EMIC @ Sound Academy

Vince and I headed over to Sound Academy last night to photograph EMIC, an uber talented up-and-coming alternative band. Here is EMIC before the show - we had a little time to squeeze in a few group shots.



The boys really rocked it out... the music was incredible. Vince took this beautiful image of the stage. The lighting and grain convey the mood perfectly.



And speaking of lighting, check out some of my favourite images of the individual band members. The variety of light effects at the venue allowed for some really creative and dramatic shots. I have so many favourites, it was hard to choose.

Nathan (drums) is focussed, humble, and has a quiet confidence about him. He also plays with authority! I really admire him especially since I can't keep a beat to save my life.



Taylor (bass and backup vocals) is calm, cool, and collected. We took so many incredible images of him - the light really loves him!!!



Sam (lead guitar and vocals) oozes showmanship out of every pore of his body. He has a unique style that is all his own, a tremendous voice, and a great presence.



EMIC, thank you for allowing us to photograph your gig - we are sure there will be many more ahead for you. We had a great time and hope that you will love the images as much as we do!

(Click here to see the entire collection of online proofs.)

Alex - Slideshow

I am so very excited to share the slideshow collection for Alex's portrait session. I hope you enjoy it!



(Please click here to view the complete collection of online proofs.)

Vanity Fair Portraits @ ROM

If you love portraiture, I highly recommend a visit to the ROM for the Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913-2008 exhibit. I really enjoyed the vintage illustrated magazine covers and of course the portraits, oh the portraits! One of my favourites is the portrait of Hilary Swank running on the beach by Norman Jean Roy (2004) that was published in the March 2005 issue of Vanity Fair. I had never seen it before and it was simply beyond words. In fact, I think I may have gasped when I saw it.

The exhibit runs until January 3, 2010 and, if you have time to go between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, the event is free! I didn't take any photos today so this post contains two that I took in 2007. Click on the below photo to see more information about the exhibit.



I heard today that the ROM is considered to be among the ugliest buildings in the world. Sure enough, it was ranked 8th out of the 10 on the second annual list of the World's Top 10 Ugly Buildings by members and editors of virtualtourist.com (click on the below photo to read the Globe and Mail article on this). I know I'm in the minority but I actually like the building. I didn't think I would when it was being built but I do. I love that the crystal looks like it's bursting out from the old ROM. I love its asymmetric angles against the sky. As I walked towards it from Yonge and Bloor at dusk today, I found that it created a unique streetscape that would have been even more striking if the view wasn't marred by a bunch of ordinary and poorly dispersed buildings behind it.

The only other building I've seen in person that made the top 10 is the Pompidou in Paris and I'd have to agree with the list on that one! However, I have seen some fantastic photos of that building. One day, I'd like to visit a bunch of ugly buildings in Toronto and try to make them beautiful using my camera... which brings me to wonder, if you make a beautiful photo of an ugly building, is the building truly ugly?

Alex - Child Portraits

Vince and I met with Alex, Diana, and little Alex over the weekend. We were blown away by the family bond that we were so privileged to witness. This little boy is incredibly loved and his happy personality reflects this. The final collection contains so many images that I want to share - the slideshow will follow soon but here is a sneak peek.



I think Vince fell in love with this little boy. I captured this image of him interacting with Alex in between shots... but it doesn't look like Alex felt the same way about him. :)



Of course, I couldn't help but post a few images of Diana with her little boy. I get chills when I see the following images of this radiant and loving mother with her child... these types of interactions move me so deeply.



Alex, Diana, and little Alex, thank you so much for trusting us to capture a few precious moments with your wonderful family!

Belle - Slideshow

A funny thing happened when I was composing the slideshow for Belle's lifestlye session. We set out to create a collection of portraits that reflect her personality but I didn't expect that an incredibly artful story would emerge out of nowhere! So picture this: A young lady checks out of her hotel but has a few hours to kill before her train leaves from downtown Toronto. She walks around town with her little luggage, sits for a little here and there, and explores some nooks and crannies. It starts getting late and when she finally makes her way to the train, she ends up just missing it. Now when you watch the slideshow, do you love it as much as I do?

That's the amazing thing about Toronto. There is so much variety in the fabric of our city but somehow everything fits like a beautiful story.



(Please click here to view the complete collection of online proofs.)

Belle - Urban Lifestyle Session

I went for a shoot with my bestie today. Belle is extremely fashionable and chic so it was only fitting that we shoot her environmental portraits in the fashion district. I absolutely love the juxtaposition of a beautiful girl, dressed stylishly, in not-so-pretty places like back alleys, graffiti-covered walls, and industrial spaces. The dirtier, the better.

Lucky for me, Belle is adventurous and free-spirited so she went with all my suggestions! She brought her awesome red vintage round luggage and toted it all around town (well, downtown, but still). Did I also mention that this girl has sweet acting abilities? Smile, don't smile, pretend someone's chasing you down that dark alley... she portrayed everything perfectly. Plus she looked gorgeous the entire time.

Within the Frame

My new book finally arrived from Indigo online! I had browsed through this book in the store and I was completely and utterly engrossed. I usually prefer to borrow my books from the library (I'm trying desperately to declutter our tiny condo) but this book I knew I had to purchase.

David duChemin is an "international assignment photographer specializing in humanitarian projects and world photography." He describes his book in the following manner: "It is a book about chasing your vision and telling your stories as clearly and passionately as possible with compelling photography."

His clean and straightforward writing style draws me in. His honest and raw portraits inspire wide-eyed wonder in me. I can't wait to curl up with this book and a hot cuppa tea.

Vince - Slideshow

It was so much fun to shoot Vince's portraits - I think we really captured his laid back attitude and urban lifestyle!



(Please click here to view the complete collection of online proofs.)

Vince - Urban Lifestyle Session

For those of you who don't already know, Vince is my hubby! I take a lot of snaps of him but I finally decided that we needed a set of portraits that reflects his unique personality. Vince loves movies, modern skyscrapers, busy intersections, photography, electronics, and the beach so we tried to incorporate all these elements into his shoot.



We were fortunate to have lovely weather so we definitely took advantage of it. I love to photography my hubby - he is a fun subject, especially when he is in an agreeable mood!

Guatemala - Travel Portraits

For my first post, I want to share one of my favourite images from one of my favourite places of all time.

In October 2007, Vince and I joined a Global Village trip to Guatemala with Habitat for Humanity. We had the amazing opportunity to visit a local school in El Progreso and the children touched our hearts with their warmth and beauty. My favourite portrait depicts 3 happy children in the schoolyard. Despite a language barrier, I really bonded with the little girl on the leftmost side of the image. She and I stuck together like glue as I continued to document my experience… she was affectionate, sweet, and utterly adorable. This was truly an experience of a lifetime.

I am so grateful for photography. I thrive on capturing key moments in life. I am passionate about the beauty in art.

(Click on the image to visit my Flickr set for more Guatemala images.)