Category: Portrait

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Shawn & Denika | Yellowknife Engagement Photography

Yellowknife is a curious place, especially for a BC grown girl like myself. I’ve heard at least 80% of the year is winter, which isn’t the worst thing in the world when you love the clean crisp shade of white lying like a blanket over everything (that is until your fingers freeze even with gloves). There are roads made of Ice, Skies full of Aurora, and a community that is much more like a family then anything I have yet to experience. In fact I had made some amazing friendships through a photography page for the NWT long before I moved here. One of those photographers was a man named Lee Sacrey.

Lee’s niece was in preparation of her wedding when she went to her uncle for council for her wedding photographer. After multiple people sent their portfolio’s in I was blessed to be contacted by Denika, the excitement in her voice was akin to my own as the wedding was just around the corner for Ian and myself.

When Denika and Shawn asked me to be their wedding photographer I counted it as an honor, they are my first Bride and Groom North of 60 and I cant wait to tell their story.

Here are just some of my favorite pictures from their Engagement Session yesterday. We had to fight strong winds and harsh light, but I couldn’t be more in love with the result.

The “soon to be” Mr. and Mrs. Brennan!

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Braden & Carolynn Adams | Chilliwack Wedding Photography

The morning began with laughter… Carolynn and her bridesmaids took their time to enjoy the morning and the pampering that only comes with hair and make-up. Today was the day she had been waiting for since the moment she fell in love with Braden, today she would become Mrs. Adams. I was completely honoured being apart of her day and telling her wedding story through photographs, it meant the world to me.

Carolynn is a talented artist and she hand painted each bridesmaid a lovely word art piece.

Carolynn’s father is a jeweller and hand-crafts unique pieces, it only seemed right to showcase her wedding jewellery on the tools that make such beautiful thins.

Braden grew up with a strong love for baseball so we incorporated it into the big day.

The orchard has got to be the most romantic idea to me…. leading lines and deep earth tones.

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Long John Jamboree | Yellowknife Event Photography

The Long John Jamboree. From intricate ice sculptures to the Snow Kings Ice Castle you cant walk a foot without experiencing the culture and personality of Yellowknife and its residents!

For those with a sweet tooth there is the “sugar shack” where you can experience the tradition of maple sugar melted down and laid upon a bed of snow. Simply roll your popsicle stick while it is still soft and it gradually hardens into a hard candy to enjoy for hours. I may or may not have chipped my tooth on this sugar goodness.

The weekend consisted of me volunteering for Great Slave Helicopters rides. There was a flurry of families, friends, and students signing their forms and going through safety briefings and patiently waiting in warmed tents for their ride in a helicopter.

And then I went up!

Photographed below was a birds eye view of the Jamboree

The famous mine that has since been closed down looked amazing from up in the sky.

After my helicopter ride I wandered around the newly finished sculptures. Varying from a merman, a sci-fi cowboy (at least that’s what I thought it was) and a stunning winter stag, I was in awe of the sheer detail.

I knew I had to venture over to the ice castle, as it is destroyed after the festival. It was an awesome display of architecture using snow and ice.

The Snow King himself took the stage to recite a poem he had wrote, about underwear, Long John underwear to be exact.

The Ice castle is complete with its own closed in court yard, with a Snow King statue and a ice slide for both young and old.

I knew I was surrounded by Canadian nostalgia when I was walking back to the Jamboree tents, I heard children’s laughter erupt from an outdoor ice rink. 

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Mexican Getaway | Personal Photography

Ian and I both love photography, so when we went on our honeymoon we knew we would both be competing for our camera… we both shot these pictures, most of the landscape and sunsets were Ian’s handiwork, and on our excursions I tried to shoot Mexican lifestyle shots. So enjoy!

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Laine Moore | Yellowknife Portrait Photography

After much anticipation to shoot in sub-zero temperatures, here is one of my first teaser images from a session with my new co-worker Laine Moore. We braved -20 degrees and fell knee deep in snow a couple times. Thank you again Laine for braving the cold to amuse me and my photographers itch, as I had been dying to get out and take pictures again.

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Playing with Portraiture | Personal Photography

When you’re married to a fellow photographer, your idea of down time is watching photography tutorials. Just the other day we sat down and watched a video about a lighting technique using the “inverse square law”. After the video was over, we were inspired to test out our new knowledge. I chose to light Ian from the left and proceeded to place a slave 480EXii flash behind him, directed at the wall, essentially creating a great grey gradient on what normally is a stark white wall. 

Ian chose to place me far from the white background with one key light overhead, and a rim light to my left, because he chose to move me away from the wall and expose for my face, it in turn made the white wall appear more like a dark grey/brown. I’m very proud of the result we both came out with. Now to find a model to test this out further.

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Jen Ault | Chilliwack Portrait Photography

I had two separate sessions with Jennifer and she is such a creative soul. Our first session was very soft and romantic, whereas our second one (shot today) was very much inspired by the “Black Swan”.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I had photographing them.

And then the metamorphosis to the Black Swan

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The Mader’s | Chilliwack Family Photography

I have known the Mader’s, well, since before I can remember. My parents sang “I swear” by All for One at their wedding. And their son Geoff married my cousin Brittany, who was more like a sister than a cousin because we grew up across the park from each other and are only a month apart in age.

The Mader’s hold an important place in the history of my photography. When I came home from Ireland 7 years ago I embarked on becoming a full fledged photographer. My very first paid session was the Mader’s, I remember they were so patient with me and they hung their family portrait in the Front room of their home. It was humbling and it was encouraging to have someone believe in me so much.

Now when Wendy tried to set up the next family portrait schedules conflicted, time was never in our favour, Wendy was definitely trying her hardest to make it work, and a little over a week and a half ago, before they went on her Mexican Vacation I finally had the privilege to photograph them once more!

I absolutely adore Jon and Wendy, and think of them as my immediate family!

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Party in the Park | Chilliwack Event Photography

I was honored to be asked to be the official photographer for the Party in the Park Finale on August the 23rd (This was very special to me as I was born and raised here. It was bittersweet as well because I will be moving up North next January. So it was my own little personal goodbye) 

All images are available for purchase ONLINE. Additional images from earlier dates are available there as well.