London Ontario Wedding Photographer | Brianne & Mike's Bellamere Winery Wedding

What a beautiful day this was. Brianne and Mike have such a beautiful connection and I absolutely loved helping them document their Bellamere Winery wedding. The rain made a few appearances throughout the day, but it was nothing cute umbrellas and a seamless switch to an indoor ceremony couldn’t handle. These two have smiles that light up a room and just radiate kindness. From my very first meeting with Bri in the early planning stages to delivering their completed gallery, working with them was a joy. They’ve since welcomed a beautiful baby boy and I couldn’t be happier for Bri and Mike and this new chapter. Here are a few favourites from their gorgeous wedding day.

Venue: Bellamere Winery & Event Centre

Florals: Flora & Forage (Cannot recommend Flora & Forage enough - Candice is incredible!)

Hair: Melanie Edwards

Makeup: Esteem

Cake: Sarah Jacobs

Doughnuts: Donut Diva & Donut Cafe

Dess: Petrov (Hayley Paige)

Suits: Collins

Bridesmaids Dresses: David’s Bridal

Second Shooter/Assistant: Melissa Pushelberg

London Ontario Wedding Photographer | Niki & Tim's Downtown Engagement Session

I first met Niki years ago within the photography community here in London, ON, and she has become a dear friend that I have so much respect for. It was such a happy surprise when she asked me to photograph her wedding, and a huge honour (Niki’s super talented HRM Photography family would be attending as guests). She and Tim make an adorable couple and have such a kind, funny and down-to-earth dynamic. I loved getting to know them during their downtown engagement session. On this perfect sunny evening, we started out in Ivey Park for a more natural backdrop before exploring the nearby buildings, alleys and parking lots for a more urban look. This was such a fun engagement session and I am so happy to finally be sharing some favourites here on the blog!

London Ontario Photographer | 2019 Spring Blossom Minis

Ahhh, Spring Blossoms. The thing we photographers look forward to and dread, fawn over and despise. We love them, they are gorgeous and make for the dreamiest backdrop. They are also fickle, unpredictable, fragile and in high demand (picture 5 photographers huddling around the same Magnolia tree). But at the end of the day, we just can’t get enough of these beautiful blooms.

Today I’m looking back on last year’s Spring Minis, which coincided with the Magnolia blooms. (They don’t always, sometimes our date coincides with crabapple blossoms or redbuds - also gorgeous!)

I’ll be emailing everyone on my Mini Session Advance Notice List this afternoon (to get on the list, email sophie@rawfootagephotos.com, subject line: Mini Session Advance Notice) with info on the upcoming 2020 Spring Minis. Once the advance notice list gets first dibs, any remaining spots will be released over on the booking page until they are sold out.

It might be -15 degrees and snowy outside today, but Spring is right around the corner, pals! :)

London Ontario Wedding Photographer | Christina & Danny's Backyard Wedding

Today I’m reminiscing about Christina and Danny’s beautiful backyard country wedding. We started at Fernwood Hills for a first look and couple/bridal party photos before heading back to their property for a lovely outdoor ceremony. The backyard tent was set up beautifully (with help from Deelish) and the entire evening was so relaxed and joyful. Here are some favourites from their special day!

London Ontario Family Photographer | Woodsy Family Session

This was such a fun family session. With family sessions involving adult children, it can sometimes be challenging to draw out candid expressions and help clients settle into unfiltered interaction. You’re not going to have dads swinging kids around and moms scooping them up to smother them with kisses. It’s a different type of dynamic, and often the adult kids feel a little uncomfortable, at least at first, posing and emoting with their parents in front of a photographer. It can be tricky to take these sessions from the “stand together, look and smile” starting point into more meaningful territory. Over the years, I’ve learned how to connect with adult families on the fly through conversation, and how to identify their unique dynamic - all of which leads to capturing more natural interactions.

This family in particular was extremely close and comfortable with each other, and as a mama of two girls I was particularly inspired by the connection between sisters. I had a blast getting to know them as we walked through the woods, and they’ve since gone on to print a whole bunch of these images to hang on their walls, which makes me the happiest photographer. :) Here are some favourites from this family session!

London Ontario Photographer | A Year Of Self-Portraits

Last year, I started a self-portrait project in January, with the goal of taking and sharing one self-portrait each month. Being in front of the camera is not my favourite, and this seemed like a huge undertaking. Especially from January to August when I had at least one of my girls at home in addition to running this very much full-time business. When was I supposed to even find the time to take self-portraits - something that seemed so frivolous and maybe even a little self-absorbed? I questioned it a lot, ultimately realizing that my fears were more a reflection of my own insecurities and innate instinct to take up as little space as possible. So I pushed through those thoughts and announced my project to my humble social media following. I hoped that putting it out there would keep me somewhat accountable, and it absolutely did. Because let’s be honest, there was NO WAY I would have stuck with the project otherwise.

From a technical standpoint, the first few months were tricky because I was still using a remote trigger with no way of seeing what the camera saw. This led to the frustrating experience of guessing on placement and focus, and constantly having to reposition and try again. Once I discovered the Canon phone app that essentially allows you to see through the viewfinder and press the shutter from your phone, taking these became a breeze (except for June when I didn’t have my tripod with me and had to rig my camera to a ladder perched against my greenhouse. Do not recommend.)

From a storytelling standpoint, I knew I wanted to show different parts of myself. Motherhood (May), My love of music (March), My tattoos (April), My love of gardening (June - note to self and anyone else, if you take photos inside a greenhouse during a heat wave, you will be SWEATY. Not the best look, haha.), My love of the woods (October). There were a few months where I remembered at the last minute and basically phoned it in with a quick 10 minute attempt at a snapshot (February, where I was frustrated after a day of failed attempts (this was before I had the Canon app) and gave one last ditch effort before running out to get my kids at the bus stop by basically just sitting on the floor by my patio door, hair a mess. July, where I ran outside and sat in my driveway at dusk on the last day of the month, praying the neighbours weren’t watching. August, where I forgot until a few days into September and just took a silly portrait in my living room before rushing out to my husband’s birthday lunch.) With some of the self-portraits, I tried something new with lighting or angles (September was fun - and nerve-wracking. I’ve never doubted my tripod more than when it held my camera pointing down directly above my face).

I definitely grew in confidence as the project continued. At the beginning, I was almost ashamed of my endeavour. It felt vain and embarrassing. And it brought out all of my insecurities. By October, I was brave enough to venture out into public and even had a few people walk past me as I posed for my woodsy self-portrait. It was mortifying - and then it was ok. I realized that no one cares, and that I should stop second guessing myself.

With my final two self-portraits - November and December - I felt the most comfortable and confident. Rather than try to capture a hobby or a part of my life, or try to play with angles or interesting backgrounds, I put my face front and centre, no distractions, and tried instead to capture a feeling. In November, the word that came to me was '“Unapologetic". I am a yes-person and say sorry constantly. It’s all out of a fear of rejection, and realizing that has helped my to unapologetically set healthy boundaries. I felt really empowered with this self-portrait, and “Unapologetic” has become my word for 2020. In December, I felt a quiet contentment as the year came to an end. When I shared this one, I wrote about how it would be a “New Year, Same Me”. Same imperfect human, trying her best, proud of herself for asking big questions and making big changes, and open to change and adventure in the new year, while valuing kindness always.

I think December might be my favourite self-portrait of the year, though they all hold a special place in my heart. These were a pain every single month, but I’m glad I went through with the project, and I’ve learned a lot on many levels because of it.

February is already upon us, and I have obviously not started the project up again. I don’t think I’ll be continuing on a monthly basis, but I would definitely like to continue with occasional self-portraits in 2020 - maybe seasonal. There are ideas I wanted to try in 2019 that just didn’t happen - like playing with the dapples of warm morning light that bounce on my bedroom wall, or playing with a mirror, or experimenting with the last slivers of light in a dark room, or incorporating a mug somehow (I am truly shocked I didn’t to a self-portrait with a mug of coffee in 2019.) If and when I do, I’ll be sure to share them.

For now, here are my 2019 self-portraits. Thank you to everyone who left comments of support over the months and encouraged me to keep at it. :)

London Ontario Headshot Photographer | Bree's Downtown Lifestyle Branding Session

The great thing about a lifestyle branding session is the ability to incorporate different outfits, locations, and styles in the same session. Bree even included her adorable family for a few photos before heading out to explore downtown with me. We grabbed coffee, found a back alley staircase and took a stroll on a sun-soaked bridge at golden hour, all in different outfits. We jumped between professional, playful and lifestyle approaches and the result was a gallery full of different photos that tell the story of who Bree is as a person, as a business owner, as a mama. I feel like her bubbly personality really shines through in these images, and I am so happy to finally be sharing some favourites here on the blog!

London Ontario Headshot Photographer | Randy & eileen's Lifestyle Branding Session

I feel like a broken record saying this, but it is truly such an honour when another photographer trusts me with the task of photographing them. Randy and eileen (who prefers her name spelled with a lower case ‘e’, in case anyone thought I was consistently forgetting to capitalize it. ;) ) are an amazing husband and wife photography/videography team here in London, and I’ve loved getting to know them. These photos were meant to be branding photos for their new website, as well as document their sweet family. I’m sharing some favourites from their lifestyle branding session on the blog today!

London Ontario Family Photographer | Cozy In-Home Lifestyle Family Session

I have always loved in-home lifestyle sessions. They are popular as newborn sessions, but I love photographing families at all stages of life, playing and snuggling together in their cozy homes. This family in particular holds a special place in my heart. Meg was my midwife (twice!) and it is always such a joy to see her and her beautiful family again. This in-home session was so much fun, and the perfect mix of playful and snuggly. Here are some favourites from their shoot!

London Ontario Headshot Photographer | Alison's Greenhouse Lifestyle Headshot Session

When Alison’s lifestyle headshot session fell on a very gloomy, cold, rainy day (with no time to reschedule), we headed to Parkway Garden Centre for some warmth, natural light and an explosion of Spring colour. It was the perfect setting for these branding photos. Here is a handful of favourites!