An Afternoon in Uptown with Ainslie & LoganAinslie & Logan and I met at Abe Erb to chat about their wedding plans a few months back. The place was hopping and we thoroughly enjoyed our time... so I was all for the idea of returning there for engagement photos when A&L suggested it. The staff was very accommodating (even moving where they were eating to set up a photo for us!) and the place is just decked out classy. What a great spot for photos. We let the photos come at a relaxed pace as we enjoyed some of the house specialties (ask for the Buggy Whip... so good!). Afterwards we went for a walk through Uptown Waterloo and nabbed a few neat winter portraits. Here are some favourites... enjoy! see more engagement photos? or maybe weddings?My daughter Tali turns 4 this summer... ... and she'll be off to school in the fall. I've been a tad reflective lately and probably a little moreso yesterday and today. Tali is staying with my mom today, which means I have more time on my hands than usual. Time to do things like this little project. It's now a week-and-a-half later (writing that first little tidbit was as far as I got that day, which is ironic because it was about having time to get things done... geez louise). I've still been reflective, but I'll spare you all my musings. Suffice it to say that my baby is now a little girl. She's a mean table gamer, a serious painter and a top-notch momma to all her stuffies. She outsmarts me, outremembers me and questions the living daylights out of me. She's a spinner, slider, flyer and jumper and is mostly not grumpy at bedtime. I love her to bits. This is how she grew up. Jollliffe Clan 2011 (shot on film on a tripod... how ancient does that seem now) Jolliffe Clan 2012 (Tali is the high flyer)
Walking Through the Arboretum with Danielle & CleveWe had plans to go ice skating at a pond tucked away in a corner of the Arboretum at University of Guelph, but the winter weather didn't cooperate... we had a huge dump of snow the day before our session and Danielle and Cleve (understandably) didn't want a whole lot of pictures of them shovelling! So we went for a winter walk through the tall trees, stopped along some of the boardwalks and finished off with some snow angels... and had a great time anyways! These are a few favourites from our session... enjoy! want to see more portraits?Casual Photos with the Misener Family I stopped in at the Misener family home (just outside Waterloo) a few weeks back for some casual family photos. The idea was to send them to relatives who live in Western Canada as a surprise... I loved the idea and told Katie and Mike that I'd keep everything under wraps until the appropriate time, so as not to spoil the surprise! So if you haven't seen me posting any of these yet that's why! The Misener kids were both completely adorable in their own way - Owen with his tractors and laugh and Mer doing some of her first walking ever, punctuated with all kinds of perfect stares and giggles. Here are a few of my favourites from the session... enjoy! Meredith, taking some of her first consecutive steps unassisted! see more family photos?Winter Wedding Photos in Cambridge with Allison & RossAllison & Ross have something special going on... it's not hard to pick up once you spend a little time with them. There is a joy about these two that is completely contagious. Honestly... my smiling muscles were exhausted by the end of the day.
They got married at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge - a recently renovated venue that is set to host some fairly prestigious events this coming year. The design of the place accentuated the emotions of the guests, wedding party and family in just the right way. It's special to be part of something special... I felt great just being around these guys on wedding day. I hope the energy comes through clearly in the photos. Here are my favourites... Food Photography in Kitchener and WaterlooFood and Photography... it's a smashup of interests. Usually I take pictures of people... food is different. Most of the time it stays quite still (unless it's a chicken in the barn). This allows for some time to fine-tune a shot. It's fun... you don't really get to do that with people so much. These photos are sampling of some of the pictures I've taken of food over the last year and a half. Several were taken in my kitchen, but most come from my work with Rare Republic (an amazing voice in the local food scene). Wouldn't mind doing some more work taking pictures of food in the future (wink wink). bread fresh out of the ovens at Golden Hearth... I can still smell it when I look at this photo the kimchi + avocado wrap... oh man I love making this seeds are so neat... they're death and life wrapped up in a tiny little package. I love the brown of this photo... things are obviously dead - the seeds and shell are withered, the vines long gone in the background. but there's life there, waiting for the next season a wary rooster giving me a stern eye while I spent some time amongst the flock at Vibrant Farms check out more recent work?A Winter Wedding in Niagara-On-The-LakeDale and Sarah got married at The Pillar and Post, in Niagara-On-The-Lake, just after Christmas. The hotel was all decked out for the holidays, which blended beautifully with the red and white themed wedding that Sarah and Dale had planned. It started snowing big chunky snowflakes at the perfect moment for a few of the photos. The venue was spot on, the décor perfectly fitting and everyone was glowing in the christmas lights. Sarah wore her mother's pearls. I spent most of the day behind the camera, covering the goings-on from makeup until reception. These are my favourite photos from Dale and Sarah's winter wedding... want to see the weddings gallery?I was photographing a wedding at The Pillar And Post...... and I was delighted to find that they had decorated one of their halls with prints from a favourite artist of mine - AJ Casson. I love Casson's work. He likes shapes and angular representations, reflections, shadows. He has this uncanny way of using lighting to create mood, of using contrasts to draw the eye. When I had an opportunity to, I stepped my way down the hall and spent a minute with each painting. It kept the day fresh and lively for me as I continued my work. I took a quick shot of each one, so I could share the story (they always look better live!) I love how the foreground is dark in the next piece, while the area where the house sits is in brighter sunlight. I get an 'almost there' kind of feeling. Or maybe 'things are about to brighten up'.
Looking Back, Looking Forward (2014 Edition)Well golly if another year hasn't come and gone... 2014 was a tough year for me personally - my father passed away in the summer. That really put a cloud over a lot of the year for me... it takes some getting used to, the world less a person you love. The process has been broadening but difficult, but it takes me constantly back to loving where you're at, living in the now and making your space a happy one. Photos take me to that place too... kids laughing at flying leaves, grooms tearing up as they see their bride, parents soothing crying babes. It's the stuff of life, the moments that make us, the memories we hold on to. I took some of my favourite photos ever this year. I photographed in barns and on beaches (two destination weddings last winter!), in parks, on porches and walking through towns, woods and wineries. I worked for some new people (I photographed a few events for LOULOU magazine), but spent most of my time with brides and grooms, babies and families. Having my work featured on Today's Bride was unexpected and wonderful. 2015 looks to be banner year - I'm happy to be making appearances at Grey Silo Golf Course, Steckle Heritage Farm and Whistle Bear Golf Course, but I'm equally excited for the back yards and barns, cottages and churches that will backdrop my wedding clients. I was going to talk a while longer (lots of fun things are happening!), but I think I'll just get to the photos instead... These are some of my favourites from this past year. Enjoy. my fav photo from a session with the lamberts, where their pug (Little Man) invaded nearly every shot this photo of Ty & Ali on the shores of Georgian Bay was my most popular photo online last year... what a perfect summer day it was that moment where you see your love walking down the beach to marry you... I think I may do a little more work in black & white this coming year. I love this shot from Steph & Chad's wedding in Muskoka... at a summer sunset engagement session with Allison and Ross we stopped on the edge of the road and found one of the greatest photo spots of the year... a freshly cut hayfield with the sun setting behind want to see last year's best of?Casual Family Photography with the MullersHeidi & Dave are proud parents of Levi and Baby Evan, who arrived just recently (he's about 5 weeks old in the pics). The family graciously allowed me into their space for an afternoon of photos. These are some of my favourites...
Summer Wedding Photos Featured on Today's BrideSteph and Chad's wedding this summer in Muskoka was the best. A great group of friends and family attended a beautiful ceremony on a summer day that was exactly the kind of day you hope for. The wedding party was stunning... Chad and the lads were dashing and Steph and her ladies could not have been more radiant.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear that some of the wedding photos were to be featured on Today's Bride. You can find them here. It's not a done deal yet, but it looks like some of the photos may be featured in the print magazine next summer as well! You can find more of photos from Steph and Chad's wedding on my blog. Christmas Photos with Kris, Kate and Brady at Benjamin Tree Farm I like when things are happening in pictures... it makes them memorable and fun. Sometimes the thing that's happening is as simple as two people looking at each other. Sometimes that thing is going to a tree farm and picking out your Christmas tree. Cutting a tree for Christmas is something a lot of folks do each year and pretty much everyone who does it has a good story or two. Kate and Kris both have fond memories of cutting trees with their families when they were younger and it's something that's become a tradition in their home too. They thought some photos would make the day extra special this year. Even though snowy days make for cold fingers for me while working the camera, I had a blast on this one. Kate and Kris and Brady had a lot of fun and I think it really comes through in the photos. We were out at Benjamin Tree Farm, just north of Waterloo. The farm had some fun decorations that we worked into the photos and they serve hot apple cider and cookies! Here is sampling from our little morning walk at the tree farm... knocking snow off branches = best thing ever want to see more family photos?
Fall Photos in Steckle Woods With Jessica & JasonJason & Jessica are getting married next summer at Steckle Heritage Farm - an amazing and historic venue in Kitchener. I've taken photos at the farm before and I'm very excited to be returning! The farm has an apple orchard, gardens and beautiful old buildings (including a huge old barn).
Just down the street from the farm is Steckle Woods. The walking trails through the woods were perfect for photos. So J & J and I headed out for a walk with the family dog. I think the photos came out pretty nice. Here are a few of my favourites... A Walk Along the River with Nathan & MichelleOne of my favourite photos this year came from my walk with Nathan & Michelle. They wanted to get a shot of Michelle's engagement ring on a leaf... Just before the end of the session we found a maple leaf that was red and yellow and green and as we were getting ready to take the photo the sun peeked out through what had been a very cloudy sky. The sun lit up the couple and the leaf and we got this great photo. One of my favourites this year for sure.
Here's the ring photo and a few more from our walk along the river... Photos in the Park with the Hill FamilyThis was my second time out with the Hill Family, but the first with baby Jack. He brought a whole new level of cuteness to the family. Here are some favourites from the session... want to see more photos with the HIll Family?
Fall Family Photos in Waterloo ParkKids and leaves and photos go together like not much else. Add a nice sunny fall day into the mix and you've got all the ingredients for some memorable moments. Here are some highlights from a recent family photo session in Waterloo Park...
A Fall Family Session with the Watson FamilyI'm getting to know the Watsons quite well - I've had the privilege of photographing their family several times now. Seeing the kids grow and change has been an amazing experience. Our styles gel well. I like to photograph people doing what they like to do... and the Watsons are great at doing their own thing. (Having kids in piles of leaves is always a nice help!) So without further ado, here are some highlights from Watson Fall Photo Day, 2014 Brad and Kristen celebrated 10 years married this summer... the moment you realize why your coffee tastes like apple cider... and then there's this one... one of my favourite shots this year I think. Brad is a big U2 fan - this is baby H with dad's phones, catching the latest from Bono and the gang... the photo is a recreate. here's older sister Z two years ago, with the same headphones and a slightly more classic U2 album... want to see more Watson photos?
Family Photos in Stanley Park, KitchenerA family of five, a sunny fall afternoon, and an hour walking through the park in Kitchener... enjoy these photos! Some of my favourite family photos this year...
Kaitie & Dave's Winery Wedding (at Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery)Dave and Kaitie got married at a family-owned winery, along the shores of Lake Erie, just outside Leamington, Ontario. The buildings and grounds were lovely and the backdrop of the lake made for some wonderful shots. All week it looked like rain - the forecasts all called for thunderstorms during the ceremony. Dave's grandma had pronounced earlier in the week... 'it will not rain this day!' To everyone's surprise and delight, she was right, in spite of all the indications otherwise. There was nary a drop. Here's a sampling of photos from the day... the first look... the barrel room at the winery... the parents of the bride... Kaitie's dad wore that grin all day :) at the ceremony... the reception was a bash from the get-go... and one more before the end of the evening... want to see Kaitie & Dave's engagement photos?
Ty & Ali's Cottage Wedding in Midland, OntarioThese two picked a grand day for a wedding and at a great spot. It was a perfect August day, the heat of the day fading into a great late summer evening. The wedding (and all the photos) happened at a family property near Midland, Ontario. The property has three cottages, each with it's own charm and character. The beautiful venue only served to accentuate the warmth you could see in Ali and Ty and all their guests and family. Here's some of the day... enjoy! The guys, before the ceremony... The ceremony was out in front of Ty's parent's cottage... After the ceremony... One of the other cottages on the property, an old, transported schoolhouse... The end of a spectacular Georgian Bay sunset... This day was wonderfully memorable in so many ways. Photos can't really do justice to all the love, laughs, cheer and company, but I hope these capture a bit of the awesomeness that happened on August 23rd, 2014. Thanks so much for having me out Ali & Ty! You two have all sorts of amazing adventures ahead... enjoy! want to see more weddings?
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