James & Ian Get Hitched

When James and Ian first met more than ten years ago, getting married wasn’t an option for them.  That’s okay because they were happily coupled, with two cats and a yard and weren’t going to get married anyways.
And then Ian proposed to James one night over dessert, when James was least expecting it.  And of course James said yes.

I’m lucky enough to work with James in our daily lives at OCAD University and being able to join him and Ian to share in this day was really a great honour.

The sky was spotted with clouds threatening to literally rain on our parade, but we managed to run between the raindrops and capture some wonderful moments of this fantastic day.

James and Ian got married in a beautifully intimate garden ceremony in their backyard where they had already built so many memories  together.  The space was gorgeously laid out with white crisp linens, fresh flowers, and light jazz in the background.  Guests arrived and were treated to a the couple’s home, transformed into a suave summer celebration.

Joining their lives surrounded by their closest friends and family, one could feel the joy, the excitement and warmth of the shared union.

Seeing them together, anyone can tell that James and Ian have a relationship that is built on love, laughter and a genuine connection.  These two are fun, funny, compassionate and know how to throw a great party!

It’s awesome to me to think that love like this exists after ten years of partnership.And for the record, these two were able  to totally pull of the effortless and totally casual, “I just walked out of a magazine” look. Hello suave fellow! You have one lucky groom!

The handsomeness here is outrageous. I’m also completely okay with the fact that isn’t a word.

I mean look at these guys. Are they a gorgeous couple, or what?The reception that followed their ceremony in the garden was truly and perfectly relaxed and filled with all of my favourite things: great food (delicious cheese!), cupcakes, lots of laughter and love, love, love.

Once night fell, the yard was spotted with votive candles, and retro-styled lights dotted along the perimeter of the party.  Groups of gusts fell into cozy conversation below a deep blue summer night.James and Ian, thank you so much for allowing me to share in such a wonderful, fun and genuinely loving day. You two are awesome!

Baby Hazel

I had a sneaking suspicion that Vanessa was going to have a baby boy.  I’m not entirely sure why I thought Vanessa was brewing a little gentleman, but I did.  Tom and Vanessa have a beautiful little girl, Lucy who has piercing blue eyes, curly blonde hair and a love of monsters.  Maybe I thought that a baby boy would be the perfect little sibling for Lucy.  I heard that Vanessa went in to labour on Wednesday and that night I had a dream about Tom and Vanessa’s baby – that they welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world.  Thursday I woke to find that my dream had been true and baby Hazel was welcomed into their family!

When I first met Hazel, I couldn’t get over how much she looks like her big sister Lucy did at the same age.  Though Hazel is certainly (for now!) much more of a brunette.

Hazel was perfection the entire time we were photographing together.  After an initial little cuddle to send her off into dream land, she barely peeked open her eyes to check what all the fuss was about.

Tom and Vanessa have a really lovely home, and after Lucy was born, Tom rebuilt the back sun room, which is where we did the majority of our photos. It’s such a beautiful sun-filled space, and I just adore the dark wood floors and the butter yellow walls. This space has been in a few photoshoots before!

We brought sleeping Hazel from the sunroom out to the front porch to photograph her with the blooming clematis, which Vanessa referred to fondly associating it with the birth of her new baby girl. I can imagine many years from now, Vanessa seeing the clematis blooming and telling Hazel all about the day in May that she was born.

I just love this family and seeing them grow is such a wonderful thing!

Grooms Look Good Too

Having posted about why a bride would have photos taken of her getting ready, I thought I’d follow-up with why a groom would want images taken of himself getting ready. These kinds of photos can be very similar to a bride getting ready, but also very different too (a groom usually doesn’t have a gigantic lace up dress to get into).

Not too many couples opt for photos of the groom getting ready, but honestly I just love these kinds of photos. There is a different energy with a group of guys, and maybe it’s having a pair of brothers myself, but I love just hanging out and relaxing with the grooms dudes.

Photos of a groom preparing for his wedding day can often consist of similar elements: detail shots of things he will be wearing like shoes, a tie, his boutonniere, cufflinks or any other special items.

During these photos, I often try to act as much as a “fly on the wall” as possible.  Perhaps it is the grooms that I have had the pleasure of working with, but I find that these men are less likely to enjoy being the centre of photographic attention, so I try to capture these gentle creatures in their natural habitats (or rather, just allow them to be as they are end take photos along the way).

Typically, I’ll get images of the guys having fun and being themselves – playing video games, smoking a cigar, or enjoying a beer.  Other times, I get images of the groom dressing, putting on his tie, and making last minute adjustments.

A groom having his boutonniere pinned on by his mother or another friend or family member is a great opportunity to show off a little bit of love.

All in all, the preparation by the couple is all part of telling the fantastic story of the whole wedding day, that I just love telling!

Be Prepared

As a young child, I was a Girl Guide.  I loved getting badges, learning how to use a compass and fashioning a few sticks and string into a crafty towel rack.  Although the motto of Scouting is “Be Prepared,” I have always found great affinity for this saying.  Perhaps it is because the founders of Scouting and Guiding were husband and wife, that I have simply transferred my knack for preparation to my own life through my association with Guiding.

I’ve always been one who carefully plans and orchestrates. Some might call it being a “control freak” but I prefer to think of it as knowing where my path and pants are at any particular moment in time.  When I was in high school I clearly remember having this train of thought about a test in a class:

Success on a test = Good grades
Good grades = Acceptance into university
Acceptance into university = Meeting Mr. Right
Meeting Mr. Right = Blissful marriage
Blissful marriage = Perfect family
Perfect family = Happiness

Therefore, my success on this test (at the tender age of 15) was directly linked to my future happiness.

Okay, so maybe this thinking was slightly flawed. I did not meet the future Mr. Angie in university. And the perfect family does not necessarily equal happiness. But it does however speak to my careful forethought and love of preparation.

My penchant for careful organization is evidenced the night before I photograph a wedding – a night like tonight!

Aside from the years of practice and training, I have a pretty rigorous routine of ensuring that I am READY to rock and roll shortly after I show up at the wedding venue.

Firstly, I check the weather. I have over the years, amassed a few large umbrellas and if there is the slightest hint of showers in the forecast I will ensure I pack them in the car, just in case.  The weather also helps me assess what I should wear. I must always have pockets. Pockets are imperative.

I check all of my camera gear to ensure everything is in good working order.  I clean lenses and locate the lens caps that have gone astray and batteries that have found their way into drawers and the bottom of bags.

I then start charging all of the batteries in existence. Ever. Or maybe that’s just what it feels like. I have back ups for the back ups.  I format the storage cards for the camera and I adjust all of the settings in my camera too.  I check the contract, print off extra copies of the photo list, the timeline for the day and important contact information. I look up and input all of the locations into my GPS (though I have usually scoped out the venue beforehand if I haven’t been before, to check out my favourite spots for potential photos).

I empty the important contents of my purse into my camera bag and leave the rest at home.  The important things of course… like chapstick and sunscreen.

Finally, I have a glass of wine, open a wedding magazine or blog and soak up the inspiration while listening to some rockin’ music (like Eye of the Tiger!)

So, all those years of worrying about those high school tests have ensured I don’t forget sunscreen on a wedding day. I think that’s pretty good.

Getting Ready Photos for a Bride

Why in the heck would anyone want photos of themselves getting ready for a wedding?
That’s actually a really good question.

For me, taking photos of a wedding is made that much more special with being allowed to start with the bride (and groom) before they arrive at the ceremony location. There’s an energy of excitement, of quiet (and loud!) moments with family and close friends who the couple have chosen to be with the bride before she joins her life to another.

Getting ready photos allow, in my opinion, for a fuller telling of the story and for some often requested and desired detail shots of the important elements of the couple’s person items.

A bride’s preparation for her wedding is a careful one, with all of the details of which earrings to wear and how her make up will look being dreamed of long before the day.

Often times, as the photographer, I’ll take a few moments to capture items while the bride  is getting ready. This too allows them to get used to the idea of having another person in their space, photographing them.

I will always ask, if time permits for the bride to wait getting into her dress until I have had an opportunity to photograph it, and then to be able to photograph her getting into it as well.

Photographing a bride getting into her dress gives a unique opportunity to capture special moments between a bride and her close family, like her mother, or her bridesmaids.

There is often laughter and joy in those anxious getting ready images, which show how important it really is.

The last-minute preparations by a bride, capturing her thoughts, writing her vows or a love letter to be passed off later to her soon-to-be husband.

This time often allows for capturing images of the wedding party in their element as well.Honestly, the getting ready images are some of my favorite of the entire day. They exemplify the nervous and excited energy before vows are said.  These images capture the bride with her closest friends and relatives as they send her off to her new life with her partner. It’s exciting! It’s fun and it’s full of love.

A Photographer Looking for a Photographer

I look at a lot of other photographers websites and blogs. A LOT.

I’ve heard some people say that this is a bad idea, that in doing so, one might compare their work to another’s and feel less awesome about their own work another such thing. A wise friend of mine once told me, “comparison is the thief of joy.” I will admit that sometimes I look at others photographer’s work and think about how my own could be better. But to me, this just pushes and encourages me to work harder and better. I love seeing what other photographers are doing because I love weddings!

Looking for a photographer for my own wedding has been a strange and surreal experience. It’s taking the casual browsing of my colleagues work to a whole other level. Because I’m not just a bride, I’m a bride who is also a photographer. I’m practically planning the wedding with a photographers eye in mind.

So how to choose my own photographer?
Here is what I was looking for:

• A photographer whose style of shooting and editing is classic. While I love trendy filters applied to images – I want my images to last a lifetime and to be able to speak on their own
• A photographer who Evan and I can get along with. We’ll be spending the majority of one of the most important days of our lives with this person
• A photographer who is fun and can bring a vivacious fun to their images and their couples. This kind if energy really shows in images, I think!
• A photographer whose style is a good mixture of photojournalistic candid images and posed images that don’t look stiff or posed
• Someone who is detail oriented. I love both the images of the small details, but also the pull back of a whole scene or event.
• Someone who is creative and can feel comfortable bringing that to our wedding (we’re creative too and would appreciate it!)

I think my list of what I was looking for in a photographer is probably longer than a lot of other people’s, and it’s probably because
I live and breathe it every day.

So I started with photographers whose work I knew in Toronto, who I have met and who I liked. I went to their websites and read about them, looked at their portfolios and checked out their Facebook pages.

The experience of being a bride has forced me to learn so many valuable lessons in viewing my world from this lens.

After a whole lot of research (or what I called “research”, but was really a lot of drooling over gorgeous wedding photos), we met up with a pair of photographers who work as a team, one of whom I’d met at a ReSTARt get together.  It was a great meet up over coffee where we chatted about Bronies, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Pirates and Humanism.  To me, they satisfy all of the things I was looking for, and more!

Evan and I have now officially booked Anita and Pat from Rhythm Photography! We’re pretty psyched to spend the day with them, and I for one, while nervous about it, can’t wait to be on the other side of the camera for the day.

Spring is Springing!

I think with this weekend’s lovely weather, spring is perhaps finally and officially on its way.  Finally.

I feel like spring has been a long time coming this year, and I’m anxious to get out and about in the gardens and for the threat of snow to be a long, long ways away.

Evan and I were for a walk to the Toronto Botanical Gardens and Edwards Gardens, but to enjoy the lack of snow and to enjoy the first tiny signs of spring.

Evan was… uhm… very “helpful” in the photographing of the pussy willows, you see.  There is a very special spot in my heart for pussy willows. When I was a kid my next door neighbours had a magnificent pussy willow tree in their backyard. The story went that their son had brought home a bouquet for his mother that had a spring of pussy willow in it, and had later stuck the stick in the middle of the background. And it just turned into a tree.  There was always something so magically tactile to me about the pussy willow blossoms, and not being allowed to have a cat of my own as a child, it was akin to petting tiny little kittens that grew on branches.

Our walk did give me an opportunity to (at times not purposefully) turn the camera to Evan. Hello handsome!

So I think this is solid proof that spring has arrived, and is here to stay. I might even take the snow brush out of my car for the rest of the season. Or is that tempting fate too much? Perhaps I should wait a few more weeks just to be sure!

Cozy Family Morning

What do you get for family that you love at Christmas time?

You give the gift of capturing memories and a moment in time – with a fun and cool photographer! (If I do say so myself…!)

Or, at least that’s what Elizabeth and Dave received for Christmas this year.  Elizabeth and Dave’s sister-in-law wanted to give a really special gift this year and gave them a gift certificate for a family photo shoot.

I arrived to their gorgeous open concept and sun-filled living room and was totally enraptured. While the family was happy to go outdoors or anywhere else for the photos, I loved the beautiful natural light coming in from their huge living room windows that looked out onto the backyard.  Elizabeth and Dave have created a warm and inviting home, that I think really reflects them as a family.

I suggested we stay indoors to take advantage of their great space, and for the family to simply relax and have fun together!

You guys… this family knows how to have FUN!

The family went on a bear hunt, made some sculpture art, had a tea party, got turned into animals using a sparkly magic wand, and ate cookies! Throw in some tickles and the giggles were absolutely contagious.

I had such a great time, and was so thrilled to be welcomed into Elizabeth and Dave’s lovely home to enjoy a pretty magical morning.

These kiddos are honestly a pair of the cutest and sweetest sisters I’ve ever met! I still can’t get over their beautiful eyes and their lively and magnetic antics. Not to mention, mom and dad are pretty cool people too. I bet that’s where these two little ladies get it from!

Which Camera Should You Buy?

There will always be the person who comes up to me at a wedding, an event or just a photo shoot and ask me, what kind of camera I have.

I completely understand this question. It’s mostly an opportunity to start a conversation, and that is what I try to do with it. After all, I do love talking photography! To me though, a camera is just a tool to create art. And yes, while it can matter what kind of camera one owns and there are a lot of people who are extremely brand loyal, some of my favorite examples of great photos come from photographers who have used point-and-shoot cameras or iPhone cameras to win awards for the images they have taken. It’s all about the creator not the tool, I think.

So in this vein, I also get the question, “which camera should I buy?”

I’m always excited  that other people are interested in photography. It’s an awesome adventure! I’m also pretty stoked that someone thinks that I’m the kind of person who knows enough to be asked!  I am in love with photography, and I want the whole world to be in love with it too.

Let me start by saying that I want you to know that it is always, always the photographer who takes the photos – not the camera! A camera is a tool to create art, just like a paintbrush or a pencil. I can assure you that it takes years of work and practice to master, as with any other method of expression. For me, it has been a vastly rewarding journey and I’m still continually learning, some 18 years after I first picked up a camera! I think that buying a camera is a really personal thing, and it is dependent upon so many factors:

• Your skill level
• The way you use your camera
• What you want to shoot
• What you want to do with the images after you shoot them

I once had an instructor who gave me the following piece of advice, which is one of the best I have ever received with regards to camera gear: “only ever buy a piece of camera equipment (a new body, a lens, lighting equipment etc) when you have the NEED for it, and when you know EXACTLY why you need it and how you will use it.”

I own a Canon 7D body, and a number of lenses that I have purchased along the way. The ones I use the most are: a Canon 50mm f1.4 (my favorite), a Canon 15mm-85mm f3.5.  I like the 7D because it allows me to be flexible in low-lighting situations without having to use a tripod, and is nearly a full-frame camera (but not quite). The range of color clarity and the multiple focusing points were very important to me too (among other things that I won’t bog you down with technical details). The range of lenses I use varies dependent upon the type of work I am doing, my location and the subject matter I am shooting. I will say that the biggest investment a photographer should make is in GOOD quality lenses. I have my eye on a different full-frame body, and better lenses, but for me, there needs to be a balance with the budget, so I’m saving up! I recommend that you do a lot of research and consider your own needs and style. Rent a couple of the cameras and/or lenses you are looking at (if you are able) as it is a big investment and it needs to be a good fit for YOU! I would love to make a solid recommendation of just one camera, but I think it’s so important that you take into consideration your own needs and goals.

Ah ha! See… I tricked you into thinking I would give you a specific answer. Sorry about that one.

Seriously though, I’d love to talk cameras with you anytime.

Planning a Wedding: Location! Location!

Hooray! I’m engaged! Now wait a minute… where do we start…?!

Evan and I made a point of not making any decisions about the wedding the weekend right after we got engaged.  We celebrated with friends and family (though to be honest, the celebrations were originally intended for Evan’s birthday, since we got engaged on his birthday! Oops!) and just reveled in it.  To be honest, I wish we had waited a week… or more!

The sheen of a sparkly new engagement wears off a little too much once the hard reality of it all sets in of planning a big event. With everyone we know and love weighing in with questions, requests, and suggestions – I was feeling overwhelmed!  I’m no stranger to planning big events. I have planned events with thousands of attendees, tens of volunteers that I’ve coordinated and professional event staff. I’ve organized conferences, wine and cheese events, and more! I have been around the event planning block, so to speak. This isn’t my first dog and pony show, and I’m hoping these experiences will come in handy in planning my own big event.

I think some couples get engaged and plan a wedding a year or maybe more in advance. This amount of time gives a couple plenty of time to plan, deliberate and negotiate the various aspects of the event. I would imagine that they have the luxury of choosing a date first, perhaps something significant to the couple and then going to their desired venues with the likelihood that it will be available.

Not us. Ooooohhhh no. We are rebels! We like to do things outside of the box, and we are planning to get married this year. Yes! This Year!  So, in approaching venues, we are coming with a range of dates (late this summer or fall) as opposed to one date that we must have.  This gives us flexibility, and we are looking at venues based on whether they fit us, our wedding and our budget.

When I first started looking at venues, I quickly learned that not every location prices themselves the same way.  Some don’t charge a location rental fee, but require you to use in-house catering.  Some require a (relatively) small location rental fee, and allow you to choose from a short list of their exclusive caterers, from which they charge an additional percentage of the amount that you spend on catering (a Landmark fee) that will often go back to the upkeep of the venue, which is often associated with heritage or cultural centres.  Some charge a location fee, require you to use exclusive caterers, charge a landmark fee, and require you to use their bar services, as opposed to bringing in your own alcohol.  There are so many different ways of pricing it!

So, how to really compare the true cost of what the venue, the food and the drink would cost?  I created a handy-dandy Wedding Location Comparison Spreadsheet!  Oh yes I did!

You can download it here to use planning your own wedding, event or shin-dig!

Location_Comparison_Spreadsheet

Here’s how to use this cool spreadsheet:

• I wanted to ensure I was comparing apples to apples, so it was important to note the amount of people I would be hosting (I’ve inserted 85 here) and the number of hours (I’ve put down 7). Some venues charge a rental fee, per hour, and other charge a flat fee for a day/evening etc.

• I’ve input a spot where I can indicate with an “x” if the venue has exclusive caterers (or if I can choose my own) and if the venue provides the alcohol (or if I can buy and bring my own).

• As we are ideally hoping to have the ceremony and the reception at the same location, I’ve included that as an additional category, but you don’t need to use this part at all. The end total will add both the cost of the reception and the ceremony, even if its zero.

• Set a Budget! This is important! Venues that are waaaaay too far outside of our budget don’t make the cut, regardless of how much we love them.  And it’s helpful to see right up front how much we have budgeted to spend to make a quick comparison.

• As I make inquiries and I talk to venues, I am inputting all of the myriad of costs (big and small) into the spreadsheet. A location may charge less for the rental fee, but all of the little fees like renting linens, chairs or AV equipment can really add up and make a venue with a higher rental fee that includes all of those things work out to be less expensive in the end.

• Make notes. Where a location has an exclusive caterer, I am just inputting my budget for catering (the example here is $2000) rather than inquiring and negotiating with the caterer now – so I would make note of that.

I hope you find this spreadsheet helpful; happy location hunting!