Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, November 02, 2009
Oh hello there, new sample album!

I FINALLY got my new sample album to show off! Luscious matte pages bound so the pages lay flat. Vibrant colours. Blackest blacks. Dreamy full page spreads. I {puffy heart} this album.





Labels: album, announcements, products
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
It's that Time of Year - Gift Certificates!

It's that time of year when I get frequently asked if I offer Gift Certificates. The answer is, yes! Basically any product or service that I offer can be given as a gift. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested in getting a gift certificate for that someone special!
Labels: announcements, products
Friday, October 23, 2009
Happy Friday

What a miserable day in Toronto. Here's hoping we all find a little bit of sunshine this weekend!
Labels: announcements, wedding
Monday, October 19, 2009
Holiday Cards!

I am really sorry to say the words "Christmas" and "Holidays" but a girl's got to! The time is nearing and in a mere two months we will begin celebrating the Holidays. Now is the time to be thinking of ordering your own personalised cards! I have a variety of templates that can be modified to suit your family. Click below to see the templates and please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested in ordering some cards.
2009 Templates
2008 Templates
Cheers,
Jessica
Labels: announcements, products
Friday, October 16, 2009
Happy Friday

[from Elana + Navin's October 8th wedding]
Labels: announcements, wedding
Monday, August 10, 2009
Life is Precious

Everyday we are reminded of how precious life is. Flip on the news and you will see devastation everywhere. Everyday that the sun rises, we should be grateful for the day. The importance of recognizing and enjoying the present is immense. Photographs capturing these moments are invaluable. Moments are lost, life changes and all that is left are the images. These images become heirlooms to be shared for years to come.
In June I photographed the beautiful wedding of Nienke + Derek. They chose to spend their big day with only their very closest family members, including Nienke's grandparents who flew in from South Africa for the event. I am sad to say that Nienke's grandmother passed away this week. I am grateful that I was there to capture the special, quiet moments that happened on that day between Nienke and her grandmother. Photographers, please never underestimate the importance of what we do and when you go out there with your camera, do your absolute very best to capture it all.

Labels: announcements, personal, wedding
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Happy Wednesday!

After photographing two weddings this past weekend and then taking a couple of days off to catch up on sleep + sanity, I am back at it working hard in the studio. Happy Wednesday!
Labels: announcements, wedding
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
I'm Wild

This past week has been a wild one for me and will continue to be until Saturday. In the past seven days I photographed seven portrait sessions, a wedding and a Boudoir Marathon! Somewhere in between those I managed to catch lots of live music at NXNE and of course, the MMVA's. I am up to my head in images to say the least and am working as quickly as possible to get everything complete! In the meantime, here is a sneak peek of Katie from the event "Katie + John's Wedding" that took place on June 13th! I am very excited to show more images from this great wedding!
Happy Tuesday!
Labels: announcements, wedding
Monday, June 08, 2009
Sarah Bowden, Travel Agent Extraordinaire!

Sarah Bowden
503 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto
416-516-7362 / sarah_bowden.on@flightcentre.ca


Labels: announcements, travel
Monday, June 01, 2009
Plastic Bag Bylaw in Toronto

In my own effort to reduce waste, I have had the fabulous ladies at Bring Your Own Bag make customized bags adorned with my logo. This year my wedding clients (and very special friends!) will be receiving one of these. In case you missed the original post about it, you can view it here. Every little bit counts!
Labels: announcements
Friday, May 22, 2009
Last Boudoir Marathon of the Summer - July 26th

Here are some images from recent Boudoir Marathons that were held in my studio! My Boudoir Marathons have been quickly booking up! I currently have only TWO sessions available on my final summer Boudoir Marathon which is on July 26th. Please click here for more information and do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested in booking a session!





Labels: announcements, boudoir
Monday, May 11, 2009
Wild Weekend - Weddings, Boudoir + Contest Winner!

This past weekend was INCREDIBLE but boy, am I exhausted!
Friday my baby sister, Abby, got married! It was a fabulous intimate wedding and now I finally have an official brother! The ever-so-excellent John Edgar photographed the wedding so that I could actually experience it (but yes, I did do photos later on!). He has already posted a sneak peek of the images on his blog. I have to admit that they made me cry because they are so beautiful. Check them out!
Saturday I photographed the amazing wedding of Denise + Tyler and Sunday I had a Boudoir Marathon! What a wild jam-packed weekend. I have a TON of images to work on! For now, here is one from Abby + Anthony Justin's wedding. Congratulations, you two!
By the way, I also found out on the weekend that one of my images won 7th place in the ISPWP (International Society of Wedding + Portrait Photographers) Spring Contest! You can see it here. The photograph is from Andrea + Ravi's Trinidad wedding that took place this past summer.
Labels: announcements
Friday, May 08, 2009
My Sister's Getting Married!

My baby sister's getting married... TODAY! We are all very excited for her and Anthony. Congratulations, you two! And don't you worry - I will have my camera in tow to capture it all but we also do have a photographer friend coming along to really be in charge. Stay tuned for the images!
Labels: announcements
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Photography + Wine Auction - Come Support Houselink!

I am extremely pleased to say that I am participating in a fabulous event this week that I would love to see you all at! On Thursday, April 23rd, my pal John Edgar and I will volunteering our photography services for a worthy cause - Houselink's Double Exposure. The evening will consist of a photography and wine auction, live jazz and of course, a fabulous photo booth! Tickets for the evening are only $50!
Houselink is a fantastic organization that provides housing and support for psychiatric survivors in Toronto. To see more information about the event, please visit the Double Exposure website. For more information about Houselink, please click here. I hope to see you at the Palais Royale on Thursday night!
Labels: announcements
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Weeee! Holidays Notice!

I am currently on holidays until April 16th! While away, I will not have access to my phone and access to email will be limited. I appreciate your patience in waiting to get a response from me.
Stay tuned for photos from Mexico! And don't you worry, I have left you with plenty of posts for while I am away so that you do not get bored! :) (See below this post.)
Cheers,
Jessica
Labels: announcements
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Stop Using Plastic Bags!

There's a big movement on in Toronto right now about using plastic bags. They are terrible for the environment and most grocery stores are now charging you for them. My goal is to always be more environmentally friendly and if we all do our part, we can make a more beautiful place to live in.
With that, I present to you my new custom tote bags! I have been working on the bags for the past couple of months with the lovely ladies at Bring Your Own Bag and my graphic designer Jim Paterson at Non-stop Design. I must say, I could not be happier with the end result! These bags are proudly made in Vancouver (yeah - Canadian!) and are 100% Organic Cotton! All of my 2009 Wedding Clients will be receiving one when they get their proofs. I hope that you all enjoy using them!


Labels: announcements
Monday, March 23, 2009
John Edgar at Pikto
Now, what is a post without an image (useless for a photographer's blog, if you ask me). Here's one of mine of a castle in England from this past summer. Happy Monday!

Labels: announcements
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
And the winner is..

Some of you may recall a recent posting I had about the upcoming Art Auction to benefit Durham Epilepsy? I had a tough time trying to pick an image to donate to the action so after posting some options on my twitter and with the help of many people, I have got a winner! The above image was shot on a Holga whilst I was in Monza, Italy this past summer. Here's hoping that it brings lots of money for Durham Epilepsy!
Labels: announcements
Thursday, March 05, 2009
ISPWP Welcomes Me!


Labels: announcements
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Calling All Artists!

I wanted to do a post about this to get the word out any artists that may be checking out my blog. My friend, Susan at Moments that Shine is volunteering her time at this awesome event.
A Dream Inspired
Cocktail Reception and Art Auction
CALLING ALL ARTISTS
On Thursday, March 26th, 2009 Epilepsy Durham Region will host the first annual ‘A Dream Inspired’ Reception and Art Auction.
All artists are invited to submit an item of their choice which represents, hope, inspiration and courage. Artwork must be presented in either a frame with matting or presented on a proper canvas frame, include shades of purple and must be original. Artists will supply easels and model displays to showcase their piece. The deadline for submissions is March 25th, 2009 and must be delivered to the event's venue in Pickering.
Each item will be auctioned to the highest bidder. Proceeds will be shared 50/50 with the agency and the artist. Art and artists will be featured on Epilepsy Durham Region website.
Background:
On March 26, 2009 Epilepsy Durham Region will host Purple Day events, which are dedicated to promoting epilepsy awareness worldwide. The campaign founded in 2008 by nine-year-old Cassidy Megan of Nova Scotia, who had a dream to create an event where she and other children living with epilepsy could relate to one another. Remove stigma, mystery and fear of the unknown that surrounds epilepsy continues to be her dream.
Epilepsy Durham Region along with epilepsy agencies coast to coast have joined Cassidy to ensure that her dream is continued, ‘not another moment lost to seizures’. The Dream Inspired campaign endeavors to heighten awareness locally about epilepsy and to raise funds to ensure that a sustainable future is in fact possible to carry forth Cassidy’s dream. All funds raised throughout the campaign support local community programming and family support.
For detailed information about the event, please visit, www.purpleday.org and www.epilepsydurham.com.
TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT CONTACT BY FEBRUARY 12TH, 2009
Melissa McBride, Event Co-ordinator
Epilepsy Durham Region
850 King Street West, Unit 20
Oshawa, ON L1N 8N5
Tel: (905)571-2099
Email: epilepsy3@epilepsydurham.com
Labels: announcements
Friday, February 06, 2009
Updates!

My website was long past due for an update so this week I finally tackled that task! I focus all of my attention on my blog and often forget about my actual website. I am happy to say that all of the galleries in my main site have now been updated! Please check it out and let me know what you think.
I have also updated my Fine Art site to include my ongoing project Mexican Holgas. To see these images, please click here.
Labels: announcements
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Happy New Year!

Cheers,
Jessica
[Here is one of my favourite images from a recent session with L'il K. This was me practising with my new baby - Canon 5D Mark II!]
Labels: announcements
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Happy Holidays!

Wishing you much laughter + love this holiday season.
Cheers,
Jessica
Labels: announcements
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Wedding Bells Feature!

Have you seen the new Spring & Summer issue of Wedding Bells yet? If not, pick up a copy and check out my photos featuring Caroline + Vav's fabulous wedding! Roseanne Dela Rosa was also kind enough to give me a shout out on her blog. Thanks Rosie! To see the whole story on Wedding Bells, please click here.

Labels: announcements, wedding
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Holiday Cards!
T'is the time to start thinking about holidays cards to send out to your friends and family! I have designed a few layouts that can easily fit any photo. Please inquiry for more details if you are interested in ordering some cards.Labels: announcements
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Typical Timing
Since we are into one of my busiest times of the year, I wanted to remind you of my timing and policies for things. As you know, I am currently an one-woman operation. This is why you like me right - everything has my personal touch! I work as fast as humanly possible on my photographs, however, I still must maintain regular human life that includes eating, sleeping and spending time with my family and friends.
• For Weddings: within a couple of weeks of your wedding, I will post a "sneak peek" of your photos on my blog. Within a couple of weeks of this, you will then hear from me that your photos are ready for pick up.
• For boudoir sessions: within a few days of the session, you will receive a link to an online gallery of your photos. From there, you need to choose your top twenty favourites. Once you make this choice and tell me it, I need approximately two weeks to do the additional retouching and burn you a disc.
• For print orders: Once you have requested any prints, I will have them made for you within two to three weeks of the order date.
• For Thank You Cards orders: Once you choose the photos and specifications for your cards, I need approximately one week to create the layout. Once the layout is approved, the cards typically arrive within three weeks of the approval date.
• If you are unable to pick up your prints/cards/albums from me, there is the option of having it shipped. If you would like it shipped, your prints/cards/albums must be paid in full before anything is mailed. For this, I will email you an invoice, you can send me a cheque and once I receive it, I will ship your package.
• I require a retainer to reserve any date of photography. For this, I will email you an invoice. Once I receive the payment, we are all set for your session!
I do my best to get everything to my clients as timely as possible. I would prefer you to get your prints/cards/albums as soon as possible rather than having them sit at my place! Please keep in mind any deadlines that you may have with my timelines and let me know as soon as possible if you have any concerns.
Cheers,
Jessica
Labels: announcements
Thursday, August 07, 2008
I Have Returned!

I have returned from sunny Trinidad & Tobago after spending a lovely week photographing Andrea + Ravi's wedding! Stayed tuned for lots of photos from their awesome wedding!
I appreciate your patience in waiting for a response from me to all of your emails and phone messages!
Cheers,
Jessica
Labels: announcements, wedding
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
I'm Back!
Stayed tuned for photos from my trip - I can hardly wait to work on them!
Cheers,
Jessica
Labels: announcements
Friday, June 20, 2008
Away Notice Heads-Up!

I wanted to give everyone a heads-up that very soon I will be doing a bit of travel and hence, will be away from the office. This means that all of you wedding clients wanting to order any albums, you must get the orders in as soon as possible so that I can get rolling on the design before I leave.
On June 25th, I will be heading to Europe for twenty glorious days of traveling fun that will include ATTENDING two weddings! That is right, attending, not photographing! I cannot remember the last wedding that I was at where I did not shoot it. No doubt my camera will be in tow but from a more relaxed standpoint. I am then away again from July 29th until August 7th to photograph the lovely Andrea + Ravi's wedding in Trinidad!
Labels: announcements
Monday, June 16, 2008
Wild Week!

Just a reminder that I will be on vacation beginning June 25th and will return on July 15th. This means, that if you are looking to order any prints/albums or to book a session, please contact me as soon as possible. The summer is already quite booked up!
Happy Monday!
Cheers,
Jessica
Labels: announcements
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Busy girl!

This week is crazy busy for me! With all of these photography shoots, there is tons of post-production to get done. Just look at how productive I am being! (I love my discs!)
Labels: announcements, products
Friday, May 23, 2008
My Photo Exhibit - Mexican Holgas

I currently have an exhibit of my work at the Queen Mother Cafe at 208 Queen Street West in Toronto. This show is of my Mexican Holgas and it has been two years in the making! If you are ever in that neighbourhood, please stop by the Queen Mother and tell me what you think!
An excerpt from the description of the exhibit:
Mexican Holgas is a project that Jessica has been working on for the past two years. Her frequent visits to Mexico have enabled her to travel from coast to coast of the country always with her Holga camera in tow. The Holga camera enables her to create images that give the viewer a sense of nostalgia and familiarity to the places in them.
Labels: announcements, personal
Monday, May 05, 2008
Happy Monday, cupcake!
Happy Monday! The past three days have been FILLED with photography for me! Friday I photographed four families, three of which were for the tv show Save Us From Our House. Saturday I photographed Jennifer + Joe's lovely wedding. Sunday I hung up my show (details to come soon!) and then met up with Ravi + Andrea for an engagement portrait session. Stayed tuned for LOTS of new images!Labels: announcements
Monday, April 28, 2008
Happy Monday!
I saw this sign the other day after dropping off my car at the shop a few days ago and could not pass up taking a photo. Happy Monday!Labels: announcements
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Saturday, May 10th 11am Boudoir Session Available!
My boudoir portraits take place at my studio located near downtown Toronto. The cost of a session is $330 and includes a disc containing high resolution files of all final photographs, including your top twenty favourite portraits all retouched so that they are as close to perfect as possible! The fabulous Megan Paiswill be doing make-up. Please contact me if you would like to book this session or if you have any questions about my boudoir sessions! I am also currently taking bookings for my next Boudoir Marathon on Sunday, August 24th (details below).
Cheers,
Jessica
Labels: announcements, boudoir
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Trash the Dress!
It is the time of year to start booking your Trash the Dress portrait session! What is a Trash the Dress session? It is a portrait session that takes place after your wedding where you get dressed up in your wedding clothes again. Often these sessions take place near some sort of body of water during sunset. The results of the session are nice and relaxed portraits taken without all of the hectic activity from the actual wedding day! Please contact me (weddings at jbsmithphotography dot com) for more information on booking a session!
Labels: announcements, wedding
