I can’t believe its November already and that Christmas is around the corner, but despite that its still been relatively warm out, not t-shirt weather but no need for hats and mitts just yet, so that’s good. I’ve also been blessed to have all my sessions on days when the weather hasn’t been too cold, and I couldn’t be happier about that.

For example this session with Shirley and her nieces,  it had called for rain but at the last minute they changed the weather report to no rain and warmer than usual weather. We still had to wear coats but we didn’t freeze which was my main concern, especially for the two little girls that this session was essentially for.

Shirley wanted a session with her nieces, and that touches my heart, I think every aunt should do this, and I have 3 nieces myself, and I definitely want to do a session like this with them now as well.

Both girls were so adorably cute and the oldest was a perfect model and you could see that her auntie loves them both. It was such a nice session, and it was lovely meeting them all.

Shirley, I hope you enjoyed yourself with your nieces and I hope you enjoy the sneak peek from our day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For years my husband has been looking and talking about purchasing a cottage,  a place away from the city with a little beach so that the boys can run around and swim and have fun at. Well, I’m happy to say that we found that place this year and in May we purchased it and we have had the most fun this summer and I tear up thinking of all the memories we have created just from one short season.

For years to come we’ll be roasting marshmallows and swimming in the river as well as fishing and bbqing and inviting friends up to enjoy a day or two away from all the hustle and bustle. It’s located near Campbellford, on the crowe river and we can’t wait to pack up our stuff almost every other weekend and head out to the cottage. I even had to reschedule a few sessions to get a few more weeks worth of going to the cottage, the summer goes by so fast and this is the busy time of year with sessions, so it was quite hard figuring out when we could go. I’m wishing we bought a cottage years ago but the boys are still young and I think this was the best year of their lives so far. I’m so looking forward to many more years of enjoying cottage life and building beautiful memories with my family there.

Besides our little beach, that happens to be quite shallow for the most part and nice and warm in the summer, we found a gorgeous new spot just minutes away and it has miniature falls along with a calm little area to swim in above the falls, its just the most awesome place. The boys fell in love and so did our guests and I’m so glad I brought the camera up to take some pics of this place and the time we spent together.  I could barely wait to put up some pics, but it took me a long time to go through them all,lol. So here is our cottage, we went up with a few close friends and we fished, swam, had a foam party and ate like kings and really had such a wonderful time. We are actually sad that its already August and realistically we can only go up a few more times, and I’m already planning next year’s itinerary for the summer months,lol.

Here’s a few images from our home away from home.

Crowe river bridge park mini falls

 

Foam party

Our beautiful sign

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I met Marta at a fantastic workshop that I went too and we hit it off right away. She was the model at the time for this workshop, but little did I know that she has an interest in photography as well. We started chatting and she reminded me of me when I first started out in photography. Eager and excited and I saw she had a love for photography. Besides being beautiful, she’s a sweetheart and she asked me if we could get together sometime and chat about photography and I was definitely up for that. Then I thought of the phaunt convention, where a bunch of photographer friends of mine got together for a weekend in Toronto in May and I was looking for models for 4 shoots that I was trying to set up for the weekend. I thought Marta would probably like to come and watch us and perhaps model for us as well, and I asked her and she was totally interested and we were both excited.

She showed up bright and early and had hair and makeup done by Surekha artistry and she looked gorgeous, I couldn’t wait to start photographing her. Actually I didn’t wait, while the other models were getting their hair and makeup done, I decided to start photographing Marta since she was ready to go. It was a rainy day, so we didn’t get to go out much, but we found lots of great spots in and around the Delta Chelsea hotel – downtown Toronto and the lighting was awesome and loved all the locations at the hotel and it was just about a perfect day. We had so much fun, and I could have photographed Marta all day long. She wanted to learn a little as well, so after we were all done, she got changed and joined the rest of us with her camera and she fit right in.

We had a wonderful time and I think we became good friends as well, and I look forward to hanging out with Marta again, perhaps will do another session sometime.

For now, here are lots of images I took of Marta (this is why I need to create a post just for her images), and here is the link to the rest of the images I took that weekend http://mphphotography.net/blog/2011/05/pv-2011-toronto-mph-photography/

Thanks Marta for being so wonderful, love ya girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It took months of planning and it all came together last weekend in Toronto, where a bunch of us photographers got together from different parts of the country and in the states and we set up 4 shoots in 2 days and so it began.

It was exciting to see everyone and we got a bit of a chance to chit chat while our models were getting ready in the hotel room. The girls stayed at the Delta Chelsea hotel in downtown Toronto and we planned all the shoots in and around this hotel and the downtown area. We had the amazing Cherry of Surekha Artistry doing our hair and makeup and she did a fantastic job and can’t wait to work with her again. Once the models were ready we headed over to graffiti alley. It was a warm day thankfully and leading up to it the weather reports said nothing but rain, so we were grateful they were wrong. It was an amazing shoot and with our gorgeous models, Krystal, Brittney, Nathalia and our card playing model Jack.

We had a nightime session set up at Dundas square, across the Eaton centre and located at Yonge and Dundas but as we started walking there it began to rain a little. We managed to take a few shots but not as many as we wanted too and I’m hoping to go back there again soon. Our models Jacklyne and Danielle were both beautiful and fun girls. We also had another model Melissa who couldn’t make it at the last minute which was unfortunate as her boyfriend had planned to propose to her at the session. He ended up proposing later on that night and we wish them all the happiness in the world.

The following day we shot a bridal and we had gorgeous models again, and I can’t thank everyone enough for coming out, everyone was on time and the whole weekend went off without a hitch except for the rain. Our models Marta and Diana and Isha and Jen and Collin were all wonderful and although I managed to get  a few shots outdoors with Marta the rain started to come down and we ended up finishing off the session in the hotel.

That night we did a short boudoir shoot as well and we had all kinds of props from shoes to pearls to feathers to choose from. It was definitely a memorable weekend, and so much fun.

Thank you to my girls for coming out and spending a couple of days in T.O. and hope you enjoyed our city and hope you had a fun weekend. Let’s do it again soon,lol. Special thanks to the models and to Cherry our makeup artist/ hairstylist extraordinaire who make all our models look so gorgeous.

Here are TONS of images and I may have to post some more because there are so many more that I love as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DUNDAS SQUARE

 

 

BRIDAL

 

 

BOUDOIR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was so honoured when Silvana from http://www.impulsephotographyblog.com/ contacted me and asked me if I could assist her with her creme de la creme workshop, I nearly hit the ceiling from my excitement. I was so excited and nervous as well but it was definitely a wonderful opportunity and I’m thankful that I was asked.

I met some wonderful photographers and we all got along great and we all learned so much in those 2 days and I know I wrote well over 10 pages of info and watching Silvana do her thing and learning from one of the best in the industry was definitely a dream come true. I missed her when she was asked to speak at WPPI last year and I kept kicking myself over it until the phone rang and I heard her voice on the other end asking me to be her assistant for the workshop.

I’ve known Sil for years and was even her 3rd assistant at a wedding she shot years ago, I learned alot from her then and continue to learn from her every year. She’s not only an awesome photographer but has such a sweet soul, she’s such a blessing and I’m so proud to call her my friend. She not only teaches me about photography but also how to be a better person, to love more, to give more and to put God first in your life. I often look up to her both for photography and for how God is using her and her talents to serve Him. She’s an inspiration in all that she does and I thank God for placing her in my life.

Silvana held her workshop at one of the most beautiful venue’s in Toronto, The McLean House http://www.estatesofsunnybrook.com/ and besides the gorgeous grounds and the fabulous mansion that we got to shoot in, they also have great service and take such good care of you. The staff were so helpful, especially Veronica, she looked after us as if we were her own, and I must commend them for hiring such top notch employees.

Silvana also spoiled us by giving everyone a scrumptious cupcake by Lavish Cupcakes  http://www.lavishcupcakes.com/ and Oh my goodness, these cupcakes tasted like heaven, and I had to make my husband drive us from the east end to go pick up a box of these delectable treats a week later,lol. I’m now hooked and while at Lavish the people there are so sweet and so caring , they even loved watching my little munchkin run around even though I was afraid he’d break something they just smiled and gave him a cupcake (which I ended up eating by accident and they were sweet enough to give him another one), which made him and me very happy. They now have a new fan for life.

Silvana, thanks so much for such an amazing workshop, not only did we all learn tons but we also got to meet one of God’s awesome creations, you are a blessing to all that meet you and I know you planted a seed in all of us and I know these seeds will grow and flourish and I only hope in years to come that we make you proud.

Below are shots from the day and I can’t thank Silvana enough for allowing us to shoot the poses that she set up.