Toronto Wedding and Portrait Photographer: Samantha Clarke Photography

New Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:43:00 +0000

Please click here to check out my brand spanking new blog!

Toronto Wedding Photographer: Michael + Villet

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 03:46:00 +0000

I had such an amazing day with this couple and their family and friends. This was surely a summer wedding to remember. Mike and Villet are high-school sweet hearts that made an absolutely stunning married couple on their wedding day! This will be a rather lengthy post with lots of photos so I'll keep my prose short. Congratulations once again to you both! I hope you had a blast on your honeymoon in Italy!!! Many thanks to John Tran for being an amazing assistant for the day!

This wedding day was made possible with the help of some amazing wedding vendors! Special thanks to you all! It was a pleasure to work with you!

Coordination/Decor: Bimera Events
Reception Venue: Paradise Banquet Hall
Florist: Petal Productions
Assistant Photographer: John Tran
Photography: Samantha Clarke Photography

Candice + Gustavo

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 13:59:00 +0000

I believe that life is a gift from God, so when Candice contacted me to photograph her maternity session, I couldn't resist the precious opportunity. This loving pair is expecting their baby girl any day now and she will be the light of their life. At nine months, they have so much to be thankful for. It's a blessing to be surrounded by wonderful family and friends that are just as excited as they are to welcome a new life into the world! After spending some time with them, I could feel their anticipation and excitement as they eagerly await the day they can hold their little girl. Isn't Candice just radiant?! We shot these at a lookout near the Scarborough Bluffs. The mother-to-be has quite the eye for scouting the perfect location! Thanks again you two! :-)

What's to come...

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:57:00 +0000

Afrofest

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 06:29:00 +0000

I have yet to travel the world, but it is safe to say that I love Toronto. I love my home town.

Shot at Afrofest 2011, Queens Park, Toronto.

Heintzman House Wedding: David + Samantha

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:18:00 +0000

July is my favorite month of the year. Not only is it my birthday month, but we can expect awesome weather. I'll admit it gets sweltering, muggy, and stormy at times, but I still love it. According to Samantha, she made a special request to God to keep the sun out all day. We were blessed to have had a beautiful outdoor ceremony at the Heintzman House. Praise the Lord! Samantha and David's wedding was also video-taped for TLC's show, "Four Weddings". Their producers and camera men filmed the whole day and it should be airing in January 2012! I'm hoping my elbows make a cameo appearance.

Despite the lights and many cameras, Sam and David's love for each other is certainly the real deal. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. The day was filled with so much love and positivity that at the end of the night, I didn't want to leave! I was lucky to be joined by the amazingly talented, Charles Leonio. We enjoyed every minute of their day, but I have to admit the surprise ice cream truck made it a perfect night!

Working alongside absolutely amazing vendors made my job that much easier. Special thanks to you all!

Coordination/Decor: Malvina Chevolleau of Sweet Beginnings Wedding and Event Planners
Venue: Heintzman House
Catering: Cibo Technica Catering
Officiant: Rev. Wendell Brereton
Bride's Dress: Ritché Bridal
Groom's Tux: Moores
Cake: Jackie Henry-Harewood from Rum N’ Spice Baked the cake and Christina
Wong from Truffle Cake and Pastry decorated it
Hair: Kaydian Jeanty from Trilogy Studio
DJ: Mike Lupo As You Like It DJ Entertainment and Event Planning
Florist: Eleganza Floral Designs
Makeup: Nicole Richards from Peach Gloss
Assistant Photographer: Charles Leonio
Videography: Remember When
Photography: Samantha Clarke Photography

Last Saturday...

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:07:00 +0000

The beautiful Samantha married David! More will follow shortly.

A Wedding Album

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:13:00 +0000

I absolutely love how Katie and Jason's album turned out!

4 years ago today...

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 19:47:00 +0000

We decided to be together.

Andre,

You're my partner, my friend, my confidant.

I appreciate your loyalty, your patience, and your love.

I still remember our 4th of July, four years ago, like it was yesterday.

The road trip, the roller-coasters, and the fireworks!

My life hasn't been the same since.

I`ve been unbelievably blessed with this gift.

I love you.

Sam

Joelle

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:11:00 +0000

Dance is Art

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 04:41:00 +0000

Dance, especially ballet, is an art form I admire. After following the Ballerina Project for some time, I was inspired to try something similar in the city of Windsor. When my two fearless dancers, Caroline and Heather, agreed to get their ballet shoes dirty in the Windsor streets, I couldn't control my excitement. The day of the shoot our grand Canadian weather was not particularly disagreeable. Winds were gusty, but we had a system that went something like this: (1) drive up to the location, (2) discuss the game plan, (3) sprint to the spot, (4) shoot for a 30 secs to 2 mins, (5) sprint back to the car, and (6) repeat. It was too cold to do it any other way. My mind was working a mile a minute, but the ladies held their poses like champs! Luckily, we got a few really lovely shots of around town with these two stunning artists expressing themselves through dance.

Ed + Janice's Toronto Engagement

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 18:44:00 +0000

It is officially summer in these parts and it couldn't have started with a more fun engagement session. Ed and Janice have been extremely busy preparing for their upcoming wedding, but it was nothing but excitement when we got together to shoot. Rouge park was full of people fishing, biking, and avoiding poison ivy but these two were able to totally tune out the noise and focus on each-other. The love reflected in each of these frames is a true representation of the real thing. Together they are very warm, so sincere, and a real pleasure to hand out with. I can't wait for their wedding next month!

One from yesterday...

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:49:00 +0000

Toronto City Hall Wedding: Deborah + Wesley

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Last month I spent a few hours with this sweet couple capturing their intimate wedding at Toronto's City Hall among close family and friends. Deborah and Wesley were absolutely stunning in white! The combination of gorgeous light and their sunny smiles made the day absolute perfection. Their wedding truly reflected the most important things in a marriage: love and happiness. Their vibrant expressions really show it! It is a pleasure to share some of my favorite images from their wedding here on the blog!

Stephanie + Matthew

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Thu, 12 May 2011 04:01:00 +0000

I enjoy extraordinary circumstances. They allow us to grow by showing how much we are capable of. On the morning of Stephanie and Matthew's engagement shoot, it was pouring rain and almost pitch black outside! I was worried. I didn't want to have to reschedule, but the weather was not pleasant at all. Luckily, I gave Stephanie a call and she was so energetic and ready to go! Her excitement gave me a huge boost. We ended up having a blast shooting at High Park that afternoon despite the weather which actually wasn't so bad after all. They were so much fun and didn't mind getting a little wet for the occasion. 2012 can not come soon enough because I can't wait to shoot their wedding! And of course, a special thanks goes to my brother, who joined us and kept me dry behind the scenes!

Toronto Wedding Photography: Reyhan + Sasha

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Tue, 10 May 2011 04:11:00 +0000

The month of April ended with this wedding and it was truly one to remember. The joyous occasion turned around a trend of dismal weather here in Toronto. Plus, it brought out lots of guests from as far as Australia! As the groom mentioned in his speech, Reyhan and Sasha's wedding had a lot of competition, from the Royal Wedding to the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event in Toronto. Despite everything going on, all of their friends and families were in attendance to witness them say "I do"!

Reyhan and Sasha are both fun with warm and welcoming personalities. They make the perfect couple! It was a pleasure to get to know them over a short period of time. And now, it's an amazing honor to share some of my favorite photos from their special day right here on the blog! Rey and Sash, you guys rock! Thank you, thank you, thank you for having me!!! And a special thank you to the talented Charles Leonio for shooting by my side that beautiful afternoon!

Last, but certainly not least, the awesome vendors that helped make it happen!

Photography: Samantha Clarke Photography
Venue: Spirale Banquet Hall
Catering: Spirale Banquet Hall
Florist: MW Floral Design
Bridesmaid Dresses: Mori Lee
Groom’s Tux: Tuxedo Royale
Groomsmen Suits: Tuxedo Royale
Officiant: Kettle Creek Weddings
Limo Company: Best Limo
Hair: Cindy Luke
Wedding Cake: Just Temptations
Makeup: Cindy Luke
Assistant Photographer: Charles Leonio

Master of Arts

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Thu, 05 May 2011 04:30:00 +0000

I'm actually bursting with joy right now! I have completed the final, and the hardest part, of my masters degree. I feel so blessed yet totally undeserving of my friends and family. They're so fantastic and believed in me and gave me the courage to keep going when I felt like I wanted to give up. Despite the fact that I didn't have to make any revisions to my final paper, I think the best part was when my mom said she was proud of me!

Now, I can devote more time to taking some awesome photos, this spring and summer, of my amazing clients and organize some creative projects for fun! I promise more regular updates on the blog! Following my defense today, my mom and I had a lunch date and a mini shoot by the Detroit River in Windsor. I'm really going to miss that place and the awesome people that I met there.

Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:37:00 +0000

We had sun and then we had rain. Here are two frames of two happy couples from this past weekend! More on the way...

Luca, 5 months

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Mon, 02 May 2011 03:49:00 +0000

Luca has eyes that light up the room and a smile that melts your heart! At 5 months old he's managed to steal my heart.

Have a great week everyone!

My Marilyn: A Tribute

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 04:15:00 +0000

It is my pleasure to share the vision and inspiration for a Marilyn Monroe inspired shoot I did with the beautiful and talented Samora Smallwood. She is a go-getter in every sense of the word. Since this shoot was based on her deep-seated desires, I have asked her to guest blog about the process here with the lovely images mixed in. Without further ado, let's hear from Samora herself!

Since I was a very young girl I have loved Marilyn Monroe. It came to me quite naturally the way a child knows she loves strawberries but does not like brussel sprouts. My mother had a veritable library of biographies & autobiographies including those of Bette Davis, Lauren Bacall, Simone de Beauvoir, Shelley Winters, all manner of royalty, Elizabeth Taylor, W.E.B DuBois, and of course the legendary Marilyn Monroe. While I read (and often re-read) every single tome she owned I was strangely drawn to the life of the girl born Norma Jeane Mortenson. While the books about Liz Taylor & Debbie Reynolds told stories of beautiful children raised up to stardom in a nurturing studio system all of the stories about Marilyn chronicled the hard-scrabble childhood of a Los Angeles orphan girl who ended up as the most famous woman to have ever lived. This mesmerized & impressed me. I wanted, nay, needed to know more about this person. I would fill up Christmas wish lists & later save up my baby-sitting money to buy very expensive coffee table books about her.

The first great picture book I was given was called “Marilyn: Mon Amour” by Andre de Dienes a photographer who worked with Marilyn in 1945 when she was on the cusp of stardom. I spent that entire Christmas morning & afternoon in 1996, ignoring my toys and poring over the black & white images in the book. The pictures were not of the coiffed, blonde sex symbol we think of as “Marilyn Monroe”. They showed a strawberry blonde, curly (somewhat frizzy) haired girl, still called Norma Jeane, with a mega-watt smile, sparkling eyes, and chipped red nail polish. Even as a young girl I could see the raw magnetism she had. The pure goodness of an ambitious girl who played the best game with the worst hand. From then onward I considered MM a friend. I defended her because I felt oddly protective of her. This is a phenomena I have discussed with other true Marilyn fans. I think it speaks to her soul & her humanity that she can make people feel this way without them ever having met her. It’s the classic story of a big dream that came true through determination & guile.

When misogynistic studio heads would refuse to give her a shot at non-Cheesecake roles what did our Marilyn do? Why, she moved to New York to study at the prolific Actor’s Studio under Lee Strasberg to hone her craft. Then she proved her talent (and how) in the film “Bus Stop”. Marilyn Monroe doesn’t often get the respect she deserves. There were actresses & starlets who almost met her beauty. And there were ones who won awards that she didn’t get the chance to. But I can certainly say there was no one as special as Marilyn Monroe. Nearly fifty years after her untimely death the world is still enamoured of the woman who needs only one name: Marilyn. Movies are still being made to examine different aspects of a very public persona with a tumultuous & often tragic private life.

This brings me to the tribute to Marilyn I had wanted to do for years. I wanted to take photos of myself as Marilyn that were not an imitation but an acknowledgment to the woman through my eyes. Slowly I collected the images I wanted to use. I would go through my Marilyn books (at this point I have a great many) and attach post-its to the photos I wanted to use. Then last year I crossed paths with a photographer named Samantha Clarke. She took my head shot photos and her passion & natural ease with her craft really impressed me. Then when I saw the crisp, beautiful images that somehow captured the best & most truthful version of myself I knew I had found the woman who was going to shoot my Marilyn tribute photos with me. So two busy women plotted & planned to shoot a very ambitious series of photos.

We spent time discussing locations, props, costumes, etc. As a professional in the beauty industry I knew I’d have no trouble with the hair & make-up. What I was most worried about was shaming my girl. I wanted to do justice to that magic Marilyn always had even when photographed during low points in her life. I put together an inspiration booklet of images of Marilyn to make sure she was always there in spirit. Our focus on shoot day was to not to emulate or impersonate the legend. This never works. No one can ever be as good as Marilyn was. We were focused on bringing the affection & respect I feel for Marilyn to life via some well-known and lesser known images taken of the star throughout her life. I could not, and would not have done this with a different photographer. Samantha has not been obsessed with all things Marilyn Monroe as I have been so her devotion to the passion I felt for the project was amazing. She became as dedicated as I, to getting the best images as possible. My heart warmed when she would stop to adjust a jar on the boudoir, or muss the bed linens just so to ensure verisimilitude.

Please enjoy the images taken on the frosty day in February as much as we enjoyed taking them. I think we captured the spirit beautifully & I am so proud to have been a part of it. Thank you, Sam!

THANK YOU SAMORA!!! You are truly a phenomenal woman and it was a pleasure to help with this tribute!

Hair/Makeup/Styling by: Samora Smallwood
Photography: Samantha Clarke

Waiting on Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 01:05:00 +0000

Happy Resurrection Day!

Dance is Art

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 21:14:00 +0000

I posted a preview from my ballerina project inspired shoot this past week on my facebook page and got incredible feedback about the piece. Well my friends, there are plenty more where that came from! In the meantime, I'll post a few more previews here before I get the opportunity to share the full post. I can't wait!

Bright Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 02:58:00 +0000

I had to share this adorable preview from Luca's shoot this week. More to come!

Through Her Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 02:45:00 +0000

I had an eventful Friday evening this past week! I was able to shoot at the Well-Come Centre's Through Her Eyes fundraiser event to celebrate local female artists and raise funds for the women's shelter. The event was held at the Boom Boom Room in Windsor and was a huge success. The evening was filled with an inspiring display of artists, of all ages, coming together to bring awareness to the many issues facing women. It was amazing to see so many people get involved and show their support for such a great cause!

Press play to watch the slideshow below or click here.

Osgoode Hall Engagement

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha Clarke) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Look at this gorgeous couple! Sasha and Reyhan both have such fun and easy going personalities. Last fall, when I first met them, it totally blew me away when they booked me for their spring wedding right on the spot! That was one of the biggest compliments ever! The shoot took place this past weekend on a beautiful and bright afternoon in downtown Toronto. I had so much fun taking photos of them goofing around and having some really special moments. I can hardly wait to shoot their wedding at the end of the month and share more photos of this amazing couple! We're hoping for some real spring weather by then!