Peggy's Cove 2012

One of Nova Scotia's most iconic images is that of the Peggy's Cove lighthouse. You've seen it here and this summer, a friend and I took a road trip back there to rest and relax and explore a bit of the village below the lighthouse.

There were tourists everywhere on the rocks west of the lighthouse, so this time we tackled it from a bit of a different direction. We were not disappointed.

        

Then we came across this poor guy.
Fear not, he wasn't dead. We were able to actually get close enough to touch him though, which was pretty neat, and then he looked at us with big, sad seal eyes and we knew we had to get him back in the water. A lady nearby ran to the onsite restaurant and a man came down with a big industrial broom and was able to very carefully nudge the little seal back into the ocean. Oddly enough, though, the seal wanted none of that, and made his way back up onto another nearby rock. At that point, we thought that maybe it was injured, sick, or possibly pregnant and grudgingly left it to it's sunbathing.

 The view back the way we came.

     

And a bit of the village of Peggy's Cove.



 

 

 

It was just after that last shot that I dropped my camera. If you've read my other posts, you'll know this isn't the first time this has happened. Fortunately, it was only my Canon PowerShot, also known as my 'pocket puppy' and although the LCD screen cracked, it still worked perfectly enough to take a shot of the other side of the road..

 ...and one last glimpse of the sentinal standing watch as we left.

Tall Ships 2012

Living on the ocean and working right on the harbour means I get to see some neat things. I have looked out my office window to see an occasional whale, more often a seal or two, massive cruise ships and tiny sailboats from ports all over the world. Every few years, I see pirates.

The Tall Ships came into port in July 2012. With them, they bring tourists in pirate costume, and with them, comes a festival-like atmosphere that lasts for the whole week. The boardwalk is alive, and the ships themselves make for breathtaking photography.

This one is actually an American coast guard ship, and it was HUGE!

 

ARRR matey!

Some people are so damned inventive, and the 'drums' actually sounded really good!

I loved the look of this one, and the frog head took the cake!

        

The Tall Ships tour all over the world, to ports large and small. If you get a chance, even if boats aren't your thing, I would recommend going on out and having a look or even a tour. Their craftmanship and beauty are second to none!

Ever get that feeling...

I'm at my computer desk doing some work, when I get that distinct feeling I'm being watched.
No... stared at.
Intently.

I think my Executive Assistant wants his lunch break. :)

Nancy and Jonathan

Nancy and Jonathan are incredibly perfectly matched and ridiculously in love. Add to that, their shared sense of fun and spontanaeity, and shooting their wedding was a no-brainer. I won't tell you I didn't have high expectations for this one after shooting their pre-engagement and  official engagement shoots, and I was not disappointed.

Sometimes I find when shooting a wedding for someone I've known for a long time, that the bride looks like herself, just with a white dress and some added sparkle. This wasn't the case with Nancy. Even to me, she definitely looked like a bride.

 A bride, that is, who wasn't afraid to get out there... in a pair of Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers.

And at the altar, on a hill near a playground that had special meaning for them both, she stunned.

When it came time for the wedding kiss, Nancy pulled out a step stool and, to Jonathan's surprise, showed off her exact match to his Chucks.

Then there was some family love

and one of my very favorite formal shot sessions to date!

More shoes. (I couldn't help it)

 and THIS!
Location, location, location!
Just outside their apartment building on an old set of train tracks that is no longer used. I was in heaven.

 

 

My first attempt at a 'jumping' photo. I was a little leary, and admittedly there was a wardrobe malfunction in one shot, but this one made it all worthwhile.

Their idea.

and we're off to the reception, where the groom was served a local favorite, despite the fact that his new wife is Kitchen Manager with the competition.

 Not to be outdone... Pizza for everyone!

The details were so much fun!

 

 

Then there was a bittersweet moment like none I've shot before. Candice, Nancy's bff, was moving away. In fact, she had stayed only to attend the wedding, and was getting in a car directly from the reception to drive across the country with her boyfriend just moments after this shot was taken.

Tear jerker!

Then it was back inside for dancing...

 ...and more dancing...

...long into the night.

The Color of Summer

The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.  -Dorthea Lange

 

 

 

And sometimes Mother Nature makes that lesson so darn easy.