Elopements are special. They are unique and personal. They are relaxed and memorable. They are very intimate. It's like a little secret that's happening. I absolutely love being a part of them. 

When we think of graduation, we think of college or university, especially with Trent University and Fleming College being so close by. However, there are other graduates that deserve recognition, and those are grade 8's and Kindergarten. Going into high school is a major change. You are grown up, no longer with the juniors, but in a new environment and preparing for adulthood. And Kindergarteners, they grow up sooo fast. Big school now. Capturing these special achievements are a must. 

Having a dog will bless you with some of the happiest days of your life. And one of the worst. Saying Goodbye. Goodbye is hard, but we all know it has to be done.
These two families know that the time is coming, and asked us to do a photoshoot with their pets giving them memories of their four legged family members.

Tess is a Shepherd and St. Bernard cross with a very gentle disposition and a lovely red coat. Her humans have her on meds to control her congestive heart failure and is enjoying her time at home lazing around.

These girls below came with their humans for a quick shoot as they are getting on in age and Snowflake, the white retriever, has lymphoma. 

They enjoyed a short walk around and some loving cuddles.

Unfortunately, Snowflake passed away the day after our session. I was so glad I could capture these photos for this wonderful family.

​This is our once a year Magical Unicorn Sessions!
Date: Saturday, June 4 (rain date is Sunday, June 5)
Time: From 10 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Cost: $250
Location: Cobourg, Ontario just north of the 401
Five digital photos of your child with the unicorn. One of them will have added enhancements, such as swirls and stars to make it look mystical and magical. Each session is 20 minutes long, which will allow time for interacting with the unicorn.
Two children per session. If you have additional children, another session will need to be booked.
There will be enough time to pet and interact with the unicorn. She is very gentle and loves children. Children can also sit on her and the owner will be present at all times. 
We also have flower crowns for children to wear.
Last year we had a waiting list, so please book early!

This year we will again be offering our magical unicorn photo sessions. And, like last year, we will have the same horse. She makes a perfect unicorn. All decked out in her horn, flowers and garland. We also have some flower headbands for children to wear when being photographed with the unicorn.

The unicorn's owner will be constantly with her during our sessions. And, as you can see from last year's photos, she is a very gentle and loving unicorn. She is great with the kids.

The kids can ride her as well. She will not have a saddle, so the owner will show the kids how to hold on to her mane. 

With a little bit of photoshop magic, you will have a beautiful frame-worthy photo ideal for gift giving and hanging on a wall.

Even though the weather was a bit chilly, we were lucky with some bursts of sunshine coming through the clouds, and no rain (as forecasted earlier in the week).  We were so happy to have baby goats or kids as they are called, and some ducklings as well.  All the kids (the human kind) loved our animals. The baby goats loved to be petted and jumped and frolicked around. 

We are very careful with any animals we use in our photography. All clients must sign a waiver and a contract agreeing to keep a close eye on their children. We will stop a photo session if we feel the animals are in danger.

If a child is too small to hold an animal, we have alternate ways to ensure they have their photo taken. That can include a parent in the photo with them, or having the animal in something for the child to hold. Some of the children are a little afraid of the animals as well. We do not push them to be photographed, instead we gently show them how soft and gentle the animals are by holding them ourselves while the children can pet them.

People ask us what happens to the animals afterwards. Well, the goats are on loan from a local farmer, and they, of course, go back. The momma goat (which is not in any of the photos) is nearby so the babies feel comfortable. The baby ducklings are ours, and we raise them in our backyard. They stay with us all summer, and in the fall, they go to the same farmer that owns the goats. They spend the winter in a warm barn with other ducks. In fact, our ducks from last year's Easter sessions are enjoying quite the life on the goat farm.

You've got the outfits ready and the bag is packed. You are determined to get that wall-worthy family photo. You booked your family photo session months ago. You are very excited. Then, you start to worry. Will my children behave? What if they won’t smile? How do I handle a full-blown meltdown? Well, it's easier than you think to prepare kids for family photos. Read on for some great advice!
As family and child photographers, we welcome childish antics. We want their personalities to come through loud and clear. They may be shy. They may want to ham it up. Either way, that’s okay…. We will get a photo you love. In fact, we will make you love the process! Family photos are supposed to be fun. So let’s dial down that pressure. Here are five ways to get your children in a positive, happy mindset.

Keep "Hangry" at Bay
​Fill those little bellies! One of the easiest ways to prepare kids for family photos is to ensure they begin the session with a full stomach. Offer a meal or snack before you hop in the car and bring a snack/water for a mid-session break too.
Pro tip: Choose “clean” snacks, like fruit snacks. You don’t want your kiddos’ mouths, hands, or outfits stained. These should be small, treats they can eat quickly.

Talk About the Photo Session Beforehand
​Introduce the idea of the photo session to your child well in advance. Like us, children feel more comfortable when they know what to expect. Additionally, they feed off your energy. If you feel jazzed about our session, they will too! When you explain what will happen introduce us as friends. It’s helpful if they have a name (i.e. Cathy and Jenn, rather than “the photographers”).
For younger children, you can set the stage for a successful session by “playing” photographer at home the week of your shoot. This is a great way to prepare kids for family photos because it helps them equate photography with playtime and fun. It becomes a game, not a stressful scenario.

Dress Them In Something Comfortable
​I know it is tempting to force them into that “oh-so darling” outfit. However, opting for an outfit your kiddos don’t feel comfortable in could grind your session to halt. It’s just not worth it. Scratchy fabrics or stiff clothing—no matter how trendy or cute—will leave kids fussy, tugging at their outfit, or… taking it off all together (believe me… it happens). Instead, dress them in what they love. Can you plan outfits around that garment you know they adore wearing? They’ll be happier and you will get images that are more representative of “real” family life.
Whatever you pick out for them, please do a test run well in advance. Check the fit. Do a “sit test” and ensure everything moves properly. There’s nothing worse than trying to fix wardrobe malfunctions while your toddler has a meltdown! 

Bring A Comfort Item
​It’s always a good idea to have a familiar toy or comfort blanket on hand. Hopefully, we won’t need it. However, when considering how to prepare kids for family photos — this can be golden. Secretly stow it in the car and keep in as your “back up system.” Sometimes this simple comfort (e.g. blanket or stuffed animal) is all a child needs to “warm up” to having their picture taken. Ideally, this item will make a brief appearance – then retire to its resting place.

Make Sure They Are Well-Rested
​(But Please Don’t Let Them Nap in the Car)
Photo day is not the day to skip the nap. So please, please adjust your schedule accordingly. A bit of nap shifting can make things easier on everyone!
If you have never done family photos before, prepare yourself. Things can get rather chaotic as you prep outfits for a session, load the car, rush through a meal, and attempt to get everyone in the right mindset. Do your best to maintain your usual schedule. A huge part of preparing kids for family photos is keeping things as normative as possible! During the day of a session, it’s a good idea to try to stay home as much as possible. This allows for proper rest. Furthermore, do not let your little one sleep in the car. Babies can wake up quickly and be “smiley”, but toddlers need time to adjust to their surroundings after a sudden wake-up.

While the names and locations in this story are fictional, it is based on real and unfortunate wedding photography horror stories that Lin & Jirsa, photographers form Tustin, CA,  have heard first hand from their friends, wedding guests, clients, and other photographers.
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IT ALWAYS STARTS WITH THE SAME LINE; “My Uncle Joe has an amazing camera, we are just going to get him to shoot my wedding.”
​While Uncle Joe may be very good, here are a few reasons to go with the professional.

​Wedding photography is so much more than just having a nice camera. Uncle Joe may have a nice camera, in fact, let’s say Uncle Joe is a lawyer and photography is his passion. So, not only does he have a nice camera, but he has the best camera body money can buy at the moment, the Sony A9 II ($4,999). Even more so, Uncle Joe loves shooting in his spare time so much that he even bought a full set of Sony lenses and accessories ($15,000).

​Already, we are assuming that this Uncle Joe is much more prepared than 99% of the Uncle Joe’s out there. Now let’s assume that Uncle Joe frequently goes out, once or twice a month and shoots nature and urban scenes with all of his great equipment. Uncle Joe even had some of his work published.
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Wedding time comes, and Uncle Joe is feeling great and confident that he is going to do an awesome job. First off, Uncle Joe is a bit late arriving, having to help his wife, Aunt Sue, with some last minute preparations. When Uncle Joe arrives, he starts with some outside shots of the preparation location and everything is looking good. Then Uncle Joe steps inside where the preparation is taking place. Uncle Joe doesn’t like manually exposing his pictures, so he shoots with the cameras help. Unfortunately, the camera is only so smart.
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Uncle Joe starts snapping preparation shots and notices that his lens isn’t wide enough. So, he quickly goes out to the car to swap out his lenses since he wasn’t anticipating this problem. When he gets back, the bride’s makeup is done, and now they are working on the hair. Uncle Joe didn’t take any time to check out the lighting prior to the shoot, so he has no off camera lighting, or any additional lighting equipment. So, Uncle Joe figures that he can just raise his ISO settings super high so that he can capture enough light to properly expose the scene. This works, however, little does he know, that every picture shot will be too grainy to blow up beyond a 4×6 print.
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Uncle Joe now heads over to shoot the groom. Uncle Joe looks at the scene and adjusts his camera settings based on what the camera reads. Unfortunately, because there was so much black in the scene from the suits, the camera was over exposing all of the shots to compensate. Uncle Joe didn’t realize though, and just kept chugging away.
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Let’s say this is a simple wedding and now it’s time for the ceremony. Uncle Joe scopes out a great spot, pops on his zoom lens, and waits. The groom makes his way in, and Joe shoots him like a pro snapping 50 shots as the groom is coming down the aisle. The only problem is that all 50 shots are out of focus because the subject was walking towards Uncle Joe, and his focus settings were not set for moving subjects.
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The father and bride begin coming down the aisle, and just the same, Uncle Joe fires away taking 50 more shots. Again, none of which are crisp and in focus.
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The wedding ceremony is going great, and Joe grabs several great shots. But Uncle Joe realizes again, that his camera lens isn’t wide enough, so Uncle Joe runs to his bag to grab a different lens. On his way back, he sees the couple just as they kiss for the first time. Uncle Joe missed it. He also didn’t think to shoot any of the bride or grooms family during the ceremony, as he was trying not to miss anything in the ceremony.
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After the ceremony, it’s time for formals. Uncle Joe guides everyone to his favorite spot outdoors where he has a beautiful shot of the view. The subjects are facing away from the sun, so that he can capture the grandeur of the scene. Because the formals are being shot in the bright noon-day sun, Uncle Joe doesn’t realize that the camera is under exposing the entire scene since the background is so bright.
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Uncle Joe takes only a few family formal shots, and only one shot of each set. Little to Joe’s knowledge, every shot is coming out too dark and completely underexposed.
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Reception time has arrived, and Uncle Joe has already worked 10 hours! He figures that he should relax and enjoy the wedding too since he is family. So, he gives his camera to his young son who loves photography and tells him to shoot.
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Uncle Joe is so exhausted that he doesn’t shoot for the rest of the night. I mean, he is helping out the bride and groom so much by saving them money, and doing it for so cheap that he figures it shouldn’t matter anyway.
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Since Uncle Joe doesn’t have the software, or even know how to post produce images. He simply gives the bride and groom a DVD with all of the images burned to it. The bride and groom sit down, dying with anticipation and pop the DVD into the computer to start looking through their uncles beautiful work!
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100 pictures into the 2,000 pictures Uncle Joe shot, the bride is already in tears, as every photo is too dark, too bright, blurry, or just not that good. Furthermore, the bride and groom notice that there is no shot of their first kiss, and the only reception shots were of Uncle Joe’s son shooting all of the kids at the reception.
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While this story in particular is fictional, each one of the events and outcomes are from real situations that probably every wedding photographer hear about. Not necessarily all of them in the same time but still... In fact, so many of client’s guests have approached professional wedding photographers during a shoot to tell them about their “Uncle Joe” experience, and how they wish they had hired professionals to shoot the wedding. So, why does this happen to Uncle Joe? Because the bottom line is, while Uncle Joe had all the professional gear (which is unlikely in the first place), and experience shooting nature and outdoors scenes he doesn’t have the following:
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1. The ability to quickly adjust his camera settings based on different lighting scenes. Most of the time wedding photographers have 2-3 seconds to adjust settings on the fly, any more than that, and the wedding photographer is almost guaranteed to miss something.
2. The knowledge of how his camera reads and interprets light in order to compensate for under or over exposure. In these situations the wedding photographer must rely on his experience rather than the camera’s readings.
3. The foresight to be prepared for each situation with a secondary camera prepped with a different type of lens. Professional wedding photographers will always scope out the wedding venue and scenes prior to the wedding ceremony and plan ahead.
4. The carrying cases needed to always have his necessary equipment and accessories on him at all times. Professional wedding photographers will always have their equipment readily available on their person, or nearby.
5. Experience shooting fleeting moments that you only have one chance to be captured. A first kiss typically only lasts 1-2 seconds, and you don’t necessarily know exactly when it is going to happen. The wedding photographer must be staring through his lens, ready and prepared for this moment to happen.
6. Experience and knowledge required to anticipate angles and approaches to each scene. Knowing where to stand, and what angles to shoot is something that only comes from experience.
7. The energy to work non-stop for 12-18 hours without breaks. This is a wedding photographer’s job, they don’t rest or take breaks. Our team staggers their breaks during non-crucial moments of the day, and even then there is always one or two additional wedding photographers shooting while one is on break.
8. The ability to create unique lighting scenes, and supplement natural light with his own lighting. Understanding light and lighting is something that comes from study, training and experience. Being a master of lighting is impossible unless you have tried shooting in every possible lighting situation.
9. Experience in guiding and directing large group formals. This is where the wedding photographer’s personality and tact are so important. How do they interact with the bride, groom and their family.
10. The knowledge of advanced focus techniques.
11. Experience in taking extra shots of crucial pictures such as during formals in case of blinking, awkward expressions, etc.
12. Equipment of a computer program to edit photos.

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In addition to all of this, there is so much more that Uncle Joe would need in order to take professional quality wedding photographs from start to finish.
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​While there are a lot of areas in your wedding budget that you can save money on, wedding photography should not be one of them. If you want to have professional quality, creative imagery of your wedding day that will be timeless heirlooms to be shown and handed down to your generations to come, you will need a professional wedding photographer.
Uncle Joe is leaving his camera at home!

You are planning your dream wedding, thinking extensively of every minor details and putting thought and effort into everything.  It’s going to be a day to remember for the rest of your life. But years from your wedding day, all that remains are the moments, emotions and memories captured by your photographer.
Aside from hiring a quality photographer, there are numerous steps you can take as a bride to guarantee incredible photos. From incorporating a first look to picking that long flowy veil in the bridal shop, we’ve narrowed down the top 10 wedding photography tips you should follow to great fantastic wedding photos!

1. Create A Pinterest Story Board
​In order to deliver personalized photography, it is important for your photographers to understand your personalities, preferences, and relationship. To help your creative team get to know you, it is best to create a Pinterest Style Board. This mood board is on Pinterest, where you can save images that you like and even images you don’t like. This is a way for you to visually communicate the style of photos you love for your engagement and/or wedding day photos. 

2. Schedule Enough Time For Each Section Of The Day
​It is crucial that you create a timeline for your wedding day, something your wedding planner can assist you with organizing. There should be an estimated start and end time for hair, makeup, reception setup, etc. Within that timeline should include all your photo sessions such as the first look, bridal party photos, and couple’s session.

3. Minimize Your Locations
In order to maximize photo time on your wedding day, we recommend minimizing the number of photoshoot locations. You don’t want to spend more time traveling from point A to point B than actually taking pictures. A great photographer should be able to make almost any location work.  Even if you don’t love ALL the background options of your venue, trust in the creative abilities of your photographer.

​4. Plan Enough Time for Hair & Make-up
​Delays with hair and makeup can set the whole day behind.  Plan to finish the process well ahead of schedule, too often do we see brides rushing because of unexpected delays. Many great hair and makeup artists will create a schedule to follow during wedding preparations.
Your creative team will typically ask for one hour in order to document final touch-ups, detail shots, and candid moments with your closest friends and family.

​5. Wear a Long Veil
​There is something about putting on that wispy piece of fabric that makes you finally feel like a bride. That beautiful long veil makes for some of the best pictures, this is why we encourage brides to choose a long veil on their wedding day. The veil can be incorporated in numerous ways during bridal portraits and the couples session.

​6. Include Toss Items (eco-friendly)
​Whether it’s in your group photos, during your first dance or your grand exit, toss items add that extra touch to your photos.  Eco-friendly confetti, flower petals, paper planes, dried flowers, the list can go on and on! These pictures radiate bliss, excitement, and results in genuine smiles and laughter from you and your guests. Just remember to have an eco-friendly option to protect our land and oceans!

​7. Incorporate a First Look Session
​One of the most memorable events of a wedding day is when the bride and groom see each other.  Suddenly all the jitters and anticipation fades away and just the two get the chance to enjoy this remarkable moment. The first look makes for some of the most heartfelt photos, a tradition you can’t forget on your wedding day.

8. Schedule The Couples Session During The Best Lighting
​If you booked your venue because of the spectacular view of the water or the gorgeous greenery, it’s essential to schedule your couple’s session 30-45 minutes before sunset. The romantic hues during Golden Hour makes it our favorite time of day to capture the new Mr. and Mrs.

9. Include A Sneak Away Session
​The beauty of twinkling stars and dark skies makes for a great photo backdrop. The Sneak Away session lasts no more than 20-30 minutes and is typically scheduled during your reception and after dinner. 

​10. Incorporate A Sparkler Exit
​You’ve planned your grand entrance, but have you thought about a grand exit? Sparkler exits are a great way to end a day of celebrations. Not only are sparkler exits unique and exciting, but it makes for stunning photos. We’ve seen nothing but smiles from guests as they send off the newlyweds.
Although many venues allow the sparkler exit, others may not. Confetti, bubbles, and flower petals are alternative options to include in your grand exit and will still look great in photos.

Back by popular demand this Spring ... our annual Easter Mini Sessions. This year we will be having a baby goat instead of a lamb. While the lamb was fun to see and play with, he was quite the character - acting more like a teenager than a little lamb. He had a mind of his own and he loved to wander.  
The baby ducklings will be back as well. They are so fun to see and watch them waddle around. And they love to be held, snuggling down inside your cupped hands. However... they do grow fast! 
Last year we kept the ducklings all through summer in our yard. They loved wandering to the pond and having a swim. They loved eating the tadpoles! And, we kept them in our chicken coop at night away from predators. In September they went to a local farm and are living quite nicely in a warm barn with other farm animals.
The goat will be on loan from the same farm. The goat will come with his momma and kids will be able to pet them and snuggle them.
Due to the nature of photographing children with pets, we will ask that a waiver be signed. 
All safety precautions (for both the animals and the children) will be in place.
To book, please send us an email at catsmac@live.ca 

Take a look at your collection of old photos. Are there precious memories there you wish to preserve forever? Are some of your photographs fading? Are they ripped or creased? Do they have dust and scratches on them? Scotch tape marks? You might not have realized there was a problem with them until you look at them after many years of storage. No matter how carefully stored, your photo collections are, in fact, fading away and deteriorating. In fact, over time you may lose them completely. And, not to mention something terrible happening to them, like fire and flood. This is why you should consider restoring them in a digital format so you will have them forever! 

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Why Restore Your Old Photographs?
You are preserving your family history for future generations! With the advances in technology, your photos can be restored and saved in a digital format enabling you to share them with family and friends. Too often, important photographs are never seen being stored away in a box somewhere! Photographs are your best memories.

Preserve your Family's Memories for Future Generations.
A primary benefit is the preservation of your memories in digital format. In the case of deteriorating photographs, time is important. 
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Remove and Repair Imperfections
You may be able to digitally scan your old photographs yourself but to restore photos and to remove imperfections you will need an expert.

​Add Sepia or Full Colour to Black and White Photographs
When restoring old photos, we can add a natural sepia to old black and white photos so all your restored images match each other. We can even transform your images to full colour. Professional restoration and editing techniques can add clearer focus or sharpness.

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Electronic Storage and Ease of Sharing
Restoring old photographs allows you to convert them to digital images, which are easy to store and share with friends or family. With advances in technology, it’s possible to take an entire photo collection and store it on CD, USB or memory stick. This can be a convenient way to retrieve a particular group of photographs or safely secure an additional copy, which will last virtually indefinitely. You can share digital copies through email or print as many copies as you need.
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Genealogical Benefits
For historians, or family history buffs, the benefits of restoring old photos and storing them digitally is often considered priceless. The genealogical benefits are important to anybody trying to build a family tree. Expert restoration techniques should be used on any historically-significant photographs.

Getting ready for Christmas includes preparing for Christmas cards and enjoying a walk in the snow. And Copper was the perfect model with his Santa hat!. Peterborough's Jackson Park was a great place to meet these two and get some fantastic Christmas photos! 

When Li-Ann contacted me, she warned me that she has a very large family and they wanted family photos together as they all were going to be in the same area at the same time with Great grandparents who were visiting from overseas. So, we planned a meeting day and time and, luckily the weather was fantastic being slightly warm and overcast making it easy to relax and take our time posing. After this large family photo, we broke up into smaller groupings finishing with the children last making it a fun shoot. 

​If this pandemic has taught us anything, it's how important our loved ones are.
And, as many of us know, Grandparents are the ones that are the hardest to buy for at Christmas, so why not give them something they will treasure? Something from the heart that will be sure to touch their hearts.
We are launching our digital vouchers for Grandparent photo sessions for 2022.
Sessions include grandchildren and grandparents only and will be in the spring/summer of 2022 at our location in Cobourg.
Digital vouchers are $150 and include 5 digital images.
An 8x10 print is also included in the price
There are a limited number of vouchers available
Send us a message for more information.
Give the gift of custom photography. It's the perfect Christmas gift.

There's something just so magical about Christmas. And being able to create a moment and capture it forever for families to look back on. I love my job.

It was a pleasure to photograph this family at our annual Christmas mini photo sessions. It's great to see Mom and Dad get involved in the photos too, especially those with Santa. This family drives from Toronto to visit us in Cobourg. You have to agree they are the perfect family together. And I think Santa agrees too.

It couldn't have gone better! After taking a few family photos for Christmas with Santa, we positioned these two on the red couch and just watched the magic happen! And, it did happen! These two were beaming from ear to ear for the rest of the shoot. Congratulations TK and Sarah! You are a perfect couple. 

​Looking for something unique to give this Christmas?
Then give the gift of Custom Photography with a personalized Gift Certificate from CatsMac Photography.
Chose any amount towards a session - or chose a whole session!
Gift Certificates are perfect for engagements, newborn lifestyle, families and more!
BONUS: for every gift certificate you purchase of $50 or more, receive $10 off a session for yourself! Use your bonus for any session (mini sessions included)! It’s our way to say Merry Christmas to you!
Custom photography is unique and sure to be appreciated in years to come.
Located in Cobourg just north of 401 but will travel.

This year we will again be offering our outside Christmas mini photo sessions. And, new to this year, we will have a Santa come out for a visit with the kids (and parents too). Bring your kids, fur babies, and yourselves for some great Christmas themed photos. Three different set designs for you to enjoy. We are located in Cobourg just north of the 401. Santa is available on the dates in the ad below, however, if you can't make those dates, we are still running sessions on other days!