these are from a wedding i second shot for the totally fabulous and amazing sharon litchfield back in august. i love shooting hands and the way they hold and touch one another, *sigh*.

a big huge thank you to jacey for being a rockstar second shooter and capturing some amazing images (and for holding my super fancy “video light”)!

i just cannot get enough of black and white lately. while i am capturing certain images i often know already that i will want to convert them into black and white. i totally remember thinking that the light where the girls were getting ready was so delicious and contrasty that i would definitely be creating black and white images out of them.

these two had a first look out behind the farmhouse in this fabulously green little area. i was a ways away ready for the brides reactions and this is what i saw! completely cried while capturing this…

every time i second shoot i try to set a new challenge for myself and work on something to help further my photography! at this wedding my goal was to shoot lots with my 85mm lens (a lens that had spent a lot of time in my camera bag). i am so happy i made myself shoot with it because it quickly became my go-to lens and is hands down the favourite of all my lenses!

“To all photographers: remember WHY you do what you do and the priceless value that you provide to others. We’re not providing images. We’re helping to create the way someone remembers their life – the catalyst to treasured memories of a life well-lived – as well as self-discovery, self-expression, an experience, and most of all: emotion.” - christa meola

a huge THANK YOU to all of my supporters, blog readers, and clients. you made 2011 totally awesome! i wish you and your loved ones an amazing 2012. i am looking SO  forward to another awesome year of photography!

and, hey! don’t worry. i love a standard portrait just as much as the next person… here are a couple faves from the year you may have missed…

this was from a wedding i shot back in july with the crazy talented pink sugar photography. more to come later!

for now, black and white or colour… i can’t decide!

thank you thank you thank you to the super awesome nicole for second shooting for me!

enjoy their images…

ps- their beautiful ceremony space is hastings lake gardens. it is such a beautiful location for your wedding ceremony!

*sigh* b and m’s wedding was so amazing. i have never cried so much during a ceremony or had so much fun at a dance! my day started with b and her gals at the hotel and then we were off to the salon. after some awesome hair-do’s, that set of girls left to make room for m and her gals. the salon was right around the corner from the hotel so it was easy to get around and go back and forth between the two brides (who were getting ready just down the hall from each other)! after a gorgeous and super touching ceremony on tunnel mountain we completed ‘formals’ in a record setting amount of time and then headed back to the banff park lodge to celebrate and party!

thank you SO much b and m, for including drew and i in all of your festivities. we were thrilled to be there and celebrate with you two!

i have been looking forward to this wedding ever since meeting with m and s waaaaay back last july! i could tell they were totally my kind of couple. m and s are so laid back and had lots of non-traditional aspects to their wedding which made it so totally them. i am all about a wedding being exactly what the couple wants. s’s red toms and m’s red nikes were just one of the little details that made this wedding special. they also opted not to have a head table, and chose a venue which had a wonderful lounge atmosphere where guests mingled, danced, ate, and drank at their leisure.

i am so lucky i got to spend the day with these two and their loved ones!

thank you again jaleen, for being such an awesome second shooter!!

what an awesome day that was! from a bustling house where the girls were getting ready, to a super touching “first look” in the farmyard, to a very meaningful ceremony, onto formals in the bright sun, and then an awesome party… j and j, their wedding party, and family’s were happy and excited all day and you couldn’t help but be swept up into the emotion.

my apologies for the epic blog post but i just couldn’t narrow it down!

thank you jaleen for second shooting with me.

and please feel free to leave some love and comment. you can help j and j win a sweet prize!