This shoot was fun, it had been a while since I had done anything family related so I was very happy when Shelley asked me to come out and shoot some images of  herself, her son Matt, and her boyfriend Jeff.  Shoots like this allow me to work at a slower pace than weddings, since there is less of a time constraint and it is a bit of a challenge working outside in the cooler temperatures.

This shoot was done in Cambridge at the River Run.  Of course this being a Saturday I of course had to deal with a wedding that had booked the park for the same time I had planned the shoot.  It worked out quite well, the timing, weather and location helped create images that were fun, romantic, silly and somewhat informal.

Below is a slideshow of the shoot and the images I finished for Shelly, Jeff and Matt.

Below is a small selection of teaser images of the shoot.  In a short while I will post the entire shoot for people to see.

In the meantime I will be getting back to posting more regularly and showing everyone new work and telling new stories for people to enjoy.

Celebrating a new life is an amazing thing.  Being able to photograph some of that happening is a great honour and a truly amazing thing for me to do.

I met Pam and Jeff last year at Pam’s sisters wedding, I photographed that.  And I thought she was cool and lots of fun.  Then I found out that her and her partner Jeff were going to start a family and I just knew I had to shoot a maternity session with them.

I met with Pam and we went over some ideas for the shoot, we picked our date, and when the day came the sun decided to try and burn a hole through the earth.  LOL.  Well it was warm.  So being me, I thought I cannot take a 7 month pregnant woman on a walking tour in 32 degree heat.  So Pam suggested we stay in and shoot in the house.  Ok, so the nice park was out, but the house made tons of sense.

After all the house will be the first place the baby comes to, and it is there that she will start her life with mom and dad, have birthdays, have sleep overs, go to and come home from school.  So the house made sense, and it was way cooler.

The session worked out quite well, Pam, Jeff and I had some fun, shots some photos and had some laughs, that is how it should be, and that is how I want all my maternity shoots to go.

Below is the slideshow of the session images, I hope you like them as much as I did shooting them.

So once the dust cleared I managed to get this shoot finished without any more embarrassing moments, and below are a few teasers from Candice and Phil’s engagement shoot in Waterloo Park.

I will have the whole shoot posted shortly without a shot of me getting busted eating ……. LOL.

I shot this wedding 2 weeks ago in Stratford.  Kerry and Shawn are a very dynamic and fun loving couple.  I love how they enjoy themselves and how interactive they are with their family and friends.

In a little while I will have all the images gone through and a complete story told.  Stay tuned for that

I wanted to try something new with my wedding teaser images.  Normally I just post a few in a row.  This time I am going to try a mini gallery idea.  Click on the each image to get to the next one.

Thanks Pam and Jeff for allowing me a chance to capture an exciting and memorable time in your lives.

Here are a couple of teaser images from today.  More soon once they are finished.

I want to be remembered as that guy, who shot a wedding at 101 years of age, while hanging from a tree in the courtyard.  Just because it would be a fun thing to do and would make for some interesting conversation pieces.

This age group is a little different to photograph, they sort of sit in the middle between child and coming into their own as young women.  We went to Riverside Park in Cambridge and we tried some things that I do not always get to shoot, graffiti

Here are just a couple of quick teaser images.  The whole shoot will be up once I finish editing them.

I had the privilege of shooting this engagement session in the one place that I love going to visit from time to time.  Websters Falls just outside of Hamilton.  It is one of those places that I could go to every week and still find new and interesting areas to photograph in.  It is just a wonderful park.

Melissa and Jason also thought it was an amazing spot and they decided to come all the way in from Stratford to go and shoot this session there.  I am very happy they did.

They are a wonderful couple with great chemistry.  Melissa was a bit nervous since she has never done a photo shoot before but Jason helped her out and they worked together like a team.  After all they will be spending the rest of their lives together so working collaboratively is a must.  We had some fun once the initial nerves wore off.

The one trick to this place is that it is quite popular with people from all over, so trying to do a full shoot is kind of like having a built in audience.  But in the end it all comes together and we managed to get a good mix of shots from a variety of spots the park has to offer.  I am looking forward to shooting both of them again in September, locations for this will be outlined in blue ink on the highway.  At least that is what my map says.  LOL.

I must say I am having some of the best luck this season with the weather.  The morning of this shoot a pretty nasty thunderstorm ran through and I was worried about not being able to make it.  But we waited it out and by shoot time everything came together for us to do the shoot.

I am looking forward to the wedding in September, I have a feeling it is going to be fun, fun and more fun.  Oh did I mention it is going to be fun ?

Slideshow of this session below:

Fashion — it is as diverse as the culture we live in.   Recently, I was struck by the ‘weird and wonderful’ style of Japanese street fashion.  And I found it interesting to learn about the creativity which emerged in the youth culture of a society that typically does not acknowledge or celebrate individuality.

From Wikipedia:

“Sweet Lolita, also known as ama-loli (??? ama rori^?) in Japanese, is heavily influenced by Rococo styles as well as Victorian and Edwardian clothing. Focusing on the child and fantasy aspects of Lolita, the Sweet Lolita style adopts the basic Lolita format and uses lighter colors and childlike motifs in its design.

Makeup used in sweet Lolita is common throughout most Lolita styles. Pink, Peach, or Pearl make up styles are highly ‘sweet’ and used by many Sweet Lolitas. This look, paired with a shade of bright pink, red or sometimes nude-pink lipstick, is commonly used as well.

Outfits consist of pastels, fruit themes (cherries or strawberries, or any type of sugary fruit), flowers (roses, jasmines, lily, cherry blossoms) lace, bows, animal themes (cats, bunnies, puppies) and ribbons to emphasize the cuteness of the design. Popular themes in the sweet Lolita are references to Alice in Wonderland, sweets, and classic fairy tales. Jewelry often reflects this fantasy theme. Headdresses, bonnets and bows are a popular hair accessory to the sweet Lolita look. Bags and purses usually have a princess-like design and often take the shape of strawberries, crowns, hearts, and stuffed animals.”

There are many styles of Lolita fashion.  The one I was exposed to was “Sweet Lolita”.   The idea of shooting the client in full dress among a flurry of activity at a Subway Station in Toronto was that of the client and I was on board with it the very moment I heard about it.   Talk about highlighting contrast and reaction in photography.  From Riding the Rocket and hanging out on the platform waiting for the trains to roaming the streets filled with curious onlookers to courageously stepping into the lobby of the Royal York, the session concluded without incident, in front of a church.    You might say the final resting place was inspired by a passerby;  the delightful Nun who made an appearance in a few of the images. That was sweet.

Not only are shoots like this one, a ton of fun,  but they allow me to venture outside my comfort zone and to expand my vision.  Special thanks to Stephanie for sharing her passion for this truly unique fashion and to Trumaine for bringing out the smiles and carrying the absolutely adorable accessories.

Below is the slideshow of the session:  May take a moment to load.