Hotel X Wedding

The blend of modern and vintage is often difficult to achieve, especially in terms of weddings, but Maddy & Adam’s wedding at Hotel X provided what seemed like an endless supply of inspiration and some iconic moments that were among some of the best I’ve ever photographed. Everything oozed intrigue, from the wedding venue of Hotel X, to the rare blue exterior- red leather interior Porsche, to Maddy’s incredible one-of-a-kind look, it’s tough to pinpoint a single moment as THE standout since every moment was worthy of discussing at absolute length.

Hotel X walks the fine line of modern meets vintage in terms of aesthetic, and it does so beautifully thanks to a state-of-the-art modern building that somehow blends beautifully with the historic architecture that surrounds exhibition place in downtown Toronto. That little pocket of Toronto is incredibly unique and offers a hard to believe peaceful energy despite being in one of the busiest places in the entire city. That sort of atmosphere just felt right and extremely compatible with the details surrounding this wedding day. The bride’s room overlooked the iconic Toronto city skyline and her custom designed wedding dress stood alone as piece of art within the four walls of the hotel. Maddy wanted something low-stress and what better way of doing that than by having your four legged fury baby in attendance to watch the events unfold.

On the flip side Adam kept things equally low-key getting ready back in their beautifully decorated home, sharing a rare bottle of scotch with his dad. Speaking of rare, Adam’s dad let him borrow his incredible Porsche, that sported a rare blue colour and red leather interior. It was quite literally a car James Bond would whip around on his own wedding day, the machine is a beautiful work of art and made for the perfect eye-popping accessory. That being said, the car wasn’t just purely for style and a few cool photos of the groom, he actually drove up to the bride for their first look in the car and even brought them around Toronto for a few pit stops before circling back for their ceremony. The bride in her beautifully crafted dress alongside the blue car gave me all the mod vibes I could ever ask for as devout enthusiast of all things vintage and 60’s / 70’s. 

Beyond the incredibly stylish bride and groom, this wedding had its fair share of sincere moments and interactions including the ceremony that was done on the Hotel X grounds overlooking historic buildings and a stunning green-space. It felt as if the group of friends and family were displaced into their own world all the while being in the heart of Toronto. Although the venue and location is incredible in and of itself, the day and decor that brought everything together was captained by the duo of Rana and Theresa at Attia Events, a wedding planner we’re looking forward to collaborating with more in the future. 

Before things got rowdy on the dance floor the bride and groom took a moment to escape and enjoy a few quiet moments at sunset together, in the heart of Exhibition Place right next to Hotel X and they were treated with some of the best golden hour light to enhance the nostalgia of the present moment. In that moment I really witnessed as they let go and appreciated the small details before venturing back to finish off their meal and speeches.

Maybe it’s the build up from COVID or maybe this is just a special group but the electric energy during the party portion of the evening was extremely exciting and sort of just sucked everybody in, Maddy & Adam included. It was the perfect send off to what already was an unforgettable wedding day experience.

It doesn’t take much to inspire me as a wedding photographer, just vintage Porsches and custom made dresses that are something out of Vogue magazine, oh and great people of course, always. Honestly I could say something cliche like those things didn’t matter because the bride and groom as people are enough, and although true, those elements are what really brought out their personalities, who they really are, and ultimately that’s why those elements, and all the others were memorable and truly iconic.  I’ll be look back on my career as a wedding photographer and remember this one fondly, for a long long time.

Song of the day  -  No Surprises by Radiohead

VENDORS

Venue: Hotel X

Hair Stylist: Hair by Banks

Makeup Artist: Romy Zack

Wedding Dress: Custom

Groom’s Suit: Tom’s Place

Floris: Smells Like Flowers

Coordinator: Attia Events

Catering: Food Dudes

Second Photographer: Ryanne Hollies

Studio Bon Soleil Wedding

Most wedding & elopements that I get to photograph can often be summarized by a handful of words that round up the iconic things that burn into my memory from the entire experience. I can summarize Chengchen and Karen’s elopement with a few simple ones; fashion, culture, beauty and grunge.

This was an extremely intimate experience, the kind of intimate where I’m signing as one of the witnesses intimate (I got the privilege to ink my name of the documents after winning a hard fought battle of rock-paper-scissors against Ryanne).  I tend to get nervous before all the shoot I do, big or small, casual or not, but with wedding there was something that felt immediately comfortable and inspiring.  Maybe it’s because Karen and Chengchen have a ‘real wedding” planned for a later date that includes their friends and family, and I don’t have the normal “pressure” of standard wedding day, but it wasn’t that at all. The couple’s energy was subtle but impactful, I subconsciously mirrored their aura and went about documenting their presence as if it was the natural thing to do. It didn’t hurt that their entire wedding was shot on analog film which put me in my natural element and paved the way for me to push forward creatively and create images that were uninhibited by roadblocks in my minds and thoughts of nit-picking perfection. Throw in the Studio Bon Soleil and you have yourself a wedding that checks off all the boxes aesthetically, especially once you take into account the bride and groom’s style and fashion.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw Karen arrive in her first bridal look; a combination of contemporary fashion and traditional cultural elements. She was truly a vision and awe-inspiring, a legitimate bridal fashion icon, not once but twice in one day. It was difficult not to want to create images that highlighted her look and how she seemed like she jumped out of the pages of an editorial magazine. Chengchen’s first look was the perfect compliment, mixing a low-key fashion groom style with flair, something I honestly would wear myself and an iconic look that serves as a reminder that grooms can be fashionable and contemporary on their wedding days too. The bride wanted the first part of the day to be casual and fun, they wanted to spend time creating images of themselves that were different and alternative to what traditional wedding photos can become. They wanted to be fashion-forward and collaborate with me to create something that elevated beyond wedding photos all while maintaining traces of themselves and their love for one another. 

After we explored the grungy alleyways around king street and queen street, the bride and groom made their up to the studio Bon Soleil in downtown Toronto to swap into their “normal” bride and groom looks, (which were also pieces of fashion forward art) and they prepared to share in an intimate ceremony to officially become husband and wife. There was literally 4 of us baring witness to Karen and Chengchen’s love and commitment, Ryanne, myself and the lovely team at Fleur Weddings, that’s it. It was without a doubt one of the most intimate weddings I’ve gotten to photograph and it was also without a doubt one of the most beautiful exchange of vows I’ve seen as a wedding photographer.  Chengchen and Karen have this youthful gaze with one another that is so sincere that no other word can describe it other than cute, and that’s not a word I throw around often. There was just something so cute about how they engaged with one another, a bit of shyness that was quickly overcome with passion, and just a softness that was really captivating. They were absolutely invested into the entire experience of the elopement and let their guards down when sharing quiet moments together.

Several rolls of film later and we’re simply left with the memories of the wedding day alongside a few negatives. I got to create some of my favourite images of the year at this wedding and all I did was let the bride and groom shine through in every moment, whether they intended it or not. Rarely to I get to blend my love for cinematic imagery with my love fashion and editorial photography (at least at weddings) but this elopement brought all those elements out naturally without my own influence. This seems to be a constant reoccurrence for me in 2021 and I couldn’t be more grateful for that reality. It was never my intention to be known as an analog wedding photographer, I want my images to speak for themselves regardless of the medium they’re created with, but I would be lying if I said film wasn’t an important tool for me to showcase my identity as a photographer. I couldn’t be more grateful to be working with couple’s who understand that side of me and my process, brides and grooms who actively encourage me to be creative and utilize analog film because they also appreciate the nuances and nostalgia that come hand in hand with the process.

Song of the day  -  S.W.I.M by Midwife

VENDORS

Venue: Studio Bon Soleil

Coordinators: May Ma of Fleur Weddings

Second Photographer: Ryanne Hollies

Preto Loft Elopement Toronto

Over the last few years the idea of what a wedding or elopement “looks like” has drastically changed. There aren’t any rules and many couples have opted to create an intimate experience that focuses solely on them instead of creating a larger event that (sometimes) creates a lack of intimacy. For Jesse & Tom it was a no brainer; elope in Toronto and create an honest and intimate wedding experience that allowed them to enjoy the quiet moments with an absolutely zero stress environment to bring it all together.

This elopement started off as a blank slate but after chatting with Jesse & Tom a few times things slowly started to unfold and we collaborated on creating the perfect adventure elopement timeline that felt natural and relaxed.  Adventure elopements aren’t only reserved for hikers looking for the ultimate mountain landscape for a picture perfect background. You can absolutely approach a city elopement with a sense of adventure but what makes them a little more fun, at least to me, is that cities have a lot of different things to offer, there’s a misconception that large cities are hackneyed or unimaginative, which couldn't be further from the truth. Jesse & Tom love where they live and for all intents and purpose Toronto wasn’t just a location for a wedding, it was an active member of the elopement experience and Jesse & Tom very much saw the city and their lives within it as major factors for their wedding.

Another very important element for these two was to have the entire wedding captured on analog film. The tangibility and slow pace of the analog photography workflow just felt right to them and ultimately they wanted that indescribable nostalgic factor that they felt would represent the apogee of emotions that become blurry and imperfect within our memories. Selfishly I’ll admit that I very much prefer to shoot film and I truly believe that it’s the ultimate medium for me to channel my creative visions and mindsets, but over the years I’ve become lucky enough to work with creatives or creatively inclined couples who see analog film as a standard, a must-have to receive the sort of imagery they expect from me as a photographer.  For Jesse & Tom to express these values meant that I was going to be working with people who would let me do my thing and genuinely allow me to be apart of the overall experience in an artless way.

The day started off at the Cherry Beach dog park where Jesse & Tom got to spend the sunny morning doing something they love doing together, walking the dog and spending a low-key morning by the water. I know it’s consider “untraditional” to do this sort of thing on your wedding day, but I’ve been seeing this more and more and I really believe it created an amazingly comfortable atmosphere to kick off the day, I mean, why not see each other in the morning and spend as much time together on the day? Jesse & Tom got to legitimately spend quality time together soaking in the anticipation of what was to come with the rest of the day and it helped set the mood going forward.

A low-key adventure at the dog park flowed into a casual lunch at their home where they got to spend a few quiet moments together in their bedroom before starting to get ready for the ceremony.  The perfect playlist of alternative rock and shoe gaze set the tone as it subtly played in the background as things became serene. I realized that music was important to these two as per the Radiohead concert posted framed in their living room, which I only noticed since Tom was scribbling down his vows in the corner while Jesse prepped her makeup in the neighbouring bedroom. Their proximity created this sort exciting tension, an ambiance the was unintentionally cinematic but somehow utterly beautiful. Very few words were exchanged as they both got ready, but what wasn’t said out loud was somehow speaking volumes through their body language which was beguiling and captivating.

Once their wedding day styles were finalized Jesse & Tom made their way through the west end of Toronto making a few pit stops along to way to take in a few meaningful views from, in what they described to me as, their every-day-life locations, places in their life that would seem mundane to anyone who didn’t understand or appreciate the personal and deeper meaning these places had, making a popular Toronto location suddenly sequestered. The power of memory and lived experience with another individual is what can transform any run of the mill place into something worth going back to time and time again. Watching Jesse & Tom make a few trips down memory lane was endearing, a kind reminder that their arrival in this moment was paved by a path and journey together, so why not take a few moments to appreciate the ride while you’re still on it?

Preto Loft in the Junction was the setting for their intimate wedding ceremony, witnessed solely by their parents. Their vows were grounded in honesty and sincerity, a deeply beautiful exchange of words that had an abundance of nuance and written with elegance that was poetic, poignant and delicate in its message. Not bad for a pair of doctors you’d probably think, but really it would be a testament to any individual who considers themselves a wordsmith. 

Through watered eyes and profound gazes, they were pronounced married. A small celebration and toast capped things off before heading to their final destination for an intimate dinner at Richmond Station in downtown Toronto. A large studio, seemingly empty in comparison, was filled with a sudden love and joy unbelievably created by only a handful of people.

Jesse & Tom’s beautiful city elopement encompassed all the values and important elements that should reflect a wedding day; love, memories and experience. Besides being beyond cool, Jesse & Tom created moments to appreciate one another and the experience they were having. Ultimately when they look back on their wedding day they’ll remember every small detail, every smile and laugh, they’ll remember what their embrace felt like or how they felt staring into one another’s eyes. There’s a stack of negatives leftover to serve as a reminder, but they’ll never be as powerful as their own blurry, imperfect memories of it all.

Song of the day  -  Love Fade by Tamaryn

VENDORS

Venue: Preto Loft

Second Photographer: Ryanne Hollies

Casa La Palma Wedding

If you asked me what some of the best weddings look like I’ll instantly tell you that it’s the ones that are seemingly elevated dinner parties with amazing food and an intimate set of your favourite people (and dogs).  I guess if you asked Jen and Rob the same question you might get the same answer because those are the exact things they served up during the intimate wedding at Casa La Palma in Toronto’s Little Portugal neighbourhood.  Using an incredible restaurant to host their wedding was probably the best choice they could’ve made considering their high standards for foods and bevvies.

This elopement (or wedding, or whatever you want to label it) had a very low-key, no fuss vibe to it. Jen and Rob were totally chill from the get go opting to have their first look in the beautiful garden lobby of their rustic condo before jetting off to the Fairmont Hotel to spend some one on one time together. The Fairmont Royal Yorkis a stunning place that blends seamlessly the art deco charm at every corner, it made for the perfect atmosphere to welcome the bride and groom who were sporting beautiful contemporary and fashion forward wedding styles that brought the magic all together.  Whether we were jetting through the halls of the grandiose hotel or whether Jen and Rob made their way through a grungy alleyway, they had this effortless coolness that every bride and groom is striding for when getting married in the heart of a metropolis.  Jen’s fashion forward bridal look was inspiring and a modern take on what a city bride should look like. Take notes if you’re a Toronto bride looking to take their look to another level on their own wedding day.

There was a little cute mixed into the cool however, as Jen and Rob took a moment to welcome (and walk) their two cute pups up and down Dundas Street, stepping to the side for a brief moment to let them take the spotlight away from them, if not only temporarily.

The ceremony was hosted upstairs in La Palma and was witnessed by a select handful of immediate family members and two cherished pets.  As the bride made her way through the space arms linked with her father, she could’ve help but reach down and pet the cute bulldog as it was half sprawled across the floor nearly taking up too much aisle space. The ceremony itself was beautiful and intimate, with everyone in attendance giving their full attention to Jen and Rob as they exchanged vows and rings through a few hard fought tears. It’s in moments like these that I realize that THIS is what intimate weddings are really about, feeling the energy and nearly tangible emotions between everyone involved, being so close that you can hear the quivers during the vows, the subtle laugh when the ring doesn’t quite slip on easily enough but ultimately you get goosebumps because you can literally feel the amount of love within a given moment.

Once things were official the small group immediately began to celebrate the union between Jen and Rob and the restaurant transformed into a beautiful private dinner room courtesy of a long harvest table lit by candlelight and enhanced by lovely florals. A wedding at La Palma is a no brainer if you have high standards for foods and bevvies, if you’re craving elevated atmosphere and décor, it has that too.

Throughout the evening the bride and groom indulged in a few signature cocktails, smiling at one another every time their glasses clinked all while their families shared in many laughs as speeches flowed like the premium wine being served.  The food was on par with the atmosphere of the evening and the intimate crew took full advantage of the opportunity to celebrate in what I would consider a very European and traditional way, at the dinner table.

As the evening sun set Jen and Rob took the time to enjoy a quiet moment in the middle of a bustling Toronto street, to soak in the emotions of the wedding day under the moody evening light as the rain drizzled down, but they didn’t care, it was all part of the experience, their experience on their wedding day.

 City weddings, urban elopements, whatever you want to label it, Jen and Rob executed it to absolute perfection.

Song of the day  -  Sometime by DIIV

VENDORS

Venue / Food: Casa La Palma

Second Photographer: Ryanne Hollies

Wedding Dress: Rebecca Vallance

Bride’s Shoes: Loeffler Randall

Suit: Tiger of Sweden

Rings: Alexis Gallery

Florist: May Flowers

Osler House Wedding

This beautiful wedding at the Osler House in Dundas Ontario showcased all the elements and details that make wedding days meaningful. Molly & Maheer opted for an intimate celebration that brought together their immediate families within an emotional and beautiful environment that absolutely captivated me.

The Osler House is a beautiful heritage building that oozes Victorian charm with authentic and genuine vintage elements spread out throughout the house and grounds. William Osler is a renown physician which added an interesting layer to the story of the wedding day since both Molly & Maheer are doctors themselves. Although the Osler House wasn’t the original wedding plan for the bride and groom (what else but Covid?) It turned out to have an interesting layer of meaning especially when digging into Molly & Maheer’s own story. It’s things like that which truly captivate me when capturing the small and unassuming details throughout wedding days.

Beyond the beautiful vintage details that added to the atmosphere of the wedding day, it was all merely setting the scene for what was truly an emotional and moment filled atmosphere throughout the day. It was obvious that both families were tight knit and it really came through during various candid moments that were without a doubt impressionable and unforgettable.

The bride and groom spent their morning alongside their parents and siblings, taking in every moment, sharing some laughs and truly enjoying the experience, slowing down and taking it all in. The getting ready portion of this wedding day was truly family oriented, much like most of the wedding day, as the bride had help from her sister and mother to perfect the final touches of the wedding dress and the groom’s parents and siblings helped perfect the details of his traditional garments. A highlight from this portion of the day was without a doubt the father of the bride seeing his daughter fully dressed and ready for the wedding, leading to an extremely emotional and truly unforgettable moment in time between the bride and her dad.  Admittedly I was somewhat obsessed with documenting Molly’s father, and extremely sweet, humble and kind individual that was completely wrapped up in the emotion of the wedding day (as was everyone else if I’m being honest).

With family at the forefront it goes without saying that the wedding day was truly a celebration of two families uniting, but it was also two different cultures coming together to celebrate the love between two individuals. Weddings have that sort of power, the kind that brings people together from various walks of life, religions, ethnicities and cultures, it’s something I’ve always found fascinating and beautiful, something that truly shines a light on the human condition and how love has the power to make it all come together.

The beautiful natural grounds of the Osler House set the stage for the wedding ceremony and reception, with beautiful tall trees, a manicured garden and the stunning Victorian brick house creating the ultimate background for everyone to enjoy the atmosphere of Molly & Maheer’s union and celebration. Without question the lack of presence from their extended friends and family was felt but a small surprise shortened the wide gap of distance between everyone. A touching series of video messages from the bride and groom’s circle allowed their presence to be felt and appreciate by everyone in physical attendance at the wedding. The pandemic has unfortunately created tough decisions for many people surrounding their wedding plans, but it was touching to see the endless messages from the friends and family that spanned across the country, continent and world, enthusiastically and emotionally sharing their thoughts and well wishes for the bride and groom.

Following the delicious meal and video messages the bride and groom shared their first dance together followed by an emotional dances with their parents as the sun slowly set behind them in the distance. As the evening progressed the group spent time inside the beautiful library room of the Osler House as they shared their thoughts and speeches with one another before the bride and groom were sent off in dramatic fashion via a sparkler exit. 

From beginning to end this wedding day encompassed everything I love capturing about weddings. The editorial essence of beauty within small details, a palpable atmosphere and environment, the intimate documentary aspect of candid moments that I swoon over as a former photojournalist but ultimately it was just a beautiful experience to be around such kind, genuine and inspiring human beings. It might sound cliche for me to say this after working as wedding photographer for the better part of 5 or 6 years now, but it’s truly the people that make my work as a wedding photographer enjoyable and worthwhile.

Song of the day  -  Running by Helado Negro

VENDORS

Venue: Osler House, Dundas Ontario

Second Photographer: Ryanne Hollies

Wedding Dress: Sash + Bustle

Videography: SDE Weddings

Catering: Food Dudes

Cake: Bobbette & Belle

Imam: Dr. Timothy Gianotti

Analog Film : Kodak Portra 400 - Kodak Portra 800

Humber Bay Park Hiking Elopement

Toronto Elopement’s can look like 1 out of 1000 ways, for Lisa & William, passionate outdoors people and hikers, their original elopement plan was to hike and camp through Algonquin Park, finding a beautiful location at sunset to exchange their vows and enjoy the beautiful outdoors that has meant so much to them and their relationship.

As the story goes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and weddings, these two had no choice but to shift their elopement plans, but that didn’t stop them from creating a beautiful adventure elopement that evoked the original essence and sentiment that their wedding day was meant to have all along.

Toronto being such a diverse landscape, blending the urban city with the natural elements, it wasn’t too hard for the bride and groom to end up selecting Humber Bay Park as their wedding backdrop. Having taken many walks and hikes through the various trails (both accessible and inaccessible) throughout their time together, Lisa & William mapped out a “mini hike” to arrive to their final elopement location overlooking the Toronto skyline before privately exchanging vows in a hidden section of Humber Bay Park as the sun set and the full moon bloomed behind them during a dramatic cotton candy sky. Sure, it might not have been Algonquin Park, but the intimacy and dramatic scenery of the moment was arguably unlike any other scenario they could’ve drawn up in their minds. It was the perfect reward for the couple who had to suffer through trials and tribulations during their elopement planning process.

This elopement was low-key and unforgettable. William & Lisa grabbed their hiking gear , I grabbed my camera and a couple rolls of 35mm film and off we went, exploring the ins and outs of Humber Bay Park together, taking in the beautiful sights and creating an beautiful adventure elopement experience that was true to who they are and what their love represented to one another. They traveled through various unbeaten paths not unlike they would’ve done at Algonquin Park, backpacks slung over their shoulders, high heels in hand for barefoot exploration, it was quintessential adventure elopement vibes that rectified the couple’s initial lost wedding plans.

Once we arrived at the final location for their vow exchange we were met with a surrealist dream, a beautiful moment during blue hour as the moon shined brighter than I had ever seen, the sky was a pastel toned blend of purple & pink hues that ultimately enhanced the emotional exchange of words between the bride and groom.  As the sun set completely and the moonlight took over during blue hour, Lisa & William made their way back to the urban forest of buildings that seems to define Toronto as a city, but for a small moment we were lost in a different place altogether, lost in a moment in time, fully immersed in the experience.

Subtle, minimal and authentic, a perfect blend to any elopement in Toronto, especially a hiking elopement. Lisa & William proved that you don’t always need to overthink your wedding or elopement plans, sometimes it’s enough to just be flexible and remember that at the core of it all, it’s about the love, bond and commitment between two individuals. THAT is what makes elopement truly worth the experience.

Several rolls of film later, we’re left with these images that encompass the mood and feeling of a fleeting moment in time.

Song of the Day - Pyro - Ruby Haunt

VENDORS
Location : Humber Bay Park Toronto

Analog Film : Kodak Portra 400 - Kodak Portra 800

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