Favourites from 2018

A Québécois winter

I think it's safe to write about winter now that April is nearly over. But I could be wrong - living in Québec City, I've seen more winter than any other place I've lived. And I loved it.

Besides walking in the evenings while the snow fell heavily, I spent a good amount of time snowboarding (Mont Ste Anne, Le Massif, Tremblant) which had become rare for me in the last years having lived in Ontario and Nova Scotia. I spent a some evenings taking turns around a nearby speed-skating oval. I'm no pro but the speed makes me grin, every time.

This winter my guest book welcomed several signatures, my wool socks got well-used (and soaked at times), my small emergency car-shovel nearly busted under duress, my personal knowledge of poutine expanded, and my kettle became a constant companion.

Here, some photos:

The view from the top of Le Massif in Charlevoix. That's the St. Lawrence river.

Out the gondola window ascending Le Massif.

Rewarding soup stop at the top of Mont du Lac des Cygnes, Charlevoix

New year, new nephew

January brought the snowstorms, power-outage-induced campfires, familial annual feasting, and fun firsts in the realm of renovations but most anticipated: a new baby nephew.

St. George in a portrait

Om my drive back to Ontario from Nova Scotia, I stopped in to see some family in St. George and take their portrait. These photographs were taken in their front yard: The Atlantic Ocean. This portrait was easily the most scenic to date, and the subjects were great company.

St. George, New Brunswick
December 2015

Dane + Amanda

These two got married on the train tracks somewhere in the middle of Saskatchewan.

It was a good day.

Shuko + Krystian

Here are some of my favourites from a shoot last month.

We took the afternoon and explored Evergreen Brickworks deep in the heart of the Don Valley. Shuko is a pastry master and Krystian is an English teaching ninja. They are a great pair.

Kyle + Erica + ...

My friends are having a baby, so we took some photos to send to their family as a visual announcement.

They're kind of excited.

Before the summer's out...

Another year, another portrait. Quite possibly the largest group I've photographed, this family is a lot of fun to be with.

Humber Bay Park

Toronto, ON

Last portrait of the year.

2013 ended with a portrait shoot near Collingwood, ON. We trekked over to the neighbour's farm and used the foggy day to its fullest. I've known these people for a long time and it made me very happy to capture them all at once.

A new little person

Two of my good friends had a baby.

They're pretty happy about it.

Can't wait to watch you grow up, Cosette!

Shot beside the Saugeen River in Bruce County, ON.

Where the Bonnechere starts

It was a weekend well spent, at the mouth of the Bonnechere River.

In the middle of Ontario somewhere between Barry's Bay and Pembroke, a group of friends got together to share core-warming meals and wood panelled quarters.

A beautiful hand built cedar strip canoe hosted live book readings and chartered quiet lake tours, while a single shotgun and a box of clay pigeons provided loud cracks and complimentary cheers.

Many a fishing line was cast, but not a fish came in from the lake.

Here are a few photos:

These faces.

I don't know a family that smiles more than this one.
It helps that we had just spent a weekend at the cottage, but there isn't much that keeps these faces from grinning.

Taken one Sunday afternoon at Lake Huron.

A September cottage weekend

Now that it is September, the cottage takes on a slightly different role. In general, it means more pots of coffee, extra layers of plaid, bigger waves, freshly picked apples, and too-small wetsuits.

This past weekend, it also meant a friendly exchange of homemade goods: kimchi, kombucha, applesauce, chicken broth, granola and sourdough. A productive weekend.

Family on the beach

Family photos at the beach means skipping rocks, scaring seagulls, and jumping tall; all underlined by the promise of ice cream.

This was a fun bunch of faces to spend an hour with.

Here are my favourites:

Portrait by the lake

This family likes to smile - and it is contagious! This is the second (and hopefully not the last) portrait that I've taken of them.

Thank you, Jonah, Genevieve, Bella and baby Jacob for a happy evening by the lake.

Here are some of my favourites:

In the woods.

A beard to behold.

The storm that is Canadian Music Week took over Toronto last month and I got to photograph the best beard of the whole festival.

Here is Ben Caplan:

(Read the interview by Sarah Mackinnon here.)

A Day at The Academy

Coffee.

A special thing when it is produced by these hands and smiles.

There is a coffee shop on the Esplanade called Academy Cafe and it serves good stuff. These people work there.

Sarah, RAWR-er.

Portraits are always best taken outdoors.

This series was taken in Kensington Market, on a cool winter morning. Sarah is a PR student who is ready to graduate this spring. Check out her blog here.