documentographer » life photographer

Tomorrow, I was booked to fly to Mexico for Shelly and Ben’s wedding (Click here for their engagement shoot.),  at the Rosewoood Mayakoba in the Mayan Riviera.  A year in the making, you can only imagine how much planning went into this destination wedding, (thanks to Alysha at LUXE Destination weddings), and how excited we all were.

Suddenly, the swine flu hit.  And every day the alert and danger has risen.  Before we knew it, the unforeseen possibility that the wedding wasn’t going to happen, became a reality.

But the cool part about Ben and Shelly, is they aren’t the kind of people to toss it to the wind, and say ‘oh well’.  No, no.  They are the kind of people who, when they say they are getting married with their vision, they are getting married with their vision.  And if they say it’s going to be beautiful and memorable and extraordinary, then it’s going to be those things.  So instead of getting upset about it, they worked around the clock with LUXE to relocate the wedding.  

Let me make this totally clear.  They changed the location of their wedding YESTERDAY.  They are getting married on SUNDAY. 

So now, a wedding that was already so exciting, is off-the-charts exciting.  We are going to The Setai, in Miami. (Infamous for its glamorous art deco style.)  Ironically, South Beach is actually one of Shelly and Ben’s favourite places, and in no way do they feel this is a compromise.  (Talk about having a great attitude!!) I anticipate that the celebration will be incredibly joyous, like that born of a miracle.  

Celebrate with us, check back here.  I’ll be posting over the weekend.  Might as well let a little good in, with all this bad flu news lately. 

Here’s the LUXE take on the ordeal:

Click here for the link to their story.

Last July, I was lucky to get involved with the Tumaini Children’s Project, and go to Kenya to help teach photography to some orphans.  (Click here for the back-story) 

Many many many of you helped make that happen.  You helped prep, you helped fundraise, you donated, and you helped our photo exhibit happen upon return.  But, perhaps that still feels unsatisfying.  Perhaps you want to know more, or hear from the kids first hand.  What were they like?  What are their lives like?  What was this project like for them?  Well, here’s your answer:

Paul Galipeau, an amazing photographer, and one of the volunteers I went to Kenya with, put together this audio slideshow to give you more of an inside scoop.  Actually, he slaved over it.  (Do you know how long these things take?)  Please take the time to watch it, it would mean a lot to us, and to the kids.

Oh, here it is.  The slideshow from Sarah and Daniel’s fabulous wedding.  Good ol’ James Taylor does it again.  He was their first dance, and he says it all.

This is one of my favourite moments from Saturday.  The end of the father-daughter dance.

Yesterday started off as the  most beautiful sunny day. Here’s gorgeous Sarah, just before we headed off into the sunshine…  

By the time Sarah and Daniel’s wedding ceremony came around, it was dark dark dark, and a huge rainstorm came.  Luckily, they got married at one of the coolest venues in Toronto, the Church on Berkeley, and we just took our pics inside.  

See?  It all works out.

So gorgeous.  

What a special day last Saturday was.  A 10-course Chinese Dinner.  Portraits at Uof T.  Family and friends who flew in from all over the world.  Hilarious games to get the Adrienne and Randy to kiss.  I will remember this wedding for a long long time.  Thank you Adrienne and Randy!!

Goodness I love engagement shoots.  I love the chance to be creative and have fun with my clients. I love letting the love vibes flow, and how yummy they are.  I guess I just love love, and this is the opportunity to play with it.  Yo and Chris sure made it easy.  We had so much fun yesterday at the Beach(es).  Can’t wait for their wedding, now!!!

Without further adieu, check them out, yo.

It’s Earth Day.  A great time to take stock of the ways you help or hinder the planet.  A great day to appreciate.  I’m so glad it’s in Spring, where it’s just that little bit easier to do — it would be hard if it was February Earth Day.

I hate when people “should” all over me.  It’s one of my biggest pet-peeves. There are so many better ways to offer suggestions, than just ’shoulding’ someone.  It’s the lazy person’s advice, not taking into account what the other person may or may not want, their preferences, or frankly, not taking them into account in any way.

But from time to time, there is the kind of suggestion, the blanket suggestion, that is just good for everyone.  This is one of those times.

a) You should know who Stuart Knight is.  If you don’t, click here.   And view the pics below, a few from the shoot we did for his new book.

b) You should get tickets for his upcoming show, SHIFT.

Not only will it change your life, but this is the last time you can see it in your life.  Therefore, the last time you can go see this show to change your life.  Get it?  You should go.

Ok, here’s a test.  Can you see the love in these photos?  I was so overcome with the joy and love that Adrienne and Randy’s families were displaying at their tea ceremony on Friday, I felt like it was jumping straight into my camera.  

But, before I show you, here’s a little intro:   This is Adrienne.  AKA hot Shanghai moviestar.

And this is Randy, seeing her for the first time.  You might recognize them from an engagement shoot months ago… (Click here)

Ok, on with the test.  Here are their family members during the ceremony.  They cheered, they laughed, they cried.  It was so heartwarming, and such an honour to be there.

Soooo…what’s your verdict?  Can you feel it?

For my birthday last year, my dear friend Christina wanted to buy me a subscription to a magazine.  Specifically, she wanted me to choose a magazine that I wanted to be published in.  We spend a lot of time talking about our careers and goals and dreams, and this present was intended to help support where I wanted to go next. Instead of choosing a local, more plausible, magazine, I chose the publication that I love the most right now — Martha Stewart’s Body and Soul magazine — knowing full well that this was a pipe dream, but certainly one that would make me happy coming into my mailbox.

Last week I got an e-mail from Body and Soul, saying they want to send me free copies of the magazine to thank me for my contribution. Delighted, I said, yes please!  But, what contribution?  I think I’d remember submitting to my FAVOURITE MAGAZINE.

Remember Vanessa Farquharson?  We did this photo shoot at this link for her new book ‘Sleeping Naked is Green‘, last February.  

Where did I find it, but in the magazine that came through my mail box yesterday.  Right inside the magazine, as a half page photo.

All I have to ask is this: is this a coincidence?  Or is it a result of Christina’s thoughtful present?  And if it’s from the latter, which I like to believe it is, my birthday is fast approaching again…