This past weekend, I had the pleasure of hanging out with Simon and Cheryl.  We are shooting their wedding next year, and met on Sunday to shoot their engagement pictures. 

They live north of the city slightly - and I am about 45 minutes east of Toronto as well, so I was so happy when they agreed to come to my new studio to shoot.  I didn’t just take the studio for the space - but also all the funky things to shoot around it as well.  There is lots of little spots to shoot, with a nice mix of industry and nature to use.  We spent about 2.5 hours together - and over 300 pictures!  The best part is that we didn’t have to walk more than 50 meters from the building.

It was a little bit if a drive for them, but I think they were happy to see all of the places to shoot in.  One of our favorite shots - is when a train came shooting by.  We used it to our advantage I think….as well as all the natural light.

So - get to the pictures right?  Well, here are a few quick selections (click on the picture for the full version)…..comments welcomed and encouraged!

“ Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow.” – Imogen Cunningham

If the wedding is as stunning as the invitation from Tammy and Zac - we are in for something special. 

I was so excited to see this invitation in our mailbox for their big day.  I am not sure if it is customary for the photographer to receive an actual invitation - but I was very honoured to receive one!  It is so special to be thought of in this way - that I had to blog about it (and to show off these awesome invites!)

Check these out!  Aren’t they beautiful?  I love the print and the font, the classic colours - and the layout.  If you could feel these, the paper is incredible - and these puppies have some weight to them!  (Be sure to click on the images to make them “big”.

Tammy and Zac live in Las Vegas, and are getting married in Lake Tahoe in December.  Tammy and I connected via my Twitter and facebook, and thankfully she likes my images!  They are flying us out to shoot their wedding in Tahoe in a few weeks - and we cannot be more delighted and honoured to be a part of their special day.

Way to go guys!

That’s it.  That’s me.  I am a Photographer.  I capitalize it, because it’s a title.  And I say it because I believe it. 

I am reading a blog post, by way of the exceptional Zack Arias on FB, by Cheryl Jacobs.  Okay, well - I have not finished reading it yet, but that is because I got stopped in my tracks.  I got stopped at the part where she wrote:

“Learn to say “I’m a photographer” out loud with a straight face. If you can’t say it and believe it, you can’t expect anyone else to, either.”

I’m a photographer.  Many of you know me as such, and not by my day job.  I have all the “stuff” that is a photographer.  I have studio lights, flashes, big and small.  I have stands and booms, and softboxes and dishes.  I have cameras as well - two of them to be exact.  I have all the gear - and even the “duct tape” that the professionals use (Called gaffers tape).  I am legit……ummm…right?

A few months ago, my family and I were having a mini vacation in the Collingwood area of Ontario.  While the kids slept in the hotel room bed, I started this exact same blog post.  However, I never finished it.  I guess deep down - I was not convinced.  I knew I wanted to be a photographer, but I was not ready to call myself one…regardless of how many “paid” gigs I was getting.  I guess I thought I was faking the funk. 

So then today - I read this blog post here.  There is tonnes of advice in this article, that could almost make me cry.  It is hitting home.  I am done worrying about finding a style, or about what gear I DON’T have (Except for this).  I am only going to worry about taking my pictures, and hopefully people love them.  What does that mean?  For me - personal projects.  Lots of shooting.  New ideas.  Investments into new concepts.  Meeting people.  Finding people.  Shooting people.  I am not a guy with a camera.  I am a photographer.  Anyone want their picture taken? 

 However, the biggest thing of this entry is simple.  Be what you want to be.  Convince yourself of that, and make it happen. 

Maybe I always was…..but today, I am a photographer. 

Yet again, I am so far behind in blogging.  September really rocked me, as we literally had multiple shoots every week.  Then you add back to school, and all the studio stuff - it has been crazy!

I owe a post though - and what better way, than showing a couple of my quick shoots that I had last week to break in the studio. 

Today’s post is of Aleks.  Aleks and I have been communicating for a while now - always trying to set up a time to finally shoot.  The funny thing is, (and I just found it out during our shoot) is that she literally lives only a few blocks away from me!

Aleks has only been modelling for a short period of time, but in that time - she has certainly made it!  It drove me CRAZY to see her images from other photographers that I follow and love, as it made me want to shoot with her even more.  Aleks has most recently been selected to be in the 2010 Toronto Sun Sunshine Girl calendar.  She just doesn’t take a bad picture.

Anyway - here is some quick edits to some of the shots from the quick shoot we had.  I am looking forward to shooting with her again, as my studio is always open for for her.

(Click on each thumbnail to see it BIG - I’d love to hear your comments!)