Gabarus Lake

 Just before Christmas, I found myself in Cape Breton again to spend some holiday time with my mother. December 21^st was particularly clear, crisp, and cold, with a light layer of snow, so I packed my camera into the car and let it take me where it would.

By early evening, I remembered a sunset I had never captured, and headed out to a little place I know on Gabarus Lake.

On the way there, I came across this lovely fellow and couldn’t resist stopping the car to catch the juicy way the light was falling across him.

I arrived at my destination with plenty of time to wander before the sun went down, so I piled on gloves and an extra sweater and went to investigate a nearby brook. It was there that I found exactly what I hadn’t known I’d been looking for!

Mother Nature had turned some random twigs into canvas, and frozen some dripping water into expertly carved sculptures. There were icicles and droplets, solidified in place by the calm below-zero temperatures, and painted with reflections of the surrounding water and skyline. I was entranced!

So cool!

I did also end up getting my sunset shots. This is actually two stitched together for the full effect and it's my favorite.

All in all, it was a long drive, and a cold, wet shoot, but so definitely worth the trip!

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Once, this was my favorite place on Earth.

I grew up here, made so many friends, and hit so many milestones right along these shores. These days, it's overgrown and unkempt, split into lots to be sold to the highest bidder. For me, though, the memories alone made it warm and inviting. My heart swelled so much that I stood there frozen to the spot, and went through the entire spectrum of emotions while the sun burst out from behind the ominous-looking clouds.
It was a sign, I knew. Someone very important knew I was there, and he hadn't forgotten either.

Boo!

 Happy Hallowe'en!

Wolfville in the Fall

Nova Scotia is famous for its apple orchards among other things. Every year, we take a day and head to the orchards for apples, pears, and a shopping mission at the local farmers' markets. It's usually in early October, but this year we didn't get out until the 29th: a little late for apples, but we still managed to find a bag or two full!

My husband's son looks forward to joining us every year, and as he gets older, he gets to be more and more of a ham for the camera. His father makes it easy. :)

We were at a different u-pick than usual due to the lateness of our arrival, and on the way out, I had a "stop-the-car!" moment as we drove past the most surreal-looking pond. It was positively beautiful!

And afterward, we made our traditional stop at Hennigar's to find these creatures all painted up for Hallowe'en!

Our last stop, as always, was Kenny's Farm Market: all the freshest fall fruit and veggies right out of the family barn. It's one of my favorite parts of the tradition, and the incredible display of color on the trees outside made it the perfect ending to another gorgeous fall day!

Lisa and Corey

Lisa and Corey came to me through a friend. It was one of those weddings where I barely knew a soul, but they made it easy for me to feel comfortable. Corey was the most easy-going groom I've ever dealt with and Lisa wasn't stressed at all!

 

Their ceremony and reception were held at the Atlantica Hotel here in Halifax. The room was small but beautiful, and everything went off without a hitch.

 They chose the Public Gardens for their formal photos and the light was absolutely perfect for family shots and fun poses alike.

 

  

  

 

 Then it was back to the hotel for supper, a candy bar, an ice cream bar (serviced by the bride and groom themselves!) and his and her cakes!

 

 Corey danced with his mom like an old pro.

 

 And Lisa and her dad both cried over a slide show of the two of them over the years.

This was one of the most difficult weddings I've ever shot, due mostly to some personal issues I had going on at the time. Lucky for me, Lisa and Corey had an action-packed day and I was able to let myself get distracted and enjoy the time I got to spend with them!

Day Trip: Truro

My girls and I love a good road trip. On the Labour Day weekend in September, we piled into Georgina's car for a trip to Truro. We started with some shopping, then moved on to visit Victoria Park. It was a beautiful sunny day and there was a lot to see.

Our first mission was to find the fabled waterfalls.
Check.

I was able to get up on top via some walkways and caught my ladies looking all photogenic as always.

 

The observation gallery was just that: a high path carved into the cliff where one could look down at the pool in the stream below. There were some teenagers enjoying the water that day: it was a great day for a dip!

 Monique is a girl after my own heart.

On the way home, we stopped at the Masstown Market and found a super cool lighthouse, with no real purpose other than being super cool. A beautiful end to a beautiful day!

Green (and pink, and blue) Thumb

One of my favorite parts of being a homeowner is having space to plant flowers. I'll admit, I don't have the greenest thumb, but in the summer of 2011, I was the proud owner of an incredible crop of blue morning glories in the backyard...

...and (among others) some glorious pink cosmos in the front!

 

 

The cosmos grew a little big for their britches, so next year I'll go with something a little smaller. Until then, I absolutely LOVE these ones!!!!

Jill and Adam

Jill and Adam were married on Prince Edward Island on August 22, 2011. The bride is a friend of a friend, and I, in turn, was a wedding gift. I didn't tell anyone until after the fact that I was on the winning end of this deal whatever way you looked at it: a summer weekend in a vacation paradise with some of my best girls AND I get to shoot a stunning and unique outdoor wedding?! Count me in!

Now, I use the word "unique" to describe this wedding because it really was a personal event. The location was the parents of the bride's old farmhouse, the aisle was a garden path in the side yard.

The reception was held in the family barn. There was a dory filled with ice and beer in lieu of wedding favours, bottles of homemade wine with labels depicting lyrics of love songs, beer bottles turned center-pieces on the tables, and a clothesline of postcards on which you  could write your wishes for the new mister and missus. There were also trading cards: one for each member of the wedding party and immediate family, and each guest received 6 and were encouraged to trade amongst each other to get the entire set.

The bride and groom requested no formal shots: they did not want to interrupt their guests enjoying themselves, and I happily obliged... well, for the most part. :)

 The ceremony itself was like something out of a romance novel: the rows of chairs set up in the garden provided room for all, and the sun shining over the house made for perfect lighting.

Both Jill and Adam were barefoot as they spoke the vows they had written for each other, and still as barefoot as they turned and ran back down the aisle after the short and sweet ceremony.

Guest entertainment included a washertoss tournament that was a huge hit!

 

and dinner was served up fresh from the barbeque, or the lobster burner, as you preferred. 

I'm not too proud to say that I begged Adam and Jill to allow me 15 minutes of their time for a few posed shots that I had in mind especially for their setting. Adam negotiated me down to 10... and that was all I needed.

 

Then there were the traditional speeches by the best man and the father of the bride, followed by a first dance, more washertoss, and some socializing under the tents as the sun went down...

and after dark there were bonfires and sparklers: a perfect end to a perfect wedding day.

Much thanks to those who were involved in getting me the chance to shoot this one. I am grateful for the experience: it was an incredible time! Also thanks to Adam for not letting Jill turn down the offer of a photographer as a wedding gift. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SAID NO THANKS?"

Priceless.