Home sweet home

Written by Daniel, with a little help from the talented (and pretty) Davina.

This past week has been nothing short of crazy. Despite our best attempt at taking a few days off, the stress of traveling caught up with us. From missing a flight, to lost luggage, everything that can go wrong at an airport, well, it all happened to us.

On the bright side, we got to photograph two amazing weddings. First, last weekend, with Pascale & Jean-Francois in the old port. Their wedding was one of the only two that we decided to shoot video as well – stay tuned for our samples coming soon. We also took the opportunity to offer something new: a photobooth-like setup which allows the guests to take photos of themselves throughout the night. And the results were better than what we expected. We will now be offering this service at every wedding at a cost of 200$.

(you can click on the images to make them bigger)

And a couple more from their wedding:

A couple days later, Davina and I headed to the Florida Keys for a few days off and a wedding on the 25th. After being delayed at customs, we missed our flight and had to find a new route down to Florida. We got onto a flight to Orlando and decided to drive the rest of the way down to the keys. We got to enjoy the very hot weather and the freshest seafood we’ve ever had.

Patty & Tom’s wedding was our very first one on the beach (although not our first destination one). Despite the intense heat, we managed to capture some great shots.

On the way back, we were delayed by our GPS which couldn’t find the car rental drop-off center, and thought we were going to miss our flight, yet again. Luckily, it was delayed, and we managed to get on. Amidst the chaos, we both forgot our sunglasses aboard the airplane – Davina had just purchased hers in Key West!
And well our luggage got lost, but that was to be expected seeing how things were going for us.

We are definitely glad to be home, and plan to stay far from airports for a little while!

First dates

Hello again!

Daniel and I have been given a short break from shooting weddings, allowing him to do some of his very in-demand commercial work and allowing both of us to meet with many couples for next year (by the way, a little housekeeping announcement: dates are going fast so make sure to contact us if you’re considering us!).

I can’t help but share with you the odd similarity the first meeting process has to a blind date: There are those who we meet who have been referred to by others, so they already know a little bit about us, already like the idea of us, and they’re a little influenced by the idea that someone close to them thinks we’d be very happy together. Then there are those who met us online so they know our profile well, but want to meet us in person to see if the chemistry’s right. But as we know, sometimes the people you find online aren’t how you had imagined them – and we’ve had a few of those too. These are the couples who expect us to be at least 10 years older than we are and question our experience. They judge our age and not our wisdom (or in this case, our portfolio) and at the end of the date, there’s that “good luck” handshake – an indication that there won’t be a second date! For the most part though, we do quite well on these first dates. Many of our suiters see the advantages of our age: we aren’t set in our ways, we have a new, fresh view on things, and we aren’t jaded by our jobs! You just might say that it’s love “at first sight”! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun…)

With this little two week break from taking pictures, I took some time to, well, take more pictures! My gorgeous little sister and I headed out for a fashion shoot where I let my imagination go a little. It was very different from shooting weddings candidly; there was more “do this, do that,” more edginess, and more pouting on the part of my subject! We had a great time though, and the results were fantastic. I posted a few of my favorites so you can see for yourselves.

Well, that’s all I have time for today. Daniel and I are heading to Florida first thing in the morning for a few days of rest followed by a beach wedding on Friday. I’ve never been to the Keys and I have yet to shoot a wedding on the beach so I am very excited (I’m also anxious to work on my tan, I have to admit)! We’ll be sure to catch you up – and show you some pics – when we get back! Until then!

Why we do what we do

After receiving this very nice email from a bride this morning, I decided it was time for my (Daniel’s) first blog entry. When it comes to photography, any feedback is good – but getting this type of review on our photos is what keeps us going. I have never been as good with words as Davina, so I will let this message do the talking. Shonelle & Delon got married in NY on July 3rd:

The pictures are sooooooooo perfect!!!! You guys did a superb job!!! You guys are the BEST IN THE WORLD!!!!!! We couldnt have asked for more!!! You captured so many moments that we did’nt even know existed and so many moments we want to treasure forever!! We will be needing you again!!! Thanks Again!!!

A few of my favorites from their wedding:

Beginnings & Endings

Greetings! It is with feeble fingers and exhausted brain that I write to you this evening! Just for credibility’s sake (and to legitimize my whining), I must mention that we have shot 17 weddings over the last two months and we are completely and utterly spent.

We have celebrated some major endings lately, both in our life and those of people close to us: my father’s retirement after 35 years, my little sister’s high school graduation, and my very last day as a unit coordinator at the Royal Victoria hospital (my student job for the last two and a half years). My sister’s prom marked the end of her high school years, but also had special significance for me as I had slaved away for the last month designing and making her oh-so-important dress. She wanted a look that was reminiscent of old Hollywood, and I think that I (along with some much needed help from my designer friend Carl Thompson) gave her just that. Oh, and see how patient Daniel (with our little dog Coco) passed the time while my sister was getting ready? No comment necessary, I think!

But of course, we also celebrated some important beginnings with the union of 9 couples since my last post. I could write for hours about all the amazing couples we had the honor of photographing, but alas, I must stick to just a few. There was Melanie who was probably the least stressed-out bride I’ve ever seen. She spent her pre-wedding time making egg-salad sandwiches for her family – in her veil, might I add!

Meanwhile, Joanna, whose wedding Daniel was shooting, was having a much more stressful time when she arrived at her outdoor reception site and discovered that it consisted mostly of wet mud. Guests got their shoes stuck in it throughout the night, but that didn’t stop them from having a great time.

Daniel and I headed to New York city for a not-so-relaxing week, meeting clients and shooting yet another wedding. Shonelle and Dellon got married in the evening – when the lighting was perfect! – in a very emotional ceremony. We got some truly amazing shots from this wedding (if I do say so myself!) that we’ll be posting on the website shortly. We’re currently Photoshopping machines, but as always, we’ll never take more than a week to deliver their photos!

Finally, I must mention the blast I had at the wedding of Donald and Elena just yesterday. While Daniel and Marlon shot another wedding, Frances and I felt more like guests than hired photographers! The fellow guests were so much fun and insisted that we dance and have drinks with them – which we eventually did! Being the professionals that we are, however, this didn’t stop us from taking some great photos. Most of all, I appreciated the trust and faith they had in us and our creativity. I must say, I do my best work when a couple does not question me or my fellow photographers, just enjoys themselves and lets us capture the day as it unfolds. After all, isn’t this the very reason you hire us and not a traditional, portrait-type wedding photographer?

Until next time!