What to expect

’ll be the first to admit that there are a lot of talented wedding photographers who do amazing work. It can be really challenging as an artist (especially a sensitive one like me!) to try and set yourself apart from the other incredible photographers that help make the wedding photography industry as inspiring as it is! As an introspective and self-reflective human I love pondering over these things on a regular basis. So what makes me stand out from the other and visual storytellers you could hire for your wedding, branding or intimate portrait session? Well… obviously the thing that makes me different is its ME! I’m the only person that sees the world exactly as I do, through my lens but also just in the way I view the world around me on a daily basis. My approach, my values, my inspiration, how I connect to my clients and how I run my business are all various aspects that make my photography unique. So let’s see what all that actually means.

What can you expect when being photographed by me?

1. I will do whatever it takes to make sure you feel comfortable.

That looks different for every client and situation. But it usually means that I am doing my best to be grounded and calm so that you feel relaxed. I want you to enjoy yourself most of all. Is it -30 outside and you forgot your gloves? You can borrow the extra pair I brought (or the pair I’m wearing!). I once lent a bride my coat to wear during her winter wedding ceremony because she had forgotten hers. I’ll give you pose suggestions and prompts to guide you, but I hope that you always feel comfortable enough to open up and be your real authentic selves around me. You can bet I’ll keep checking in on you to make sure you’re feeling okay throughout the whole process!

2. I’ll most likely incorporate MUSIC (the great love of my life) into our shoot.

Music is my biggest passion and I’ve spent a lot of my life singing, dancing to it and celebrating it at festivals. It’s gotten me through some hard times and also connected me with pretty much all of my best friends & soul mates in life. I am a first believer that music helps to ease nerves (mine and yours!) and sets the mood. I like to tell my clients that everyone is awkward for the first 15 minutes, myself included, but I find that adding music really helps us both to get into the mood! One of my favourite moments was during an intimate elopement in Banff this summer when I suggested my couple have a first dance which wasn’t something they had planned on incorporating into their day. I played Harvest Moon by Neil Young and they slow danced to the whole 7 minute long song, tears streaming down their face. It was one of the most romantic and heart wrenching moments I’ve been lucky enough to photograph.

3. I might ask you to do something outside of your comfort zone, but trust me it will be worth it!

And if you aren’t comfortable with it I won’t push it. But I do believe the best photos come from pushing yourself outside of the box a little. It might mean kicking your shoes off and wading into the nearest body of water, ditching your coat and holding hands while an icy wind whips your dress around, or sneaking out during the reception because an epic lightning storm just appeared on the horizon. Yes your dress might get dirty and yes you might be cold for a minute or two but I wouldn’t ask you to do it if I didn’t think it would be worth it. And these moments are the ones that you will never forget on your wedding day!

4. I want to get to know you (and photograph!) your friends & family.

A big reason why I love photographing primarily intimate weddings and elopements is because of the opportunity I get to get to know your friends and family. As far as I know, you don’t have a wedding unless you want to celebrate with your loved ones. They are an important part of your life and I know that. I work hard to capture candid moment of the people who mean the most to you. I fully support organizing your timeline so that you have more time to hang out with your guests… just ask me for some tips and I’m happy to help! If you’re eloping just the two of you, then I make sure that the photos we get closely represent who you are as a couple. I send out a questionnaire to get to know you better before the big day!

5. I want to be your friend!

We will be spending a lot of time together on your wedding day so I hope that we can connect in a genuine way. Yes, I’m your photographer, but I also wear a lot of other hats (literally and figuratively) on the wedding day. I can help fluff your dress, I’ve put on countless boutonnieres, I will try my best to keep us on time, I’ll take a quick photo on grandma’s cell phone if she asks… I don’t really mind doing things that are outside of my job title because I want you to make sure your day goes as smoothly as possible. That being said, I’m also available to help plan the day, to give you an opinion on decor or details, or to just be a listening ear to get your nerves out. I’m still friends (real friends… like we hang out and stuff) with a lot of my old clients and that just makes my heart explode.

6. Most of my inspiration comes from the moment.

While I absolutely scout for locations and have ideas for shots prior to our session/your wedding, I like to say “It’s great to have a plan but its better to plan for the plan to not go to plan” - or something like that. Haha. I have no problem with you sending me some photos for inspiration before the big day but I can’t try to recreate a replica of someone else’s work. Inspiration comes for me from seeing an amazing patch of light, from witnessing the little moments of affection between you and your partner, and from the way you fit naturally together. I know a lot of people stress about the weather on their wedding day but I fully believe we can make the best of whatever we get. Pouring rain or freezing temperatures have resulted in some of the the most amazing wedding photos I’ve ever taken!

7. You’ll get a lot of photos at the end of the day.

I shoot A LOT. For most of the day I photograph things from a photojournalistic or documentary style approach. I like to sit back and observe and capture your wedding just as it is unfolding. However, if I see a nice patch of light that I think you should get ready in I won’t be shy about suggesting it. And I do love to take the time for some good individual portraits. I love to include lots of candid moments in your final gallery but I do also really believe that taking the time for some fine art or creative portraits that you can hang on your wall or pass down to your kids generations from now are worth incorporating into the wedding timeline. I also love black and white images so you can expect around 30% of the gallery to be black and white if the light works for it.

8. I love nontraditional anything!!

I love getting weird and throwing tradition to the wind. Want to walk yourself down the aisle to Frank Sinatra? I say do it. Skip the white dress? GREAT. Sing a song together instead of doing a first dance? I’ll probably cry of joy. Incorporate your dog in the wedding party? Heck yes. I’m literally up for anything and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make your vision come to life in whatever way I can.