It was a breath of fresh air to meet Miriam and Oleg for their engagement. Times being what they are, things have slowed down or stopped and events were postponed or outright cancelled, so going out for a shoot was something I was really looking forward to. The weather also was not exactly cooperating, alternating heatwaves with thunderstorms, making the anticipation even more intense.
Miriam and Oleg are the kind of easy going couple we love to photograph, natural and at ease in front of the camera, a delight to work with, the few hours spent with them in Richmond Green passed almost in a flash.
You might remember this lovely couple from their 5 year anniversary shoot we had at Richmond Green Park in Richmond Hill. Well, with a new addition to their family coming soon Amanda wanted to have a few maternity photos taken and for the sake of symmetry, we went exploring the same spots we went to last time. I’m not sure how anyone else feels about this, but welcoming new life on this world makes me really happy and it makes me remember my own experience as an expectant parent which was, well, also pretty happy.
It was a pretty hot and humid day and we had to dodge quite a few wedding parties shooting in all the good spots in the park but, despite all the agitation we managed to have quite a bit of fun and shoot a few photos. Here’s a few of them. Enjoy!
Elizabeth and Mitch actually met some 8 years ago when they were both working at a pet store, but after she moved on to a different job they lost touch with each other. Seven years passed on without any contact but Elizabeth always had a huge crush on Mitch so at some point she finally mustered up the courage to add him on Facebook and the rest, as they say, is history. They started dating shortly after and moved in together only a few months later. About a year later Mitch took Liz out for a stroll on Fairy Lake in Newmarket in the middle of winter. “It was so cold!” she recalled, “we walked only for a few minutes before I turned around to see him on his knee “.
This little story made them want an engagement shoot with some snow in and this last February has provided us plenty of the white stuff, along with some record breaking, really chilly weather. We started in their new house they bought together then we headed to Lake Wilcox. It was seriously cold and windy out there, windy enough some people were using parasails to ski across the frozen lake. We could not stay out long but we managed to have some fun…
I felt incredibly privileged to help H and A on their wedding day. From responding to their simple ad, to meeting them I knew they were a special couple. For them it started with getting engaged, with big wedding plans and living happily ever after dreams. Life, however, happens differently sometimes and 3 beautiful children later, having a big wedding somehow fell by the wayside. Life also occasionally has its way of throwing wrenches in the best laid out plans and when that is discovering you have breast cancer, the situation takes all of a sudden a very serious turn where everything gets put on hold so a family can concentrate on dealing with a life threatening disease. Getting married and making it all “official” takes a whole new meaning in these circumstances.
Having lost family members, including my father to cancer, I’ve become sensitive to situations like these so upon meeting with them our conversation turned towards what I could effectively do to help them have a proper wedding, an event they will look back at without any regret whatsoever. The least I could do in this respect was to shoot this wedding for no money. It turned out to be a very positive conversation and their planning went ahead.
I’m happy to mention other participating vendors also decided to offer their services for free thus making this event a happy, joyous affair I invite you to enjoy below.
P.S. The card I received from them at the end made me remember why I got into photographing weddings in the first place. It is one of the nicest and most valuable things I’ve ever been given and I will forever cherish it. Check it out at the end of this posting.
I’ve known Geoff for a while now. We had interminable technology arguments like iOS vs Android, the future of cars and automotive in general… all profound, quietly romantic subjects. When he told me he and Macy got engaged we also discussed shooting their engagement and wedding at length for a full half minute, before switching back to debating how self-driving cars from Google will undoubtedly destroy the joy of driving (my take) or revolutionize urban traffic and forever get rid of gridlock (his). We’re men, OK? Iron Man 3 is the best romantic comedy, let’s leave it at that…
So how come loving, funny, light hearted and easy going are the first thoughts popping in my mind when I think about Macy and Geoff’s recent engagement shoot? I don’t know, it is undoubtedly this strange power our partners have over us, a power that’s smoothing up our rough edges, reminding us how fragile we really are if we’re alone. It is perhaps fitting that Macy and Geoff wedding is back to back withKaitlyn and Ryan’s . If we’re to judge by what we’ve seen in these two engagements, that weekend in August will be one to remember!
For the time being, here’s a small sample of this session.
Amanda contacted us a few weeks ago about having an anniversary shoot done and from the get go we knew this will be a bit different. She mentioned she and Neil wanted something special to celebrate their anniversary. They also wanted to have Jack, their 9 year old dog as an integral part of the session and wandered if we would accept that. Well of course we do, we love animals but, you see, this dog is special. Four years ago he was diagnosed with a 3rd degree atrio-ventricular block and he needed a pacemaker. He became, as they called him, their “bionic” dog. This in turn, makes Amanda and Neil a special couple in our book. Jack was their companion from the very start of their relationship and he still is today because of their love and care.
Now Jake is a dog and obviously has absolutely no idea he’s got a pacemaker. He lives in the present moment, a moment he enjoys very much judging by the energy and enthusiasm he’s not being afraid showing everyone. I believe there is perhaps a lesson in all this, an example to be followed.
We did have quite a bit of fun on this photo shoot. We hope you’ll enjoy it…
Here it is, the last wedding of this year… Even wet, pretty cold and gloomy weather could not dampen the spirits of Laura and Shane on this day not even the late evening chill when we had our attempt at night photography seen below. Their wedding was held at the Richmond Hill Country Club, a quiet, welcoming and very accommodating host (they even allowed us to move their furniture around a bit for one of the group shots). Everything from the ceremony to the reception was exquisitely set and delivered as a surprise Shane prepared for Laura. The wedding cake too!!!
Stylish is the word Sandra and I used a lot when we were talking about this wedding. Warm, intimate, emotional. And crazy. All wrapped up in a smooth blend delivered appropriately at every moment. Just about perfect one might say…
Perfect for good photography too.
Here is a snippet of their day. Enjoy!
It was cold and wet. Perfect timing for my otherwise trusty Pocket Wizards to start acting up…
Kitty and Richard contacted us not too long ago. Their wedding plans were ruined by the big Japan earthquake last March so everything had to be re-done, re-scheduled and re-booked in a hurry. Mission accomplished with accolades, as this was a day perfectly planned and executed. Ceremony and reception at the Bayview Golf and Country Club, location pictures at Richmond Green Park.
Lintlaw, a small community of some 200 souls in an almost forgotten corner of Saskatchewan. We say almost because it takes people like Quenton and Martha to remind us places like this still exist and they are the roots of this country. Shortly after their wedding Quenton and Martha took over the task of caring for these souls and that’s definitely no easy task.
Their ceremony was at All Saints Anglican Church in King City, Reception at Oakview Terrace, Richmond Hill.
