While photographed in Colorado by Holeigh V Photography during the Lemonade + Lenses workshop, I was struck by how much these images reminded me of certain landscapes and light throughout British Columbia, specifically in the interior where the mountains are less dramatic than the Rockies or Coast mountains, but also more conducive to longer sunsets and softer shadows.
Read MoreCouples wherein each partner is perfectly natural with one another are just so easy to spot, especially when there's a photographer in the equation--their unconscious smiles aren't the least bit contrived and their displays of unbridled affection are anything but posed. Michelle and Jon are one such couple and I love how effortlessly their comfort with, and love for ,one another is expressed in this engagement session by Heidi Lau Photography. Unaffected, relaxed, and obviously in love, Jon and Michelle make me grin as I scroll through each frame. It's a feel-good shoot with roots of love that run deep and I'm so honoured that to be given a glimpse into Michelle + Jon's beautifully celebrated love.
Read MoreYes, I realize this is a fall shoot, but there was no way I was letting this heartfelt engagement session slip by without finding a spot on Vale + Vine. I also thought it might provide some inspiration for early spring engagement sessions when the colour palette found across the Canadian landscape is chalk full of earth tones, but very little vibrancy. While it might be easiest to throw on some punchy summer colours or soft spring pastels, I actually think that reflecting back on fall hues works best when working with (let's face it) a somewhat drab landscape...you know, the kind after the snow melts, but the first shoots of green have yet to peek through? ...
Read MoreWhen I travel through the Deep South where my husband and his family are from, I hear jazz tunes streaming through my consciousness. I swear, jazz sounds different down there. Fuller and richer as a result of the context. When it comes to photos that mean something, I truly believe that images are fuller and richer when they are in a location that carries substance or offers a layer of symbolism....
Read MoreThe warm light during that hour before sunset is pure magic. If you're thinking about booking an engagement shoot sometime in the coming months (this IS the height of engagement season after all, and I know there are many of you out there already making plans!), definitely consider discussing the hour before sunset with your photographer as an optimal time for a portrait session. When the sun is low on the horizon, the shadows are less harsh, the lighting gloriously soft, and the temperature (of the light, not necessarily of the surroundings) is warm, casting a golden hue on everything it touches....
Read MoreEvery so often, close friends or family members will ask me to photograph their weddings, but are uncertain as to whether or not I'll want to. Most often, I definitely want to! While I'm officially on the clock as a hired professional, I also get to spend more time with the couple and the family than virtually everyone else on the wedding day. That's really special to me, because...
Read MoreI am so attracted to this simple, yet strong, type of imagery. Authentic emotion captured in a flattering, natural way; details found in nature that allow the eye to rest and the mind to wander; compositions that set the scene and tell a story. Here, in Amy + Gordon's engagement session, Jenna Hill captures the fleeting wisps of hair, the barren hillsides waiting for a new season to bring forth change, the intimate exchanges between a couple in love, the almost-kiss....
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