This photo was taken at the Cliffs of Moher on the west coast of Ireland, which reminds me a lot of the west coast of Canada – rainy, windy, and cloudy, but beautiful. The beaches are similar to our rocky beaches on Vancouver Island, but the grass is much, much greener. I think my dream wedding would be at O’Brien’s Tower at the Cliffs of Moher, maybe an elopement with an awesome reception back home after. I would love to photograph a wedding in Ireland, especially at the Cliffs, but anywhere really.

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I love shooting weddings in a photojournalistic style, but I also love a good artistic portrait.  Weddings are such a great opportunity to get a great photo of yourself, because you’re dressed up and looking your best.  The photo below on the left is from a trash the dress shoot with Steph and Steve.  Steph looks like a super tough model here, in the tunnel to the waterfall at Goldstream park.  On the right is my favourite shot from Mikayla and Chris’s wedding day portrait session.  I thought the park they chose was fairly generic and wasn’t sure what to do to make it special, but I think this amazing tree really makes the shot.  Doesn’t hurt that there’s a gorgeous couple kissing under it.

I started doing some high school senior portraits this year.  It was so fun working with these girls.  They really got into modelling and had such great spirit.  Of course, I’m a sucker for graffiti (and pretty dresses).

A couple more shots with an urban feeling.  The shot on the left was taken around sundown outside of Fan Tan Alley.  We’d wanted to get some shots in the alley, but it was locked up.  This shot makes me glad it was.  He looks like such a rockstar.  The shot on the right is my friend Irene in the alley beside the Yates parkade.  I think she looks beautiful and totally fits in with the background.

The below are from my first couple shoot ever.  These two were really cool and accommodating to all my cheesy pose suggestions.  I think they turned out pretty great.

Another sweet wedding portrait.  I think these two were feeling a little tired and a bit uncomfortable in front of the camera.   This shot gives a sense of peaceful happiness, of two people who always manage to find comfort in one another.

Yet another adorable couple.  These are my friends Lauren and Andreas, who got married in 2009.  I missed their wedding because I was traveling back from my vacation, sadly.  I’m so glad they asked me to do this shoot for them.  I love watching them together.

I love this photo of my friend Lynn, who was an ever patient model when I was portfolio-building.  I think she was goofing around with this model-like pose, but it worked out amazingly.  I love the way the sun outlines her figure.

I love this shot from Mikayla and Chris’s backyard wedding.  I think it embodies the spirit of their wedding, where they broke out the champagne immediately after the ceremony.

The classic wedding shot: The Kiss.  I love this one of Lyndsey and Brennan for many reasons: the smiling officiant, the awesome tattoo, the glowing light on her back, her dress, the kiss.

I loved the bridal party’s gangster-style outfits at Steph and Steve’s wedding.  I love the way the hats make this photo and I couldn’t resist processing it in an old-fashioned black and white style.

Another couple of shots from Katie and Hannah’s joint senior portrait session.  There were so many amazing shots from this session.  I had a really hard time deciding which to blog about in the first place.  These are two of my faves.

I think this is actually one of my favourite shots of the year, aeshetically.  I love the way the light falls on Steph’s face as she braves the cold water at the base of the Goldstream waterfall.  It was quite dark by the time we got there, so this lighting was created by one flash on my camera and another being held by Phil above and to the right of Steph.

This shot is the result of me randomly snapping as Lyndsey and Brennan were moving from location to location.  I love how detailed the flowers look.

And one shot from my Ireland trip of the castle on the Cliffs of Moher.  Did you know you can get married in that castle?  If you do, please hire me.  This was one of the most stunning views I’ve seen in my life.

Here’s to a 2010 of many more beautiful photos, stunning brides and happy grooms, and meeting lots of amazing people.

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This is probably my favourite photo I took on the whole trip.  This was taken on the Monday of the last week I was there, on a tour with Barratt Tours to the cliffs of Moher.  I had the hardest time shooting the rows of cliffs with the bright sunlight and insane winds.  This is one of the few photos I took that actually came out as I’d intended it.  I think the biggest part of my love for this photo, though, is the memories.  I met some really interesting and friendly people on that tour, which was greatly welcomed with me being all alone in a foreign country for the first time.  And for the first time on that trip, I really felt relaxed and at home.

The next few images are from the tour as well. Below is a rocky shore on Galway Bay. Reminds me of a lot of the beaches on Vancouver Island. I loved all the similarities I found between Ireland and my current home in Victoria. It made me fall in love with my home a bit more.

This is the street I was staying on in Georgian Dublin. I rented a self-catering apartment at Latchford’s for a great price.  It was a nice, old building and the people were really friendly and accommodating.  I’m still a fan of those colourful Georgian doors.

The following photos are a waterfall in Iveagh Gardens, sort of hidden away north of St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin, and Hook Lighthouse on the south coast of Ireland.  I visited Kelly, one of my favourite people from university, in her new home in  Wexford, and finally met her Irish fiancé Simon.  Simon gave us some history lessons as he showed us around Wexford and other areas in the “sunny southeast”.  It was a lot of fun, and I didn’t take many photos because I was so caught up in catching up with my friend.   Now I wish I’d taken some portraits of the two of them.  Maybe if I can somehow get to Ireland again next year for their wedding.

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