Alpine start lifestyle session Friday, September 03, 2010
Why on earth would I be up at 4:30 am for a lifestyle session you ask? Good question! Last spring when Dave and Mandy told me they would love to do their engagement photos in the mountains - I was thrilled! In order to hike during morning light, we needed to be en route well before sunrise - which explains my 4:30 am wake up call! We found ourselves on the trail by 7:30, and were greeted by the first dusting of snow this season! After our beautiful hike up Idaho peak, we made a quick stop in Sandon and New Denver for a few more photos before heading home. All in all, a wonderful way to start a Sunday morning. I love my job!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Shawn and Lisa’s wedding Saturday, August 28, 2010
It’s not often I cry on the job - but last Saturday at Shawn and Lisa’s wedding I had a tough time keeping it together! Shawn is one of my favorite people in the world and I can’t begin to tell you how happy it made me to see him marry such a warm and wonderful woman. They had a intimate ceremony surrounded by friends, family and amazing energy at Spring Place Vacation Home near Parksville, BC followed by a cozy reception that evening. We escaped for a little while after the ceremony to the beach for a hang out and a few photos, and then finished the night off with a beautiful meal and ridiculous amount of laughter and dancing. Big thanks to Shawn, Lisa, Halle and their fabulous friends and family for the amazing time!
Enjoy the sneak peak - I’ll have the rest up soon!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Mark and Dora tour the koots Tuesday, August 24, 2010
My family is awesome! My cousin Mark from Ontario and his new wife Dora came for a visit last week to the Kootenays…and if you can believe it, neither one of them had ever been to BC! I felt a certain responsibility to show them an amazing time…so I was sure to pack the couple days we had together with a ton of adventure! We drove the “North Kootenay Lake & Silvery Slocan Super Side Trip” part of the International Selkirk Loop and managed to sleep under the stars, on top of a mountain, swim in two lakes, visit many groovy coffee shops and make complete fools of ourselves in a ghost town. Here are some photos from our adventure!
Night number one. Sleeping under the stars. Were lucky enough to get woken up by two deer drinking out of the lake in the morning. Wasn’t quick enough to get that shot. Sorry!
The view from my sleeping bag.
We spent that morning wondering around Kaslo, enjoying good coffee and the quiet, extra-relaxed pace of life there.
I love Kaslo. So many wonderful photo ops. I would love to shoot a wedding in this town!
The Moyie, Kaslo, BC.
Headed off to Sandon and spent some time being ridiculous. You can see more of this photo session here
I don’t normally post grip and grins…but couldn’t help it. I love slocan lake.
Yes, I was there.
Found ourselves a groovy bakery at someone’s house in New Denver. Had to have fresh bread for the summit!
Hiking up Idaho Peak, New Denver, BC.
Definitely one of those moments where I felt so lucky to see the things I see. What an amazing place to cook dinner, laugh with friends and fall asleep.
And amazing view to wake up to in the morning.
Thanks Mark and Dora for a wonderful adventure! I love you guys tons!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Molly Brown and Awesome Monday, August 23, 2010
Sandon, BC….a ghost town close to the middle of nowhere. Made a quick stop on the way up to Idaho peak last week and was lucky enough to have some ridiculous company with me. I took these photos giggling away…having no idea why I was taking them. In the end, they actually tell a wee story. Thanks to Mark and Dora for having fun with me!!!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Jaime and Ryan - full gallery is up! Thursday, August 12, 2010
Couldn’t help posting one more. Jaime is sooo gorgeous!
Welcome to the world Adam! Monday, August 09, 2010
The last time I spent time around a week old baby, I was 14 years old. My little brother Brian came home from the hospital, and although I was excited I didn’t really get why babies were such a big deal. That feeling honestly lasted about 17 years…until last week when I got to hang out with Adam. My cousin Jess and her husband Dan, brought their second child little Adam into the world a few weeks ago, and I was blessed to be able to spend a lot of time with them during the early days of his life. The calming, peaceful energy surrounding him was so overwhelming it brought me to tears more than once.
Here are a couple photos from Adam’s early days…
Hangin’ with Dad.
Adam’s big sister Brooke. She’s so fun and crazy!
Brooke was fascinated with the glass in my lens. The camera was in my lap, and I took one shot while she was looking into the lens…anyways, i think it turned out kinda funny, so I thought I’d share it. She looks like she has a pretty serious story to share. Something to do with that panda bear I would guess.
Adam Kenneth Ritz
A good lookin’ family!
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Patillo Orchard Wedding Wednesday, August 04, 2010
When I walked into Jaime’s parents house Saturday afternoon - the energy was bouncing off the walls! There was no question, rain or shine, this wedding was going to be a ridiculous good time!
I had the pleasure of spending the day with the laid back, fun-loving Reid’s and Patillo’s at the Patillo Orchard in Windsor, Ontario. What a beautiful venue! The day was filled with tons of laughter, fun and love - it was impossible not to have a good time around these two!
Hope you enjoy this sneak peak. I’ll have the full gallery up soon!
Jaime and her dad “BBQ Bill”
Friday, July 30, 2010
Jaime and Ryan at home on Lake Erie Friday, July 30, 2010
I’m in Windsor, Ontario right now, gearing up for a full weekend of shooting. Tomorrow I get to photograph Jaime and Ryan’s wedding - and if you can believe it, they actually found some time for me the day before their wedding! I took a drive out to their place in Harrow this morning to go over some wedding plans and do a quick lifestyle session. I hadn’t met Ryan yet - so this was a great opportunity for us to hang out, chat, giggle (them), snort (me) and get super excited about tomorrow!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Shootin’ Dunes and Steve Z Wednesday, July 14, 2010
This year I made a promise to myself to get out and shoot for fun as much as possible. During my drive east last month, I stopped through Colorado and had the opportunity to spend some time in the Great Sand Dunes National Park. What an inspiring place! I met a good friend and fellow photographer Steve Z down there - and it wasn’t long be for we were scheming up a photo shoot - and one that didn’t involve a wedding dress!
It’s been a long time since I’ve been up before sunrise for the sole reason of shooting. Our goal was to get the highest dune, which reaches 750 feet above the trailhead at 8200 ft. In order to catch the best light, we started our hike at 5:30 that morning. I was loaded up with a backpack full of camera equipment and Steve had his snowboard gear. The air was cool, the dunes were calm and we were eager to start our mini-adventure!
I think the most amazing part was reaching the top and realizing that there wasn’t a person in sight - we had this stunning landscape all to ourselves! We quickly picked a line, Steve strapped on his board and the fun began. The lines weren’t long. Steve would get in 3 or 4 turns, before he’d find himself at the bottom. Then he’d take his board off and climb his way back up. I’m sure he must have climbed about 80 flights of stairs in the 3 hours we played! I started shooting with my 17-40mm 4.0 for a few wide shots and then switched to the 70-200mm 2.8 for mostly everything else. The most difficult images to nail were the ones where Steve was riding straight towards me. He had a particular idea for a shot, but the sun cooked me laying in the sand long before we could perfect the combo of his riding and my focus and composition!
Regardless, we got a ton of really fun images. I swear we spent most of the morning giggling like kids in a candy shop. Photography can be so fun when you have no clients, no expectations and no deadlines!
The highest dune “Star Dune”
Steve realizing carrying your shoes in your hand while you ride probably isn’t cool - or photogenic.
The grind back up.
The ride.
Looking for lines
Good for a giggle.
Close, but not quite what Steve had in mind.
My personal fav from the day.
Proof I was there.
Soft landing. Why wouldn’t you throw yourself off a dune?
Striking a pose.
I like this series. We past this abandoned house leaving the dunes and couldn’t help but stop and take a few shots.
Checkin’ in with the real world.
Make sure you check out Steve’s story and his gorgeous photos on his blog
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The Secret to Racing Roadies on a Cruiser Bike Tuesday, June 29, 2010
I really, really wish I could take credit for this shoot. I mean, I took the photos, but the hilarious concept wasn’t mine. My Coloradical tour guide, Steve Z told me one evening that a friend of his had a cruiser bike with a hub motor on it. For a few years, he had imagined how funny it would be to dress up in costume and race road cyclists on the bike….but of course, he needed a photographer to shoot it! Needless to say, I was happy to oblige, so the next day we packed up his Subaru with the bike and a ridiculous costume and headed up to Ward, Colorado for some fun and deep belly laughing!
The Utica Street Market is a little store situated at the top of a 19 mile hill climb that is popular with local cyclists. Given the natural audience, it seemed like the perfect place to set the stage.
Take a minute to really look at this guy. A beautiful mullet, waving in the wind, aviator glasses, short jean cut offs…with the pockets hanging out, 80’s neon helmet, white sport socks and black boots, muscle shirt and of course the half case of beer and rattling empties in the basket. How could you not do a double take when this guy passed you on your bike???
Steve would hide in a driveway past the stop sign down the hill and wait until he saw a cyclist approach. Once they past him, he would sneak up behind them and then pass them on the hill…making sure to exaggerate his breathing and pedal stroke. The first time was pretty funny, but the second time is when things got good. Steve pulled up behind this particular cyclist, and as he started to pass him the guy got out of the saddle and they ended up in a full on sprint up the hill. The deep belly laughing and the tears started shortly after this moment.
These two guys hung out and watched the show for a little while. When Steve went to chat with them afterward, he was delighted to hear that they hadn’t see the motor. They honestly thought that he was out cycling people riding $3000 bikes. Definitely another highlight moment!
The bike. The big black front hub is the motor and is powered by the batteries in the rear pack. It’s capable of putting out 500 watts and enabled Steve to hold about 19kph up the hill. Big thanks to Paul for lending her out for the day!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Oh Colorado! Monday, June 28, 2010
My friend Emily told me a few months ago that while I was on my road trip - I should consider checking out Colorado…more specifically, Boulder, CO. She said that if I loved Nelson, that I would probably love Boulder, as it had the same sort of vibe. Turns out, she was right! A good friend and fellow photographer Steve Zdawcznski lives in the area, and so when I mentioned I was going to be in the neighborhood, he generously offered up some time to be my tour guide. I seriously had a ridiculous amount of fun…and owe him a big thanks for showing me such an awesome time.
The Cruiser Ride:
Every Thursday night during the summer, there is a cruiser ride in Boulder. Anywhere from 200 to 600 people show up in costume, on bikes of all types and cruise around town for no other reason than fun. I had no clue what to expect, and was almost nervous about the idea of riding my bike with 200 other people along side! Steve lent me a beautiful red Schwinn Spitfire for the evening. I swear I fell in love…I felt like I was a girl showing off my pony when I rode it…really, it was so pretty! Anyways, we rode for 6 hours total…just cruising through town, greeting people with “Happy Thursday!” as we rode past. As the sun set, I went from feeling like I was in some sort of parade, to feeling like I was a 14 year old girl just cruising around my neighborhood with friends. It really was an authentic, summer time experience. I didn’t take any great pictures…but hopefully these give you a feeling of what it was like!
303 Vodka. Vodka tasting and meeting spot for the ride. How convenient.
My delicious root beer float with vanilla infused vodka. Go there, get one, now!
The infamous swing bike in the foreground…it’s not broken…email Steve and he’ll explain how it works.
Random treasures at 303.
Great costume.
The ride begins.
Hanging out, chit chattin’ and listening to music at a local park.
My sweet, sweet ride.
The cruise home…or back to 303 vodka for another rootbeer float.
More Colorado adventures to come!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Chad and Rachelle get married! Monday, June 14, 2010
I feel sooo blessed that my friends and family provide me with an amazing excuse to come home year after year. This will be the twelfth year I’ve travelled back to Ontario to photograph a wedding and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there are many more to come!
I mentioned in my last blog post that Chad and I have been friends since grade 7…so you can imagine what an honour it is to be able to spend so much time with an old friend on one of the happiest days of their life. Chad and Rachelle’s day went off without a hitch - a beautiful ceremony, followed by tons of good times hanging out by the river, the art gallery and the Pour House - a pub in downtown Windsor….and then finished off with a ridiculously fun reception at St. Francis of Assisi.
Enjoy the sneak peak!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Chad and Rachelle’s County Adventure Friday, June 11, 2010
Chad and I have known each other for almost 20 years…how crazy is that? I was sooo excited last summer when he called me to tell me he was getting married and he wanted me to photograph is wedding. I got to meet Rachelle in November and we made plans to do an engagement shoot in the summer when I got back to Windsor. When chatting about the session…Rachelle told me that one of her favorite pass times growing up was going for a drive in the county, stopping for ice cream and walking the dogs. Sounded like a perfect photo session to me! We hung out on Wednesday night, got caught up and had a blast driving through the county. Enjoy!
Monday, June 07, 2010
Road Trip begins Monday, June 07, 2010
I’ve been on the road now for a week or so - and seem to have had no problem finding adventure. From climbing and hail storms, to sand boarding and cruiser rides…the fun doesn’t seem to end.
Trying to keep up to my tour guide in Colorado. I love this photo because it really captures the essence of summer energy for me…warmth, freedom and cold beer.
The trite windmill shot. Couldn’t help myself. Sorry.
Making sushi in Boulder, CO.
The hail that made my car look like a golf ball.
Waiting out another hail storm….great place to do some writing.
The clouds that encouraged me to call it an early night on the road.
Sandboarding in Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO with Steve from Steve Z Photography.
A fabulous camp spot near Ned, CO.
Friday, June 04, 2010
Katrina and Peter are expecting a baby! Friday, June 04, 2010
Last summer, I had the honour of being the photographer at Peter and Katrina’s fabulous wedding in Nelson, BC. (see their wedding photos here) In the fall, I got a call from Katrina who shared some more big news - they were expecting a baby!!
When I mentioned that I would be in Calgary for a day or two in May, Peter and Katrina were gracious enough to invite me to stay at there home - and I happily took them up on their offer! We had a wonderful visit - and found some time to go for a drive and do a super fun photo session! Here’s what we came up with…
Random treasures at 303.
