A Few Random Photos

This past week it seems as though I have been toting my camera with me everywhere. Here are a few of my favourites.

My friend Moses has a shop in Kensington Market. Some people know him as "the dancing Rasta". He is a poser for the camera and loves people photographing him. Tourists love it too! I think that I may do a project on people taking photos of him and his booth.

Random store windows like this are always such a mystery. Who hung up all of these pictures and what are their connections?

I love it when the city attempts to scrape the poles clean of any posters. There are always remnants left.

I had lunch with my friend Kate on Wednesday at the Queen Mother on Queen Street West. The place was bustling with people out on their lunch break but we managed to get a table with some window light.

And finally, my sister getting sick of me and my camera!

Real Babies in the Park

This past weekend was so gorgeous in Toronto! The weather was perfect for hanging outdoors and just relaxing. I met up with Katerra and Chanel (and their Moms!) on Friday at Bellwoods Park. The little ladies were adorable in their hats and summer dresses.

Chanel's mini pigtails were so cute!

Meet Jenn & Pat

Jenn and Pat are an adorable couple (sorry Pat but it's true!). Individually they are awesome and together they are amazing. They live in a cool loft just off of Queen Street West where they work as artists and djs. On Monday we took a tour of their neighbourhood and did a photo shoot. We began at their loft and then headed to the train tracks before hitting the street.

Carla & Stephen Engagement Photos!

On Sunday I met Carla and Stephen for an engagement portrait session. Since their wedding is quickly approaching on May 19th it was time to take these photos! The sky was threatening rain so we decided to do the session at Allan Gardens in Toronto to give us the option of doing shots inside if need be. The rain held out and we had a beautiful blanket of bright clouds which made for perfect even lighting (my dream come true!). Carla and Stephen are a wonderful couple and I cannot wait to photograph their wedding!


To take this image I was laying on the ground and balancing my reflector on my legs to pop more light into their faces. I think that Carla and Stephen thought I was a little crazy but I got the shot!

Hot Mama

My sister Abby is totally a hot mama. And like every Mother, she needs a break from the wee one once and a while. Saturday she went on a little retreat and was nice enough to invite me to her hotel for a swim. Of course, we had to do a mini photo shoot in her room beforehand.

She is probably going to kill me for posting this image but I had to because it is so hilarious! We did some "glamour" shots in the bathroom complete with hair blowing (via the hairdryer).

Meet the Tilleys

Meet Laura and Michael: the wild Tilley sibling team! Not only are they ridiculously good-looking and fashionable people, they are also absolutely hilarious when they are together. I can only imagine how family dinners rolled when they were growing up! Laura wanted me to take some portraits of her and Michael to give as gifts to their parents. We headed to Kensington Market on Saturday to take in the thriving urban feel that works just right for these two.


Here is Michael being wild while Laura attempts to ignore him and still maintain her serious expression. (Yes, I was laughing from behind my camera!)

Love the jump shot!

Port Hope

Growing up in Port Hope really shaped the person that I have become. There is something about this small town that is so special. I find it inspiring and I wish that I had more time that enabled me to visit this place more often. When I do get a chance I try to use up every moment of it. I like to drive down the streets where I once lived. I like to run into old friends whom I have not seen in five or more years. There is something reassuring about visiting there and I know that no matter what, my home will always be this little town.

My Amazing Mom

I know, I know, everyone believes that their own Mom is the best. But really, truly, mine is. No matter what she is doing or what she is going through in her life, she always has a smile on her face. When she is driving, she is smiling. When she is washing the dishes, she is smiling. It is endless. Whenever I am having a bad moment, I think of what my Mom would do and it suddenly makes everything better.

Having said all of that, my Mom is probably one of the worst people to photograph and she knows it! It took a lot of work for me to get this woman to look at the lens!

Babies in the Park!

At the beginning of May, I will be doing an afternoon of portrait sessions at Bellwoods Park. The idea is to get your little guys and gals out for some fun outdoor portraits. $10 from every session will go to the Canadian charity Partners in the Horn of Africa. See more details below and please email me if you would like to sign up for a session.


Current openings for Wednesday, May 2nd (raindate Friday, May 4th) are:
12:00pm -
12:45pm -
1:30pm -
2:15pm -
3:00pm -
3:45pm -
4:30pm -

Boudoir Portraits

Here are some images from my latest boudoir session that I did last week. The photographs were taken at the bride's house. Her fiancé called twice while we were doing the session and I was amazed at how quickly she came up with "stories" to tell him as to what she was doing. Now if only she can keep the secret for a couple of months!

I have been getting quite a few inquiries for boudoir sessions lately. I currently have a few openings for sessions to take place in the studio. Please let me know if you would like to book one of the following times:

Sunday, April 29th 12pm
Sunday, May 6th 12pm (booked!)
Sunday, June 3rd 2pm (booked!)

Baby Esme

On Wednesday I photographed one of the cutest baby's ever! I had not seen little Esme since January when she was a mere two weeks old and I was pleasantly surprised by how much she has changed in a couple of months. She is turning into quite the lady! It does not help that she has a photographer for a Dad and a writer/editor for a Mom. Esme is destined to grow up as the cool kid!

This photo cracks me up because it looks as though she is the saddest baby ever in the world.

And now we're happy again!

Tanya & Mike's Wedding :: March 31st, 2007

I had been looking forward to Tanya and Mike's wedding for over a year now. I originally met them while in the Dominican Republic photographing Wendy and Adam's wedding last January. When we all returned to Canada, Tanya emailed me saying that she wanted me to be the one to photograph her wedding. Tanya is a super sweet gal with the most genuine heart ever. Mike is a real "guys guy" and even tried to get his wedding date moved when he heard that the Toronto Maple Leafs were playing on the eve of his big day! Their ceremony and reception took place at the General W. Sikorski Polish Veteran's Hall in Oshawa. The room was beautifully decorated with pink roses in various vases that Tanya has been collecting for years and the lovely Wendy did a fabulous job as the M.C. for the evening! Congratulations Tanya & Mike!

The men wait for the ladies for the formal photos. I love the wooden map of Poland behind them.

The ringbearer was the perfect little model for me!

A special moment during Tanya and Mike's first dance.

Wendy in action!

Once the dancing began, these little guys went up on stage and formed their own percussion band!

When their rock star moment was over, the girls led Tanya to the dance floor!

Tanya dancing with her Dad!

Me with my two bridal couples!

New Boudoir Portraits

Yesterday I had a boudoir session with a lovely bride in the studio. I had originally met with her in the fall to discuss the session and it was hard for me to wait until the spring to do the actual session because I was so excited for it! The studio is a great location to do a boudoir session if you are not able to do it in your own home. It is basically a big open space with large windows that face downtown Toronto. We created a "bed" using her own duvet and blankets. She is going to give the photographs to her fiance as a pre-wedding gift. "Hey honey, this is what you have to look forward to waking up to every morning!"

As always when I post boudoir photos, I have been granted permission from the bride to post these.

Meet Alison

I first met Alison four years ago in Cuba. Originally from Newfoundland, she moved to Ontario about a year ago and we have since become good friends. She has gorgeous red curls and the best blue eyes ever! Next week Alison turns twenty-five. Watch out quarter-life crisis! ;)