London Ontario Photographer | Nat & Britt's Lifestyle Headshot Session

One of the photography trends that I'm loving these days is the move towards lifestyle headshots "in the wild" as opposed to formal studio headshots. There's a time and purpose for both styles, but a more casual, artistic approach is definitely what resonates more with me as a photographer, and it's something I love doing. I was so thrilled when best friend bloggers Natalie Young and Britt Havens asked me to do some lifestyle promotional photos for them. Sadly, they made the difficult decision to close their blog (Three Little Crowns) before they could use these new branding shots, but I couldn't let them go to waste, so to speak!  I'm so happy to be sharing some of my favourites here on the blog today. Are you a creative, a blogger, an entrepreneur needing fun, casual branding headshots that represent your personality? Let's chat! :)

London Ontario Lifestyle Photographer | 2015 Favourites

2015 was such a special year for me, because we welcomed our second daughter, Naia Rose, into our lives. While I certainly didn't take the year off, I did take a few months of rest and a reduced workload for the rest of the year, which means I really got to savour every wedding and every session in a way that I don't often get to when I'm booking double or triple the amount of work. It's crazy to me that 2015 is already over, and it's been so fun to look back through the archives. Every year it is both delightful and agonizing to put this massive favourites post together. Delightful because I revisit my favourite work from the previous year and reminisce. Agonizing because I actually have to choose. I love all of my clients and walk away from each session and wedding with something positive, so this is by no means a list of favourite clients. Rather, it's a collection of images that, when I took them and when I looked back on them, made my heart skip a beat. Maybe it's perfect, delicious golden light. Or a sweet, candid mother-daughter moment. Maybe it's that moment a child is laughing so hard his eyes are squinting or a couple sharing an intimate look after saying "I do". Sometimes it's something more technical, like the composition of an image or the contrast between shadow and light that I'm really proud of.  Regardless of the exact reason behind each image, these are the images that make me the most proud and excited when I look back on my 2015 portfolio. I hope you enjoy scrolling through them! <3

Project Ten | January (Sharp)

So looking forward to a new year of Project Ten. The first theme of 2014 is "sharp". The first thing that popped into my head: "Cause every girl is crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man." -ZZ Top

Meet Seb, my not-so-baby-brother. He's on the verge of turning 20, he's a ridiculously talented musician, and he rocks a lot of bow ties.

To see how 5 other photographers interpreted this theme, follow the blog circle, starting with this link to Sarah Waggoner's lovely work!

London Ontario Family Photographer | 2013 Portrait/Family Favourites

This is the third and final 2013 Favourites post. You can see my 2013 Wedding Favourites here and my 2013 Couple/Engagement Favourites here. I have not included anything from my 2013 mini sessions in this post, as I've already grouped my favourites from those in recap posts after each round of minis. In this post you will find favourites from all portrait sessions (Maternity, Family, Newborn, Child, Individual Portrait) as well as a handful of favourites from some of my Project Ten projects. I have tried to include at least 1 favourite from each full session I have photographed, so hopefully everyone who has worked with me this year will see a little snippet of their session represented. Can I just say, narrowing these down was HARD! In the end, after picking an initial favourite from every session, I went with my heart and selected images that most represent my style and vision - capturing light, emotion, and keeping it simple.  Enjoy! :)

( Psst... That first photo is from a self portrait project from January 2013, the only real self portrait I've ever done.)

Project Ten | September (Comfort)

Much like my maman's hearty soup is my comfort food, Fall is my comfort season. And even though we're not quite there yet, September - to me - is the official start of Fall and all of the beautiful things it brings. I wanted to capture some of my favourite Fall "comfort items" with this shoot - a cozy sweater, moccasins, a cherished book, delicious coffee in a favourite mug, a worn and wonderful quilt. I called on Laura, my beautiful friend and fabulous second shooter, to help me with this month's theme (thanks Laura!). Don't forget to click the link at the end of this post and follow the blog circle to see how the other talented ladies in this project interpreted September's theme! -xo

To see how Jessica Downey Photo captured "comfort", click here!

London Ontario Portrait Photographer | Claudia's Story

This week I had the privilege of photographing a beautiful woman to commemorate a very special time in her life. Claudia is in remission after undergoing chemotherapy treatments and a mastectomy to fight an aggressive form of breast cancer. She's always had long hair and wanted to capture this part of her journey as her hair begins to grow back. She gave me permission to share her story here. Claudia has always been healthy and active. She did everything "right" (from healthy eating to yoga) and always felt great. It wasn't until a routine annual physical that her world was turned upside down with the news that she had an aggressive form of breast cancer. The cancer was detected through the doctor's PHYSICAL check. The thorough mammogram she had done just days before came back CLEAR. Because the cancer was caught so early, Claudia is now in remission and telling every woman she encounters to GET YOUR YEARLY PHYSICAL. No matter how much it sucks (and we know it does).

I've been putting off getting back on the yearly physical train since my 6-week postpartum check-up after having Neve. But tomorrow morning, I'm making my appointment. As Claudia told me, "do it for your daughter".

London Ontario Portrait Photographer | Natalie at Sunset

Last week, I spontaneously texted my lovely friend Natalie about checking out a new possible location, and... let's just say one thing led to another. We ended up photographing each other and soaking up the gorgeous golden sunlight... the kind of light that makes a photographer's heart skip a beat. What started as a few test shots turned into mini headshot sessions, and it was so fun to photograph (and be photographed by) someone as passionate about golden hour photography as I am. (picture us mildly freaking out over the perfect light, and frantically taking turns shooting each other... "Ok, just one last shot.... no I lied, just one more... hold on... okay your turn..." -- so much fun!) You can see the shots Natalie took of me on her blog, and read her thoughts on networking with other local photographers. I have to say, I couldn't agree more. This idea that local photographers should be at each other's throats is just silly. I've never been the competitive type (I can't even be fully happy when my favourite teams win, because I'm always feeling bad for the losing team), and quite frankly I'd much rather sip coffee with my "colleagues" and laugh about crazy #photographerlife stories than walk solo and try to "beat the competition". It has been so refreshing and wonderful to get to know this girl on both a business and personal level over the past year, and I'm so thankful she's in my life. While on paper, I suppose we are each other's "competition", the reality is that we are each other's biggest fan, and her support means the world to me.

Ok, enough sentimental gushing. Here are some photos of the GORGEOUS Natalie Young, who by the way is carrying TWINS! :)

xo

London Ontario Portrait Photographer | Jennifer and Lauren - Sisters

When these two lovely sisters contacted me about taking some photos as a Christmas gift for their parents, I was thrilled. It was something a little different for me, as I tend to photograph family units, couples and children alone, so the adult-sister dynamic was something fresh and fun.

We met in a field and, despite the overcast skies, these girls were glowing. And on top of their good looks (I mean, come on! How gorgeous are they!), they were so sweet. It was so wonderful to see two sisters share a close, loving relationship, and I'm glad I was able to capture that through my lens. Jenn and Lauren, I hope your parents loved your photos! I know I loved taking them!

London Ontario Portrait Photography | Megan

I've known Megan for several years now. I first met her when I worked in childcare and had the pleasure of getting to know her two handsome boys. We then discovered we had a mutual friend and started finding ourselves at the same social events. When I started my photography business (and even before then), she was one of my first supporters, and when I had my baby, she was at my door with gifts, encouragement and the most delicious pulled pork (mmm... I can still taste it!). She has always believed in me and my photography, and I truly value her as a friend and as a role model. When she asked me to take some individual portraits of her to surprise her husband with on their 15th anniversary, I was thrilled - partially because Megan is gorgeous, and partially because this is something a bit different for me.  For this busy mother of two, it was a rare treat to be in front of the camera for once - and I think we can all agree that she should be in front of the camera as much as possible!

Most of the photos from this session are top secret and reserved for Megan's hubby, but she has chosen a selection of photos to share here, and I can't wait to show you a glimpse into our lovely wilderness portrait session!

Enjoy!

London Ontario High School Senior Photography | Seb

Everyone has that person that will forever make them feel "old". When they hit a milestone, you realize how much they've grown up, and consequently, how much older you are. For me, this person is my little brother. With 7 years between us, we were close enough in age that we spent an incredible amount of time together growing up and developed a really close bond, but far apart enough that I babysat him, picked him up from school, prepared his snacks and tucked him into bed. When Seb started highschool, I felt ancient. How was this even possible? Now that he's moved away to attend college out of province on a soccer scholarship, I'm a little blown away. He is officially an adult, independent, and off to discover the world for himself. I am so incredibly proud of him, and so thankful we were able to squeeze in one last "hang out" session before he left. He's always up for being in front of the camera, so I was thrilled when my mom requested I do a little senior session with him before he left, and he agreed! We found a fun little rustic spot and had a blast laughing and doing different poses. Here's a peek at our session. Seb - I already miss you so much, but I am super proud of you, and I know you're going to rock it. Love you!!