Every year I see the Evergreen Brickworks in Toronto changing as the Evergreen group continue to restore the old grounds into a modern gallery and historic monument.  Years ago, I would bring couples and wedding parties to the site for funky photo shoots. Back then (at the risk of sounding old!) we would have to hike through a beaten path, then duck-through a tear in the fence, hang-on to a tree branch then drop down a small muddy hill in order to crawl though a hole in the brick wall of the old factory. Once inside, we were greeted with intimidating graffiti, inches of dust everywhere, and ridiculous heat. Everyone’s natural instinct was to quietly tiptoe through the massive structure, wondering how long it would take  fear to overcome curiosity. We would sneak through the corridors, occasionally stopping suddenly to listen as a member would think they heard something…Possibly the echoes of another brave photographer. Airborne dust particles, lit by rays of light leaking through holes in the tin roof contaminating the beads of sweat on our surfaces…

There are two very different versions of the Brickworks that I have had the pleasure to experience. I’ll never forget the sense of adventure that the old abandoned grounds offered, but at the same time I’m very pleased with the restored facility. It offers photographers a unique location with plenty of variety. Most importantly, it’s now a safe option for a dramatic backdrop. I can’t believe the risk we used to take by bringing couples there before the restoration!

Rachel & Jay also remember the old site, and really had their hearts set on it for the engagement shoot. It was a blast to see these two in stitches as I played the role of “do anything for a laugh” photographer. I’m sure they would now attest that I’m not the most shy person in public! They’re reactions ranged from mild little giggles, to slightly embarrassed that they’re here with that guy with the camera. I’ll never forget how they both held back laughing when a pedestrian looking lost slowly and unknowingly bumbled his way right through our shoot…or how they both tried to hide behind one another when a group of people came walking up near us and I greeted them all with “Hello friends!” before discussing with the strangers that these guys are engaged…Anything for a laugh:)

Wedding Photographers Toronto

While there seems to be this current fad of wedding photographers constantly capturing the most sombre and droned-out expressions of their clients, I’m actually constantly looking for the opposite. Sure, if my clients really do walk around posing like drama-chic models then this would work…I generally find that most of my couples are quite fun though, and want to capture more of that free-spirited side of their personalities. Such was the case with Staphanie & Ray.

We did have a bit of a discussion before-hand about how we could best capture who they are. Stephanie’s a doctor, and Ray’s huge hockey fanatic… While I’m not such a fan of scripting things, it seemed like the best way to approach this shoot – at least for a small part. We tried for weeks for find an area that would let us shoot, with zero success. In the end we just decided to do the shoot at Eglinton Park, which happens to be near an arena…which we just happened to poke our heads into while shooting…when we got caught…but instead of getting kicked out, the maintenance gentleman actually allowed us to shoot on the ice.  Heck, he even set us up with a hockey net, sticks, and even a zamboni!

In the end, the shoot was so much more than we thought it would be. We were able to capture Stephanie and Ray’s fun side and true chemistry, as well as telling a little bit about who they are. This is more than just an engagement shoot; it’s a lifestyle session. I don’t expect to capture too many couples in such a “comedic” fashion, but I’m always looking to expand my creativity to new territories. I guess you could say that as a wedding photographer in Toronto, I’m game for anything!

J

Wedding Photographers Toronto

Last year Colin, Carla and myself all went up to Montreal to shoot Priya & Anup’s engagement session. Carla quietly captured video of us working. Now Colin and Carla have produced this promo video of us shooting!

For those who don’t know Colin & Carla are two close friends that I’ve worked with for years. They are Empty Cup Media, who I often recommend to my clients looking for video for their wedding. Colin is also one of my go-to second photographers.

Great job on the video guys! I love it (even though I don’t sound like that in real life…do I?!)

Wedding Photographers Toronto

Amy & Ricky’s wedding was exactly what I hope for in a wedding photo shoot; overcast sky, lots of time, and a great plan with a couple of locations. I’ve shot at the locations before, and to be honest I think that might be partly the reason for delaying the actual posting of their wedding on my blog. I just like to keep as much diversity in my portfolio as possible, and their wedding was shot as the same location as Mel & Ryan’s. When I actually look at the shoots though, I realize that I’ve accomplished one of my goals as their wedding photos look very different. Believe me, it’s difficult to shoot in the same location over and over and avoid replicating yourself as a wedding photographer!

Wedding Photographers Toronto

Every once in a while I meet someone at a wedding that I keep in contact with. Such is the case with Arthur of Fusion Events, who coordinated Anne-Marie & Alex’s flawless wedding day. In fact, today I did a shoot for Arthur and his band, Shugga – also present at Anne-Marie & Alex’s wedding.

The entire day was perfect, from the weather to the timing, the emotion, and the general compatibility I had with everyone. It’s not often that I see pure red, black & white as the wedding colours nowadays, but they definitely worked for this wedding. It seems like so many couples these days are so caught-up in finding something new that they don’t consider something as classic as these colours. I thought it was a bold choice that definitely paid-off.

The idea of the “revealing” once again made the day that much better. The  revealing is when the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony, as opposed to the western and European traditions of seeing one another at the alter for the first time. Some Jewish and Chinese weddings include this as a part of their traditional wedding day. I’m happy to see more couples (of all cultures) adopting the reveal into their wedding day. It simply provides flexibility in the schedule, and almost always mean more time for wedding photography…which almost always translates to more and better wedding photos!  At the risk of sounding non-sentimental, it’s a bit of  contradiction when a couple says to me “…Wedding Photography is the most important thing”, and then would rather give me 20 minutes to shoot the wedding couple, wedding party, and family photos than choose to see each other before the ceremony and have a relaxed, fun, and complete photo shoot.

Given enough time and coordination, anything is possible…especially when it comes to wedding photography!

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Wedding Photographers Toronto