Eleanor & Liam's Gorgeous Fall Wedding at the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse :)

When I first met Eleanor & Liam, I noticed that they're one of those couples who - even though they've known each other for years now - are always holding hands or have their hands on each others knees. I love that about them :) For a couple like this, the joy in their wedding day has nothing to do with pretty details, and everything to do with a room full of love and your soul mate beside you. So months before the actual wedding, I knew it would be an amazing, fun, and heartfelt day. As it turns out, it also happened to be stunningly beautiful :) Here are some of my favourite images from this fantastic day..

The guys were very relaxed in the "getting ready" stage - and that was without even dipping in to the lovely bottles of rose gin that the groomsmen got as gifts ;)

 Looking good and ready to go - complete with a sword that's been passed down through Liam's

 family since the war of 1812! (more of that sword later..)

 There's something fantastic about bookshelves full of real books that people have actually read -

this one ran the length of the wall and seemed the perfect background, since it's a common love of theatre that brought Eleanor & Liam together in the first place :)

I love these reactions - especially Dad's!

We took these gorgeous ladies down to the Distillery District, where they turned heads
everywhere they went :)

 I'm so in love with these images of Eleanor on the little bench under the hearts!

If you thought that got a lot of attention, you should have seen the large crowd that gathered to watch as a piper led Eleanor, her dad, and the ladies from there to the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse for the ceremony! Thankfully they were kind enough to mostly stay out of the pictures ;)

an amazingly grand entrance :)

A post-ceremony photo with all the guests out front of the schoolhouse..

 I absolutely adore how the golds and oranges of the bridal party pop against the red brick
and blue woodwork!

 The beautiful hall, all ready for dinner - believe it or not, Eleanor had a ladies' night the night before and they did all these floral arrangements themselves! :)

 If guests wanted to see the bride & groom kiss, they had to get up and sing something for everyone - this might seem like a tall order, but it turns out this was a room full of very talented performers!

And here comes the sword! Not only great for cake-cutting, but also for the spirited Highland
dancing that followed!

Eleanor & Liam: I can't imagine a more perfect wedding day for the two of you :) It was a beautiful reflection of the genuine warmth and thoughtfulness that characterizes not only the two of you, but also your families and friends as well - may you have many many years of happy days together!

xo
Jessica + Norman

Venue: Enoch Turner Schoolhouse

Maureen & Matthew's Winter Engagement Session at the Distillery District :)

Maureen & Matthew are one of those couples who almost seem to have a language of their own.. they don't exactly read each others minds - but it's pretty close ;) To spend time around the two of them isn't to feel left out of this close circle though, it's actually the opposite: they are both so warm and personable that we immediately felt like we were part of their secret gang too :)
There were two things I particularly loved about Maureen & Matthew's engagement session (other than the fantastic locations!) - the first was how cozy and snuggly they were together, and the second was how often they made each other laugh :) Here are some of my favourite images from their session..

One of my favourite places in Toronto this time of year: the Distillery District :) It's hard to beat the atmosphere of all those little lights, especially with a cup of hot chocolate keeping you warm!

Maureen & Matthew: you two are adorable and were such fun to photograph :) We can't wait for your wedding day!!

xo
Jessica + Norman

Tanya Kirouac at The Artist Project show in Toronto March 1-4

February is normally a very slow time of year for us, but this year seems to have been non-stop! I've already had the good fortune to work with three amazing new clients - all very talented and inspiring women - one of whom will be exhibiting at The Artist Project show this weekend at the Queen Elizabeth Building at Exhibition Place. Tanya Kirouac is an amazing artist :) Over the years, she has built her technique of using encaustic wax painting to incorporate many layers (both physical layers and layers of meaning) into her pieces. I spent a day and a half staring at her work, and still kept finding new things! I loved talking to her about art and her process while we were shooting her work.. I think it's really awesome when you find out that the reason she's got so much bird imagery in her pieces is that she's enamoured with all the birds she's seen on her property in Prince Edward County. And that the pieces of sheet music embedded in her designs are chosen specifically because the songs are about gardens and flowers (as well as being visually lovely). I LOVE that kind of stuff - the added depth that a painting takes on as you speak to it's creator and learn where it all came from :)
If you're in Toronto this weekend you should definitely stop by the show to check out Tanya's work in real life. You may just find (like I did) that you need to bring one of these beautiful little gardens home with you!

Here's a sneak peek:

up close you can see the amazing detail and all the layers... 

(this one is mine now - so you'll have to come to my place to see it!)

If you can't make it to the show, be sure to visit Tanya in her studio space in the Distillery District!

And if you also happen to be a visual artist and would like your work shot for your portfolio, please email me now for more information :)

Jenny Greco Jewellery Photo Shoot

As the Spring One of a Kind Show approaches here in Toronto, many of my clients have new lines or pieces that they want photographed. This was my first time working with Jenny Greco, so we shot almost her entire collection (!) of fantastic chunky and richly coloured jewellery. Jenny uses a lot of natural elements like wood and seeds in her work, which I love, and she was also a complete pleasure to work with, which I really love :)


Here are some of my favourite shots from our collaboration:

these black "stones" are actually lava!!

Jenny uses all different kinds of wood to make her chunky rings; this leopard-looking one was my favourite!

this bracelet from Jenny's "Totem" collection is made with ebony and silver - a really nice contrast :)

I can't wait to see Jenny's website once all the new images are up!

All of this and more will be available at Jenny's booth at the One of a Kind Show (you can find her at booth P-24), and she also has a lovely new studio space in the Distillery District, in the Case Goods  building - check her out and support local talent!

For more examples of work I've done with local designers, please see my website. If you are a designer of something beautiful and you are looking for a photographer - I'd love to talk to you! Email me for more information :)