London Ontario Family Photographer | Extended Family Session in the Woods

Extended family sessions can be a lot of work - both for the family (who needs to coordinate a million outfits, plan around nap time and travel logistics and all show up clean, happy and on time with fingers crossed for good weather because if not you have to do it all over again) and for the photographer (a lot of names to remember, people to pose, kids to keep smiling and engaged, and family combinations to photograph). But guys, they are worth it. Trust me. Because at the end of what might feel like a chaotic couple of hours, you will have photos of all of you together. In focus. Not taken by cousin Jim's self timer (no offence to cousin Jim's self timer). As kids get older and teenagers go off to college and families move to different cities and provinces, these photos become even more priceless. And even though it's more work than your typical 4-person family shoot, it's something I really love capturing. What's more - an extended family session can be a great way to save money by killing two birds with one stone, as they say (what a terrible expression). Do you and your siblings all want a few fun family photos without each booking a full session? Go in on an extended family shoot together and get a photo of the whole group on top of your individual family shots. What grandparent doesn't want a framed photo of all their beautiful grandchildren?  There is so much richness in documenting multiple generations all together. Here is an extended family shoot from last Summer that I just loved.

London Ontario Family Photographer | Sister Love

I just love this sweet family and their three gorgeous girls, each with her own strong and beautiful personality! As a mama of two girls myself, I have a soft spot for sisters, and these three won me over instantly. Lucky me, I've had the pleasure of photographing them several times since this first session, and look forward to seeing them again soon. Here are some favourites!

London Ontario Photographer | 2016 Favourites

I've been sharing my 2016 favourites on Facebook and Instagram for the last few weeks, and I've loved reminiscing about such a fantastic year of photos. For those who have been following along, you'll notice several images in here that were not featured in my daily favourites posts. But I'm weak and unable to narrow down things I love, so I simply could not exclude some of these images, nor could I keep sharing daily 2016 favourites into the Summer. So here are some of the images that spoke to me the most in 2016 - images that made my heart sing because of the emotion they evoked, or because of the artistic process that went into making them, or because of that golden delicious sunlight I am always chasing, or because I get that feeling when I look at them, that feeling that reminds me that I am so lucky to do what I love, and that makes me want to keep capturing moments and creating art through photographs for as long as I can. <3

London Ontario Photographer | Spring Mini Sessions

I'm putting all of the details together for another year of fabulous mini sessions, and the first round to start booking (later this week!) will be the much anticipated Spring Minis. With that in mind, I thought it fitting to blog some highlights from a handful of last year's mini sessions. We always aim to get blossoming trees as our backdrop, but as always, I can never guarantee exactly when those beautiful Magnolias will be in perfect bloom. They don't last very long, so it's a bit of a guessing game every year. So far we've been lucky, but I've always got some gorgeous "Plan B" options up my sleeve in case we miss the blooming window. How Do Minis Work?

Mini sessions are 20 minutes long and can accommodate up to 6 people. They include 10 high resolution photos in a downloadable online gallery with printing rights. Clients can select their favourite ten images and have the option to purchase additional photos if desired. Mini sessions are currently priced at $175 +hst, with additional high resolution images available for purchase at $15+hst each. 

Don't forget, if you want first dibs for booking mini sessions, make sure you get on my advance notice list by emailing sophie@rawfootagephotos.com with the subject line "Advance Notice Minis". - They tend to book up quickly!

 

London Ontario Family Photographer | Raw Footage Photography Refugee Fundraiser Minis

I remember feeling so helpless last year as images and stories of refugees trying desperately to flee war torn countries flooded social media and the news. My heart broke and continues to break when I think of what that must be like, and beyond the heartbreak, there's a feeling of hopelessness that can sometimes creep in. Because I feel like I must do something. But really, what can I do? It turns out there's a lot we can do! If you're looking for ways to help ease the refugee crisis, there are so many amazing organizations you can donate to. I love Together Rising, and it's where my family contributed last year as well as recently to help those suffering in Aleppo right now. Preemptive Love, The White Helmets and Doctors Without Borders are other great organizations, among many (too many to name!) But back to these Minis. :) I've done food bank fundraisers through Raw Footage Photography in the past and  wanted so badly to help refugees who were arriving in Canada with nothing. So I organized mini sessions and partnered with St Aidan's Anglican Church here in London to raise money to provide groceries for a newly arrived family they were sponsoring. 100% of the proceeds went to this very worthy cause, and the minis booked up. Which means that together, we got to create lasting memories AND meet real needs. Doing this has been one of the highlights of my career as a photographer so far, and it's definitely something I will be doing again and again.

Thank you to everyone who came out for these minis!! Here are a few favourites. :)

London Ontario Photographer | Kristy & Brian's Engagement/Family Session

I first photographed Kristy and Brian and their sweet little guy for their engagement/family session late last year. With the winter wonderland outside right now (That I am LOVING, by the way!), it's so hard to believe that this is what it looked like exactly 1 year ago (minus one day!). What a beautiful afternoon this was with that golden December sun shining. I can't wait to blog Kristy and Brian's wedding soon, but for now here are my favourites from their engagement shoot!

London Ontario Extended Family Session | The Cards

Extended family sessions always have that added challenge of larger groups and multiple combinations to capture, but they are also a little extra special because I get to witness and capture multiple generations loving each other and laughing together. Grandparents tickling grandbabies, adult siblings laughing as they reminisce about "back in the day" and two people who, even after all these years, look at each other with so much love. The Card Family was no exception, and it was such a pleasure to capture their beautiful crew. Here are some favourites!