For all you photographers out there who blog, here’s a question for you. What do you do when you have the most incredible session with someone? Blog, of course!!! I was inspired from start to finish photographing Alex. She is absolutely gorgeous and my camera loved her. So naturally, I want to blog all her footage … but I can’t do that. So, I’m going to show a few of my personal faves!
I photographed Alex’s brother Brendon last year after graduating from High School, so it only made sense to do it again for Alex. Last year, Brendon and I had a great time walking around the city (we wanted his session to be more urban in nature). This year, it was clear that we had to do something different. Something soft and pretty. Feminine. Fun. And more than anything else, something that showed who Alex is as a person.
Altogether now … Hi Alex!!! :)
Even though we didn’t want Alex’s images to look like her brother’s, we started her session in the same area. The cherry blossoms were out so it made sense to start our journey at Spencer Smith Park in Burlington. I absolutely adore walking around my city with my camera. There are so many wonderful spots that most people wouldn’t even think to use as a backdrop. For example, the image below was taken right at City Hall. It’s a big open space with a big ol fountain in the middle and some tables and chairs, but the white pavement and water made for a beautiful natural reflector at sundown. Along with the right settings, it helped to give Alex sparkly crystal clear eyes and soft dewy skin — something that is very much a part of my overall style when photographing portraits in natural light. And just look at her green eyes!
If you take two steps into the parking lot at City Hall …. there’s a gorgeous broken down fence that made for the perfect backdrop for .. well, just about anything! But it worked particularly well for Alex because I wanted to add dimension to some of her footage! Light is also extremely important to me when choosing where to point my lens. Remember, it’s not always about what’s happening in the background that makes the shot memorable. It should always be about your foreground (aka your subject). Because I shoot fairly wide, it often doesn’t matter what is behind my subject anyway.
Onto our second location … the beach! Burlington has one of the nicest beaches in the Greater Toronto Area. A little oasis, right in the downtown core, but tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city! Wait, did that make sense? Hmm, well hopefully you get what I mean. That’s one of the reasons why I love Burlington so much. You don’t have to travel far for peace and quiet. Although this beach is long, there are lots of quiet areas to avoid the crowd. And if you go on a nice day, the water is clear and inviting! Since we were photographing in golden light toward the end of May, it was a bit cold by the time we got down to the water, so we didn’t last long BUT we got some amazing shots. We had a lot of fun with these!
Alex, you were an absolute DREAM to photograph. You are a beautiful person, inside and out, and I’m proud to have taken these photos of you. I love that you’re into music and sports. You’re smart and so incredibly grounded, I know you make your parents so proud! I wish you nothing but the best as you venture off into the world this fall! Jane, I apologise in advance if this blog post results in a plethora of boys calling for your gorgeous daughter! ;)
I’ll leave you with one of my favourite photos. Ever. Until next time, Robyn xo
