modern photography

Randi&Brad -Married! {Calgary wedding photographer}

admin — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:53:17 +0000

New years Eve. A fresh start. A new outlook. celebration. excitement. love…… Randi and Brad married on one of the most exciting days of the year. The moment I met them, I knew we were a great fit. Randi is full of life and Brad has this amazing energy and passion, in fact, Brad had as much vision for the photography as Randi did. We created some beautiful images for their engagement session and finally, December 31, their wedding day, arrived. It was one of those crisp winter days, not terribly cold but also not warm- which the bridal party will attest to! Still though, I always say that we generally can’t ask for anything better than a winter day that isn’t -40 and blizzarding. I was able to capture both the girls and the boys getting ready which was great, especially because Brad also had some nifty gear to show off. The first glance was done on a roof top overlooking the city and Randi’s tears of joy were an indication of just how much Brad means to her. We were lucky enough to be able to use a family member’s AMAZING home for some of the creatives and I think the boys definitely channeled their inner ‘mad men’ and the ladies their true divas within. The whole crew were such troopers and their outfits looked amazing against the pristine backdrop of freshly fallen snow. Their ceremony and reception took place at the Calgary Zoo and I was so happy to be able to steal the newlyweds after the ceremony to get some shots under the christmas lights as Brad proposed in the ‘tunnel of love’ one year earlier. The night was topped off some great dancing and what seemed like hundreds of bags of popcorn and a customized hockey puck for each guest.

Janny & Jake -Engaged! {Calgary engagement and wedding photographer}

admin — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:31:57 +0000

I have to say I was SO excited to photograph Janny and Jake, we met a few months back and I loved their energy and quite adoration of each other. Their wedding is fast approaching and based on how well their engagement session went, I know their day will be incredible! Full of so much love and emotion. Can’t wait!

Welcome Baby A! {Calgary newborn photographer}

admin — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:12:24 +0000

I have had the pleasure of knowing Baby A’s mama Tanya through her incredible talent and passion for cakes. I heard about her through the grapevine about how incredible of an artist she was in addition to how fabulous tasting the cakes were– both VERY important! I ended up using Tanya for my own wedding cake and my family is hooked as well. In fact, I’ve commissioned her to make my 30th Birthday cake coming up in the next couple weeks and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with. Tanya and her hubby have the most beautiful family and feel so blessed to have captured the special moments between them and the newest addition, Baby A. Be sure to check out Tanya’s AMAZING creations here —– Frosted Memories

Christmas Families {Calgary family photographer}

admin — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:03:13 +0000

In this wee blog post we welcome Baby B and celebrate another family’s LOVE for Christmas! I haven’t done much shooting with Christmas trees but I have to say I really enjoyed it. It is such a neat way to honor the fact that B is a Christmas baby and all the joy and surprises that come along with it. I have known the Stellar family for quite a few years- photographing their first daughter as a newborn, then their wedding and now as a complete beautiful perfect family enjoying their favourite time of year. I adore seeing my wedding clients’ families grow and documenting it through my lens. There is truly nothing more cherished than photographs: sure I may be biased (ha!) but life is fleeting and investing in photography of my own family is something I myself have decided to make a priority. I think you should too!

Ashley & Justin -Married! {Calgary Golf and country club, Calgary wedding photographer}

admin — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:00:09 +0000

Nothing completes a beautiful winter wedding like a magical sunset and weather that is fresh and crisp but not bitterly cold. Ashley and Justin’s wedding day was certainly all of the above. Their sunset ceremony was held at the Calgary Golf and Country Club right in front of the gorgeous and massive fireplace. Justin is a born and bred Quebecois, as were his groomsmen- I truly enjoyed the accents and the banter but I have to say, I do wish I spoke the language… Well, then again- maybe not (as I was told several times by the groomsmen) ha! Maple syrup was a welcome sight on the tables, brought all the way from Quebec. The dining room was a festive sight of the perfect amount of glitter, lights and beautiful floral arrangements. I was particularly taken with Ashley’s dress, which was beautiful from the front and jaw-dropping AMAZING in the back. I absolutely loved how warm and friendly everyone was and it was certainly a room filled with love. Hurricane Hollywood created and masterminded one of the best dances I’ve ever witnessed and it complimented the photo booth so well. To top it off, a late lunch of chocolate fondue and poutine was served. It really was the perfect winter wedding. Until next time, enjoy! x

He sang the most beautiful impromptu rendition of “That’s amore”. It was like something out of a movie.

Ross & Nicola -Married! {Dalhousie Castle, Edinburgh Scotland wedding photographer}

admin — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:28:51 +0000

Scotland has become a second home to me and a country that I love {almost} as much as my own. My husband is Scottish and not just the Canadian version “Oh yes, I’m scottish, my great grandparents were from Scotland.” He is born and bred Scot and when we fell in love, he immigrated to Canada and left behind his whole family. We travel to Scotland about once a year, sometimes more, and this year’s trip was for something very, very special. After almost 10 years together, Ross and Nicola set a date for December 1, 2012 at Dalhousie Castle, about 20 minutes outside of Edinburgh. I have photographed only one other Scotland wedding and so it was an amazing opportunity not to be missed. And also a really great way to show two people just how awesome they are and how important they are to our lives, even if they live thousands of miles away. I think if I write that one day, it is our goal to live in the same city as Ross and Nic, then I will have to make it happen right? When I heard that it was a December wedding, I prepared for the worst- the worst being torrential downpour. It is Scotland after all. But what we got on that beautiful winter’s day was something quite spectacular. A cool, crisp day and the most stunning of sunsets. I enjoyed learning about the slightly different traditions when it comes to the actual wedding ceremony- in particular the fact that the bridesmaids typically follow the bride and also the fact that the dinner is called a “wedding breakfast.” I can only imagine if anyone in Canada mentioned a wedding breakfast, their guests would be expecting sausages and eggs. The ceremony was beautiful, dotted with personal sentiments and a Winnie the Pooh reading. The ceremony room was filled with gorgeous light from the setting December sun. There were so many details that I loved, the biggest detail being Nicola’s bouquet. She and her twin sister Flick and their mother flew to Amsterdam to the flower markets especially for this exquisite flower, called a King Proteus. Now shall I back up? Are you wondering about the whole flying to Amsterdam to get a single flower? It actually worked out to be less expensive to fly to Amsterdam, spend the weekend, buy the flower and bring it back home, then it was for a florist to import them into Scotland. Amazing and something I feel is missing from Canadian travel! And I cannot forget to mention the owls. Ohmygoodness the owls. Dalhousie Castle has a falconry on its property and the owls can be integrated into the wedding day program. Ross fell in love with the snowy owl and I was so excited to be able to use him in the creatives. The day was filled with love and I was beside myself with stunning vistas, castles, grand rooms and a real honest-t0-goodness cheese cake. {See the pictures for what I mean by cheese. cake. !!!} I loved every single minute and I adored being surrounded by family and friends. I do hope you enjoy this little sneak peek. And just a little note- if you are planning a Scottish wedding, please do keep me in mind!!

Celtic Christmas featured on Style Me Pretty! {Calgary, Canmore, Banff wedding photographer}

admin — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 04:54:45 +0000

Just before Christmas I met with the fabulous ladies of wedstudio {www.wedstudio.ca} and was asked to photograph a stunning styled shoot crafted especially for the Christmas bride. My job, besides the actual photography, was to find the perfect location as described to me by Ciara of Choreographed by Ciara. In her head she saw a snow white field untouched by footprints and one large evergreen tree. I did a lot of searching and a lot of asking and I didn’t come up with anything. It wasn’t until I was driving to a friend’s birthday out near Bragg Creek that I stumbled upon Redwood Meadows Golf Course. Bingo. Of course!! Huge empty fields, untouched snow and strategically places trees. It was PERFECT! The shoot itself was amazing and you can see it for yourself here! A Celtic Christmas feature of Style Me Pretty.

Jackie & Brian -Surprise! they’re married! {Canmore wedding photographer}

admin — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 05:01:44 +0000

Whoa. Wait. Surprise? That is the response I got over and over when I told friends and colleagues and facebook followers what I had just done. My favourite was when people thought Brian had surprised Jackie with a wedding. yikes that would have been awkward. And illegal I think! So no, Brian and Jackie were the co-conspirators of this extra-ordinary wedding held at Murrieta’s in Canmore, Alberta. They decided quite a few months ago that they wanted to do something a little different, a little special. I was brought in on the ground level and thoroughly enjoyed helping to scheme and plot. They used an engagement party as the ruse to get their family and friends to make the trek to Canmore, citing that it was to be a big event and that it was extremely important to them to have everyone there. The party would start as any other engagement party might, with lots of greetings, drinks, food and music. Little did the guests know that myself, my uber fabulous second shooter extraordinaire Blair (check her out), Jackie, Brian and their entire wedding party had just spent a few hours shooting their creatives. (On a side note, I have to thank everyone in the wedding party for braving the cold with smiles and laughter) The bride and groom changed out of their wedding attire and back into party clothes in time to greet all their guests. The scene was set for a great night with soft dinner music playing and lots of reunions between family members and loved ones. Then, at precisely 6pm, there was a sudden and very loud music change; Marry Me by Bruno Mars was blasted over the speakers and the wait staff of Murrietas kicked into high gear, swooping in and taking the tables out from under the guests. There was confusion, nervous smiles and a lot of whispers as the room suddenly began to take shape as a wedding ceremony complete with altar and several rows of chairs creating an aisle. Before even I knew it, the ring bearers were walking down the aisle bringing in the stunning vision that was Jackie. The entire plan, the whole night went off without a hitch, not even a glitch. Upon exiting the ceremony, the newlyweds were bombarded with hugs, friendly jabs and jaws on the ground. They had done it with all the love in the world, wanting to create a special surprise for everyone they loved. A photobooth completed the evening as well as some pretty wicked dance moves and the most delicious cookies ever. It was such an honor to capture and be part of something so daring and unique. The only thing missing was Brian’s white stead, but perhaps there can be another party… right Brian? Until next time, Enjoy! x

Erin & Colin -Married! {Calgary Wedding photographer}

admin — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 04:26:24 +0000

I was so sooo excited for Erin and Colin’s wedding. Not only because I have known Erin for forever, but also because it was set inside Heritage Park {read: photographer’s playground}. There is an abundance of fantastic spots for creatives, in fact too many. I felt like my eyes were being overpowered, my head was going to explode. Okay, okay, that might be a bit dramatic, but still, you know what I’m getting at. Add another beauty of a fall day and it was all perfection. Erin and Colin chose a first glance and creatives prior to the ceremony which worked out great. I loooooove how Erin surprised Colin by covering his eyes. I even think she might have said “Guess who” just for good measure. There were some spectacular moments, namely that of the train steam. The train conductor was patiently waiting to move the train when we made eye contact and he asked if I wanted steam. Why yes. Of COURSE I want steam. In an instant, a puffy white cloud enveloped them and after a split second of sheer terror that I had ruined my couple, I actually got some pretty awesome shots. I loved every minute of this historic wedding, complete with old fashioned rides, candy and a really fantastic photobooth. And let’s not forget the dreamy, out of this world, heavenly sunset. Dear beautiful skies: I look forward to your return in a few months! That’s all for now. Enjoy! x

Jessica & Penny {show me your pride contest winners} {{Calgary wedding photographer}}

admin — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 02:31:06 +0000

In the summer, as I was driving to Emerald Lake Lodge for Shannon and Erik’s wedding, I spent most of the ride deep in thought. For some reason, my mind drifted to same sex marriage and the fact that these types of marriages or unions do not seem to be represented on the internet even a fraction as much as hetero-sexual marriages. It was also during the time of the debates and voting on same sex marriage down in the states. As I drove, I felt a familiar feeling of needing to do my, albeit small, part in bringing this love front and center. You might think I’m making this up but almost as soon as I had decided what to do, an ad for Calgary Pride Week came on the radio. It was to be the following week. I am NOT kidding. I live my life by following and listening and looking for paths. Certainly this was something I could not ignore. Hence my Show Me Your Pride contest was born.

I really enjoyed all the entries and it was very VERY difficult to choose. But in the end, with help from friends and colleagues, Jessica and Penny were chosen.

Here is her entry:

So you want to know why my Partner and I should win a photo session with you!!! Well I could go on for hours but I’ll try to keep it short. If you’re anything like me, I LOVE hearing LOVE stories, and so I’ll start with how we met. Penny was this beautiful stunning girl from Lethbridge who was visiting a Calgary bar with some friends that happened to be mutual friends of mine as well. I knew I’d be with her forever that night when we first met, and I still remember asking her if I could kiss her. We didn’t go a single weekend without making trips to see each other, and after a year, I too become a Lethbridgian. We started our lives together, and we have now bought a house, have two cats and a dog, and our lives are getting better and better. On June 16th 2012 I asked Penny to be my wife. I surprised her and did it while we were in Quesnel BC for her High School Reunion….it was truly the most amazing moment of my life. Then on August 24th 2012 Penny Surprised me with a proposal of her own, Roses, Red wine and a perfect engagement Ring. We have yet to get engagement photos done and we’d LOVE this opportunity!

I had such a great time with them, I could see just how much they love each other and it was a breeze to shoot. Thank you girls! Enjoy! x