It’s been a great year in so many ways! I had the opportunity to travel more this past year, visited some amazing places, both with loved ones and also by myself; I made a visit to China, the motherland, after having left 16 years ago. I photographed many couples, weddings, babies & families. One of the biggest differences for me this year was having the chance to photograph more destination weddings, in places like Tuscany, Channel Islands, and the Greek islands. While it was really great to photograph weddings in really beautiful locations, it’s never been just about the locations for me. It’s always been more about the people.
I guess really any single year is just a small slice of your life overall. There will always be ups and downs. But probably because of human nature, often times it’s much easier to remember, and to be affected by the “downs”. Sometimes we wish there would only be happy memories, but that’s simply not possible. A few weeks ago I watched the Pixar movie Inside Out and the message from the movie really struck a chord with me: we can’t go about life with only happy emotions and try to suppress anything deemed negative because the different emotions are the “spices” of life so to speak, and together they are what make our experiences multi-faceted. Only when you allow yourself to experience the negative emotions, will they help you appreciate the happy emotions even more.
And sometimes I have to remember that some things are like showers, you have to do it often to benefit from it. :)
Without further ado, here are some of my favourite moments from 2015. These images help remind me that the simplest pleasures in life really are the best ones.
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.
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.
All of my wedding photography packages include high resolution photos that are ready to print. However, in this digital age, I think there is something special about having tangible prints in your hands. In my opinion, having a beautiful wedding album is the best way to not only relive the moments from your wedding day, but as a way to preserve the story for a lifetime. The albums I make consist of a curated selection of images that tell a story from your wedding day.
Having been a bride myself, I try to offer services and products that I can see myself wanting. The supplier I work with is Vision Art, a company based in the United States. Vision Art wedding albums are beautiful and elegant albums with thick, fine art matte paper. The inks they use to print are vivid, museum quality archival inks that won’t fade. The result is an album that not only looks gorgeous but will also last for years. Their albums also lay flat when opened, which is another unique detail that sets them apart from a lot of other albums. And of course, there are lots of cover options available ranging from leather to linen to photo wrap.
The albums also make great gifts for special occasions. Please get in touch if you’d like to order one or if you have any questions.
The images below will give you an idea of how the albums look, though nothing compares to the actual tangible product. It will also show the connection the photos I blog and the wedding stories you see.
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.
I don’t normally do styled shoots, until Tracey from Tracey M Events contacted me and told me about a Mexico inspired shoot she had in mind. She wanted to bring her love of Mexico into the shoot and since we couldn’t go to Mexico, we brought a little bit of Mexico to Toronto instead. Some fabulous vendors provided all the romantic and gorgeous details that went into the shoot: luxurious linens, an abundance of candles and flowers, gold flatware, laser cut invitations and table decor, Sarah’s beautiful gown and more. The end result was a romantic, dreamy, Mexico-infused, floral fantasy.
What really made the shoot for me was that our models were a real couple! Since so much of my work depend on the chemistry and connections between the people, it was a treat to photograph a pair of real life lovebirds. Sarah is one of those girls whose natural beauty just shines through from the inside out, and being with Matt brings that out even more.
Thank you Tracey for entrusting me to document it all and help bring the vision to life with photos!
What a year you have been. I always feel extra nostalgic at the end of each year and the beginning of a new one. Reminiscing about the things that happened, what dreams did I achieve, what memories did I make? A little less than a year ago, I handed in my resignation and left my full time day job in order to follow my passion for photography, and for the stories they tell. It wasn’t so much a scary time, but an uncertain time. The scary part happened when I contemplated the possibility of being a full time wedding and portrait photographer. Once I made up my mind about it, it wasn’t so scary anymore because it seemed possible. Possible but still so full of uncertainty. I pushed through that though, and focused myself, one day at a time, one session at a time, one wedding at a time. Making goals, checking off to-do lists, trying to maintain some balance in life during the busy summer & fall months, and trying to not get lost in the operation of my business and keep those big dreams in sight.
There were a lot of ups.Working with amazing couples and families who understood my vision, shared that vision and trusted me to document their story in the form of photographs; shooting my first, and then my second destination wedding (those are coming soon!); running a profitable business in my first year full time; but most of all, waking up everyday and not regretting or dreading going to work. That feeling, that was how I knew I was definitely doing something right.
There were frustrations and disappointments too. Lessons learned the hard way, and heartaches. But I also worked through them, a lot of times with the help of my amazingly supportive husband, and some really awesome friends. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspect for me has been adjusting to working from home. all. the. time. I really struggle with a self-imposed schedule, not to mention it gets lonely! This Oatmeal comic explains it all. :)
So many things I have learned. How to let it go when it’s not in your control; how to walk away when I’m too emotional to respond to an email; the realization that some things we need to learn and relearn constantly, not everything is like learning to ride a bike; the importance of saying ‘no’; the importance of carving out time for myself, to rest and to stay inspired; the importance of finding my own way and staying true to it.
I’m not a big New-Year’s-resolution kind of person, but one of my biggest goals for 2014 is to push myself to dare to dream bigger, to continue living with love, intention and purpose, and to find a way to give back to the community.
Thank you 2013.
2014, let’s do this!
Love, me.
But what’s an year-end review without some photos? Here are some highlights, favourite moments, favourite photos. Wishing you a year full of love, laughter, great food, moments that you will never forget, and adventures.
