We had a rather unusual and touching request a few weeks ago. A young woman contacted us asking us to capture some photos of her and her horse, who was very ill and due to be put down.  Odie was only 8 years old, and suffering from a cancerous tumour of his kidney. Of course, we said yes. Photography, is all about capturing a special moment, a bond, and making it personal and creating a memory.  We were worried that Odie wouldn't be up for walking around for photos, and would prefer staying in his stall. But, on the day of the session, he was given his pain killers just beforehand and was feeling pretty good. We decided to walk him gently around the barnyard and field. His owner watched him closely and let him tell her when he'd had enough. We managed to get some amazing photos of the love between these two. The bond between them is so visible. Odie will be forever in our thoughts.

Choosing the perfect wedding photographer for your day. This is such a big decision in the wedding planning process. The wedding photographer has a huge role on your wedding day and during your wedding planning process. They are there to help you plan and make sure the day goes smoothly, capture your big moments, and give you gorgeous photos that tell the story of your day so you can relive it and pass the photos on to future generations. So with that decision comes plenty of questions. There are important technical questions to ask your photographer like…

• How much will it cost?
• How do you dress?
• How long til I get my photos?
• What gear do you use?
• Do you have insurance?
• Who’s your second shooter?

Etc… but all of these questions tend to lead to similar answers from photographer to photographer…
This doesn’t make the decision process of finding your perfect, dream photographer any easier, does it? 

I believe you should absolutely love your photographer not only for their work, but for who they are as a person and why they do what they do.This is a vendor that’s going to be pretty involved in the wedding planning process and sometimes you’ll be with your photographer more than your new husband/wife on the wedding day. They are also in charge of the most important thing, the memories through way of photographs and telling your story. So I believe whole heartedly that while you are at consultations that not only you ask the recommended basic questions, but you also take the time to get to know the photographer to see if you guys click well (which will definitely help you trust them!). Here are a few example questions to ask to that will get different, unique answers from photographer to photographer…
1. What is your favorite part of a wedding day?
Is it the party, dancing part? The ceremony because it’s beautiful to see two people commitment to forever?
2. What is your favorite thing to shoot?
One photographer may like shooting details and portraits, while someone else likes shooting the photo journalistic parts of the day like the ceremony and being a fly on the wall.
3. Why did you become a wedding photographer?
Because they didn’t have wedding photos and want to be able to give others this gift they never had? Because they just absolutely love love? Weddings get them jazzed?
4. What do you like to do in your free time?
Do they knit? Do they take salsa lessons? Spend time with family? Play in a garage band with some friends? Community orchestra? Check out new bars on the weekends with friends?
5. Favorite wedding day memory?
The time the groom wrote the bride a surprise song for her and sang it? When the bride and groom had a pizza truck come in for everyone to have pizza because their first date was to get pizza? (That would be an amazing wedding memory in my book.)
Every photographer will give a different answer to each of these questions and their answers will really help you see if you click and like them as a person. If you look at these consultations as more of like a date where you are seeing if you not only trust them, but like them too, you’ll be able to make an easier decision when it comes to choosing a wedding photographer for your special day.

My favourite memory is this photo below. The bride and groom and their daughter are releasing butterflies!

I had this wonderful man contact me asking me to do an anniversary photography session as a surprise for his wife. Even though it was not a special anniversary (it was their 8th anniversary) I jumped at the chance to meet this couple and give them some great photos to celebrate their love. What a beautiful and special gift. His wife was please. We did the shoot at the location of their first date, Little Lake Cemetery.  You might think a Cemetery is a weird place to do a session, but I can see why they had their first date there. It was very, very peaceful and serene. Even though the end of life is all around you, love is such an important part of both life and death, that to acknowledge their love and shoot a session there was my way of honouring life itself. And the views of Little Lake in Peterborough was astounding. Here are some photos from their anniversary shoot.