Cool Toronto Engagement Photos Inspiration

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Alexis and Lillian last winter just before the COVID-19 pandemic changed everyone’s lives during our editorial inspired couple’s shoot in Toronto. They wanted couples photos of each other that played up their creative selves and elevated the essence of their relationship. So we leaned heavily into my 90’s fashion editorial influences and my inspiration surrounding cinematic and intimate atmosphere. If you want to take a look at the results of that intimate fashion inspired photoshoot take a look at the final images (all shot on film) here on my blog.

Fast forward a year later to this couples shoot which in wedding photography terms would be an intimate at-home engagement session but in reality it was simply a celebration of their love for one another and one final chance for us to work together before they officially moved to Amsterdam (jealous).  This time around we all felt the emotional toll of the pandemic and played that up by creating a fluid narrative that represented the highs and lows of the past year as well as a way to reflect the bittersweet elements of their upcoming departure to the Netherlands. Whether you want to label this an intimate at home session in Toronto shot on analog film (which I guess it is), or whether you want this to simply be cool inspiration for engagement photos here in Toronto (which it also is), I really hope what we created goes beyond those simplistic industry buzzwords.

I really wanted to create something powerful and beautiful, again leaning into my influences of art house cinema, editorial aesthetic and my never ending love for music, I had a vision to make this more than your standard at home couples photoshoot, I wanted it to feel cinematic, to create an interpretative narrative and ultimately create an intimate and honest experience for Lillian and Alexis.

I took the opportunity to bring on some fellow creatives to seriously elevate this entire shoot beyond anything I could’ve accomplished on my own. Natasha Zimin is a talented cinematographer here in Toronto and I’ve always loved her work and felt she was the perfect fit to come and capture some motion and compile a beautiful video to accompany the images, and oh boy did she ever deliver on that (as I fully expected and as you can see in the full video below).  I also used Ryanne Hollies as a Creative Director to help conceptualize the direction of the shoot and work in tangent with me as a co-director and co-stills photographer. Ryanne is insanely talented and creative, her ability to piece together my thoughts into a cohesive creative direction was truly the secret recipe behind the final mood and atmosphere we achieved (and of course the authentic love and intimacy between the couple was undoubtably the most important element of all). 

A three-headed dragon as I referred to our small creative team, we entered the shoot with a rough idea of what we wanted to accomplish but ultimately we walked away with something much more. The final video and stills are a perfect reflection of all our creative influences and creative minds, Alexis and Lillian included.

These are some of my favourite images I’ve ever created during an engagement session or couples shoot - without a doubt it was the perfect storm of creative minds with one common goal and I’m extremely proud of what we accomplished. I want to continue to bring this level of elevated and dedicated creative intention to my couple’s shoots and weddings. I’ve worked endlessly over the last 2-3 years to unapologetically lean into my personal aesthetic and influences in hopes that they shine through and the work can speak for itself. Shooting film is now a natural part of the process, although it always was, even more now than ever before and this part of my work as a wedding photographer here in Toronto has allowed me to connect with other like minded creative couples looking to create something uniquely theirs that goes beyond the boundaries of what’s considered typical in this industry that tends to rely heavily on trends and normalcy.  I want to live beyond the label of analog film wedding photographer or Toronto Wedding Photographer and stand alone as a photographer who’s capable of blending their work from all facets of their photography, and this was just another attempt to further drive that home to my current and potential couples that I work with.

A cool bonus to come out of this shoot was that I reached out to Ruby Haunt, one of my favourite bands currently producing music and showed them the final video and images that we created. Their song “Snow Angel” was a big mood influencer for me when I was conceptualizing the entire shoot and I was thrilled and honoured to find out they were fans of my work and allowed us to use their song officially for the video. It’s cool to have a sort of unofficially music video created for one of my favourite artists and it’s even more rewarding knowing that the video can stand alone as its own cinematic narrative beyond the surface.

Big thanks again to Natasha, Ryanne, Lilian, and Alexis for collaborating on this and helping me create something special and beautiful to share with the world <3. 

Song of the day - Snow Angel - Ruby Haunt

- 3B

LOVE EFFIGY

CREDITS

Creative Directors - Brjánn & Ryanne Hollies
Cinematographer - Natasha Zimin
Stills - 3B Photography + Ryanne Hollies Photography

Annex Toronto Engagement Session

I’m not sure why I sat on these images for so long as they are some of my favourites from 2020 and that’s not because of all the fancy wine we got to drink either. A couples session in downtown Toronto can look like many things but this couples shoot is an entirely accurate story to Michelle and Adrian’s love for where they live and the love they’ve had for one another.

These two are Toronto kids through and through so naturally they wanted to have their engagement photos reflect the love they have for the vibes of the city and appreciate the uniqueness of their neighbourhood in the Annex. As usual, I wanted to avoid the classic concept of engagement photos  altogether but instead wanted to capture things with an air of documentary and the flair of cinematic narrative.

It’s amazing how keeping things simple and real goes such a long way when trying to tell the story of two people’s lives. They wanted to approach the session as another cozy Sunday on a long weekend, starting their afternoon off with a game of Scrabble that gets a little too competitive while their Corgi sits back and basks in the slowly setting sun peeking through the window. I could’ve probably spent a solid hour taking photos of their cute pup while we all hung out and discuss the weird times we were living in but all signs were pointing to a cotton candy sunset so we decided to take a stroll through their neighbourhood and visit a few key spots like the late night local diner they hit up when coming home from a night of partying with friends (remember partying with friends? Me neither).

Toronto isn’t short on magical sunsets during the summer time but there was something hauntingly beautiful about the light mixing with the artificial glow of the urban landscape that was utterly perfect. I love exploring neighbourhoods in Toronto since they all have their unique quirks and the sort of beauty that is often overlooked. We took the time to appreciate the gradual sunset and soak in every moment until the moonlight dominated the atmosphere.  At this magical blue hour moment we were walking past an iconic car wash that has always grabbed my attention I drove by it at various hours of the night.

Being creatively inclined themselves, Michelle and Adrian really trusted us as photographers and trusted in the entire process, creating a sense of vulnerability and honesty in their interactions together. They have a stunning back patio that was the ideal mood setter and romantic environment for them to enjoy a few glasses of wine and a few laughs while reminiscing on old stories. They’re wine connoisseurs so I’ll happily admit I got to indulge in a glass of some of the best wine I’ve ever had but honestly that only sweetened the deal as Michelle and Adrian are legitimately my kind of people and because of that true sense of rapport and friendship we built the images felt like voyeuristic and intimate photos of friends taken by a friend, a documented memory highlighting sincere love through comfortability.

I know for a fact if it wasn’t for the pandemic that Ryanne and I would have had more than a few double dates with these two to enjoy some killer wine and amazing Asian food.  For now, I can look forward to the next time we get to hangout and look a little further into 2021 when I get to photograph their wedding at Steam Whistle Brewery in downtown Toronto.

Song of the day - Cool 2 - Hoops

- 3B

In-Home Engagement Session

When doing “engagement photos” I always remind couples that the ultimate goal is to be comfortable, be yourself and to create an experience that reflects what’s important in your life. Kat & Justin didn’t have too much of a hard time figuring those things out. They are Toronto kids through and through so naturally exploring the nooks and hidden corners of their Old Forest Hill neighbourhood was a no brainer.  As avid music fans and musicians themselves they wanted to make sure they got some photos of themselves in their favourite corner of their apartment, surrounded by their massive record collection, record player and instruments, it made for the ultimate hangout spot for us to spend some time together and jam before venturing out into one of the many hidden ravines that Toronto has to offer. Although the majority of this engagement shoot was done in-home it didn’t stop these two from taking the time to take a walk and explore the extended boundaries of what they call home.

I’ll admit there’s something really special about spending time with a couple in their home. There’s a sort of familiar intimacy that comes along with seeing people in their most comfortable environment, creating some unique moments that will always remain memorable when looking back at the photos. Something I started doing about 2 years ago during in-home sessions was turning over the camera to the couple, letting them push the button to take the photo instead of me. In these instances I become more of a creative director than photographer and what this allows to happen is a unique perspective is created, one that can’t be replicated with me at the helm of the camera. I was excited to present this idea to Justin & Kat because they themselves are highly creative individuals who appreciate meaningful art and the many layers involved in that process. Justin is also a super creative and talented film maker so I knew handing over the camera to him would not only lead to beautiful photographs, but it would also engulf him in the entire experience in a completely different way. When scrolling through the blog post you’ll be able to quickly identify which images were taken by Justin & Kat, they immediately jump out to you as the sort of images you have printed and kept in a shoebox underneath your bed. The level of genuine intimacy in those images is something I absolutely love and something I hope that they will appreciate when looking back on these images in a decade or two.

Naturally this entire session was shot on 35mm and medium format film, something that has become an entire premise for my workflow as a wedding photographer. I particularly feel that analog film really enhanced the dreamlike aesthetic of the experience, bringing a tangible feeling to the photos that mimic our blurry memories we fondly hold onto as we grow older.

If you’re considering a couples session or engagement photos for yourself I hope Justin & Kat’s experience serves as a reminder that these things don’t need to be complex or feel stuffy. Be yourself, create an experience that revolves around environments and places that mean something to you both and the results will speak for themselves. For these two it was simple; some good music, a couple of drinks, some rolls of film and enjoying the blue hour sunset hand in hand.

Song of the day - Snow Angel - Ruby Haunt

- 3B