favourite events of the year, the BrewHa Craft Beer Festival. Not only do I love going to it, I absolutely love photographing it. It's such a good time and everyone is so friendly. This year amazed me more then the last in that so many people were actually asking to have their photo taken. That made my job much easier. Regardless, anyone I approached was all for it anyway.
Shelly + Family Portraits - Centennial Park
I was so happy when Shelly asked if I could do another family session with them, this time at Centennial Park which is of course always beautiful. The session was actually a Christmas present for her Mom. I had photographed her and the family before so I knew that it would be fun and relaxed time. As I always do, we just walked and stopped along the way getting a mix of candid and posed photos. Shelly and Jason had some great ideas for portraits too which is always welcome.
Amy + Family Newborn Session
I have lost count how any sessions it has been with Amy and her wonderful family, which is a good thing. I look forward to so many more future session, because each one outdoes the last. Case in point, Amy and David welcome Ellie to the family around 6 weeks ago, so it was a no brainer to get some updated family portraits that include the newest addition to the family.
Buskers Festival 2018 - Thunder Bay
Buskers Festival took place this past weekend and it was even bigger then last years. This meant more people, more performers and of closure more fun for everyone. We also get some really good, if not almost too hot, weather for most of the two days. Anne and I made it out for the tail end of the festival on the Saturday and also on the Sunday as well. We had such a great time walking around seeing all the amazing talent and all the different vendors too.
I captured a few photos over the weekend and you can view those highlights below. Thanks for viewing!
Nicole + Terrence Wedding
Where do I begin with Nicole and Terrence's wedding? It was such an epic and fun day I guess I should just start from the beginning. Upon arriving at their beautiful property on the outskirts of Thunder Bay I parked my car and strapped my cameras on my shoulders. I didn't look back after that because the day just flew by with so many great moments.
Josie + Dan Engagement - Tree Farm
Next month I have the pleasure of photographing Josie and Dan's Wedding but in the meantime, we got out and did their engagement session at the Tree Farm. I've said it many posts before this, but it is by far one of the prettiest locations in town. When you combine that with an amazing couple, you are pretty much guaranteed beautiful photos. That is exactly what we came away with. It also helped that they brought along their dog 'Buddy'. I just love photographing animals, especially dogs.
YLP Embracing Youth Festival - ONWA
ONWA is always hosting great events in and around the community and this time around they had a wonderful event right in their backyard called the YLP Embracing Youth Festival. It was a free festival and it had so many great artists and vendors. I was amazed at how many people showed up.