A Year in the Life of a Photograhper
/One of the biggest blessings in my life is being able to do what I love for a living. While there are definitely areas of my job that I would rather not do, I LOVE being a photographer. Being able to celebrate life’s major milestones over and over again is indeed a blessing.
Being a photographer in Ontario has it’s own challenges. We have less impressive landscapes than other areas of Ontario but after travelling quite a bit this year, I’ve realized that without the distraction of mountains and canyons, oceans, and the focus of photography can actually be on people. I can focus on capturing those moments, creating those moments that you’ll remember and that you will be the focus of those memories.
Plus we get all the best seasons, especially those glorious fall colours! In spring we can go to the Guelph Arboretum for cherry blossoms in your engagement or family session. In the summer we can head to Burlington beach for some super fun beach sessions, In the fall, everywhere you look has the most beautiful reds and oranges and yellow. Then those winter sessions which are few and far between are so magical! We are so luck to have the array of different seasons here and being able to capture everything from engagements to weddings to maternity sessions, and family sessions, and solo sessions. I have the best job in the world.
And I could not do what I love without the support of all of the local wedding vendors in the areas. This year every wedding was incredible and so special shout outs go to Cellar52, Cambridge Mill, and Langdon Hall, thank you for having such incredible venues in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region!
Thank you to all my couples, families, and entrepreneurs for supporting my business. For trusting me with capturing your life and you as you are, thank you!
Contest Winners // Alex + Evan + Del
/First off, I love hosting photoshoot giveaways. Not just because I tend to boost my following but also because I get to meet really great people who I might not have met otherwise! When I first relaunched my business I held a giveaway for Southern Ontario. My existing followers did a great job of spreading the word and trying to get my name out there! It’s so hard to start over in a new city and so this photoshoot giveaway was the perfect opportunity to spread the word that I’m back and I’m here in the KW area!
*Fun fact: I actually grew up in Cambridge! I love being back in the tri-city area, especially since we are so central to so many great locations for pictures and amazing wedding venues!*
After my giveaway closed I entered everyone’s names into a random generator and I got the cutest little family! Alex and Evan are engaged (and hadn’t done engagement photos yet) and they have the cutest little baby girl Del, who just melted my heart. I’m such a sucker for chunky cheeks! Plus they also brought their fur baby along and we got to capture the whole family as well as sneak in some engagement photos!
I love how these turned out, they were so much fun to work with! We went to Victoria Park which is a really popular location for pictures because there is so much variety and beautiful landscape, but since I’m new to this area, I haven’t done any shoots there yet! I loved it! I love all the bridges and the willow tress and the klittle creek. I’m definitely excited to shoot there again!
Usually there are a few jitters at the beginning of the shoot when we’re first meeting and start taking some pictures, but not this time. Alex was a pro and you could tell that Del was comfortable in front of a camera! Evan was great and they all took direction so well and were just such a joy to photograph. I love seeing the relationships and personalities in front of the camera. Seeing the love that Alex and Evan had for each other and for Del was so cute and I had so much fun that we definitely spent more than an hour taking pictures! It’s so hard for me to stop when I’m having so much fun!
A Golden Engagement // Erin + Dan
/Okay, how is it that I am pretty good at keeping up with my personal blog but when it comes to my professional blog and drag my feet? Anyway, that’s just been on my mind lately!
Back in September I booked my first wedding since rebranding and relaunching my photography business here in Waterloo! I was super excited to meet Erin and Dan, they were so easy going and relaxed, it was definitely a good start to working in this area! It’s always hard to start building this kind of business again and again and so I’m super excited that we are in the Kitchener Waterloo area to stay and I can develop lasting relationships in the wedding industry here and meet new, amazing clients!
So after booking, the fun begins! Erin and Dan are having a Niagara wedding next year and although they are excited, Erin had originally dreamed of getting married under a big tree before they fell in love with the Niagara vineyards (which are super timeless and a very good choice for weddings!). So her only request as far as locations went for their engagement shoot was a big tree. She still wanted to have those pictures so I kept that in mind as I looked for places.
While I was looking, I had volunteered to photograph a small race in Cambridge at Riverbluffs Park. When I pulled into the parking lot I saw these beautiful willow trees and I immediately thought of Erin! Plus the Slit Barn is really close to Riverbluffs Park and that is also an excellent spot for pictures (and weddings!). We met up there and although it was a little bit chilly, they powered through and we had a fun time and they got to watch me climb and jump and hide in bushes!
This is why I love engagement sessions and despite the advice to take the out of my wedding packages, I leave them in because I love this opportunity I get to work with a new couple. It helps me get to know how they photograph and how they work in front of the camera. It helps them warm up to me and get to know my style of shooting and be more comfortable in front of the camera on wedding day. So my advice as a wedding photographer is to do an engagement shoot with your photographer!!! I promise it’s worth it and you’ll get some really fun pictures. Some of my favourite pictures are still my engagement photos, even though that was 9 years ago and we rocked the white shirts and jeans!
