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.

Prince Edward Island

I confess.

Though my heart is in Cape Breton, there is another island in my life. 

Prince Edward Island is where I went to college and learned the art of photography. It was a bit of a reunion for me to return there to shoot a wedding at the end of August 2011, and to take the Canon for a bit of a walk in my free time.

One of the most striking physical features about PEI is its soil. The bedrock contains a high level of iron-oxide, giving the entire island a striking red color.

 

It is also a vacationers' paradise. Home to the world-renowned Anne of Green Gables, as well as some incredible beaches, there is no shortage of things to see. The island is small and quaint, its inhabitants laid-back and friendly.

One of the last things you see when leaving PEI is the Confederation Bridge. It spans a 12.9km (9 mile) long section of the Atlantic Ocean, and connects PEI with New Brunswick and the rest of Canada. It was completed in 1997 and served to supplement the existing ferry crossing all year round. It is a stunning piece of architecture and an historic engineering feat for Atlantic Canada

A Fly On The Wall

"Oh, if only I were a fly on the wall..."

It's a saying that implies being an unnoticed witness to an event. But maybe we should be taking more notice of these 'pests' and appreciating how beautiful they are when you get in a little closer.

Ominous Crow

This guy returned to sit on the old birch tree in my backyard for days. He watched the blue jays eating peanuts, watched me enjoying the deck, and left on occasion, but never for long. Kind of gave me the creeps to be honest, but maybe he was looking out for me... or just wanted to get his picture on the internet.