My Life Archives - Page 3 of 10 - Toronto Wedding Photographer

December 31, 2014May 28, 2015

2014 // A Year in Photos

Dear 2014,

What a year you have been! My second year of being a professional photographer full time and being self-employed. I documented many weddings, Document Love sessions, as well as baby and family sessions. I didn’t realize just how many until I started putting this post together last week. I met new couples, new families, but also saw faces I already knew. I had the opportunity to travel to Mexico, California, Stockholm, Iceland (twice) and Jamaica this year both for destination weddings and for personal travel. It was a great year in many ways.

There were also times when I felt lost, overworked, unappreciated and exhausted. I came back from an awesome workshop in March feeling inspired and hopeful, not knowing that there are always two sides to every coin. I felt lost for a time and didn’t really know why I wanted what I wanted. It was a scary feeling. It’s so much easier to work towards a goal when you know and understand what you want. But without that purpose, it felt empty. I asked myself hard questions, and wondered. Months went by and I didn’t seem to have an answer. Instead I lost myself in the kind of busy that is the summer wedding season. One day I was taking a break and surfing on Pinterest and came across a pin that said “It feels good to be lost in the right direction”. This stopped me in my tracks and pulled me out of the dazed state I was in. That quote described perfectly how I’d been feeling – lost. But what I didn’t realize was that even though I was lost, I was lost in the right direction. After all, I quit my day job for a reason. I wanted to be a full-time photographer, I wanted to have full control of what I do with such a large portion of my time, I wanted to do what I love and I wanted it to be meaningful to me.

I had to go back to the start – why do I love what I do? I realized that never really changed – I love stories, I love photography’s ability to tell stories, to capture moments, to create (in some way) an infinity out of a finite life. But, I also came to realize that because of how much I love what I do, I had become a bit of a workaholic this year without knowing it. I am now a firm believer that too much of anything is not good for us (even chocolate). There needs to be some sort of balance and harmony. I don’t regret working hard. After all, if you don’t put in hard work, how can you reap the results. But, I do feel that there are other things in life I want to do and try while I’m still young. I didn’t want to get out of one rat race just to get into another, more self-imposed this time. Life seems long, when we were young, it felt like we’d never grow up. How many years do we have in one lifetime? 60, 70, 80? The problem is we think we have more time.

I’m asking myself, if I only had one more year to live, what are the things that I would want to do the most? If I were to die tomorrow, what would I regret not having tried? I don’t have the answers yet, but I definitely want to find out.

So I leave you with one of my favourites quotes from the year, from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty:

To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life.

I feel I was able to do some of that through my work this year and the past few years: to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other and to feel – people at their truest selves, in moments when they forget they are being photographed, I have captured some of that. And I’m glad I did, whether it’s the tears rolling down a groom’s face as his bride walked down the aisle, or the way your grandma looked as she hugged you after the ceremony, or a giggle or laugh that is the trademark of a child that only a parent can know.

Thank you 2014, for the lessons, the heartaches, but most of all, for those moments and those connections.

2015, I’m looking forward to meeting you!

Here are the favourite moments, highlights, and favourite photos from the year – through my lens.

August 4, 2014

Destination Wedding Photographer // Travelling to Europe 2015

Destination Wedding Photographer

If you’ve been to my site before or know me personally, you know about my love of travelling. I love exploring new places and new cultures, seeing everything through new eyes, with a sense of wonder. Traveling forces you to focus & connect with the present and just stay in the moment. You are reminded that life can be simple again. So I love destination weddings as well. Every time I come back from a trip, I’m left wanting more. So next year I’m going to be a free range photographer for a few months :)

I’m going to be in Europe (and potentially Asia) from August to December, 2015. If you or anyone you know will be getting married or would like to document some memories, I’d love to hear from you!

May 25, 2014November 18, 2015

Travelogue // Cinque Terre Photography

The Cinque Terre is a series of five villages perched on the Italian riviera coastline southeast of Genoa. The villages are, for the most part, only accessible by boat/ferry or the regional trains that run through them, connected from Pisa to Genoa. The first time I heard about them was reading a Rick Steve’s guide book on Italy. We visited in 2012 as part of our Italy trip. After spending a few days in the beautiful Tuscany countryside, we realized we missed seeing the ocean.

The train ride to CT was an adventure. The high speed trains in Italy and across Europe are fast and efficient. But the slower, local trains are so interesting. Perhaps because they provide a taste for slow travel and what feels like a more authentic experience, traveling almost like a local. We caught a train from Siena that was destined for La Spezia with a switch at Empoli. Once in La Spezia, we needed to catch a local train for CT. A map here if you are interested. On the Empoli to La Spezia leg, we stopped at Pisa station for a very long time. At first I didn’t notice because I was enthralled by my book of choice for that trip: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. But then Mike pointed out we’d been sitting there for 20 minutes. There hadn’t been any announcements, not even in Italian. No train conductors appeared to tell us what was going on. A few minutes after, some of the locals started to get off. I asked one person if he knew what was happening, and he said no one knows. Then I saw across the platform, there was a train coming into the station in 5 minutes that was headed to La Spezia. I told Mike we should just get off our train and hop on that one since our ticket brings us to the same destination. When the new train arrived, our original train was still sitting there. That experience reminded me a lot of taking the trains in China as a child. The disorganized nature and lack of information.

So, a note about taking regional trains in Italy, if your train stops for a long time for no reason, don’t panic! The CT train from La Spezia spent much of its first 5 minutes passing through mountain tunnels, then suddenly, we are out of it, and you just see emerald green and blue waters of the Ligurian sea, it was a sight that caused the whole train to go “wow!”

Favourite things about the Cinque Terre:

– The natural stunning scenery

– You get a bit of both: mountains & ocean

– Hiking between the villages: though when were there in 2012, a couple of them were still closed as a result of the landslides that happened in fall of 2011.

– The amazing seafood in the area

– Amazing gelato! (although really, gelato is amazing everywhere in Italy I’m sure)

– The indescribable old-world charm of the villages. You know the saying about a slower paced life in more remote areas of the world, and here, even though it’s not that remote, you feel it. Even as travellers, you feel more relaxed

– How despite the increasing crowds visiting the region, it still retains its charm and authenticity. At night, when the day trippers have gone, the streets are filled with mostly locals (lots of Nonna’s) and it feels like time has not touched this place much in the past fifty years.

There is a tunnel on the walkway from Riomaggiore to Manarola (affectionately dubbed as Via dell’Amore, or Lover’s Walk), and it is filled with graffiti and writings.

Train station with a view :)

Vernazza. It’s the favourite village of a lot of people. We bought pizza from a pizza place just up the street from the harbour.

We sat down by the seawall, in the shade, ate delicious pizza (probably one of the best I’ve ever had);

drank Italian lemon soda (my fave!);

watched the comings and goings at the harbour and in the square;

And then sat on the rocks and watched the sun dip below the next town and the curve in the landscape.

It was one of my favourite days from that trip.

(Sorry, no photo of the pizza, you’ll just have to take my word for it).

This last photo makes me think of Old Man and the Sea.

Except it’s more like Old Men here…although they were kind of far, so not sure if they are even old! :D

Where to stay:

Aria di Mare in Manarola – lovely place, definitely rooms with a view

Where to eat:

Trattoria dal Billy (Manarola) – awesome view, amazing seafood!

Il Porticciolo (Manarola) – yummy seafood pasta

Gelato (anywhere!)

May 5, 2014November 18, 2015

Travelogue // Santorini Photography

What to say about Santorini?! Other than that it’s heaven-on-earth? granted, crowded heaven-on-earth (from June to August)…but still, there is simply no place quite like it. It’s the sheer cliffs (caused by a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago) on one side of the island, the impossibly blue ocean, the iconic Greek isles architecture with white walls and blue domed churches, and of course, the sunsets, where people erupt into cheers and clap at the end (I am serious).

Usually I find myself going on and on about a place, but strangely this time, I have very few words. So I will just let the photos do the talking.

Warning, I’m generally more of a dog person, but you might see quite a few cats in this post.

Sunrise from up in the air.

It was worth the overnight at Athens airport haha.

Atlantis Books. Officially my favourite bookstore in the world.

If you are a book lover, how amazing would it be to get married here?!

April 21, 2014November 18, 2015

Stockholm Photography // A Workshop + Traveling Alone

I can’t believe it’s been more than a month already! In the beginning of March, I had the opportunity to travel alone for the first time. I had a workshop planned with two photographers whose work I had quietly admired from afar for a few years: Nordica Photography. I was incredibly excited to meet them and go on an adventure on my own since Mike couldn’t take the time off. Then as the trip neared, I felt anxious and apprenhensive. How would it be to travel by myself? I especially hate eating by myself. Would I get lost? Run into any trouble? Would it be lonely? And, not to mention, meeting two of my favourite photographers. It was a little nerve-wracking.

I asked my good friend Jess for advice about solo travel. She confirmed that while traveling alone can be so fun, it can also be quite lonely. She said there were times when she just didn’t want to go outside and explore. But she said to push through those feelings and go out and explore anyway. As for safety for a solo female traveler, she suggested that I should always look confident even if I don’t know where I’m going; be organized about my plans and know where I’m going ahead of time. That last part didn’t work out too well for me. After I got off the airport shuttle at Stockholm central station, I decided to walk to my hostel in Gamla Stan (Old Town). I could have taken the metro but I had checked Google maps before my trip and it was only about a 20-minute walk. I was tired so I thought the fresh air would help. With nothing but a free map I got from the airport and a relatively good sense of directions (thanks Mom!), I walked out into the city. And I almost got lost. Luckily I managed to navigate by landmark and arrived at my hostel after about half an hour.

In addition to the workshop, I had planned couples sessions for this trip so in a way, they helped to motivate me to get out and explore. It was really lovely to meet new people and get to know them a little. It was an opportunity to connect with locals in a way that I hadn’t had the chance to before.

And eating by myself? It wasn’t that bad I guess. A lot of places have bar seats so you don’t have to look at your neighbours uncomfortably or anything haha. While I still felt a bit self-conscious, I’m sure it was mostly in my head.

And the loneliness? It was tough the first couple of days but then I got used to it. It was nice to spend some quality time alone. And yea the freedom to do whatever you want, when you want can be fun. For example, I could just pick up my camera and run out the door and wander around Gamla Stan by myself at night. I did have my heavy tripod, which was probably more of a weapon than a piece of photography equipment anyway. So, solo traveling? Definitely an experience to be had at least once. But, I feel like the world is a lovelier place when you can share it with those you love.

Below are some personal photos from Stockholm, as well as a few from the amazing two-on-one workshop I did with the Nordica dudes.

Stockholm reminded me of a mixture of Paris and Amsterdam. Beautiful architecture and lots of history, canals and islands.

The people are friendly.

But the things that struck me the most were their clean drinking water (straight from the tap! also, you can fish from the water surrounding the city, that’s how clean they are);

and how nice the drivers are! A lot of pedestrian crossings don’t have lights, just zebra stripes and a sign to remind the drivers.

Yet, no one tries to rush you or run you over.

I’ve been trying to work out all that I’ve learned from Cole and Jakob ever since the workshop. There was a lot of information, and even now I’m frequently going back to my notebook and going through my notes. I loved learning the business side of things, because they are clearly really good at it. I’ve always admired the way they see light, so it was awesome to learn about what they look for or keep in mind when taking a photo. There were also a lot of practical tips and suggestions which were super helpful since they answered my specific questions. They shared the Nordica story with me, including some tidbits that I hadn’t known before which really surprised and humbled me, such as how they did 300 sessions in their first year. Talk about hustling. The best part was how real they were; real down to earth and approachable guys who are also hilarious.

I left feeling really inspired, and motivated. As the weeks passed though, I’ll be honest, I felt a little depressed. I started wondering about how I can become as successful as they are. I realized that there is no set formula to do this, I can’t replicate their experiences, and boom. I knew this lesson already, but it’s one of those things that you have to work at everyday.

This was both sad and kind of liberating. My experiences will never be the same as theirs (or anyone else’s) because we are not the same people. My path will only ever be mine. It doesn’t seem like there’s much point in chasing after another person’s version of success, at least, not without really sitting down and evaluating what it is that I want to do.

So thank you Cole and Jakob, for a great day of laughs and inspiration. But most of all, for inspiring me to continue to follow my dreams, and find my own way.

Somehow Cole always ends up holding purses at workshops :)

The Vasa! The only (almost) fully intact 17th century ship ever salvaged.

The sheer size of this ship was very impressive. Note tiny people near the bottom for scale.

April 13, 2014November 18, 2015

Travelogue // Isle of Skye

If you’ve been to my site before, you probably know about my love for Iceland, and its desolate, wild but beautiful landscape. I think it all started with a visit to the Isle of Skye in 2011. The similarities are there, but Skye is probably greener, with more trees. But they have that same kind of wild, untamed beauty. I’m not sure what that says about me, except maybe these lands speak to the loner in me.

Skye, the Misty Isle. I remember before that trip, a friend of mine thought it was such a random place for me to want to go visit so badly. I couldn’t really explain it at the time either. But I was going through some books the other day and picked up my copy of No Great Mischief, and then it dawned on me that this book was the reason I wanted to see landscape similar to Cape Breton island on which the book was set in.

So after an early morning train ride from Edinburgh to Fort William (which has the reputation of being the wettest place in the UK, it did not disappoint), a short ride on the awesome Jacobite steam train from Fort William to the tiny fishing village of Mallaig, and a ferry ride over the sea, we had arrived. I must geek out about The Jacobite a little here, if you are a train enthusiast, this is a must-experience journey. The scenery along the way is stunning. And if you are a Harry Potter fan like me, then this is also a very special experience (certain compartments and the locomotive were used to film the Hogwarts Express scenes and the scene of the train crossing a beautiful loch was also filmed on this route).

Favourite memories:

– The bus ride from Armadale to Portree after the ferry. Just watching the landscape transform through the different weather systems.

– Various short hikes on the island

– Waking up in our B&B on our 3rd and last day feeling like I was at home because I was so comfortable

– Having fish & chips at 9 o’clock at night, and the fish the size of our heads

The island has a weather system of its own (just like Iceland), passing between rain, clouds and sun at a moment’s notice.

Because of the high winds, you can watch the clouds move across the landscape, leaving pockets of light and dark in their trail.

Cattle on the road! These guys stood smack in the middle of the road for a good 5 minutes.

And because a lot of the roads are single lanes only, you might have to wait it out if this happens.

Also, it’s custom to raise your hand to say hello as you pass another car.

How sweet is that? No one does that in the cities.

The beautiful Eilean Donan castle.

The Talisker Distillery is great for Scotch lovers.

I had my first “dram of Scotch” here…it was alright :P

First time I’ve ever seen a double rainbow!

Sea air, rolling fields, dramatic dips and curves in the landscape, the ever changing sky and ocean. All of which have enchanted me.

I don’t have any more words for this island that holds a special place in my heart,

other than this passage from the book Wild that I think describes what it feels like to be there:

“It only had to do with how it felt to be in the wild.

With what it was like to walk for miles for no reason other than to witness the accumulation of trees and meadows,

mountains and deserts, streams and rocks, rivers and grasses, sunrises and sunsets.

The experience was powerful and fundamental.

It seemed to me that it had always felt like this to be a human in the wild, and as long as the wild existed it would always feel this way.”