Megan and Jesse's engagement session got off on a pretty crazy foot. 

You see, the neighbourhood I live in is accessed by just one road. And that road is crossed by a railroad track. Generally this is no problem at all. However, on the day of their session the road into my neighbourhood was scheduled to be closed by CP rail for maintenance-- leaving all the residents of my neighbourhood (myself included) stuck at home. I was not initially concerned about this though because the closure was scheduled to end a full hour before I needed to leave for the session.

No problem, right?

WRONG.

Of coooourse the railway project took longer than expected, and OF COURSE 30 minutes before I was supposed to meet these lovely folks, I was stuck-- stranded, really-- at my own home with no way to get out. Folks were being permitted to WALK across the tracks, but no vehicle access meant that my only options was to have a friend pick me up and drive me the to my session, or maybe catch a cab? But if you know the rural community I live in, you know that cabs are not exactly a normal thing.

Just as I was placing my 3rd frantic phone call to my sister in law in a 5 min time span, I got a DM from Megan. Her Fiancé, Jesse, works very near my neighbourhood and had heard through the grape-vine that this particular road had been shut down all day. And Megan, being the creepy-stalker that she is, happened to know that I (a photographer who she had never actually met before, but just sufficiently stalked on social media)  lived in the affected community. 

​Perhaps I should start requiring that all my clients shuttle me to/from locations? I'd certainly save on gas money..

How beautiful is this bride's smile? Goodness gracious. 

Vanessa and Marc got married at Castlegar's beautiful and very quaint Little Bear Golf Course on one of the hottest days of the summer (But who is keeping track, really, when every day this summer has been 39 degrees?) The heat didn't keep these two from smiling from ear to ear all day long though! Their ceremony was uber short & sweet, allowing their guests to go from the business of sitting in the hot sun to celebrating with a cold drink in their hands as quickly as possible-- something I didn't hear anyone complaining about ;)

We didn't have a ton of time for portraits, but the bride specifically requested a shot of her veil 'blowing in the wind' out the window of a family member's classic Ford Bronco. It took some work (and a lot of anxiety from me about the veil potentially getting caught in the truck's rear tire! ahhh!) but we were able to bring the bride's vision to life, and create one of my most epic photographs to date. 

These two love birds not only just got married, but also just purchased a new home and are in the process of moving and renovating as I write this. I am wishing them a lifetime of happy memories in their new and love and laughter in their marriage. 

Venue & Catering: Little Bear Golf Course
Flowers: Olea Floral
​Makeup: Alex Hitchcock 
Hair: Luca Hair and Aesthetics 
​Second Shooter: Nadine Premont 

When Liz and Anthony got out of their vehicle to meet me for their engagement session just outside of Castlegar, BC, the first words out of their mouths were "We're so nervous and so awkward." This is a warning that I am served by almost every single one of my clients prior to working with them, and usually I take it with a grain of salt. The fact of the matter is that MOST people feel awkward in front of a camera, but the majority do loosen up with a little time and lots of fun prompts. 

Liz and Anthony were definitely this sort of couple. I realized pretty quickly that these two were very much in love, and didn't take themselves too seriously. They were completely willing to go all-in with my favorite prompts & that willingness to be playful and let-loose translated into some of my favorite engagement photos ever. I even felt brave enough to try out some new prompts with them-- which they totally nailed (the leap frog! haha!)

The #1 piece of advice that I can offer to any client-- whether it's wedding, family, or engagement-- is to PLAY. Don't take yourself too seriously. A playful attitude goes a very, very long way in taking your session from average, to great.