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!

An Apple A Day // Fall Mini Sessions

I love fall mini sessions. If Christmas was in the fall it would be my favourite season ever but because Christmas is in the winter, I’m torn. Anyway, I love hosting fall mini sessions especially because here in Ontario we have (in my totally unbiased opinions) THE best orchards ever. If you don’t believe me just take a look below!

I am new to the area of Kitchener-Waterloo so it made sense to host some mini session for my first fall as a photographer here! I had so much fun with these families, my face hurt from laughing and smiling so much! I can’t wait to do them again next year!

I was able to shoot at Martin’s Family Farm and it was the perfect locations for fall pictures. As much as I love the changing leaves, nothing screams fall to me like an apple orchard. How awesome are those red apples on these trees? It was absolutely perfect. It was a chilly day sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy but it all worked out so well.

After such a successful season and a lot of happy families, I can’t wait to have these mini sessions again next year!

Love at the Harbour // Becca and Phil

Whether you just got engaged or you’ve been married for a year or ten, it is always a good time to have pictures with the love of your life! I love these couple shoots because they are so much like engagement pictures, which are typically a lot of fun and super easy! Add a cute doggie in the mix and you’ve got yourself an adorable family.

Phil and Becca knew they wanted some pictures at the harbour as a change from some of the more common field, forest, and “green” backdrops. I love the way the boats added depth and the water was just perfect!

I love finding new places to explore so that I always have a handy list of locations for any photography inquiry. Since moving to Kitchener-Waterloo I have start exploring just a little bit but now that the busy summer is over I plan on hitting some awesome locations, stay tuned for a post all about it!

Lifestyle Maternity // Allie

I was pregnant alongside one of my best friends, her with her second and I with my third. When I say right alongside I mean it, we had the same due date! As always though, my baby came late and hers came early so our boys are about ten days apart. I was with her throughout her whole pregnancy so it only seemed natural that I also take her maternity pictures.

Since we were due in January and it was freezing, she opted for an in home, lifestyle session. It was perfect because they had spent a lot of time and effort making their home such a beautiful space! Plus the light coming in from the window was absolutely perfect and created that soft glow that I love so much.

So the thing about Allie is that she loves being pregnant. I do not, not at all. But being pregnant at the same time as someone who loves it definitely gives a new appreciation to it. She was sad that she would no longer feel her belly move, or the soft hiccups, and that feeling of maternal protection surrounding her baby. Of course she was so excited to meet her little guy but watching her love on her baby bump definitely soften my eyes to mine!

Plus how awesome is that nightgown?!

TORONTO BRIDAL PORTRAITS // SHAVONNE

One of my biggest goals as a photographer is to make you feel as comfortable as possible in front of the camera. I want to know how you feel, if you're awkward or you'd rather be serious than smiley or the other way around. It helps me capture YOU if I know what you're feeling. When I took these bridals of my model in a gorgeous dress provided by Lea-Ann Belter Bridal, the first thing she told me was that she felt so much more comfortable smiling, and that she always felt a little awkward trying to smolder. This made our session so smooth. I knew how she was feeling and I knew that the more she was smiling, the better images I would capture. 

So my advice to you is BE YOURSELF! I'll be my goofy self behind the camera if you need help laughing, I'll tell you how to pose if you feel unsure of what to do, I'll be quiet in the background if a beautiful moment is unfolding. The pictures we capture together will look the best if we are all just who we are, and not trying to recreate something that doesn't suit your personality. That way you recognize the person in the picture! 

Dress: Lea-Ann Belter Bridal, Toronto, Ontario

Model: Shavonne (@shavonnemelissa)

Hair: Nicole Clement (@your.hair.guru)

Bouquet: The New Leaf, Toronto, Ontario

Location: Scarborough Bluffs