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This will be long. I write 5 minute blog posts for single day weddings, so don't expect this to be short. However, I will write a little summary at the end, right after the photos, for those of you who would rather a synopsis and not all the details.
FOUR. It is such a small number. 4. Yet 4 means so much to me. I have lived nearly 9 times that many years. 9 times as long as Isla so far. At 3.5 we didn't know if 4 would happen, yet here we are just over a month past June 2nd, 2018. Isla's birthday. She has made it to 4, her soccer Jersey number from last summer. Time to celebrate.
If you are reading this, you probably know a bit about why this birthday was so important, but in case you're coming in blind, or you aren't immediate family, let me fill in some of the blanks.
It all began with aching legs. The symptoms that is. After a morning at pre-school, Isla told me her legs were sore and it hurt to walk. She seemed to be in a lot of discomfort so I decided we would skip afternoon gymnastics. Isla was on board with the idea until about 15 minutes before gymnastics started so we rushed to get ready and made our way to the gym, arriving a few minutes late. I carried Isla in and we got her down to the gym floor where she said she was fine enough to go join the class. As she ran out on the mats, her legs buckled. She tried again but just couldn't seem to walk. I picked her up and we went home. I had never seen her do this before but I wasn't too concerned, I thought maybe she had twisted her knee at some point, or it was growing pains, or something to that effect. She continued to have aching legs and started to feel unwell too. 2 nights later she woke me up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. She looked at me and said in a panicked voice "my tummy! my tummy!" I tried to figure out what was wrong, but it was a feeling she didn't know, then she threw up right on me in a moment that surprised both of us. That was the first time she had thrown up since our trip to Jamaica a couple years earlier when the whole family was sick. No-one else was sick this time. It was then that we decided to get her checked out.
Since we were leaving on a trip the next day, we had to take her to a walk in clinic rather than our normal doctor. We went in, the doctor looked at her ear and said it was an ear infection. He didn't even address my concerns about the legs or throwing up. We were in and out of the room in about 90 seconds with a prescription for amoxicillin. Isla hated the banana flavoured medicine which I had fond memories of from childhood. Apparently Robyn also hated it as a kid. We gave her some honey water as a chaser to help her take it. It was a struggle every time and I was so glad when it finally ran out.
We flew to Ontario for a wedding and Isla barely wanted to play with her cousins when we got there, she slept a lot more than normal too. A few days with family and we departed for Scotland. Isla threw up on one of the flights on the weekend, I just can't recall which one. When we landed in Glasgow, Isla thought she might be sick, so we waited on the plane for everyone to get off before leaving. We had brought a stroller for Autumn, but it was Isla that we ended up pushing. We thought she would be walking and pulling her little suitcase, so carting our bags around while holding Autumn and pushing Isla was a challenge. Full credit to Robyn for pushing that stubborn stroller while holding Autumn, that thing is difficult to push with 2 hands, let alone one.
Glasgow was basically a jumping off point for us as we planned to be there for the day and then head out. From our hotel we tried walking about 200m to a restaurant and Isla was so frustrating. It was such a short walk but she was not willing to walk, and at one point she screamed at us with a visceral scream like I had never heard before. We thought she was having a tantrum, something she simply didn't do. We knew she had an ear infection and was feeling unwell, but this reaction from her was off the charts. To top it off, the restaurant we went to was closed when we got there, just for the span between lunch and dinner, so we ended up picking up some food from a grocery store.
Our Scotland family vacation was meant to be our last big adventure before Robyn went back to work after her maternity leave. We planned to go on hikes, to visit castles, and to spend quite a bit of time outside. For the first time in our lives, we actually packed well and had the right clothes for Scotland in the fall. However, we ended up pretty much doing a driving tour of the country. Isla slept a lot through this time, something we chalked up to her ear infection and jet lag. One day Isla slept about 20 hours and we knew this could not be attributed to jet lag or her ear infection, this was unusual. We talked about, and even looked into walk in clinics in Scotland but instead made arrangements back home to visit Isla's doctor about 5 days after our scheduled return home. Isla was barely eating and what she was eating wasn't great. She had a meltdown one day because she wanted to eat nothing but Salt and Vinegar chips all day and we said no, it's a good thing as I will explain later.
While getting the kids ready for bed at a B&B in Ayr near the end of our trip, Isla looked at me, and with that same urgency as a couple weeks earlier, she said "my tummy, my tummy". I asked if she was going to throw up and pretty much immediately after she said "no", she did. Flying standby 2 days later and with empty seats filling up quickly on the plane, we decided to book confirmed seats to ensure we could get Isla home and to a doctor rather than try to visit one in Scotland, despite our B&B host offering us help securing a doctor visit in Ayr.
We had a long, multiple-flight journey home, and after making some last minute flight changes to try and get home a little earlier, we arrived back in Halifax at 2:00 a.m. on October 27th. We drove to my in-laws' in LaHave to pick up our dog Cinnamon and it was there, at my mother-in-law Marsha's suggestion, that we decided to take Isla into the IWK to get checked out instead of waiting an extra couple days to see our doctor. Marsha came with us to help with Autumn and we dropped Isla and Robyn off at the hospital and went to get groceries before I dropped Auttie and Grandma Marsha off at the house and made my way back to the hospital.
When I got to the hospital, Isla was in a gown, in bed. I spoke to Robyn about what had happened to that point and she told me that they had seemed concerned and taken blood to try to figure out what was wrong. I held Isla's hand, something I remember thinking was just so nice to be able to do, I even took a photo as it was so rare for her to let me hold her hand. We just sat there and waited.
About two hours after first arriving at the hospital, the resident came in. He asked if we wanted to go to a different room to talk. Alarm bells went off in my head, it must be bad for them to not want to talk about it in front of Isla. Robyn and I looked at each other and said we would stay there. With Isla asleep by now, we didn't want her to wake up without us by her side. I had been thinking that Isla had celiac disease. All of her symptoms fit with that diagnosis and at this point I thought the doctor was going to confirm that suspicion. Two other doctors entered that room and I can't recall what they looked like exactly, but I will forever remember the expression on their faces. They were looking down, avoiding eye contact as they sat down, a sombre look on their faces. The alarm bells in my head were now thumping in my chest, I could feel tears coming on even without a word yet spoken.
The doctor told us that Isla's white blood count was over 100,000, which meant nothing until he said that white blood cell counts should be between 5,000-10,000, and that they think she has a blood cancer, probably leukemia. What it meant was they were going to run some tests and figure some more out, and that they needed to take her to the ICU immediately. We went up to the 3rd floor where the PICU is located and learned a lot that night. I made a couple of phone calls to let our parents know what was going on, I called my parents first. When they picked up, they knew it was me from call display, and I got out a 'hi', but then couldn't speak. My mom kept asking if I was there, and sorry mom, but I just wanted to tell you to be quiet in that moment so I could compose myself. I was barely able to get the words out, and I hated sharing this news and making others upset, but it had to be done. I made the rest of my phone calls the next day, it was a very unpleasant experience to have to say those words over and over again, but it also helped me be able to say them. I didn't call my grandmother as I knew she was alone and wanted someone to be there with her, especially since cancer had taken my grandpa a few months before Isla was born. My parents drove out to see her and break the news in person. Everyone was obviously shocked, but my family was great and offered to help in any way they could, Brandon's immediate response was to ask if he could donate bone marrow, which we weren't even sure would be necessary at that point. Kevin said he would come out if he could to help as he has an office in Halifax and could do some work from there. My whole family lives in Ontario, so no-one was close, and I wasn't expecting anything in terms of help from them, especially since my brothers all have kids of their own to worry about. It was nice to know they were there for us, even from so far away.
One phone call which was surprisingly difficult was to Isla's preschool, Colby Village. Isla had only gone a handful of times, but she absolutely loved it. Calling to tell them she wouldn't be returning was a punch in the stomach, a reminder that there may be some things she loves which she will never be able to do again, or maybe not for a long time.
Isla's distended stomach was due to the white blood cells filling up a lot of her organs, and her kidneys specifically were in trouble. I don't recall what the nephrologists said exactly, but one of the problems was a sodium imbalance where there was just too much of it. So, if Isla had been chomping away on Salt and Vinegar chips as much as she wanted on the trip, we might have seen complete kidney failure, or at least been closer to that. As it stood, the first 3 nights in hospital, we were told that the main goal was to keep her off dialysis, which thankfully they did.
It was on Sunday the 30th of October that we received the full diagnosis. We were told that there were 4 kinds of leukemia they were looking at and the doctor was extremely happy that Isla's results came back and she had Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Inversion 16, as it was the best of the 4 options. He went on to tell us that she had a 50-70% chance of beating it. My thoughts of course went to the 50% chance part of that and I wondered, what were her chances if her diagnosis was one of the other 3 types they were looking at? The doctor also proceeded to say that it wasn't that she would 70% survive, it's only going to be that she survives or doesn't, so the statistics aren't important. And despite us obviously knowing that, it is an important point for people to remember. He also told us not to Google this, that the outlook for children is much better than for adults, and better for girls than boys as well, and Googling would not give us relevant information. To this day I still have not, nor will I, Google this. Isla's doctors know her and her treatment, and will tell us the information relevant and specific to our child, so there is no point in searching generalities. As the doctor talked to us and went over how treatment was going to go, he stopped a couple of times to mention how well we were taking this. I can imagine that everyone reacts differently to news like this, but Robyn and I are both very logical people, believers in science and medicine, and while we were of course upset, in that moment we needed to know what the next steps were. I can't help but wonder if other parents yell at the doctors, or throw punches, or how they react in general to make so many doctors say that to us. We learned that Isla was going to have 4 or 5 rounds of chemo, that wasn't decided yet, and that it was going to start immediately.
Isla was relocated to 6 Link (the oncology floor) on Halloween. At her request, we brought in her green fairy costume, but she ended up not being in the mood to wear it, which broke my heart. The doctors and nurses were all dressed up, so it is kind of funny that without knowing all these people, my first impression of everyone was in costumes.
Halloween night is always a big deal at my brother Kevin's house, they're the kind of house that ends up being on the local news due to their Halloween display. With that in mind, it was a pretty big deal to me that Kevin was not at home with his wife and kids for Halloween night, but was with me as I made sure Autumn didn't miss out on her first real Halloween experience (she was 11 days old the previous Halloween). It was also very helpful to me to have him with me as I used trick or treating as a way to tell the neighbourhood about Isla's diagnosis. This was pretty difficult as Isla is the neighbourhood's little darling. I definitely got emotional talking to our neighbours, but I tried to put a brave face on. I really did find that the more I spoke about Isla, the easier it was. It was no longer this big emotional thing to say the words cancer and leukemia, it was just our new reality, our new normal. Autumn was loving going around to people's houses so we stayed out longer than I had planned, and the girls got a great candy haul.
With Kevin in town and Grandma Marsha at our house, I was able to spend a lot of time at the hospital with Robyn and Isla while they helped with Autumn and took care of things around the house which I had planned but would never have been able to get to (high 5 for Kevin and raking up over 40 bags of leaves). At the hospital Isla was still in pretty rough shape. Giving us an idea of the seriousness and urgency of Isla's condition, instead of waiting an extra day to get a central line put in her chest (Hickman line), the doctors put in a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line in her arm. We were fortunate that Isla was old enough to understand that she was not allowed pull at her 'tubies' as we called them. Isla was getting poked and prodded a lot for that first little bit. One of the first things she received was a bone marrow biopsy which left a pretty big bump on her back which took a few weeks to finally go away and was very painful for Isla. This was how they confirmed that she had leukemia. Thankfully we learned that a bone marrow transplant was not on the radar for the doctors, they believed chemo should work. She also received a lumbar puncture around this time where they found leukemia in her spinal fluid.
Isla had spent a lot of time unable to walk, so the first time she left her room, it was in a wheelchair. It was hard to see her that way as we went to the playroom. This was probably where the social anxiety started for Isla. She wanted nothing to do with other children. Any time she saw another kid in the playroom she got antsy and wanted to leave. She had previously been this happy kid who would go up to other kids and say "hi, I'm Isla, what's your name?" without hesitation, so this new Isla was heartbreaking.
During Isla's first round of chemo, she was always the first stop for the doctors on their rounds. This meant they were in early. We longed for the day that Isla was not their biggest concern, and that the doctors visits would be later in the morning. We were told right off he bat that Isla would lose her hair, and that would likely start within the first 10 days. With so much going on, and Isla being unable to have control over anything, she found a way to take charge of one thing; her hair. She would not let us touch it. We couldn't brush it, wash it, or even put it up. The nurses gave her a sponge bath while under sedation and we asked if they could try to do something about the hair situation, and they managed to wash it and braid it. Isla was quite upset when she awoke and found her hair damp. It quickly became matted and after talking to Isla about it, we eventually convinced her to let us cut it off.
Cutting Isla's hair was a big moment. Suddenly our little girl looked like your stereotypical cancer patient, she looked sick. I actually didn't take the haircut too hard, though I know Robyn felt differently. People have always said that Isla looks just like me, so to see her with her hair buzzed made her look like I did as a kid and I think that made this transition easier. She really looked a lot like me (poor girl). It wasn't long after this that the pity looks started. In the hospital people are pretty good, though outside of the hospital people stare, people say things to you, people try to touch your child and say things, and come on, I don't want people touching my child that has no immune system. If you see a kid whom you believe has cancer, just leave them be.
The chemo was having an effect on Isla and she was throwing up a lot, and she absolutely hated seeing us reach for the bowl to throw up into. She would get angry with us, and sometimes push the bowl away saying that she didn't need it, even though sometimes she did. Her skin was changing colour as well, which became extra obvious when she had a major complication. Isla started looking red over areas of her torso and it started getting worse. It looked like she had burns. Her team eventually diagnosed her with something called Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome (SSSS) - a very rare type of Staph infection that has the appearance and symptoms of your skin being scalded all over. Around the same time (I can't recall which came first as they were going on simultaneously), Isla developed sores on her inner thighs. They started off like her skin was bubbling and full of puss. On her left leg it eventually popped and went away, while on her right leg it got worse. It became an open sore growing on her leg, about the size of a toonie, which as it healed became a large protrusion. They put medication on it to basically try to dissolve the sore as skin would never grow back over it. I didn't know until this point that skin can not grow up over a bump, only across an even surface or down a valley. The sore took weeks to heal and has left a scar which will likely never go away.
Isla's SSSS resulted in the introduction of many new people into our lives. We met Infectious Disease doctors, the Pain team, plastic surgery, and even the burn unit as they wrapped Isla. We also needed to go back down to the ICU for a few days, as they needed to increase pain medications to the point where the doctors were concerned that she may stop breathing and require a ventilator. On one of the nights there I experienced my scariest moment since diagnosis. As Isla lay in her bed in the ICU, her breathing rate slowed to only 6 breaths per minute and a serious conversation started about intubating her. Doctors were called in and for a long time they just stood in the room watching her. I don't know if it was founded, but I wasn't sure she would make it through the night. She kept crying out in what we felt was a panicked cry, she just couldn't settle. This went on for hours. She had been given a lot of hydromorph and morphine for pain, and there we were in the ICU and she seemed no better off than when she was up on 6 Link. The doctors talked about giving more of the same meds, but given their concerns that Isla may stop breathing as a result, Robyn was having none of this. She explained how we thought it wasn't pain causing the problem at that moment, but rather stress and agitation, and she just couldn't settle - even unconscious, she was just unable to relax. At that suggestion, a couple hours of stress and worry ended with backing off of the pain meds and Isla receiving a sedative instead. Within a half hour, she had relaxed and fell into a proper sleep and began breathing normally again. We as parents slept that night in the ICU with Isla, Robyn in Isla's bed, just like she had been since day 1, and me in the chair.
Two days later, we got to head back up to 6 Link into what felt more like home. We knew this was a serious occurrence, but it really hit home when a few different doctors came into the room and gave us hugs and expressed how happy they were to see Isla back up on the floor. They all genuinely seemed relieved. We were fortunate to move rooms around this time as well, to a room with 2 doors. These rooms have that added protection of an isolation room which basically has what we call a porch with air filtration, they like the AML kids to be in there, and with the 2nd door, we heard less hallway noise, and much preferred being in there.
As round 1 neared a close, we learned that we might get a couple days at home between rounds, something we were told could happen, but not to expect it. Isla got her catheter out and we did indeed get to go home, it was such a weird feeling. My sister in law Courtney was in town at the time and it was nice for Robyn to have someone to hang out with while home other than just me. We had four days at home, though we spent half of that time back at the hospital for scheduled things, including having day surgery and getting Isla's Hickman (chest) line put in. She also had a bone marrow biopsy. We were told we would get those results when we came back on the Monday morning. We had setup the Christmas tree while Isla was home, and some neighbours with a great Christmas lights display had just turned their lights on that weekend, so we went out to look at them 2 nights in a row. Sunday night, Robyn and I just sat around stressing about the results of that test. This was the all-important result that would tell us if the chemo was working or not and we couldn't help but be worried. I don't know if either of us slept much that night. We wondered if that would be the last night Isla ever got to spend at home.
At the hospital for round two, we didn't get those results on Monday, so we had to wait another day which was stressful. The doctor gave us some good news though when we did find out, he said the biopsy came back clear, so no visible leukemia. He stressed that it didn't mean it was gone, just not visible. He explained using what I thought was a good analogy. He likened it to dandelions on your lawn. You first spray the lawn with chemicals and it looks like the dandelions are gone, but if you do nothing further they just pop back up, so you need to do more, chemo round 2, you spray the lawn again and most of the dandelions die, but there are probably some still present, so round 3, you spray again. This time you're sure most are gone but just in case, you do it another time, round 4. Positive now they are all gone, you hit it one more time, with stronger chemicals than ever, to make sure they never come back, chemo round 5. So with one round down and some good news, Isla started her second round of chemo.
Round 2 saw us meet the physiotherapist to help Isla walk again. She went around 6 weeks without walking more than a few steps. It didn't take long before Isla overcame her fear of walking and took some hesitant steps. She was quite weak and it took a long time to walk fairly normally. Round 2 was also when we first experienced c. diff. Isla was put on isolation and we had to wipe down everything Isla touched at the end of every day with special wipes called rescue wipes. They smelled like methane and would burn your hands if you didn't wear gloves, or if your glove ripped like Robyn's did once. This went on for around 2 weeks, and at the end of that time, we needed to switch rooms so they could do a terminal clean of the room. That required EVERYTHING in the room to be wiped twice with rescue wipes, and all fabrics to be washed a couple of times. Thankfully the nurses helped, though it still took hours. Setting up the Christmas tree and lights in the new room was a pain in the butt, but it was so worth it. Isla's favourite colours are purple, pink, and green, so I found Christmas lights in those colours to make Christmas as special as possible for her.
It was around Christmas that Isla first mentioned her left leg was sore, but then didn't mention it again for a couple days. Fevers started around this time too. Fevers are a very common after a round of chemo, but they persisted despite any IV antibiotics they threw at her, and they couldn't really figure out why. It was actually during the 6 Link Christmas party that Isla got her first weird fever. She had already reluctantly met Santa and gotten a teddy bear and a book (as did Autumn), and done about everything there was to do at the party, so having to leave wasn't a huge deal to Isla thankfully. Christmas morning in the hospital was special, but obviously not like at home. Most kids were discharged over Christmas, but that wasn't possible for us. Autumn and I spent Christmas Eve in another room on the floor so we could enjoy Christmas morning together as a family. Due to so many friends and family sending gifts for Isla, our tree was incredibly full, and the skinny tree we had gotten for her room made the present pile seem massive. Halfway through gift opening, Isla got tired and needed to rest, and she was spiking a fever. Despite Isla feeling pretty shitty, it was a wonderful Christmas for the girls. The nurses were all great, though I felt bad that so many of them weren't able to be home with their families.
A week later, Isla's fevers were still coming every 4 hours, a.k.a. when the tylenol wore off, and we didn't know why. On New Year's Eve we spent a lot of time getting tests done, there was an ultrasound, CT scan, X-ray. I remember thinking about how lucky we were to be living in Canada where we didn't need to pay for those tests, they would have cost thousands of dollars in the States just for that one day. That was a thought I had often throughout Isla's treatment. I also couldn't help thinking what would have happened had we gone to a hospital in Scotland. Would we have spent Christmas in a hospital in Scotland? How expensive would that have been? Would we have had to sell our house to pay for treatment? I am so glad that those 'what ifs' were not our reality.
We learned that the reason for Isla's leg pain was that it was fractured. There was a pocket of puss which had built up inside and bone and the pressure had caused the fracture. They did 2 operations to fix the leg problem, and Isla has a badass scar on her leg because of it. So why was there a puss pocket? Well, during the CT scan, they noticed something on her lung and kidney. It took some time to figure out if it was the same thing causing both anomalies, and that wound up being a fungal infection called Candida. They had thought it was pneumonia at first, but that ended up not being the case. Hearing pneumonia in an immunocompromised individual scared me. My grandfather had been diagnosed with cancer a few years earlier and got pneumonia and died the next day. Now, he was in his 80s and in a far different circumstance, but my mind definitely went there. I didn't know very much about fungal infections so when the ID doctors said the treatment would be around a year, I was surprised. This new complication for Isla was potentially deadly and was being taken very seriously.
The fungal infection, which took some time to properly diagnose, meant Isla needed a lavage, which is basically washing out her lungs with water. There was some concern she was weak and may need to go on a ventilator after the procedure, fortunately she did not. When the surgeon came into the room to explain to us the risks, he mentioned that it was possible to break a tooth, though unlikely. This was one of those times a doctor learned not to talk about procedures in front of Isla. Isla heard a tooth could be broken and freaked out. The operation went well and no teeth were broken. The fungus had spread to other organs before treatment started and forced Round 3 of chemo to be pushed back. They couldn't destroy what was left of Isla's immune system while the fungal infection was out of control, that would result in the fungus spreading and going to the brain and heart which would almost certainly be fatal. At the end of January we were given 1 week for the infection to start responding to treatment before they were going to have to start what they called salvage treatment. Not exactly a term you want to be hearing. There is a bit of leeway in the treatment when a patient is responding to the chemo as Isla was, but waiting too long opens up the door for the leukemia to come back as bad as it was in the first place, so we were in a tight place time wise, but after around 3 weeks of a chemo delay, tests showed that the fungal infection was responding to treatment, and Round 3 could begin.
Round 3 was a higher dose chemo. For those that don't know, chemo basically makes you toxic. All bodily fluids need to be handled carefully, imagine wanting to wipe your child's tears and needing to put gloves on to do so. We were told that this high dose chemo could cause eyes to become light sensitive, as the chemo is also excreted through tears at this dose, so they give preventative eye drops. Well, Isla's eyes became a bit of an issue this round. She was very light sensitive and at one point she couldn't even open her eyes for 2 days. It was on one of those days that the Halifax Mooseheads visited the hospital. Isla sat on my lap while we chatted with Moosehead players Otto Somppi, Blade Mann-Dixon, Connor Moynihan, and Cooper Jones. Isla even got a signed jersey from Otto. Isla was pretty chatty with the hockey players which I think was helped by the fact that she couldn't open her eyes as I think she would have otherwise been nervous. Unfortunately, that was the only positive from her eye sensitivity. She was getting frequent eye drops, and for a while it was every 2 hours that she received 4 drops, including through the night. Those nights were quite bad for sleep for Isla and Robyn. At one point Isla was so exhausted, that she somehow slept through eye drops, even the nurse was shocked at that one. The nights with drops every 4 hours weren't much better for sleep either. Isla received a lot of drops. At one point, we were sitting in a room with the lights out, a tiny bit of light coming through the curtains from outside, and Isla still needed to wear sunglasses.
It was in round 3 that Isla tested positive for c. diff again and we went through that same process of wiping everything down and then eventually switching rooms. Isolation sucks. It's hard to keep a kid entertained in a small room for days on end. Isla also wound up contracting the coronavirus which is just a common cold in healthy individuals, but like anything in an immunocompromised person, it's more dangerous.
One thing I am incredibly proud of is when Isla decided she wanted to have a Princess tea party. A project she worked on with the 6 Link Child Life Specialist, they planned out her party and made up invitations for everyone she wanted to attend. She wore her Halloween costume and they had a crown to match in the play room. Something like 25 people came to the party (for which I made not nearly enough cupcakes) and Isla acted as host. She poured tea (apple juice or orange juice) and sometimes by herself, sometimes with assistance, brought the drinks to all her guests. She was a wonderful little host and I think it is something that will be remembered for a long time. After all the tough times she had, it was great to see her acting more like her vibrant, colourful self.
At the end of round 3, Isla got to go home for a couple of days, though we had to go back into the hospital each morning for a few hours for Isla's IV medication. We did all get to sleep at home though, which was a nice bonus. Auntie Courtney was here for this return as well, apparently she was good luck. It was also one of the only times all winter that there was a good enough snow to play in and it wasn't freezing cold, so we went out and built snowmen and took some photos in the snow. With Isla being sick, we hadn't bought her any new winter outerwear, so we were fortunate that we could fit her into last year's clothes.
Round 4 and 5 were more on the normal side of things. In one of the earlier rounds, Isla started what we called preschool. We had talked to Child Life about keeping Isla mentally stimulated. They talked to school services about Isla, but because she was 3 and not yet in actual school, they couldn't do anything for her, so Child Life came up with an idea. We would send Isla to the playroom every day for an hour for 'pre-school' where she could spend some time doing a little learning, and giving Robyn a little break. It took a while for Isla to let Robyn leave for the hour, and even once she did allow that to happen, there were many days pre-school just couldn't happen without Mommy, or where the hour would go well for a portion and Isla would suddenly remember Robyn wasn't there and she would cry for her. There were also days where Isla just wasn't up for it. When Isla was on isolation like she was 3 straight weeks in round 4, pre-school took place in Isla's hospital room which for the most part meant Robyn didn't get a break. I tried to let her get out, but most of the time Isla wanted her and would get very upset if she was gone, it was heartbreaking to hear her like that, but in general, pre-school was a wonderful thing for Isla, and we are so appreciative of the Child Life staff at the hospital who do their best to help kids think about things other than being sick for a bit.
It wasn't just when Robyn left during pre-school that Isla got upset, she would react the same way if Robyn went to go get water at times, or food, or do laundry. There was just no way Robyn could have ever spent a night at home and left Isla with me. When Isla was first admitted, I had not once been able to put Autumn to sleep. I didn't know how I was going to get that to happen, but after some difficult nights, we figured it out. So come round 4, we had our system in place. I would typically get up in the morning with Autumn around 7, we would get breakfast, play and watch a couple shows, and then she would go down for a nap before lunch. After lunch we would head into the hospital where we would stay until around 7:00/7:30. My hope was that Autumn would fall asleep in the car on the drive home, though that didn't happen all the time, it was much easier for me if she did.
Isla's 4th and 5th round saw her have more reactions to blood products and medications, including one day where I entered the room and she looked at me and the left side of her face looked like Sloth from the Goonies. Before I could even say anything, Robyn said "she's getting IV Benadryl right now". The nurse sat with us for about an hour to make sure her swelling went down. Something like that can be quite dangerous as she could go into anaphylactic shock. Isla often experienced reactions to blood products, some minor, some major, but when you receive dozens of blood and platelet transfusions, it's bound to happen, not that it makes it any less concerning.
Isla continued to see physiotherapy and at one point her physiotherapist said that Isla was doing great and that she didn't need physiotherapy anymore, but Isla could continue going as she enjoyed it and her physio liked having a patient there who was excited to be there. In round 5 we got to go to the outdoor playground at the IWK which was a nice change of scenery. Going outside presents some challenges as well though. The chemo has made Isla's already pale skin more sensitive to sunlight. SPF 60 is already the norm at our fair-skinned house so we are used to sunlight sensitivity, but not like this.
Getting closer to the end of round 5, my parents came out for 2 weeks for the 3rd time. It was wonderful to be able to spend extra time with Isla and Robyn, even if it was only an hour or two each day. I often felt like I didn't need the help, but having people come out and stay at the house really was helpful, I simply could not have spent as much time as the hospital otherwise.
Over a 6 and a half month period, you get to know people pretty well, so thinking about going home was a bittersweet feeling. We obviously wanted nothing more than for our entire family to be home and under one roof again, but there was also a part of us that knew we were going to miss the hospital. We were going to go from having around 30 nurses fawning over Isla and Autumn who they all seemed to genuinely love, to Isla and Autumn having only us at home. It felt like we made this huge group of new friends, people who saw us at our worst and were still there and supportive. We had genuine conversations with all these people about so many different things and we were going to miss that. We were not going to miss all the vitals checks, the pokes, the 'arm hugs', the lack of privacy in the room etc., but the people themselves, absolutely. Isla of course had her favourites, as did Autumn. I always loved seeing the girls get excited to see the nurses at the nurse's station. We miss them, but we hope Isla continues to want to visit them whenever we are in the hospital.
Isla had her last chemo, which happened to be in the form of a couple big needles in the thigh. From that point on we were playing a waiting game. Isla's ANC count (basically her ability to fight infection) needed to be at least 500 before we could go home, so every day when the bloodwork came back we were anxious to see the results. An ANC in a healthy individual runs anywhere from 1500-8000 depending on the person. After chemo, ANC drops to zero and then it slowly works its way back up. Another little girl with AML had an unusually long 5th round and took something like 9 weeks to finally get to go home, so we were worried Isla's would take that long. We hoped simply that Isla would be able to get to be home for her birthday. On the morning of May 9th, after a slow ANC ascent, I received a text message with a photo. It was Isla holding a balloon and a sheet of paper saying "600". I cried. It meant she could come home. It just so happened that later that night, we were going to be seeing a Peppa Pig live performance in a Scotiabank Centre Skybox courtesy of tickets donated to the hospital, what a perfect way to top off Isla's last day in hospital.
When a child at the IWK completes their treatment, they are encouraged to ring the bell to celebrate. Isla had been present for a number of other kids' bell ringings and each time she covered her ears saying it was too loud with the bell and the cheering. With that in mind, I was surprised to see her excited to ring the bell on her last day. The nurses made some phone calls and a whole bunch of people showed up to support Isla. Isla however, was not feeling it when it came time, and didn't want to ring the bell. I'm not sure if it was the crowd size, or the knowledge about how loud things would be, but either way, it didn't happen. Most nights while an inpatient, Isla would run into the nurse's station and ask who her nurse was for the night. She would typically walk over to a white board with a nurse who would show her the name of her nurse for the night. This white board lists all the rooms and their respective patient and nurse. Isla's last room was 624 which happens to be the final room and therefore at the bottom of the whiteboard, just within Isla's reach. So in my mind, when Isla took the eraser and wiped her name off the whiteboard, that was her bell ringing equivalent, her moment of completion. I had gotten emotional seeing other kids ring the bell, and I got emotional seeing Isla take her name off the board. I love that she did it her own way, she is a strong willed little girl.
I can not express enough how thankful we are to have the IWK here, with its great team of people who all came together to save Isla's life. We are forever in your debt.
No doubt I will miss someone, but we need to thank a lot of people, not that a thank you is really enough. Medically, thank you to the nurses, the oncologists, the nephrologists, the Infectious Diseases doctors, the pain team, physiotherapy, dieticians, Child Life, Buddington the therapy clown, opthamologists, surgeons, diagnostic imaging, cardiologists, psychologist, dermatologists, social worker, pharmacists, and lab technicians. Non medically at the hospital, the cleaners, the sweet people at Tim's, the gift shop, and the cafeteria, the Ronald McDonald house. Outside of the hospital, thank you to our whole family, a lot of you sacrificed a lot to come help us out, thank you to our friends for the gifts for Isla, they were a great distraction, thank you to my neighbours for helping out where they could, especially with the shovelling (thank goodness it wasn't a snowy winter), it was a pain in the butt to shovel with a baby, thank you for my child care helpers who let me get out and play hockey and blow off some steam and feel like not my entire life was about cancer, thank you to my hockey league and Robyn's co-workers who raised some money to help us out, thank you to everyone who supported the GoFundMe that my brothers setup for us. Thank you to anyone who helped us in any way. We appreciate all the help and don't know how we would have managed without it. I never realized how generous people were before we needed help.
One of the biggest thank you's needs to go out to anyone who donates blood. The amount of blood that Isla herself benefitted from came from over 100 donors. Please, if you can, DONATE BLOOD. You can go to www.blood.ca and enter in your location and it will tell you where your nearest blood donation clinics are located. You can also sign up to be a bone marrow/ stem cell donor there, it is easy and could save a life, if Isla's leukemia returns, that life could be hers.
As Isla's hospital stay was nearly over, I put out a sheet of paper and asked anyone who knew Isla to write down what they thought she would be when she grows up. It's common for us to hear people to say that Isla seemed so much older than 3, that she seemed more like a 10 year old, and that she was so smart and mature, and that's what led me to come up with this idea. We got some great responses and the general theme of the predictions was that people thought Isla would either be helping others (like a nurse or doctor), or be in charge (like the Prime Minister). I hope to one day show her this list to show her that even as a little girl, so many people saw such incredible potential in her.
To say I have learned a lot from this experience would be a gross understatement. I feel like I have a new perspective on most things in life. I am not sure I will ever feel 'normal' again, and for the time being at least, I don't expect to. I still worry about Isla, and for a while I will probably be that helicopter parent I hate seeing around, worrying over every little fall, every little bump, or rash, or whatever may happen. On top of that, I will forever worry about the leukemia coming back and I know that is only natural. I still sometimes have bad thoughts about Isla's future and needlessly get myself upset. I take some solace in the fact that she will be followed by doctors for her whole life and will be more likely to catch any other medical issues which could pop up.
I would be remiss to go through this entire blog post and not mention that while we all look at this as Isla having to spend 6.5 months in hospital, Robyn also served the same sentence. It was Robyn there for every arm hug (blood pressure), for every poke (needle), for every dressing change, for every surgery, for every time Isla screamed "I just want to go home", Robyn was there for Isla with barely a reprieve. I would have loved to spend the night at the hospital and let Robyn sleep in her own bed at home instead of in Isla's hospital bed, but Isla would not let that happen. Robyn sacrificed so much by living in the hospital. Privacy? Forget about it. A proper sleep schedule? Good luck. With people constantly coming in and out of the room, especially while Isla was very unwell, you never feel like you have a moment to yourself. So while I put Autumn to bed at home and put on Netflix to relax, Robyn didn't really get that opportunity. After a little time to get used to home life again, Robyn has returned to work, and I've taken over in my role as a stay at home dad, another adjustment period for all of us.
Robyn had originally planned to go back to work after her maternity leave on November 6th. On our fridge calendar, we had written "Dustin mental breakdown day" scheduled for November 9th as a joke in regards to me being on my own with the girls all day. We never made it to that date due to Isla getting sick, but I can assure you that after the last 8 months, I'm not too concerned about having a mental breakdown this time around. The doctors told us that it isn't just that Isla will come away from treatment with a feeling of being able to do anything, but we as parents went through this as well and will come away with that same feeling. While I'm not sure Isla is coming away with that feeling due to her age and the fact that she has no idea this could have killed her, I know Robyn and I feel that there are few things we can't overcome.
It's with that in mind that we want to try to give something back and help other parents going through a similar difficult time. Essentially we have created some shirts to celebrate children beating cancer, details can be found HERE. It started with an idea to have a shirt for Isla to wear to ring the bell in, but with her counts coming up so quickly at the end, I simply ran out of time to get it ready. I took to asking others what they thought of the design and people loved it. Our friend Ashley, whose son Jude is mid-treatment for cancer informed me of the gold ribbon, and I think that was the added touch the design needed and pushed this whole idea forward. The gold ribbon is representative of all childhood cancers and we have come up with a shirt that says Strong and Cancer Free with the Gold ribbon representing the cancer part of that equation and Strong and Free representing the Canadian part of this. Isla is Strong and Cancer Free and I want her to wear her shirt proud, with the gold ribbon like a gold medal around her neck for winning this fight, and I would love to see other little ones and their families wearing that gold medal too. We will be selling these shirts HERE with the intention of using the profits to help families on 6 Link at the IWK. We have been there and we know that while the hospital tries to make it comfortable, it's not home and things such as having good meals is difficult and a little outside help would be appreciated. I don't think we could ever give back enough to ever feel like we have given back enough. We truly appreciate everyone who was there for us, and we have met and become friends with other families facing cancer and know they appreciate it too.
Isla is home now and doing well. She will be starting pre-school in September, as well as ballet. I am nervous about Isla going through these things without Robyn and I, but she is an intelligent, strong willed, girl who is going to grow up into someone we hope appreciates life and it's fragility. There are so many things we need to do, and so little time. While I am hesitant to celebrate Isla being cancer free, I am also acutely aware that none of us knows what the future holds, so get out there, live your life, and celebrate your victories while you have the chance, you never know how many you have left.
I know that was a lot of information, and I feel like I missed or left out so much, like the bravery beads which has patients getting a bead for each thing they go through, Isla's is over 10' long, or about how I would keep a brave face on all day at the hospital and then just cry on the drive home when I was alone (with Autumn asleep in the back seat), worrying about everything from whether she would be able to have kids one day (should be possible) to where we would bury her or spread her ashes if it came to that. There is so much more, but I've hit my limit here. I want to summarize as succinctly as possible the procedures she went through, here before the photos, so here it is; She underwent 5 rounds of chemo spanning 6.5 months at the IWK in Halifax, where she remained an inpatient over the course of her treatment. Isla had 4 surgeries, 4 different central lines put in and taken out, 2 GFR tests, an MRI, 4 CT scans, about 10 X-Rays, and 10 ultrasounds, about 50 blood and platelet transfusions, 2 bone marrow biopsies, 4 lumbar punctures, a lavage, eye drops over 100 times, social anxiety, re-learning how to walk, many reactions to drugs and blood products, Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome, renal failure, 30 dressing changes, a cast, a fungal infection called candida, coronavirus, c.diff twice, about a quarter of her time in hospital spent on isolation, and a roller coaster of emotions and feeling well and unwell. I am likely forgetting something but it likely seems inconsequential at this point. I didn't always have my camera on me at the hospital, and I certainly didn't take photos of everything that went on. The following photos are a mix of photos from Robyn's cell phone, my cell phone, & my pro cameras. I had this at around 500 images to start, so this may be long, but has been culled pretty hard too. Here's a look at Isla's journey:
Isla, early summer 2017 at the Fort Point Lighthouse.
Isla and Autumn in August 2017, she likely had leukemia at the time this was taken.
Isla’s first day of pre-school, and also my birthday, September 12, 2017
Isla at gymnastics
Isla at my parents’ house October 12, 2017
Isla on the left getting 2 things from her cousin Mackenzie on the right, a necklace with the words best friends, they each kept one half of the pendant, and a little stuffed animal she called Rainbow, she loved both and both comforted her throughout her treatment.
Isla with her cousins, my brothers’ kids. In colour, you can really see how pale Isla was, something which was so gradual for us that we never noticed.
On our flight to Halifax from Toronto, waiting to take off.
Isla feeling quite unwell sitting in her fancy WestJet Plus seat. 
Isla fell asleep on me, something which hadn’t happened in ages.
My girls in Scotland, you can see Isla holding Rainbow in her hand.
This one is a tough one. Isla had been difficult and we were making her walk and she wanted nothing to do with walking. It was frustrating at the time and makes me feel incredibly guilty with hindsight.
Trying to take a family selfie, Isla wasn’t too excited about the idea.
This was moments before she threw up all over this rest stop. We thought it must have been the cheese or something like that. I had quickly run to the car to get something and when I came back in, Robyn was stuck with 2 kids and a big mess. I had been gone no more than 30 seconds. 
The Quiraing, Isle of Skye. Just a stunning landscape, Isla and Robyn went out quite a distance for me to get this shot. Isla is blowing me a kiss in the photo.
When they got back, we took this photo, one of my favourites of the three of us.
This is what most of our photo attempts looked like in Scotland.
We walked up a mountain a bit for this. Isla would only agree to go if I carried her up, so I did. Behind us is the Glenfinnan monument, and behind the camera is the Glenfinnan viaduct (think Harry Potter when the train is going over that beautiful curving brick bridge, that bridge)
Isla happy to be eating a snack from a bakery with the same name as her favourite cousin.
Isla letting Autumn try some Ring Pop. Auttie absolutely loved it.
Isla’s distended tummy.
OK, I just think this photo is hilarious, they were just sleeping this way, Isla’s hand went there after Autumn’s head went back, so no, she didn’t clock her.
This was a place called Queen’s view and is probably the best family photo we got during the trip. Three cheers for tripods and remote triggers.
I made sure to capture those few happy moments Isla had on our trip.
Isla asleep at the hospital, I took the photo because I couldn’t recall when she last let me hold her hand.
Fuck, that word ‘Leukemia’ was a hard one to read.
Isla in the PICU, she was incredibly sick and looks it here.
We made sure Autumn got her time with her big sister.
These 2 just getting used to how they would sleep for over 6 months.
This sign on the door is tough. To think people need to protect themselves from your child is hard.
I can hear her sweet little voice when I look at this photo as she was about to ask what was no doubt a silly question.
Just seeing her smiling was wonderful, we were counting together and we got to 110, and then for 111 she abruptly stopped and said “I don’t like that number” lol
Ugh, Isla’s belly. Just so full of fluids, and hooked up everywhere.
Nurses doing what they could for Isla’s hair while sedated.
Trying to play and watch a movie at the same time.
Isla’s hair was getting matted, you can tell just how sweaty it was here.
This photo hits me in the feels. So much love amidst all the medical paraphernalia and the mask. 
Isla’s first time out of her room. Too weak to walk, she was in a wheelchair for a bit.
The bone marrow biopsy left a huge bump that lasted for ages.
The stuffy at the top is Tusk, one of those Happy Meal toys. He was suspected lost once after a CT scan and we had pretty much the whole hospital trying to find him. Eventually Isla found him in her blanket. We had nurses go trace their steps, talk to other nurses, security, anyone that may be able to help, all because the people at the IWK care.
Dressing change time. Dressing changes were painful and difficult, and Isla had many.
After a day surgery, Isla slept in the recovery room.
In the playroom getting a feel for the place.
Time for a haircut. Isla’s hair was quite long but was going to go, so we had it done on our terms.
You can see Isla’s hair at the back, all in one piece, it was so matted.
Isla covered in a red rash and all sorts of marks and they weren’t sure exactly why at this point.
Back in the PICU for the scariest night of our lives, barely breathing, gasping for air, unable to settle, with doctors just watching and waiting.
She eventually came out of it and even smiled for a photo.
I didn’t know this was possible beforehand, but it is possible in some instances to bring the x-ray machine to the patient.
This was Isla’s skin looking great after healing up a bit.
Super Mom.
You can see sores on Isla’s inner thighs forming, the worst ones are covered up here.
The 2 strongest people I know.
Reading is important to us, and to Isla it is also important to her stuffies.
Isla nervous to be looked at, she was constantly being examined.
This was the worst sore she had, one which she will likely always have a scar from, this photo was taken a couple days after it was at its worst.
You can see here how much it is raised off her skin.
These 2 love each other so much.
Physio time.
Physio gave Isla a little desk which she would sit at and just work on sitting first before walking.
Isla looked in this photo about how she was.
I received a text one morning with this photo. It was the first time Isla had been sitting up on her own.
This is what living in the hospital is like, trying to live your life as normally as you possibly can while being constantly monitored. 
Isla sitting up out of a chair for the first time.
This photo probably makes me more emotional than any other. Robyn had a nurse take the photo one morning as Isla was walking for the first time in something like 6 weeks. Isla is proudly looking at Robyn. It was a big moment and I cry every time I look at this.
We were on a day pass and stopped at a toy store on South St. These 2 look like an old couple out for coffee at a diner.
The first time to the house, I love the excitement on Isla’s face.
She was so excited to see home and Cinnamon, and Cinnamon nearly lost it she was so excited.
Nurse Mommy flushing Isla’s tubies.
Popsicles and a new bear from her preschool teacher.
We may have been out on a day pass, but still needed to go back for day surgery, at least there was a popsicle and puppet.
I can guarantee that next Christmas, Isla will see a gingerbread house and mention that I destroyed the one the previous year, because I sure did. I just pushed too hard putting the roof on. So we let her decorate the panels instead of the house. I will be more gentle next year.
With Isla home at the end of November and not knowing if it would be her last Christmas, I setup the tree so we could all decorate it together.
Got to see the neighbour’s Christmas Light setup.
Isla’s room had a pretty crappy view. In this photo we are sitting way up high, higher than we should, on a ledge, and overlooking the roof of the atrium in the main entrance of the hospital. 
The many gifts from friends kept Isla entertained and they were very much appreciated.
During dressing changes everything was done to keep Isla entertained, including games on an ipad. It worked better than nothing, but was still painful for her.
Isla doing ‘preschool’, note the awesome Bus in the background. 
Pretty sure this walk ended with Autumn hitting her feet on Isla’s and them both going down and Autumn slamming her face into the ground. She was OK.
All of Isla’s finger and toe nails did this. Lovely.
Isla loving her physio appointment. She was at one point asked to be in a video for educational purposes and did very well.
Autumn pressing the buttons on the bottom of the bed.
As the dietician said “calories are calories”. Kids are encouraged to eat anything to get calories.
One of the best things about 6 Link is this view out the window of the family room. I loved just sitting there with the girls and looking out, playing I spy.
I feel like I saw this a lot, Isla running to the playroom with Autumn chasing her.
A bit of a rash forming.
Isla always wanted to know what was going on.
Playing with Buddington was a favourite of Isla’s.
Isla kindly sharing a doll with Autumn.
Isla leaving on a morning adventure with Robyn after weeks on isolation.
Christmas eve at the IWK
Christmas morning, the girls had a treasure trove of presents to go through.
Isla’s leg was a bit swollen, step 1 an ultrasound
Step 2, an X-ray.
Step 3, a CT scan.
After Isla’s operation. They told us it would not be a cast, then she came out of surgery with this cast. I had to go buy larger pants so she could fit them over the cast.
This was to drain the fluid from her leg after surgery.
The bandage beneath everything
The scar where they operated on her leg. 
Another X-ray, for this one they used a cool seat designed for kids to sit upright in.
Isla loved paying hide and seek in her little room where there are pretty much no hiding places. Inside the wardrobe was the best spot though.
I didn’t take many photos of Isla upset, even though it happened quite a bit. She just faced so much.
Getting an Echo and EKG done.
Isla’s leg scar after healing up a bit. I like to tell her that scars are just stories, and she's going to have a good one.
She was so proud of this pie we made.
With sensitive eyes. The curtains were closed and lights off and she still needed sunglasses and could barely open her eyes.
Meeting the Mooseheads without seeing them
With Duckie and Soft Duckie keeping her company.
Bathing her was a challenge as we needed to keep her lines as dry as possible.
Going home for a couple days.
Checking her height. It is really hard to get a kid to stand up straight.
Oh eye drops how we hate you. Those things are torture.
Valentine'S Day, I got the girls each a bracelet that says "Be Brave".
So excited to wear a dress, and so beautiful
A rare abrasion from her NG tube bandage.
Dressed in her Halloween costume for her Princess Tea Party, and so damn happy.
Isla running out the door to help get more cups for the party like a good little host.
Isla with Bella, the other little girl with AML, and the only other long term 6 Link tenant while we were there.
Note her feet, they are off the floor. She is flying.
I asked Isla to stand in while I tested my light. What a good little photo assistant to make that fun.
Our first in hospital family photo, taken on St. Patrick’s Day
The girls enjoyed their Easter Egg hunt.
Isla and Kaia on Kaia’s last day of treatment.
I love that Isla was able to make friends through this. Leukemia and Lymphoma right here.
Finally getting a chance to get outside and enjoy the playgarden.
Running the halls in her housecoat.
Last IV chemo running.
Big scary moment coming up.
Isla’s last chemo. Robyn has her up top, one nurse gives the needle, another helps hold her legs, and my hand holding her feet while I took the photo. I feel like this photo demonstrates what is really involved in healing our children, and it’s not easy.
We had a pizza party with the nurses after her last chemo to celebrate. It would be many weeks before actually getting to go home though.
Isla holding her counts and one of Brayden’s balloons from his bell ringing on May 9th 2018. They needed to get to 500 for her to go home.
Isla didn’t want to ring the bell at this time. We told her she didn’t have to and could ring it any time she wanted to on a future visit.
She instead wiped her name off the board. Her bell ringing moment didn’t involve the bell itself.
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Isla with her friend Jasmine, playing for one last time in the Playroom.
The nurses have a whole bunch of sayings and Isla loved “Bye Bye Butterfly” so we thought this was a good fit as a gift for the nurses.
Last thing Isla did on 6 Link before leaving was to give Buddington a High 5.
So damn excited to be going home. I parked on the roof just because she loves when we park on the roof.
In the evening of her last day, we attended a Peppa Pig show, she loved it.
Still stuff to do at home after release.
Isla, Strong and Cancer Free. I am so proud of her.
The 'Too Long Didn't Read' version:
After being diagnosed with an ear infection and us thinking she was sick due to that, we eventually took Isla to the hospital October 27th where she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Inversion 16. She underwent 5 rounds of chemo spanning 6.5 months at the IWK in Halifax, where she remained an inpatient over the course of her treatment. Isla had 4 surgeries, 4 different central lines put in and taken out, 2 GFR tests, an MRI, 4 CT scans, about 10 X-Rays, and 10 ultrasounds, about 50 blood and platelet transfusions, 2 bone marrow biopsies, 4 lumbar punctures, a lavage, eye drops over 100 times, social anxiety, re-learning how to walk, many reactions to drugs and blood products, Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome, renal failure, 30 dressing changes, a cast, a fungal infection called candida, coronavirus, c.diff twice, about a quarter of her time in hospital spent on isolation, and a roller coaster of emotions and feeling well and unwell.
We shaved Isla's head in round 1 when it started falling out and became difficult to deal with. Unlike most kids her age, she was self conscious about it, but eventually got over it. Isla was very aware of everything going on around her and doctors had to be careful what they said when in the room. She learned a lot about her treatment and can now play a mean imaginary doctor. We are proud of how well she faced all this adversity and came out on top. As she gets older I am most definitely going to be referring back to this time in her life if she ever tells me she can't do something.
Robyn was the constant in Isla's life, spending the entire 6.5 months in hospital, while I was Autumn's constant at home. I would have loved to be there to let Robyn sleep in her own bed at home, but can you blame a 3 year old for wanting her mommy? It pained me to see Isla calling out for Robyn when she even left the room to go get water, but it hurt far more when Isla was going through something difficult, like a dressing change, and would yell "I just want to go home". As a parent, I felt so useless at times, just hoping new complications wouldn't get out of hand, and waiting on results. I'm not used to feeling helpless and I don't like having to sit on the sidelines, but I believe 100% that the IWK has excellent doctors and nurses who know their stuff and will do their very best. We are so lucky to have modern medicine on our side. The treatment for cancers have come a long way.
Isla is currently cancer free, a couple of words I find difficult to say, like I might jinx it. We are very fortunate that the kids Isla knew best in the hospital have had good outcomes, but there are definitely others we have known who have not have had such good outcomes, or others whose outcomes are currently in limbo, and it's for those people and their families that I know I need to celebrate this victory. Life is short and imperfect and none of us knows when it may end, so take your victory laps, enjoy them, do those things you have been putting off, hold on to the good moments and never let them go.
*Copied from the long version* It's with that in mind that we want to try to give something back and help other parents going through a similar difficult time. Details will be up soon, but essentially we have created some shirts to celebrate children beating cancer. It started with an idea to have a shirt for Isla to wear to ring the bell in, but with her counts coming up so quickly at the end, I simply ran out of time to get it ready in time. I took to asking others what they thought of the design and people loved it. My friend Ashley, whose son Jude is mid treatment for cancer informed me of the gold ribbon, and I think that was the added touch the design needed and pushed this whole idea forward. The gold ribbon is representative of all childhood cancers and we have come up with a shirt that says Strong and Cancer free with the Gold ribbon representing the cancer part of that equation and Strong and Free representing the Canadian part of this. Isla is Strong and Cancer Free and I want her to wear her shirt proud, with the gold ribbon like a gold medal for winning this fight, and I would love to see other little ones and their families wearing that gold medal too. We will be selling these shirts HERE with the plan of using the profits to help families on 6 Link at the IWK. We have been there and we know that it's not home and things such as having good meals is difficult and a little outside help would be appreciated. I don't think we could ever give back enough to ever feel like we have given back enough. We truly appreciate everyone who was there for us, and we have met and become friends with other families facing cancer and know they appreciate it too.
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For those of you living outside of Atlantic Canada, you may not be aware that right now, we have almost zero active cases of Covid-19, and we can move pretty freely throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfound & Labrador. It is due to this Atlantic Bubble that Jocelyn and Michael were able to change their plans and have their wedding. Their guest list was cut by 75% to be just family members and their wedding party, but at least they were able to have their wedding now, and celebrate with family.
I drove from Nova Scotia on the morning of the wedding and used the ferry for the first time ever. I was admittedly a bit nervous to be tied to the schedule of the ferry, but it guaranteed I didn’t have to wait in line at the NB border, which had seen fluctuating wait times from a few minutes to few hours, a chance I just couldn’t take. The ferry was great and I got to the resort with time to spare.
Driving up to the resort was a bit surreal, as its parking lot was empty, save for 3 cars, but as soon as I set foot in Jocelyn’s cottage and her and her bridesmaid were getting ready, it felt like a normal wedding day. Jocelyn was so relaxed and easy going that even when her 12 week old puppy decided to pee on her dress, she didn’t even seem to mind, while her bridesmaids frantically tried to fix it.
The ceremony was on the beach, and the dogs admittedly did their best to steal the show, but I don’t think anyone minded. This wasn’t a wedding with regimented timelines or grand expectations, it was much more than that, a day where the focus was primarily on Jocelyn and Michael getting married.
It was a great day, filled with a lot of laughs, and despite the changes, it was a beautiful day. Here is a look at my only only wedding of 2020.
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.com
We started off their wedding day at the Comfort Inn where the girls were getting ready, we arrived in a limo from Cedillo Limousines Orange County 8475 Artesia Blvd #F, Buena Park, CA 90621 (714) 874-5514, their explanation was that this is a one time opportunity in life to travel with style. Everyone was pretty relaxed and I could tell the day was going to go pretty smoothly, regardless of what the weather may end up like, and that was quite up in the air. I actually knew things would go well when I first met with Jessica and Courtney a few weeks earlier and we talked for way longer than I had been planning.
I made my way to Oakfield first to find a location for their first look photos, and found what I thought would be a great private spot, and just happened across a course employee who gave me a code to open a gate to make the whole process about 10 times easier for me, so things were coming along nicely. We had the first look with just the three of us present and then made our way to the clubhouse to prepare for the ceremony, which was held outside.
As the ceremony began, you could hear a little thunder in the distance, and some people even asked me if I had any photos of lightning in the background from the ceremony as there had been some visible to the guests. Unfortunately from that perspective, I was zoomed in too much to see that. The ceremony ended and it was time for us to head off around the course for photos, and we made sure to be quick about it as the clouds were looking crazy and we started seeing lightning.
It was pretty exciting to see that I had actually captured a lightning bolt in the background of a photo of the Jessica and Courtney walking away from the beach, and even more exciting to make it back to the clubhouse before a pretty significant downpour occurred.
Inside, the reception was getting going and before we knew it, dinner was eaten, drinks were drunk, speeches were made, there was laughter, tears, and it was time for dancing, which was pretty cool as their first dance had people blowing bubbles around them.
It was wonderful to be able to meet two amazing women who are a lot of fun to be around. Here’s a look at their first day together as a married couple.
Enjoy!!!
After scoping out the room the reception was to be in, I went and met up with Katelyn and David in their respective getting ready rooms. David and Katelyn both seemed not to have a concern in the world and were so relaxed and easy for photos, it was great. I definitely felt like I was just hanging out with some friends.
The ceremony was outside with the backdrop of the ocean on what was a very bright and sunny day, and then we were off to take photos around the resort, which consisted of searching for shade for the most part, but we did end up on the beach before wrapping up. I definitely went into the ocean for a couple photos and got surprised by a big wave one time. I was all dry before too long. We planned to head back outside near dusk if the light was right.
There was a bit of a mixup with the timelines and everything was thrown off a bit as that was being sorted out, so when the speeches were in full swing, I was keeping an eye on the setting sun and the photo opportunity we were losing. The cake cutting was immediately after speeches, so we went quickly through that and literally ran to the beach to catch the sunset before it vanished. We got some cool shots on the beach before the light was all gone and it was worth all that jogging. I hope the videographers managed to take use of it as well, I am excited to see what they came up with.
White Point is a beautiful place for a wedding and Katelyn and David took full advantage of what they had to offer there. It was time for me to take off a bit into the dancing, but I could tell that David and his buddies, and Katelyn and all her Dynamos (had to get a mention of her hockey dynasty in here somewhere) were all having a great time, and would carry that late into the night.
Here’s a little look into their first day married together.
Enjoy!!!
The forecast was calling for rain, but that didn’t seem to bother Krystyna and Cody too much thankfully. The weather is an uncontrollable variable on any day, and at any place, but when you are planning an outdoor ceremony without a good backup option, it matters a bit more and it happens the same with the photographers, and that’s why having resources like wedding photographers adelaide is important to have everything ready that important day. When it came time for their first look, we did it on the beach. In the rain. Same with the wedding party photos, but it didn’t matter, the smiles on everyones faces didn’t fade in the slightest. They had some umbrellas at the ready, and also just enjoyed it.
With the wedding party photos taken care of, we went back to the house to await the ceremony. The guys hung out in the garage that was redesigned for different activities using makeover ideas from autonews.center, in the other side the girls had an impromptu dance party in the living room.
The walk from the house to the ceremony location wasn’t exactly a short one, but no-one fell on the walk on wet grass, and the 2 cute little twin ring bearers eventually found their way to the aisle, in what can be best described as a roundabout way. They definitely brought a smile to the faces of the guests sitting in the rain.
Krystyna had her brother walk her down the aisle to the beautiful ceremony which wasn’t too long, and I’m sure the guests appreciated that as the rain continued to fall. Then everyone made their way to the tent, which was beautifully decorated for the reception.
As the night went on and the speeches passed on into the dancing, we kind of got lucky with a power glitch. Since the DJ had to reboot his system, I was able to easily sneak Krystyna and Cody outside for a couple of photos as a brief sunset appeared, and the results couldn’t have been more stunning.
When 10:00 hit, it was time for fireworks. The idea that fireworks would actually happen, seemed unlikely earlier in the day when it was raining heavily, so everyone was pretty excited that they were a go. There were quite a few, and they were awesome, if not a bit wild.
It was a hell of a day, with amazing people, and here is a little glimpse into the day;
Enjoy!!!
I had given the wedding party instructions to wait until a specific time to join us, which gave us a few minutes to get some photos of the two of them before the group arrived. We took photos at the park before heading towards the St. Mary’s Boat Club for their ceremony and reception.
The outdoor ceremony on the deck was beautiful with a great view. The pastor made the ceremony a little more fun than most and before we knew it, Natalie and Luke were walking up the aisle as husband and wife. The reception got under way inside while people found a bit of food to snack on. Oh and the candy bar got pretty busy too. I definitely am eating a lollipop from the candy bar as I write this.
The reception was highlighted by some great, well thought out, and emotional, speeches, and the dance floor opened up with a bunch of the groomsmen talking the helm. As I left for the night, the guests were all occupied in conversation or dance, and I could tell they were having a great night.
Here’s a little look at their day together.
Enjoy!!!
Scotland 2017
Well, this is quite overdue. It took me exactly 550 days to finish editing my photos from our family trip to Scotland. I will often write a blog post before the photos are ready in an effort to tell my story in the most detail, while it’s still fresh. This is not the case here.
We took this trip while Robyn was on maternity leave, and Autumn was young enough not to require her own seat. One last trip before Robyn went back to work, and one last trip for a number of years while the children were small. Scotland was at the top of Robyn’s list of places to go and we had plans to visit castles, hike in the highlands, and to do quite a lot of exploring. What resulted was a trip filled with a lot of driving, but not a lot of time out exploring outside of our car, as Isla simply was miserable most of the time we tried to do anything. It was frustrating at times. We thought Isla was just dealing poorly with jet lag and her ear infection. I’m not going to get into a ton of detail on that as my blog post on her beating leukemia covers much of that.
We rented a car for our journey, one big enough for our family of 4, I believe it said an “Impala or similar” well similar was a mercedes, which was pretty cool, and it had great sight lines. It was a pretty sweet ride and super fuel efficient. The highlight of the trip for me was without question, the Isle of Skye. We stayed in Staffin, right near the Quiraing. It’s pretty much exactly the place I would love to live, just need a rink around there and I would be set. We actually celebrated Autumn’s first birthday on the Isle of Skye. We got a caterpillar cake from the grocery store and Autumn ate its fondant face, something Isla still laughs about.
One interesting thing that happened on our trip is that we celebrated our wedding anniversary and randomly stopped at a place for dinner. The next day on our drive back through that town, we saw a sign for the city and it said Blairgowrie, sister city Fergus, Ontario. We happened to have gotten married in Fergus, Ontario, so that was a pretty cool coincidence.
Don’t get me wrong, Scotland was so beautiful, and we did have some great moments, but I am pretty sure we will need to do that one over again one day to experience it properly, to give Robyn that dream trip she was hoping for.
I’m going to let the photos do the talking for the most part here. One thing about spending so much time driving around, we got to see quite a bit of the country.
Enjoy!!!
We have long thought that Auttie was going to be the athlete in the family, she seems a little more athletically inclined, and more importantly, more interested. Well, in her first 5 minutes on the ice, she actually was standing and moving on her own. Now she can’t do much, nor do we expect her to, but it was so cool to see, and better yet, she was absolutely loving it.
Isla took a few steps on her own today for the first time too. She is obviously a bit behind as she was in hospital all last winter and we couldn’t get her out, but she has told me she wants to learn to skate this winter, so we will try to get both of the girls out and skating this year.
Here are a few shots of the half hour or so we spent on the ice today;
Enjoy!!!
It’s not often us hockey players get to play a game with former NHLers, but that’s exactly what was going on at the RBC Centre (formerly the Dartmouth 4-Pad) on November 9th, 2018. Hockey Helps The Homeless has been around for a while, but this was their first event in Halifax, and I am proud to have been able to volunteer my services as the official photographer for the tournament. The tournament aims to raise money for VETS (Veterens Emergency Transition Services) which helps veterans in need. The way they do this is via a Pro-Am hockey tournament which pairs a professional hockey player with a team of amateurs. The team that raises the most money gets the first pick in the draft, which was held the night before the tournament at Bubba Ray’s. The headlining player was Doug Gilmour and he was the undisputed first pick.
The Pros for 2018 were Doug Gilmour, John Scott, Georges Laraque, John Sim, Brad May, Sergio Momesso, Stephane Richer, Ric Jackman, Dan Daoust, Ramzi Abid, Todd Warriner, Rick Vaive, and Bernie Nicholls. Stepping on the ice with these guys is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most of us and you could see everyone having a good time. It always helps to be playing for a cause. The mood is lighter, people are more willing to forgive indiscretions on the ice. Molson being a sponsor and providing beer in the dressing rooms didn’t hurt either.
Since I was shooting and not playing, I can’t speak to the players exact experiences, but I enjoyed the perspective I saw the day from and had a chance to talk with some of the players throughout the day. One guy I probably talked to more than the others was John Scott. We’re about the same age and both fathers to daughters, so when I saw him sitting on his knees talking to a little girl, I really appreciated that. I had 2 pucks in my pocket and I had John sign both pucks and made sure that little girl got one of them. Another thing I saw John Scott doing was passing a puck back and forth through the door to the ice with a little boy who was off the ice. It’s little moments like that which that boy will remember for a long time, and his parents will no doubt appreciate and remind him of forever.
Another cool moment for me was meeting Brad May. When I lived in Niagara Falls, they had an OHL team called the Thunder, and my favourite player was, you guessed it, Brad May. I had a stick signed by the entire team and 2 signatures wore off over time, Brad May, and Keith Primeau, the only 2 guys to have any real NHL career from that team. I brought with me a pennant I had since I was a kid and had May sign it. He hadn’t seen anything Thunder in like 30 years.
Aside from my personal experiences meeting players, spending a whole day at the rink watching and shooting hockey was a good day for me on its own. I have been considering it for a while now, so I should probably just put it out there that I am going to Start offering Action Sports Photography. I will post some information regarding pricing on the pricing page, so feel free to contact me if you’d like to have photos done. I am going to offer digital images downloadable from my site and the option of covering a single player, small groups, or an entire team for varying price points.
If you are interested in seeing photos from the Hockey Helps the Homeless Tournament in Halifax, they can be seen in 2 locations, action photos on my website HERE and draft night photos HERE or on the HHTH Flickr Page HERE and HERE
Here is a sampling of my work from the tournament.
Enjoy!!!
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Enjoy!!!
The week before Josie and Theron’s wedding, I shot a wedding in the pouring rain in PEI, and I was so happy to find good weather on the agenda for August 25th. I stopped by Josie’s room where she and the girls were running ahead of schedule and in the process of getting hair and makeup done. When Josie was ready, save for her dress, she opened her gift from Theron, some jewellery and a handwritten note, folded in what he referred to as a jr. high style note fold. I’m not sure what was written in the note, but it definitely had an effect on Josie, and I’m not referring to the laughter when she saw his autograph and jersey number at the bottom, which will probably be something they will joke about forever.
Theron and the boys were not as ahead of schedule as the girls, but luckily it’s not a big ordeal for guys to get ready, and they were ready before we knew it. Theron read Josie’s note with his gift and it had the same effect on him as his did on Josie. I went back up to Josie and the girls and was in time for Josie to put on her dress. And just like that, we were pressed for time and off we went to the Church.
I had been told that this priest was a bit more strict than the last one, but this turned out to be the most I had ever laughed during a church ceremony. Specifically when the priest casually brought a towel over to Theron to wipe his sweaty face. One thing about the ceremony which was new to me, was Josie and Theron didn’t kiss. They instead had their first kiss as they were leaving the church.
After the ceremony we made our way to Sir Sandford Fleming Park, more commonly known as The Dingle, for the wedding party photos. It was a beautiful Saturday, so as you might expect, the park was quite busy. We did a bit of a tour of the park taking photos, eventually sending the wedding party to the reception while keeping Josie and Theron for some shots without their friends looking on. As we were wrapping up, we encountered some really nice light which we took advantage of and ran over time a little bit.
Getting to the reception, we walked in the door and immediately into the wedding party introductions, which, as per usual, ended with Josie and Theron being introduced. Their introduction turned into their first dance, which I love. It’s a nice way for a couple to get one stressful thing out of the way before dinner. Their first dance song was one I hadn’t heard before, it was “I’m with you” by Vance Joy. I love the song and it led to me going through a ton of his music and finding a lot I like.
The speeches were definitely highlighted by Josie’s cousin who killed it. Though around that time, Theron got his first look at the wedding cake which he hadn’t seen in the hurry to get into the reception. Gentlemen, a wife who gets you a Stanley Cup wedding cake, is most definitely a keeper. Theron was shocked to see the awesome cake and for good reason. He had some of the guys from hockey lift him up so it was like he was hoisting the Cup.
The dancing went long into the night and like most Lebanese weddings, was awesome and enthusiastic. I love the guy with the drum setting the tone on the dance floor and seeing the great participation. There was also quite a bit of alcohol consumed, some of it served by Theron as he made his way to the bar and was pouring drinks for his friends.
I think it had to do with knowing Theron, Josie, and a whole bunch of the guests, but this was the most fun I can remember having at a wedding. It was quite the celebration for an amazing couple, whom I am sure will be together a long, long time.
Here is a look at their first day together as husband and wife.
Enjoy!!!
Sydney was running on schedule with her friends when I arrived. They were just popping some champagne and finishing their makeup. I took some photos around the room and made sure to get the beautiful flowers her friend put together for her and she got from some Florerias en Houston online. I made sure to get a couple photos of the rings and put them back in the boxes before it was time to make the 25 minute drive to the Rivershed. I left at the same time as the girls, whom were greeted with a surprise mode of transportation. The original mini bus was broken down, and they were sent a large bus. This bus couldn’t fit in the tight parking lot of the Great George, so everyone had to run through the rain a bit farther than they thought they did.
About 5 minutes into the drive I received a phone call from Sydney. She wanted to know if I could go back and get the rings which were left in the room as it would be easier for me in a car than for the entire bus to turn around. I of course said I could. When I got back to the room, a hotel staff member was a bit worried as she had been looking for the rings for 5 minutes, unable to find them. I started looking as well, and finally found them after a few frantic minutes. They were on a serving tray which had been moved and another tray placed on top of it. I rushed out the door and back on the road, arriving at the venue after everyone else. I had the chance to meet David briefly before heading into the back room to see Sydney being escorted into the building by her father holding an umbrella over the two of them.
The song Sydney was walking down the aisle to was Depth over Distance by Ben Howard, a long time favourite of mine. As she approached David, you could see him getting emotional. That first look moment is always a special one. The ceremony was up on the stage at the front of the room and was quite a step up (because who wants to walk around to the side and use the stairs?).
We planned on doing the photos right after the ceremony but we had to delay a bit because of the rain. We eventually decided to take the family photos out on the deck beneath a small overhang. I stood out in the rain and got wet while keeping everyone else dry. When I worked for WestJet, I never had cause to use my coat outside in rain, but I can assure you, it turns out the coat is pretty damn good. I was in pretty heavy rain and didn’t even need to change shirts like I thought I would. My hair was a disaster though.
We found a bit of a lull in the rain and took full advantage, getting a good photo session in before heading back inside for the dinner. Throughout dinner we found another time to head outside during the blue hour for a few photos, and despite Sydney falling while on the wet deck, I think the photos turned out beautifully. Inside, the highlight of the dinner was when Sydney and David found out that they had been Iced. I don’t know the full details, but apparently if you find a Smirnoff Ice, you need to chug it. Well, Sydney and David found two taped the the underside of their table and chugged them on stage immediately after.
Sydney and David were lucky and the rain stopped, allowing them to have their first dance outside on the deck. They danced to another song I love by Ben Howard, Only Love. After Sydney danced with David, she danced with her dad, and he took the award for best father daughter dance I’ve seen to date. Dads, step up your game, the bar has been set, and it’s high.
The rest of the dance was back inside the beautiful Rivershed and up until the point it was time for me to say good night, people were loving the dance floor and the late night pizza. Despite what could best be described as a crappy weather day, this was still an absolutely beautiful day and I enjoyed getting to spend it with Sydney, David, and their fun group of family and friends.
Here’s a look into Sydney and David’s first day married together.
Enjoy!!!
I met up with Nick first and learned that he was just as Melissa had described him. What an amazing person he is as well. Down a few rooms, Melissa was getting ready and I dropped in to see her just after Nick was all set. It was the first time I had seen her in about 5 years. She was cracking jokes just as I remembered, it was great to see her, and to see her so happy to be getting married to Nick.
The ceremony was a few minutes down the road and I left a couple minutes ahead of Melissa to get there first. When I parked my car, I saw the tent set up and it was beautiful. Apparently the Tangled Garden took the reins on the decor and went for it, and nailed it. It is probably the nicest looking setup I have seen. I took some photos and went to the ceremony location.
The ceremony was short and not without laughs. The band played and walked toward the tent as everyone followed for the brunch reception. It felt like no time at all before the reception was ending and we were heading to the little tea house for some home made ice cream. It was served in tea cups, so pretty much my daughter’s dream dessert. We started photos after ice cream and took our sweet time as it was bloody hot and sunny, and none of us were too keen on getting sweaty. Before the afternoon was over, we were all heading our separate ways to catch some fireworks later that evening. Pretty smart of Melissa and Nick to be able to celebrate each anniversary with fireworks for the rest of their lives.
Here’s a look at their wonderful wedding day;
Enjoy!!!
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Enjoy!!!
Following the ceremony we met up with a larger group of family and friends at the Public Gardens in Halifax for some photos. With the weather being absolutely amazing, it was difficult for some of us to find parking. I was a block away and rushed to the park expecting to be holding everyone up. Thankfully that wasn’t the case and I was one of the first ones there. While taking family photos, some guy was lingering around us awkwardly. I kept my eye on him as I figured he was looking to pickpocket or grab a purse put down for a photo. Eventually I said something to him, as did
a couple others and he left. That was definitely a first for me. After we took family photos, we sent everyone over to the restaurant while Monica, Denis, and I took a few more photos around the park.
The restaurant was Eliot & Vine, a place I had driven by many times, but never been inside. It was a cool little spot with great staff. I took some candids while everyone mingled and before I knew it, my time was up. Judging by some photos I saw posted on Facebook the next day, I would say the good times continued even without me, somehow ;).
Congratulations Monica & Denis, here’s a little look at your day,
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
May 9th, 2018, after six and a half months, Isla got out of hospital.
I am going to be doing a blog post with a full story later, but I will say a little about her last day now. It was an amazing and emotional day. When Isla called me and told me her ANC was 600 in the morning, I cried, for the first of many times that day. We are so incredibly proud of her, and how she has overcome such adversity. Most kids ring a bell when they have completed their treatment, but just like in everything, Isla did things her own way. She didn’t want to ring the bell as she was probably feeling a bit overwhelmed with so many people around, and she is not a fan of loud noises, so she ran into the nurses station where she would go every day and ask who her nurse was, and she wiped her name off the white board.
In the evening we went to see Peppa Pig with another family from 6 Link, courtesy of a donation of tickets to the hospital, and the girls enjoyed the show. We got home and Isla was just so excited to be home, see Cinnamon, and all her stuff, it was adorable. The day ended with an incredible sunset, like icing on the cake of the best day of our lives.
Here are some photos of her last day as an inpatient at the IWK
Before this year, I had never shot a wedding at the Atlantica Oak Island. I had certainly heard of it as there aren’t a ton of venues like it on the South Shore. When I got there on the big day, Tracy and her bridesmaids were getting ready in one of the chalets by the water and adding great decoration with resources as cheap cloth table runners which are perfect for these type of events. The mood was pretty relaxed and remarkably ahead of schedule. The guys however, when I got there, were super intense and nervous. Alright, maybe not, they may have been playing Crib, and Tim may have been busy skunking someone playing against him, but I won’t mention any names.
Seriously, the biggest hiccup before the ceremony was one of the groomsmen having to decide between 2 shirts to wear. We were all setup and ready to go on time, and the flower girls came down the aisle and the ceremony began. You will have to look below to see why I mentioned the flower girls. The ceremony was short and sweet and before we knew it we were outside taking photos and the wedding party was having champagne.
It was a beautiful day out, a bit on the cold side, but for March 31st, it was about what you would expect in that regard. We made our way around the property taking photos and made our way inside for the reception where Tracy and Tim rolled their entrance into their first dance, a great way to get that out of the way for the evening. As dinner went on, a little golf green was brought out for guests to make a shot for tracy and Tim to kiss. There were some great shots made.
After dinner the dancing and drinking got started with the help of Scott from True North DJ’s. The dancing was really picking up as I was heading out, and I hear that it carried on late into the night. It was a beautiful day with some amazing people. Congratulations Tim and Tracy! Here’s a glimpse into their day.
Enjoy!!!
With that hiccup, we decided to head to Point Pleasant Park. So we all hopped in the car and went to the park. While there we took a walk around looking for some cool locations and even saw a Bald Eagle being harassed by a seagull. I don’t think I had ever seen an Eagle in the city before then. We finished up our photos and went back to the oval where my car was parked, luckily we could print them easily since we got a great printer from the 12 Best Photo Printers in 2019 list for photographers. We hopped out there for a little snowball fight and then called it a day. Here’s a little look at our session together.
Enjoy!!!
Devan and his groomsmen were my first stop on the day and we took a few photos of the boys getting ready before I went to the connecting hotel for the girls. We had plans to take the photos before the ceremony and we left it until that day to decide that we were going to head down to Point Pleasant Park as the weather was working in our favour. Down by the water was a bit cooler than where we had started the day but it was still manageable. Let’s face it, as a guy with a long sleeve shirt and a coat on, I had no issues whatsoever with the chill in the air, but my concern is always for the bride and bridesmaids as they are pretty much always more exposed, but Lisa and her girls powered through.
After our stroll through the park we headed over to the Fleet Club and got ready for the ceremony. I may have eaten a whole jar of M&Ms before the ceremony, but who’s counting right? The ceremony was beautiful and started with Lisa having both of her parents walk her down the aisle. The really nice thing about taking photos before the ceremony is that there is no waiting around for all of the guests after the ceremony, you get to go right into dinner, or cocktails, whatever you’re doing.
Lisa and Devan’s dinner with sprinkled with some good speeches, particularly by Devan’s best man who was definitely not one of those people who are afraid of public speaking. We all shared in a good laugh. Before we knew it, the dinner was over and we were on to the dancing. I must give credit to the DJ for asking me about and then withholding the crazy lights during the first dances, I appreciate it. Once the dances and drinking started up, the party was on and everyone had a great time. Here’s a peek at the day Lisa and Devan got to enjoy with their closest friends and family.
Enjoy!!!
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I have wanted to shoot a wedding on the Silva for a while now, but an opportunity had never presented itself, so I was pretty excited to learn of this change in plans. I had never been on the Silva before, so I made sure to make it to the rehearsal the day before the wedding to get a feel for the ship, which was actually larger than I thought it would be.
On the wedding day, the DJ and I met up with Rebecca’s dad at the base and we hitched a ride with him over to the Silva, and we managed to snag as good a parking spot as could be expected.
The Silva set sail around 2:00 and made its way toward George’s Island, where we got into position behind the island for the ceremony. It was cool to see Rebecca and her father emerge from below deck to walk down the aisle.
The ceremony was beautiful and topped off with a sweet little moment as an excited Rebecca did a little bounce when it was time to kiss Morgan. The ceremony ended and then it was time for some champagne and mingling. Rebecca and Morgan made their way around the ship and spoke with all their guests before I pulled them aside to make sure we got at least a few shots on the boat before our cruise ended at 4:00. We had some wind which blew Rebecca’s dress around a bit, making for a few cool photos.
Next up, there was a pink double decker bus waiting for the wedding party and any guests who wanted to hop on. The bus took us to the Public Gardens for photos and looped back around to the waterfront and Stadacona to pick people up and drop them off while we were taking photos.
The reception was at Juno Tower where we made our way in to find a cake so well made to look like a birch tree that it could have been mistaken for being real, and a whole bunch of guests ready to get eating.
The speeches were remarkably short and to the point, and before we knew it, the dancing was under way. It was an amazing day, one Rebecca and Morgan will remember for a lifetime, I know I will. Congratulations guys, I wish the best for you in your life together. Here is a little glimpse into Rebecca and Morgan’s beautiful day.
Enjoy!!!
I met up with Matt and the boys for some photos at Matt’s parents house. We took some photos in and around the house and just as we were wrapping up, the rain began. By the time I had made my way to Kayla and the girls, it was pouring and there was no way we were going to be doing any of the bridesmaids photos outside. We made things work inside and before we knew it we were off to the Shipyard in Summerside for the ceremony.
The ceremony was held on the deck, and yes, it was covered. It was supposed to be held outside, but inside worked just as well. After the ceremony the wedding party hopped on a bus and we made our way out for photos. We made a run at the Marine Rail Park in Borden, but when we got there we found it too windy to be able to take photos despite the rain holding off. So back toward Summerside we went. Our indoor photo location was Kool Breeze Farms as their greenhouses were among the few places large enough to take photos of the entire wedding party during inclement weather.
It was suggested that we give the golf course a go as there was a deck with an overhang that was supposed to be nice. So when we got there and found the deck under construction we had to change our plans a bit. We got everyone a little bit wet, but managed to pull off some nice photos.
The reception was a lot of fun and topped off with a full dance floor. Despite of some crappy weather, Kayla and Matt had an amazing wedding day and a great start to their marriage. Here are some photos of their day.
Enjoy!!!
We managed a couple shots in the limited space around the Wooden Monkey and then carried on walking around the area looking for other locations. I always love the shot with the Clock Tower on Citadel Hill in the background, so we took to the middle of the quiet Sunday evening streets to make that happen with little interruption from anyone trying to actually drive on the roads. There was a large tour group we had to contend with a few times but aside from that, it was almost eerily quiet downtown. I’ll say no more and let you have a look at a few shots from our time together.
Enjoy!!!
On their wedding day Eleanor and Robert got married at the Kirk of St. James in Charlottetown. As Eleanor walked down the aisle, Robert was getting a little emotional at the altar, but he had support from his best man the whole way. I loved the looks that Eleanor and Robert gave each other during the ceremony, what I can best describe as loving glances. You know when people look at each other the way they do, that they are meant to be together.
The ceremony had some amazing light coming through the windows behind Eleanor and Robert, it was some of the best light I have seen during a church ceremony. After the ceremony we made our way outside, where it was one of the warmest days of the year. We took a photo of everyone at the wedding on the steps of the church and then we were off for wedding party photos. The wedding party was a lot of fun even bursting into song on the bus, singing “Barrett’s Privateers”.
We made our way to St. Peter’s Cathedral for the reception where so much attention was paid to the details, it was setup beautifully. The whole day was just perfect, it felt like we got to see Eleanor and Robert’s personalities manifested in what they wore and how they put things together. I am so happy to see these two together and I know their marriage will be a long one. Here’s a look at their first day of many.
Enjoy!!!
When it came to the wedding day, I met up with Ashley and her sisters at her parents house in Bridgewater first. Ashley and her 2 sisters all live outside of Nova Scotia now, so I can imagine how happy their parents were to just have them all in one place, let alone being there to celebrate a wedding. Ashley was incredibly relaxed considering she was about to get married, something I love seeing in a bride.
The guys were getting ready in a cabin in Lunenburg and their group was twice the size of Ashley’s with Brendan having 5 groomsmen. I am not sure if it was due to his competitive nature, the fact that it was his day, or maybe a fear of Ashley finding out he was causing delays, but Brendan was the first of the guys to be fully dressed and ready to go. Brendan’s groomsmen were a fun group of guys who seemed to be different but linked by a great friend in Brendan, and a common sense of humour, the latter of which made my job easy. We took some photos by their cabin and then made our way into the town of Lunenburg to take a shot of the guys walking down the street of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Ashley was just about ready upon my return to her house and before we knew it, we were making our way to St. Mark’s Place for the ceremony. We made a stop at a nice little park in Bridgewater for some photos along the way (thank you Krista for the suggestion). With the ceremony scheduled for 3:00, we were pulling up right on time.
The ceremony was fairly short with one highlight being Ashley’s 86 year old grandfather singing during the signing (I had to read that line about 5 times to make sure I spelled it correctly so don’t feel bad if you had to read it more than once). We took family photos on the steps at St. Mark’s Place afterwards and from there I took the wedding party out to a couple of locations for photos, starting at a beautiful woodland location which was a bit damp, but fortunately not too wet for us to walk on. We then went to Hirtle’s Beach where the temperature was about 5 degrees colder, so we didn’t stay too long, and made our way back to St. Mark’s Place for the reception.
One of the most nerve wracking things for many grooms is the first dance, many of us guys just don’t feel that comfortable dancing in front of a group of people, so Ashley and Brendan got it out of the way at the start of the reception. They danced to ‘Die A Happy Man’ by Thomas Rhett with a hell of a twist. Ian, one of Brendan’s groomsmen performed the song while Ashley and Brendan danced. I am hoping to find that someone posts it on YouTube because I liked Ian’s version better than the Thomas Rhett version, so if you find it, send me the link. I later came to find out that Ian was studying Opera, I’m pretty sure he picked the right field. I absolutely love when a couple can make a personal moment like the first dance even more personal like this. I’ve seen many musical performances at weddings and they are always memorable for me as an observer, so I can only imagine how Ashley and Brendan will feel looking back on their wedding in 10 years.
The dinner was gourmet burgers by Twisted Spoon Catering out of Petite Riviere and was very well received, as were the speeches after the dinner. I need to specifically call out Dan who not only killed a speech at the first wedding he ever even attended, but made the most amazing wine bottle catch as he accidentally knocked it off the podium during the shoe game, well done sir.
As the night went on, the dance floor opened and filled up with a little help from Brendan’s musical selections. I made my exit with the dance floor full and a lot of smiles on faces, mine included. I am sure the party went well into the night and I know many more laughs were had. The wedding was a lot of fun and while I know that is just one day of a lifetime together for Ashley and Brendan, it was a hell of a great start. Here’s a look at Ashley and Brendan’s day 1 as husband and wife.
Enjoy!!!
The wedding ceremony was going to be held outdoors in mid February, in Canada, what could go wrong eh? Well surprisingly, the opposite of expectations, we had, had some serious snowfall in the week before the wedding and then the temperatures jumped. It was about 8 degrees and fortunately the snow was still deep and a nice clean white, but unfortunately there was too much snow on the lake to do a couple skating photos Kira had been hoping for, but we made up for it with other photos.
With the ceremony being at a house and with only 19 people, it was definitely an intimate affair. Everyone was invited to bring their slippers and pashminas were on the backs of all the women’s chairs. Kira had painstakingly worked on almost every detail of the wedding, from the invitations to the decor and it really paid off. When I arrived, Kira and her bridesmaid Olivia (whose wedding I had shot a couple years ago) were getting their hair and makeup done so I started on detail photos to make sure all Kira’s hard work didn’t go unnoticed. The getting ready process went quite well without any hiccups worth mentioning. Before we knew it, it was time for the first look, which they did on the main staircase. We then took the wedding party of 5 outside for some photos in the snow. Even though it was well above zero, we kept Kira and Olivia inside until the guys were done. We went right down by the water and forged a path through the snow where it hadn’t been snowblown (thanks to Michel’s dad for that one).
The trees and snow made for a wonderful backdrop which was perfect for the winter wedding. We made sure to be back in the house with plenty of time for Michel and Kira to mingle with their guests before the ceremony. Kira had one special surprise for the day for her mom, she had secretly invited her mom’s friend (despite insistence that there wasn’t enough seating for her). When her mom’s friend arrived at the front door we got a great surprised reaction, it was awesome to see Kira let someone else have a moment on her and Michel’s big day.
The ceremony was beautiful and funny, and quite short to the pleasure of some of the guests. We took a few more photos after the ceremony as the sun was going down and then it was time for dinner. The dinner was arranged so that everyone was seated at one long table with Kira and Michel at the end. There was certainly no issues with everyone hearing the speeches or when Michel’s brothers busted out the guitar and drum and played Jack Johnson’s “Better Together”. After dinner everyone made their way upstairs and much to my surprise, people danced, something you don’t often see at small weddings, but sometimes the occasion just calls for it, and this definitely called for it. All in all, Kira and Michel put together a beautiful day, one that will be remembered for a long time. It was a pleasure to get to spend the day with 2 incredible people, and to feel like part of the family, thank you all for welcoming me in. Here’s a little look at their day.
Enjoy!!!
We started the day at the Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites on Brunswick St. in Halifax, 2 adjoining hotels which definitely made my life easier as I went between hotels to capture both Veronica and Haysom getting ready. From the hotels, we made our way to the St. Antonios Church for the ceremony. The church is a beautiful one and it was packed. Veronica walked down the aisle with her brother to an awaiting Haysom whose eyes lit up when he saw her. As the ceremony was wrapping up, Haysom and Veronica nearly walked back up the aisle before they were supposed to, which was good for a laugh. I love when couples get to walk up the aisle after their ceremony, their smiles are always the best, the real happiness that can be difficult to get in pictures at times is just there.
For wedding party photos we made our way to The Dingle where I had visited the day before to location scout in the snow. I had found the location to be extremely cold and windy. Thankfully the winds had died down making the cold temperatures manageable. I won’t lie, it was still cold, but at least the windchill was probably only knocking a few degrees off the actual temperature. I switched up who was outside for photos and who was waiting in the limo to try to keep everyone as warm as possible for the photos. Veronica seemed to have some sort cold repellent as she didn’t seem bothered by the cold despite her dress leaving parts of her exposed. I felt a little guilty while wearing my toque and mittens. Not enough to take them off or anything, but a little guilty. Veronica and her bridesmaids had shawls to keep them warm as well, and to say they shed would be an understatement. The guys suits ended up covered in fluffs which were impervious to lint brushes. If I hadn’t spent so many hours editing out those fluffs I might find it comedic. That’s alright, what was definitely comedic was watching the best man try to ascend the hill from the water back to the road. They definitely don’t make dress shoes for men with any sort of traction.
After we wrapped up photos at the park, we went back to the church for family photos and then on to the Olympic Hall for the reception. Veronica and Haysom (with much help) had dressed the place up beautifully but the venue played second fiddle to the people inside. The wedding party introductions were awesome and went in to the first dances. It is nice as a couple to get your first dances done early so you don’t have to stress about doing them later. The dinner was a busy one for Veronica and Haysom as they made their way around to see all their guests and after the dinner and speeches, they cut their cake and Veronica tossed the bouquet. Wouldn’t you know it, my buddy Theron’s girlfriend Josie caught it. They say catching the bouquet means you’ll be the next to get married and just a couple weeks later, Josie and Theron got engaged.
The dancing at a Lebanese wedding is pretty awesome, a guy busted out a drum and was encouraging some dancing at the start and just about everyone hit the floor at some point. It was an incredible day, and I couldn’t be happier for Veronica and Haysom who are absolutely amazing people. Congratulations!
Enjoy!!!
When it came time to create my 2016 Year in Review. I must admit, I struggled. I went through each wedding and selected photos that I really liked or were memorable for one reason or another and I ended up with over 300 photos. I narrowed that down but felt like I had too many until this point where I just say screw it. There are a lot of photos here, but I don’t want to delete any more. Here is a look at my 2016 weddings.
Enjoy!!!
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I arrived to the Delta to meet up with Lisa just before the ceremony and when I walked in I saw that Lisa had chosen a pretty awesome and unique dress, it had a blue tint and pink flowers on it. I love when people make their wedding their own despite what might be considered ‘normal’. It’s actually one of my favourite things about weddings these days, the willingness of couples to make their wedding fir their tastes.
With Lisa and Spencer’s newly evolved family situation, the wedding had a bit of a different feel to it than many other weddings. Rather than go into details, I’ll just say that I have the utmost respect and admiration for these two and what they’re doing.
The ceremony was presided over by Spencer’s father who may have gotten a little emotional, which had a bit of a ripple effect. He did a great job and I’m sure it made the day even more special for Lisa and Spencer. After the ceremony we took family photos in the Bluenose Ballroom and then I took Lisa and Spencer down to Historic Properties.
We arrived at the waterfront just after the sun had set, so there was a bit of colour left in the sky and I made use of that while we still had time. We didn’t spend long taking photos before it was time to head back to the Delta where everyone was mingling, enjoying some appetizers and drinks. We made our way back to the ballroom for the reception where after the introductions and a speech I was done for the day. I knew that the rest of the night was going to be enjoyed because with Lisa and Spencer, I don’t know how you couldn’t enjoy yourself.
Congratulations to a wonderful couple and their family, I’m sure there are many happy days ahead :)
Enjoy!!!
Unlike with Isla, our newest addition; Autumn Elora Hall came rather quickly and made her entrance into the world at 11:19am, weighed in at 7 lbs 3 oz, and was 19.5″. She was a 1/4″ taller and weighed 3 ounces less than her sister Isla, so basically the same size. Her first act was to scream at top of her lungs, and even the doctors remarked at how loud she was. Isla was also a loud baby, and she cried a lot so we are lucky that to this point we have found Autumn only seems to cry when she’s hungry. With Isla we had sleeping troubles from the start, and with Autumn we have already seen a marked improvement, hopefully she continues on this path.
About 6 hours after she was born, Autumn got to meet her big sister for the first time and it was adorable. Isla got right up on the hospital bed with Robyn and Autumn and said “awwww, soo cute, I love her” and even nearly gave her a kiss, but stopped just short as Autumn wasn’t clean enough for Isla’s standards. Isla loved showing Autumn her toys and her stuffed animal Duck, and then gave Autumn a welcome present. It was heartwarming to see Isla’s excitement, an excitement which has continued for Autumn’s first 2 weeks. Isla is constantly asking to hold Autumn and wants to play with her and show her things. We love to hear Isla’s spontaneous declarations that “Autumn’s my best friend” or “I love Autumn”, I really do hope they grow up to be best friends.
I took some photos of Autumn and I fully admit that before Halloween I took Christmas photos. You won’t see those ones now as we are still yet to decide on a Christmas card and frankly, it’s too early. So here are a few of the other photos we’ve taken in Autumn’s first couple of weeks of life. You’ll notice the one of her in a basket holding herself up at 4 days old, she nearly toppled the basket when she unexpectedly did that. My favourites though are the family photos, it wasn’t easy to get those with an uncooperative 2 year old trying to run the show, but we managed to get something I’ll be happy to hang on the wall.
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
I love Isla with all my heart and then some, and of course it’s hard to imagine loving another like I love her, hell, I’d say it’s impossible to imagine from where I stand. But I know that will change very soon. I know that my love for another child will not diminish my love for the first, it will just be a challenge to get that point across to a 2 year old, especially one not fond of listening at times, specifically times when she is upset. Our lives are about to change and I have no clue whatsoever the things that are in store for us, but I do know that if by chance today ends up being the last day Isla has as an only child, she had a great one. She played, watched cartoons, did crafts, went to the park, saw a bunch of the neighbours she really likes, even the dog she always wants to see. Then we jumped in leaves for the first time, and she had an absolute blast. The smiles on her face make me sit and look at my photos of her from today over and over again with a smile on my face. I need to make a point of bringing my camera out a little more often at home, it’s always worth it.
Enjoy!!!
One thing I noticed was that there were a bunch of framed cartoon-like pictures around. They were all the same image and the characters in the picture were quite obviously Joel and the groomsmen. This is where I learned that Joel was an awesome animator. That’s a career I wanted when I was a kid and thought was really cool (still do), but I had no talent for it, Joel is definitely talented. The next thing I noticed was that each of the groomsmen was wearing a different pin on their suspenders. These pins helped me to identify the groomsmen throughout the day, at least to some extent. I often find it difficult to remember the names of all the members of a wedding party, so I come up with nicknames, and at times I would call the groomsmen not by their names, but rather their pin character. We did a few shots together and the guys took a few shots on the basketball court as well, before I made my way over to the girls.
Michelle and her bridesmaids were getting ready at the Gingerbread House in Wolfville and all looked stunning when I arrived. Michelle seemed to me to be quiet and reserved, the opposite of how I would describe Joel after meeting him, but both of them were great people, that was obvious right away. Michelle’s girls were very helpful and took care to make sure everything was going as planned, they even helped ensure the room they were getting in was clean, which is a big plus for me. We took care of a few photos and before we knew it, it was time to head to the waterfront park for the ceremony.
Wolfville was of course jam packed with it being the last weekend of the summer, so it was a bit of a surprise to me that the park was almost exclusively guests for the wedding, as I was expecting a bunch of onlookers. The ceremony started pretty much right on time and was short and sweet, and after a few photos at the park, we made our way to the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens at Acadia University, for some family and wedding party photos.
The reception was at the Wolfville Farmer’s Market, not a place you typically think of as a wedding venue, but cool nonetheless. As you approached the entrance to the Market, you got your first glimpse of Joel’s artistic talents with the sign telling guests where to go. Inside there were other indicators as well, including the canvases for guests to draw their own pictures, the chalk portraits of Joel and Michelle at the bar, etc.. When you’re an artistic person, you’re likely friends with others who share your passions, so it comes as no surprise that Michelle and Joel have friends who can draw like Joel can. This leads us to the kissing game Michelle and Joel came up with. They had guests draw a picture of them kissing, and then Michelle and Joel had to mimic the drawing in their kiss. Not only did this generate some fun throughout the dinner for everyone, but it also resulted in Michelle and Joel collecting a stack of hand drawn mementos from their wedding day, and some of them were amazingly drawn.
When it came to the speeches, there were a couple of highlights from the wedding party. Firstly, the groomsmen Mike and Mike, made us all laugh with their stories and slideshow. The bridesmaids however, they had a bigger surprise to come at the end of their speech as they stepped out from behind the podium and started to dance. This choreographed dance gained new members as the rest of the wedding party joined in while Michelle and Joel sat with a front row seat. Just when it seemed like all the surprise participants had joined in, up popped Joel to finish the dance with everyone else.
The conclusion of the first dance filled up the dance floor which wasn’t too far off of when I left for the night. As I left I could see some people dancing, some enjoying the photobooth, and a lot of good conversation. I can only imagine the stories that were being told throughout the night. Whatever happened, you can be sure that everyone had fun. Here’s a little look at Michelle and Joel’s wedding in Wolfville.
Enjoy!!!
I was fortunate enough to photograph Amanda and Nick a year earlier for their engagement session. It was nice to get to know them both a little bit and see how they felt in front of the camera. It was definitely a help for us all on the wedding day.
I met up with Nick and the boys at Tommy Gun’s Barber Shop in Mic Mac Mall on the morning of the wedding where they were all getting a hot shave. It’s not something I’ve experienced before, but they all recommended it. This is where I first got an idea of what the day was going to be like. One of the groomsmen was already doing a little dancing while he waited for some of the others to finish up. He just couldn’t help it, like some excitement, or maybe a compulsion. Either way, I’ve learned over the years that when the groomsmen dance, more people in general dance, so this was going to be good.
The girls were all getting ready at Amanda and Nick’s house in Lawrencetown. As I arrived at the house, I saw a guy walking up to the door with a tiny baby. That baby turned out to be just a few days old which is fairly inconsequential until you learn that the baby’s mother is the maid of honour. Talk about commitment, not many new mothers could do what she did. Despite a minor hiccup with some bridesmaids dresses, the girls were all looking beautiful and ready to go to the ceremony on time.
The ceremony was held at Sambea Farm with the water in the background, it was a beautiful place for a wedding. When the girls walked down the aisle, the last one brought along a special guest, Amanda and Nick’s dog Bucky. I’ve mentioned it before, but as someone with dogs, I always love seeing people include their pups in their wedding as they are most definitely part of the family. The ceremony itself was nice and highlighted by the struggle with the knot on the rope, and Nick jumping the gun with his ‘I do’. I loved how Amanda joked about it immediately.
We did the family photos outside on the hill after the ceremony and as those wrapped up I took the wedding party over to the barn for some shots and I really loved the light we had to work with there and the orange really popped from the background. While it was cool to get some shots in the barn, that’s not where Amanda and her bridesmaids ride, so we went over to Pinehill Equestrian a few minutes away so Amanda could get some shots with the horses she rides. We took some photos with Amanda and the horses and I think they turned out wonderfully. I don’t have a ton of experience taking photos with horses, so I am glad how everything went and that Amanda had no issues with the restrictions that come along with a wedding dress.
Next on our Lawrencetown tour, we stopped at Nick’s Fire Station. He drove one of the trucks out and we took some pictures with the Firetruck because it’s pretty damn cool and definitely not something many people get to do. The only stop left was at our final destination for the evening; Cole Harbour Place.
The room was dressed up perfectly with nice touches throughout, like the wheelbarrow full of trees for guests to take home, the horseshoes in each centrepiece, or the custom cake topper, and they could even take care of these trees with the use of services from treequote.com. With the dinner nearly done, I noticed Amanda was missing and Nick looked concerned. I learned that Amanda wasn’t feeling well and had left the reception for a bit with her bridesmaids. Nick, like a good husband, was worried about her, but really couldn’t do much but wait and periodically check in on her. The guests patiently waited for Amanda’s return and at some point the decision was made to get the DJ’s to start up the dancing, so they did. Not too long into the dancing was when Amanda was feeling up to a return so the music was halted for a bit while the speeches were made. Then we went into the first dances and everything seemed to be turning around for Amanda at that point, she and Nick even pulled off their choreographed first dance without a hitch.
With her sickness seemingly behind her, Amanda and Nick enjoyed the rest of the night with their guests. The dance floor was awesome with the wedding party spending a lot of time out there. Everyone I spoke to had a great time and I can only hope that Amanda doesn’t let illness taint the memory of what was an otherwise amazing day. She and Nick are two great people with an amazing support cast of friends and that was definitely evident on their wedding day. I’m so glad that of all the people who contacted me to photograph their weddings on that day, I was lucky enough to get to be there for Amanda and Nick, Congratulations guys, you deserve the best! Here’s a look at Amanda and Nick’s wedding;
Enjoy!!!
I absolutely love Cape Breton, I could see myself living there one day, so I always love when I get the chance to visit, and Dana and David’s wedding was no exception. I arrived a little bit early and scoped out some locations and hoped the sun would stay behind the clouds. Belle Cote is right on the coast in the Margaree area and doesn’t have the best options for shade in the mid afternoon. Fortunately the clouds did end up helping us out.
Dana and David decided to have a first look as Dana said she knew she would going to be in tears. She was right, and that got David going too. They read vows to each other privately on the beach as I captured the moment. With the wind, I couldn’t even hear what they were saying, so those private words will remain that way, just between the two of them. As a nice little bonus, Dana wore a separate dress for their first look than what she wore the rest of the day, which gave David that first look feeling a second time as Dana walked down the aisle.
I will be honest, I had some serious expectations in mind regarding this wedding. Dana had told me that Asheton and Gavin’s wedding, which I had shot just down the road in Cheticamp the previous year, had helped cement their plans to do a wedding like the one they were planning. I was in no way let down. The little cottage and the tent out back, decorated by friends, with a canoe full of beer outside the door, was just the right fit for Dana and David.
The ceremony was on the lawn outside and may have had some tears. For their first kiss, they asked me to capture the moment from a different angle than normal as I stood behind them and captured the kiss and their friends and family all at once. With the ceremony over we made time for family photos and then the wedding party before we made our way inside the tent for dinner.
There weren’t a ton of speeches but those few definitely elicited strong emotional responses. The open mic also brought up some guests to the stage to sing, including one from Dana’s sister which just happened to be the same song Dana and David had chosen as their first dance song. After that first dance, the band kicked off the evening and they were awesome (they’re called Donair Supply in case anyone is looking for a band). The dance floor was packed and remained that way all night. The clouds that had helped us earlier in the day had passed and left us with a beautiful starry sky which we took advantage of to capture a photo with Dana, David, and the stars. It was about the last photo I took before heading home for the night, and as I left I saw the dance floor full and the band playing, leaving me with that perfect lasting impression of Dana and David’s wedding.
Here’s a look at Dana and David’s Cape Breton Wedding;
Enjoy!!!
I met up with girls at the Prince George and the talented Chantelle Brown was working on Melissa’s makeup. The girls all looked beautiful and they were nice and calm which probably contributed to Melissa’s calmness. The guys were a floor above and despite Mark thinking they were disorganized, they seemed pretty well on their way. We all know that us guys are lucky and barely take any time to get ready, so it’s not like they really had much to do. Mark and his groomsmen were a little more energetic and cracking jokes from the get go, but I feel like with a lot of guys, the best way to keep calm is to take your mind off of things and harass each other.
With Melissa looking gorgeous in her dress and Mark looking great in his tux, we went down to the lobby for bit of a first look, it was more like a first hear. They stood on opposite sides of a door and got to say hi without actually seeing each other. We did an actual first look at the Public Gardens, then continued on with wedding party photos before sending the wedding party back to the hotel and keeping Melissa and Mark for some photos of just the two of them. I must say, we ran into some interesting characters while walking around the park. We then stopped at a little spot not far from the hotel and had an encounter with an incredibly drunk bachelorette party who couldn’t comprehend that they were a real bride and groom and what we would be doing in a parking lot. I can assure you, we knew what we were doing, and no, we didn’t get the ‘For Lease’ sign in the photos.
We got back to the hotel and had a little down time before the ceremony. Mark spent most of that time figuring out how to get the M&M candy bar picked up from their house. I think that was the most stressed I had seen Mark, but thankfully he got that sorted out a few minutes before walking down the aisle.
The ceremony was outside on the terrace and was beautiful. After being together 16 years, we heard a lot on the day about how long it took Melissa and Mark to get married, but from now on I think they’ll just be hearing about how quick Mark was to say “I do”. At least it gave us all a laugh and broke the ice during the ceremony.
After the ceremony we did family photos and that of course included Mark and Melissa’s dog Ceilidh. As a dog lover myself, I appreciate wanting to have a photo with your dog on your wedding day. We sent Ceilidh back up to their room and made our way to the other terrace for the rest of the cocktail hour. It was quite the nice, comfortable spot for a cocktail hour, especially with the beautiful weather.
The reception was beautifully decorated the 16 tables had a number and corresponding photo representing a year of their relationship. The M.C.’s did a great job throughout the night and the speeches were highlighted by Melissa and Mark’s speech which brought on a lot of laughter. With the speeches over, it was time for dancing, and the real fun to begin. It was a beautiful day with a fantastic couple, and after being together for as long as they have been, I don’t think very much will change for them after their wedding, except people will finally stop asking when they are going to get married, and start asking when they’re going to have kids. Maybe they can get another dog and fend off those questions for a little while.
Congratulations Melissa and Mark!!!
I started my day with Susan and her bridesmaids at her mother’s house in Montague. We were running a bit behind schedule, but the girls all looked beautiful in the end, so it was worth it. I didn’t get a full look at the Indian attire the girls were going to be wearing, but what I did see looked awesome, I loved the vibrant colours.
The guys were all ready when I arrived to see them and in pretty good spirits. It was quite a diverse set of groomsmen considering there were just 3 of them with one being Polish, one German, and one Indian. We did a few photos together before the time had come for them to be at the ceremony.
The ceremony was outside near the edge of a cliff at the Summer Winds Cottages in Georgetown. Despite the forecasted thunderstorms, the sky was clear and the sun was shining. Susan and Vishaal wisely provided sunglasses for their guests and many took advantage of that offer. The ceremony was fairly short and included some music (Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran) sung by a friend, accompanied by guitar played another friend. The officiant added a personal touch to the ceremony by including some of the story of Susan and Vishaal.
We did a big group photo after the ceremony and before taking family photos. It was pretty hot so we didn’t keep the wedding party for too long before sending them off to the cocktail hour. I tried to make the photos for Susan and Vishaal quick too so we could get them back to their guests.
The tent was beautifully decorated and food was served in a more Indian way with large platters being delivered to the tables for people to serve themselves. Dinner was broken up by some nice speeches where no-one roasted the bride and groom too much, and then a dance performance was done by a couple of Vishaal’s nieces and it was awesome, it followed Susan and Vishaal’s lives with a slideshow projected onto a screen behind them as they danced.
The dancing during the reception was definitely a highlight of the entire day as the mix of English and Indian music played by the DJ, Rob, made you want to do nothing but dance.
We were also surprised by a brilliant sunset just as Susan and Vishaal were changing into their Indian clothes so I searched them out and took them for a few photos with the sky on fire behind them. Definitely some of my favourite posed photos from the day.
The entire day was simply a pleasure to be a part of and I think you’ll see below that everyone had a great time celebrating this wonderful couple. Here’s a look into the day Vishaal and Susan were able to officially start calling each other husband and wife.
Enjoy!!!
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Saint Andrews, NB is a place I had never even heard of before, let alone knew where it was, but after arriving, it’s a place I won’t forget, it’s this idyllic little seaside resort town, the kind of place you’d like your kids to make their childhood memories.
The wedding was on August 1st, holiday Monday. The girls from Luxe Day Spa & Salon arrived at about 7, and I arrived at 8 to see the bridesmaids getting ready. There were a lot of smiling faces as the girls played through a YouTube music playlist, even if some people had trouble sitting still while getting their makeup done when “The Night That Pat Murphy Died” came on. I guess some songs just make you want to dance, even at 8:30am.
A morning wedding is where being a guy becomes extra convenient, no early wakeup calls, just get up, shower, and put your suit on. Vince and his groomsmen all looked awesome in their grey suits, custom ties, and of course, their superhero socks. I made arrangements with Vince for his first look and went back to Sam for the end of her getting ready which was just as relaxed and laid back as when I had first arrived, this day was going to be great.
Vince and Sam had their first look in the courtyard of the Seaside Resort in front of their families, and exchanged gifts, a pocket watch for Vince, a vintage Jane Austen book for Sam. You could tell they loved their gifts, Vince was checking the time on that watch all day, and Sam had her book on the table in front of her at the reception later in the day.
We did family photos and some of just Sam and Vince at the resort before we left for Kingsbrae Gardens for the ceremony and reception. I thought it was a nice touch to have a bunch of old photographs in frames, along a stone wall which all the guests passed on the way to the ceremony, and then the hearts on sticks lining the aisle were cool too.
The skies cleared up and the hot sun was shining down while those in charge of the music tried to remedy an issue which turned out to be un-fixable. The ceremony went ahead without music, but it didn’t really matter. The little flower girl was so excited to throw the flower petals, it was cute. The ceremony went off without a hitch and the next thing we knew, we were out on the lawn for the cocktails which included some goats and alpacas. Yes, you read that correctly. Sam and Vince even got to give a bottle to a 6 week old alpaca and had a bouquet of food for a goat to eat.
The lunch reception was inside, beautifully decorated, and the right size for the occasion. No-one needed a podium or a microphone to speak to the group and it felt intimate without feeling cramped. I couldn’t imagine a nicer setting for a wedding of 50 people, it was perfect. Actually, it was better than perfect, it was perfect, perfect, just like the entire day. Sam and Vince are 2 awesome people and I felt completely welcomed by then, their friends, and families. I couldn’t be happier for Sam and Vince to have had such a wonderful day, it will make for some great memories for everyone for years to come.
Congratulations Sam and Vince!!!
Enjoy!!!
I left the guys to struggle with their Rubik’s Cube as I met up with Heather and her 2 bridesmaids at an old house in downtown Charlottetown. The girls looked great and you never would have known about their hair issues earlier in the day. I can’t recall the exact details, but let’s just say that they managed to pull off looking good with a little Maid of Honour work from Ashley, which definitely would have gotten her a gold star if Heather had one. She did her title proud.
Bob and the guys arrived pretty much right on time, then Heather and Bob had a private first look before we took the wedding party out together for photos while walking to the venue. It was kind of nice to not have to worry about finding another parking spot as we strolled up. The wedding was held inside the Confederation Centre of the Arts, with the ceremony being inside the gallery itself. Heather’s entrance into the ceremony was down the large staircase just off to the side and it was quite the grand entrance. With paintings in the background, Heather and Bob were married in front of their family and friends.
After the ceremony we made our way outside for the receiving line and family photos. We took a few shots of the entire wedding party and then a few more of just Heather and Bob before heading downstairs to the reception. The reception space had beautiful high ceilings with skylights making it feel more like a courtyard than an underground space.
Throughout dinner were speeches and a bit of an open mic. To get Heather and Bob to kiss, people needed to come up to the microphone and share a story. To be honest, this is often a clever tactic by brides and grooms to limit their kissing as so many people are afraid of public speaking. This however was not your typical crowd, there was a lot of confidence in that room. We heard many stories about Heather and Bob as they waited nervously to see whether the tales would be embarrassing or not. Fortunately for them, the speakers were pretty kind.
I was keeping my eyes open, watching for sunset and managed to grab Heather and Bob at just the right tim to head outside. Bob’s mother had provided some umbrellas in case of rain and thankfully the forecast was incorrect, but we still decided to make use of one of the heart shaped umbrellas to take a photo as the sun set. We found the last bit of sunlight coming between the buildings and got the photo we were looking for. The only thing left was for the dancing to begin, and dance they did. It was a fantastic day in a beautiful setting, surrounded by great people, you can’t ask for much more to start a marriage.
Congratulations Heather and Bob!!!
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
Green Island Getaways is an awesome location. The barn looks on the inside, just like you would want a barn to look like for a wedding, and the outside is nice and clean, perfect as a backdrop for photos. Underneath the barn is an apartment with a number of rooms and that is where I met up with the guys getting ready.
The guys had a bit of an issue with their shirts and we were waiting on the arrival of the correct coloured shirts. This of course made for some good jokes, and thankfully Alex isn’t the kind of guy to get stressed over things like that. He was pretty relaxed, or maybe even very relaxed. The cooler of beer may have been a contributing factor to the calm of the guys, but I can’t be certain.
On to the girls, Natalie and the bridesmaids were in the main house with a lot more natural light which was good for pictures. Natalie and Alex’s daughter Madeline was part of the getting ready process as well and seemed pretty excited about the whole wedding. At age 6, she is old enough to understand not only what’s going on, but actually be a part of it.
Something I didn’t get a chance to see when photographing Natalie and Alex at their engagement session was how much they love Madeline. Maybe it’s because I have a daughter I love more than anything, but I love to see other fathers showing love to their little girls. When I placed Alex in position for his first look with Natalie, Madeline came outside and they had an impromptu first look of their own. I took a handful of photos with the two of them that show more love than I can express in words, you’ll see what I mean below
Alex and Natalie had their own emotional first look before we took some photos of the two of them around the property, and at a couple locations just down the road. We got back with some time to spare and hid Natalie away from all the arriving guests.
The ceremony was outside on the lawn and was beautiful. The vows they said to each other made many guests even cry, and then when Alex pulled Madeline up and said vows to her too, he made even more people get emotional, it was a beautiful moment on top of an already amazing ceremony.
By this point the sun had made the temperature rise to the 30s and that barn was pretty warm inside. A couple fans kept air circulating, but it wasn’t until a bit later in the evening that the forecasted thunder shower broke through and cooled the air down a bit. The audibly heavy rains brought a loud cheer from everyone inside.
There had been a lot of applause inside that day, especially when Natalie joined the band on stage to sing the first song of the night, and then later when she and a few of her bridesmaids sang some more. An awesome band was a great way to finish off what was a perfect wedding day. Here’s a little glimpse into what Natalie and Alex experienced on the day they became husband and wife.
Enjoy!!!
On Wednesday, with Robyn on vacation, we set out around 6:30am to go to the Seafoam Lavender Farm near Pictou, NS. I was pretty mad at myself for getting away late, I had been hoping for 6:00, but I am not a morning person, and trying to get a 2 year old ready that early is not easy. Not that she isn’t normally awake by then, because she is, but she really wanted her Cheerios and raisins, and I wanted to make sure she ate.
As we drove through the countryside we encountered some heavy fog and I was really hoping the farm would have some of that fog, but I figured it wouldn’t, and it didn’t. So we missed the golden sunrise light, the fog didn’t come with us, the sun was getting high in the sky, and I was sweating already in the heat, but I still think we did well in the end. We even managed to get a couple of photos with Isla actually looking toward the camera, and some with Robyn alone, no Isla draped all over her.
The new baby is currently due to be born on October 23rd (our wedding anniversary), which means that Robyn is now in her third trimester. It’s kind of crazy to think that in 3 months we will be at home with another baby, one Isla has already told us she loves. It’s really cute to see Isla asking to play with the baby, and saying that she wants to hold her on the couch. I am excited to see what life is going to be like as a family of 4, even if it means I’m going to be the only male in the house (including the 2 dogs). Who am I kidding, I love having a little girl, and I’m going to love having 2 little girls.
Here are a few photos of the family as it looks right now.
Enjoy!!!
The getting ready portion of the day managed to end up ahead of schedule which always keeps a day relaxed, not like these guys needed it. Jennie and Spencer both just seemed excited to get things going. I love that they wrote their own vows which clearly had a very personal meaning to each other. Spencer made reference to making Jennie coffee, and it was awesome when the Pastor decided to move the microphone and made a joke about Spencer making him and Jennie coffee while he walked away. It’s little moments like that which can make your ceremony more memorable.
After the ceremony we went outside of 200 year old St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Belfast, PEI, church for some refreshments. There was a small wood shingled building behind the church which Jennie loved, so we took all the family photos there and a few of the wedding party before heading to Orwell Corner Historic Village. We made one last stop for a quick photo at the Stratford Library before heading to Fox Meadow Golf Course for the reception.
If you didn’t know before the reception, you certainly knew pretty quickly that Jennie and Spencer were book people. Looking across the room you could see the tables all named after different books. The centrepieces had flowers atop piles of books, the seating plan was on library check out cards, the guest book table had a quill and inkwell, you get the point. To say guestbook isn’t quite right though, it was more of a guest Jenga set. Each guest could write their name and/or message on a Jenga block so Jennie and Spencer can play at a later date and read what everyone wrote.
Everything throughout the day, from the ceremony to the speeches, was a reinforcement of how great a fit Jennie and Spencer are for each other. You don’t need to know them, you just need to see them together to know that it’s true. That being said, here are a few photos from Jennie and Spencer’s wedding day.
Enjoy!!!
The day was Canada Day, and with the girls getting ready in a rented house on the main road going through Riverport, we were treated to a Canada Day Parade which we could watch right off the front porch. Though with so much going on inside the house, most of us were too preoccupied to see it. That being said, everything was going well and ahead of schedule.
At the church the guys were hanging out in the back room, completely relaxed and ready to get going. The ceremony was great with a lot of laughter and before we knew it, we were walking out the front door. With the sun high in the sky we were lucky to find a bit of shade beside the church for family photos, and then carried on with the wedding party to a small woodlot behind the church for some photos there.
After the wedding party was done with, Holly and John hopped in their friend’s classic Cadillac and we went to a little wooded area I had been wanting to use for photos for a while. Holly and John were awesome and walked through the mossy area, full of mosquitoes to get a few great shots. It turned out as well as I had hoped. However, at this point we were running a bit behind schedule so I booked it to St. Mark’s Place in time to catch Holly and John rolling up in their car.
Inside, the drinking had already begun and people were having a great time. St. Mark’s Place is an old church which was saved from demolition and restored as a wedding venue, so it has the character of a church with the open space to be decorated and arranged as needed. At the back of the church there was a cool setup for a guest book. Holly and John had an Instax camera and were having people take silly photos of themselves to be added to the guestbook, and in case you’re wondering, yes, I definitely took a silly faced photo for the guestbook.
With lots of laughs, and a few tears, the reception was one to be remembered. It was a fantastic way to start off the marriage of 2 great people.
Congratulations Holly & John!!!
Enjoy!!!
I met up with the girls at Christine’s parents and at 12:30 it was already very hot. The bridesmaids were glad that their dresses weren’t full length, but they were still roasting, and we hadn’t even gone outside yet. As the girls had their makeup done, Christine made sure the girls kept the mood light by suggesting it was just a regular day, nothing to get emotional about. I think it worked for the better part of the day. We did a few photos at the house before heading to Geraldo’s at LaSalle Park in Burlington.
When I arrived at Geraldo’s, the guys were all hanging out on the patio working on the age old wedding problem of how to make a heavy boutonniere stay up with only 2 pins. The guys were doing what guys do and cracking jokes from the get go. As we took a few photos in the shade, we were running ahead of schedule, and then realized the girls were already there, sitting in the limo in the parking lot. We could have gotten the ceremony started 15 minutes early if they had wanted. But it was a Friday afternoon and traffic was heavy, as you might expect, so we waited a little bit to make sure guests had time to arrive.
The ceremony was outside on the patio where it certainly felt cooler than in the direct sun, yet some people still had drops of sweat dripping from their eyes. Unless those were tears… but it was just a regular day so I’m going with sweat.
We did family photos, and then took the wedding party for a few shots before sending everyone back to get drinks. I kept Christine and Rob and we took another 15 minutes to get some pictures with the two of them. We made sure to keep that time to a minimum so they could spend as much time as possible with their friends and family. When we got back to Geraldos, Christine and Rob had their first dance on the patio, and they also had a very special moment where Rob grabbed a guitar and stepped up to the mic and sang a song to Christine. I personally thought he sounded like Eddie Vedder, but I don’t know what other people thought, maybe I’m nuts. Either way it was an awesome rendition of The Beatles’ ‘There are places I remember’.
Upstairs at dinner, they had a game to get Christine and Rob to kiss. You had to grab a name out of a cup and kiss that person. Of course, the game was rigged and Michael Rodriguez, whose name was on every piece of paper, had to kiss quite a few people, mostly men. I think Noel, the MC was to blame(credit) for the antics. Noel did an amazing job as MC and had everyone laughing, but the laughing didn’t stop with him, I don’t think I have ever laughed as hard at a wedding as I did that night. I was literally in tears laughing at different points, especially when Rob’s brothers spoke.
When it came time for Christine and Rob to speak, the tears came out again, particularly when Rob spoke about his parents and his guitar story, and when Christine spoke about her late father. There were a lot of memorable moments from the wedding day as a whole, and those speeches will stay with me for a long time.
After the dinner, Rob’s cousins got the music going and the party began. I wasn’t there late that night but I can imagine that there were a lot more stories told, and even more tears of laughter. It’s always fun to see such a good group of friends and family. They are all the kind of people you can’t help but like. I’m so glad that a mutual friend of mine and Christine’s, put my name out there to shoot their wedding, and even happier Christine and Rob let me be a part of their day.
Congratulations Christine and Rob!!!
Enjoy!!!
Hit it Cam!
My day was largely a blur to me at this point, but I specifically remember one of the girls doing Courtney’s hair telling me she loved my voice (which is ridiculous if you’ve ever spoken to me), sweating profusely as I sprinted to a 3rd floor balcony and back down to get a shot of all the guests at the wedding (myself included), the day running on ‘Jamaica time’ and my plans going out the window, and having an altogether good time. As for the wedding itself, it was beautiful with the beach and Caribbean Sea in the background as the sun made it’s way toward the horizon. Our photo session went pretty well and we did most of the photos between buildings in the complex as it offered the best light before the sun set and we were forced indoors.
I think I’ll always remember when Brandon’s boutonniere pierced Courtney’s arm and she screamed at first and then they both laughed when they realized what had happened, and how we saw a big crab by the pool and a local guy just picked it up like it was nothing, not something I’d do. The dancing portion of the night took place at the disco and I specifically recall “Sudbury Saturday Night” being the biggest hit of the evening with Courtney’s family being from just outside of Sudbury. The night ended for us all hanging out on the patio like we were just on vacation together. We had the whole immediate family there, something we’ve never done outside of camping as kids, so that was really nice and certainly adds to the whole experience and memory.
The next morning we did a day after session and at one point Courtney climbed up a lifeguard tower and Brandon joked that she was like Rumpelstiltskin, to which Courtney corrected him and said Rapunzel, I really didn’t know what they were talking about, but it made them laugh, so that was good for photos. Little did I know back then that I would have a daughter today whose favourite Disney princess is Rapunzel.
Shooting my first wedding in Jamaica was huge in helping me build my business. Sometimes it just takes the right person to take a chance on you and while those clients aren’t the right fit for me anymore, I know that there are plenty of talented photographers out there right now just looking for their break, Brandon and Courtney were my break, and I can’t thank them enough for that.
Here we go, 7 years ago today, a few images from my first wedding (re-edited)
Enjoy!!!
Ashley and Catlin’s ceremony was a 7:00 start and when Ashley walked down the aisle and stood with Catlin, he set the tone pretty quickly with a “hello beautiful”. It was a good way to remove some of the stiffness that can be felt at times during what’s typically the most formal part of a wedding day. The whole ceremony was great with a few comments interjected here and there, keeping the mood light with lots of laughter. That, and the fact that Ashley and Catlin walked up the aisle before the paperwork was signed, made for a memorable ceremony. Hey, sometimes you’re just excited to get on with the rest of the day :)
After the ceremony we went over to the Public Gardens for family photos, only to find that the gates had just been closed. We decided to take the photos in front of the main gates and then we sent the family inside before crossing the street to another park for some wedding party shots. We did a few photos there and then piled into a cab and went up to the Citadel for a bit of a different look.
With the photos all done with, all that remained was some dinner and drinks. The evening wrapped up promptly at 10:00 as Ashley, Catlin and a number of their friends and family had to leave for the airport at 3:00am to go to Cuba for wedding part 2 as they’ll be having another ceremony down on the beach in Varadero. I’m sure when they had planned both weddings they would have imagined the Cuban part would have been the one with the nicer weather, but the Halifax portion was on the nicest day of the year so far and will certainly give Cuba a run for its money on the weather front. Judging by all the good people I met at Ashley and Catlin’s wedding, I’m sure they’re going to have a great time down south.
Congratulations Ashley & Catlin!!!
Enjoy!!!
A little about the league, it’s a draft league, so each year, the captains get together and draft new rosters. It’s a nice way to do it as there should be some league parity, and you’re likely to be a little better behaved as any other player in the league could be your teammate next year. This works pretty well for the captains with regards to picking the players who have played, but when it comes to the rookies, there can be some wild cards. I’ve gotta give credit to my captain Mike Pappas who did his homework on potential picks (read *facebook stalked*) and drafted like the Detroit Red Wings.
When the season started it was kind of weird for me to be in a room where I didn’t know a single guy, and I know it’s a cliche but we really came together as a team throughout the course of the year. When only lost 7 games all year through the regular season and playoffs, and while we weren’t the highest scoring, nor were we best defensively, we managed to find ways to battle through tough opponents, like the Phantoms in the finals for example.
In game 2 of the best of 3 series with us up a game already, we got down early and the mood on the bench was still good, we knew we had the ability to come back. We got down another goal and Aaron beside me said “we’ve still got this guys, just keep going hard” with no panic in his voice. We’d been through it before and come out on top, so we started battling back. I can’t remember which Ferg it was, but I think Aaron put my rebound in the back of the net and the momentum shifted, the smiles weren’t as big on the other team’s faces. Our goalie Matty MacKenzie came up absolutely huge, even stopping one with his back in a crazy reflex save, he was our MVP all year, the best goalie in the league. Later, own 3-2 I scored one of my favourite goals of the season when I batted a puck in out of the air on the backhand, I waited for it to drop below the crossbar but I was still worried it was going to be called a high stick, but it wasn’t. Unfortunately the tie only lasted 20 seconds when their (and the league’s) top player Kyle Miller scored a beauty. They say the shift after a goal is an important one and we blew it on this occasion.
With only a few minutes left in the game I got my second goal of the game, another one out of the air (both from O’Connor), to tie things up, I was pretty pumped. I really wanted to score the hat trick to win the game, but instead, with just 6 seconds left in regulation I took a stupid penalty. I figured it wasn’t a huge deal until regulation time ended and I learned that we weren’t going to a shootout like we did in the regular season and the other rounds of the playoffs, but would be going to overtime instead. Thankfully my teammates bailed me out with an awesome penalty kill. I think they only got one shot on net against us during my 2 minutes in the box.
Our first overtime, played at 5 on 5, came to an end with no result so we went to a second overtime at 4 on 4. We were just wrapping up another awesome penalty kill when we had a bit of a mixup at the bench. My linemate Brad was sitting on the boards waiting to start his shift when one of our D accidentally hopped on the ice, so Brad waited, but the defenceman came back off as the puck went into our zone. A couple of us noticed that we only had 3 men on the ice and Brad hopped over the boards just as Theron got the puck. Theron, who admitted he was gassed and would have normally taken his time, maybe made a move or two, looked up and saw Brad flying down ice, and laid down a perfect backhand saucer pass to Brad, just inches out of the reach of their last man back, for the breakaway. Our entire bench got to our feet as we knew the right guy had the puck on his stick and with a classic forehand backhand move, he slid the puck 5-hole for the win. It was nice to win, but it was even better to win it in such dramatic fashion.
What a way to finish off a great season with a great group of guys. It’s kind of bittersweet knowing that most of the guys will be on different teams next year. I’d love to play with this team again. I know that each and every one would have my back in a heartbeat. I know because of the numerous times we all backed each other up, from Brad taking out a guy who drilled me after a goal, to Healy sticking up for Erv last night when Erv got drilled from behind and injured his shoulder, knowing full well he’d be spending time in the box. That’s just the kind of thing you do when you care about the guy sitting next to you in the dressing room. As we all soaked in the victory in the dressing room after the game, what I saw was much of what I had seen all year; a group of guys with smiles on their faces, having a good time, except this time there was champagne.
Great year boys!
(some photos contributed by Gord Mundle of Ice Men Atlantic Hockey)
We met up at Shubie Park in Dartmouth a day after a snowfall which gave us the perfect conditions for this winter maternity session. Ashley had special ordered a maternity dress for our session and the red was an ideal contrast to the colours of the forest and she looked amazing, so that certainly didn’t hurt, but you can see that for yourselves in the photos below. We’re getting pretty close to their little one arriving, and I hope they have a happy, healthy baby, and while we’re at it, one that sleeps well too and to achieve that their parents should follow the best tips from 10naturalhomeremedies.com.
Congratulations Ashley and James!
Enjoy!!!
When I got together with Amanda and Alex for their engagement photos in the fall, it was a fairly chilly day and we even had a couple flurries. I remember mentioning at the time that while it sure felt cold then, it was probably going to feel balmy compared to the wedding day. But what really felt balmy was Amanda’s mom’s house where the girls were getting ready. When I got there it felt like they were mentally trying to trick themselves into believing it was warmer outside than it was. The girls all seemed nice and relaxed, so I guess it was working, at least until we went outside for a photo and reality set in.
When I met up with the guys, they were just as relaxed as the girls, though I think they were looking forward to the part of the day where drinks were involved. They wouldn’t have to wait long. The ceremony was short and sweet and then we took all 14 members of the wedding party outside where I was cold in my winter coat, so I can imagine how the girls felt in their dresses. As a saving grace, Amanda had gotten them all white scarves for the day and they definitely got use out of them. I did my best to limit the time spent outside with the wedding party before releasing them in the direction of the bar. I couldn’t let Amanda and Alex off the hook so easily though.
Before the wedding I did some location scouting and found a couple of locations nearby which I felt would work with the weather we had, snow on the ground and the cold temperatures. When it came time to head out, I kept my car running and we did mini sessions outside before warming back up in the car and repeating the process. I think we managed to get some great photos with limited time and we all went back to the reception happy.
We saw some really good speeches at the reception, some were more emotional, some were funny, some had excellent puns (I love a good pun, so bonus points there), but the best part was just seeing how Amanda and Alex looked at each other. These are 2 people who are clearly in love and I think if you’re getting married on Valentine’s Day, you’ve got something to live up to, but after seeing these two together, I think we’ve all got something to live up to.
Congratulations Amanda and Alex!
Enjoy!!!
2015 was also the first year I was both shooting weddings and watching my daughter during the week. It was a hell of a learning curve, but it forced me to find and remove inefficiencies in my workflow, a trend I hope to continue in 2016. I have a very busy summer ahead of me with weddings already booked on most weekends from June to October (though still a bit of availability).
What will my photos look like in 2016? I have no idea, but that’s what makes being a photographer fun. I’m looking forward to all the new people, the new places, and the new ideas that will come out of the combination of the two. I have 366 days to do whatever I can to make 2016’s year end better than this one, and that’s one of my goals for the next year. Until then, here’s a look at my favourite photos from 2015:
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
From my family to yours, Robyn, Isla, and I, want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Hopefully you’re able to share the holidays with family, and that you have some time off to watch some World Juniors too ;) Go Canada Go!
Getting Isla to stay seated on the little stool proved to be rather difficult. She wanted to get up, and when she didn’t want to get up, she wanted to play with the background, and I think we picked up the little wood trees 20 times. Eventually we bribed her with goldfish crackers. We had tried so many things before the bribery stage, from acting like idiots, to holding the dogs above our heads, to letting her hold her favourite nutcracker, whom she has dubbed simply ‘man’. The final image we ended up with came when I asked her if she wanted a goldfish and she got excited. Everyone tells me that she looks 100% like me in this photo, so that must be why I think she looks so damn cute.
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It was around this time last year that Scott told me he and Kate were going to New York City for New Year’s. Scott is a Rangers fan (I try not to hold that against him), so NYC was an obvious choice of a place to go for someone that likes the city and one of their biggest teams, but I had a feeling there were ulterior motives to his trip, so I asked him if he was going to propose. He seemed a little surprised that I guessed it, but that was exactly his plan. I watched Facebook for the announcement, and just after New Year’s it showed up. Scott had managed to get someone to capture the moment for them, and knowing that Kate’s in to photography, it was great to see that moment captured in a photo to help them remember that special day.
After their engagement Scott mentioned that they would likely do a destination wedding and I of course, expressed an interest in being their photographer if they wanted me. A month or so later were playing pond hockey out behind their house and we did an impromptu engagement shoot with them both on the ice. It was just a few photos but one of them was one of my favourite engagement photos ever. Fast forward a few months and it seemed like no time passed from that day on the pond to when we were waking up early on a Saturday morning in November to catch the first of two flights to get to Montego Bay for their wedding.
Alright, now about the journey to Jamaica; I will spare most of the details for another time but I’ll give you the key points. We left around 8am and got to Toronto without much of an issue, but when we arrived we learned that there was a mechanical problem and they needed to get us a new flight, so instead of waiting in the terminal for 3 hours, we were looking at 7. For those of us with kids, those 7 hours felt as long as the life age of the Earth. We finally departed and were on our way to Montego Bay. On our final approach we started our descent and then out of nowhere the pilot pulled up pretty hard. We had no idea why, but were quickly informed that the plane in front of us in the queue had become disabled on the runway as its brakes locked. We’re sitting there picturing things running on Jamaica time and that plane taking 2 days to be moved. Our flight made the short jaunt to Kingston to refuel which was another hour and a half or so on the ground there. We eventually did make it to Montego Bay, our destination in Jamaica, but then we had to go through immigration. Due to an incident on the plane with a sick baby, Robyn, Isla, and I were the last ones off the flight and the last ones in that immigration line which took at least an hour, probably more. Our entire group was stuck waiting for us in the bus while we were in line.
It was almost midnight, I had been up for nearly 24 hours due to Isla being Isla the night before, and there was no more welcoming sight than that of the Iberostar Rose Hall at that time. For the first time in her life, Isla slept through the night that first night and I got to sleep in until 9:00. It was a great start to our stay in Jamaica after a terrible travel day. Things were looking up.
Scott and Kate did a great job of coordinating things for the week including a welcome dinner for all 33 of us on our first night so we all could get to know each other, a catamaran trip, a journey to the Luminous Lagoon, among other things. On our first few days at the resort, I was trying to get an idea for some photo locations at the time we would be taking photos, but it seemed to rain every day at 4:00, exactly when their wedding was planned to take place on the beach. There was a backup location indoors, but the beach was a much better option.
The resort was beautiful, and massive. The Iberostar has 3 sections, one which is just for couples and we weren’t allowed to go to, ours which was called ‘Suites’ and one which was more family oriented called ‘Beaches’. We were allowed to go to Suites and Beaches and use any of their restaurants and facilities if we wanted, which was great for photos as Beaches had more foliage and a pier which gave us a couple more options for photo locations.
We all got into the groove of things with everyone enjoying things at a different pace, but we all seemed to base our days around the pool. The ocean was a little rough for the first few days, so the pool was the perfect place for all the kids to swim safely, and let’s face it, that pool bar was pretty convenient. It was great for us to get to know everyone at the poolside, and for our daughter to play with the older kids.
One of the best things about the wedding week was that Kate’s parents and best friend were able to make it from Russia. There was some concern from the get go that her parents might not be able to come at all, and when they were finally able to confirm their attendance, Lufthansa went on strike and they had to book alternate tickets to get from Saint Petersburg to Frankfurt to get around that. It was a stressful time for Kate, but it all worked out. Kate’s mom only spoke a tiny bit of English, and her father spoke none, but they seemed to have a great time regardless. Kate’s dad seemed like a funny guy, and while I couldn’t understand what he was saying, he had a way of getting his point across. He even nearly won an arm wrestling competition with the Jamaican entertainment staff referring to him as ‘sexy papi’.
When the wedding day finally arrived, the weather was calling for a bit of rain again, but it passed right by and we had a gorgeous day. As is the custom in Jamaica, the ceremony was a bit behind schedule, but it didn’t matter (no problem…right?). Kate’s friend Jane skipped down the aisle as she had done through puddles at the rehearsal the night before, much to the delight of everyone watching. I was happy to learn that the videographer captured that moment.
As Kate walked down the aisle with her father, I saw more than a couple of tears running down faces (Alan, Jean I’m looking at you) and Scott was pretty close himself. The ceremony went off without a hitch and then Scott and Kate had a long first kiss which is great for a photographer (take note future brides and grooms). After a little champagne and hugs it was time for some photos. The videographer had first crack and had them do a few things I was going to ask of them anyways, so I captured the moments he had setup, he then recorded some of the poses I setup as we worked together to get Scott and Kate the results they were looking for.
With the family photos finished, we sent them along for some drinks as the 3 of us went off for a few photos before the sun set, then a few more after. Back inside, we went for dinner at one of the restaurants (Calabash) and for the first time all week, my daughter actually made it through the end of the meal without needing to go to bed. She also fist bumped with Scott for the first time. Scott had been working on her the whole week, so it was pretty cool to see him finally get one at his wedding.
I didn’t personally see it happen, but I know one of the highlights of the evening for Scott was seeing Jane’s son Igor run full tilt past the cake table without any regard for the cake, only to slam on the brakes on his return run and stick 3 fingers right in the back. That’s the kind of people Scott and Kate are, they don’t get upset at things like that, they laugh along. On top of their cake was an awesome little detail, they had a bride and groom hockey player cake topper painted up to have the groom wearing a Team Canada jersey, and the bride wearing a Team Russia jersey. On the puck was the year 2015, and the backs of the jerseys had the 11, and 18 for the date.
The dinner was nice, and after it wrapped up, we went to the beach for some more photos. I had heard that there was a family bonfire going on and I wanted to make use of it for photos so we setup by the fire. I had Scott’s best man Greg, and Greg’s wife Erin, throw some sand from off camera as I lit Scott and Kate from behind which made a cool effect. It was something I had never done before, so I’m glad it turned out so well. We then tried a few shots with glow sticks in the place of sparklers as sparklers weren’t available.
We found everyone inside having a drink and joined in casually hanging out, drinking, and chatting until the disco opened up at 10:00. As we made our way to the disco, we walked by the room with ‘Miss Iberostar’ going on. There were a couple of the girls on stage performing a dance routine with about 30 other people and the staff invited Scott and Kate up to join them, which they did, and they danced the Nae Nae. Scott was really into it. I think he practiced the night before or something.
Down to the disco we went where Scott had the DJ reluctantly play a song for his and Kate’s first dance as we were basically the only ones there, and no-one was on the dance floor yet. The DJ then proceeded to remix the song and throw a few grunts in there for good measure. We all really wish the videographer was there for that one. At about midnight we called it a night, we had plans to get up early the next morning after all.
Day 2
I met Scott and Kate by the pool just after sunrise and we walked around the resort with almost no-one else around except for the guys in the water trying to sell you trinkets and whatnot. We got some great photos and before we knew it, it was getting close to the time for our bus to arrive. Scott and Kate had a bus booked for a couple of hours to go take some family photos and some of Scott and Kate in another location.
We first went to the old aqueduct by the Hilton resort. The gate was closed and it said no trespassing. The driver seemed to not want to open the gate, so I got out and did it, and we went in without issue. It was cool to see an old historical ruin with the palm trees in the background, certainly not what most expect of Jamaica. It was only about 10am, but it was getting hot, and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, Scott was in a dark suit. We dropped some of the crew off back at the hotel and we made tracks for Falmouth. Falmouth isn’t a big town, but there’s at least one cool building for photos that we found. We walked around the centre of town making a couple of stops for photos, but it was really just nice to see something other than the resort. There were 2 big cruise ships in port so the cops were out in full force, and I didn’t feel unsafe at any point, even with all my gear on me.
After Falmouth, I asked the driver if he knew of any cool spots which were a little more shaded, and he took us to a spot near the Martha Brae river where we found a roadway with huge trees overhanging the roadway. It was a bit of a busy road, but we got a few photos before calling it a day and heading back to the resort.
The next couple of days were spent relaxing as much as possible, and enjoying the vacation. I am so happy for Scott and Kate, they had a great wedding, and will have an even better marriage. They were so considerate of everyone else’s needs the whole time we were there. It’s always nice to see a great couple getting married, but it’s even better when those people are your good friends.
I wish you two all the best in the future, and I look forward to spending more time with you guys as the years go on.
Congratulations Scott and Kate!!!
Here’s a look at John and Holly’s engagement session;
Enjoy!!!
We walked through the park, making stops along the way to the waterfall, which we weren’t expecting to be raging judging by how quiet the stream was. Unfortunately the waterfall didn’t surprise us, but you know what did? The pair of deer we encountered on our walk back down the path. They were pretty calm with us being so close, and while we didn’t try to get right up beside them or anything, but I did manage to capture one photo with the deer in the background, and it was nice to see the deer just going about their business peacefully.
By the end of our session we all had gotten a bit of a chill, especially Maisie who was shivering. Don’t worry, we didn’t keep her out the whole time. Alex’s mom was kind enough to come along and puppy sit, and took her to the car to warm up when she started getting chilly. It’s definitely a good idea to have someone come along to watch your dog if you’re planning on having a dog as a part of your photo session, so it was good thinking on the part of Amanda and Alex.
Here’s a little look at our time at Victoria Park in Truro. It’s not long now to their big day and I’m sure that February day will make this October one look like summer.
Enjoy!!!
We took her outside to take a couple of photos with her matching pumpkins and she was good for a few minutes (with Rice Krispie square incentives), and then she was on the move. I wanted to take her back inside to warm up before heading down the street but she loves being outside so she just wanted to go. I put the pumpkins back on the step and my light back inside and caught up with Isla and Robyn walking down the sidewalk.
We tried to go to our next door neighbour’s house but Isla was not having any of it. It took her 3 attempts to get her to go to someone’s house, and when she finally did they had the perfect treat to get her into the groove. One of the treats was a small box of Smarties. Now, we obviously aren’t going to let her eat those right now with so few teeth and the choking hazard they present, but those little boxes make for great rattles. Isla held boxes of Smarties in her hands the entire time we went around the neighbourhood.
Since we walk our dogs around our block, we know a few people whom we speak with, or at least acknowledge on a regular basis, so we wanted to make sure Isla got to visit all of those houses, probably about 7 or 8, but I think we ended up going to more than double that. She was just having so much fun, she loves people. Since Isla can’t say “Trick or Treat” (despite a few close attempts), we were asking her to say hi, and then blow a kiss and say bye when we were done.
Isla actually managed to end up with the majority of her candy being things she can eat, so Robyn and I won’t be able to gorge ourselves on her spoils after all. 2 houses actually gave her books which is awesome. One of our neighbours had a teal pumpkin which indicated that the house has non food treats, a great help for kids with food allergies who may have felt left out in the past. I think its something I would like to participate in the future, but I hadn’t heard about it until last night.
As we got home after a great evening, Isla had freezing cold hands and a red nose, but she wanted no part in going back inside. As a kid who used to run between houses and collect enough candy to last to February (not kidding), I look forward to the days when we can let Isla stay out as long as she would like and we get to see the joy on her face as she swims Scrooge McDuck styles through a mountain of candy. If we’re lucky, she won’t like Caramilk bars and she’ll let her daddy eat all of those, and Kit Kat bars for her mummy, but if not, I guess I’ll have to be her candy tester and make sure they’re safe ;).
Here are some photos from Isla’s first ‘Real’ Halloween.
Enjoy!!!
Having only had a chance to meet Amanda at the wedding show, and not meeting Scott at that point, I made sure to add her to Facebook so I could figure out who her fiance was, and maybe a little about the two of them in general. That’s when I learned that Amanda was a singer, and Scott was the lead guitarist in her band. Her Band’s site is HERE & Facebook page is HERE, go check them out.
Learning about this part of their lives was getting my hopes up about the wedding. The Hubbards Barn has a little stage and I thought it would be awesome if they performed at their own wedding. I was going to have to wait a long while before learning the answer to that question though.
On the wedding day, I met up with Scott and his guys at Rosewood on the Cove Cottages in Hubbards, a place that I will keep in mind the next time I need to find a photo location in the area. We didn’t spend too much time there as I needed to go see Amanda, and the guys needed to get to the Church.
Amanda was at her mom’s house in East River and she was just about ready to go, save for a few finishing details like a can or two of hairspray and some minor dress adjustments. Her uncle arrived in a Camero to pick her up, and we were then on our way to the Aenon Baptist Church in Chester Basin for the ceremony. It was Amanda’s grandmother who actually married Scott and Amanda, not something most couples are able to have done, so that was a great personal touch. The ceremony ended and the church bells rang out as the wedding party exited the church and got ready for the receiving line. During that time I noticed that the light coming through the trees was perfect for photos, so I decided we would be best suited to taking some photos out behind the church, even if that meant shooting in a graveyard.
As we wrapped up the photos at the church, I asked Scott to move his Corvette into the parking lot so I could get a photo of him and Amanda in the car without trees reflecting on the front window. I moved my bag to the front steps of the church and took a few photos in the middle of the parking lot before waving Amanda and Scott on their way. I didn’t want to be getting to the venue too far behind them, so I quickly got in my car and on the road to the Hubbards Barn. I caught up (going not a kilometre over the speed limit of course), and when we arrived at the barn, I grabbed my camera and realized that I had forgotten my bag. Like and idiot. I’ll admit, I was freaking out a little on the inside, not because I was worried about my camera gear going missing, but because I only had one flash, and one set of batteries for it in my backup bag, an no extra camera battery, the bulk of my batteries are on me at all times, well, unless I forget my bag. I’ll be making a few adjustments in the future. I was fortunate that one of the bridesmaids got her father to drive back to the church (about 15 minutes away), and he found the bag there with everything still inside. That man is my hero, sorry Mario Lemieux, but for one day, you have to step aside.
So, heart attack averted, the reception continued in the beautifully decorated barn. Amanda and Scott had about 40 friends and family go into the barn at 1:00 on that day, and in about an hour, they set everything up and did a wonderful job. You know you have a good group of friends when they all pitch in like that.
After the dinner and speeches, we made our way to the dance floor for a few dances, and then we were lucky enough to have Amanda and Scott get up on stage with their band to sing some songs. I thought they sounded great, and while I didn’t know all their songs, I could tell everyone else did. Some people might find it odd that they would want to get up there on their own wedding day, but I figure that when it’s something you love, it’s just a part of who you are, so it just makes sense to me. This is of course coming from a guy who took photos at his own wedding.
As the night went on, the entertainment switched back to recorded music for a while, and then we got to hear them play live again, this time with some former band members too, and Amanda’s brother Jordan even stepped up to the plate and belted out a song. I was quite impressed with his singing, I would have thought he was in a band too. The whole evening was some of the best entertainment I’ve seen at a wedding (just ask Amanda’s mother about how her speech started), and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day (bag fiasco aside). Have a look for yourself below for the first time, or relive it if you were there. Hopefully someone got some good videos of all the performances. If you did, and you’ve posted it online, share it in the comments section below, I’m sure everyone would love to see it.
Enjoy!!!
St. George’s is such a beautiful church, I love the large paintings and the ornate carved wood altar, not to mention the huge gold chandeliers. The hour long ceremony flew by, and felt to me like only half of that. As Tony and Lyndsy came down the front steps of the church, their guests showered them in flower petals.
After their flower shower, we took off to the Heart Shaped Pond at Hemlock Ravine Park. We took care of all the photos there with a small group of family, and the wedding party. We made sure the wedding party’s commitment was short so they could get back to drinking. We took a little walk with Tony and Lyndsy and took their photos, wrapping up ahead of schedule.
The reception was underneath the church in the Greek Community Centre, and it was beautifully decorated. I can’t imagine how much work went into getting that room together, it’s a good thing they have a lot of great friends who were there to help. One of those friends let all the guests in on a little secret during his speech. We discovered from JP, that he and Tony used to break dance together. As someone who loves watching break dancers (with no talent of my own), I got my hopes up that we might see some moves later in the evening, but that would have to wait.
After the dinner and speeches, they got into the traditional Greek dances. It was great to see so many people get up on the dance floor. I couldn’t tell you the dance moves during that first dance, but I know it basically turned into a spiral of people, and I spun in a circle taking photos until I nearly fell over from being dizzy.
It was a bit later in the night that we all finally got to see it. JP went over to Tony, took his feet and physically put his dancing shoes on for him. Then, it was break dancing time. Tony said it had been about 15 years, but he still had some pretty good moves, and it didn’t matter how good they were, we all appreciated seeing him out there giving it a go, and he and JP gave us all a good show with their dance off. I wish there was dancing like that at every wedding, you can’t help but be in a dancing mood after seeing that.
I had a great time being there to capture the celebrations at Lyndsy and Tony’s wedding, it was a beautiful and fun day.
Have a look at what transpired;
Enjoy!!!
With their wedding being at White Point, far away from any strict church rules, Shawnee and John were in charge of their wedding day and chose a 5:00 ceremony time. I love ceremonies that take place later in the day, the light is just so much more pleasing, and it makes finding shade to shoot in that much easier as the shadows are longer. With John and his groomsmen Matt both being talented photographers themselves, I’m sure it was a no brainer to have the ceremony at 5:00. Though with the sun in Shawnee’s eyes during the ceremony, I’m sure she felt indifferent to the time of day at that point. At least she had a much taller John blocking some of that sun at times to keep her from being blinded.
The ceremony was held on the lawn by the main lodge, and from there we went off for photos, family ones first so they could go relax, and then on to the wedding party. We found a little shaded spot in some trees and made good use of it. We finished up in that location and I sent everyone by John and Shawnee back to the lodge. Matt stayed too as he was doing double duty as the M.C. and wanted to iron out some details while we walked (he did a great job throughout the evening). We would be remiss to be at White Point Beach Resort and not use the beach itself, so we made our way to the reception along the beach, stopping in a few places for photos. Shawnee and John were both so incredibly easy going, and easy to work with. I think it helps to have been behind the camera and really understand what goes into that.
The reception was beautifully decorated with each table being named after one of their favourite songs. I was at “All You Need is Love” by The Beatles. They had one hell of a candy bar and I may have helped myself to a few candies throughout the night, especially the watermelon slices. Beside their seating chart, which was adorned with peacock feathers, was a table with a couple of John’s vintage cameras (so jealous of them, would love to have those in my collection), and on that table was an awesome guest book. They had a Fuji Instamax camera (think Polaroid) and a photo album. Each guest was able to take a photo and then grab a piece of paper and leave a note for the couple. They actually had this setup outside at the ceremony for guests to start on as we went for pictures, a nice way to keep people entertained. I think it will be a great way for them to look back at who was at their wedding for years to come.
There weren’t a ton of speeches, but they were all good (and nicely spread out), even those who claimed their public speaking abilities weren’t very up to snuff. I stole the happy couple away during dinner when I noticed a bit of a sunset and we went down to the beach. When we got there, the sunset got so much better than it looked like was going to be, and I’m sl glad they were willing to come outside, Shawnee even got her dress wet to get the shot we were trying for. The dinner turned to dancing, and John and Shawnee actually DJ’d their own wedding, something I can relate to as my wife and I did the same thing 5 years ago at our wedding with one major difference. While the first set of music was just a mix of songs, more geared to the older crowd, the second set was done by John to be more like remixes, I’m not sure of my terminology there, but he blended songs together and had good transitions, so whatever you call that. It got a lot of the younger guests up dancing and staying on the dance floor. It also helped that Shawnee’s brother liked to go around and collect people to get them to dance.
When I left just before midnight, Shawnee had changed into her party dress for maximum dance-ability, and the dance floor was rocking. I don’t know how late into the night they carried on, but I feel they likely had to be told to turn the music off. I think everyone had a great time and really enjoyed celebrating with John and Shawnee. I know I enjoyed shooting the wedding of a photographer, and having a few people there I could talk photography with, I actually think I learned a thing or two even.
Here’s a look at the day Shawnee and John celebrated with their family and closest friends;
Enjoy!!!
The ceremony was at Saint Mary’s Cathedral Basilica on Spring Garden Rd., which is a beautiful old church. The ceremony was full of nice readings, some singing, and a whole lot of quick amens. We went to the Public Gardens for photos after the ceremony. We managed to get through all the family photos quickly, then the wedding party, and then Amanda, Morgan, and I went for a walk, just the 3 of us. We didn’t have much of a crowd at the gardens that day, so we were able to get to a bunch of locations and get the photos we wanted ahead of schedule. Amanda and Morgan decided to have some down time at their hotel so I went to Pier 21.
This was the first time I had seen the newly renovated Pier 21, and it was quite nice. I do miss all the flags they had hanging in their hall, but I understand that’s not to everyone’s taste, so I’ll let it slide. One thing I do really like about Pier 21 is that the wedding party sits up on the stage which means clear sight lines for us photographers during the dinner and speeches. This was the second wedding I’d shot at Pier 21, and it also marked the 2nd time I had heard bridesmaids sing part of their speech. I don’t know if it’s the venue that inspires bridesmaids to sing or not, but either way, it was fun.
Amanda and Morgan’s first dance was no walk in the park, or 2 step shuffle (as I like to call the typical dance where you stand in one place and basically rotate in a circle). They had a full on choreographed routine for their first waltz. I suspect having to perform like that in front of friends and family may have led to the decision to have a complimentary Whiskey bar for their guests. I don’t drink, but I think I might have wanted one if I had to dance like that.
My night was done not long after the first dance, but I still got a few shots of people letting loose on the dance floor. I do love a nice and full dance floor, and it was getting busier as the night went on, after all, the whole day was like an unending crescendo. Here’s a look at Amanda and Morgan’s day;
Enjoy!!!
When I got to see Laurie, she didn’t seem to have an ounce of anxiety about the day, she was that happy, smiling, exuberant person I think her family and friends always know her to be. Talking to her, she was just so excited to be marrying Philip that she could barely contain herself. That is NOT the reason her wedding dress wouldn’t close though. A metal eyelet at the top of the back of her dress was broken before she even put it on. Luckily, right next door was a perfect solution. Her neighbour actually works on wedding dresses, so she popped over and fixed the dress in about a minute. I think we spent longer brainstorming ways to fix the dress than she actually took to fix it, and it was done better than the original.
With a mini crisis averted, we went over to the church for the ceremony. The day was a hot one, and that church was like an oven inside. I could see sweat dripping down Philip’s neck from the back of the church, yet when Laurie made her appearance at the end of the aisle, it was tears, not sweat which rolled down Philip’s face. I swear, these two are just so in love, it’s awesome to see, you’d never question of they had found the right person for each other.
I think half of the guests had heat stroke, but the ceremony was beautiful with some friends adding music to up their ceremony game to another level. I particularly liked the Jason Mraz ‘A World With You’ that was sung. As we stepped outside, I think the temperature felt about 15° cooler, and it was glorious. We powered through some family photos and then hopped on the limo bus from limo services by Ultimate Town Car for our photo excursion, finally the airport transfer bangkok was successful.
Our first stop was a canola field where just Laurie and Philip (and a helper or two) jumped out with me for some photos. I wanted a bit of a higher angle so I ran back to the bus and grabbed a cooler to stand on. I love the yellow of the canola fields on PEI. It wasn’t far up the road that we found our second photo location. It was a red dirt road at the top of a steep hill. I think we all had visions of the wedding party hopping out to push the bus up the hill, but it slowly managed to make it to the top. I really liked the tunnel like feel we had on that road, it reminded me of Andrew and Ciara’s wedding I shot in Ireland 2 years ago.
Our next stop took us to the beach where Philip and Laurie had done a little leg work the week before. They had found a house which had a staircase down to the beach to save a lot of walking down the beach to a good location. They left a note at the house asking if they could use the stairs, and the homeowners called them back to say it was alright. We got a little lucky at the beach as there weren’t as many people there as normal, and the sun had a bit of light cloud come in to cover it. The family photos were done without shoes. That would be a first in my experience, I’ve never had to remind someone to remove their flip flops. Sunglasses for sure, but never footwear.
I sent everyone but Philip and Laurie back to the bus and we hung around for a few photos of the two of them. The girls from Tiny Town Media, who did the videography, did a few setups as well, and we all got some good images. Back in the bus, I think it would be appropriate to call it a party bus, rather than a limo bus, as loud music and dancing were complemented by champagne and beer. We got back to the reception a little late, but no-one seemed concerned, and it didn’t matter, the dinner never starts without the bride and groom.
After a little mingling, we arranged everyone outside in front of the ‘Shipyard’ where the reception was being held, for a group photo. Then we sent all the guests inside to get the dinner underway. During dinner, they had a game setup to make Philip and Laurie kiss because, you know, everyone finds clinking the glasses obnoxious. The game they had was a custom Plinko game (like from ‘The Price is Right’) with various types of requirements at the bottom such as ‘show us’ where the guests needed to show the couple how to kiss.
The dinner ended with some speeches with some great stories, some emotional, some funny (hilarious) and that was followed up by a cool video. A request was sent out to some of the guests at the wedding, for marriage advice. I think they said they wound up with hours of footage, but they edited it down to under 10 minutes and Surprised Philip and Laurie with the footage. After that all wrapped up, we got down to the dancing. The dance floor filled up immediately and was still full when I left.
The day was beautiful and Philip and Laurie were surrounded by the best people to celebrate their day. So many laughs, so many tears, so much love, would be the best way to sum everything up. I hope at least some of that shows through in the photos.
Enjoy!!!
Their entire wedding day took place at Centre Goeland near Wellington, PEI, just west of Summerside. The ceremony was held at the water’s edge, and off in the distance, there was a thunderstorm visible. I actually saw a couple fork lightning strikes during the ceremony. I wish I could say I got a photo of them, but that’s not an easy task, especially when they were so far to the right of the ceremony, and not really in my frame.
As the ceremony ended, Tayla’s bridesmaids were encouraging her and Jon to hurry up. They had felt rain drops and didn’t want Tayla and Jon to get stuck in the rain. Well, we got into the path that goes through the forest from the ocean to Centre Goeland, and there was at least a little shelter as the rain started falling. We pushed through a bit of rain for photos and we all got a little wet. When the rain picked up we made our way back inside and I asked someone to bring some umbrellas for Tayla and Jon. I took some photos as they walked back inside and someone stopped us before we got all the way back. They had a purple (pink?) umbrella which matched Tayla’s dress and sparkly Converse, perfectly, so I had to get some photos.
Back inside for their reception, Tayla and Jon had things decorated with their personal touch. They are a bit on the geek side of things, and incorporated that part of their lives into their wedding day. Each table had jars with little scenes inside, like a mini diorama with things like Star Wars Lego, and Dr. Who characters. A few other Dr. Who references included a TARDIS gift box, sonic screwdrivers in all the girls bouquets, a bride coming out of the TARDIS on top of the cake, and more. Tayla had the Evenstar necklace from Lord of the Rings, and those details suited Tayla and Jon just right.
While they held the traditional first dances, this was not a dancing wedding, and after the dances were done, the games started. There were board and card games inside, and things like Bacci Ball, and horseshoes, outside. I may have played and failed at a little poker myself (got schooled by some 12 year olds, we play for free, don’t you worry).
I went outside and found the sky and clouds were a colour I had never seen before, an incredible blue and purple. The rain had primarily subsided until they tried to start the bonfire, so it wasn’t looking good that we were even going to have one, but they managed to get it going, and it was a good fire. I took a few photos before setting my camera up on a tripod to make a timelapse and joining in with the bonfire. The lightning continued off in the distance, but the rain stopped, and we had the perfect end to a great day.
Here’s a look at Tayla and Jon’s day;
Enjoy!!!
That brings us to Cheticamp Island on a hot, bright, hot, sunny, and hot, day. They rented a house right on the water and invited their family and closest friends, and for these two, that meant quite a few friends. Everything was held outside, so while it was indeed rather warm on that day, it was much preferred to a rainy day which would have made things infinitely more difficult.
With the ceremony outside and about a 500 metre walk from the house, the vast majority of guests made the trek by foot, while a handful of older guests were given drives. Having everyone walk together to the ceremony felt different than any wedding I’ve ever been to before. There was a certain sense of unity, like we were all in it together. When we got to a isolated part on the path, Asheton and her mother, along with her bridesmaids, stopped and waited for everyone to get the rest of the way to the ceremony spot at the edge of the cliff. As they waited, Asheton seemed a bit nervous about being the centre of attention, and the girls all went in for a group hug to gather themselves. Asheton’s mother left first, followed by the bridesmaids, and with the change of tune by the bagpiper, Asheton made the solo walk about 100 metres before meeting up with her father to walk the last stretch together. Gavin had a huge smile on his face seeing Asheton in her dress for the first time. As you’ll see in the pictures below, she looked gorgeous.
Their ceremony was presided over by Gavin’s father who, like Gavin and his 2 brothers/groomsmen, was wearing a kilt. It was a beautiful ceremony overlooking the ocean, just the way Asheton had described to me at our first meeting. At the end of the ceremony, and just before it was time to walk back up the aisle as husband and wife, Asheton got the official welcome to the family. Gavin’s mother presented Asheton with the Hardy’s family Tartan in the form of a sash and pin. I don’t know if Asheton was expecting it, but she looked surprised and grateful, and it even seemed to suit her as perfectly as her dress.
With the ceremony done, everyone was able to relax and have a couple of Keith’s, because it’s not a Nova Scotian wedding without some Keith’s. We did some more casual photos along the edge of the cliff, and even had Asheton and Gavin do a little rock climbing down the cliff face. Luckily for me, Gavin kept his kilt down as he came down towards me, and more importantly, neither of them fell.
We didn’t worry a ton about posing in pictures and I caught Asheton and Gavin being themselves. We walked back to the house and made sure to get a cold drink. I know I took 5 minutes just to wash my face with cold water to cool down. There were plenty of clod drinks to go around, so everyone was finding a way to compensate for the heat without issue.
Their dinner was another unique thing for me as a wedding photographer. They had a Lobster boil which was run by Asheton’s father, and gave their guests the choice of either cracking their own lobster and breaking it down, or having it done for them. A number of people decided to do it themselves, and it looked rather difficult. After dinner on the back deck finished, a few speeches were shared, and Asheton and Gavin had their first dance. They moved a table a little bit to make some room and were right in the centre for everyone to see them.
While Asheton and Gavin’s wedding day was full of unique aspects, and far from a traditional wedding, there were a few things throughout the day which needed to be done. One of those was dancing the reel. I’ve never seen one done before, but to sum it up, the bagpiper plays while pairs of dancers go through a series of motions from exchanging partners, to holding hands and moving in a circle. It’s rally not too complicated as an observer, but when you’re the one doing all the spinning, I’m sure it would be easy to head in the wrong direction.
The casual atmosphere led some of the guests to put on bathing suits for a late night swim off the wharf. Earlier in the day I could have been easily persuaded into the water myself, but by the time the sun had set I was cooled off enough that I was thinking clearly and all that wind would not have been pleasant when getting out. I saw about a ten people go swim while I waited for Asheton and Gavin to get to the wharf with their lantern for a photo they wanted to try. Unfortunately, the lantern was on its last legs and after they finally got it lit, it died pretty much right away. So I improvised and used the crystal clear night’s sky to add a little something to the photos. We returned to the deck for some dancing and shotgunning of beers before the deck party ended, and the party moved to another house. At the other house they setup a bonfire and sat around it talking and playing guitar while the milky way moved across the sky above us. It was a hell of a day.
Here’s a little look at Asheton and Gavin’s wedding;
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
Their ceremony was held in a backyard just around the corner from the Banook Canoe Club where the reception was to be held later in the evening. It was short and sweet and then we were off to the Sullivan’s Pond for family photos, and Alderney Landing for Wedding Party pictures. Since the reception was not going to be a full dinner, it was arranged to have pizza arrive during our photos. It was a very welcome break, and I only forced the wedding party to wait and smell the pizza for a couple of minutes before I let them dive in ;).
We left the wedding party to relax with the pizza, and Lauren, Adam, and I went on a little down the boardwalk for a few more photos of just the two of them before heading to Lake Banook. The Banook Canoe Club has a beautiful deck on it which was well used throughout the night as people took a break from the heat of inside, and to play with the sparklers Adam and Lauren provided. There was also a Photo booth with a cardboard cutout made to look like a Polaroid, hanging from the ceiling which people had fun with. I particularly enjoyed the candy bar, and may have eaten more conversation hearts than I should have, but they’re just so damn delicious. I didn’t have any, but others seemed to love the cotton candy machine. All that sugar helped people work up the energy for the dance floor, and I sure hope the kids crashed when they got home and weren’t up until 4 am. When I was leaving for the night, Adam had on his batman shirt and Lauren was wearing bunny ears. Yeah, I’d say it was a good day.
Enjoy!!!
I started the day with Kyla and her bridesmaids as they finished getting ready. Due to Kyla’s involvement with figure skating, we made sure to take a photo of her with her 2 flower girls each holding one of her skates, definitely a unique and personal touch.
The ceremony was at the Bluenose Ballroom at the Delta, a great room with windows on 3 sides. We had a great view of the rain that wasn’t yet happening in downtown Halifax. After the ceremony, we went to our indoor photo location, and after the hour we were booked in there, we went outside to Purdy’s Wharf for a few shots before heading back inside for the reception. We managed to avoid the rain, mostly because it didn’t really materialize. The reception however did seem to go as planned with some great speeches, great food, and finally, great dancing. Here’s a little glimpse at Matthew and Kyla’s first day together as husband and wife:
Enjoy!!!
The plan for the morning was to meet Darren at the Public Gardens just before 8:00 so he and Sarah could share a first look together. So just after 8:00, the girls arrived to the park. I had Darren ready and looking away from the direction Sarah was coming from. Sarah had her dad walk her most of the ways and she kept her eyes closed for the reveal. They shared the moment together with big smiles on their faces. Those smiles stayed on their faces as we used the morning light in the Public Gardens for our photos.
From there we went to the World Trade and Convention Centre for the ceremony and reception. You’ll notice a lot of balloons around the wedding, and I thought one of the best ways they used balloons was to create a wall in behind the ceremony to add something to an otherwise barren room. They also had a couple of musicians playing for the guests before the wedding party arrived and I know Sarah and Darren didn’t get the opportunity to hear them play, but I did, and they sounded great.
The ceremony was short but sweet with a good laugh for everyone when someone had difficulty repeating their vows, not to mention the unique reading. The ceremony was on the first floor and we took an elevator up to the 8th for the reception. It was a great space with windows all along one wall with a view towards the water. Sarah and Darren had so many little details which together, made for a beautiful setup. One thing on the tables was a little newspaper with 4 pages. It gave us the story of Sarah and Darren, some photos of the wedding party as kids, random facts about August 2nd in history, a crossword, and even comics. A very fitting detail considering Sarah works for a paper. They also had an awesome guest book made by Maid of Honour Maribeth. It was a hand drawn tandem bicycle with balloons attached, around which guests signed their names. And while that was awesome, I think the Boms (short for Bomboloni, an Italian doughnut), from Sweet and Savary were the star detail of the day, people loved those things.
The food was obviously brunch food, you know, since it was a brunch wedding. They had waffles, fruit, yogurt, bacon, eggs, sausages, and the like in a buffet style arrangement, and fresh croissants and pastries at the tables. Just walking into the room smelled amazing. It was a more appetizing smell to me than most wedding dinners, but then again, I do just love the smell of breakfast foods.
As the reception wrapped up, Darren had some fun popping balloons. With the number of balloons that were blown up, I can only imagine how good it would have felt to pop some of them. Thinking about it now, someone really should have made use of the helium from a balloon and given their speech that way, I think you could guarantee a laugh, even if your jokes weren’t funny.
What a wonderful day it was with Sarah and Darren. Despite having only 3 hours of sleep, the energy of such great people really made the day enjoyable for me, and I could see the smiles on the faces of their guests. I know now that a morning wedding can be a great way for people to celebrate, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to be there. Here’s what happened while you were sleeping away your Sunday morning;
Enjoy!!!
It was probably the hottest day of the year so far, and with next to no clouds in the sky, that sun was felt like it was cooking us. I met Joel first, and he was fully dressed an hour before the ceremony and trying to keep cool with a cold beer, but I’m not sure how well it was working. His groomsmen were sitting in the shade waiting to get dressed. After briefly meeting the guys, I went to see Alyssa and her bridesmaids. They were inside with the air conditioning going, not that it was doing too much with that many people in the house, but after being in their covered porch out back which felt like a sauna, that house felt like a walk in fridge, even if only for a minute. I knew what the house needed: a new air conditioning system from unclutterer, but I knew better than to tell people that.
Alyssa is the first bride I can recall driving herself to the ceremony in her dress, with it pretty much engulfing her in the front seat of her truck. As the girls all arrived at the property for the ceremony, the guests reluctantly left the shade to sit on bales of hay in the sunshine of the ceremony location. At the same time, Alyssa’s father was walking to us with Flash, Alyssa’s horse. I can say with absolute certainty that it was the first time I’ve seen a bride ride a horse down the aisle.
Right after the ceremony, we went and found some glorious shade for photos, thankfully there were a number of spots we were able to use. We had some great laughs and took care of the family photos and the wedding party before letting those people get to get back to their drinks. I then took Alyssa and Joel for some photos, and as we were wrapping up, Joel mentioned a path which was on the other side of the reception tent. I was game, so we went over to it and took a few pictures, that’s when Joel threw out the idea of walking to the river for a few shots. Alyssa was up for it, so we walked the couple hundred metres and I’m glad we did, I think those were some of my favourite photos, and it was nice to be somewhere they knew and not many others did.
The reception was inside a big tent just off to the side of where the ceremony was held. They decorated everything themselves, and even built a dance floor. Sunflowers were part of the theme of the day and the cake and cupcakes reflected that, as did the flowers around the tables, and the one in Alyssa’s hair. All of the little details came together nicely. Speeches were kept to a minimum, just as Alyssa and Joel wanted. The bouquet and garter tosses came not long after the first dances, and Joel’s best man made that experience interesting when he put the garter he caught on the leg of the bridesmaid who caught the flowers, using his teeth.
I didn’t stay long into the night, but I bet the party went late with no venue to kick them out, and plenty of beer on hand. It was one super hot and tiring day with a fun group of people, I had a great time. Here’s a look at Alyssa and Joel’s country wedding.
Enjoy!!!
I had never been to Dundee Resort before, so I arrived a little bit early to check out the venue. It’s nicely situated on the South-West shore of the Bras d’Or Lake in Cape Breton, with a beautiful hilly golf course, offering one hell of a view from many places around the course. We took some golf carts out on to the course to take photos & we had a convoy of 5 or 6 carts. We stopped at the tee of a hole with a lovely view and took some photos. After utilizing the golf course, we went down to the water for a few more.
With the photos taken care of, the wedding party took a little break before the ceremony. The ceremony was outside on the front lawn, and Tracy and Rich’s dog Rikko was the ring bearer. When it came time for the rings, Rich made a noise for Rikko to come, something they had practiced many times before. However, they didn’t factor in the sound coming out of a speaker, not just from Rich, so Rikko decided a different path was necessary. At the very least, his wander, and the rings getting stuck on his ribbon, which required scissors to cut off, made for a good moment during the ceremony, something people will remember. Tracy and Rich took it all in stride with smiles on their faces, because that’s what you do when you’re easy going people.
The dog however wasn’t the highlight of the ceremony. Rich has 2 daughters who stood in the wedding party with them, and their presence was requested front and centre. Tracy had vows and rings for each of them, to welcome them to be her family now, the same way that she vowed to love Rich. It was a really nice touching moment. A quick look around and you’d be hard pressed to find a dry eye. I’ve never seen that before, and I thought it was a wonderful idea, and it obviously meant a lot to the girls.
Cocktail hour directly followed the ceremony, and then on to the reception. The highlight of the reception had to be Rich’s speech. I don’t think he’d appreciate me conveying to the public what he said, but if you were there, I can guarantee you know what I’m talking about. I know I laughed pretty hard. Once the dancing started, it carried on until the lights came up and it was time to leave. It was a great day full of fun and laughter, here’s a snippet of what went on, on that cool July day.
Enjoy!!!
Flash forward many months and Natasha was the Matron of Honour at Shaylyn and Denis’ wedding with a baby bump that was just about ready to pop. We joked on that day that the baby was going to upstage the wedding and come that day. Shaylyn and Denis both said they would love that to happen, just so they would both be able to meet the little one before they had to return home. Well, the baby did not come that day, but later that week, baby Jocelyn did arrive. It was early enough on Friday July 17th that most of us would still be calling it Thursday, at 12:53 am, she weighed 6lbs 15oz, and was 20.5″ long.
I got to meet her a few days later after a weekend of engagement sessions on PEI. The little precious was so little. I hadn’t held a baby that small for over a year. She’ll be big before John and Natasha know it. Hopefully the photos we took will serve as a reminder as the time goes by.
Here are just a few from our afternoon with sweet baby Jocelyn.
Enjoy!!!
It was apparent to me right away that Natalie and Alex were going to be easy to photograph. They were very much at ease in front of the camera and that probably stems from Natalie’s acting, and Alex’s experience as a photographer. I barely needed to give any direction to them at all, I just put them in front of the lens and they gave met he perfect example of what a couple madly in love look like.
Victoria by the Sea was our next stop. Natalie told me that when the tide’s out, you can walk far out along the sand and the sunsets are beautiful. While we weren’t fortunate enough to get a sunset, the place was still beautiful. On our walk, we encountered some wildlife, including some clams, a starfish, and a crab that tried to jump at Alex’s shoe. On our walk back to the shore, the tide had started to come in, so we had to walk through a bit more water than on our way out, but it was absolutely worth it.
We’ll have to wait until next summer for their wedding, but I’m looking forward to it, until then, you’ll have to make due with this look at their engagement session.
Enjoy!!!
We decided to meet up a bit earlier than normal just so we could check out their church, and some wedding day photo locations and it’s a good thing we did as we made quite the journey. I really like the brightly coloured buildings on the Summerside waterfront, so we stopped there for our first photo location and it was as good as I had hoped it would be. The spaces in between the buildings were my favourite as you get 2 different splashes of colour and a bit of privacy. Next we started the drive to the Indian Head Lighthouse. Heading through Bedeque, I spotted a wheat field which the sun was hitting in a nice way. We took a couple shots and then went over to the potato field on the opposite side of the road. This is where we all felt a little foolish. The farmer who owns the field stopped at the side of the road and asked what we were doing. Since we weren’t disturbing the crops in any way (potato fields are great for that), I didn’t think it would be much of an issue. None of us even considered that it might look odd to see random people in a potato field while some idiot is putting needles in PEI potatoes. The farmer seemed alright with our explanation, but we only took one photo before leaving. Lesson learned.
We got to the lighthouse and the tide was fortunately out, so we were able to walk along the sand towards the lighthouse. As Laurie and Philip told me, it’s deceivingly far. I actually checked on Google Maps and it’s about 900-950m from shore. As they said it would be, it was a long walk. Though I did go back the next day and tide was in, so I walked out on the breakwater, and that was a much longer and more difficult walk. I won’t be doing that for a photo session any time soon.
We got some awesome photos as the sun set on the horizon. It was a great end to a great evening with 2 awesome people. I’m looking forward to their wedding this August, hopefully we get weather as nice as we did for their engagement photos.
Enjoy!!!
Leanne got her dress on with the help of her bridesmaids when I arrived and it was the perfect choice, I don’t think any other dress could have suited her better, she looked stunning. Her bridesmaids also looked amazing with their matching black dresses. Once I had met everyone, I was sure we were in for a good day.
We made our way to Saint Mary’s Cathedral Basilica on Spring Garden Rd., a beautiful old church. When Kunal finally got a chance to see Leanne as she walked down the aisle, his already big smile grew even larger. After the ceremony we walked from the church down to the Public Gardens as the weather couldn’t have been any better. We took care of the family photos and then walked around the park with just the wedding party. I need to make a special thank you to Vikram, the best man, for telling pretty much the best joke ever to get the whole group to smile for a photo, your efforts will not be forgotten.
With all the fun of photos over, it was time for some cocktail and then dinner. The speeches had some awesome anecdotes and stories, including my favourite from Leanne describing Kunal liking to have fun. There was a lot of laughter and even a few tears during the speeches. I think everyone had a good time at the wedding, and that’s exactly what you would expect from the friends and family of Leanne and Kunal, 2 great people.
Here are a few shots from their big day.
Enjoy!!!
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Here are some photos from our evening together.
Enjoy!!!
If you know me, or have seen my Twitter feed, then you know I’m a pretty big hockey fan, so this wedding was a perfect marriage (yeah, I went there) of my two passions, hockey and photography. It was also the first wedding of my season this year, so I was anxious for it to finally arrive.
I met up with Mike and the guys at his parents house and found them all pretty relaxed. They were talking sports when I walked in, so I knew I wouldn’t have to try too hard to fit in. A good group of guys, they were all great to hang around for the day. It was nice to see Mike include his brothers in the wedding party, even with their large age differences.
After some shots of the guys getting ready, and a couple more, I went to see Melissa and the girls. With an hour until the ceremony, I expected to walk in to a bit of chaos, but it was the exact opposite. Every bridesmaid was completely ready, and Melissa needed only to put her dress on. She was anxious to get the day going. If she could have held the ceremony an hour early, she would have without hesitation. With everyone ready, we were able to take a bunch of photos before heading to the rink.
The white aisle runner was lined with flower petals and hockey pucks and went right to centre ice where a small stack of pucks sat at the base of a paper flower background hand made by Melissa and a friend. The Zamboni was parked to be visible in the background on the bridesmaids’ side, and a net with a couple of sticks was on the groomsmen’s side. Melissa and Mike signed their paperwork in the penalty box of all places, and when their ceremony came to a close and it was time to walk out, another awesome thing happened. They had placed a hockey stick under the seats at the ends of each row of seats, and the sticks were then raised and crossed over the aisle for the wedding party to walk out beneath them. A very fitting end to the ceremony.
We took some photos around the arena before heading to the Research Station (Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre) for more portraits. With the Rhododendrons in bloom, it was a fantastic place for photos.
The reception was held at the Louis Millett Centre in New Minas and had some great speeches. I think alcohol helped with that, but it sure made for some great laughs. As dinner ended, and the dance got going, I noticed quite a few people making their way over to Melissa and Mike’s Photobooth with their custom made paper flower wall. Their props made for some great photos.
They took great care to ensure every detail was taken care of, including the cake, with its hockey themed topper. But most importantly, Melissa and Mike are simply a great match for each other. Any guy that can find a girl who has the idea to hold a wedding ceremony in an arena, has found the right girl.
Here are some photos of Melissa and Mike’s Day together;
Enjoy!!!
I’ve tried multiple times to write this blog post but I have struggled to sum up a year so incredible. Robyn and I have both been home for this past year and we’ve shared in the good times and the trying times. We have been frustrated with the sleepless nights, and have had our hearts melt with the smiles and laughs, I’m pretty sure she melts my heart so often that it’s liquid now. I think Isla is a pretty happy girl and as a biased father I believe she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. I love her toothless smiles, when she reaches her arms out for a hug, her open mouth kisses, and the way she’s become more cuddly in the past couple months. Just coming into the room to see her standing there looking back means the world to me, and brightens my day immediately.
We’ve been there every step of the way, and I love that I’m self employed and got to be home almost every day of the past year. I got to read stories to her each day, I was there for her first steps on March 16th, before she crawled I might add. I was there for her first word, Dada, which is the sweetest thing to hear, especially when she whispers it. I’ve been able to be there for, and document, every milestone. I’ve taken at least a photo a day for the first year of Isla’s life with few exceptions. I don’t know if I’ll continue the trend after her birthday, but I know whatever I do, I’ll make sure she has photos of her childhood which she can cherish when she gets older, and more importantly, I know I will be there with and for her.
I love this little girl more than I ever thought I could love someone. When Robyn heads back to work soon, I’ll be the one staying at home to take care of Isla and it’s something I’m both looking forward to, and nervous about, especially because that will coincide with the busiest part of my wedding season, but I know that a few months of long hours will result in a few months of Daddy/Daughter time with few work interruptions.
Everyone tells you how a child will change you, how you will never experience such love, and they’re absolutely right. I love Isla more than anyone or anything else on earth combined. But what people don’t tell you is how entirely vulnerable you will be, how every teardrop hurts you, how her pain is yours, how you know she needs to learn her own lessons while every fibre in your body wants to protect her from everything. I am already uneasy about sending her to daycare for just one day a week, I know I will worry when she’s off at school in a few short years, and it will never stop, I will always worry about her until the day I die. No-one tells you that, but then again, if they did, would it make a difference? Of course it wouldn’t. I often paraphrase a line from ‘The Grinch who stole Christmas’ and say ‘… my heart grew 3 sizes that day’ because of the love I feel. I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world. She’s my little girl and she always will be, but for now I’ll enjoy the time she actually is little, I’ve heard that kids grow up before you know it.
Here’s a look at Isla’s first year.
Enjoy!!!
A friend got me into climbing here in Halifax close to 2 years ago now, and it’s something I took to right away. I won’t say I’m very good, but I have fun doing it. I started off learning to climb with ropes and quickly moved on to bouldering as I like the free nature of it. For those of you who don’t know, bouldering is a form of rock climbing that does not involve ropes, it’s just you and your skill (or lack thereof) trying to get to the top of the problem. In a gym setting, boulders are typically a lot lower to the ground, topping out around 14 feet or so, so a fall won’t be dangerous. The cushy foam matting helps with that part.
So I was quite excited to learn that Halifax was going to be getting an all bouldering gym. It’s called Seven Bays Bouldering, and last night they held a soft opening. When they’re completely setup, they’ll have a licensed cafe attached which will certainly help with the social aspect of bouldering and I think having those big bay doors open on a nice warm summer evening, you’ll see a lot of people hanging out on the patio beweeen climbs inside. If you’re looking to find a good workout and have some fun with a great group of people then you should check it out, it’s on Gottingen St. right beside Propeller Brewery.
If you’re nervous about going without any experience, don’t be. The problems are graded on a scale of easy to impossible, so there’s something for every skill level and other climbers are pretty encouraging regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, everyone’s out there to have fun.
Here are some shots from yesterday’s opening.
Enjoy!!!
I took my first flight ever, from Toronto to Ljubljana, Slovenia. There were 3 legs of the journey, a quick flight to Montreal, followed by a long flight to Paris, and then a plane change to a small twin prop plane for the final leg to Ljubljana. Quite a first flight I must say, all with Czech Airlines. I arrived to meet my ex-girlfriend who was doing a semester at the university there. We would basically spend a month there before heading out for the bulk of our journeys, though that first weekend saw us take a train to Venice, and then to Innsbruck, Austria for the World Championships of Hockey to see Canada play a game vs Slovenia.
I brought my roller blades along with me to Ljubljana and bought a hockey stick to keep myself occupied while my ex was at school. It was in this way that I actually made some friends and played quite a bit of ball hockey. I wasn’t really into photography at that time, I had just bought my first digital camera, a Canon Powershot A95 which was a whopping 5 megapixels. I had a massive 512 mb memory card to go along with it. I did however bring a video camera and I have hours of footage including a bunch of us playing hockey in a parking lot.
I spent 2 months in Europe on that first trip, visiting many countries, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, & Austria. That Eurail pass was well used. I may not have left with the most photos as that memory card was not nearly as big as I thought it was, but I made so many memories, and had so many great experiences that I knew I was hooked on travel.
Before leaving for Europe, I had signed up with a hockey team called the Canadian Moose World Travelling team. We were going to be heading to New Zealand and Australia shortly after my return from Europe. I was home from Europe less than 2 days before heading out again, this time on an even longer flight. A very different journey, this time was with over 40 other people, a men’s and a women’s team. We stayed with billets and travelled from Auckland, to Christchurch, to Queenstown, and then over to Brisbane in Australia, playing about a dozen games over 18 days. Again, I made lots of great memories and have kept in contact with many of my teammates to varying degrees.
Since those first two trips, I’ve made a few more, mostly with Robyn, visiting some countries again, and adding a few more, I went to Switzerland, Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia, France, Jamaica, and Ireland twice. I also went to California, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and a few places across Canada for a job I used to have. I have many great memories and thousands of photos to help trigger those memories.
10 years have gone by since I changed my outlook on travel, and my only regret is that I haven’t travelled more. Money comes and goes, but the memories I’ve made are absolutely priceless.
I started in 2005 and went through all my old photos in the search of my top 10 travel photos from the past 10 years. This was not an easy task. I tried to look for photos that I liked the look of, not photos with the best memories. After a number of hours, I had narrowed down the finalists to 246 photos. I think I spent just as long narrowing down those photos as I had selecting them to start with. I had to put them into categories, Black and White, Sunset, North America, the rest of the World, and Photos with people I know in them. I decided to throw out the latter category because I thought I would be biased. I then set out to cull down to my top 10 in each category. With each decision to delete a photo, I felt like I was casting aside a memory, and choosing one experience over another, but I did eventually come up with a top 10. My choices are definitely skewed toward more recent travel experiences, mostly because I’m a better photographer now than I was a decade ago, as you would hope.
I had put together a list of honourable mentions, but I eventually decided that it kind of defeated the purpose.
So here we are with my top 10 travel photos from the past 10 years.
Enjoy!!!
This photo was taken in 2011 on my first trip to Ireland. It’s the Cliffs of Moher on an incredibly windy day which meant for some decent surf. This photo has been my desktop image for about 2 years, and I have a print on my living room wall, so it was an easy choice for my top 10.
A Pletna boat as seen from Bled Castle at Lake Bled, Slovenia. I took this in 2007 on my second trip to Slovenia. My friend Tilen brought us up to the castle as I had never been, and it offered stunning views of the lake and the countryside. 
I feel like this photo sums up Ireland pretty well, sheep, green and rolling hills (or mountains if you’re willing to call them that). I took this in 2013 while in Ireland for a wedding. The sheep popped up and surprised me as I was walking toward the edge of this cliff.
Another shot from Ireland in 2013, I love the sheep perched atop the hill, nearly hidden in the landscape.
Northern Ireland, this wasn’t too far from the Giant’s Causeway on the Antrim coast. I just really love the light in the photo how the field in the foreground is under clouds and the beach behind is lit by the sun. 2013.
A man jumps from the new old bridge in Mostar, Bosnia. These guys stand atop the bridge collecting donations and teasing tourists by acting like they’re going to jump. Once they’ve collected enough, one of them takes the leap, and the process starts over. Taken in 2007, the bridge was a historic one before war saw it destroyed. They rebuilt it to connect the Christian and Muslim sides of the city.
A moose in the brush in Newfoundland. This was the very last photo I took on our trip to Newfoundland in 2010. I like that the moose is nearly hidden in the foliage, just like when you’re driving down a road at 100 km/h and a moose backs out into the road in front of your car. Not that, that happened on this trip or anything.
O’Brien’s tower at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. I love this tower, it is in a perfect place to be silhouetted against a sunset. I caught this guy doing a flip off the top steps in mid flip. He did stick the landing by the way. You may notice the flag atop the tower in support of the county Clare whose team was playing for the championship in hurling, which they eventually won.
If you don’t know what this is, you’ve lived a sheltered life. The Eiffel Tower on a cloudy night, taken in 2007. I learned on this night that if you wait for the Tower to flash and then turn off for the night, you have missed your last subway home.
A bunch of sheep graze just behind Inch Beach in Ireland. I took this in 2011 and I love the depth in the image. I printed a 16×24 of this photo and it never gets old to me.
Alright, I admit, my top ten is heavy on Irish photos, but my last 2 trips were there, with nearly a month total time spent there. I have nearly as many photos from Ireland as I do everywhere else combined. I would also say that my top 3 photos in this list are all black and white. While I do love many colour photos, it’s the black and white photos that I tend to like more in the end and those are the ones I like to hang on my walls.
Looking through all my old photos has done nothing except tempt my wanderlust. I think about my trip to New Zealand and how I didn’t have much time on my own, and how it was winter, and I feel like I need to go back and experience the summer there. I look back at Slovenia and can’t believe it’s been 8 years since I last visited and saw my good friend. I think of all the hurried travel I did as a backpacker and I wish I could go back and do it again and take my time. I met so many people, each on their own journey, and some of those people were taking a year to travel. It seemed crazy at the time, but I wish I had done that myself before I had commitments which would make that impossible.
I know travel is not cheap, and not everyone can just get up and go, but if you get a chance to do it, you won’t regret it. I value my experiences more than anything materialistic in my life. I made so many great memories that I can’t remember them all off the top of my head, but thankfully I’ve got all these photos as a reminder.
I’ve made all these photos available for sale on my Society6 page (along with a number of other photos and whatnot). As you can see below, it’s not just prints, you can get a number of different products with photos on them, even leggings for certain images. So have a look around HERE, on my Society6 page.
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Living in Nova Scotia, I am an 18 hour drive from my family, and that can be difficult at times, some more than others. If I need to see someone quickly, that option doesn’t exist.
One such instance arose just last week when my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer for the second time in his life. The first time was in 1977, a good 5 years before I was even born. From what I hear, he was essentially told he had colon cancer, then they removed the tumor, end of story. 37 years later, here we are with my grandpa at 88 years old going into the hospital for another reason, only to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. My first instinct was to go back to see him, not knowing how long he would have. It’s not quite so simple, especially with a pregnant wife I need to account for. It was on Friday the 14th and he had just been diagnosed, and an MRI the next week would tell us more, so I would wait until we found out more and maybe learn somewhat of a timeline for my grandpa.
On Sunday the 16th, my parents and brothers all made it out to the hospital to see grandpa. He had been groggy when taking his medication, and refused to take it to ensure he could see and talk to everyone on their visit. I spoke to my parents and brothers, and they told me that he was in good spirits, he had been laughing and telling jokes, a good sign I figured. After the MRI, we learned that the tumor was large, that it was prostate and colon cancer, and its removal was not an option. The doctors would meet later in the week to discuss treatment options, so I would again wait to find out more before rushing out. Thursday the 20th came around and we learned that his cancer would not be treatable, they would just treat the pain. I looked at my calendar and found that the next Friday would be when I could leave to come visit, just 2 weeks after his diagnosis. He might even be home by then and getting treatment there, who knew? The next day the unexpected happened; he got pneumonia. On Sunday morning March 23, 2014, my mom’s dad, the only grandfather I ever knew, passed away.
While I wish I could have seen him one last time, I can take some solace in the fact that when I last spoke to him, I was giving him the good news that he was expecting his 4th great-grandchild to be born in June. In his ‘man of few words’ style, we spoke briefly before he handed the phone off to grandma. I never spent a lot of time talking with my grandfather, but he would always listen, and he enjoyed a good bit of fun. I can still hear his laugh and that brings a smile to my face. He had some gags he used over and over, and we came to expect it from him, especially at the dinner table. Every one of my brothers could tell you the exact way he would finish a family meal, with an ‘ohhh I ate too much’, often followed by a ‘what’s for dessert?’ shortly after. I also can’t recall a meal where he didn’t act like he was stealing my dinner either. You had to be on the lookout for him, otherwise your plate would spontaneously end up in front of him and he’d be looking at you with a devious smile.
I only had one set of grandparents growing up, my dad’s dad died before I was born, and his mom when I was only a couple years old, so I have no recollection of her. My grandfather was what I thought a grandpa was supposed to be. He was a hard working, sweet man who came from a farming background and always had some sort of vegetable garden to harvest crops from out behind his house. We would go for walks behind his house in a forest that to me seemed endless at the time, we would always try to find deer antlers on our walks. He had more tools than I could ever count, and a multitude of sheds to hold it all, including a tractor which holds one specific memory for me. I don’t recall my age, maybe 5 or 6, when I was riding on the tractor with him. We were going from the front of the house out back with a load of manure on the front of the tractor. I guess there’s some sort of spreader attachment he had, and he was showing me this and that about the tractor when he accidentally hit some lever causing the manure to be spread. Well, that was just as we were passing the car parked beside the house. Of course, when we went in the house, the first thing he said was ‘ol’ Dussin did it’. He always called me Dussin or Dusser, as if my name had no ‘T’ in it, but that was fine, is sounded right coming from him.
I think it was the second last time I saw my grandpa which was my most memorable time with him. Despite all the time we spent walking the woods behind his house searching for antlers, or playing around his backyard or tool sheds when I was younger, and all the great memories, on this visit I paid a bit more attention to a grandfather I felt was getting up there in years and whom may not be around much longer. We talked a bit about life and such and he told me that he had very few regrets in life, one of which was not travelling and seeing more of the world. He told me that a group from his area would go out West every year when he was younger and help with the harvests and he went one time and loved it. He would have liked to have spent more time out there and maybe even have moved out there. He told me that he was happy for Robyn and I to have taken a chance and moved out to Nova Scotia, he said that the opportunity to do things like that, to get up and transplant, don’t come along very often. While he wished he would hove moved West, he said if he did that he never would have met my grandma. Grandpa shared with me that the key to his marriage was being friends with my grandma, and he should know, their marriage lasted 62 years.
During this visit, we took a little trip out to see a church with a stained glass window dedicated to my great, great, uncle, and from that came my most memorable experience with my grandpa. We came across the guy who purchased a truck from my grandpa’s father many years ago and still had it. It was a 1947 Ford F-47 pickup truck, still painted green as it was off the factory floor with ‘H.E. Weyler’ (my great grandfather was Harold Eugene Weyler) painted on the side, barely visible. To see my grandfather’s reaction to the truck was amazing. You could see him reminisce about his own father, and maybe a bit about life in general. I wish we could have bought that truck right then and there and frankly I still want that truck. I had grandpa sit in the truck for a couple pictures. He was wearing the perfect hat for the occasion too, as if we were planning a photo shoot. I admit that I don’t have many photos of my grandparents, but the few I got that day will be a treasured possession of mine for the rest of my life. I never felt a photo has embodied a man more than the couple I took that day. If I didn’t understand the full value of a photo before that day, I do now.
As we get older, and people and events in our life fade into the back of our minds and memories become harder and harder to access, we run the risk of forgetting entirely. If you have a family photo album I am sure you have looked at an old photo and triggered a memory of a person, place, or thing. Our mind just needs a little help getting to the memories at times, and photos are bridge to get us there. I love looking back at old photos and keeping memories alive. My daughter will never meet her great grandfather, but I can guarantee you she will know that he was a great man, a kind man, the best of all people.
Grandpa I miss you, I love you
Here are some photos of my grandpa.
We met up on Saturday evening about an hour and a half before sunset which is apparently when 75% of Dartmouth brings their dogs to the park. Luckily it’s a big park so we didn’t have any problems finding space for photos. Beckie and Matt brought along their dog Tyson with them for the photos too and you could tell he really wanted to go for a sprint. As we made our way around the park we took photos in various locations and Tyson got to meet a bunch of other dogs. When we made it to the lake, we went out on to the ice and Matt took a long leash and tied Tyson to a tree nearby. We found some really good light and got some photos I wasn’t expecting to get but am so happy we did. All the while Tyson found some friends and seemed to be having a really good time. So despite the freezing cold, I think we managed to successfully capture some good photos, Tyson made some friends, and a random dog found Tyson’s treats in a bag we left on the ground. All in all it was a good evening.
I know Beckie and Matt had a bit of trouble keeping warm during our session, but they will make up for it with their wedding in Cuba where they’ll be trying to stay cool. Here are a handful of photos from our shoot.
Enjoy!!!
Not just a vendor, I was also tasked with photographing the event including the 2 fashion shows which were well done, hosted by Stephanie from Hot 105.5, music by Chris at Dance Express DJ Services, set design by Once Upon a Wedding (who I’ve worked with before at THIS wedding) flowers by Sakurah’s Flower Studio, not to mention the beautiful models. There were obviously greater reactions to some dresses than others so I tried to include more photos of those crowd favourites where I could remember.
There were many prizes awarded at the end of the show from the show itself and a number of vendors. One prize stood out above the rest as a 7 night stay at a resort in the Dominican Republic, but it wasn’t the prize that was most interesting, it’s that the winner of the prize gave it away to her sister as she is the one getting married.
I mentioned that many vendors had awarded their prizes at the show, and if you attended, you are probably aware that I myself was holding a draw for a free engagement session, but my preference was to wait until after the show, and I guess it’s time to announce the winner, and the winner of a 1-2 hour engagement session is… Lyndsey Baird (as picked by my 9 month old daughter).
With 2015 well underway and my calendar getting filled, I suggest you act soon if you’d like to book me for your wedding this year. If you’re looking at 2016 or even 2017, it’s not crazy to think about booking soon as well, I have a handful of weddings. Send me an email at [email protected] and mention the show to get the show pricing.
Here’s a look at the Island Wedding Show;
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
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Enjoy!!!
At this time every year, I enjoy going through all the weddings I shot over the past year and seeing the photos which trigger so many great memories. It’s a big reminder to myself that photos play an integral role in the memories couples take from a wedding. I am also reminded of how lucky I am to have worked with so many wonderful people. It’s a great feeling to be so openly let into people’s lives, some just for a day, some for years to come.
My 2013 retrospective was 100 of my best photos chosen from less than half the number of weddings I covered in 2014, so this year’s collection took me a lot longer to curate, until my wife stepped in and powered through to help me out (I still had about 250 photos and I couldn’t eliminate any more). I know some of you might have expected me to have some photos of my daughter in my best of 2014 post, but I’m holding off until her birthday before I do a big post about her, so you’ll have to wait on those ;).
Here they are, about 100 of 2014’s finest.
Enjoy!!!
I arrived to the Atlantica hotel to where Teri was getting ready. It wasn’t long before the hockey started and was turned on. As Teri had the final touches of her makeup and hair done, and had a bite to eat, the game was a good distraction to keep her mind off all the waiting she had to do. She was ready so early that she probably had enough time to take a nap and fix up her hair and makeup if she wanted to, though, of course that wasn’t going to happen. We managed to get to the end of the second period before time sneaked up on us and it was time to go.
The Waegwoltic Club was just a short jaunt from the Atlantica and I got there about 2 minutes before Teri, just enough time to adjust my camera settings, and see some of the lovely details they had made for their day, including the guest book art, which requested each guest to sign a balloon on the picture as you’ll see below, and the chalkboard signs. Teri was greeted in the club by her father, and moments later her mother and father walked her down the aisle to a waiting Jordan. I think Jordan was fighting back tears as Teri walked toward him. Their ceremony was short and sweet, and in such a beautiful setting. They both grinned from ear to ear through the ceremony, and shared a laugh or two as well.
After the ceremony we made a quick exit to head downtown to Brewery Market for some photos. By this time it was about 7:30 and freezing cold. I’m not exactly sure what the temperature was, but with the wind it was in the minus teens. I was glad Teri had something to at least cover her shoulders. We avoided spending too much time outdoors, and I was able to setup a couple of photos outside before calling Jordan and Teri to come out and join me. You don’t want to get too cold in your wedding photos and end up with bright red noses and ears.
Less than an hour from our departure, we were pulling back into the parking lot of the Waegwoltic Club, I was up front with the limo driver, giving Teri and Jordan some time alone when I heard them call my name. They asked if I wanted to know the score of the hockey game. I most certainly did. Happy to hear Canada had beaten the US, I jumped out and brought my gear inside to get ready for Teri and Jordan’s entrance while they took a couple minutes to finish up some champagne. While we were gone, the guests were well fed with a variety of foods, from a sushi bar, to a taco station, and many things in between. Luckily for them, there was still food left for Teri and Jordan when they came inside, and after a brief introduction from Teri’s friend Heather, they made their way around to speak to all of their guests, and enjoy some food and drinks.
Teri and Jordan didn’t have to endure too many speeches as their siblings did most of the talking before they themselves took the mic. The party started with a first dance by Teri and Jordan, and then plenty of others joined in, rarely leaving the dance floor it seemed for the rest of the night. But what would the fun of a NYE wedding be without a countdown? As everyone made noise and grabbed someone for a kiss, Teri and Jordan stood together in the middle of their friends, at the centre of a crowded dance floor, seeing only each other. It was a great moment for me to capture as a photographer, and hopefully a great memory for them for years to come.
Congratulations Teri and Jordan!
Enjoy!!!
These are a couple shots of my daughter on Christmas eve, staying up far too late. I can only imagine the challenge it will be to get her to bed the night before Christmas when she’s old enough to understand what’s going on.
Enjoy the holidays!!!
I came up with an idea for a background and set out to make it happen. It was nothing too crazy, but still something I hadn’t done before, and with it being my own daughter, I wanted it to be perfect. My idea was to have a backdrop of Christmas lights so that you weren’t looking at the lights per se, but the bokeh from the lights. If you’re not a photographer and wondering ‘what the hell is bokeh?’, it’s how the background blurs when it’s out of focus, lights especially become big round dots at large apertures.
I had a white curtain I was using for the background, and I didn’t want the wires from the lights to show up too vividly in the background, so I knew I needed white strings of Christmas lights as opposed to the standard green. This turned out to be a bit trickier than expected. I managed to find some eventually at Wal-Mart. The lights were $5 for a string of 50 lights. While that sounds like a lot of lights, it is hardly anything, so I bought 9 strings in total (everything they had). I would have liked another 5 or 6 strings for a denser light arrangement, but since 9 was all I could get, that was going to have to do.
I wanted something for the floor that was white and fuzzy and that was trouble too. I searched a dozen stores before finding a furry rug at HomeSense for $70 (which I promptly returned after taking the photos because it shed like a Siberian Husky). We had a little Christmas tree from HomeSense already, some ornaments, and a sleigh I received from a client a few years ago, and that was all we were thinking of using. We wanted the focus to be our beautiful little girl, so we kept it simple.
This photo is the eventual winning photo that wound up on our Christmas card, but I want to show you that this was not a one click of the shutter situation, much more goes into the process. With that being said, here’s a bit of a behind the scenes look at our Christmas card photo shoot.
Enjoy!!!
I really like this photo, and it was my choice to be the Christmas card this year. Robyn had other ideas as I will point out below, but she let me win.
Camera settings: 1/200 f/2.2 ISO 160 Canon 5D mark iii. Flash camera left at 1/16 bounced off white walls, flash camera right through small softbox aimed directly at Isla at 1/16 +.7.
As you can see, I needed to remove Robyn’s hands from the photo. Isla was still fairly new to sitting and in stage where she liked to trick us into thinking she would sit still, until she slowly tipped over.
Now that you’ve got the final product, let me give you some insight into what else went on during our shoot.
When I was setting up my studio in my office, I needed a stand in to see how I was doing. My puppy Ginger helped out before running off. I used a Christmas decoration reindeer after that. Unfortunately the reindeer was actually too tall which threw off my ideas a bit.
Our little model Isla getting prepped for her photos. She wasn’t quite ready for photos, so we had to entertain her a bit. Babies are temperamental so don’t try to rush anything.
Although she does not yet stand on her own, I wanted to try some photos with her holding herself up to look like she could stand. You can see that her facial expressions didn’t push these near the top of my list when we were done. The photo on the left has a big drooly drop hanging off her lip.
This was the best one of her ‘standing’ with the sleigh. I still think it’s cute, but Robyn wasn’t a big fan of the idea of her standing when she wasn’t standing on her own.
Isla loves her tummy time, so we naturally thought some photos of her laying on her stomach would be cute. The main problem we had with that idea, was that she loved grabbing the rug and pulling. Due to the small nature of the set, she needed to be near the front edge for the look I was going for, and that meant she kept pulling up the rug and exposing the bottom side of it. Well that, and the fact that the rug shed like crazy causing us to remove a thousand bits of wool every time she moved.
A little different perspective with her doing the ‘skydiver’ pose with both hands up. After spending a few minutes with the sleigh in the background, I decided that I didn’t like it there, so we removed it in the photos going forward. If you’re not sure of how something is going to look, try it. You can always take it away or make whatever change you want, a lot of photography is trial and error, don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
You can clearly see how much better the photo looks without the clutter in the background. Now we were getting somewhere. I really liked this photo.
This one is Robyn’s favourite, she absolutely loves the expression on Isla’s face, it makes her smile every time she looks at it. It’s not the best photo technically, but to the parent of a child, you need to remember that, that stuff doesn’t always matter. A moment, or a look, can make or break a photo in their eyes. 
Another one of our favourites, this photo came about organically. We needed to take a break from the pose we were doing because let’s face it, babies are not very patient. After picking her up for a minute and soothing her, we put her on the rug on her back. I had been using a string of lights that wasn’t yet in the photos as a source of entertainment and they were just sitting next to me, so I did what you see above. Isla seemed to like it.
As she was happy to be on her back, we made use of it and moved her a little to be positioned in front of the background. I only got a couple photos off before we needed to move her again as she was getting upset with us leaving her alone on her back.
While I didn’t think this was the best idea due to her desire to put everything in her mouth, I wrapped a string of lights around Isla and let her play. Letting her play involved spending 80% of our time pulling the lights and her hands away from her face. I included the 2 photos to show you what some processing can do. I love the black and white photo on the left, but I don’t like the Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) image on the right. Don’t immediately discard an image because of what you see in front of you. Take a couple seconds to visualize what the photo might look like using other processing. 
Don’t be afraid to try different angles. I got in close here to see the lights reflecting in Isla’s eyes, a bit of a challenge with her moving around so much.
This was another idea I’d had for a while, to have Isla surrounded by ornaments, looking at the camera. As you can see, it was impossible to get her to refrain from touching the ornaments, but that’s alright, there are times you need to let go of your original vision and adapt. This photo is the uncropped version of the image below.
You can see that just by cropping, I’ve cleaned up the image quite a bit. You no longer see Robyn’s knee in the bottom right, nor do you see the areas of the background that do not have lights. The wardrobe change was another unexpected plus for the photos as I liked this outfit better but expected the other one to be my favourite.
I just wanted to show you a photo that demonstrates what it’s really like shooting kids. Keeping them looking at the camera is one of, if not the biggest struggle, it’s nice to have a parent hovering over my shoulder if possible for the baby to be looking in the right direction and as close as possible to directly at the camera.
These photos used another background element I wasn’t overly fond of in the end. The image on the left was taken at max sync speed of my camera with external flashes of 1/200 of a second, F/3.2, ISO 1000, with a focal length of 28mm. You can see the difference in the blurring of the background and how much nicer the photo looks by changing the focal length to 50mm. You notice that the strings of lights start to disappear and the lights themselves become large circles of light. Ideally I would have liked to be further back, but the space I was using didn’t permit me to be much further. 
It’s always a good idea to have a parent or two sitting nearby to be on watch for falls. While Isla looks happy now, she was about to have a good cry after hitting the floor. In hindsight, I should have put down some more padding so a fall wouldn’t result in her essentially hitting her head on the floor.
You’re probably wondering what my setup looked like, so here it is. The lights going from the hockey stick to the background were not a part of my original plan and they certainly made getting Isla on the area rug a challenge and a half. You can see that I have 2 Canon Speedlights on light stands aimed away from the set. I have my office painted white so that I can bounce my flash and essentially turn the room into a big softbox. You have also probably noticed that only one of those lights is firing. That’s intentional for some of the shots below. I have another flash on the ground with a mini softbox which I was using for a little different look. Other things worth noting in the photo are the lint brush in the bottom left, the fact that the curtains are closed so I could could control the light, my puppy model at the bottom, the cool way the lights reflect of my monitor, and the fact that my office is a mess. One thing you can’t see in the photo is my space heater. I made sure the room was nice and warm so Isla would be comfortable, even if it meant I was sweating.
Original image on the left, cropped on the right. I didn’t have the angle quite where I wanted it to get the overhead lights to sparkle, but I was having trouble getting Isla to look up enough without falling back.
I dropped myself lower, essentially ignoring the overhead lights.
A quick little crop and I have a photo which was in contention for the Christmas card. I liked that her hand was up bringing a bit more interest to the photo.
Being a parent, I am also in a unique position as a photographer to be both the guy there making her laugh, and the one taking the photos. At times this can be very difficult. I am left holding the camera in a position that feels right, while making eye contact with Isla to make faces that will make her laugh. The result is often one like the above photo where my photo is not where I want it to be. I can always shoot wider, but to get the background correct, I needed to be shooting at a long focal length. The other option is to put the camera on a tripod and trigger it with a cable release. I would have taken that route if there were more room in my office because it frees you up to be an entertainer and not have to worry about the camera, it takes away the camera as something coming between you and your subject.
This photo doesn’t add much to my advice, I just really like the results, she has a big smile on her face, and I feel like I can hear her laughing.
You can see that when I took this photo, I got a bit lower than I wanted, and too far to the right as you can see where the lights stop.
Again, cropping is your friend.
While she’s not laughing, nor does she have a really big smile in this photo, I like that you can see her eyes so clearly.
With Robyn just on the left, partly in the closet, her knee still made it into the frame. 
Robyn was easily cropped out.
This was another finalist in the Christmas card competition. She’s just so damn cute eh?
I thought I’d give the overhead lights another go. I took the image on the right first with these settings: 1/125 f/2.8 ISO 125 at 55mm. The photo on the left was shot at 1/160 f/1.8 ISO 160 at 50mm. The larger aperture made a huge difference in the bokeh, and I like it far more. 
I switched to horizontal, but I couldn’t get the right look with the hanging lights.
With a crop the photo is completely useable, though not my favourite.
This one shows a couple of things you have to deal with when photographing babies; grabbing things you don’t want them to, not looking at the camera, & not having eyes open (applies to anyone you may be photographing really). Don’t get frustrated, always stay positive, a baby can read your body language rather well.
Needing another break, our diva of a model was put on her back to look up at her mummy while I put a string of lights in front of her and got low to the floor with my camera.
I converted the photo to black and white as I guess I don’t like the look of the colour photo when she was being illuminated by the light strings alone.
We were getting near the end of Isla’s patience, but I wanted to try again with the ornaments. I set her up and then moved back to my shooting position, only to have Isla smack all of the ornaments around. Needless to say, it didn’t work.
We took the ornaments away again and knew we only had a few shots left before she was done. After seeing this photo, I was quite happy, but felt I should get a bit lower.
A bit lower and this was the look I wanted with this light setup. While it did not end up as our Christmas card, it is one of my favourites. We decided on the other photo at the top of the post because it was lighter and it just felt right for Christmas. 
What kind of puppy parent would I be if I didn’t photograph my dogs? I had just cut their hair a couple days before, so they were looking pretty cute. Cinnamon on the left is the hard one to get to sit still for photos. I hold up treats for them and tell them to sit, but Cinny has a tendency to sit, then take a step forward, then sit and inch forward, while Ginger will sit but likes to look around, so usually before I can get Gingy to look at me, Cinny has moved out of position. I took 30 or so photos of the dogs before getting this one, the only one with them both looking at me. I actually think this photo is hilarious as Ginger had just licked her lips giving her a silly little smile.
I hope these photos and my explanations have helped demonstrate the process we went through to produce our Christmas card this year. If you’re new to this kind of photography and looking to do something similar, don’t be afraid to try different things such as different poses, background elements, and lighting. Change your camera settings up too, so many different looks can be had just by making a few changes in camera.
]]>Rebecca and Elijah got married at Geraldo’s at LaSalle Park in Burlington in a small evening ceremony. An evening ceremony in late October means one very important thing to me, and that is ‘good light’. I met up with them just over an hour before the ceremony and Rebecca and Elijah did a first look outside. As I took Elijah out to the location he was to wait for his bride to be, he spotted a fox running through the woods about 100 metres ahead of us, but he had to keep his back turned as Rebecca walked toward him.
I love private first look moments between a couple, they don’t worry about hiding emotions, they don’t have to wait to say anything to one another, it’s just 100% real. After their first look, we walked around for about 15-20 minutes taking photos with the sun falling below the horizon, it was exactly what my wife and I had hoped to have at our wedding 4 years and 1 day before that day. Since we got rain, I get to live vicariously through Rebecca and Elijah :).
The ceremony was held inside with Rebecca’s mom walking her down the aisle. The officiant helped make the ceremony memorable with some quick wit which made everyone laugh, myself included. Dancing started not long after and as the drinks started flowing the dance moves improved and the smiles continued.
I had a great time with Rebecca and Elijah on their wedding day, so I guess I should give to a little look at what their evening wedding in Burlington looked like, so here it is:
Enjoy!!!
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While we were at the apple orchard, we saw that they also had a pumpkin patch, and since we hadn’t gotten our pumpkins for Halloween yet, we figured we would pick those up too. I must say, the cost for 2 decent sized pumpkins cost us about the same as we would have paid for one at the grocery store, so I highly recommend buying your pumpkin, and your apples, from a local farmer when you can. Scott also picked out a pumpkin and named it for them. Our pumpkins didn’t get names, but when Halloween came, I drilled holes in them and called them Swiss cheese to go with Isla dressed as a mouse. Here are a few photos of our day out picking apples.
Enjoy!!!
(P.S. thank you Scott for taking our family photo which I included here)
We made our way to the Public Gardens after the ceremony and rounded up family and friends for photos. After finding a few different locations around the park, we made our way to Bishop’s Landing. Ashley and James took everyone out for dinner at Ristorante aMano rather than have the traditional catered reception. I heard a number of people say that their meal was the best they had ever had, so I guess you should check them out if you’re looking for a new place to eat in downtown Halifax.
The reception was back at the Delta where Ashley had been getting ready earlier in the day. The Bluenose Ballroom has a fantastic view out their panoramic windows, something I noticed a number of guests enjoying. The kids however, enjoyed the candy bar a bit more, and when you have a wedding just before Halloween, you can be sure the candy options are going to be plentiful.
After being introduced to the reception, Ashley and James immediately went into their first dance before James danced with his mother and Ashley shared a dance with her brother. With the party officially started, the dance floor opened up and the celebration continued until late in the night.
You’ll notice that I’ve only posted black and white photos in this post, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any colour photos of Ashley and James, just give my Facebook Page a follow to see some colour ones posted over the next week or so. You can also check out their DJ; Mike Brooks and makeup artist Naphtali Carleton .
Enjoy!!!
It’s always convenient for getting ready photos when the entire wedding party is getting ready in the same building, that way if someone is running behind schedule, I can go spend some time with the other half, and not waste time. I ended up spending a bit of extra time with Kim and the girls as they got ready, and was privy to the reasoning behind some delays. I must say, I can’t believe how many times I have seen a wedding dress missing an important piece, like a hook at the very top of the buttons having nothing to hook into for example. It just adds some unnecessary stress into the day.
We made our way downstairs to the ceremony and the candles lining the aisle had been lit and it looked beautiful. Kim and her dad made their way down the aisle to Lance and I know I saw some tears flowing down some cheeks, but I won’t divulge whose. At the head of the aisle, behind Lance, were 2 pastors, one was there on official grounds, and the other was there as he was formerly ordained but is not anymore, but he was Kim’s family’s pastor, and family friend. It was a nice personal touch added to the ceremony, and he definitely spoke some personal words up there.
We made our way to the park across the street for photos after the ceremony with the wedding party and immediate family members. We got a bunch of photos there before we sent the wedding party back inside. I then took Kim and Lance over to Pier 21. As we walked by the Garrison brewery, the 15 people outside at the patio all applauded Kim and Lance, so they got a bit of a movie star moment.
As we got closer to Pier 21, we came across a double decker bus, so we hopped on for one photo before looping back to the hotel, where Kim and Lance joined their wedding party and family for some drinks in the room before the reception. We made our way downstairs for the reception, and I am happy to report that the chocolate fountain the wedding party was worried about, was still running and had plenty of chocolate left.
Instead of clinking glasses to get Kim and Lance to kiss, because let’s face it, clinking glasses is obnoxious, they requested donations for charity and every dollar was a second they needed to kiss. They started off with a stream of people making donations, so Kim and Lance pretty much kissed for 5 minutes straight to start off their reception. When it came time for the speeches, they were quite short but elicited the maximum emotional response with quite a few tears.
Once the dances got going, so did the bar, and there were lots of laughs and good times to be had. I’m sure that things got even better after I left, because when you’ve got that many Newfies together, how could it not? Congratulations Kim and Lance! Here’s a little look into your big day;
Enjoy!!!
We set out from Halifax and made our way toward Dartmouth where the three of us all live. We did a fly by over Matthew and Kyla’s house which was pretty cool, and then we flew over to the Halifax side and dropped low enough to be seen by Matthew’s work before checking out the Citadel. The Citadel is pretty cool on its own, but to see it from above it to truly see what an awesome structure it is. Our course to Sambro Island took us down the coast and Tim was awesome not just as a pilot for Vision Air, but he was also extremely knowledgeable about the area, I now know a lot more than I did at the start of the session.
We approached Sambro Island and got a great look at the oldest Lighthouse in North America. It was first lit in 1758 and didn’t become electric until 1988. I personally love lighthouses and this is a nice addition to my list of visited lighthouses which includes the World’s oldest still operating lighthouse in Wexford, Ireland, but the Sambro Island Lighthouse is much prettier because that’s how we roll in Nova Scotia.
We landed on Sambro Island and hopped out after the rotor blades stopped spinning. Tim (who is a photographer in his own right) made sure to land us in a place which would be good for photos (thanks Tim). From the landing we took a little time to explore and find some places to take photos. We were all a little surprised when Matthew’s phone rang on the island. I don’t know why, but I certainly didn’t expect to have cell phone reception on the island. He didn’t say it, but I bet Matthew felt pretty cool answering the phone and telling the person on the other line that he was going to have to call them back later because he was on Sambro Island, I know I would have.
Once we took a few photos and simply enjoyed the island, I hopped in the helicopter with Tim and we took some photos of Matthew and Kyla on the island from the air. I know they seem rather small in these 900 pixel wide photos, but imagine it blown up in a huge canvas and on the wall, that would be amazing.
Kyla and Matthew hopped into the chopper and we took off for our second island. I don’t know the name of the second island we went to, but it had 100% fewer lighthouses, but it did have a sandy beach. Many people write their wedding date in the sand, but I don’t know anyone else who was able to photograph that from the air, do you? I was literally sweating from writing that in the sand because it was so big, I’m just glad Matthew was cool with me writing ‘Matt’ instead of his full name.
We took off and made our way back to the airport. We flew over the Bayers Lake area and Bedford on the way and what an amazing perspective it is to see everything from above. Sure, you could look at the satellite view on Google Maps, but it’s just not the same, nor is their resolution very good for that matter, or you can get the newest satellite images for sale to have a great resolution views of any area.
I really can’t speak highly enough of the experience of flying in the helicopter for Matthew and Kyla’s engagement session, not can I speak highly enough of the people at Vision Air Services, specifically our pilot Tim who was an excellent pilot and guide for that matter. If you plan on doing an engagement session like this, these are the guys you want to contact, and I’m the photographer you should hire to come along with you ;).
Here’s a look at our afternoon of awesomeness:
Enjoy!!!
I finally got a chance to meet Darlene, Jeff, and some of their families, the night before the wedding, and I felt like I was meeting up with old friends. I wasn’t able to stay long, but it was great to finally meet these people I knew so much about.
The next morning I met Darlene and her sisters at a house that used to be owned by their grandparents. I got a photo of the dress hanging on the staircase which has remained unchanged in the last 40 years, a spot which brought back memories from childhood. Since we were running a bit behind schedule to start the day, our convoy of 4 cars made our way from St. Peter’s to the Highland Village in Iona at a pretty good clip. Darlene’s sister Beverly was in the lead car, and she made sure to push the pace and get us there on time. We could see some rain coming in from our elevated location, but it held off for the ceremony.
The ceremony was in the church atop the hill with a beautiful view, as we came outside afterwards, we were hit by a blast of cold wind and the sound of bagpipes which got Darlene a bit emotional when she heard them. We wandered the grounds taking photos and one of the ladies working at Highland Village in period costume, offered Darlene her shawl to keep warm between pictures. I can assure you that we would not have spent as much time outside had she not been so kind as to do that.
After we wrapped up in Iona, we made our way to St. Peter’s and Battery Park. The drive took us through sunshine, heavy rain, and hail, and of course when we got to the park, we had some more rain. The cold air and the wind put the temperatures close to freezing (it was 7 degrees without the windchill), not your typical September weather, but Darlene was a champ and lied to herself well enough to endure the cold.
Next from Battery Park came one of my new favourite places, Grand Greve Beach. The approach to the beach brings me back to Ireland, it’s just stunning. If you have $540,000 you can buy the house with that beautiful view, or if you’re really wealthy, you can buy it for me :)
Grand Greve Beach was an important place Darlene wanted to make sure we got photos as it’s somewhere she went when staying with her grandparents in the summers growing up. I love going to locations with some personal meaning to them, it may not add anything to the casual viewer on my blog here, but it certainly does for the couple.
We finished up at the house in L’Ardoise which Darlene and Jeff had rented for the week. Their family was all there and they sat down to a meal with everyone. Unfortunately my daughter Isla tried to spoil the party with her crying, but Robyn managed to calm her down away from the crowd. It was such a lovely day with a bunch of great people. Special thanks to Jeff’s sons Tyler and Logan for helping me out with my lights in the high winds, I really appreciate that guys!
Congratulations Darlene and Jeff, you’re two fantastic people and I can see how happy you make one another, I see a lot of love and laughter in your future together. Here’s a trip down memory lane to your ‘technically summer, but felt more like winter’, wedding.
Enjoy!!!
We had some great photo locations including the property itself and downtown Halifax. They had a fairly large wedding party and they were all a lot of fun and easy going, we didn’t have to worry about anyone not paying attention during photos. We wrapped up photos at the Keith’s Brewery before heading to Niche for the reception. When in came down to speech time, they were all speeches I wouldn’t want to follow, especially Joe’s brother’s emotional speech. Shannon and Joe had a great sized wedding with their closest family and friends and despite it being a Sunday, no-one seemed to be holding back. I can only imagine that productivity was low on Monday morning for most of the guests, but it was all worth it to celebrate Shannon and Joe’s big day. Here are a few shots from their wedding;
Enjoy!!!
I met up with Alicia at Evan’s parents’ house where she was getting ready with Evan’s plethora of sisters. Her mother helped her get the dress on until she got to the top where she discovered a missing eyelet. In came Evan’s mother to the rescue with a needle and thread. Despite the setback, we made it to the church in Dartmouth with plenty of time to spare. Evan and his groomsmen were there and ready as well. In other words, this was a rare wedding where everything was running ahead of schedule. I would say it was because Evan’s in the military, but it’s probably more because Alicia didn’t want to be late and started getting ready early.
The minister for the ceremony was the most jovial minister I’ve ever seen and passionate too. He was a pleasure to listen to. We made our way to downtown Halifax for photos. We started off by the waterfront right where the Harbour Hopper boards, so we took the opportunity to do something very Haligonian, and took a photo in front of it. From there we went to Grand Parade. We even found a purple picnic table to compliment the purple bridesmaids dresses which worked well for us for photos. Just before we left that location, a Mooseheads game finished and a rush of people took over the streets. With that came a ton of congratulations from random people on our walk back to the cars.
The reception was held at Juno Tower and the Ward Room at CFB Stadacona. The cocktail hour was way up on the 12th floor so we went outside on the balcony for a couple of photos with the MacDonald bridge in the background. I took a photo and then looked at Alicia. She must have read my mind, because before I could say anything, she asked what I thought. I said “it’s alright, but I’m a bit worried about your veil” as it was rather windy and it didn’t look in all the way. Sure enough, just as the words left my lips, the veil took off. I chased it to the best of my abilities with a bag over my shoulder and camera in hand, but I couldn’t quite reach it as it sailed over the railing. Watching it fly, we saw Alicia’s father getting out of his car, and we yelled to him. He couldn’t understand us, but it didn’t matter as Evan’s dad was sent down the elevator and knew what was going on, and followed our directions to retrieve the veil which had luckily landed on the ground, and not on a roof or tree top. We decided at that point to head back inside to finish up our photos, only to come back at around 10:00 for a couple shots of Evan and Alicia with the lights in behind.
The dinner was in the Ward Room, and everything was done up beautifully. No detail was missed, from the monogrammed table runners, to the custom wine bottle labels. There was even a Yoda groom’s cake for Evan, which matched his Star Wars cufflinks of course. From dinner, we went downstairs for the dance where live music was waiting for us. Alicia and Evan were great to work with and their families were a lot of fun to be around. Without further adieu, here’s a look at Alicia and Evan’s wedding day in Halifax.
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
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Their ceremony was held outside on the lawn at Stanley Bridge on Prince Edward Island, on the same day that Shania Twain was performing in Charlottetown. For some reason Shania did not respond to requests to stop by and sing during the ceremony. The wind was quite crazy while we were outside. How crazy? Well, the table for the signing flipped, and the speakers needed to be placed on the ground so they wouldn’t blow over. I really thought the arch was going to fly away, but someone clearly knew how to get that thing placed firmly in the ground.
We quickly took care of the family photos after the receiving line and a group shot, and then hopped in a limo for our trip to our photo locations. It was quite packed in the limo, but everyone grabbed a drink and had some fun. We went to Brander’s Beach, some tree lined driveway, and a field with a green grass path through hay. As we got to the field, we saw it being plowed, so we went to a field of flowers we had found during the engagement session.
The mosquitoes were not too bad for the most part due to the high winds, but when we were on the tree lined driveway, they still bit us like crazy which was a bit surprising. With mosquito bite souvenirs we made our way back to Stanley Bridge for the reception.
Emma and Devon had the place done up beautifully but more importantly, they were surrounded by great people. When the speeches came, Devon’s brother Derek and his poetic verse, was fantastic. It made everyone laugh, and a select few cry. I think having brothers myself, I can always relate to a speech between brothers, though I think anyone in attendance will tell you just how good a speech it was.
Once the dinner wound down and the dance floor opened, things got crazy, crazy awesome that is. I setup my photobooth and let people go ahead and take silly pictures of themselves, including one photo of someone falling into the backdrop somehow. The dance floor itself was one of the best I’ve seen in a long time, if not ever. I was talking to the DJ at one point and he told me they were the most active on the dance floor he’s seen in years, and he works even more weddings than I do. I think his equipment might have preferred the dancing to be a bit more tame though because the floor was shaking so much from some of the dancing, that it caused the music to skip a few times. What I liked most was that it wasn’t just the bridesmaids and the bride dancing, the guys all got out there too and had a great time together. I really enjoyed seeing Emma’s mom bust out Psy’s moves when Gangnam Style came on. That’s just the kind of night it was, with everyone joining the excitement.
I myself had a great time at the wedding and took a ton of photos, here’s just a tiny slice of Emma and Devon’s wedding day in Prince Edward Island.
Enjoy!!!
We started off taking photos at the cottage and we even grabbed a couple shots with Emma and Devon’s dog Charlie, before heading off to a couple of fields and a tree lined driveway I had noticed on my drive in. I really liked the locations, and we made sure to take note of them for the wedding that coming Saturday. We then proceeded to Branders Beach, a little beach which was fairly quiet and had a great mix of beach, cliffs, and tall grasses to keep the photos interesting. Again, it was another idyllic location we considered as a possibility for their wedding photos. It was great to get to know Emma and Devon a bit more and to see how they were in front of a camera (which was quite at ease). I enjoyed our couple of hours, well except for the mosquitoes and the dozen or so large bites I had for the next week. I am sure that the engagement session helped with the wedding photos as we were both more familiar with each other, and knew what to expect. Their wedding was only 5 days later, so I’ve obviously already photographed their big day already, so check back soon for those as they are next in my editing cue, for now you’ll have to make due with these two lovely people’s engagement session on Prince Edward Island.
Enjoy!!!
Jessica and James were making the trip from Toronto to Charlottetown for another wedding, and decided that they would turn their trip into a two wedding trip by eloping. I was the lucky photographer they contacted to be there with them and their parents. I don’t know if it was because of, or in spite of the fact that I only spent a few hours with them, but they are one of my favourite couples ever. We enjoyed quite a few laughs as we took photos at the Great George and then at Argyle Shore Provincial Park where they held their ceremony. It was the most quaint ceremony I’ve ever been a part of, with a beautiful setting. We were situated on a cliff overlooking the ocean.
Tide was out which afforded us the opportunity to walk down some questionable stairs to the beach below for a few photos. Jessica may have gotten a bit of red sand on her white dress, and I know James got some on his blue suede shoes, but I think they ended up with some great photos for the trouble. Our last photo stop was in a field of what I’m told was mustard, blooming with yellow flowers. I had seen a number of fields on my drive in to Charlottetown and really wanted to take advantage of the sea of yellow. It turns out that the field was plowed the next day, so our timing was great.
I really appreciate how easy going and fun Jessica and James were on their wedding day, they made my job so much easier, and certainly a lot of fun. They were also willing to do just about anything for photos, and that makes a world of difference in terms of the photos I end up getting. I know these two lovely people are going to have a lot of fun together. Jessica and James, congratulations, and I wish the very best for both of you. Also, thanks for the Happy Birthday text you sent ;)
Here is a look at the awesome pair of Jessica and James;
Enjoy!!!
When I got there on the wedding day, I was glad I came early as an RV had gone into a ditch at the top of the hill just before I got there, but it wasn’t until a tow truck arrived a bit later that the traffic began backing up. One of the groomsmen was stuck in that traffic and I’m sure he was a bit concerned he wasn’t going to make it in time, but he did.
The ceremony was right at the edge of a cliff overlooking the water, the guests sat on hay bales, and the pergola Angela and Chris were married under was custom made out of driftwood. The setting seemed perfect for them and their laid back attitude. Everyone laughed as one of the flower girls skipped down the aisle at the start of the ceremony, and when there was a music mix-up at the end. Most importantly, Angela and Chris laughed, and those smiles were on their faces almost all day, but I think they were biggest when the best man brought a cooler of beer to our photo session, and can I really blame them?
We didn’t spend too long taking photos, but I did make sure that we made good use of the beautiful sunset. Angela had told me that the sun set directly across the water, over the bay, and it was beautiful. She was spot on, I can imagine it’s a wonderful place to have a spend a lot of time in the summer. The reception was held right up by the cottage with a number of picnic tables for the guests to sit at. They had some lights strung around the trees and little details everywhere with the yellow and burlap colour scheme. They even had a custom made cake/cupcake stand, made from slices of a tree.
As the night went on, the temperature dropped into the low teens and most guests opted to change into something more comfortable, like warm sweaters. They played washer toss, had drinks, enjoyed roasting marshmallows and making s’mores by the fire, and even broke out the sparklers. It felt more like a family barbecue than a wedding (the pig roast probably helped with that feel), and I think that’s just how they wanted it. It was certainly the most relaxed wedding I’ve ever been to, and the setting was perfect for it. I even managed to take a few minutes to go down to the beach and get some photos of the stars with the party lighting up the trees below. Have a look below to get a little glimpse into the great day that was Angela and Chris’ wedding.
Enjoy!!!
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I had never been to the church before, but it certainly impressed with it’s wonderful light. Julie-Ann arrived to said church in a great vintage car, a 57′ Chevy, painted in classic turquoise. As Jacob later told me, it turned out to be one of his favourite old cars too, so he was thrilled when Julie-Ann told him she had it for the day. After the ceremony we made the most of the car and took a number of photos with it, and then inside it as we made our way down the strip on a busy Sunday to a number of cheers as people saw the happy bride and groom.
We drove around for a bit taking photos before returning to the church for the reception which was held in the basement. The couple had a buffet dinner, and handed out cake and cookies to their guests afterwards. The dinner was highlighted by a number of musical performances including some from Jacob himself. He busted out the guitar and sang to Julie-Ann. They also had a couple of songs sung, a friend play guitar, another play the saxophone, and another yet play the piano. It was the most musically diverse wedding I’ve ever been to.
With Julie-Ann and Jacob deciding to start their lives together south of the border, it will certainly be difficult for Julie-Ann’s friends and family, but what better way to have a send off than a wedding? I hope for the best for both Julie-Ann and Jacob in their future together, hopefully they make it back to Nova Scotia for visits often.
Enjoy!!!
Heather did a lot of the work herself and made use of Pinterest to pull together a number of crafty ideas for the decor in the hall. They had a buffet style dinner, and even made that look cute with unique plates and customized utensils with a little note thanking their guests for joining them. After dinner, Heather surprised Chuck by having a song sung for him (she admitted that it was beyond her abilities to do it herself, so she had family help her out). It sounded really nice, and you could see that Chuck was touched. Before long, we had already found ourselves on the dance floor where the flower girl and ring bearer stole the show by dancing together all night, it was absolutely adorable.
Here are just a few shots from Heather and Chuck’s first day together as husband and wife:
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
I can’t help but look at this last photo and think that as she gets older, and I want to take pictures of her, I will get this face when she’s had enough.
When I arrived at the Westin to meet up with Beth, I walked into a beautiful room with a long table against the wall. I didn’t think much of it until they pulled it to the middle of the room, popped a bottle or two of champagne and proceeded to get serious. I had never actually played beer pong before, but I did take a few shots, and it’s the kind of thing that’s right up my alley. I should stay away though, I tend to get competitive.
The girls were so relaxed that it didn’t even seem like Beth was about to walk down the aisle. Jeff on the other hand, was a bit more nervous, but I was told he’s the emotional type. However, he was rocking the Montreal Canadiens cuff links, so he gets points for bringing his favourite hockey team into his wedding day (despite the Calgary Flames coloured bridesmaid dresses, sorry, I had to point that out).
The ceremony was held at Pier 21, and we left right after the ceremony for photos. Beth and Jeff had a bus for us to get around the city, and we made use of a couple of locations including the Public Gardens, Keith’s Brewery, and Cabin Coffee. Cabin Coffee is owned by Beth’s parents and is this cute, rustic, little place, which smelled delicious.
After our photos wrapped up, we made our way back to Pier 21. When we got inside, we found everyone mingling about as the cocktail hour was coming to a close. At the bar, there were yellow and white striped straws (matching the colours) with little flags for guests to write their names on, that way you’d never be unsure which drink was yours. We also saw the guestbook setup. They had a Polaroid camera for everyone to take a photo of themselves and stick it in an album with their name below it. It’s a cool idea because it not only gives you the name of everyone who came to your wedding, but what they wore.
Entering the main hall, you could see the yellow and white everywhere, and it looked awesome. The beer pong table was setup and ready to go in front of the stage and head table, and it was put to good use. Speeches went on throughout the dinner, but one speech stood out in particular. Kelli, Beth’s maid of honour, rapped the Fresh Prince song with the lyrics switched out to the story of Beth and Jeff. It was surprisingly good and funny. None of the others giving speeches stood a chance after that, and that set us up for the rest of the night where everyone dance, drank, and laughed. Here’s just a glimpse into their day.
Enjoy!!!
Since Brent’s family happens to own a quarry behind their house, and there is a lake in front of their house, we did a few things most people wouldn’t be able to do at their homes. We started out with a sushi dinner, one of their favourite meals, before heading to their garden and pool. We grabbed a couple of hockey sticks and a puck (or two since Brent managed to lose one into some bushes). Sharon and Brent went out on the lake in their canoe for a few shots as I waded into the water wearing Brent’s rubber boots, then we proceeded to the quarry and a couple of big dump trucks. I used some rock climbing skills to urban climb one truck to put a flash in the back for better lighting. We then made our way up to what Brent and Sharon call ‘Clean fill hill’, which overlooks Dartmouth. It was just getting to dusk at that point, so we couldn’t really see everything in the city at the time, but the lights made for an interesting background.
As expected, I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Sharon and Brent, and I think we got some great photos with their personalities showing through. Here are a few photos of our Lifestyle session together.
Enjoy!!!
I wouldn’t normally post a photo where the casual observer doesn’t know what’s going on, but I love this photo. Brent and Sharon are on their John Deere Gator, in a tunnel underneath the highway, which is on the way from their house to the quarry.
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There were a few clouds in the sky which looked like they might drop some rain on us, but it held off. The ceremony went well, and before we knew it, Scott and Megan were walking up the aisle as husband and wife and heading for some champagne. As the family held a receiving line, I stole the rest of the wedding party for a couple photos. Once we had everyone available, we took care of family photos before venturing out with the wedding party. We walked up the road on the land and paused in a few places for photos, and no-one had their champagne glass run over by a car, nope, no-one. I sent the wedding party away and kept Megan and Scott, and we continued around the road, looping back around via the neighbour’s property. We found a some really good locations on our short walk. All finished with photos, we made our way to Pictou Lodge.
The drive to Pictou Lodge from the property was something I had already done twice at this point, so I figured I knew it and turned off my phone (GPS) to save power and followed some of the bridesmaids. As they passed what I thought was the turn, I figured I must have been mistaken and carried on. They quickly realized it was indeed our turn and they pulled off into a driveway on the left. I pulled off onto the shoulder on the right so I wouldn’t lose them. The only problem was that what appeared to be a flat shoulder wasn’t even close, so you guessed it, my car was quickly on an incline that I couldn’t recover from. I got out of the car just as Megan’s dad was pulling up. To make a long story short, he gave me a hand trying to get out and calling tow trucks (which we couldn’t get a hold of) before letting me put my gear in his car and catch a ride to the reception. I was very thankful he was there to give me a hand or I might have been sitting there quite a while just trying to find a tow, let alone getting to the reception. This all happened at about 6:30, and I eventually got a hold of a tow truck around 11:00 and met them at the car with the help of pretty much the only sober person at the wedding. There was no damage to the car, it was just stuck on a sandy slope, so at least I can take that as a positive out of a stupid situation. I usually pride myself on staying out of the way, not drawing any attention at weddings. This was not one of those days.
So at the reception, I was enjoying Scott’s father’s speech when he mentioned that when Scott wanted to learn to play hockey, he asked to be, and was enrolled in Larry Gazdig’s power skating in London, Ontario where he grew up. I had to laugh when I heard that, as my grandparents lived just down the street from the Gazdig’s, and Larry is my aunt’s father. Just when it seems like I’m living so far from home, a little detail like that makes the World seem so small.
The dancing got going thanks to the mad DJ stylings of Megan’s brother, and then came the fireworks, literally. They had about a 5 minute show which everyone enjoyed before heading back inside to dance some more. As the night came to a close, the laid back nature of Scott and Megan really came through as they invited anyone who wanted, to the beach for a bonfire. Quite a few people made their way to the fire and I imagine a beer or two were had by many as the night went on.
Here are a few photos from Megan and Scott’s Wedding in Nova Scotia;
Enjoy!!!
Their ceremony was held at Saint Benedict Parish in Clayton Park, the church where the couple sing every Sunday, and are well known and liked in the congregation. I can’t stress enough the role their faith has in their lives. They met through the church, and most of their friends come from their involvement with the church, especially Sarah whose entire set of bridesmaids (excluding her sister) she met through her work with Catholic Christian Outreach.
After their ceremony, we made our way from the church for wedding party photos at King’s College. Sarah, Phil, and I stopped along the way for some photos with just the two of them. As we were about to leave, we had an interesting situation arise. A fairly large bee had crawled under the lace of Sarah’s dress, right to the top. She said she could feel the whole dress buzzing from the bee. Through a bit of a struggle, Phil finally managed to remove the bee from the dress. I’m sorry to report that one bee was harmed in the making of this wedding.
After the bee situation, we made it to King’s College where the rest of the wedding party was enjoying taking photos with another wedding. I’ll be those were some funny shots. We did a bit of a wander around there taking photos before heading over to York Redoubt to finish off our photos.
The reception was held at the Community Centre beneath St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church. It was a blank slate to begin with, and Phil and Sarah did an amazing job of making it their own. I brought along my photobooth setup for the evening, and away we went into the reception. Sarah’s brother was the emcee and he surprised the wedding party with a kissing game that required people to select a Hershey’s Kiss from a bowl, get one colour and the couple kisses, get the other and you have to kiss a member of the wedding party. Sorry, no-one got out of hand. The dinner and speeches lead into the first dances, and the real party began. I must admit, there were some pretty good dancers in the bunch, even the kids had great moves. I hope that some of the dance talent has worked itself into me through osmosis, because it would be pretty cool to be rocking the dance floor with my moves and the camera. Everyone at the wedding knew that Phil and Sarah were into music, so it was no real surprise to see Phil up on the stage with a guitar to play a song. What was a surprise was when the curtain behind him opened up and he had a full band behind him. He sang a few songs to a thrilled crowd on the dance floor, and he did an amazing job.
When the dancing was just about finished, Serge, the DJ (3rd time for Sarah’s family), announced that Sarah and Phil would be doing a sparkler exit, so we all made out way to the back door. Sarah and Phil left via a tunnel of sparklers, and then everyone else went back to dancing for another half hour. Sarah, Phil, and all their guests (myself included), had a wonderful day. I am sure that they will continue to grow stronger together through the years with the excellent support system they have around them. They are a perfect fit, congratulations guys!
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
Months pass and a venue change moved the wedding to the Best Western Chocolate Lake. I had driven by a number of times when I lived close by without giving it much thought. It was a Best Western, so I thought it would be like any other Best Western I’d been to in the past, a decent hotel, but nothing special. I was wrong. You can quote me on that (just not to my wife OK?). I was absolutely blown away by how nice a venue it was. I think Jason and Olivia’s decorations and little touches certainly made a difference in my opinion, but the room was beautiful, as was the view over the lake. To top it off, the ceremony location outside with a pergola and a tree in behind was a great backdrop. Enough with my gushing, let me tell you a bit about the day itself.
I met up with Olivia and her girls just as the makeup was being completed. She had her puppies with her, so that put a big smile on my face to start the day. Just when the girls were within an inch of being ready, a little problem popped up. Olivia’s necklace was missing. The big worry was that one of the girls doing makeup had accidentally put it in their garbage bags as they quickly packed up to give the space back to the bridesmaids to finish getting ready. Luckily, after about 20 minutes of frantically searching, one of the bridesmaids found the tiny necklace. I think we all checked the same places six times before it was found. I know Olivia was stressed about the time because we were running a bit late, but everyone calmly lied to her and said we were doing fine ;).
When we got down to the ceremony, a few people may or may not have cried at seeing Olivia enter with one parent on each arm. The ceremony was highlighted by one moment in particular when the officiant made a tiny blunder. She was having Jason repeat after her and said to Jason “…take Olivia to be my lawfully wedded husband” Jason repeated but smiled and said “wife” instead. That made everyone laugh, it was a good catch. It would be easy to just repeat the words exactly in a nervous moment, but he was on the ball.
After the ceremony, an impromptu receiving line broke out before the wedding party could get organized for photos. After that ended we took family photos and then made way the the Dingle for wedding party photos. We went up to the tower and did a bunch of different photos before someone joked that Olivia and Jason should ‘ride the lion’. If you don’t know the Dingle, there are two large lion statues adorning the top of the staircase. Olivia looked at me, clearly thinking she might actually do it, so I encouraged her. Not one to typically break rules intentionally, she threw caution to the wind and got right up on the lion. It was hilarious, especially as another wedding party ascended the stairs at that moment.
We were running a bit behind schedule, so instead of our plan to take the entire wedding party downtown for more photos, just Jason, Olivia, and I went for a quick handful of shots at Grand Parade. We made it back to the hotel just in time and we were once again back on schedule. As everyone made their was to get food, I meandered over to the candy bar. I place direct blame on Olivia for me going to Bulk Barn twice in the last 2 weeks for marshmallow bananas. They were one of the items at the candy bar, and I hadn’t had them for a long time. I apparently missed them, and thoroughly enjoyed the candy bar. My candy addiction aside, the dinner was capped off with a round of emotional speeches. According to the speeches I heard, Jason is the best friend of approximately 20 people, but I wouldn’t in a million years question the sincerity of each of those people. Jason and Olivia have a way about them in which they make you feel you are truly important to them, and there’s nothing fake about it, they are simply wonderful people. Jason called me the day after the wedding to thank me, and it was pretty much the nicest thing I’ve ever experienced as a wedding photographer. Even the staff at the Best Western were raving about Jason and Olivia when I got there. One of the girls setting up said ‘I don’t even know them and I love them’, and that speaks volumes in my opinion.
I would be remiss to go without mentioning that Jason’s sister made the cake, and it was beautiful. If I heard correctly, the cake was made to match their grandparents wedding cake. After cutting the cake, Olivia and Jason went to the dance floor for their first dance. Most people there knew which song was coming. Two of their friends pulled out their guitars and started playing City and Colour’s ‘The Girl‘, which Jason sang to Olivia when he proposed. We went outside not long after for a couple extra photos, and later in the evening, as everyone danced on, the idea to get sparklers arose, and then sparklers were purchased. Next thing we know, we’re outside taking photos with sparklers. It was a hell of a day, and I was so glad to be a part of it. I know Jason and Olivia will have a great marriage, and they have a wonderful support system to top it off. Congratulations Olivia and Jason!!!
Enjoy!!!
Kristy’s uncle came in from Thunder Bay, Ontario, to walk her down the aisle in place of her father whom passed away earlier this year, something which had the wedding charged with emotion. From the moment I got to Kristy’s hotel room while she was getting ready, I could tell that she was trying to soak in her day and enjoy those special moments, with her mother specifically.
We did the photos before the ceremony and Kristy and Scott rented a bus to transport everyone from the hotel to our photo locations. We took the family to the Public Gardens, and then the wedding party went over to Pier 21 before heading to Woodlawn United Church for their ceremony. Scott’s parents had been married at the same church a ‘few’ years before and we even took a photo in the church which his parents had also taken, luckily his dad had the photo on his phone so we could match them up.
At The Westin Nova Scotian for the reception, we heard interesting stories about Kristy and Scott, and of course those included their love of sports, specifically baseball for Scott, and hockey for Kristy. It wasn’t hard to feel a connection with them as those two sports were the two sports I played growing up. I will say however that the way Kristy wins races for a puck are much different than the way I do it, but hey, we all have different ways of motivating ourselves. You’ll have to ask Kristy what I’m talking about on that one.
After an amazing slideshow, the dancing got going. I was surprised to see the groomsmen leading the charge, which helped get others out dancing too. I think Kristy and Scott are a great fit for one another, and I suspect a lot of fun and sports are in their future together.
Here is just a sampling of their wedding day, congratulations Kristy and Scott!
Enjoy!!!
Alright, so it was no longer a hurricane, rather a tropical depression or something to that effect, but that didn’t make things any easier for photos. This was the first time I had to forgo my photo plans due to wind. Sure, rain has been a pain in the past numerous times, but rain wasn’t the problem at Sharon and Brent’s Fox Harb’r wedding. The winds toppled a large number of trees at Fox Harb’r and left the venue without power. Fortunately they had a backup generator to ensure things could run smoothly on the inside.
Fox Harb’r is a beautiful venue with many great photo locations around their world class golf course, but we were unable to use most of those locations due to the wind. We did however make use of the club house and the sporting lodge, even taking some photos on a couch that used to be in Johnny Cash’s house. While we were all a bit disappointed that Sharon and Brent weren’t going to get those beautiful views, you’d expect to see from Fox Harb’r, you’d never know it talking to them, they were positive every throughout. I just can’t say enough about the kind of people Sharon and Brent are, and you can’t help but smile along with them. I wish the very best for them in the future. That future happens to hold a ‘Rock the Dress’ session some time soon, so keep an eye out for that, it should be fun.
Here are a few photos from their big day.
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
When JF arrived, I loved the look of his Navy uniform, my thoughts went straight to the photos we were going to be doing with the bride and groom both in white, and the white foggy background, developed in black and white…sweet. Amy’s father was also in uniform, as he wore his Brampton Fire Department uniform as he walked his daughter down the aisle. When they got to the front of the aisle and he handed over Amy to JF, something else unique happened. The ceremony was conducted in both of Canada’s official languages to accommodate Amy’s English speaking upbringing, and JF’s French speaking family, a nice touch for sure.
The family photos we had hoped to take outside were forced inside by the weather, but we carried on as planned with the wedding party. Fortunately for us, the rain let up and we just had mist to deal with, not too bad considering the possibilities. I was glad I planned ahead and brought and extra pair of shoes and socks for the reception because my feet were soaked after going to York Redoubt. JF changed out of his Navy uniform and into an outfit with a black bow tie and white jacket, a look many commented reminded them of James Bond. JF was quick to correct people that he looked more like Humphrey Bogart. I think he was right.
The first dance was well done and I believe it was a Tango, but my dance knowledge stems from watching So You Think You Can Dance, so take that with a grain of salt. Later in the evening, one couple stole the dance floor show with a swing dance to what felt like the longest song ever. I was tired just watching them dance, it was impressive.
What a wonderful day for a fantastic couple, I am so glad I was a part of it. Here are a few photos from their Wedding Day.
Enjoy!!!
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Here are just a few photos I took for Jessica.
Enjoy!!!
Brittany’s mother and I actually sat at the same table at Petar and Anita’s wedding a few years prior, one of my favourite all time weddings. It’s always nice to shoot a wedding where someone knows me and how I work from another wedding, and has seen the results. Anita and Petar were one of the first couples to really trust in me and let me do my thing. It was nice to know that Brittany was aware of that, and she and Steve let me do what I needed for photos.
Getting to Geraldo’s, it was a beautiful day and you couldn’t have asked for better weather conditions for a wedding. The ceremony was held on the veranda, which meant shade, and the white walls and ceilings are an added bonus for a photographer. The ceremony went off without a hitch and the next thing we knew, they were married. We got the family photos done on the grass and then I took the wedding party for a walk around the property. Steve’s sister/best woman/maid of the mist (if you were there you understand that), did not appreciate the hills in her heels, and wound up having to walk down the hills backwards which was good for a laugh of course. That’s one thing you don’t have to worry about with Brittany and Steve, they laughed a lot and were quite obviously enjoying their day. I quite enjoyed when it came their time to speak and Steve brought up a list of bad jokes in case of emotions.
I really enjoyed the entire day and had a great time, here are a few images from their celebration, I think the joy really shows.
Enjoy!!!
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The drive to the hospital was pretty much like you see in the movies, I was busting my ass, pushing my limits with yellow lights and the speed limit while helping time contractions; 1 minute apart, lasting around 40 seconds…shit. I was not going to deliver a baby in the car. When we got to the hospital, I parked in a no parking zone due to a transport truck blocking the short term parking (telethon weekend was being cleaned up). We got Robyn admitted and upstairs, they ran a couple of tests and asked if she wanted an epidural. We weren’t sure what the timeline was like but it seemed early to be asking about an epidural since Robyn’s contractions had slowed. After spending nearly 2 hours in the early assessment unit, they took us to a Labour and Delivery room where she got the epidural almost right away, and it’s a good thing she did. We were told it may not have time to take full effect and I didn’t want to see her in any unnecessary pain (it was going to be enough with the epidural let alone without it). I called Robyn’s parents in Lahave and they made their way in. At one point we were sure they weren’t going to make it in time, but the epidural slowed things down significantly.
I’ll pass by the details, but at 6:03 am on June 2nd, 2014, our first child was born, Miss Isla Niamh Hall was 7 lbs, 6 oz, 19.25″ long, and an absolute beauty. With Robyn being a redhead, everyone wants to know if Isla is also a redhead, but we will have to reserve judgement on that for the time being. While she does have hair, I know that the colour of a baby’s hair when born is not necessarily indicative of what the colour will be, as it can fall out and come back different. I am going to go on record as saying I think it will be red, so if you want to buy stock in sunscreen companies, now is a good time to do so.
After spending a few hours in the Delivery room, they sent us up to another room on the 5th floor, where we were going to spend 2 days. The room number was 567 (floor 5, room 67), and for those of you who know me, you know that 67 is my number, so I will take that as a good sign. I would like to say that the Nurses and Doctors did a great job with everything and were very helpful. I don’t think we had too many questions, but every one was answered, and in a pleasant manner.
After 2 long, fairly sleepless days, we got to go home mid day Wednesday June 4th. I had visited the dogs to feed and walk them, but they hadn’t seen Robyn for a few days, so they were really excited to see her. Then I brought in Isla and they weren’t quite sure what to make of this little person. Ginger was really sweet and cute with Isla, and Cinnamon was excited as she is rather excitable, so we decided to make stretch out her introduction over a few days.
Isla has been settling in at home with her proud parents and we’re all figuring out what sleep is going to look like for a while, but we’ll get there. Everyone has made an assumption that because I’m a photographer, Isla will be experiencing a 24/7 photo shoot as a newborn, but I’m just trying to enjoy being the father of a newborn, so while we did take some time for photos, and I will take some every day, the main focus for us right now is just being a family, and I’m really enjoying that.
Enough blabbering from me, here are some photos which will show you what a beautiful little girl we have.
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
We were all at Brightwood and ready to start the ceremony well before it was time and it was just a matter of making sure all the guests were on hand before starting the proceedings. I knew full well that Sam and her Mom were going to be rather emotional, they are after all, great friends too. The ceremony went well and before we knew it, Ryan and Samantha were married and we were off to the Dartmouth Commons for photos. We walked through the park and found a few nice shaded areas for photos. Despite the harsh sunlight and no clouds in the sky to speak of, the Commons provided us ample locations to avoid the squinty eyes and hard shadows. We ran a little behind on the photos, but they didn’t start the reception without us, but we did enter and start the dinner right away. The candy bar and the mini cakes were a big hit with the guests and myself, I do enjoy my candy.
With dinner and speeches done, it came time Sam and Ryan’s first dance, a choreographed number with the couple using every inch of the dance floor, letting everyone see them. Then the party began. I don’t think Samantha spent more than 2 minutes off the dance floor at any given time, often dancing with her mother and bridesmaids, she even managed to get her grandmother out on the floor at one point. It was a great day and fun evening, and I’d like to wish Sam and Ryan to best of luck in their marriage together. Here are a few photos of their day.
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
When it came time for the wedding, I arrived a bit early to the Blomidon Inn and scouted out some locations on the property and much to my surprise, there was a lot more in bloom than I had expected. The Apple Blossoms weren’t quite there yet, but we managed to do just fine without them. As Andrea and Steve got prepared on the wedding day, they seemed more excited than nervous, and Steve’s eyes lit up when he got to see Andrea making her way through the serpentine garden toward the aisle. The ceremony went well and after a pause for a picture of everyone, we did family photos and got right to the reception. As it was a small wedding, they opted for a shorter afternoon tea reception with everyone mingling about the Inn. One of the stars of the reception was not a person, but something special that was made up for Steve. On the stand with the cake and cupcakes sat one which was unlike the rest, it had a Montreal Canadiens logo on top, Steve’s favourite team. I wish I could say that they went on to play for the Stanley Cup, but I’m writing this about a half hour after they lost to the Rangers, sorry Steve I feel your pain, my Penguins also lost to the Rangers, but they did it in a more embarrassing fashion (I’ll hang my head now).
The reception went well and as the final few people departed, we made our way to the gardens for photos. We meandered around the property taking photos throughout the property, eventually coming to a Magnolia tree which had shed most of it’s flowers. It was a difficult trek through some brush to get there, but we made it and then came the task of figuring out how to turn it into a good photo, so I got a bit creative. I’d like to thank my new found rock climbing abilities for helping me climb the tree for a different perspective. When I got to the top and tool some photos, Andrea and Steve switched roles and took a couple photos of me in the tree which made for a good laugh. We finished up inside the Blomidon Inn, and as I was leaving, I decided to get a shot of the Inn from the road with the sign in the picture. That was right when Steve and Andrea walked out the front door, it was perfect timing.
I enjoyed spending the day with such a great couple, their families, and friends, here’s a brief snapshot of their day.
Enjoy!!!
Kevin and his groomsmen weren’t just sitting around doing nothing in the club house, they were working on a surprise for Jessica, something I had never seen a groom do, and it impressed me immediately. I knew that Jessica meant the world to Kevin without ever seeing them together. I left Kevin to his preparations and went to see Jessica and all her ladies. Their chalet may have been a bit messy, but with that many girls in one place, you learn to expect that kind of result. Add to that, the fact that Jessica had not only made most, if not all of the decorations in the hall, but she also made her own bouquets, and you are bound to have a bit of a ‘debris’ field. As the girls got ready I went over to see how the guys were making out at their chalet, the one I dubbed the ‘Swiss Chalet’ despite Kevin’s insistence that there is nothing ‘Swiss’ about the restaurant. I met the rest of the groomsmen and we got along right away, they are a great bunch of guys. They got ready and shared a few laughs before saying a prayer together in the living room.
Jessica and Kevin met in a way a bit different from any other couples I’ve photographed before. Kevin from Switzerland, Jessica from Canada, met and fell in love in Australia. How you ask? Well, they were both attending Hillsong College, a Bible College near Sydney. Jessica even told her mother before leaving that she was going to meet her future husband there, how prophetic eh? You can understand from where they met that God plays an important role in their lives, and the lives of their families. With that in mind, they shared a moment of prayer together before the ceremony. We had Kevin brought to Jessica’s chalet and they stood at the corner of the doorway, not looking at each other as to not spoil the moment of the first look when Jessica walked down the aisle. When their prayer was done, they got ready for the ceremony.
As Jessica made her way down the aisle, Kevin was clearly getting emotional seeing his bride, and they both had big smiles on their faces, just like they did all day. These two were just so happy to be in the presence of one another, it was great to see. Kevin and Jessica each wrote their own vows to one another and I may have noticed a tear or two in the eyes of many of those in attendance, but I won’t name names. The ceremony was performed by Kevin’s minister from Switzerland, and the father of one of his groomsmen. I guess I should say he’s Jessica’s too, as the couple are going to be living in Switzerland, so it’s a nice added touch to have him there.
With the ceremony over, an impromptu receiving line started and I caught a few nice moments happening. Looking at Jessica’s mother, I saw a look I recognized. When I moved from Ontario to Nova Scotia, I saw the same look on my mother’s face, the look of ‘I’m never going to see you again’, something I know from experience isn’t true, but it sure feels that way. I saw Kevin’s mother speaking words of encouragement to her, as well as Kevin himself, promising to take care of Jessica, like any good husband would.
After a few emotional minutes, the wedding party went off for photos. We managed to get some people on some fences, in some brush, on a fairway, in the woods, on a couple bridges, and thankfully, no-one ended up in the water (despite a rock giving way under my feet). We had a couple golf carts and they nearly ran out of juice, but we made it all the way back to the club house before one died.
When it came to the reception, the details that Jessica put together looked fantastic, and the treats tasted as good as they looked. There were some great speeches, and after Kevin said a few words, he pulled out that surprise for Jessica. I’m told that before going to Hillsong, Kevin didn’t sing, but afterwards, he does, and he has quite the voice. He sang ‘All of Me’ by John Legend, to Jessica. I used my Blackberry to record his song and while the quality of the recording isn’t the best, I’ve still listened to it a bunch of times since. I was so impressed with not only Kevin and his singing, but everyone I met at Jessica and Kevin’s wedding. It was a great group of people, and I thoroughly enjoyed being there to photograph their celebration.
Congratulations Jessica and Kevin!
Enjoy!!!
What do you do when you have that many people in the exact spot you want to take photos? You get creative with your location selection. We took a short drive up the road and took a small hike toward the coast, finding a few locations along the way. We made our way back to Peggy’s Cove and many people had left, or were leaving. Part of that may have been due to the dropping temperature, it was an alleged 5 degrees, but the windchill was probably closer to, or below zero.
Olivia and Jason toughed out the cold, and we got some great photos, in particular, I like the shot below of Jason with his guitar, singing to Olivia. The photo is an ode to their actual engagement in New York where Jason sang ‘The Girl‘ by City and Colour and then proposed. On top of all that, the guitar Jason used was one Olivia had given to him as a gift early on in their relationship. Such a romantic that Jason is eh?
Here are a few shots from our Easter engagement session at Peggy’s Cove.
Enjoy!!!
This blog post is quite overdue, but client photos come before personal ones, so here we are, 6 months after returning from Ireland, with a bunch of photos to show. This will be a long post because I am having a very hard time cutting photos.
Our journey to Ireland was a full day late and fraught with problems, but that’s what you get when you fly United Airlines. We arrived late, tired, and ready to move on from our issues. Through some good luck and a girl at Dooley’s car rental who had just quit and allowed me to use a photo of my license, we managed to get a rental car. Our little Nissan Micra was a pretty good car and I wondered why they wouldn’t sell it in Canada. Just last week I learned that they are being released here and will be the least expensive car in the country at under $10,000. I would really like one, but unless someone is going to give me about $12,000 for my ’09 Corolla, it’s not happening right now.
I picked up driving on the other side of the road rather quickly and had no driving issues during the trip that I can recall. I actually really liked driving on the other side, I found it comfortable, especially since I typically drive with my left hand and can put my right arm out the window. I should also add that it was imperative to me to rent an automatic transmission, I have never driven stick and had no intention of learning in a foreign country. If you plan on going to Ireland (which you should), and want an automatic transmission in your rental car, be sure to reserve in in advance.
Our route around Ireland and Northern Ireland began in Kildare with Andrew and Ciara’s wedding, then continued to Killarney. From there we hugged the West coast North to Doolin and cut across to Donegal before crossing into Northern Ireland to Bushmills and the Giant’s Causeway. We then followed the coastal drive down through Belfast back toward Dublin.
I really enjoyed the entire trip, but a few highlights would have to be the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry, Giant’s Causeway, and the Dark Hedges. Robyn says that she can tell how much I like a place by the amount of time I spend photographing it, and if that’s the case, those highlights are certainly at the top of my list in Ireland.
My best meal of the trip was at Durty Nelly’s (the original one, there’s another here in Halifax), and Robyn’s best meal was at Ladies View cafe on the Ring of Kerry. We stopped at pubs for dinner most dinners and lunches, and we had a good experience just about everywhere.
Isla ways have a special place in my heart for Ireland, especially the Giant’s Causeway and the majesty of place you feel when you are walking around there. There’s no way to explain the feeling you get walking with the cliffs above you and the waves crashing below. You simply need to go there.
I might come back and write more later, but for now, this is my abridged version. Below are a some of my favourite photos from our second, and not likely our last trip to Ireland.
Enjoy!!!
Side Note, I am considering putting some of these up for sale on my new Etsy shop, so let me know if you have any interest.
As for the wedding itself, Mandy was walked down the aisle by her two boys who doubled as comedians for the ceremony. The whole thing felt like such a fun family event with lots of smiling and laughter, and best of all, nothing felt rushed.
After the ceremony, they all mingled a little bit and then we went out and took some photos, in the snow, and the cold. When we began photos, the sun was shining and it was chilly, but really not too bad. Easy for me to say with my coat and gloves on, I know. As the time passed and the sun got lower and lower, so did the temperatures. It didn’t help that we started at Paul’s Hall in Glen Haven, off the water, and ended at Peggy’s Cove which is obviously on the ocean, and very, very windy. We had planned to do a shot or two with the entire wedding party by the lighthouse, but a windchill taking about 20 degrees off the already below zero temperatures, was not having it. Spence and Mandy braved the cold for a few minutes, but we agreed that it would be cruel to subject her bridesmaids to that cold.
I really enjoyed my time with everyone at the wedding, and hope for nothing but the best for them in the future. Here are a few shots from their day.
Enjoy!!!
Check in frequently to see what’s been making it’s way through my viewfinder, and don’t forget to tell everyone about my “Holy Shit My Wife is Pregnant” Sale
Here are my favourite 100 photos shot for others in 2013; Enjoy!!!
John is from the U.K. and I heard quite a few stories involving his friends and family. I met those friends and family on New Year’s Day when I met up with them at the Herring Cove Polar Bear Dip. It was easy to see why John was so fond of everyone, they were all great to hang around with. I know what it’s like to move away from home and be away from family and friends, and it’s incredibly difficult at times. Family will always be family, but friendships are harder to maintain. The friendships which last are the ones you can pick up where you’ve left off, as if you never spent a day apart, be it a couple weeks, or a couple years between seeing one another. Those are the types of friendships John is lucky to have.
On January 4th, John’s reunion became Natasha and John’s wedding day. You’re probably wondering how John and Natasha met seeing as she’s a Nova Scotia girl, and he’s from across the pond. Well, to make a long story short; they met at a wedding where they were both in the wedding party. They shared glances, they shared company, and their shared a mutual feeling that it would not be the last time they saw each other. Love battled distance and won, and John made his way to Canada. They married in a small ceremony in 2012 to help ensure they could be together and this January’s wedding was the planned wedding they had hoped for, with all their friends and family.
Two days prior to their wedding, we had a pretty big blizzard in Nova Scotia which royally screwed with many people’s travel plans, including a few guests for the wedding. I know the happy couple would have loved if everyone could have made it, but they would rather people stay safe and not travel if they didn’t feel comfortable doing so. The snow was accompanied by cold and wind which resulted in windchill temperatures nearing thirty below zero. The fireplace inside the Old Orchard Inn was burning in behind where Natasha and John had their ceremony, so no-one was feeling the cold at that time. Seeing as their wedding ceremony was a renewal of vows, there was no need to sign any documents during the ceremony, so instead of signing, the couple enjoyed a cup of tea while a song was sung by members of Natasha’s choir. After the ceremony, we did all the family photos and made our way outside. I started my car up and got it warm before bringing John and Natasha into the cold. We went across the parking lot to what I was told is a games room for the Inn. It was a red barn which was pretty much unoccupied and gave us a rustic background for some of the photos. We would take a few photos outside before warming up in the car, and then inside the barn once the rest of the wedding party walked over to the barn. We lost sunlight very quickly as the clouds rolled in just before sunset, but we still managed to get a number of photos outside in the natural light. Natasha was even game enough to take her shall off for a few shots with John holding her while standing in the snow.
The emcee for the reception was John’s best friend Gareth. Gareth did a great job, especially when you consider that he’d never even been to a wedding before. While he and a few others needed to consume an invisible can of ‘man up’ to get through their speeches, you couldn’t say that any of the sentiments were less than heartfelt. The room was full of emotion and speeches are often where that emotion comes to the fore. After a few tears were shed, some tables were moved and the chaos on the dance floor began. There were kids doing flips, groomsmen jumping higher than I thought possible, and even dance moves that appeared to be rabbit-like. In other words, people had a great time, myself included.
In the photos below you will notice a couple jars full of money with Natasha and John’s names attached. The person with the most money in their jar would get a cake in the face later in the evening, and the money would go to charities which had personal meaning for the couple. The total amount raised was split evenly between the two charities and you can scroll down to see whose face got caked.
Enjoy!!!
John walked down into the water wearing a penguin costume and despite my best efforts, he refused to jump in wearing it. I later told him that if he jumps in it next year, I’ll get the same costume and jump in as well (first regret of 2014 and only hours into the damn thing) but that’s a story for another day. All I know is I had a hell of a time just watching people jump in and hear their reactions which ranged from “that was exhilarating” to “that was $%#&’n stupid”. I got some good pictures and well, I like sharing. As an FYI, I was shooting people jumping from the right side of the pier 99% of the time and I will fully admit to using the spray and pray method with my camera held high over my head in the hopes of getting a good shot, so there were a lot out of focus shots, maybe next time I will bring a step ladder.
I fully intend to include a couple of the photos of the wedding party in their wedding blog post which will inevitably be up soon and linked here, and feel free to look at that when it’s up, and also to check out the SALE I’m having on wedding photography which can be found HERE.
The event was in support of FEED NOVA SCOTIA, so check out the link and make a donation for a good cause. It’s also worth recognizing the organizers and Fire Department who assisted nearly every jumper in one way or another, be it with support getting onto the ledge, or a hand up from the ladder out of the water, what one person referred to as “hands of angels” as she reached the top. Here are some of the photos;
Enjoy!!!
UPDATE: If you would like to purchase any photos from the blog post, or to see more, check out the gallery on my sports photography site Red Rabbit Sports Photography. The site is still in its infancy and has not really launched yet, but I got it going well enough for this. The bulk of any purchase made will be donated to Feed Nova Scotia.
I must admit, I felt guilty dressing so warmly while they couldn’t do quite the same, but I never know if I’m going to be laying on my stomach in the snow, or standing in a foot of water to get that perfect shot, so I didn’t feel too guilty ;).
We met at the Tim Horton’s by Murphy’s on Lower Water St. and we started photographing at Historic Properties. We took our time walking along the waterfront all the way down to the Seaport Farmers Market and back. We then went over to Point Pleasant Park to finish off our session. Alicia obtained a Nova Scotia tartan blanket for the Point Pleasant Park part of our session and we made sure to use it, especially since it was not as easy to get one at this time of year as you might think.
Both Alicia and Evan were great people to hang out with and I enjoyed our time out and about in Halifax. Here are a few shots from just before Christmas;
Enjoy!!!
My original intent when looking through the pictures was to post one photo from each year of my life, but after seeing the photos and having enough trouble getting the total down to this number, I decided to amend that idea and come at it from a different angle. I just wanted to show my life in photos. Now, there were some challenges to this, like having prints but no scanner at the moment, (so some photos are omitted, if I get a scanner I will add a few more) but I think I did a decent job. Living in a different province from my family, I know that a lot of what they see of my life comes via what I post online. I spend too much time just enjoying my family’s company when in Ontario to bust out the photos and have a slideshow. As much as this post is something I’m doing for myself, it’s something I’m doing for my family. I don’t think it’s too often you can see highlights of 30 or so years all together at once, so this will serve as a visual thank you to my parents and to my family for taking a few seconds to capture what at the time may have seemed like inconsequential moments. I really cherish the photos from my childhood and with my family, specifically the ones playing with my brothers. I can only hope that when my child is born in June (or thereabouts) that I will be able to find the balance between participation in my kid’s life, and capturing those moments of importance, and just daily life, the way my parents did. And yes, you read that correctly, Robyn is pregnant and we’re expecting our first child in 2014.
One thing I’ve learned through this process is that a photo needn’t be perfect to be, well, perfect. Neither of my parents will claim to be photographers (though Dad, sorry, but Mom’s better than you), but the photo quality never factored in while looking at the photos. As a photographer, I probably shouldn’t say that, and I cringe when I see one of my photos is even slightly out of focus, but the quality of a photo is more than just image quality. Moment quality is unequivocally more important.
So here it is, a glimpse into my life to this point in about 125 photos.
Enjoy!!!
Me as a baby, I have my buddy Oscar the Grouch with me of course
I was a bit chubby, but that didn’t stop me from posing like a model
On the steps of my grandparents house with Grandma holding me, and Kevin and Brandon wearing matching outfits. That didn’t happen too often to my recollection.
Oh, just winning a baby race.
With Kevin and Brandon, I guess I liked Pittsburgh Teams at this point. Notice I still have my Oscar the Grouch.
Just doing some art at the studio.
I was clearly enthralled with the Pumpkin. Brandon and Kevin probably did the actual carving.
At least one of us can focus. Kevin and Brandon were probably just jealous of my awesome Mack shirt.
Feeding Preston what appears to be some sort of slop. Look at my expression, no wonder I’m picky.
Putting up Christmas lights with Dad. Yes, I’m wearing a Sabres hat. For a long time they were my second favourite team.
I really don’t know what I was doing with those sunglasses but I find this photo hilarious.
I had trouble spelling Pittsburgh for years because of that shirt. It was soooo comfy though.
I won a colouring contest so we took a picture. Preston is clearly a hipster in 1990 as per his glasses. Note the Keith Primeau Niagara Falls Thunder Poster on my bedroom wall. He was my favourite Thunder player.
All cozy in a Grandma knit sweater, rope swinging at gymnastics, and a solo shot with my prize. I named that dinosaur Denver, and used him as a weapon against Preston when he would make noises in his sleep, which was quite frequently.
Having a hot chocolate break from tobogganing, also, scoring a goal, that’s me jumping in the centre.
I never did like to touch the fish. Thanks Kev for helping me out with that.
Niagara Peninsula Chess Champion, Camping (I still have the shirt), Hockey photos in Niagara Falls, rocking the blue skate blade holders like Gretzky.
Midnight snack with my dad. Those were the best cookies ever, I don’t think Colonial exists anymore, at least not in Canada.
Mario Lemieux t-shirt Easter present. I still have the shirt and plan on putting my kid in it some day.
With my best friend Dave at the Carnival in Niagara Falls
With Preston, we were so proud of whatever on Earth we made.
With Dave at the pool in St. David’s
Playing in the snow in the back yard in Niagara Falls with Preston and his friend Katie.
Travelling team for Softball, I was playing up a division with Brandon and Kevin.
The first photo might be my all time favourite. I wish I knew how that ended. The 2nd was my first time going to hockey. The 3rd, I am pretending to make a great catch while doing the crowd sounds (you know what I mean).
Playing road hockey, I liked playing in net and I’m sure they liked shooting at me. Remember those plastic stick blades?
At Jack Astor’s (apparently in front of the Doug Gilmour wall) after winning the provincials. Ryan on the left, and Jake on the right, were my line mates. As you can see, I was small growing up, but I was still the leading scorer ;)
Select baseball after winning a tournament. I’m the little guy in the middle of the first row. My dad’s in the top right, he coached me for many years in baseball.
This was a proud moment, being awarded MVP of my league while in Midget.
We took a guys trip with my dad to Pittsburgh in 2003 and saw the Penguins beat the Hurricanes 3-2. I loaned my brothers Penguins gear and I wore all yellow. Lemieux had 2 assists & i got to see Ron Francis play for the Canes.
The only photo I have of me playing high school hockey for the M.M. Robinson Rams
Grades 10, 12, OAC, and University graduation. For those who don’t know, OAC was essentially just grade 13 which all Ontario students went through until it was eliminated in 2003.
Just the kind of thing that happens when brothers get together. I am certain I didn’t deserve this. I am also certain that I have no idea where this photo was taken.
A rare occasion. All 4 of us getting together to play ball hockey in Waterloo. We all attended Wilfrid Laurier University, but I believe Preston was not yet out of high school at the time.
Got my university degree in Psychology.
On the streets of Dubrovnik with some heavy bags.
At the World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria, with Borut and Max.
At the World Championships, this photo was on TSN’s website.
Exhausted after playing 3 straight games of inline hockey in Ljubljana, Slovenia. I found the playing surface difficult to play on as it was more slippery than the concrete or asphalt I was used to.
This ad for Guinness is brought to you by Dustin’s massive strength. These Irish guys were in awe of that strength
My first time touching the ocean was in Auckland, New Zealand. It was really cold.
Getting in to it with a guy who took a late shot after the whistle in Christchurch. Thanks to Holly who captured this moment with my camera and then recorded my first goal with my video camera the next game.
Silver Cup beer after beating the New Zealand National team. If you know me, you know I don’t drink, but I made an exception.
Standing outside the change room at a rink in Gold Coast, Australia. I wear 67 because it’s between Lemieux’s 66 and Jagr’s 68. It’s also the year Canada became a country.
Sitting at the edge of a sheer cliff waiting for sunset in Yosemite National Park in California.
Shane and I having a costumed fight at Halloween, you can tell he’s a Ninja because he is defending himself and looking at the camera at the same time.
I met this guy at a Pens/Oilers game in Pittsburgh. He ended up being from Burlington too, and I wanted a picture with the awesome sign, he was happy to oblige.
In the dressing room the night I got my teeth battered by some asshole after the whistle. My teammates had me in good spirits.
The dental work related to the cross check to the teeth was fairly extensive including 3 root canals, crowns, bone grafting, and after wearing a flipper for a couple years, finally an implant. I took a selfie while some work was being done.
At the entrance to Davos Switzerland while there for the Spengler Cup. I took a long hike before sunrise that morning and it was well worth it.
At an outdoor rink in Davos. After my main bag went with the plane to India, all I had were my skates, my camera, and a couple other articles of clothing, so I made use of the skates.
On the ice with Team Canada during their family skate at the Spengler Cup, that’s Justin Pogge on the right.
Sitting with a book at a beacon in Oakville Ontario
My best impression of a Packers fan while in Wisconsin for work. I took my tooth out for added effect
The day I had my tooth pulled to put a post in for the implant. I was so swollen I could barely speak.
My second time in Dubrovnik, writing in my travel journal at a cafe.
Waiting for dinner in Dubrovnik at a little restaurant.
Dubrovnik, jumping the opening in the turret atop the old town walls on the left. At hostel Celica in Ljubljana on the right. The way the doors lock is a major hazard in case of a fire, you need a key to open it from the inside.
Sneaking up on a swan at Lake Bled, Slovenia. What a beautiful place it is.
Above the walled city of Dubrovnik with Robyn. This was the start of our day trip to Mostar in Bosnia.
In Croatia, sitting on the pier at sunset
With Robyn at the old bridge in Budapest, Hungary.
On the Old Bridge in Budapest. I’ve got a Popeye cigarette in my mouth here. My shirt says “Give a hoot, don’t pollute”
With my friend Tilen in Slovenia. I met him in 2007 and I am glad to say we still talk frequently (mostly about hockey)
Taking photos of Kotor, Montenegro
Kevin, Dustin, Jennifer, Brandon, and Preston, on Kev’s wedding day.
Giving an impromptu speech with Chris at Kevin and Susan’s wedding.
This is what happens when your chin hits the ice. 2 days later it would get re-opened at another hockey game by a butt end. The 2nd doctor provided me with a much cleaner stitch, and likely a nicer looking scar.
Toronto FC, section 111, row 6, seats 10 and 11. Great times.
Cuddled up with my little Cinnamon. To this day she cuddles up to me like this at night.
My brief foray into the Northwest Territories.
Brandon and Courtney’s wedding in Montego Bay, Jamaica
Robyn and I admiring the view over the Escarpment.
With my brothers at Brandon’s old house having a laugh.
I was a Cowboy for Halloween, I think the look works on me.
Robyn and I in Ottawa to see the Penguins play the Senators, the Pens won in the shootout. Ruutu scored the winner.
So apparently there’s a car called a Duster, who knew?
At the winter classic in Buffalo. What an incredible experience, capped by a Crosby shootout winner.
My first attempt at light painting. A camera, why not?
Holding one of the sticks for Beersbee, an interesting game which can be played with or without the drinking aspect.
With my buddy Adam in the change room before a summer hockey game.
With the full playoff beard in effect on the final day of the playoffs.
With a camera in hand, testing some lighting
With Robyn at a TFC match. We had a good group of people in our section.
Proposing to Robyn at Peggy’s cove at sunrise on September 10th, 2009.
At the top of Signal Hill in St. John’s Newfoundland
At Chris and Larissa’s wedding.
Engagement photos in Milton by Jeffrey Chan Tin
Me, Preston, Brandon, Kevin. For my bachelor party I wanted to play hockey, so we rented the small ice at The Pond and played some 3 on 3. It was a lot of fun and much more work on the small ice than expected.
Robyn putting my ring on during our wedding ceremony. We laughed a lot during the ceremony :)
We sent this photo out with thank you cards, I think it’s awesome, we don’t know the guy.
Hall Family Photo with Robyn, the newest Hall at the time.
Giving my speech at the wedding, Robyn cheersing with her imaginary glass.
I played in a charity game with Paul Coffey, one of the best Defensemen ever. He sprung me for a few breakaways. I sat beside him in the room and we talked quite a bit, it was awesome.
Holding my first nephew Connor on the day he was born.
First Christmas in Halifax, Cinnamon wore a little red dress against her will, she’s so precious.
This was taken on the beach in Inverness.
At Tanner and Chantal’s wedding. Tanner was on the team I went to New Zealand with.
What, the photographer can’t enjoy the photobooth too?
With Brandon and Kevin being guests at the wedding I was photographing (Chad and Jordan’s) it was a perfect opportunity for a photo op with some crazy shades on.
Cinnamon as Pokey and me as Gumby
Cinny and I like to cuddle up and edit photos together.
Moments after picking up Ginger for the first time. She’s such a sweetheart.
Setting up photobooths affords me the opportunity to get some photos of myself, this time with my camera.
Robyn and I before a Penguins playoff game. I was trying to channel the hockey Gods with a yellow Lemieux jersey and a hat signed by him. It didn’t work because Fleury let in more goals than he had saves.
With Catriona Le May Doan at Intact’s Day on Skates at the Oval in Halifax.
With my first niece Mackenzie.
I photographed Mud Hero and was covered in more mud at the end than some of the competitors.
At some random valley in Ireland
Robyn and I somewhere in Ireland, the road was quiet for a little bit so we took a photo.
At Ladies View on the Ring of Kerry having some fun, acting like the wind is blowing me away.
At the Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland, one of my favourite places on the Island.
Standing atop lava columns at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. This place was the highlight of our trip.
]]>Keep your eyes open for the full blog post in the coming weeks.
Enjoy!!!
On Thursday September 5th, I met with Andrew and his groomsmen at The Village at Lyons for a few pre-ceremony photos before going to Ciara’s parents house for some shots with the girls, and of course her family dog Nollaig. Living in Canada now, Ciara clearly misses her dog as you would expect, so we made sure to get some photos of her and Nollaig together, both in their dresses. Ciara’s dad took some people to the church and returned to get Ciara and her twin sister (and Maid of Honour) Aisling. They were all ready to go when they got word that the guys hadn’t arrived at the Church yet, so they delayed a little at the house giving me time to go ahead and get ready for their arrival. When I arrived, I saw Andrew and the groomsmen, so I assumed they had just gotten there as well. It turns out that the rings were forgotten at the Village at Lyons (30 minutes or so away) and the wedding coordinator was bringing them and that was the reason for the delay, the guys had been on time well before the ceremony as planned. Ciara wouldn’t find out until Andrew’s speech later in the night that rings nearly didn’t make it, at least it made for a good laugh.
The ceremony took place at the Church of the Sacred Heart and St. Brigid in Kilcullen, County Kildare, Ireland. The church was beautiful, something I don’t see very often photographing weddings in Canada. I love old buildings and this one is about the same age as Canada, so it’s definitely the oldest church I’ve shot in. The ceremony went well and a receiving line was formed at the entrance to the church. That’s when I saw they had a vintage car there to chauffeur them to the reception. Before the reception, we went back to Ciara’s house for some photos in her father’s beautiful gardens. Upon leaving, the driver of their car told me not to go the way he was going, that I’d be better off going the opposite way, and my GPS would re-calculate. I of course thought that a bit odd, but did what he said and went the other direction, all the while checking my rear-view mirror to see if they were behind me on the highway. I chalked it up to the driver not wanting to drive on the highway at 120 in that car, so he’d take the back roads, and he didn’t want me to follow and take forever as well. Well, I was wrong, and by a long shot. The reason he told me to go the other way, was because there was a surprise waiting for Ciara and Andrew from Ciara’s father and I couldn’t be there and make it for their grand entrance in time.
Ciara and Andrew arrived in style to their wedding reception to a loud cheer as their helicopter landed. Yes, a helicopter, how awesome is that??? The only ones who knew about the surprise were Ciara’s father and the driver (his friend). I must say, that’s the best entrance to any wedding I’ve ever been at. We took a couple photos with them in front of the chopper before heading inside for some pictures and of course some drinks, and what Irish wedding would be complete without the bride having a Guinness? That’s not to say it was the only beverage consumed, but let’s face it, when people around the world think of Ireland, they think of Guinness. We spent a little time with photos, going to the private residence on site briefly and around the courtyard. A quartet played music for guests during cocktail hour and sounded amazing from outside in the courtyard, so I presume they sounded even better inside.
Once dinner began, Dan, the Best Man, gave a little introduction which rolled into his speech. I know I laughed pretty hard at some of his comments, many relating to things quite Canadian, like hockey, so I’m sure a bit was lost on the Irish guests, just as some of the speeches from Aisling and Ciara’s father were lost on the Canadians. All in all, the speeches were good, and by good I mean funny :). After dinner, the band started up and so did the dancing. They were quite good, with a Mumford and Sons cover getting the biggest crowd on the floor. The DJ took over after midnight and we all cleared out quite a bit later than that.
For me, this wedding was a little different than usual. Having known Andrew for so long, and his brother Cory and his parents, I felt immediately welcome. I also knew all but one of Andrew’s groomsmen, and 2 of them were my 2 best friends in high school. We all live in different cities now, so it was great to catch up with them. I am so happy that Andrew and Ciara found each other, and have managed to do what so many can’t, and overcame distance to ultimately be together. Thank you for being great people whom I am glad to call friends.
Congratulations Andrew and Ciara!!!
Cheers!
While the florist was likely in scramble mode, we were taking some family photos around the house on St. Margaret’s Bay, and getting ready to head into Halifax. I had David wait outside and then Lesley came around the house for a first look. Lesley looked gorgeous and David was sure to let her know that. It was a nice moment they were able to share together and basically alone. Lesley had told me she wanted to get some fun photos before the ceremony at Henry House on Barrington in Halifax. Everyone has a different idea of what constitutes a ‘fun’ photo, so I made sure to ask Lesley’s thoughts. She told me a fun photo was them ‘having a beer at the bar’ which was exactly what we did. Rather, they all had a beer or two and relaxed and hung out at Henry House for about an hour. It was the most care free hour before a wedding I’ve ever encountered, it was if it were any other Saturday with a group of friends having some fun, well, if you have a photographer following you around that is.
When we got to Pier 21, I was amazed at the job Velocity Event Management had done. I was at Pier 21 a couple of weeks earlier with my parents on their visit, and I had looked at the room and it was nice, but bare. The end result shows what professionals can do. I loved their lighting, the tables looked great, the tree branches with the lights was a great backdrop for the wedding party. It truly made a difference.
The ceremony was held outside of the Hall, in front of the windows on the second floor. It was the first time I was able to go without flash during an indoor ceremony. Again, the setup was so nice for the ceremony, and I loved how the red brick wall was behind the wedding party was they walked down the aisle. As the ceremony was coming to an end, David pulled up the legs of his pants to reveal shin guards. Lesley had told him she was going to kick him in the shins if he cried during the ceremony. He did not, though I kind of wish he had. It would have been funny if Lesley actually did kick him, only to hear the loud sound of a shoe on the plastic.
The dinner was highlighted by some incredible speeches from the wedding party with some great anecdotes about David and Lesley. I especially liked when his groomsmen mentioned that they learned at a young age that parents liked Dave, and all they had to do was mention that Dave was part of their plans, to get some leniency from their parents. I also think I noticed the bridesmaids playing a drinking game during the speeches. If they weren’t, then they were certainly drinking in unison a lot. Come on girls, let us in on the secret already.
When it was time to hit the dance floor, everyone had just finished enjoying the cake, made by David’s mother no less, and I think the sugar must have kicked in, because that dance floor only emptied out once. That once was the aforementioned other hiccup. The music cut out abruptly, only to come back out briefly and cut out again. The DJ’s sub-woofer blew and he had to run and get his backup, and run he did. Again, another professional, he had a backup, sure it took about 10 minutes to get it and hook it up, but he was prepared. Well done! I seized the opportunity to pull back a giant curtain to reveal a huge Canadian flag painting and get a photo with Lesley and David, and a group of their friends found some lyrics on a phone and I think the song they sang was ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ but I’m not 100% sure (I just heard that song on TV and it has me questioning myself). They did a pretty good job but refused to do an encore.
When the music got going again, the dance floor was even more packed and stayed that way. All around, it was a great day and two awesome people got married.
Congratulations Lesley and David!
Enjoy!!!
They are spelling out Calgary with their bodies, can’t you tell? Their note says “From Calgary with Love”
When I asked how she would describe their wedding, Crystal said it was “Harry Potter meets the beach”. Now, you might be wondering, ‘what does that mean?’ So let me explain; their ceremony was on the lawn at the main lodge with the beach and ocean in the background, while the reception was styled like the Great Hall at Hogwarts, therefore Beach, meet Harry Potter, Mr. Potter, meet the Beach. Of course, White Point is not nearly as awesome looking as Hogwarts, and candles can’t magically float in the air to illuminate the room, so some adjustments had to be made. The girls at Elegant Productions hung something like 150 candles from the ceiling, while having 4 long tables for guests, each with a coat of arms for the various ‘Houses’ of Hogwarts hanging above the table. I was seated at Gryffindor. How we were assigned our seats was pretty cool too, as they had a sorting hat at a table and around the hat, lay wands for each guest with our names attached. The wands would light up and make a magical noise (you know what I mean) when you pressed a button. Not only the kids, but everyone, enjoyed the wands, myself included. We took those wands outside at twilight to have a bit of fun. Crystal and David had a bit of a battle of their powers in the wood pile with the help of Katelyn, Hillary, and their sparklers. Despite a few bug bites for all of us, I think the results turned out quite well and we sure did have fun.
It was great to be a part of Crystal and David’s celebration with their closest friends, family, and of course, their dogs :)
Here are a few photos from their wedding:
Enjoy!!!
We went outside after the ceremony for photos and quickly encountered mosquitoes. With that in mind, we went back inside after the family shots, formulated a plan, and went through the photos without lingering too long at any one location on the castle grounds. I think we managed to avoid too many bites, I am glad they decided to move the ceremony inside, an outdoor ceremony would have resulted in a spike in After-Bite sales.
Although it was a short wedding for me, it was still great to see two people excited to be getting married, and I was glad to be a part of their day. Today the happy couple are getting on the road and driving to B.C.. Moving across the country and getting married in the same week is the ultimate new beginning, so I wish you guys the best of luck in your new life together, congratulations!!!
Enjoy!!!
While Adam was waiting for the ceremony to begin with his brother (and best man), he was watching the Jays game on his phone. When I went back to see Andrea, she asked how Adam was doing and I mentioned that he was watching the game, and her response was “what’s the score?”. I don’t know many brides who would respond so favourably, but that’s just how they are. They were both so relaxed and easy going during the whole day, it made my job that much easier. They were so trusting of me with the photos and I think that goes a long way in creating beautiful images. Andrea was fine with walking down this small path covered in weeds, something that looked like a terrible location, believing I could make it work, and we got some great photos. During our pre-wedding discussions, I mentioned that I like to try to get outside for sunset if possible for a couple pictures, and not only did they like the idea, they scheduled some time in. They got to spend a few private moments together on a busy day, and I got to take some awesome photos, it was a win-win.
The reception was filled with dancing, and I feel obligated to tell you about a certain light haired bridesmaid who knew the ENTIRE dance to the Backstreet Boys ‘Everybody’ (Backstreet’s Back). I don’t want to say any names or anything in case it’s a little embarrassing, though I admit I like the song and know most of the words, it is a classic. The celebration continued well into the night and it was a great time. I am so glad they had me as a part of their day. Here are some photos from their wedding at the Stone Mill Inn, in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
For our two photo sessions, we had incredibly different days. The maternity session was on a beautiful sunny morning and we used a lot of window light. For Rider’s photos we had the stormiest day in a long time with tornadoes touching down in the area and therefore we used mostly flash. The difference is fairly significant as you can see in the diptych’s, but I think we ended up with some good photos regardless.
Here are a few photos of Rider, from belly to birth.
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
Kelsey and Justin had their daughter Chloe with them and that could be why this felt more like a family event, or it could be because they did everything in their power to make the kids at the wedding feel welcome and entertained. At the reception they had colouring books and toys for the kids and at the cocktail hour they had bubbles. When it came to the dance floor, it was the kids who stole the show, there was this one little guy who showed up everyone. I know there’s a growing trend to request people not bring their kids to weddings, and I understand that. But this wedding was the flip side, this wedding was what a wedding started out being, not a day about two people joining their lives, but two families, and there’s something to be said for that. I really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the entire day and I know Kelsey and Justin’s guests did too.
Here’s a little insight into their celebration;
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
Jenny and Pam were married at the ViewPoint Gallery of Contemporary Photography, on Barrington street in Halifax, in front of a couple dozen family members. As we stepped outside the gallery after the ceremony (its first wedding), we walked toward the waterfront for photos, making various stops along the way. Of course, it happened to be the busiest day of the year to that point at the waterfront, making photos a bit challenging, but we managed. We even had time to stop at I heart Bikes to get a photo with a tandem bicycle. We then went to the Public Gardens to finish up with their families before heading to Saege Bistro for the reception.
Saege was a great place for their small reception, which gained a few friends on top of the ceremony attendees. The speeches were good and brought out the full gamut of emotions from the brides and their guests, but mostly laughter. With no space for a dance floor, the first dances would have to wait a week until the Toronto reception.
In Toronto, the reception was held at Rosehill, a very nice yet unsuspecting place from the outside. This part of the wedding had more than twice the number of guests, so it was quite a bit larger than in Halifax. The tables were adorned with beautiful flowers and each table had a quote from a Canadian author, such as Margaret Atwood or Leonard Cohen for example. I like how Jenny’s dad managed to incorporate that detail into his speech in a humorous way.
Following speeches, the lovely brides grabbed their fathers and had a dual father/daughter dance, followed by Jenny and Pam’s first dance. The party ensued pretty quickly after the dances and went well into the night. It was great to see so many people joining the dance floor, both young and old, I think everyone at both celebrations had a great time, I know I did..
I know a lot of people planning a wedding can feel overwhelmed by the costs associated with putting everything together, but Jenny and Pam showed me that there are ways of cutting costs without giving up on having a wonderful wedding. One way that they did so was to not buy traditional ‘wedding’ dresses. They actually bought bridesmaids dresses, and if you’ve ever watched ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ (I know I have, my wife loves that show), you know that a wedding dress can run in the thousands of dollars very easily. Jenny and Pam looked gorgeous in their dresses and I know you can’t tell they weren’t ‘wedding’ dresses. The fact of the matter is; no matter what you wear for your wedding, it doesn’t matter who made it, or if you got it on sale, if you like how it looks, wear it, no-one’s going to know the difference, or care for that matter, your guests come to support YOU, not your clothes. Not wanting diamonds on your wedding ring can also be a cost cutting measure, though I’m sure that has more to do with specific taste than anything. Jenny had a gold infinity band, and Pamela had sapphires in her ring which she got off Etsy (I recommend checking out Etsy and supporting small businesses). I really liked what Jenny and Pam did for their bridal bouquets. I know how expensive flowers can be, but one of them had a genius idea to get a bouquet made up at Pete’s Frootique and they only cost $35 each. If that’s not thinking outside of the box, I don’t know what is. These cost saving measures, and for all I know there were more, helped them pull off a wedding without having to incur any debt, and it also allowed them to spend their hard earned money in places that mattered to them. It may take a little extra time to see where you can trim costs, but it’s possible, and I’m sure you can find many more ways.
Here’s a sampling of the 2 celebrations for Jenny and Pam, starting with Halifax and then Toronto;
Congratulations Jenny and Pam!!!
Enjoy!
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When we were growing up, if my brothers or I were up at midnight, we could go to my dad for milk and cookies. I know we all tried to stay up at times to get that midnight snack, and I’m sure my dad ate more cookies than he probably should have, but he always obliged and gave up sleep for his boys. From coaching us in various sports to taking us camping, there’s nothing my dad wouldn’t do for us, and we all appreciate everything he did for us from childhood and continues to do now.
Here’s a photo from milk and cookie time when I was 5 years old, it was taken on October 9th, 1987.
I love you Dad. Thank you for everything.
We had planned on meeting these photos for quite a while and with the recent weather, I figured we’d be in for a crappy day, but not only was the day free of rain, it was one of the nicest days we’ve had in weeks.
When I arrived at Rainbow Haven Beach and met with Josh and Miranda, I also met their 9 week old puppy Bruin (yes, I know, you probably recall how I feel about the Bruins after my last post, but a cute puppy is totally different). I am writing this moments after the Bruins won game 2 in OT, so I am sure Josh and Miranda are pretty happy right now.
We made our way around the beach and area until 8:00, when the park closed and we were promptly kicked out. Just outside the exit, we took a few more photos while the sun set on a wonderful day. I enjoyed getting to know Miranda and Josh, even if they are Bruins fans ;).
Here are some photos from their Contest Winning Engagement session:
Enjoy!!!
Congratulations to Chris, Larissa, and Matty, on the expanding family!
Here are a few photos from our afternoon.
Enjoy!!!
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I arrived to Angela and Michael’s house in Milton to take photos of the guys getting ready and I was greeted by Mike and their dog at the front door, and then in the background; lots of laughter. I immediately felt comfortable with all the guys and I was privy to some hilarious stories around the kitchen island while the guys had a couple drinks and got ready. Once they were prepped, we took a couple photos and I went off to see Angela and her bridesmaids at Angela’s aunt’s house.
When I arrived (after my GPS wanted me to send me the wrong way down Trafalgar rd), I found a house packed full of family anxious to see the beautiful bride in her dress. She was just about ready and anxious to get things going. Michael and Angela had decided to see each other before the wedding and when he arrived, he waited at the bottom of the stairs for Angela to descend. She did and he was thrilled to see her. With the formalities over for the time being, we went outside and got our first feel for the cold. It was not exactly pleasant, but we got everyone together for some family photos and then quickly back inside to warm up. It wasn’t too long before we were on the long drive to Piper’s Heath Golf Club (alright, it was less than a kilometre).
The original plan was to take some photos of the wedding party before the ceremony, but there were already so many guests there and we didn’t want everyone to see Angela before the ceremony. The ceremony itself was held outside under a tent. In almost no time at all, Angela and Michael were Mr. and Mrs. Marchese and we made our way to the waiting golf carts to take us for photos. One step outside and Angela turned around and came back in. It is no easy task to go outside when it’s that cold in normal clothes, let alone a dress. After a few minutes, she was convinced that going for photos would be a good idea despite the wind chill. The girls put on a brave face and we went to the barn on the property for a few photos. We quickly got through the pictures of the entire wedding party and sent them back to the clubhouse to have some liquid warmth. Mike and Angela weren’t so lucky. I kept them outside a bit longer, and then we went inside the barn. The staff at the golf course were great, even bringing some hot coffee and snacks to the newlyweds to help keep them warm. Even better was the warm car Tim (from Piper’s Heath) brought out to warm us up in. I know my hands were nearly numb, so I can only imagine how cold Angela was feeling at this point. We made one stop on the way back inside and got one of my favourite photos from the day.
Inside, the guests were having a great time and that continued well into the night. The speeches were quite varied in the emotions they brought out of the guests, but I think the most memorable was from Angela’s mother. I nearly cried as she spoke of Angela’s late father and how much he would have loved to be there, then we all joined in laughter from her stories. The only speech that may have topped it would be Angela’s speech. It had people in tears, tears of laughter. I don’t know if she had anything written down, it felt off the cuff, but that was just perfect, I think it was about a 10 minute ab exercise for all the guests from all the laughing.
One thing Angela mentioned during her speech was how her and Michael spent their first date watching fireworks. After her speech she gathered everyone on the patio under the guise of doing a big group photo. I think a lot of people were not happy with me as they assumed I was dragging them outside into the cold for a photo. With the help of the guys at Piper’s Heath, we counted down to the photo, and instead of me taking a photo, fireworks went off in the distance behind me. I immediately dropped down off my 6 foot ladder and got some photos of Angela and Michael enjoying the show. I absolutely love surprises, so I was happy to see a surprised Michael, simply amazed that his wife had pulled off such a stunt for him and their guests, it was fantastic.
I had a great time being part of Angela and Michael’s wedding, and I wish them all the best, I’m sure they will enjoy many years of happiness together.
Congratulations Angela and Michael!!!
Enjoy!!!
Congratulations Kevin, Susan, and Connor, on the new addition to your family!!! We’re all so happy for you :)
So without further adieu, my niece, Mackenzie:
Just before boarding the plane, Ginger had an accident in her crate and I spent 30 minutes trying to clean and dry the thing in the bathroom, not an easy task with a 600 gram puppy to worry about. I was glad the flight was delayed a bit, otherwise it would have been trouble. As we got seated, we found that in our bank of 3 seats, there was only 1 other person, a guy about 20. I asked him if it was alright if I had Ginger out of the crate, and he said he didn’t mind, so I took her out. I was repeatedly reprimanded by the WestJet flight attendants for having her out, but I felt terrible with her in it, and so did she. Each time I put her in the crate she tried to get out, so I unzipped it a little and reached in with my had to comfort her, one time she actually crawled up my arm and legs and into my lap. She had only been with me for a few hours and she was scared to be sitting in a crate under the seat in front of me. Each time I took her out, she was perfectly happy and quiet in my arms, but then I would get yelled at again and she would go back in. I was so happy that the flight was only a couple hours and on the descent, with everyone in their seats, I made sure she had a cuddle.
When I got her to the house, I asked Robyn to come out to the car and meet Ginger while I went in to say hi to Cinnamon. She was sooo excited to see me. After a couple minutes, Robyn brought Ginger in and they got to meet each other for the first time. Cinny was wagging her tail off in excitement for Ginger. We couldn’t have been any happier with their first meeting.
In their first couple weeks together, we quickly learned that eating time was going to be a bit of trouble. We had been leaving Cinnamon’s food on the floor and she would eat when she was hungry, but we had to be more disciplined with Ginger needing to eat twice a day and we needed to know how much she was eating. Cinnamon is not very territorial, except when it comes to her kibble, she gets a bit snarky when anyone is near her food. There was an incident in the first week or so whereby Ginger got too close to Cinnamon’s kibble and Cinny bit her in the ear. The yelping from Ginger was not a sound I’ve ever heard, nor want to hear again, she was bleeding a little and scared of Cinnamon. She eventually got over that fear (by eventually, I mean about an hour), but she’s remained weary of being near Cinnamon and her kibble. We had Ginger eating on the counter at one point to make sure there were no scuffles between 3 year old Cinnamon and 3 month old Ginger. They now eat right beside each other from separate bowls.
Cinnamon loves her bones and whenever Ginger takes one, Cinny likes to steal it back. Luckily, Ginger will chew on just about any toy, or any thing for that matter. She especially loves a bright green ring which we call the rollie. She will chase the rollie all day if you let her, and she always brings it back for another toss. She prances proudly when she gets it and sometimes does a lap around the living room furniture with it, we call it her victory lap. That term has a lot of meaning when both Cinnamon and Ginger compete for the rollie tosses. It’s cute to see their personalities come out.
When we decided to get Ginger, what we really hoped for was that Cinnamon and Ginger would be friends. We hated leaving Cinnamon at home on her own while we went to work, it wasn’t fair for her to be alone. The bond they have formed makes Robyn and I so happy, we love to see them playing with each other and it’s just so damn adorable when they cuddle up and sleep next to one another.
Cinny and Gingy are my two little loves, I love them dearly and even though they have their quirks, and Ginger likes to chew the bottom of the couch and Cinnamon gets defensive if anyone steps near her while she’s eating, I wouldn’t want any other dogs, they are an integral part of our family. Being that they are between 4.5 and 5 lbs, they will forever be our puppies, their size makes them perma-puppies.
I’ve taken a lot of pictures over the last year, even though I have not uploaded any of Ginger yet, this is a look into her first year of life, and her first 9 months in the Hall family.
Enjoy!!!
The first photo of Ginger, in my lap on the car ride home. 
Cinnamon welcomes Ginger into the family with kisses and a wagging tail.
Cinnamon’s favourite game is Chase, and Ginger got in on the action.
The crate I had to fly Ginger in, sometimes she liked to go hide in it.
The girls really want some people food, their puppy dog face is pretty damn good and they do get people food often.
Ginger peering out from beneath the coffee table, keeping an eye on Cinnamon.
I thought she wanted to give me a kiss, but she decided to try to crawl over my face instead.
This is one of my favourites, Ginger rolled off the bed while playing with the Petsmart bandana (from a Cinnamon haircut).
One of the few times they have been off their leash and allowed to run freely, being so small, they can easily escape most fences.
Ginger’s Lion King moment, held up like Simba.
No-one is saying Ginger liked being a Lobster for Halloween, but she’s cute nonetheless.
Cinnamon likes me to hold the bone while she chews it, Ginger wanted to crawl on my back.
Ginger, in need of a haircut, on the counter for some kibble.
For Cinnamon’s birthday, we got them treats, Ginger enjoyed hers immensely. 
The first tooth Ginger lost.
Ginger managed to get the warning labels off the dining room chairs, there’s no denying that she was guilty.
My beautiful wife Robyn carrying Ginger down the stairs before Ginger could go on her own (it’s a steep long staircase, that would be scary).
Ginger had a bath and shook herself off.
We call this the tent. The sun warms the puppies in behind the curtains.
A portrait of Ginger on her first birthday. They grow up so fast.
The sisters on Ginger’s first birthday, my two little ones.
Happy St. Paddy’s Day!!!
“May the roof above us never fall in, and we friends beneath it never fall out” – a great Irish saying.
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Intact Insurance has a program which rewards speed skating organizations across Canada whenever one of our athletes reaches the podium. They presented a cheque to the Northside Blades club for $1000 which brings the total donated to nearly $150,000 in the 3 years it’s been running. Without programs like this from major Canadian companies, many athletes don’t get the chance to train and compete at an elite level. But it’s not only the top level competitors that benefit, people young and old can learn speed skating and pick up the sport at a recreational level as well.
As a hockey player, I’ve always been curious to know what it’s like to skate in speed skates. As the day came to an end on Saturday, I got the opportunity to put a pair of skates on and take a few laps of the Oval. I was also lucky enough to get some pointers from one of the coaches, and while I didn’t get his name, I’m appreciative of his tips. There were only a few of us on the ice, including Mathieu Giroux, so my first time on speed skates was with an Olympic Gold Medalist, not too bad eh? I enjoyed my first time on speed skates and I think I’ll give them a try again when I have some more time. If you’ve never tried, I suggest doing it, I think you’ll get a better appreciation of what our athletes are doing when competing.
Here are a few photos from the Intact Day on Skates:
Enjoy!!!
I held a draw for a free engagement session and I received over 200 entries. I drew a winner and oh wait, here’s a shot of my booth from the show, pretty good eh?
Oh right, the draw, well, I mentioned that there were over 200 entries, so in light of that, I decided to pull two names instead of one.
The first winner is………
Miranda Jones (round of applause)
The bonus winner, picked from the jar by my lovely wife is….
Tamara MacKenzie (bonus round of applause)
Thank you to all who entered!
Congratulations Miranda and Tamara!!!!!
]]>You’ll notice that I didn’t consider this post a ‘Best-of’ blog post, and there’s a good reason. I find that the photos that resonate with me are not necessarily my best, but these are the ones I like the most. I don’t really have any guidelines that make for my favourites, it’s a certain je ne c’est quoi.
I had so many great experiences in 2012, from Erin and Tony’s Engagement Session at Erin’s family Cottage on Georgian Bay in Ontario, to Jen and Brad’s Alexander Graham Bell Museum Wedding in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, it was a wonderful year and will be a challenge to top it in 2013.
I wish you all the best in 2013 wherever you may go and whatever you may do.
Enjoy!!!
Having some of the biggest trees in the neighbourhood, we’re bound to have one of the biggest leaf piles in the neighbourhood too. The pile I put together today didn’t even include the left side or back yards. It still produced 17 full bags of leaves.
When I decided to relive my childhood, I had already filled 4 of those bags. The remaining pile was 13 bags worth and yes, it was a lot of fun jumping into the leaves. Robyn was a good sport clicking the shutter for me with traffic going by, I know she felt silly and so did I, but it was totally worth it. I avoided all the twigs in the pile and came out without a scratch. I did have leaf crumbs in my hair, but that’s alright, my puppy Ginger loves leaves, so she was happy to see me. Bagging the leaves did suck, but I was rewarded with a beautiful sunset.
Here’s a couple shots from today.
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
I made a few gifs of me jumping into the leaves, I thought you might enjoy these.
Happy Halloween!!!
Cinnamon (left) is a Pumpkin. Ginger (right) is a Lobster.
After the ceremony we decided to go to Alderney Landing for photos as our original location was going to be too wet. Before everyone had arrived, I took just Tracey and Cameron for a few photos before it started raining. When everyone else arrived, we powered through the photos to use every dry moment possible. Much to everyone’s surprise, the rain never came. The wind did remain however, so that was a bit of a challenge, but we managed. The girls all put on their best smiles even though I know they were probably quite a bit cold on the waterfront.
The reception was at the Wardroom at CFB Halifax – Stadacona. This was my first time on a Canadian Forces Base, so I was fortunate enough to be following a few members of the wedding party into the base, otherwise I’m not sure I would have found the right building once on the base (as was evidenced by my attempt to get off the base at the end of the night).
I didn’t have the highest of expectations for the reception venue but boy was I wrong, it was fantastic. The reception took place in 3 separate rooms, one for the cocktails, one for the dinner, and another for the dancing. The speeches were good and the slideshow put together by Tracey’s sisters brought tears and laughter to many. From the look in the eyes of both Tracey and Cameron, you could tell how much they appreciated everything and everyone there.
The dancing certainly brought out some interesting moves, that’s for sure, but you don’t see that unless people are having fun, so I can assure you, people were having a great time. Here’s a few shots of the day.
Enjoy!!!
After the guys were prepped, it was back to Erin’s for the finishing touches with the dress. We got to the church quite quickly as it was so close, and the ceremony began approximately on time. A little back story here; when Tony proposed to Erin at the cottage, he managed to sneak up a guitar and play ‘If it’s Love’ by Train (great song by the way). So, when the minister pulled out a guitar, Erin and Tony were both concerned the minister would want Tony to play something. Luckily it was strictly coincidence, and he was using it as an analogy. You could see the relief in their faces once he put it down.
With the ceremony and family photos at the church complete, we went for a drive. We did the bulk of the wedding party photos at Gairloch Gardens in Oakville. Once we were done there it was off to the Harbour Banquet & Conference Centre in Oakville for the reception and a few photos with Erin and Tony before heading inside. When I scouted the location, I wondered if it would be possible to get on the docks for some photos knowing full well that people will do just about anything for a bride on her wedding day. I saw a guy leaving through the locked gate and I ran about 50 metres before he could get out and asked him if it would be alright. He obliged and we went through for a few shots. I’m quite glad he allowed us as I got some nice shots there.
Heading inside, I noticed that they had blown up a shot from the engagement session and also used a lot of photos from the cottage to make a guest book for people to sign. I signed by my favourite photo from that day (them on the dock at sunset with the canoe on the dock beside them). I love seeing my photos printed, it lets me know that what I do matters to people.
Erin and Tony had a band for the night and they did an awesome job keeping the dance floor busy all night. But the most impressive part of the reception was seeing Erin dance with her 91 year old Grandfather. It wasn’t some slow dance either, it was a fast Viennese waltz.
It was a wonderful day with some amazing people, I had a great time.
Here are a few shots from Erin and Tony’s Wedding:
Enjoy!!!
Here’s a few photos of Connor:
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
Poor Bosco had to be locked up for the photos, but I didn’t hear a peep out of him.
Andrew went off to work in London (England, not Ontario) and I heard that he had met this beautiful girl while working there. That was about all I knew for a while, so knowing only where they met, I just assumed she was English. That was until Andrew contacted me about doing some engagement photos and mentioned that they were going to be getting married in Ireland in 2013. Since I was going to be in town for a full week between 2 weddings, it was the perfect opportunity to meet up.
When I met Andrew and Ciara at the Distillery District in Toronto, I noticed that physically, he hadn’t changed a bit, except he had this pretty little thing standing next to him. The rumours were correct, he had indeed met a beautiful girl and they managed to stay strong through a couple years of a long distance relationship, not an easy thing to do.
We made our way through the Distillery District encountering a security guard asking questions about a photo permit, we of course didn’t have one, but we charmed him enough to turn a blind eye. After getting some photos there, we decided to try to get a shot with the Toronto skyline in the background. This meant going through the traffic of downtown Toronto with the Gardiner closed (as I mentioned avoiding the previous day). We got to Billy Bishop Airport (AKA City Centre Airport) only to discover that the parking lot no longer existed. It took about 20 minutes to find somewhere to park and by the tine we got to the ferry we were first in line…because we missed the previous ferry by less than a minute.
We waited and chatted for 15 minutes for the next boat and when we got on the island, we quickly went to the location I had inadvertently scouted a month earlier while waiting for delayed baggage when arriving in Toronto from Halifax. The sun was gone by this point leaving us with a lit skyline. As we approached our location Andrew pointed out that the C.N. Tower wasn’t lit and I think my heart dropped for a moment. Then the tower went up red and bright. I guess it was just in between programs (for those who don’t know, a few years ago, lights were installed on the tower enabling it to be lit in an infinite number of ways).
We got a bunch of photos in and then I noticed people starting to board the returned ferry. We literally ran to the boat and as I came up the stairs (first because Andrew was playing the role of gentleman with Ciara), the attendant was closing the door. He saw us running and held up for us. We were happy to have made this boat for sure.
As we got back to our cars, we discussed their wedding in Ireland and we agreed to discuss some details later. I am happy to say that I will be there with these 2 great people and their families next September in County Dublin for their wedding. I’m sure it will be a great time, and I hope to get some beautiful pictures.
Here are a few of their Engagement Photos:
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
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Flash forward a few years and here we are at Tanner and Chantal’s wedding. They were getting ready in Mississauga just a stone’s throw from each other, with the ceremony and reception at The Old Mill in Toronto. I was glad we didn’t have to get on the Gardiner as it was closed and making traffic a little bit hellish for the weekend. We had a minor traffic hiccup as it was with a couple of important peoplestuck on the highway, which pushed the ceremony back a bit. The Old Mill has a nice little chapel on site and a note to all photographers: be aware that the light is pretty bad in there with very little ambient light and a spotlight on the couple, so you have to be very careful not to blow out the highlights.
After the ceremony we went outside for some family photos and then we took a few with the wedding party before sending them inside to start the festivities. I took Chantal and Tanner for a few photos. I had an idea to take a photo with them in silhouette on top of a bridge, only to have them get to the bridge with me below and find out that the wall was much higher than we had expected, so that certainly didn’t work out. The Mill’s building was my favourite backdrop as I love the old character of the building. It reminded me a bit of Switzerland with the way it’s built. It was so fun to take photos with this wedding party, they had a great sense of humour which made my job a lot easier.
We went down to the reception and had some real fun. I enjoyed the speeches, especially Tanner’s story about getting pulled over in Vegas (loved the accent’s in the impersonation), and I thought the trophy presented to the brides from Tanner’s brother was very fitting. He used their hockey sticks to create a trophy essentially with a few pucks which had the wedding details on them. He has his own business doing custom pieces called Tanner Customs if you’re looking for something like that.
The dancing went late into the night, lesbians really know how to party. I know I had a great time and I couldn’t be happier for Chantal and Catherine, they are both amazing people and they are perfect for each other (they also have a really, really cute and sweet puppy as you’ll see below).
Congratulations Catherine and Chantal!!!
Here’s a little sampling from their big day, September 15, 2012:
Enjoy!!!
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I was happy to hear from Nicole and Aaron when they got engaged and were in need of a wedding photographer. While back in Ontario for another wedding this summer, I met up with these two for engagement photos in Burlington and we each got a feel for how the process was going to play out at their wedding in September.
As their day approached, the weather forecast called for a 100% chance of rain…great. The ceremony was at the Grand Olympia and they decide whether the ceremony will stay outside or not at 9:00 in the morning to give enough time to get everything organized properly. Of course, at 9:00 am it was pouring. The indoor ceremony was quite nice as they used one of the halls instead of their tiny chapel.
Much to all our surprise, the ceremony ended and we went outside to find sunshine, actual sunshine. All of our worry and discussions about what to do if it rained were happily tossed out the window and we made our way to Puddicombe Farms. I had never been there before, but I will recommend it to anyone getting married at the Grand Olympia in the future. The one knock on the Grand Olympia, which does everything for you, is the lack of photo locations. That problem has now been solved.
Puddicombe’s little locomotive takes you around the property to a variety of beautiful spots. They have a few train cars at the front which can also be used, and as you’ll see below, we did. The people there were friendly and helpful, I think everyone was satisfied with Puddicombe.
After the photos, the real fun began at the reception. I’ve never seen the Groomsmen so committed to the dance floor like Aaron and his guys. They spent most of the night dancing, and well, I might add. The little ring bearers had some stellar moves too. I spoke to one of them when I was outside the Halton room taking photos and I asked him if he was getting tired of all the dancing. This was 2+ hours into the dancing at this point and he’d been out there the whole time, so he should have been exhausted. He looked at me and said “I was born for this” in a very matter of fact way. I couldn’t help but laugh.
It was a great day and I was happy to be there to capture all of the moments.
Congratulations Nicole and Aaron!!!
Enjoy!!!
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The gentleman that let us into the church turned out to be someone that my grandfather knew many years ago. He told us that he had purchased my grandfather’s, father’s truck 40 years ago as his first car, and he still had it today. So we made our way to his house to see my Great Grandfather’s 1947 F-47 pickup truck.
While I’m not a car guy, I’ve always liked the really old cars and trucks, but I prefer to go to a luxury car hire and get one than buy mine, however, I’ve thought that if I were to get an old car, I’d want something like a Model T type vehicle, or 30’s-50’s pickup truck. It was so cool to see the old truck in a great green colour. Even better was seeing my Grandfather get in the truck, it was a photo opportunity I was not going to miss.
After he got out of the truck, I noticed some writing on the side of the truck, quite faded and worn. I could read that it said:
H E Weyler, RR4, London
Harold Eugene Weyler. That is my Great Grandfather’s name on the side of the truck. The law used to state that if you owned a truck, your name and address must be on the vehicle (something I’m sure would curb road rage nowadays), so there it is.
I wish I were able to get a picture of the entire truck, but it was up against a wall, so that wasn’t possible today. The owner of the truck said he’s had numerous offers on the truck but has no intention of selling his first vehicle. It’s too bad, that would be really awesome to own. Maybe one day he’ll change his mind and my brothers or I could make a deal for it. At least for now I can be sure a piece of family history is in good hands and will likely be restored to it’s original state.
Here’s a few shots from today:
My Grandparents old house (it feels weird to me knowing that they no longer live here)
I know it’s really hard to see, but the writing does say H E Weyler, RR4, London
Are you getting married in Ireland (Republic of) or Northern Ireland in September 2013? It can be anywhere, be it in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway, Doolin, Killarney, Sligo, Derry, or anywhere in between. I want to work something out with you. My prices can be found HERE and are in Canadian Dollars. Since I will already be in Ireland, there will be no travel fees associated with your wedding.
Send me an email at [email protected] with some of the details of your wedding.
The photo below is of Andrew and Ciara, the couple bringing me to Ireland. The photo was taken at the Distillery District in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Their ceremony was outside at Sir Sandford Felming Park or as I’m told it’s called, ‘The Dingle’, not to be confused with Dingle, Ireland, which Robyn and I travelled to last year. The ceremony was short and sweet and then it was off for pictures. We went to the tower and took photos both inside and outside of it and then we went to the Banook Canoe Club at Lake Banook for the reception and a few more photos.
The weather turned out quite nice, if a bit windy. It was nice enough that I was able to setup my Photobooth outside on the deck at the Canoe Club. People quite enjoyed the Photobooth and I have the photos to prove it. But before people got to that, there was a nice dinner with some hilarity. The Best Man’s speech, or maybe I should call it a slide show, was amazing, there’s no other way to explain it, he just did such a great job, he had everyone laughing. Following after his speech was the Maid of Honour’s speech, which took the form of a song with 2 of the bridesmaids singing and playing guitar. Their song was to the tune of U2’s ‘With or Without You’ and was also quite funny. I think everyone enjoyed both tributes.
I think the dancing may have been overshadowed by Michael’s rendition of ‘I believe in a thing called love’ where he grabbed a mic and burst out singing, not caring one bit that he barely knew the words. His family is from Newfoundland and they showed me how a wedding’s supposed to be back home, it helped that there were so many people from there attending the wedding.
I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves with the day and I hope everyone planted their favours, little spruce trees. I’ve got mine at home in a pot, I’ll plant it outside in the spring.
Congratulations Janet and Michael!!!
Enjoy!!!
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The guys got their boutonnieres pinned on by a neighbour who was a pro at it. She managed to get all 6 of them done in less time than in normally takes for 2 to get sorted. As I was leaving they were getting in the limo to head to the church.
I got to Valerie’s parent’s house and met up with all the girls for a few shots and then we were off to St. Raphael’s Church. The ceremony seemed to go quite well and so did the family photos in front of the church.
From the Church we made our way to Geraldo’s at Lasalle Park in Burlington. Before leaving, Valerie was adamant that no-one take the highway as even mid afternoon on a Saturday means gridlock on the QEW through Burlington (I certainly don’t miss the traffic now that I’m in Halifax).
We got to Geraldos and found all the Bridesmaids, but a few of the Groomsmen were missing. After waiting around for a few minutes and starting to feel the clock ticking, we had someone keep an eye out for the guys and I took Valerie and the girls for some photos. It was quite a while before the Groomsmen showed up and as it turns out, they went on the QEW. When they did meet up with us, we had about 15 minutes and I think we made good use of the time. They were all good sports and listened well so it didn’t take long to set up and exectue the photos.
We had a bit of a wait to get the reception started as the DJ had to move everything from the downstairs to upstairs location. This gave the wedding party plenty of time to first mingle, and then work out their introduction dance moves. I tried a few times to get someone to moonwalk or do the worm, but no-one would do it for some reason. They all got into it pretty good and the guests enjoyed it.
David and Valerie’s introduction turned into their first dance and they did a great job with the steps and the spins, Valerie’s dress looked lovely as it was, but it looked even better when she twirled. With the dance out of the way, dinner began. The kissing game was unique, they handed out paper and pens and had tables write poems about love and recite them in order for them to kiss. One or two were a little risque, specifically from Valerie’s cousins. Those ones got the most crowd response of course.
The dancing started off after dinner and the star was Valerie’s brother Michael who killed it, he was so into it, he was busting out the break dancing moves, he did some shuffling, it was awesome. I need to give full credit to Natalie, she was the M.C. for the night (did a great job) and she was out on the dance floor in a wheelchair. She had a cast on her leg due to a tear in her Achilles tendon which had happened only a few weeks before the wedding. She and her boyfriend were out there doing a great job of modified dancing.
The day was a great one all around and I’m do glad to have been a part of it. Valerie and David are a great couple and perfect for each other, you can’t miss that when you’re around them.
Congratulations Valerie and David!!!
Enjoy!!!
It’s months later and the Natal day weekend (for readers in Ontario, that’s the same as the Civic holiday in August) and I’m driving up to Baddeck with Robyn and the puppies for a nice long weekend. Apparently it was the hottest weekend of the year and thankfully that came with some nice sunshine. Robyn and I walked around the town the day before the wedding and came up with some photo ideas and locations. It wasn’t until the next day that we realized that we’d both gotten sun burns. Robyn, being a redhead was much worse than me of course.
I met Brad for the first time at the rehearsal that same night and he’s one of those guys you can tell straight off is a good guy. I was joking with him and his and Jen’s families almost immediately.
On Saturday, August 4th, the wedding day, I started off with Jen and her Maid of Honour ( her sister) at the salon, a small place just outside of town with someone they’ve known for years. I heard some pretty interesting stories about Jen and Brad’s relationship, some details I saw again when I met up with Brad and his Best Woman (his sister). Jen had made up a scrapbook for Brad with a lot of details from their years together, a lot of work had clearly been done and Brad’s face lit up when he looked through it.
Brad had a surprise for Jen as well and I brought it over to Jen’s grandmother’s house where she was getting dressed. He got her the pearl necklace you’ll see her wearing in all the photos below. Jen hadn’t planned on wearing a necklace, so it was a perfect gift.
The ceremony was held atop the roof of the Alexander Graham Bell Museum with the Bras d’Or lake in the background. After the ceremony, we made our way around town a bit for photos in Brad’s father’s Vintage Bentley, stopping at a little dock owned by Brad’s sister, the statues of Alexander Graham Bell and his wife, and the old Post Office. The reception was held at the curling club. I must say, I was very impressed with how the girls at Elegant Productions had transformed the space. You don’t expect much from a typically bland curling club, but it looked fantastic after they were done with it.
I thought it was clever that instead of a typical guest book, they had 3 stacks of Jenga blocks and asked everyone to write a message on a block and put it in the jar. I had Robyn write our note (she’s way neater than I am) and she drew a little camera on it with our well wishes.
There were a couple emotional and funny speeches said and then the party got started, Cape Breton style. The music was all live and I heard some songs I had never heard before, but I liked, and the dancing continued on until the band had to shut down (and then a bit after that too). I love weddings with live music, it’s too bad more people don’t do it.
I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves, I know I did (especially after they opened the big door at the curling club and let the cool air in). Here are a few (alright, a lot of) photos from their amazing wedding day. Congratulations Jen and Brad!
Enjoy!!!
We took a number of photos on the pier and under the bridge and then the beach. Nicole and Aaron even braved the ‘crystal clear’ waters of Lake Ontario for a few shots. I don’t think I’ve ever been in Lake Ontario before, and I lived in Burlington for over 20 years.
I’m looking forward to their wedding in September, it should be a good one.
Here’s a few shots from their Engagement session:
Enjoy!!!
Adam got ready at his parents house with his groomsmen and groomswoman and he seemed rather calm for a groom about to be married, but as I’ve learned, that’s just the way he is. We took a few photos of everyone at his house and they made their way to Geraldo’s for the ceremony and I went to see Amanda. Amanda, who is a wedding coordinator, got ready at the Holiday Inn in Burlington while a comic convention was going on. On our way out the door she had so many people ask if there was a real wedding happening. I still think we should have stopped and posed with some of the people in costume, specifically the girls in the Sailor Moon costumes, and the Mario Bros costumes, I think it would have been hilarious. Unfortunately we didn’t have the time, we had a ceremony to get to.
The ceremony was at Geraldo’s at Lasalle Park in Burlington and was held on the patio (in case that rain decided to show up). We took photos around the grounds and then made our way inside for the reception. This is where AManda’s experience came into play. The place was decorated nicely with green accents to match their wedding colours and everything came together nicely. The green rock candy favours was something I saw and wished I had gotten at my own wedding. I loved that the bridesmaids bouquet’s hung off the edge of the table using little purse hooks. The reason I loved that is because the flowers weren’t blocking their faces for pictures, something that bugs every Wedding Photographer. Instead of clinking the glasses, they had people answer questions about them and if they were right, Amanda and Adam would kiss, if they were wrong, they had to pull a ‘task’ out of a bag. For example, the wedding party got a question wrong and had to do the hokey pokey in the middle of the dance floor.
With the dinner and speeches all wrapped up, everyone made their way to the dance floor. Once on the dance floor, everyone could tell who the star dancer was. It was a little guy named Trenton who clearly had the best moves and on top of that, he certainly had the most energy. He was awesome to watch, you’ll see a couple of shots of him below along with a bunch of photos from Amanda and Adam’s wedding.
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
I’m not sure if you’re aware, but it is possible to get a permit to driver your vehicle in Point Pleasant Park, something about 50 people were unaware of when they scolded Sarah’s father for driving in the park. The ceremony was at the Southern tip of the park at the Gazebo, so walking was not an option for a bride on her wedding day.
With the short ceremony, Michael, Sarah and their Best Woman, and Maid of Honour (or since Sarah’s American, I guess it would be ‘Maid of Honor’) joined their immediate families for photos. It was quite easy to get a photo of everyone at the wedding in this case, something that is usually quite the challenge. After the family photos, I took the wedding party, and their close friend Mariah (we’ll get to her in a second) for some photos. Sarah’s dad drove us between locations helping make everything run smoothly. Now, you’ll notice an interesting photo a little way down the post which might have you asking ‘is that girl slapping the other girl?’ well the answer is an unequivocal ‘yes’. Let me explain a little; as far as I understand it, the Best Woman, Kelsey, and the girl in blue, Mariah, have a longstanding inside joke which involves Kelsey slapping Mariah. I don’t know how it started, or why Mariah allows it to continue, but I can assure you that everyone found it funny.
After the photos, we all went to Saege Bistro for the reception. The table was a big square and everyone could see and speak to anyone else, something you don’t see at weddings. It was a great atmosphere and I know Sarah, Michael, and their families enjoyed their evening. I am so glad they included me in their wedding plans, they’re not just my first clients in Halifax, they’re my first friends. I’m so looking forward to spending time with these two in the future, they’re both awesome people.
Congratulations Sarah and Michael!!!
Enjoy!!!
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Enjoy!!!
Getting to the ceremony proved to be a little bit of an issue, when the limo with the Kara and her bridesmaids (which I was following) got lost. I was able to talk to the limo driver and with my GPS, he followed me to Hernder, a little later than planned, but we got there. As Kara walked down the aisle, Brad may have had a tear in his eye, he did after all call his family “strong but emotional” & Kara was a little emotional too, but lightened the mood with a promised (if there were tears) “It’s so fluffy!”
The ceremony was one of the best I’ve been to. The minister was hilarious and really helped with the casual atmosphere. It was fitting that Brad and Kara’s vows both used lyrics from their favourite song even though it wasn’t planned, and they both read those vows from their phones. One really nice touch during the ceremony was when Kara and Brad brought Roses t0 Kara’s grandparents in honour of their 60th wedding anniversary, a milestone not too many reach.
After the ceremony, we had a bit of time for photos before the reception and we made use of the covered bridge, the vineyard and the barrel room. During the dinner I pulled them outside for a few sunset shots as well which I think turned out nicely.
During the reception, it’s traditional (a tradition I dislike) to clink the glasses to make the bride and groom kiss. They had a way around that annoying sound and had a giant deck of cards on a table setup for a little blackjack. It was the house (Brad and Kara) vs the player (whoever wanted them to kiss). Whoever lost had to kiss. We did indeed have a couple instances where two guys had to kiss each other and they were good sports about it, they did know what they were getting in to when they stepped up to the table. I think Kara and Brad only had to kiss a few times and I’m not going to say it was rigged in their favour, but I’m certainly thinking it loudly.
After the dinner and speeches, the music played and everyone made their way to the dance floor, even the grandmothers. I think everyone had a great time, I know I did. Here are a few shots from their day.
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
Here are a few shots from Saturday morning.
Enjoy!!!
Someone grabbed this bottle after waiting about 10 minutes for it to get close to the dock again.
We started off at the Earth Sciences Museum. The curator was kind enough to come to the museum and open up the dinosaur exhibit for us. There was an Albertosaurus fossil as the focal point of the room until Valerie and David arrived. From the campus museum we made our way to the library and got a few shots in various places in there. At last we went to one of their favourite places, Sweet Dreams Bubble Tea shop, just off the UW campus.
I think we got some great shots and we had a great time too. Their wedding is coming in August and I’m looking forward to it.
Here are a few shots from our Saturday evening together.
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
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Erin’s grandparents have their cottage about a hundred metres away on the same island, so we made use of both cottages for photos. We grabbed a canoe and took some photos on the water, something I don’t get to do very often, or ever for that matter which was a lot of fun. When sunset came, the cottages had a spectacular view. It was such a great experience to go photograph Erin and Tony somewhere important and meaningful to them, and I know they got home late on Sunday night after the drive back home, so Thank You to Erin, Tony, and Erin’s parents for sticking around late with a work day looming, it certainly made for better pictures.
Here are a few photos from their engagement session.
Enjoy!!!
Chad and Jordan actually met through baseball. Jordan’s sister Candice was playing on the same team as Chad, and Jordan came to one of the games, I don’t know all the details, but as they say ‘the rest is history’.
Their wedding was on June 9th at the Hubertushaus, a German/Canadian Hall in Mannheim, Ontario (just outside of Kitchener). The weather forecast was not looking good and the morning was wet and grey. When I arrived to Chad’s for some getting ready shots, it was raining with a 90% chance of rain during the reception time, the percentage wouldn’t change. I went with the guys to the Hall and got setup. The rain came and went every few minutes and it looked like the ceremony was going to have to move indoors, so the guys setup all the chairs inside. When I got to Jordan’s the weather was still the hot topic and no-one wanted to make the decision on where to hold the ceremony. A text message suggesting the ceremony would be better outside was sent to Chad from Jordan’s and when we arrived at the Hubertushaus, the chairs were all setup outside and the sun was shining.
The ceremony was performed by Chad’s friend and groomsman Jose (yes double duty). It was his first wedding and he did a great job, I especially liked that for the first kiss, he stepped to the side as to not be in the picture, I thought that was very thoughtful and something most seasoned professionals won’t or don’t think to do.
After the ceremony, we started to take pictures with the wedding party and about two minutes in, it started pouring. We were in the woods so we were a little sheltered from the rain, but we still got wet. Chad and Jordan were awesome and were game to take pictures in the rain. When Jordan’s father arrived with an umbrella for us to walk inside, the rain stopped. We certainly got lucky and were able to take some more photos. It was a hot day in the mid 30’s and over 40 with the humidity but that didn’t matter and we got some great photos.
Inside, the reception went off well with some touching speeches and a lot of dancing. Jordan and Chad were planning on having a makeshift photobooth with some props and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to test out a photobooth of my own. They were onside with me trying it, so I rigged together a few things and we were set. I think the results were great and I’m sure Chad and Jordan will enjoy looking through all the craziness that happened.
Here are a few photos from their awesome wedding day.
Enjoy!!!
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I flew into town the night before the wedding and there was a bit of a hiccup along the way. I was flying with Porter and a one hour delay in departing end up with an announcement upon landing in Montreal. We were told that we would miss the Toronto City Centre Airport curfew and would have to land at Pearson. Lucky for me, my parents were picking me up and I could call them to let them know so it wasn’t a big deal. When I told Carolyn this she had a shocked look on her face. A few weeks before her wedding, she had, had a dream that I was stuck in Montreal on her wedding day. Thankfully that dream didn’t come true.
I was with the girls at Paletta Mansion on the Lake Ontario waterfront in Burlington from around 10:30 while they got ready. Carolyn’s dress was perfect for her and she looked gorgeous (as you’ll see below) and the beautiful bridesmaids made for a very good looking wedding party. Mark had his Best Man Ryan with him on his side, and they showed up around 2:00 and I took Mark outside for a first look with Carolyn. I love first look moments, I think they give some of the best, most sincere emotion of the day, emotion you can’t fake.
After the private first look, I took Carolyn and Mark for a walk around the grounds for some photos and eventually we took the rest of the wedding party out too. We made sure to be back inside and hidden away for the guest arrivals.
The ceremony was outside on the patio and the ceremony was performed by a family member and his daughter sang Bruno Mars’ ‘Marry You’ during the signing. As the ceremony ended, Mark and Carolyn walked into the building and right into the reception. There weren’t too many speeches but they were all good, and I think they all made Carolyn tear up.
The dancing took a little while to get going, but once it did, it kept going and everyone was having a great time. Unfortunately the ‘Super Moon’ was behind the clouds when it was close to the horizon (where it looks largest) so we weren’t able to get any great big moon shots, but that’s alright, we got plenty of others.
Congratulations Carolyn and Mark!
Enjoy!!!
I love the reaction of Carolyn’s father upon first seeing her in her dress.
I’ve shot all three of these couples’ weddings now.
Back in Ontario, Prom isn’t a big deal like it is here in Nova Scotia. I couldn’t believe how many people there were at the Public Gardens in Halifax, there were hundreds of students from Sackville High School and their families. I remember how we did photos for my ‘Grad’ as we called it. I took a few photos with my girlfriend in my parents backyard and then we did a few more at my friend’s house before heading out, it was nothing like this.
I was taking pictures on behalf of Cyndi, whose mother Sandra works with and is a friend of my wife. Cyndi and her boyfriend of 7 months Glen were matching with Cyndi in a lovely teal dress with Glen wearing the matching tie. They met with a bunch of their friends and we took photos with different combinations of just about everyone they ran into.
Here are a few photos from Cyndi’s Prom. Congratulations on graduating from Sackville High School!
Enjoy!!!
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At my first meeting with Kaitlyn and Naomi, I walked into Williams Coffee Pub not knowing what they looked like but my eye spotted someone in a Penguins shirt. I hoped that was one of them. Much to my surprise, it was Naomi. From that moment, I knew it was going to be a good day. We talked for nearly 3 hours at that meeting and barely discussed photography. We all had so much in common from the sports with the Penguins to music with David Gray (my personal favourite).
After our meeting and them subsequently booking me for their wedding, we send numerous e-mails and tweets back and forth for months. Aside from friends, I don’t think I have ever known a couple so well before their wedding day. I am pretty sure if I didn’t move to Halifax, we would be hanging out all the time. They are both great people and they obviously have good taste.
Before the ceremony at Fort Nelson United Church in Burlington, we did a first look with Kaitlyn and Naomi at Lasalle Park and then did a nice walk around taking photos in a few different locations. Once we were done taking photos of just the two of them, we called the wedding party to come over and we took those photos. I wasn’t surprised Kaitlyn and Naomi’s friends were just as awesome as them. Chris, the Dude of Honour and Katie, the Maid of Honour were hilarious and when it came time for their speeches at the reception, they were very heartfelt and you could see how much Naomi and Kaitlyn appreciated having them in their lives.
The M.C. (or is it emcee?) for the wedding, Naomi’s nephew Matthew (who is older than her) performed the duties better than anyone I’ve seen before. He was so funny and everyone was laughing at just about everything he said. I can understand why everyone in the family that gets married wants him speaking.
The party was a lot of fun and I’m not saying I did, but there’s a possibility that I kicked off my shoes and moonwalked to ‘Billie Jean’. The dancing was pretty good and everyone was having fun.
I can’t say enough good things about Naomi and Kaitlyn and I’m so glad I was able to be a part of their day. I’m sure we will be keeping in touch and hopefully we’ll be able to celebrate some Penguins wins together in the coming years :)
Congratulations Kaitlyn and Naomi!!!
Here are a few photos from their big day:
Enjoy!!!
In between the ceremony and reception we went to 50 Point Conservation Area for a few photos, the girl in the front office was supposed to tell the limo where I went to setup, but she didn’t, luckily I wasn’t too hard to find. Being down by the water was a bit cool and the ground was certainly wet but we managed. After a few photos and laughs with the entire wedding party, Jessica, Mike, and I pressed on for some more waterfront photos. Jess certainly had some ideas and I love that, I’m willing to try just about anything. With our time being short, we made our way to the Grand Olympia for the reception.
Knowing that Mike is a big hockey fan like myself, I wasn’t too surprised to find the t.v. in the bridal suite tuned to Hockey Night in Canada when I arrived. Unfortunately for us though, neither of our teams were in the hunt for the Cup by this time. The entire wedding party was in a great mood and hilarious. I got a good laugh out of the suggested grand entrance moves that were being tested out in the tiny bridal suite. Eventually decisions were made and the couples came in to big applause, including of course Jessica and Mike who added a few extra moves at the end of theirs. But those moves paled in comparison to what they had in store for everyone later in the evening.
After the funny and emotional speeches, including a tear or two, it was time for Jessica and Mike’s first dance as a married couple. At first it looked like your usual first dance with the bride and groom holding each other and doing what I like to call the 2 step shuffle, you know, the stand in one place and go in a circle dance that everyone knows. Then, as the song ended everything changed. Mike and Jess pulled out some glasses and Mike had a big chain around his neck with the cutout of a dancer and then they started shuffling, the LMFAO version. It was awesome. They pulled up guests from their seats and onto the dance floor and just like that the party had started.
A little later in the night I grabbed Jessica and Mike (and their glasses) and had them follow me outside. I had noticed earlier that a tree was in bloom with pink flowers and I thought it would be great for a photo and they were game. We got a few shots which I absolutely love, and they went back to he dance floor.
The night would have been good if that was everything, but it’s not. A certain groomsman, I won’t name any names (though I will divulge in photos below) did a special dance. He had done a similar dance at a previous wedding because of a lost bet, but it was enjoyed by everyone so much that he was asked to perform again for Jess and Mike. On the first go around, he danced to Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” and this time the music was a surprise. I’m not sure what you would call the dance, I’m hesitant to call it a strip tease but that might be the best term, either way, it was to “I Touch Myself” and I’m sure there’s a video of it online somewhere too.
Here are a few photos from Jessica and Mike’s wedding:
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
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2011 was a year full of great memories. I recently posted about my favourite personal photos of the year, and if you’ve read that or stop by frequently, you’re aware I moved half way across the country. I’ve yet to shoot a wedding in Nova Scotia, but you’ll see those throughout 2012. This post however is about 2011. I shot weddings in every season and had some pretty extreme temperatures, from the freezing cold of Shannon and Rich’s wedding in January to the sweltering heat of Rachel and Dan’s. There was fog, rain, snow and of course bright sunlight. The best light I had was at Peter and Anita’s wedding in September where the ceremony was later in the day and everything seemed to come together perfectly for them.
I met a lot of amazing people at the weddings I attended and was fortunate enough to witness some amazing speeches which varied from emotional tear jerkers to comedic moments so funny they deserve their own place on a comedy network special. I did my best to capture every moment on camera for my couples and I’m proud of what I’ve delivered at the end of the day.
I love to be there for all these moments and nothing feels better than receiving that e-mail from an ecstatic bride who loves her photos, it means so much to me to know the photos will be cherished for years to come.
Below are my favourite wedding photos of 2011. There’s a difference between my favourite photos and my best photos. My favourites are not necessarily my best, but I like them for one reason or another. That reason may not be apparent if you weren’t at the wedding, but that’s alright, if you were there, you’ll get it.
Alas, I’ll stop writing and just get to the pictures.
Enjoy!!!
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The wedding was in Niagara on the Lake at the Hilton with the ceremony and reception both on site. With the ceremony being held later in the day, Brooke and Reggie had me take photos of Reggie and his Groomsmen and Brooke and her Bridesmaids separately before the ceremony. We made sure that Brooke and Reggie didn’t see eachother before the ceremony. The weather was pretty good for this time of year save for the wet ground. It was chilly which was better for the guys than the girls, but they put their warm faces on while we were outside.
The ceremony was by candlelight which was another first for me and I think it went beautifully. Reggie even raised his arms in celebration after they were announced as man and wife. That set the tone for the rest of the night in my opinion.
Instead of the glass clinking, there was a huge die which people had to roll to get the couple to kiss and it was a big hit. At one point I overheard Brooke’s grandmother ask what number she needed to roll to be able to give Reggie a kiss, I thought that was sweet. Then came the speeches. Reggie gave by far the best groom’s speech I’ve ever heard. He had everyone laughing and laughing hard. He may not recall how hard everyone was laughing due to his sleep apnea but that’s alright (if you were there you’ll understand what I mean). Brooke and Reggie have such positive personalities and you could really see the joy on their faces all day.
Once the dancing began there was no stopping it. This was one hell of a party and the dance floor was full all night. Reggie stole the show with his dance moves. The M.C.’s had alluded to the fact that Reggie was likely to remove his shirt and perform a number of his signature dance moves including one they called the back to back. He even did the latter dance move during the mother-son dance. Since the wedding, I’ve heard the song ‘sexy and I know it’ by LMFAO numerous times and maybe it’s a little weird, but every time I hear that song I think of Reggie dancing to the song while taking his short off (as you can see below). I know everyone enjoyed seeing Reggie bust out all those moves on the dance floor. Brooke and Reggie were just so much fun on their day. They were the life of the party on their wedding day and that’s just awesome.
Here’s a little glimpse into the wonderful wedding of Brooke and Reggie:
Enjoy!!!
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At the start of 2011 I was working at a medical gas company in Mississauga. I thought at the time that I would be there for a while. As time went by and the amount of travel increased, I realized that I could not work a day job with travel and continue to grow my photography business so I left that position for a lower paying day job with more consistent hours which would be good for my photography. The company was where Robyn worked, so our commute was easier, especially once the HOV lanes opened up through Burlington and Oakville.
In February I drove out to Halifax and volunteered as a photographer at the 2011 Halifax Canada Winter Games. I met a lot of great people in my extremely busy week and shot a number of sports I’d never even seen live before. It was a lot of fun and something I would love to do again. Prince George 2015, if you’re listening, I’m available.
We had wanted to move to Nova Scotia for a couple years and we decided that 2012 would be the year for that, so we decided to sell our house and move in with my parents. That way we could save a little more money but most importantly, we could be sure that the house was sold before we wanted to move. Our house sold the first day on the market. Within a month, Robyn got a job in Halifax and our move date moved up greatly.
At the beginning of August, my brother and his wife had a baby. Connor is my first nephew, and we love him to bits. We made sure to see him as much as possible in the busy months before moving.
October came and we made our big move to Halifax with a uhaul full of our stuff and the car being towed behind. It was a long drive over 2 days and ended with torrential rains as we arrived in Halifax, a fitting beginning to our Halifax experience.
I’ve since visited Ontario a couple times for weddings and tried to visit with family when I was there. I know it will be hard in the future to have my family in another province, but we will manage. Hopefully we will be getting a bunch of visitors in 2012 and I’ll be sure to take pictures, that’s what I do.
With 2011 being such a crazy year, I’m excited to see what 2012 will bring.
Here are my favourite personal photos of 2011:
Enjoy!!!
Peter himself opted for the traditional kilt for the wedding but not just any kilt. The kilt Peter wore was not just the same as the one his Dad wore when he was married, it was THE kilt his dad wore when he got married just shy of 30 years ago, simply amazing and I must say, the MacDonald tartan is a nice one.
Immediately after the ceremony we went into one of the back rooms at Burton Avenue United Church and took some family photos and a few wedding party photos in front of some beautiful stained glass. The day of the wedding had some typical winter weather with cold, wind and a little bit of snow. We went down by the lake for the rest of the photos with the wedding party and I am glad that as the photographer I get to wear a coat and gloves. I know they were all troopers and put up with the cold. I think the winter boots helped out on that one as did the limo driver parking as close to the water as possible.
After our cold photo session we went to the reception at Fendley Hall and everyone was glad to be indoors. The freezing rain had started and the drinking could commence. The speeches were quite heartfelt and a few tears were shed. The slideshow was awesome and as mentioned by Peter’s sisters (and joint M.C.’s), there was a little foreshadowing in photo of very young Peter. You’ll see what I mean in the photo below.
I’ll stop writing and just let you see some photos :)
Enjoy!!!
Aside from compliments on my work, I had a lot of compliments from other vendors regarding my booth. Having never done a show before I felt that if I was going to commit to a wedding show, I was going to go all out. I don’t claim to be a handy man by any means, so I’m pretty happy with the results. I decided that building a wall would be the best course of action as I needed somewhere to hang canvas prints, so I went to a few home building stores for some price shopping and after Home Depot and Rona, I found a deal on MDF at Kent. I bought 1/4″ MDF and had them cut the boards to 2′ x 8′ and deliver them to my house. I also purchased a bunch of 2 x 2’s and had them delivered as well.
I started by drilling shallow holes in the MDF with the intention of countersinking the screws. The key was to drill far enough to hide the screws but not so far as to go all the way through the MDF. Once all the holes were drilled on a piece of MDF, I screwed the 2 x 2’s to the back around the perimeter. I had to cut the wood for the ends and with my old saw, that took a while and I managed to cut myself twice with the saw.
After attaching the 2 x 2’s I used wood filler and filled all the holes over the screw heads and waited for it to dry. Once dry (overnight), I sanded, wiped clean and painted each sheet with 2 coats of paint (paint & primer in 1). One problem I encountered was the MDF warping out from the 2 x 2’s in my cold basement. I had to add additional screws so the walls weren’t wavy. Building in a warmer area would have prevented this problem.
Next I took baseboards and cut each baseboard to the size of the MDF and attached Velcro strips to the back of the baseboards. I left them off the wall until the show itself.
With the wall sections built and bad weather preventing me from doing a trial setup, I made my way to the Cunard Centre for the setup. I put the wall panels on the floor and screwed the pieces to each other and then used some extra 2 x 2 on the back of my largest wall to add some stability. With the walls raised, we attached the baseboards and touched up any areas that needed some extra paint.
The next day (the day of the show), we came early and hung the canvases and my sign and we were ready to go. After a mere 6 hours of show time, we had to tear down the wall and head home. The take down was much quicker than the construction and the only hiccup was that some of the screws became stripped and took some extra work (struggle) to get them out. After unloading the van and returning it (and picking up dinner), Robyn and I were home watching the Pens game by 7:00.
What would I do differently you ask? Not too much really. I was glad I had Robyn with me as there were times it got quite hectic and I could have used one more person even. After the fashion shows ended it got crazy so we made sure to refill our supplies during the shows. I could have used 2 more chairs as there were often more than 2 people looking at albums at a time, so maybe more chairs are in order next time and maybe one more album would be nice. I had 4.
There’s one big question to be answered still and that’s regarding my Engagement Session giveaway. Who won? From 120 entries received the name picked is………. Jen Flemming!!!!! I will be contacting her shortly to see about setting up time to take the photos. Congratulations Jen!!!
Here are the booth process photos:
Enjoy!!!
I had the space heater going to warm up the room and dry off the wood that got wet during a snowy delivery.
Drilling the holes for the screws.
A screw, just below the plane of the MDF.
The wood filler waiting for a sanding.
After sanding.
The booth at the Cunard centre with our stuff ready to construct.
Robyn wiping down a wall
With the walls constructed and the baseboards on.
The way we left the booth before heading home. Note the painted edges of the wall makes a huge difference.
I took this shot just before the show got under way at 10:00am.
Olivia was so cute when i got to see her at 4 days old. She is the youngest baby I’ve had the opportunity to photograph (aside from my nephew Connor, but that was in hospital so it doesn’t really count). We took a photo with each of Jake’s favourite team jersey’s; Dutch soccer, Patriots football (Tom Brady jersey which Olivia didn’t like) and a Canadiens jersey. Jake and Heather are a bit of a rarity in that Jake is a die hard Habs fan and Heather a Leafs fan. Only time will tell which side Olivia gets drawn to, but if I know Jake, he will make sure she’s a Canadiens fan.
I personally like black and white best for newborn photos (well most photos for that matter) so I decided I would post only black and white photos today. Here are a few from our afternoon together. I hope Olivia enjoys her first Christmas coming up :)
Enjoy!!!
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With this being my first Chinese wedding, there were some things that I had never experienced before, like the games before the wedding and the tea ceremony for instance. The number of family photos was quite large compared to most of the weddings I had photographed before as well, certainly good to know for my next one.
So a little about the wedding; I got to Gabriel’s parents house for 8:00am for some photos with the guys and I must say, I loved the light at that hour, I wish people got married in the morning for that light. From there I went to Jocelyn’s where the girls were getting ready. The guys came over after not too long and the games began. I won’t go into too much detail, but essentially, Gabriel had to prove himself worthy to be able to get to Jocelyn. It was tough, but he managed to prove himself (with lots of help from his groomsmen and laughter along the way).
The ceremony was at the Civic Centre in Markham in a tiny little chapel. It was certainly an intimate affair. After the ceremony ended we had planned on going outside for photos at Main Street Unionville. The problem was, it was raining, and not just rain, but that sideways rain with high winds. We decided to go anyways and see what we could do. The rain didn’t really let up, so we had to find some dry areas. I think it worked out pretty well. As we were finishing up, we stopped at Starbucks for a few photos too, another first for me.
The reception was at the Dragon Dynasty Restaurant and it was packed with guests. The dinner was impressive, so much food, some of which I had never heard of before and everyone enjoyed it. The slideshow of images was a nice touch as was Gabriel getting on stage and singing a song for Jocelyn. It’s these little details that make each wedding unique. It was well worth the drive from Halifax for the wedding.
Here are a few photos from Jocelyn and Gabriel’s wedding:
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca 
I wonder what her results were just moments before the ceremony?
Alright, we’re all set, get your coats off, smile and say ‘freeze’ I mean ‘cheese’
In this game, they both have one of each of their shoes. The MC makes a statement and they hold up the shoe of the person they think the statement applies to. In this case, both Jocelyn and Gabriel thought it applied to both of them which got a good laugh out of all the guests.
Enjoy!!!
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The plan was to have to ceremony outside at Springer House, but it was supposed to rain so plan B went into effect and the ceremony took place across the street at St. John’s Anglican church. As it turned out, it was a beautiful day anyway, but it’s better to be prepared.
When it came time for the photos, everything ran fairly smoothly, we found a great spot in front of a little shed at the Springer House with a rustic feel and we cycled people through for their photos without too much delay. If you’re getting married it’s good to know that you should probably allow for a few minutes for each family photo you’d like to do. It always happens that someone’s missing at some point. Following the family photos, I had the wedding party stay with me and everyone else got to check out the bar. I didn’t keep the wedding party for too long and they were happy to be able to get drinking as well.
I know Anita and Petar were glad to have a few moments to themselves when we went off for photos. We found a couple of quiet places with some beautiful views of the property and the changing colours on the Escarpment. I was lucky enough to have a couple who trusted me fully and allowed me to get creative. There were a few ideas I had wanted to try at a wedding for a while and hadn’t had a chance, and I was finally able to do so.
The reception portion of the day was a little quieter than most weddings, but it was perfect for this wedding. I love the use of wheat for the centrepieces, it pushed along the rustic feel of the day, as did the jam favours. The cake was awesome, take a look at the picture below, those are edible flowers. The little details really brought everything together.
Thank you Anita and Petar for having me as a part of your beautiful day, you guys are a great couple, I wish the best for you in in the many years to come.
Here are some photos from their wedding:
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
You can see the photo in the flowers of Anita’s father, a nice touch to include him in the wedding.
It’s worth noting what’s happening in the background here.
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For me, I just hope he can come back into the Penguins lineup and add a little sizzle to a team that has been performing well without him. It will take a little time to get back into the swing of things I’m sure, so be patient people. I’m not expecting the world from him just yet. The whole hockey world will be watching and hoping for the best. It’s a good thing he’s experienced with dealing with the media because this is going to be a carnival.
Since I moved to Halifax I’ve seen Crosby Jersey’s and Penguins logos everything, and that’s without him playing, I’m sure his return will increase the interest of local hockey fans.
Here are a few photos from the trip Robyn and I took to see the Penguins play in Columbus last year, and that is wedding related. Robyn’s gift to me for our wedding was tickets to this game, one that the penguins won big and Crosby played well, scoring twice.
Enjoy!!!
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The albums are called flushmount because when you open the book, the pages lay flat or ‘flush’. The pages are about 2mm thick and solid, they won’t bend or crease. You won’t find a better album out there.
Pricing information can be found by going to the Pricing page HERE.
After the ceremony we had planned on going to a house with a nice property with gardens and trees etc. for photos. Abby had found the place via a magazine. But with the heavy rain an adjustment had to be made and we made a last minute change of plans and we wound up going to some museum house I can’t recall the name of. It was a bit different than Abby had imagined beforehand, but the wet ground would have gotten her dress wet otherwise so we made it work.
As we departed the museum and drove to the Grand Olympia in Stoney Creek, the rain started up again and it continued for most of the evening. We managed to fit the pictures perfectly into the only dry time of the day.
The reception began with DJ Sparky (seriously) announcing the wedding party after the receiving line. The speeches were short and to the point, and the green signature drinks were being consumed as fast as they could be poured. Maybe that’s why one guest drank the liquid centrepiece which looked like one of the drinks (see picture below). Everyone certainly enjoyed themselves at the reception.
Here are a few shots from Abby and Brent’s wedding:
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
We found a couple other little places for photos and just as we were wrapping up, we spotted a crevice with a little family of raccoons. We of course didn’t get too close. Amanda and Adam are getting married next year, and I’m looking forward to being a part of it. Until then, I hope you enjoy a few shots from their Engagement Session:
Enjoy!!!
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This was Robyn, Cinnamon and my first Halloween in Nova Scotia, so we weren’t really sure what to expect. At our last house in Burlington, we were at the end of a dead end street so we didn’t get too many kids trick or treating (11 n 2010 to be exact). This year we figured we’d get a lot more kids since we’re in a nice neighbourhood with 2 schools a street over but it looks like we were wrong. We had only 14 kids come by.
I was pretty generous with my candy handouts and still have a ton of Tootsie Rolls and Rockets left to eat. OK, part of my generosity was due to me being unable to see properly in my Gumby costume, but I was still trying to give a healthy amount. The temperature is -1 right now but that shouldn’t effect kids going out to get free candy. I remember going out in the snow with a winter coat under my costume. I also remember running between houses and filling pillow cases with candy and not running out until Valentines Day.
Alas, I think times have changed and we’ll never see the numbers we used to. People now are too afraid to let their kids head out and enjoy Halloween and that makes me sad, it seems Halloween is on the decline. I hope this day is still around when I have kids, this is one of my favourite holidays (if you can call it a holiday). I love that with a little ingenuity you can be anyone or anything you want for one day a year.
Here are a few shots from our house this Halloween, I think I did a pretty good job on my Jack Skellington (From ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’) Jack O’ Lantern (Pumpkin).
Enjoy!!!
With the pre ceremony photos taken care of, we all made our way to Hernder for the ceremony. The weather was fantastic with the temperature being warm but not hot, and the sun shining, making for a nice outdoor wedding. A receiving line and group shot of everyone in attendance followed before we went off for photos with just the wedding party.
I had wanted to photograph a wedding at a winery for a while, so I was glad to get to use some of my ideas. I was a little worried about the vines not looking that great, but they ended up working just fine and looked even better in the photos. The barrel room was the last place we went before heading in for the reception and it was a great place for a photo.
The reception hall is an old barn which gave it a very rustic feel which was helped along by the table decorations. I really liked the use of corks for the place cards. But that’s all background, everyone was there for Laura and Steve. Laura’s brother, and one of Steve’s brother’s shared the emcee duties which was a nice way to keep everyone involved.
The speeches were good with a few tears shed, and it was nice of Laura and Steve to acknowledge their friend Karen’s birthday that day (she was the one who set them up actually), but the showstopper was the slideshow of photos. There were a ton of photos including some I’m sure Steve especially would have preferred didn’t make the cut. But what do you expect when you wear a wedding dress at your stag?
When the dancing got going, there was no shortage of people willing to take to the dance floor, including a whole bunch of the girls with a choreographed flash mob style dance to a Lady Gaga song. Fun was certainly not lacking at this wedding. I was glad to be a part of it. I wish all the best for Laura and Steve in the coming years, they’re two great people.
Here are a few shots from Laura and Steve’s wedding at Hernder Estate Winery:
Enjoy!!!
Notice the little guy to the right of Laura? His dad held him up since he wasn’t cooperating, he hid himself well.
Angry Birds, that’s a good way to keep the kids occupied.
Tamara and Rob were driven to the Holiday inn in an Audi convertible where we took family photos before entering the reception. The speeches were pretty good with numerous props used including a Dr. Seuss book, a Boston Celtics Jersey and a Duke hat to name a few.
Following dinner came the dancing, and I must say, the groomsmen were going pretty crazy out there as you’ll see in the photos below. Check out the shot of the mid-air pushup. It took people a little while to build up their dancing courage as it usually does, but once people let loose, they had a blast. They also quite enjoyed the candy bar, and by ‘they’ I mean me. It took me about 3 weeks to eat all of my candy, I especially loved the rockets :).
All in all it was a great day for everyone.
Congratulations Tamara and Rob!!!
Here are a few shots from their day.
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
We took a few hours to load the truck and then we went to put my car on the trailer. The first attempt ended with the trailer’s front end lifting up when the car started rolling up the ramp. It turns out the hitch wasn’t as tight as we thought. We figured out the problem and got the car up and on the trailer. Then I went to open the door and there was no clearance on the trailer’s wheel guards. After a minute of being puzzled and laughing, Kevin figured it out and I was able to get out of the car.
We got everyone some McDonalds for lunch, said our emotional goodbyes and hit the road for the long 1800+km drive. I’m glad it was a Saturday because the traffic through Toronto can be terrible without a uhaul and a trailer. We didn’t have too much traffic to deal with, so I was happy.
We stopped a few times for gas because that truck is a guzzler. I think we spend nearly $800 on gas for the drive total, bloody ridiculous. Since it was so loud in the cab of the truck, we couldn’t even listen to music while we were driving, we just talked for the most part. The first day, we booked a hotel in Edmundston New Brunswick. The hardest part of the drive started at about Montreal. With the rain and lack of reflectors on the road, finding the lines was a pain, and I had to be very focused to stay in my lane. Through a construction zone with an unpaved shoulder, I had 2 transport trucks and a man and a van service in Southall pass between me and the median. We were just inches apart and I had no space on my right, just gravel that surely would have been trouble if I hit it. I was not impressed to say the least, but it turned out alright. When we got to the hotel at 3:3o am, we went right to sleep.
We got up at 9:00 am and hit the road right away to make it to Halifax as early as possible. It felt like it took forever to get through New Brunswick, but at least the weather was good. I can’t say the same for Halifax. It started raining just before we hit Nova Scotia and it absolutely poured when we got to Halifax. Luckily it let up once we started unloading the truck, otherwise everything would have been soaked. I guess I mean ‘more soaked’ since there was a leak in the truck and everything was somewhat wet already.
The truck unloading went pretty well with the help from my friend Devin whom I met while we were both photographing the Canada Games here in Halifax back in February. Without his help, there is no way I could have gotten our large items like the couch etc. into the house. That couch required us to take off both front doors and it still barely fit.
With the truck unpacked and our mattress wet, we slept our first night on the couch. It was some of the best sleep I’d had in a while, I was just so tired. It took us a couple days to get everything put away, and we’re still getting settled in, but we’re trying to get out and enjoy our week off as well. Just yesterday we drove down to Lunenburg and tomorrow we’re hitting up Peggy’s cove.
I’m looking forward to all of the adventures that await us out here and the new friends we’ll make. I will always look forward to my trips back to Ontario to visit my family and their visits out here. I am going to be booking weddings in both Ontario and Nova Scotia which will get me back to Ontario more often, so don’t let the ‘Halifax’ title stop you Ontarians from contacting me.
Sorry for the very long post. Here are some pictures from the move and our first week.
Happy Thanksgiving Canada!!!
The GPS before we left, that 1851 km total is daunting.
This exit is where we used to get off the QEW everyday and would say that we should just keep going to Nova Scotia, this time we did.
Just after the Quebec border I partially filled the gas tank. A lot of gas stations have a $100 limit. I put $35 more in after that.
Cinnamon was VERY good in the truck, she didn’t whine and slept most of the drive. 
Me in the truck.
The Nova Scotia sign through the front window in the rain.
Our House (for 6 months).
Cinnamon has found a good spot to watch people pass by. 
That’s right, I’ve already gotten myself a Nova Scotia License and Plate. I plan on getting a vanity plate, maybe ‘Photos’ or ‘Go Pens’ I don’t know yet.
Robyn walking Cinnamon. We’re at the top of a hill, it’s a pretty nice view save for the wires.
In Lunenburg, you can get live lobsters if you want.
Robyn and I went to the Rum Runner’s restaurant for lunch in Lunenburg.
I love colourful houses.
Their wedding is in May, and I’m looking forward to their big day at the Cambridge Old Mill.
Here are a few shots from our session:
Enjoy!!!
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With so many family members making the trip for the wedding and Sam and Brad having so many friends, this was easily the biggest wedding I have ever photographed. The ceremony took place at St. Cyril Church in Mississauga, just down the street from Brad’s parents house, and the reception was at the Embassy Grand in Vaughan. We stopped at a farm owned by the Peel District School Board in between for pictures and had a few sprinkles, but avoided anything you would actually call rain.
When we got to the Embassy Grand, I setup to take everyone’s photo as they came through the receiving line so Sam and Brad would have a photo with everyone as they came in and also to minimize people asking for photos with the couple throughout the course of the evening.. I thought it was a great idea and Brad’s sister Crystal grabbed the people’s personal cameras and stood beside me taking a photo with their own camera after I took my photo. I thought that was smart, people always want a shot of their own they can show around the next day. I think our little setup worked well and we got just about everyone.
The Hall itself was decorated nicely and the DJ and M.C. did an excellent job of keeping people dancing throughout the night, however, the dance of the evening belonged to Sam and Brad and their first dance. They did an evolution of dance, dance and everyone, myself included, loved it. The dance really set the tone for the night as the dance floor was never empty. When the music finally stopped at the end of the night and the lights came up, there were still a ton of people there. Clearly no-one wanted to go home, even if it was 2:00am by the time we all left. On my drive home, even after 14 hours of shooting, I didn’t feel tired, all of the energy from the reception was keeping me going. Hopefully you can see some of that energy in the photos below.
Congratulations Sam and Brad!
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
It was her birthday at midnight, so Sam and Brad got her in the middle of the dance floor and made sure everyone knew, she also got her very own cake.
So last Monday (the 8th) Robyn and I went to Baden to take photos of Connor at Kevin & Susan’s place. Connor was quite awake when we came, more awake than Kevin & Susan I think. He was pretty good for photos, they had to settle him down a few times, but that’s normal. He did however pee on Kevin at one point. I didn’t notice at first, but I wondered why Kevin started laughing. It wasn’t until he pulled Connor away from himself that we saw the pee spot on Kev’s shorts. It looked like Kevin had wet himself, it was pretty hilarious.
Here are some photos from our evening together. I’m looking forward to the next time we get to see him.
Enjoy!!!
I have 3 brothers, Kevin being the oldest (by 4 minutes, but still the oldest), so it is only fitting that the oldest is the first to have a baby. I’m so happy for Kevin and Susan, and I’m looking forward to getting to know the little guy.
Connor was weighed at 8.8lbs and 21 inches long, has a full head of hair and most importantly is healthy. That hair though, I couldn’t believe how much he had, it actually covers his ears a bit. I think he’s going to be a hockey player, why else would he be born with hockey hair?
As Robyn and I got to the hospital at 6:00, my parents were leaving as was my brother Brandon (Kevin’s twin). Brandon’s wife Courtney stayed, so she ended up in some of my photos. Susan’s parents and her sister showed up just before we left, so they got in some photos too.
Anyways here are some of the photos of Connor, taken when he was just 10 hours old:
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca
Kevin holding Connor
Connor on Susan, her new baby bump
Courtney (left) and Robyn holding Connor
That’s me holding Connor!
Susan holding Connor up.
Susan’s mother Margaret with Connor.
I met Rachel and her gorgeous bridesmaids at Rachel’s parents house in Oakville where we took some photos before heading to the Old Mill in Ancaster. On my way over from Burlington, I noticed that the highway was pretty jammed, so I stole Jessica, one of Rachel’s friends for my drive. By having an extra person in the car, I could take the HOV lane. Unfortunately the HOV lane also ended up slow, so we all arrived later than planned (but still early) to the Mill. When we got there, I met up with the guys and Rachel and her Bridesmaids went and got ready.
The outdoor ceremony went off without a hitch, the sun even ducked behind some clouds for a little while giving some relief from the heat. Rachel’s grandmother was in the hospital and unable to attend the ceremony, so they setup a laptop in the front row and used Skype to let watch. The next day, Rachel went and visited her in the hospital with her dress on and everything, I’m sure her the surprise was a great one for her grandmother.
Once the ceremony wrapped up, we did the family photos and a few with the wedding party before the reception. I don’t normally like to compare weddings, but Dan’s father gave the funniest speech I have ever heard. I was actually in tears laughing and my stomach muscles hurt. I don’t think there was a single person at the wedding that wasn’t laughing. The rest of the speeches were full of good humour and some emotional moments. It was definitely memorable. I would certainly like to see the Videographer’s recording of those speeches again.
The party that happened after dinner was certainly one for the ages. I mean seriously, when did you last see a groom bust out a powder blue tuxedo? The 70’s? Ya, that’s what I thought. Dan came out for the garter toss with the tux on to everyone’s surprise. He also had a sweet frilly shirt on underneath, pure class.
The wedding was so much fun to be a part of and Rachel and Dan, you are two of the nicest people I’ve ever met, I know you guys will have great future together. Congrats!
Here’s a photographic account of the day:
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca 
Dan’s Reaction to seeing Rachel walking down the aisle:
The girls were wrapping up their makeup when I arrived at Michelle’s parents house, so we got a few photos there and then made our way over to the church which was practically across the street. I was looking forward to after the ceremony as Jon and Michelle had a pretty sweet getaway car. Jon’s dad owns a Triumph convertible outfitted with some balloons and a ‘Just Married’ sign which they drove off in after the ceremony.
We got to the Burlington Golf & Country Club for the reception and Jon and Michelle arrived shortly after. I started getting all of the golf accessories in place for the photos. I got pretty early that day so I took advantage of the amazing golf field and tried to learn how to play golf. Thankfully everyone was very patient showing me how to play, so if you’re new at this take a look at the best golf clubs for beginners men they recommended to me.
Later that day, they said that just about everyone honked for them on their drive across town. I was impressed that after the drive with the top down, Michelle’s hair still looked good.
After all the pre-reception photos, we made our way in for dinner. The wedding party entered the hall with each couple doing their own little dance. The speeches were spread over dinner and each speech made people laugh and cry. The Best Man (Eric) and Maid of Honour (Megan), whom I photographed last year at their wedding, both had great speeches. Megan is like a sister to Michelle and you could feel the love in her speech. Eric’s speech was more on the humour side as you would expect from the Best Man. Jon’s parents speech included a slideshow to music with Jon’s sisters singing the lyrics. The slideshow showed photos of Michelle and Jon over the years and received a great reaction from all the guests.
With dinner and the speeches out of the way, it was time for the dancing. For the Father/Daughter dance, Michelle’s 2 Brothers and her Cousin played the instruments while her Aunt sang the song, it was a very nice touch. Then the band kicked in and the dance floor seemed to explode with people. The floor was full and stayed that way until about 10:45 when Jon’s Mother made an announcement about a surprise and everyone made their way onto the patio.
Michelle seemed to know immediately what was coming, apparently when she was asked what she wanted at her wedding when her and Jon had just gotten engaged, she said ‘fireworks’ and she was not disappointed. There were what seemed like 10 minutes of fireworks. Fireworks at a wedding, that’s a first in my experience, and it was pretty cool, you could tell that Jon and Michelle were both surprised and amazed.
Here are a bunch of photos from the fun filled day:
Enjoy!!!
Yes, that IS a groomsman playing the drums
I must admit, I was a little worried on the drive from Burlington to Port Dover that the weather might turn and we’d get rain, however, I’m glad to say it was just worry. The weather was great and so was the light for my engagement session with Abby and Brent. Our session was pretty short but sweet. We got a lot of good shots and I think the last photo in this post is one of my favourite photos ever.
Here are some highlights from our session:
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We kind of did a walk down memory lane with Sam and Brad visiting some of their old haunts in the Annex from when they first started dating. It’s been 5 years since Sam went to school and lived in the area, and they noticed that a lot has changed. That or they had just gotten used to all the craziness before.
After walking around there, we made our way over to the Yorkville area and Sam and Brad had a wardrobe change in between. I had never actually been to Yorkville and I was amazed at how busy it was at 8:30 on a Sunday night.
I think we were there in just the right light, I really liked how the sunset was reflecting off the windows of an office building in one of the below photos. We walked around a little and took some photos in various places including a big rock, but not just any big rock. This rock is the place that Brad proposed to Sam just months ago.
It was nice to re-visit so many places that had meaning for the two of them, I think it will make the photos more precious to them in the future. On our drive back to Mississauga, at about 10:30 or so, we made a quick stop and got a couple shots with the Toronto skyline in the background. It was crazy dark down by the water, so I had Brad hold up his cell phone to help me focus. I think I might need to bring a flashlight from now on.
I had a great time with this great couple, and I look forward to their wedding on August 20th.
Here are a bunch of photos from our session:
Enjoy!!!
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On our way to Newgrange, we discovered that there was a concert in Slane, which is the entry point of Newgrange. This is no small concert either, there were 80,000 people there. So we had to take a detour, and then another detour, and then we encountered some police officers who directed us to the monument. When we arrived, we were informed that we were in the wrong place. The site can only be accessed via guided tour which starts elsewhere and a bus takes you to the site and back. Unfortunately, with the detours and traffic, we were already an hour behind and a guided tour takes much longer than going it yourself. With our car being due back in the early afternoon, we simply didn’t have the time. I climber onto a fence and took some photos, but that was all we had time for.
We made it back to Dublin around 1:00pm, dropped off the car and walked back to downtown. We did a little shopping and then found St. Patrick’s Cathedral (after failing to do so the week before). The cathedral was impressive with such history.
The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around the shopping area of Grafton Street. Once our legs were exhausted, we went back to our hotel and got ready for the big match, the Champions League Final between Barcelona and Manchester United. We should have gone earlier to get seats, most bars were packed. We finally found one which was serving food as well as showing the game and sat down and ordered a drink just as the game started. We went to ask for menus and they told us that the sign on the door was wrong, they weren’t selling food anymore. That was annoying. So at half time, we went and found some food elsewhere before returning for the second half (a little late). The game ended with Barcelona winning, not the result we were hoping for. That was the second time we were in Europe for the Champions League Final and both times we have seen a bad result. I guess we’re just bad luck. Oh well :)
I think I’m going to post with some of my favourite photos from the trip, so keep an eye out for that.
Here’s what I’ve got for you from Day 8 in Ireland:
Enjoy!!!
We then drove towards Waterford (yes, like the Crystal). We saw signs pointing us towards a scenic drive, but we never managed to find it. Waterford was pretty busy for a town of 10,000, so we just passed through. We found a little cafe outside of town and stopped for lunch.
We kept driving along the highway and made it to the Bramble Rock B&B in East Laragh, which is in the Wicklow Mountains, a little ways southwest of Dublin. Of course, just as we arrived, it started to rain. We got settled in our room and then went for a drive through the mountains. The West coast has a place called the Burren, and I dubbed the Wicklow Mountains the Barren. There is pretty much just bogs for miles, it’s weird. It might have been nicer with some sun, but we’ll never know.
Dinner came from a pub in Roundtree, where Robyn’s fries were enormous, probably the biggest fries in the history of the World. Then we went to see a Monastic site at Glendalough. I’m glad we went after the park closed because it would have been to busy otherwise. It’s crazy to see just how old some of the gravestones are. You don’t get such history in Canada. We didn’t get a sunset again, so we set in early and relaxed.
Here are some photos from day 7 in Ireland:
Enjoy!!!
To give you a sense of scale, that’s the Hook Head Lighthouse at right and Robyn off to the left.
The cafe outside Waterford where we had lunch.
This is just plain nuts. That water is freezing, and they’re swimming. I didn’t believe it AND I saw it with my own two eyes.
I finally saw some shamrocks, it only took me a week.
The Wicklow’s with some rain coming in.
If you look carefully, you can see a rainbow arcing over the left hill. Alas, no pot of gold.
I love how in the rain and winds, the lamb used its mother for protection.
This was a good road.
Instead of just sticking to the coast, we made our way inland to the Rock of Cashel, one of the best known castles in Ireland. When we arrived, we found that restoration work was being done and the castle had this huge scaffolding on the front, so that sucked. We took a walk around and I saw a field with cows and thought it might be nice to have a photo with the cows in front of the castle, so we drove off in that direction. When we got there the cows were not in a good spot for photos. Now, I do a pretty good cow moo, and I tried getting their attention to no avail, so I gave my moo a go. What a reaction it got! The cows which were sitting all relaxed, shot up and made their way over to us. I think I swore at their mothers in cow or something because they looked offended. One came right up to us and the others kind of hid behind it, peeking out from time to time. It was probably the funniest part of the trip so far. I wish we had it on video to show you. For the record, I did get my shot.
With the Rock of Cashel done, we went right to Tramore to check into our B&B. I’ll have to say that Tramore was missable. Maybe it’s nicer in the warmer months, but for us, it seemed kind of crappy, we even saw a couple guys get into a fight in an alley. We went looking for a place for dinner and wound up in a little town called Dunmore East. Now that was a nice town, we wish we would have stayed there. The pub we ate at had a nice view and a dog roaming around looking for food. Yes he was inside, I’m pretty sure he belonged to the pub’s owner. It made me miss my little pup, but we’ll get to see her soon.
After dinner, we went for a short drive around the countryside and then called it a night. Tomorrow we head off towards Wicklow, hopefully we have some good weather, unlike all the rain we had today.
Here’s a few from the day.
Enjoy!!!
We started the day in Killarney where we stayed the night before at the Fairview Hotel. The Hotel seems nice, but they stuck us in this room on the main floor quite close to reception. That itself wouldn’t be a problem if the door wasn’t so thin. You could hear everything happening in the hallway and at reception, including the 3 phones that seem to ring when a call comes in. It’s a good thing we were exhausted and had some heavy sleep.
That aside, we had planned on visiting the Skellig Islands which are just off the Southwest coast of Ireland, but the weather made that impossible, the boats weren’t running with the water being so choppy. Only fairly small vessels can dock at the islands, so they are at the whim of Mother Nature.
We had our continental breakfast at the hotel and set out to drive the Ring of Kerry. The Ring is supposed to be the best drive in Ireland with stunning views and countryscapes (I made that word up). However, we had some rain, so that may have affected my view of the drive, but I wasn’t that impressed, I didn’t really have any ‘wow’ moments, and I actually liked the drive on the Dingle Peninsula yesterday better.
While on the Ring of Kerry, we made a detour and drove the Skellig Ring. There was a rainstorm at sea, so we were only able to catch a glimpse of the Skelligs, but the drive itself was quite nice. At one point I wasn’t sure our little Hyundai Getz was going to be able to make it up the mountain it was so steep, but it managed, and we made it back to the Ring of Kerry without any issue.
After wrapping up our drive, we had dinner and did a little shopping in Killarney before calling it a night. Here are some photos from today’s adventures:
Enjoy!!!
We made it to Killarney fairly early and were able to leave some bags with reception at the Fairview Hotel. We were going to grab lunch, but the hotel won’t cover your parking costs in their lot before 6:00pm, so we just set out for a drive around the Dingle Peninsula and picked up lunch along the way. The drive was nice with some great views of the Ocean and the mountains. There was even a beach with some people kite-surfing. I can’t imagine being in that frigid water, though I guess it’s incentive to stay on your board. We also took a detour at one point and ended up at a dead end road, when we turned to come back, a farmer had just led his herd of cows onto the road, so we were in a traffic jam with cows, it was pretty funny. The dogs were impressive to see, keeping the herd in line like champs, barking at those slacker cows who didn’t want to move.
I was disappointed with Dingle itself, I was expecting something a little smaller and more quaint like Doolin, but it was a busy town with a little ‘tourist district’ like many others. But if you’re ever in the area, don’t let Dingle itself be a reason not to take the drive, I think it was well worth it for the scenery.
We got back to Killarney fairly late and had dinner at a little pub called The Laurels. The food was pretty good, and Robyn tried her first Guinness and liked it, so I’m sure we’ll be ordering more of those. I’ve been amazed at how quickly these pubs have been bringing us our food. I don’t think we’ve waited even ten minutes for a meal to be delivered. At home you might wait a half hour without even thinking about it. It’s impressed me quite a bit. At first we thought it was a fluke, but it is becoming a trend. It’s been a nice surprise.
After dinner we drove into the Park itself and went to Ross Castle. When I first saw a picture of the castle before our trip, I saw the lights in front of it and I knew they must light it up at night, and I was not disappointed, I got some great shots of the castle at the blue hour.
That’s about it from Day 4, tomorrow it’s off to drive the Ring of Kerry.
Enjoy!!!
Day 3 feels like so long ago now, it’s hard to remember what happened, hopefully I don’t leave anything good out. So we stayed the night in Clifden and had driven part of the ‘Sky Road’ the night before in the rain, so we decided to give it a go again in the morning. We once again had rain for the most part, but we had some sunshine come through for a few moments, it made the view nicer. I bet the view from the road would be amazing on a clear day. At one point on our drive we came around a corner to find a handful of sheep on the road, we got a good laugh at that. Apparently the grass beside the road is the tastiest.
After finishing up in Clifden, we made our way to Doolin via Galway. We stopped at Kylemore Abbey for a bit and got soaked during a sudden downpour. One of our umbrellas was sacrificed when we tried to use it as the wind was just too strong. The Abbey was pretty cool, it almost looked fake sticking out from the mountain, but I assure you, it was quite real.
We had thought to stop in Galway but I’m glad we didn’t, there’s just too much traffic, and I had, had enough of roundabouts, I think I had to go through something like 12 fair sized ones to get through the city. On the plus side, I did figure out where I need to be and how to signal by doing that.
We made some stops along the way and pulled into Doolin something like 3:00pm. We stayed at Riverside Cottage which is in a perfect place just steps away from the strip that is Doolin. Best of all, it’s only about 15 minutes from the Cliffs of Moher, one of the best places in all of Ireland. Of course, we went there right away. It cost us 12 Euro to park the car there and get in, which was pretty steep, but we figured worth it.
The winds pretty much everywhere have been pretty strong, so it was no surprise that the cliffs were extra windy. You honestly had to lean your body on a 30 degree angle just to stay upright at times. I’m known to often disobey the signs regarding fences etc. but there was no way I was going to at the cliffs. The light wasn’t the best with all the rain while we were there and then the bright sun, so I wasn’t exactly ‘happy’ with my photos at the time, but I wanted to come back for sunset anyways if there was a sunset. We went and had dinner at Gus O’Connor’s Pub in Doolin and then rested a short while before heading back to the Cliffs of Moher for sunset. We got there a bit early and had to wait for a bit, but it was hard to tell where the sun was behind all the clouds. On the plus side, they cliffs ‘closed’ at 7:00, so there was no-one to pay for parking, so it was free :).
Eventually the sun broke from the clouds and we got a great sunset. I am very happy with the photos I got at the cliffs now. The place itself reminds me of Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve that we visited in Newfoundland last year, though there were more restrictions in Ireland, and it was busier. After being frozen at the cliffs, we went back to our B&B and Robyn warmed up with a hot shower and I went and took some dusk photos of the town. When I came back I ended up having a nice long conversation with the owner of Riverside Cottage, Breda, and her daughter Ann (sorry if I got that wrong). I hadn’t intended on talking so long, but they were really nice, and I even learned a few things. When I got to bed I fell right asleep, the bed is wayyyy more comfortable than our bed back home, it makes me want a new one actually. Maybe when I get home we’ll get one.
Here are a bunch O’Photos from our 3rd day in Ireland.
Enjoy!!!
Aside from the driving fun, we saw a few things on our drive. We got started a little later than we’d hoped as we slept in until 8:15 (I know, really sleeping in eh?), and the Thrifty Car Rental place was jammed and it took forever to get our car.
Our first stop was a castle in Tullamore. We had some trouble finding it, and even drove down this huge driveway only to find that it didn’t go to the castle like it appeared, but to some framer’s house. Once we got there we got out, took a few photos and then discovered that they were doing renovations. Of course there was no sign to indicate as such. So that was pretty well a waste of time.
Our next stop was the best of the day. We stumbled upon this place only the day before we left for Ireland and decided it sounded cool. The place was called Clanmacnoise, and we saw a bunch of ruins, including a castle that basically toppled over. We spent a good hour, maybe even more there. Just as we got our tickets it started to pour, and heavily at that, so we waited the rain out, and were given some sunshine right after. I’d recommend going if you’re in the area.
After Clonmacnoise, we went to Clifden, where I’m writing from now. The GPS from Thrifty, which they claimed to have ‘up to date maps’ didn’t have the M6 on it, a major highway. So we weren’t quite sure if we were on the right track for some time. Thankfully, we found our way to Galway and back onto the GPS. Galway had a bunch of crazy roundabouts and they were interesting….
Once in Clifden, we made it to the Ardagh Hotel, and went and grabbed dinner at J.P. Connely’s Pub. There were some guys playing a violin and bagpipes playing while we ate. They sounded pretty god to me.
After dinner came the rains, and that was over 3 hours ago now, and it’s still raining. We took a drive around and made plans for tomorrow, so we hope the rain holds out a bit for us, there are some places I’d like to go while we’re in that area that require being outside walking.
I hope to write again tomorrow after we get to Doolin, hopefully I’ll be talking about the nice weather. For now, here are a few from today.
Enjoy!!!
With full knowledge that it’s the May 24 weekend, we left Burlington at 10:00 am and made our way to the border. Our only stop along the way was at Tim Horton’s in Grimsby. Robyn and I each got donuts, me a chocolate dip (as I usually do) and her a Boston Cream. The thing is, her Boston Cream donut had no cream. It was just a chocolate dip donut with no hole in the middle. Apparently, that was a sign of things to come.
We crossed the border at the Queenston Lewiston Bridge, and the wait time was about an hour, it sucked, but we expected it, so no big deal. However, on the way to the airport, we had to go through Tonawanda (don’t know/don’t care if I spelled that wrong). It took us over an hour to go 3 kilometers to get to the highway. It was bloody ridiculous, and we were pretty pissed off.
So we finally get to the US Airways desk to check in and the self check in machine said ‘no seats available’. Thankfully we were OK on this one, as we were early enough to not get bumped from our flight. We made our way through security and went to check the Departures screen. Our flight to Boston said “DELAYED” so we asked about it, and were told that instead of 2:50, our flight would be leaving at 3:40 (no reason was given). We grabbed a bite to eat and waited. An announcement was then made that our original plane had electrical problems, so they sent a second plane, but it ended up having electrical problems too, and we would now be leaving at 4:15, and we should expect an announcement with more details shortly. As 4:15 came and went, I went and asked the girl at the counter if she knew what time we could expect the plane at, and in a bitchy tone she said “I don’t know, if I have any info, I’ll make an announcement”.
At about 4:45 we got word that they found us another plane and it would be there in 30 minutes to take us to Boston. By this time we were getting worried that we might miss our flight from Boston to Dublin. Our plane arrived just after 5:30 and we quickly boarded the plane and were ready to leave. The problem, some idiot was missing. How are you late for a flight that’s already 3 hours late??? I don’t get it. The guy was located and we finally left Buffalo at about 6:30. With just over an hour flying time, we made it to Boston for 7:50, one hour until our Aer Lingus flight and we were leaving from another terminal. Thankfully, my brother and his wife had just flown to Europe out of Boston and warned us that navigation was tricky, so we asked someone immediately and were sent in the right direction.
We got to the Aer Lingus counter and got checked in and went to the security line. We waited in that line for 20 minutes or so when we saw the check in girl from Aer Lingus escorting some people up the first class line. On her way back I caught her attention and she helped us cut in line and into security. Even with her help we just barely made the final boarding call.
Our flight was pretty good and I even managed to catch what I’d guess to be an hour of sleep. To our amazement, our baggage somehow made it on our flight. We took our stuff and found an Air Coach bus into Dublin and made our way to the Leeson Bridge Guest House. As it was only 9:00, we couldn’t check in, but they allowed us to leave our luggage so we could walk downtown. We spent about 7 hours walking the streets, getting lost due to crappy maps a few times along the way. We managed to see a number of sites we’d wanted to see, and we’ll be back next Saturday to see the rest. Tomorrow we take the rental car out of Dublin and Obama’s chaos.
It’s 8:30pm here in Dublin, and I’ve been up for a long time, I need to get some sleep. Here are some photos from our long day.
Enjoy!!!
St. Stephen’s Green, a park in Dublin
A few shots from Trinity College.
This was our line to get in at 9:30 when it opened
I actually saw an orb exactly like this in the Pine Cone Courtyard at the Vatican Museum in Rome back in 2005.
McDonalds for a breakfast pick-me-up, what a crazy mural eh?
Who knew? Tim’s in Dublin.
A bunch from Dublin Castle and it’s church.
With Obama coming, we saw cops everywhere.
This one’s for my dad, he’ll understand :)
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Our arrival in Dublin falls between 2 of the highest profile events in a long time in Ireland. The Queen of England is departing today, and Barack Obama will be arriving at the end of this weekend. I can only imagine what security is going to be like.
This will also be my first time driving on the left side of the road, and right side of the car, so keep checking back for some car accident photos. I must admit, I’m quite nervous about that part of the trip. I also hope that the added security in Dublin doesn’t mean too many detours. We arrive early Saturday morning, but have decided not to get the car until Sunday morning as we’ll be jet lagged and I don’t want to be a tired driver.
Our plan is to drive from place to place, stopping along the way for adventures. We’ll be starting in Dublin then staying in Clifden, Doolin, Killarney, Tramore, Wicklow and then back to Dublin.
If anyone has been to Ireland and would like to suggest any places we should go along that route, please, leave a comment and let me know.
Keep coming back for updates on our trip. I hope to end each day with a quick blog post and hopefully some photos from the day, but there’s no guarantee as we might be out enjoying the beauty of the country or maybe some music at some local pubs.
I’ll leave you with a photo from my trip to Newfoundland, on the ‘Irish Loop’ that looks an awful lot like THIS photo I found while looking up info on Ireland.
Enjoy!!!
We had originally planned to meet later in the morning, but on Wednesday I was asked if I wanted to play hockey today at 1:00 by my work (which I had actually just put in my two weeks notice on Monday). Normally, I would of course be interested, but have to decline due to a prior commitment. This time was different. The game was a charity affair called “Skate for Kids” and the money paid for the games was donated to charity. But the real kicker was that some ex-NHLers were going to be playing on each team. One of the NHLers to play on my team was Paul Coffey!!!! If that doesn’t mean anything to you, let me explain. He is second all time in points for NHL defencemen, and won 4 Stanley Cups in his career, 3 with Edmonton, and his 4th with the Pittsburgh Penguins, yes, my Pittsburgh Penguins. He played a number of seasons in Pittsburgh back when I was learning to love the game. There’s still a Paul Coffey poster hanging in my parent’s basement. The stick I use, and have used for a long time, is a Sherwood 5030, with a Coffey curve. So you understand why this was a big deal to me. So I was ecstatic when the couple I met with today agreed to move up our meeting.
The game today was played at St. Micheal’s College Arena in Toronto, a rink I’d never been to before, but quite liked when I got there. The arena was what we’d call an old barn. It had the curving wood beam roof, and the ice was a bit smaller than current regulations. You’ll see in one of the pictures below what I’m talking about.
Our team had 2 defensive pairings and 3 full forward lines. I usually prefer 2 lines because of the added ice time, but I haven’t played for a couple months, so the extra rest was good. I played centre and won the opening faceoff cleanly from former NHLer Mark Osborne right back to Coffey, though he won all but one of the rest between us the rest of the game. It was pretty impressive to watch Coffey play hockey, 10 years after retirement, he still has the swift graceful stride and great hands he was known for.
At one point, I was streaking up the ice and Paul Coffey made a perfect stretch pass to me for what was basically a breakaway, I was tripped up as I got to the goal and took the net right off it’s pegs while flying over the goalie. When we got back to the bench, Coffey said “when I saw you flying up there is reminded me of playing with Gretzky…until i saw the finish” lol. I got a good laugh out of that one. I made up for that in the final minute of the game when I scored to tie the game. I had posted on Facebook last night that my goal was to get Coffey at least 1 assist and I managed to do it, so I’m pretty happy with that. The game ended in a 6-6 tie and I had a goal and an assist. I really enjoyed the experience today, even with just a tie, it couldn’t have turned out much better than it did.
Afterward in the dressing room I got a picture with Coffey and had him sign my stick, a number of other guys got him to sign things as well. He was really nice to the whole group, it was nice of him to make an effort to talk with all of us and share some banter. I know I’m not the only one who was overjoyed with the experience today, I only hope I might ever get a chance like this again.
Here are some photos I took today, some were taken from the bench mid game between shifts, some were taken either before or after the game. Sorry for the long winded post, I just had to share.
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca 
A couple of the many banners hanging from the rafters.
I love how you can see the intensity, even in a game like this one.
Ya, I’m pretty sweaty, and I know my hair looks good, you don’t have to tell me :)
Here’s a few shots from the session:
Enjoy!!!
I was also glad to get home to my wife and puppy, so there was some light at the end of the tunnel on the long drive home. For those of you whom told me not to make the entire drive at once, don’t worry, I didn’t. I did try though, but I got too tired once I hit Ontario and found a hotel for the night. Aside from some heavy snow in Nova Scotia, the weather was on my side for the drive home. I don’t know if it will be tomorrow when I’m back to wedding photography, but we’ll see.
Here are some of my favourite photos from my 7 days as a volunteer photographer at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax Nova Scotia. Thanks to everyone for the kind words and comments about the photos, I truly appreciate it.
I got to Martock just as the sleet began, it was about zero degrees out at the time, so not too cold at least. The weather ranged from heavy snow to light rain, and certainly got me soaked. For the guys race I pretty much stayed in the start/finish/shooting area and photographed that, and then as the race was nearing it’s conclusion, I was able to ask about access, and I was told that I could walk around the track. So when the girls race came, I made one full lap of the course by foot. The track itself was pretty hard, but if you ventured closer to the sides, the snow got softer and you could easily end up a foot below the snow. There were times I was waist deep in snow. I think I managed a few good and different shots at the Biathlon, and afterward I went back to my hotel and dried off.
Then came the hockey. I got to the rink early so I could do some editing, but I really didn’t end up doing too much as I arrived in time for the final period of Ontario vs Alberta for Bronze. Ontario was up by a goal when I started watching, but ended up losing. The Gold Medal game was between Quebec and B.C. and Quebec scored less than a minute in. B.C. answered quickly and won the game 7-4. So here are my shots from my final day in Nova Scotia. I plan on posting some of my favourites in a couple of days, but for now, here’s Day 7 (it’s a little heavy on the pictures):
Enjoy!!!
Here are a few photos from our session.
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
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I had a hard time deciding between some of these, so I’m glad I didn’t stick to my original plan of a top ten list. So here are some of my personal favourites from 2010 that aren’t related to my business:
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca 
This one is my favourite, it was taken in British Columbia in June. 
Halloween is usually good for photos of costumes, but I love this one from the apple bobbing. I think just about everyone else failed.
This is from my first concert ever. It’s David Gray performing at the Centre in the Square in Kitchener.
This is Cape Spear, the most Eastern point in North America, and it feels like it too.
This is a walkway along the world’s longest covered bridge in Hartland New Brunswick.
The sunset in Bonavista Newfoundland was beautiful.
I had to include one of my puppy, and she looks a little crazy in this one, it’s just because she was having such a great time.
This is me as a cowboy at Halloween, it was my backup costume as I was Gumby for the first half of the night.
Enjoy!!!
The below photos are from a few days I spent in New Brunswick in the middle of September. I wish I could have been there a couple weeks later as Autumn had just begun and most of the trees were still green. I started off in Fredericton, and made my way North across the province to Bathurst and back to Fredericton via Edumnston. It was my first time in New Brunswick aside from driving through. If I were to go back, I would like to check out Moncton and the low tides in the area, I hear it’s beautiful there.
Here are some of my photos from the trip.
Enjoy!!!
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So here are a few photos from my trip.
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca 
I felt so bad for this little guy being left alone in front of a grocery store. I stopped and played with him for a few minutes, he was shivering. I hate when people leave their dogs tied up and alone like this.
The first of 8 cars I saw in the ditch on my drive home. I also saw 2 transport trucks. Like the sign said, the roads were indeed slippery.
Back when I was in university, some of the best memories I have come from the ball hockey I played with a bunch of friends every Tuesday night at the Laurier tennis courts. We would play rain, snow or shine, and it seemed that it always rained or snowed. It was via ball hockey that I met Brody’s father Andy. I always played goalie in ball hockey and Andy’s quick hands probably beat me more often than not when on the opposing team. So when Andy contacted me about taking photos of his newborn son Brody, I was more than happy to do so. Now, you may notice from some of the photos below that Andy is a HUGE Buffalo Sabres fan. I’ve never known a bigger Sabres fan, much the same way I’m a Penguins fan. So we found it quite ironic that we chose today for the session as our 2 teams were playing eachother in Buffalo. Regardless of the outcome of the game, I had a great time taking photos of Brody and catching up with Andy and meeting his lovely fiancée Nat.
Here are a few photos from earlier today.
Enjoy!!!
I wish I could fall asleep anywhere like this
We had Dad’s help getting Brody to smile.
Something a little different, this photo is taken through a lens which was handheld in front of the camera.
Brody decided he was done with photos for the day and it was time to rest with Mom.
I’m looking forward to photos with Ethan next year, maybe we’ll go out in the Fall, closer to our birthday’s. I know this kid must be awesome when he shares my birthday.
Here are a few photos from the session.
Enjoy!!!
So why am I telling you this? Well, for my wedding gift, Robyn got me, well us, a pair of tickets to see the Penguins play in Columbus this past weekend. We would have gone to Pittsburgh except it’s as difficult to get Pens tickets these days as it is to get Leafs tickets. I am also a fan of Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets, so I figured it would be nice to see him play as well.
So we hopped in my car and set out for Columbus. I thought we were going to go via Buffalo, but my GPS said to head for Detroit, so we did. It wasn’t until we neared the border that I realized I had “Avoid Tolls” selected as a preference on my GPS (otherwise it always tries to get me on the 407). We ended up driving an extra hour because of that…whoops.
The drive there was fairly uneventful, so lets get to the hockey :). We made our way into the arena early so I could watch the warm-ups and try to get some pictures. I couldn’t believe how many Penguins fans there were. There were at least as many Penguins fans as there were Blue Jackets fans, it was like a home game. I made my way to the glass in the hopes of getting a few photos, and much to my surprise, I managed to squeeze in and take some photos through what I call the “Hockey Hole” a cutout in the glass designed specifically for Photographers. I never imagined I’d get to do that.
Back in my seat I was happy to have a bunch of Pens fans around me, though there were a few Jackets fans too. The Penguins got off to a good start and scored 4 goals in the first period, with 2 goals by Paul Martin, one by Mike Rupp, and the 4th by Sidney Crosby with a pretty deflection on a point shot. That goal was Crosby’s first point of the night and kept his point streak alive. The Penguins carried the play for the majority of the game and came out with a 7-2 win. Crosby ended up 2 goals to give him a 6 point lead over Steven Stamkos in the NHL scoring race. It was an awesome game to be at, and I’m glad we made the trip.
Our drive home was a little more stressful than the drive down as we had to drive through some near whiteout conditions. We saw a couple cars off the road, but I never had any trouble with the roads. I’m just glad I got my snow tires put on last week. Enough with the writing, here are some photos from the trip (it’s a little Sidney Crosby heavy)
Enjoy!!!
The Border wait time was about 25 minutes, but only because the border guard took off for 10 minutes for some reason.
Ya, I had too get a picture of this. Only in America eh?
The view from our hotel, we stayed at the Hyatt and were not that impressed, I booked a King sized bed and they gave me 2 doubles.
Nationwide Arena as seen from our 10th floor room.
Sidney and his terrible moustache, but it’s been good luck, so I imagine he’ll keep it for a while.
Chris Conner, he’s tiny, but he’s like a cannonball out there, I like his style of play.
Max Talbot, now that’s what you think of when you imagine the face of a hockey player. He’s one of my favourite Pens, and scored the Cup winner in 2009.
Marc-Andre Fleury is back on his A-game, and I’m happy to see it.
Kris Letang gets interviewed by FSN Pittsburgh’s Dan Potash.
Brooks Orpik, another one of my favourites, he has pretty much the scariest eyes in the NHL, and can hit like a truck, beware of Brooks Orpik.
The Blue Jackets have Timmies in their arena, ya that’s pretty sweet.
The Jackets slogan is “Carry the flag” and this guy was doing just that.
Fleury makes a big save to keep the game at no score.
Alex Goligoski and Mark Letestu go to congratulate Tyler Kennedy on a goal he scored from his knees,
I’ve seen this chili on tv before, but never imagined the size would be that big. It’s a heart attack potion for sure.
Crosby draws the attention of 3 Blue Jackets and then feathers a pass between all of them.
Max Talbot needs a new stick.
Mathieu Garon makes a save, you can see how my view was partially obstructed by the glass, it sucks for pictures, but we had no problem seeing the net.
Crosby battles for the puck with Ethan Moreau and wins.
The sign is referring to the 14 game point streak Crosby entered the game with, he left with a 15 game streak.
Crosby scores off a pass from Chris Kunitz.
The boys celebrate Crosby’s goal, his 2nd of the night.
These girls cleaned the ice at commercials, they actually did a good job.
The view from our seats.
Mike Rupp and Jared Boll fight, it was a good one, and I don’t think I could declare a winner.
Rick Nash, one of my favourite NHLers, carries the puck into the Penguins end.
Fleury show us how Transformer-like he can be.
Sidney in Motion.
And the Pens Score again!!!
Tyler Kennedy (TK) makes an attempt on goal. Garon made the save.
Jan Hejda take a one timer on goal.
The Jackets fans celebrate one of 2 goals on the night.
Craig Adams trips Jared Boll and gets away with it.
Crosby tells Goligoski what he wants done next time.
Max Talbot takes a hit in the neutral zone.
The final score.
The boys celebrate a win with Fleury.
Heading out of the arena after the game.
A downtown building was lit up to say Happy Holidays.
The refection of a Penguins jersey in our hotel room with the city in behind.
These were the driving conditions for a good part of the drive home, not too quick.
As we crossed into New York State, the weather cleared up and I took this while driving by.
Buffalo had some snow from the other day, but luckily none during our drive. When we got home, we found no snow had fallen, but I look outside while writing this and I can see that, that’s about to change. I think we’re in for a lot of snow this year.
Enjoy!
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On our first evening we went on a Ghost Walk. We made our way to the meeting place early just in case, and found we had about 15 minutes to kill. During those 15 minutes we went and bought toques from the only store that was open and we’re glad we did. The rain started not long after the tour began, and our umbrella turned inside out from the wind a few minutes after that. So needless to say, we got soaked, but I’m sure glad we had the toques. Oddly enough, this is the second trip in a row where we had to buy toques. The last time was at the Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve during our June trip to Newfoundland. I guess we’ll have to pack smarter next time.
We went to a number of little local restaurants and had decent food, nothing spectacular, but good enough for me. I brought my camera along pretty much everywhere we went as you’d expect. I quite liked taking pictures of the Chateau Frontenac, it was there no matter where we went. It was lit up well which was great for night photos. So here are some photos from our short trip to Quebec City.
Enjoy!!!
www.DustinHallPhotography.ca 
I can’t believe how early some people leave home for work.
Going through Montreal, I liked how crazy my GPS looked.
A Chandalier hanging at our hotel.
We got our room keys, just waiting for our room to be ready.
The view from one of our room windows.
Out by the water during our Ghost walk. The umbrella failed about a minute later.
This is some crazy Pumpkin docoration.
One of the old cannons.
Us and our brand new toques.
A squirrel makes his way over the wall.
The Funiculaire, the car up to the Chateau Frontenac, it saves a whole bunch of stairs.
More crazy pumpkins.
The chef looks out right at me as I took this picture.
The guy actually used this, I thought it was just for show.
A couple heads into a restaurant.
This is one of my favourites.
Another view from our hotel room
At least sitting in traffic in Toronto looked pretty.
They say that rain on your wedding day is good luck, so if that’s the case, Robyn and I have nothing to worry about. The rain began about an hour before the outdoor ceremony was to begin and continued for the rest of the day. That meant we had to move the ceremony indoors with standing room only. We had around 80 guests attending, and they barely fit into the room for the ceremony. We had a short ceremony which was officiated by Dan at Kettle Creek Weddings. He did a great job and even split up a line for me during the ceremony which I kept fumbling. I would definitely recommend Kettle Creek, my brother used them as well and he was very happy with his ceremony.
Instead of having a traditional guest book, Robyn and I had a wedding tree where everyone could put their fingerprint as a leaf on a tree which we are going to hang on our wall. It was a big hit with the guests, and something we feel we will be able to cherish from our day, rather than a guest book which will collect dust somewhere.
My 3 groomsmen were my 3 brothers, 2 older (Kevin and Brandon) and 1 younger (Preston). The 2 older ones are married and their wives (Susan and Courtney) made up 2 of the 3 bridesmaids as they are friends with Robyn, and the other bridesmaid was Joanna another close friend of Robyn’s. Robyn got each of her Bridesmaids a necklace from Erin Gallagher Jewellery, they worked out great. They each got a different stone so they could wear them in the future and not worry that someone else would be wearing it too. We didn’t have a Maid of Honour or Best Man, mainly because I didn’t want to choose between my brothers, or force them to give a speech. I was quite nervous about giving my own speech, so I was pretty happy when it was over and the dancing began.
We didn’t have a DJ due to space constraints and used an Ipod instead and it worked fabulously. There were people dancing at all times and that was a great relief since Robyn and I put together the dancing playlist ourselves . We were having so much fun on the dance floor that we almost forgot to cut the beautiful cake from Shannon Kotar (which was delicious). The cake actually matched Robyn’s dress, I thought that was pretty impressive.
We were so glad to have so many amazing people share our wedding with us. Thank you everyone who helped make our day so special!!!
Here are some photos I took during the day, you won’t see me in too many as I was usually taking pictures of Robyn, though I’m in a couple and those awesome Pittsburgh Penguins Cuff links are mine :) I’ll be uploading some photos from our 2 days in Quebec City shortly, so keep your eyes open.
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
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I remember the first day we went to pick her out. We had seen her on the Fancy Face Sentimental website and picked her out based on her cute face, and when we got there all of the other puppies jumped up against the pen and were barking. Little Cinnamon was sitting back by herself just watching. I was sure then that she would be the one we were going to choose, and with Robyn’s approval, we did. About a week later we came back to get her. I must say, I felt absolutely terrible taking her. I kept thinking about how sad she would be not being able to see her mother or siblings, but I knew she would have a good home with us.
The first day we had her home was December 4th 2009, and in those past 9 months we’ve learned a lot about taking care of a dog. I never knew how much I could love an animal. The house feels lonely when I’m home and she’s not, and it’s weird to go to sleep when she’s not cuddled up next to me. She’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, so I decided I would share a bunch of pictures from her first year, starting with the first day we brought her home up until today.
If anyone’s interested in a Yorkie, it looks like our breeder has 3 puppies available. The father of 2 of them is Cinnamon’s father and they actually look like her too. I wish we could get them too, I love puppies!!!
One thing that was good about the breeder was that she said that if there was EVER any reason we could no longer look after Cinnamon, we could take her back there and she would either take care of her, or find her a new home. I don’t ever intend on giving Cinnamon up, but it’s nice to know that she would would have a good home just in case.
Enjoy!!!
Cinnamon’s first day home
This was her first time on the window seat which has become her favourite place during the day
Cinnamon with 2 of my favourite things (not in this order) Photography and a Penguins Stanley Cup. She’s sooooo small!
Robyn took this photo one day when Cinny and I were cuddled on the floor napping
This was Cinnamon’s first time playing with her sister Sophie since we took her home. Robyn’s boss picked Sophie up from the breeder about two weeks
after we brought Cinnamon home. I brought Cinnamon into her office one day and there was no way she could resist.
Cinnamon had just finished watching the women win gold in hockey and decided she wanted to play too
Cinnamon (left) and Sophie (right), are exhausted after having a good play
This was the day Cinnamon had her first (and only so far) haircut. We’re going to get her another one very soon
Last week our friends brought over their dog Cider to meet Cinnamon and they had a blast. I couldn’t help
laughing after seeing this photo. Cinny’s wet after Cider drank some water and licked her face
The birthday girl :) She got some specal treats today and she loved them. I’m going to go give her a big hug right now.
P.S. Don’t buy puppies from the pet store, they are not treated well and are more likely to have behavioural problems among other things. You may feel like you’re ‘saving’ an animal, but you are just encouraging the stores to buy more puppies and treat them poorly too. Please, for the animals’ sake, go to a reputable breeder (not a puppy mill) or your local animal shelter where you actually can save an animal.
]]>I began my day by photographing the guys getting ready at Megan and Eric’s house in Milton, and by the time I was done there, I was already sweating. The temperature was in the mid 30’s and felt like it was in the 40’s. In the week leading up to the wedding, I had seen the weather forecast say pretty much everything except snow was going to happen on the 17th so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
The bridesmaids were just finished getting ready and about to hop in the limo from Megan’s parents house when the rain started, and it wasn’t just a trickle, it poured. Megan was clearly a little stressed out by the rain, an I can’t blame her. Luckily for us the rain didn’t last too long and when the ceremony was over, so was the rain.
We got to Glencairn before most of the guests and took out some golf carts to do some photos on the golf course with the wedding party. Just as we sent in the wedding party to do some photos with just Megan and Eric, the rain returned. So we made our way inside as well.
The reception was pretty large with over 200 people attending, and I think once the dancing started, 180 of them were on the dance floor. I’m sure that’s partly because of the band being awesome and partly because there was a lot of fun people there.
The highlight of the night for me was that first dance by Megan and Eric. Eric picked up Megan on one side of the dance floor, did three spins and let her down on the other side to a huge round of applause and cheers from the guests. I must say, it was pretty awesome.
I guess that first dance was pretty indicative of how the night was going to go. Everyone seemed to have a great time, myself included.
Here are a few photos from the day.
Enjoy!!!
We had a good time, even with some poor weather, I would like to go back in July some day, that way we might see some more icebergs, and hopefully up a bit closer, as well as some whales. We were just a little early for the icebergs and whales this year, though I was told that up towards St. Anthony (it’s possibly the most Northern town in Newfoundland) they have some nice scenery, and a bunch of icebergs. Either way, it’s worth the trip if you can, and not too expensive either.
I tried to reduce the number of photos I posted, but had a really hard time, so this post is fairly large.
Tomorrow I’m back to some wedding work.
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!
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I brought my camera with me of course, but I suspected it would get taken away if spotted, so I brought my smallest lens, a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens which sticks out no more than 10cm from the camera body, so no zooming. I wish I had a longer lens with me to get in close, but at least I was able to take pictures at all, so I’m still very happy.
Here are a bunch of shots of my memorable night in Kitchener. I only made minor adjustments to the photos, so if the colour seems odd, that’s just the way the lighting was at the time, not some weird post processing.
Enjoy!
Congratulations Tara and Aaron!!!
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Enjoy!!!
On May 5th the wedding took place and things seemed to be running fairly smoothly. That was until it came time for the ceremony. There were a number of delays including the wedding coordinator not bringing the bride and bridesmaids their flowers until after the ceremony should have started, and a cd player that wouldn’t work. One of the guests managed to provide a discman (ues apparently people still have those) to save the day so Courtney and her Bridesmaids had music to walk down the aisle to.
During the delay I took the groomsmen and did a few photos, but we didn’t know how long we had, so we didn’t do too many. The ceremony started about 45 minutes late, which ate directly into photo time. Luckily, Brandon and Courtney had allotted sufficient time for photos, so although we were a little rushed, we got a bunch of great shots. They couple even got dressed up to do a day after session which produced a couple of their favourite images. I’ve done a lot of vintage style editing for this wedding as I felt it just worked with the colours, so I was happy they liked it too.
The first few images are from the rest of the week, but the rest are Brandon and Courtney’s wonderful wedding. I love the Hula Hoop photos, they just found it on the way to shoot some photos and we went with it. Courtney was much better than Brandon.
Enjoy!!!
