Engagement Photography: The Best of 2019
The best way to think of an engagement sessions & couples sessions is as a unique date between you and your partner. If you think about it: how many photographs do you have with each other that are not directly taken with your iPhone? Printed and framed?
One of my own regrets is that I don’t have more photographs with Dave, with me in them. Here’s why: before I turned 35 I completely took my looks for granted and was hypercritical of them. I don’t know if I thought I would never age, but now I look back at younger versions of myself and want to jump inside that photograph and give myself a swift kick in the kindest way haha!
It’s important to have these photographs with each other so that you can appreciate your beautiful selves and all that that encompasses with aspirations, romance, joie de vivre. Not that I am saying that I don’t feel those things now! But I don’t take them for granted anymore.
Engagement photography sessions are an opportunity to tell a more intimate story, to get yourselves photographed in a more elevated and artistic way. Engaged or not engaged, if you’re a couple that’s looking to have your photograph taken: go on over this page to find out more about what these sessions entail and take a moment to fill out the questionnaire!
Here is a selection of my favorite engagement photographs that I took in 2019 in various locations in Montreal and Ottawa.
Last Shot: Fannie & Deep Engagement
Engagement shoots are an interesting challenge with a good assortment of variables that any juggler would have a hard time keeping all up in the air.
When I look for locations I am thinking of it’s lighting, the mood the space will provide, it’s ability to provide different contexts, and also has an element of privacy.
For this particular shoot the original venue had done some drastic things to their venue for an art show… and so I quickly had to pull another venue out of my pocket that wasn’t too far away. Fortunately I remembered a building that was nearby and open to the public, just from the off chance that months ago my daughter and I had wandered in there looking for some vintage furniture. (You see, everything DOES happen for a reason!)
My point - there is one - I read the other day that a good photographer is a good problem solver. It does not matter how much you plan for something, you have to be able to handle the unexpected.
At any rate, this space proved to be a perfect backdrop on this sunny cold January Saturday and I am looking forward to showcasing the rest of these photos.
This photo was the last photo taken of the day… we had packed up, Fannie & Deep had all their winter gear back on and then we walked into this patch of sun in the stairwell.
They were game for one last photo and…
Perfect.
The Best of 2018
Three weeks into 2019 and I have wrapped up and finalized all the photographs I took over the last year. Looking back, I realize just how much was done, how much I traveled, how much my kids changed, and how much I learned throughout.
It is really hard to single out the “best” and in this case, I wanted the photographs to give some sense of chronology and story. There is a mix of photographs from our big family trip to Nicaragua, my girls roadtrip to a friend’s place in Martha’s Vineyard, a quick weekend getaway to Boston, family vacations, … to the weddings, engagements, portraits, and corporate events I shot for work. Throw a few small vacations in the mix, graduations, new schools, big birthdays, the Spartan Race, an ankle injury, kitchen dancing… and somewhere in there I managed to read 22 books. You guys! Reviews remind you of all that you have done.
This year is looking to be a remarkable one again, I kick off my wedding season officially at the start of May heading to the Mount Stephen Hotel in Montreal - leading up to this we’re taking on some massive renovations to our 100+ year old home here that we’ve lived in for a decade. It’s time. Travel-wise we’re trying to keep it minimal, but already we know we’ll be in Ireland for a wedding in June; plus I am crossing my fingers for a cultural dose of portrait gallery fangirling in Paris & London in the Fall. We’re planning our family holidays as I type and you see? Already it is Christmas.
The good news is that if you are looking for a wedding photographer for the summer, I do have some spots that remain open… the best thing to do is to fill out this form here.
Until then, enjoy the year in review :)
