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

Kamil & Anyqa's Romantic Blenheim Palace Proposal

Kamil's plan to pop the question to Anyqa might have been the proposal to end all proposals. Boyfriends, get your notepads out. (I know notepads are retro but that is beside the point). 

Kamil's plan was to surprise his girlfriend with a private tour at Blenheim Palace, and when they arrived at the end in the famous Long Library, get down on one knee and propose. Afterwards they would walk outside to find a beautiful horse-drawn carriage waiting to take them on a ride around the grounds. I was so excited to capture this epic moment. 

What I didn't anticipate was quite how nerve-wracking it would be (and I wasn't even the one proposing)! Kamil and I met at the palace earlier and liaised with the staff to come up with our master plan; Kamil would meet Anyqa at the front gates and bring her into the palace where Doug, the tour guide, would greet them and take them through. While this was happening, I was to hide in the Long Library like a bit of a weirdo (my modus operandi), pretending to be a tourist, but also trying to peek down the hallway to see when they were approaching. When they got to the next room over from the Library, two other staff members were instructed to unroll a large banner that Kamil made asking Anqya to marry him -- goosebumps! 

When the time came, they entered the Library and immediately started looking all around. I don't know what came over me but I think I might deserve an Oscar for my "unsuspecting solo tourist" bit that I did at this very moment. I am pretty sure she had no idea. But there is also a good chance I might have just been standing there staring at them. We will never know. Then, Doug, the tour guide, directed their attention to a statue at the end of the library so we could all take our positions. 

It all went completely according to plan. Anyqa was surprised and overjoyed. The emotion in the moment was enough to make my hairs stand and my eyes well up - it was such a beautiful gesture and what an amazing job I have that I get to witness these moments. After the proposal, we wandered outside and rode around on the carriage to scope out the palace grounds.

This was definitely one of my favorite shoots so far - thank you so much to Kamil & Anyqa for inviting me to be a fly on the wall :)

Enjoy! 

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

Liz & Zac's Toronto Wedding

A few weekends ago, I got to tag along to Liz & Zac's stunning Toronto wedding at the Windsor Arms. I was fortunate that my old friend and incredibly talented wedding photographer, Corynn Fowler, invited me along as her 'second shooter' - a job that is a lot less dangerous than it sounds. 

Corynn has taken me under her wing in the last few weeks and has been hugely generous in teaching me the in's and out's of the business - how to work with clients, how to manage shooting the actual wedding day, how to edit and follow up.  Her help has been huge, and I am so happy I got to shoot this wedding with her. If you're looking for a wedding or engagement photographer in the Toronto, Muskoka or Collingwood area, look no further than right here. 

The Arms is a beautiful indoor space rich in colour and light variation. As Corynn pointed out to me, it had some serious Wes Anderson vibes going for it. It was a challenging shoot as it was pretty dark, but I loved the opportunity to learn and think on my feet. 

The ceremony was stunning and I really enjoyed being able to observe and try to capture the sheer joy that Liz & Zac we're feeling as they stood at the top of the aisle and exchanged vows. I would be lying if I said I didn't shed a tear, or fifteen, listening to their speeches and loving words for each other. 

A beautiful celebration for a beautiful couple. I hope you enjoy the photos!

Em x

P.S. Fun fact - the big painting featured above Zac and Liz in the ceremony was actually painted by Zac's late father and artist, David Bierk, which added a beautiful personal element to the venue. 

P.P.S - Another fun fact - As you can probably tell from her glow, Liz is six months pregnant with a little boy here. Somehow she managed to be energized and up on her feet most of the night - a seriously impressive feat! 

Brickworks Engagement Shoot with Aly & Aaron

This past Sunday, I got to do my first official engagement shoot with Aly & Aaron.

It was the first day of daylight savings, so we all dragged ourselves out of bed at a completely inappropriate hour for a Sunday morning and made our way to our shoot location. I try to shoot in the photographer's 'golden hours' whenever I can -  when the sun is rising or setting - so I can get some nice back-lighting, outlines, and natural shadows on the subjects. 

We were pretty spoiled for choice of location on this one - we started at a loft-style apartment overlooking downtown Toronto, and then made our way over to the Brickworks - an old converted industrial site that is now a trendy hipster haven with restaurants, markets, gardens and lots of green space. 

These guys were so great to work with - such a gorgeous and well-suited couple! They also tolerated my good and not-so-good pose suggestions with grace. (I'm new to this, poses are hard)! Cannot wait for these two to tie the knot! 

Check out some of the shots from our session below :)

Em x