Saturday, July 24, 2010

New York, New York

So I dug this photo up from the archives taken during my vacation in NY - has it been 2 years since I've been there? Geez...

Anyways, I'm crazy excited to be going back for a few days - not on vacation like last time - but for a different reason :)

I'll be attending the shootshop held by the amazing theimageisfound!! I've been an avid follower of their work and they've been constantly blowing my mind with their awesome BOOM-SAUCE images. It'd be such an honour to learn from them :D

Truth time: I'm a little nervous to be going since 1) I'll be meeting Nate & Jaclyn Kaiser (what if I come off as a complete loser?!) and 2) I feel like such small potatoes next to the room full of other amazing photographers (again, what if I come off as a complete loser?!?)

Sigh.

But I can't wait to see what's in store :)

Monday, July 19, 2010

Merry & Chris Wedding (06.12.10)


Rain.

For some reason, it seemed to follow Merry & Chris whenever we had a scheduled photo session. So I wasn't surprised when there was a forecast of thunderstorms and showers on their wedding day.

But a little water didn't seem to dampen their spirits at all. Merry & Chris wanted to enjoy their day with their families and friends and celebrate - rain or shine. They're probably one of my most relaxed couples that I've photographed to date :)

Dave came out to help shoot again and we started at Chris' house as he got prepped for the day:




Merry's house was the complete opposite of Chris'. While he got ready in quiet, there was a flurry of action at Merry's:





We had a quick Chinese tea ceremony for Merry's family before heading over to the Mandarin:



After a quick change, Chris got a first glimpse of his bride:





With it starting to rain, the originally planned outdoor ceremony at the Mandarin Golf Club quickly moved into the tent. While I was busy taking photos of guests, Dave was getting the details:



With all the guests seated and the bridal parties ready-to-go, the ceremony commenced:






Okay, remember what I said about the rain? During the ceremony, the sky opened up and decided to POUR. Needless to say, we couldn't get any portraits done at the golf club without casualties.

Ray, their incredible videographer (check out his blog for his amazing video!), suggested we go to the Marriott, where the next tea ceremony was being held, to see if we can grab some photos there. I'm so glad we did!

Although I'm sure the bridal party must have thought I was nuts taking them into the pool area, these are some of my favourite group shots to date :)





Merry & Chris work at the Four Seasons and it's also where they first met, struck up a conversation and well, the rest is history ;) Adore the shot Dave took - how appropriate! (L):



The reception was held at the Diamond Banquet Hall; good food, drinks and games were had, but it was really a time for Merry & Chris to finally relax and enjoy their day:







Thank you Merry & Chris for putting up with all my crazy ideas and having such a great go-with-the-flow mentality. I had an amazing time at your wedding, and I'm looking forward to our next photo session! Uhmm...no rain please? ;)

Friday, July 9, 2010

The World Better Prepare


I've been singing out loud to this song for the past month when I needed a pick-me-up, so f'ing bad...haha!

Hope this song will be the same for you ;)

Happy Friday!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Words to Live By


"We're all designed to do something; something that makes you come alive. Doing what you love for a living is the definition of a fruitful, fulfilled life. I am living that life. I desire for everyone to experience that. I believe that everyone can. The catch is that it's not free. It will cost you more than you can imagine. It's the riskiest thing you will ever do. It's your heart that is at stake. Your passion is the prize possession of your heart, and to put that on the line is to put yourself in harms way. To RISK the world rejecting you. To RISK failing at the thing you want most. It will cost you everything.

But that's the thing about design.

When you are designed to do something, you can't help but succeed. Because of the One who designed you. "He don't make junk" ladies and gentleman, and He doesn't waste passions. He gave you the desires of your heart for a reason. You are designed to succeed in that which you are passionate about. You may not make the most money. You may not have the most fame. But you will have JOY. That elusive quality that separates those people who live from the people who are ALIVE."


So friends, I've finally taken the leap. I'm going to be putting it all out there - my passion, my creativity and happiness...and risking my heart.

I'm nervous and frankly, a whole lot of scared, but if I can find joy at the end of this journey, it'll be well worth the jump.

Wish me luck folks! And a thank you to those who have been there supporting me all the way.

Much love.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

On a Jet Plane


If you've been following this blog, you may know who Jason is. Even though he's primarily a fashion/commercial photographer, he's been shooting weddings & lifestyle sessions with me for the past year. During that time, he's become a great friend and partner-in-crime, pushing my creative boundaries and encouraging me to develop my own voice.

Tonight he'll be leaving for Hong Kong to make his own mark in the world :) Although he'll be terribly missed here in Toronto, his skills are going to be a great asset to the industry overseas.

A rare image of us working together (I really hate having my photo taken, haha! Obviously J has no problem hamming it up in front of the lens):


J: You're probably frantically packing the last of your belongings and making your last rounds, so I don't know if you'll read this until you get to HK. But again, thank you for everything (haha, yes, I do say this too often). I wish you all the best over there, and if you ever need some creative feedback, you know who to call! (by the way, blog, blog, blog...) Have a safe flight and take care, ok? Ok. :)