Closed for Contruction

For those of you wondering why I haven’t been blogging much this summer…. the blog is now officially ‘under construction’. The new and improved blog will be launched in the next few months, and will be full of new photos and other fun! The summer has been full of weddings, I’m editing away, and I can’t wait to share more with you all soon.

Last weekend was one of my very best friend’s wedding. I served bridesmaid duty as well as photographed the wedding…. with the help of Taliah Leigh, who took all of the photos that I was in). Here is a photo of the beautiful bride and I!

And one more of the happy couple! I loved being a part of their wedding day! :)

To keep up with me in the meantime be sure to like my Facebook page, or catch me on Twitter! Have a great long weekend and I hope to see you all on the new blog! :)

Lifestyle Portraits | Aimee & Dave

Aimee and Dave contacted me a couple weeks ago looking for some anniversary photos. They tied the knot a year ago at Rocky Point Park, so we decided to return to the park and take their pictures at the place it all began… and this time their big puppy Gracie joined in the fun too. The light was perfect and I had a great evening getting to know them. They are such a sweet couple! Here are my favourite photos from their session!

Enjoy, and have a great weekend in the sunshine! :)

What I’m Shooting With

What am I shooting with you ask? Well, let me tell you all about my camera equipment family. My newest addition is a Nikkor 35mm f1.4, which I adopted yesterday. It’s a professional grade prime lens (prime means it doesn’t zoom in or out). Lenses like this are essential for shooting in low light situations, and give a razor sharp image with that beautiful blurry background we all love so very much. It was definitely an investment, but I’m sure it will be a key piece of gear for years to come. I used it for the first time tonight with a lovely couple in Port Moody… and I must say, I’m already in love. The new 35mm lens will replace my old 35mm f2…. which is now for sale, by the way. Any takers!? Make me an offer people, it’s a great little lens! :)

I also have another prime lens. My Nikkor 50mm f1.4 is very similar to the 35mm, just a little bit more ‘zoomed in’. This has been my favourite, ‘go-to’ lens for a long time. It’s awesome for portraits, wedding details, and pretty much anything else.

My third lens is a Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8. This lens adds the versatility that my others are missing. It zooms out nice and wide, and zooms in close when I need it to, all while performing pretty well in low light and keeping that background blurry.

All of these lenses need a camera body to go with them of course. I have (recently) upgraded to the Nikon D700. The D700 has a full frame sensor (awesome) and high ISO capabilities (meaning it takes great photos, even when the light is low). It’s a great camera that has definitely changed my photography… the best purchase of my life perhaps!

I have a few gadgets too… a tripod (I virtually never use it, but it’s always there in case I want to capture a sunset, or nighttime cityscape), a reflector for when I need to bounce some extra light on my subject’s faces, a trusty flash for those dark situations, and last but not least a Shootsac which allows me to keep shooting with only one camera body and interchange my lenses on the fly… it’s great, highly recommend it!

So there you have my whole family of lenses, camera bodies, and gadgets. If you have any questions, fire away and I’ll do my very best to answer them! I don’t plan to add to the collection for a little while (unfortunately), but I think the next item on my wish list is the Nikkor 105mm Macro lens for those uber up close photos. I’m renting one for some of my weddings this summer and can’t wait to try it out! :)

Vancouver Seawall Engagement Session | Chris & Jen

Chris and Jen are the sweetest couple with a perfect love story. Serendipity brought these two together on a fateful Skytrain ride, just like it happens in the movies! According to the happy couple, the modern day fairy tale goes something like this…

It was a beautiful Boxing Day morning, Chris woke up thinking it was a ordinary work day and Jen woke up debating if she should go shopping. Both did not know their lives would be forever changed. As the day went on Jen decided to head downtown Vancouver to meet up with some relatives before they headed back home and Chris was anxiously waiting to clock out of work. The busiest day of the year was coming to an end and as fate would have it Chris and Jen were patiently waiting at the same stop for the next train. The station was packed and one was lucky to get a seat, Jen and her cousins split to find seating and without even knowing it the love of her life was standing with the crowd of people waiting for their desired stop.

As the people became less and less and the stops fewer, Jen noticed Chris right across from her, and Chris noticed Jen. Both focused on each other. It was like one of those Hollywood movie chickflick scenes where time stood still, eyes locked, and none of the commotion around mattered. Both having the urge to talk to complete strangers, somehow knowing each was special, never imagined soul mates for life.

As Jens stop was soon coming she knew she had to do something or the moment would be lost forever. Never in her life was she shy, ever anxious, or worried of what one might think but this moment she felt all in one. She got up to slowly make way, debating if she should turn around and sit back down, but something was tugging for her to move closer. As she was close enough for him to hear and no one else she asked, “Was that french you were speaking?” Chris replied, “Yes, do you speak?’

The conversation carried on and time seemed to not matter until reality sunk in and Jens cousins yelled, “This is our stop, hurry!” Chris quickly asked, “So can I have your number?” The rest is history folks!

Here are my favourite photos from their engagement session on the Vancouver seawall. They tie the knot this September in White Rock. I can’t wait to capture their special day!