Earlier this winter I met a delightful young girl who’s an aspiring kid actor here in Winnipeg. She is full of smiles and joy and being with her totally brightened up my day! With her proud parents by her side, we went downtown to take a few headshots for her new portfolio. It was an absolute pleasure spending an hour with her and I wish her all the best in her future endeavours!
Photo shoots with the Broeskys are never short of epic – and their house has natural light and amazing visual interest that I’m SO in love with. Oh, and they love the camera and the camera certainly loves them! Bonus! Since their maternity photo session last June, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the baby photo session, and it finally came this past January. Introducing Smith – a kid that’ll make your heart swell! What a cutie! Like always, my time with them is always a ton of fun and I’m excited to finally share the photos from this photo session. Congratulations you guys – you make an absolutely adorable little trio!
*Thank you to Kara from HEM design for the beautiful bunting!
Some of my favourite family photo sessions are ones where I come over to a family’s house, hang out and take a bunch of candid and relaxed photos. Every happy home is different but they all have a few things in common: they are warm and inviting and it’s where a lot of the family’s most cherished moments happen. To me, it’s only natural that we would embrace the space and capture a piece of a family’s life with a fun photo session at home.
Danielle & Joël (one of my longest standing clients – they were one of the very first engagement couples I had!) have slowly been growing into a beautiful family. Last summer they welcomed the newest member of their family – the very adorable Ophélie. Her face just beams when she smiles! I had a lot of fun hanging out with them on a lazy Saturday morning. Here’s a peek into an ordinary day at their happy home. 🙂
*Thank you to Lace and Lavender for providing the beautiful lace backdrop!
My brother is getting married this year so that means I get to plan lots of fun photo shoots with them! Our first one happened tonight – it was a photo session for their save the date cards. Here’s a sneak peek with more to come soon… congratulations Erin & Patrick!
Yesterday my 2013 wedding season started with a fantastic couple: the ever-so-lovely Jane & Ivan! It was an honour to be a part of their beautiful wedding celebration. Here is a sneak peek from the fun that was had yesterday. Congratulations you two lovebirds!!
* * More photos to come soon – check my facebook page first for all the latest updates! * *
Around Christmas I had the chance of meeting up with one of my summer 2013 wedding clients for a lovely winter engagement session in Winnipeg. Although the majority of my engagement sessions usually happen in the summer or the fall, I always get a little extra excited about a winter engagement session. Winter in Winnipeg is beautiful, and they chose to do the session at the Forks which is where they had their first date! We started with some coffee at Espresso Junction and a few indoor shots, and then we headed outside for some beautiful (yet frosty!) photos. The sun was golden and these two are sooooo adorable together, so the cold hardly had any affect on the shoot! I had a lot of fun with these two – they are such naturals with their love and it translated super well on camera. No fake shots here, their love is authentic in its expression and it got me all the more excited for their August wedding!! They are an absolute delight to photograph… and the best is yet to come! Can’t wait!
Here are some shots from the engagement session, and if you’d like to take a peek at their engagement guestbook, click here to check it out!
Just before Christmas I had a lovely session with the B family! Everyone was home for Christmas, and with a new addition to the clan (and a very cute one at that!) the occasion definitely called for a photo shoot. And they didn’t settle for just any old indoor photo location… they decided to put careful thought into it and picked a place that held a lot of significance to the family. I was very excited about using this location – the beautiful St. John’s College Chapel at the University of Manitoba. It made for such a great backdrop for such a great family! I had a lot of fun with these guys – no shortage of jokes and laughter, and of course lots of hugs and love all around. Here are a few shots from our photo shoot…. enjoy!
Just before Christmas I had the great pleasure of meeting this little darling who was turning 1 year old! She is just about the cutest little girl ever, and I had so much fun getting her to pose for the camera. She definitely is a natural and loved being in front of the camera. My kinda girl! Gemma’s parents love her immensely and it was absolutely beautiful to see them as a new family, growing together in admiration and wonder. It seems like not so long ago Chad and I were beginning on that same journey, and when I get to photograph the same for others, it makes my heart so full!
Congratulations Laurie & Tyler – Gemma is such a little treasure!!
As we near Christmastime, the amount of multi-family photo sessions that I book skyrockets. It makes sense though – ’tis the season for families coming together! September and October tends to be a lot of the photo sessions with small young families playing in the leaves, and around November and December is when the large family groups come together for a big photo shoot. I especially love these types of sessions – more people equals more smiles and more opportunities for different combinations of photos! I love the variety and especially love seeing 3 generations all having fun together. Being in Winnipeg though, it’s cold, so we usually make use of large indoor spaces for large photo shoots like these. Level 3 Studios is a great place to rent for large groups and I especially love it for all its gorgeous natural light.
Another perk to this session was seeing Kara’s beautiful family again and taking pictures of her cute kids! Back in September we photographed her side of the family, and this time it was her husband’s family’s turn for a photo session. I’ve gotten to know Kara more in the last few months since meeting for our first shoot, and it’s been great connecting with her and getting a peek inside her creative world too. You probably have seen her bunting a lot in several of my baby photo shoots as of late…
Here’s a sampling from this last photo session with the Cooke Family – enjoy! 🙂
When I met up with this family last year for their family portraits, I took one look at all those smiles, cute faces and colours and I just knew it was going to be a fun session! It certainly was, but it was the little baby girl that really captured my heart! She is just TOO cute!! Needless to say, there was no shortage of fun and laughter, and it was especially sweet seeing the kids interacting together. They have a beautiful family and it was an absolute pleasure being able to capture these dear moments in time.
Merci à vous, c’était un grand plaisir!
Planning for an engagement shoot is always fun, but in the winter, it gets extra interesting planning for the cold and the short daylight hours. But it’s Winnipeg, and we not only endure the winter, but a lot of us embrace it. And that we did! Andrea and Rheal chose to head out to Assiniboine Forest for some escapades in the snowy woods. We even had their beautiful dog, Kieva, join us for the session. She loves running around in the snow and roaming free at the off-leash park, but most importantly, she loved the camera! But before heading outside, we first started with some photos inside a cozy café/bookstore – a little lesser-known place called Sam’s Place. If you’ve never been before, you should go! There are tons of books to choose from as well as delicious treats and hot drinks. The place means a lot to Andrea so it was only natural that we used it for the first part of the shoot. Assiniboine Forest was also used because it’s Kieva’s second backyard, a place they go for walks almost every day. It’s a gorgeous part of the city, and I’m glad we spent so much time exploring all its greatest spots. (we all froze a bit, but I think we all recovered and it was well worth it!)
Andrea and Rheal are absolutely adorable together – if you saw them, you’d agree. They have a comfortable love and a sweetness that totally shines. They also have a ton of fun when they’re together, and that was immediately apparent when I first met them. I’m so excited to be following them on this journey – first the engagement session, and next will be a beautiful wedding. It’s still just in the planning process, but I can’t wait to see it all unfold! It will involve a bunch of gorgeous locations and beautiful colours… and not to mention these two lovebirds! I can’t wait!
Congratulations Andrea and Rheal, only a few short months away…. 🙂
I’m one of the lucky ones who gets to follow great stories of love and affection. The story of little Oliver began with a belly bump, followed by an oh-so-cute newborn session, and the latest chapter of the story brought many more people into the picture with him. For a guy this small and cuddly he sure does have a huge entourage! Grandparents, uncles, aunts and bffs – everyone loves Oliver, and there’s no questioning why. With his big gorgeous eyes and killer smile, you can’t help but fall head over heals for this little bundle of joy! Thanks Sabrina & Scott for allowing me the privilege of following you guys on this new journey. I can’t wait for the next photo session!
(All photos were taken at the Hydro Building on Portage Avenue in November. Hence, the appearance of a few mustaches…)
Some of the best shoots are with people who’ve been long-time clients of mine, those whose biggest love milestones have made their way before my camera lens over many years. Courtney and Cole are one of those treasured people whose debut shoot was a winter engagement session at the Forks several years ago. The wedding came next, then a newborn photo session and now a 1 year old birthday cake smash photo session! And the star, of course, is now Gemma – their first-born daughter, cute as a button and the biggest sweetheart ever. The month was November, and a huge snow storm prevented our first scheduled shoot to happen… but we gave it a week, the sun came out and I finally was able to venture out to their house south of the city to see Gemma.
Amazing how much changes in a year! Gemma has grown from being a super cute baby to a delightful little girl – big blue eyes and a smile that just melts your heart. I set up a backdrop in their dining room and let Gemma have at it… and she sure did! With cute little chairs, her favourite books and finally a delicious over-sized cupcake all to herself. I took lots of photos and enjoyed every minute of it! Here are some highlights…
Happy birthday Gemma! 🙂
Whenever I’m not shooting, it seems like I’m just brainstorming ideas and daydreaming about my next shoot. The cold Autumn months will do that to a photographer, especially this last November as I was watching the warmer days quickly fading into the past… It doesn’t mean shooting in Winnipeg stops in the winter, but things do slow down a bit (especially weddings of course), and portrait shoots start moving indoors. I love doing outdoor winter photo shoots (and I have a few coming up to be featured on my blog!), but often us Winnipeggers prefer staying indoors as much as possible. Who can blame us?
Despite the change in season, a fellow photographer (and friend of mine) and I decided to venture outdoors to do a bit of location scouting before the first snow dump of the winter. We wanted to discover some of the lesser known corners of the city, places we don’t go to much but have always been curious about using. We started with an early morning stop at Parlour for a latté-to-go and then whisked off driving around the city. We went to several locations – some outside, some indoors, and some semi-indoor (covered parking garages!) and had some fun shooting each other. Some locations were duds, while others were pleasent surprises. What I look for in a great location is spectacular natural light (dynamic and multi-dimentional), but lately I’ve also been attracted to locations with clean, modern and geometric backgrounds. The best places, of course, are the lesser-known ones. Little unassuming treasures.
So here are some photos from our day-trip around Winnipeg. Thanks Aly for being a fantastic model – you made each location look extra nice! 🙂
Cheryl and Matt’s wedding has been well overdue to be blogged and today is finally the day! The 2012 wedding season was super busy for me, which means I had the amazing opportunity to witness so many beautiful weddings and so many intimate moments of shared love, expressed in the most significant of ways. I’m truly blessed to be a wedding photographer, and the sentiment was felt especially strong at Cheryl & Matt’s wedding.
Let me set the stage: it was late October, the air was cool and crisp in Winnipeg – but the sun shone, the remaining colours were still vibrant and the day held some sort of undescribable energy. Chery and Matt share something incredibly special, and I think something in the realm of forever shifted a bit. Everyone that was there must have felt it, and the least we could do was to celebrate alongside with them.
And celebrate we all did! Cheryl’s family and friends have an amazing talent for music and the church filled with beautiful melodies and voices. The ceremony was moving, especially because their community of friends and family is so intensely present with their love, support and prayers. All this presence definitely marked a path in their new journey together and it was absolutely inspiring to see.
The rest of the afternoon followed with photos at the Manitoba Hydro Building on Portage Avenue – not only on the main floor, but also in the upper floors of this gorgeous building. I especially had fun exploring these new spaces with my camera and had a blast taking photos of the wedding party in there! I have to say a special thank you to Cheryl’s friend who spent the time to escort us so that we could get such a great variety of photos. We also ventured outside to Waterfront Drive and took some lovely photos amongst the last standing colours in the trees. I have to say another HUGE thank you to the wedding party (especially the girls!) for braving the cold. Just for the record… I was wearing my winter coat with tuque and mits! It was THAT cold!
We finished the photos on the rooftop of the Malborough Hotel with them two alone. The timing was perfect – the sun was starting to set in all its bright goldeny splendor and Cheryl and Matt, despite the cold (and the many cell phone calls to organize details at the reception!), found a way to enjoy each other’s company, relish in their love and to just *be* with each other in the way that only they can. It was pure love, pure delight, pure togetherness… they are 100% fit for each other! And it definitely showed in their photos!
The rest of the evening was shared with lots of laughter, dancing and great conversation. I’m honoured to have been a part of it all, to have witnessed the joining of their lives as one and to have created images of it all. Cheryl and Matt’s love warms my heart and is a huge inspiration to see. They definitely ended my wedding season on a high note and I can’t wait for many more photo sessions with them in the future! Congratulations Cheryl & Matt – what you share is something special, and we all know it and are moved by it. Thank you for everything you shared with all of us on your wedding day!
Hudson was just a few weeks old when I met him at his home back in October. What an adorable little baby boy! This little guy captured my heart and it was an absolute pleasure meeting his parents and seeing them so in love with him. The early days are such a precious time in a new family’s life and I’m honoured to have been there to capture all the sweet moments. I also had fun exploring his nursery – his parents put a lot of thought and effort in the decor and I was totally in love with it! Here’s some photos from our session – enjoy!
Photography gift certificates are a common item that I sell so I decided last week that it was time I updated mine. I designed my new gift certificates as 5×5 double-sided cards and printed them on a thick eco-friendly bamboo cardstock. LOVE it. I also designed some fun round stickers perfect for sealing envelopes or sticking onto my cardboard CD sleeves. While I was at it, I also took photos of my custom logo stamp that I use on my cardboard CD sleeves too. I find photography packaging so much fun! The possibilities are endless!
October weddings are always quite special – the wedding season quiets down, the air gets crisper, the sun gets more golden and the landscape weathers beautifully. There’s romance in the air, and Joanna and Brent fit the beautiful setting perfectly! It was an absolute pleasure crossing paths with these two. They’ve got this rock solid love, a deep connection and a huge admiration and respect for one another. I was honoured to not only photograph their day, but also to be a witness at their wedding. They also had one of the best wedding parties ever! So much help, lots of love and support, and of course a ton of fun during the wedding portraits! I was especially excited about making the trip out to Carman for the ceremony. By the time we were ready for couple portraits around town, the sun was starting to set and the scenery was absolutely beautiful. I also have to say a big thanks to Joanna’s maid of honour for driving us around Carman in her husband’s limo – riding with style!
Here are Joanna and Brent’s wedding gallery – enjoy!
I’ve got to say that in 2012, we didn’t get much great weather during our very short Fall season here in Winnipeg. Yes, we still had our trees’ leaves turn into beautiful colours, but we also had a lot of rain and cold days. Not my favourite! But on the few days that were gorgeous, I managed to get out and photograph some pretty awesome people, and Ninh and Tom definitely topped the chart. These guys have so much class and elegance, yet they’ve got a fun, adventurous side and of course a rock solid love! I had fun meeting up with them at Assiniboine Park and taking advantage of the beautiful scenery. These two are so into each other and it made the session all the more fabulous. Here is a taste of our photo session – enjoy!
These guys have a little something special. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but in between the laughs, the cuteness, the togetherness and the warm, cozy love – there’s something that tells me that they’ve got something good. Real good. Isla definitely steals the show with her incredible cuteness… but Ashley and Matt have a love that also steals the show – it brings them together and it sure does look like they genuinely have fun together! But don’t let all the family stuff fool you – this was actually intended to be an engagement photo session! Of course, Isla is just as much a part of this duo, and now that they’re a trio, that’s exactly how our engagement (/family) session happened! We did get a few shots of these two lovebirds together, but we also had tons more with Isla too. Isn’t she the cutest thing in the world?!
I can’t wait for their wedding this coming summer. It’s going to be gorgeous, it’s going to be fun, but most importantly, it’s going to be THEM. And THEM is exactly what I love about these two! So stay tuned, it only gets better from here…
Meet Indira and Warren – an amazing couple with an immense amount of grace and love. I first met them last Spring and it wasn’t long before my heart totally melted for these two… they are so cute together and when they look at each other, the sparks definitely fly! It was such a pleasure being a part of their beautiful Autumn wedding. They had a gorgeous ceremony at the St. Boniface Cathedral followed by some fun photos with their wedding party at the Hamilton Building. The whole day was super relaxed and beautiful yet had so much class and elegance. Indira was definitely the focus of all of our attention with her infectuous smile and absolute radiance! It was so lovely to see Warren’s deep admiration for her – my camera definitely had a lot to take in!
Indira & Warren – thank you for letting me into your beautiful life of love. Your connection inspires me and the love and grace you have for your friends and family is worth more than words. I wish you all the best in your new life as one!
It’s the Dunsires again! I love the time of year when Candace and I photograph each other’s families… it’s such a great way to do an exchange of service not only for a fellow respected photographer but also a good friend. Her young family is growing so fast and it’s always such a treat being able to take photos for them. This year was particularly fun – the boys are a little older and super playful, and the added bonus was being able to do the shoot at their new house! They have a beautiful backyard (it feels like you’re in the woods!) and it made the perfect backdrop for such a lovely family. The boys are such a delight to work with – not only are they super cute but they’re also so well-behaved! (ok, there may have been some treats and bribery involved…) Nonetheless, these guys are so pleasent to work with and I can’t wait for our next session. Hopefully coming soon! 🙂
As a gift to her in-law’s, Sandra bought a photography gift certificate back in the Spring so that Loïc’s grandparents could have a beautiful outdoor photo session at his first birthday. Loïc’s birthday happens to be at one of the most beautiful times of the year so we totally lucked out with this gorgeous day at St. Vital park! Loïc is a super happy kid and his smile couldn’t have been bigger! I can’t get enough of him!! He loves his grandparents very much and it was such a treat being able to capture their time together. Here’s a peek from the session… bonne fête Loïc!
2012 has been a year that has been both fantastic and beautiful, thanks in full to all my amazing clients! I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities to meet new people and embark on their journeys of love and joy. It is a huge blessing being able to capture so many of these treasured moments and I can’t wait for many more in 2013! THANK YOU to everyone and have a happy new year!
Gabrielle Touchette Photography
What’s better than photos of the grandkids? Photos with the grandparents too! The grandchild-grandparent relationship is a super special one-of-a-kind bond. When everyone is together, smiles are big and the fun is endless! I love seeing it!
When Kelly contacted me about doing another photo session with the grandkids of the family (this time on her side of the family), I was thrilled to be getting the chance to photograph her boys again. I first met her two little guys over a year ago, and although they have grown a lot in that one year, they are just as much fun and just as photogenic as ever! Now we were adding some girl cousins to the mix, and the fun doubled! (as did the cute factor!)
We were lucky to have picked one of the last beautiful weekend mornings of the Fall. The air was cool and crisp, but the sun was goldeny warm, and there was ample room for the kids to run around and have fun in their grandparents’ backyard. I had so much fun with these guys and our time together flew by so fast! Here are photos of our morning together… enjoy.
This might sound cheesy… but after I spend a full wedding day with a couple they sort of come to take a special place in my heart. And that’s just what happened with Paula & Trevor! We first met on a cold November day last year, and their September wedding seemed so far away… but the day finally came, and although it was still quite cold, they definitely warmed my hearts! (aaaawww)
Despite the chilly air, they had a gorgeous day – the leaves in the trees were just starting to change colours and every location they picked added such a great look to their wedding photo collection. Paula was absolutely stunning – her dress was fabulous and her enormous bouquet (made by Floral Elements) definitely had the wow factor! The best part was seeing Trevor completely struck by her beauty – he couldn’t stop looking at her and kissing her – I loved it! His love for her is apparent and Paula definitely shines in his presence. They’re perfect for each other!
I was with them for 10 hours – from the getting ready photos all the way to the dancing at the reception. The fun never stopped and it was an absolute delight being present at their beautiful wedding. I’ve had fun making thank you cards for them and next up is their album design. I can’t wait!
Congratulations you two – I wish you nothing but the best for many years to come!
After a couple meetings with these guys this past summer I had a good hunch that they were going to be an absolute delight to photograph. And I was right – they are completely enamored with each other and their love is so sweet and super fun! Engagement sessions are a great way of getting to know a wedding couple even more and I definitely got a good vibe from them. I know their wedding will be an amazing day and I can’t wait to be there to capture it all! We will be taking a lot of their wedding photos in St. Boniface (my childhood home!) so that will add a lot of meaning for them as much as for me. We put together a solid photo plan for their wedding day, and I can’t wait to shoot it with them. It’s going to be fun!
It’s been great connecting with them this year and now I can’t wait to continue with more photos in 2013! Félicitations Chealsea et Justin – votre amour est un vrai cadeau et j’ai hâte de vous photographier encore une fois… à bientôt!!
September is a lovely month for weddings in Winnipeg – the leaves are changing colour, the air is getting cooler and the sun is a little more golden. There definitely was romance in the air and Rachel and Daniel’s wedding played out oh-so perfectly. Rachel was a radiant bride – always smiling, always elegant and ever so beautiful. Daniel was also grinning all day, and when these two are together, sparks fly! It was an immense honour being able to witness their marriage – especially since Rachel is a long-time friend of mine and being their photographer allowed me to experience their wedding in such a meaningful way. It was an absolute pleasure spending the day with their families and wedding party – everyone that is near and dear to them has a strong presence in their life and it was moving to see.
Congratulations Rachel and Daniel – the love you share is so beautiful to see and you definitely made a statement to all that was present! You are an inspiration and a blessing and I look forward to seeing your love grow in the many years to come!
I’m so thankful I got to connect with this lovely family back in September for a beautiful portrait session out in rural Manitoba! We met up at the gorgeous family home just outside of Carman with all the kids & grandkids, and we had a super fun time getting a good collection of family photos. The house and yard was absolutely charming – a truly picturesque property with a super old character home with loads of history! It was a pleasure meeting them all and a big thank you goes out to Kara for coordinating it all. It was nice connecting with her and I have since photographed her husband’s side of the family too! (Kara’s also the talented genius behind HEM Design – I’ve purchased baby photo props from her shop and they are absolutely darling!) I look forward to crossing paths with her again, and I’m sure there will be a few more shoots in the near future… stay tuned for that!
Lovely little Leyla made a long trip to Winnipeg a few months ago and in her short visit we managed to schedule a quick but fun photo shoot at the park with her mom and dad. I’m so glad we made the time for this session because this little girl loves being in front of the camera! With her big chocolate brown eyes and her wispy hair… my camera couldn’t stop clicking at all the many adorable facial expressions she was making. And the brisk September wind didn’t dampen her spirits… in fact, she seemed to LOVE the cold air! She definitely has some Winnipeg in her, and although she lives many miles south of here, there’s something in her that makes her tough enough to enjoy Winnipeg’s cool weather! Congratulations to my friends Angelina & Aaron for the most beautiful addition to their family – she is a sweetheart and I’m counting down the days until I get to see her again!
