Nixie & Brian's Romantic Oxford Engagement Shoot

Now that summer is over and I'm (mostly) caught up on my editing, I'm really excited to start sharing some of my most recent work on the blog. It has been a busy summer season that ended with a couple of amazing autumn weddings, and I've only got two more now before we ring in 2018 (...how did that happen)!? 

Back in August, I had the pleasure of working with Nixie and Brian who were visiting the UK from Indonesia. They were recently engaged and wanted to capture the exciting time in their lives against the romantic backdrop of Oxford. As it can get pretty busy during the summer here, we woke up bright and early and had the streets to ourselves. We also managed to catch the last little bit of golden hour light! We had a great morning chatting, shooting and wandering between some of Oxford's most beautiful landmarks. Crossing my fingers these two make it back to the UK for a honeymoon shoot. 

I hope you enjoy the shots :)

Em x  

Mike & Meng's Toronto Wedding Prep

When I was back home in Canada a few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be asked to capture part of my cousin's beautiful Toronto wedding. I had landed just one day before, so I was giving off some walking dead vibes, but I went along to the morning of their big day to capture bride and groom prep. 

My family just so happen to have two apartments in the same building, so I was able to tackle both bride and groom portraits without having to trek too far. It was so nice hanging out while they got ready, catching up with my fam, and scooting around between the two apartments to try and capture the whole process - fluffy dog and all. 

We shot for a few hours in the morning and then they went off to the historic Distillery District for their first look and portraits while I transitioned into guest mode and met them at the ceremony. It was a gorgeous day -  the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky. The courtyard at the venue was all done up with flowers, beautiful handwritten signs and fairy lights. I think that one of the most impressive things about the whole day, however, was the incredible spread of cakes made by none other than the bride herself! I think there were four different cakes, along with mini doughnuts and homemade macaroons and more. Some days I am not sure whether I am a wedding photographer or a professional wedding cake taster? Can't complain... 

Huge thanks to Mike & Meng for inviting me along to help capture the big day! I can't wait to see where this next chapter takes you.

Em x

A Weekend Away in Pembrokeshire

The downside of being a new photographer is that I am not exactly drowning in clients and requests for work (yet!). However, the upside of being a new photographer is having free weekends and time to explore and document my personal life and develop my ability and style. 

At the end of April, my boyfriend and a couple of his friends from school ran the Pembrokeshire Marathon; some ran the half, some ran the full. I won't name names. I'd never been to Wales so I was keen to tag along and capture the weekend. After a four hour drive in our 1980's Mini, which requires a refill of gas about every 45 minutes, we made it to Broadhaven in Pembrokeshire and tucked in for the night before the big run. 

While I wasn't partaking in the marathon, I played the crucial roles of documenting the runners and bringing cold beers and snacks to the finish line. I was out of breath by the time I reached to top of the hill where the race ended, so was thanking my stars I hadn't signed up to do it myself. We met the champions at the end of the run and then spent the rest of the long weekend exploring Littlehaven, St. David's and other beautiful spots dotted along the coast. I also spent a good part of the weekend trying to pronounce the Welsh road signs. 

Wales is a wildly photogenic place, and I happened to be with a wildly photogenic bunch. I also found myself becoming preoccupied with all the beautiful seaside textures, and have thrown a couple more abstract photos into this post.

Enjoy the shots! Or in Welsh, "mwynhau'r lluniau"! 

Em x

Easter Weekend in Appledore

The last few weeks have been craaaaazy busy! Between moving into a new place, travelling to London for meetings and shoots, and catching up on edits, Easter weekend with my boyfriend's family down in Devon was a much needed break. Ollie's family are serious repeat offenders when it comes to Devon. They have been travelling down there for holidays for almost 20 years now - and I don't blame them, it is so beautiful!
 

Appledore is a tiny town nestled into the North coast. It is set on a steep hill overlooking a quay and is full of tiny, winding streets lined with pastel coloured houses. During the day there are kids crabbing off the quay, families walking dogs, and people lining up at the ice cream van for a scoop. The birds chip, the tides roll in and out. It feels like something out of a book. 
 

Over on the other side of the peninsula is Westward Ho! beach. (Yes, there really is an exclamation mark at the end of the name?). This is where we spend the majority of our time during our holidays, as Ollie's family are big surfers. Waves or no waves, these guys are in the water everyday, sometimes twice a day. For me, this means flailing around in the whitewash and occasionally catching a microscopic wave. Still, there is nothing like getting in the cold sea water to clear your head and make you feel refreshed!

It was so nice to be back in Devon with my camera in tow - I hope you like the shots!

Em x