There's No Place Like It

I was born in a tiny little suburb of a tiny little city in Cape Breton. South Bar was my home until I was nine years old. I loved it there... I still do. And on occasion, I take my camera for a stroll down memory lane.

This was my house. My uncle lives there now, and the garage is new, but it's still got the best backyard for playing baseball, the awesome fish house for cooking lobster, and the best view of the Newfoundland ferries as they head out into the Atlantic.

My best friend Tracy lived across the street.

My parents were married in the church. I was baptized there, and had my first communion there. My grandparents and uncle are buried in its cemeteries. It's falling apart these days, and you can't go in anymore, which kind of makes it all that much more iconic to me.

One of the mainstays of the community is the wharf. It's where we used to watch the older boys swim, it's where many of the people make their living, and it's absolutely picturesque...

...and so very peaceful.

If I know nothing else, I know this little tiny place will always be a great big piece of me.

Nancy and Jonathan

Nancy and Jonathan are a ton of fun to be around. Combine that with the fact that they are both highly photogenic and not a little bit camera shy and VOILA! A couple session that was literally... a walk in the park!

We shot at Peter's Field in Cape Breton. I was hoping for a field of bright yellow dandelions, but the sky was overcast so we had no such luck. Not to be deterred, these two were willing to get down and dirty in the grass anyway!

 

So perfect for each other....

 

This was Nancy's genious idea. She even looks amazing upside down!

Time for a little playground lovin'!

Within a few weeks after our session, Jonathan and Nancy got engaged. He was on one knee and there was a waterfall and all those things girls dream of. With any luck, we'll be seeing more of these two in June of 2012!

Monique: Trash the Dress

Monique and Steve were married last September. We have been planning her Trash the Dress session ever since, and finally headed to Peggy's Cove in the middle of May to see if we couldn't do it in.

This one reminds me of something out of a bridal magazine.

Time to get wet!

 

 

After a little while at Peggy's Cove, we headed back to a little lake near Monique's house... and proceeded to get dirty.

 

It was right about here that I dropped my 70-250 lens into the lake. To clarify, it fell out of my hand, bounced off the rock I was standing on, and rolled into the lake... so technically I didn't drop it in. After a good inspection, a minor coronary attack, and cradling the innocent victim in a dry towel, Monique and I returned to shooting and I was able to get this beauty with my 18-55 mm before deciding I was way too horribly distracted to continue.

 

Because I know you are on the edge of your seat wondering, the towel on the lens didn't work. Neither did a bag of uncooked rice, as I have heard works for cell phones that have had a run-in with H2O. I took my lens to the Camera Repair Centre here in Halifax. The prognosis wasn't good, but the lovely chap there promised to put my baby in the dryer and do what he could. I trusted him: you can tell this guy really gave a damn. I lined up a loaner for a shoot I had the following weekend. I searched the flyers, the stores, and the online second hand sites pricing up a replacement. I moaned and lamented my loss on Facebook. So it was nothing short of a miracle when they called 5 days later to say my lens was working. Nothing short of a miracle. Those might have been their exact words.

Monique's dress also survived in all its original glory, but with any luck, not for long. :)

Spring Things

One of the things I looked forward to about owning my own home was having an actual yard to test out my green thumb. When we moved in, there were beautiful petunias lining the walkway to the front door. Little did I know that under all those petunias there were already tulip bulbs waiting in hiding to surprise me in the spring.

 

Come May, I accepted a trip to the gardening centre as a delayed birthday present from my husband, and the seed of hope of having my own garden was planted.

It's now the end of July and my pansies are still in full swing. We've transplanted some of the bushes from the front of the house to the back, and I've put some morning glories in the backyard that grow unbelievably quickly, but have yet to flower. I'm already planning for next year's blooms!

Kate & Ian

Kate and Ian came to me via a friend of Kate's whose wedding I shot back in 2007. My delight at having been recommended overshadowed my nervousness over not having previously met either the bridge or the groom. Ian was out of town for most of the wedding planning, but Kate made it easy and fun to get everything in order for the big day.

The church they chose was awesome. The altar was in the centre with the pews surrounding it 360 degrees. There were huge stained glass windows and with a 3 p.m. ceremony, the light was absolutely gorgeous.

One of the best things about this wedding in particular though is that the bride was a cryer. She even cried at the rehearsal, so I was prepared when it came time for the vows. YAY!

Afterward, we went across the street to Sullivan's Pond for some formal shots. It was the end of April, pretty windy, and a little chilly, but everyone was in good spirits. It was here that Kate told me her dad is a photographer. *gulp*

After the family shots, the bridal party and I headed to the other end of the park for a few more takes from a different angle. Halfway there, we just had to stop: the mist from the park's fountain was creating a beautiful rainbow, and with the wind blowing just right.... well, there are four of these, but this is the most dramatic.

Speaking of drama, there's nothing like hamming it up a little for the camera on your wedding day.

The reception afterwards was a family affair, and instead of the traditional clinking of glasses to get the bride and groom to kiss, guests were asked to stand and sing a song with the word "love" in it. This chap was in a "Skinna Marinky Dink" group.

One of my favorite parts of shooting weddings is the details. So much thought and hard work goes into making everything perfect that I like to save as much of it as I can for posterity.

Ian was especially keen on his motorcycle cufflinks, which I adored.

Of course, with so much family visiting from all around the Atlantic Provinces, there was a little representation for everyone.

 

 

I only hope that Kate and Ian had as much fun at their wedding as I did shooting it. I thank them for allowing me the opportunity and wish them all the best in their future together.