When Cole first reached out to me, he was looking for some personal branding images to use for his resume-writing business. The main goal of the photography session was to update Cole’s online presence with photos that were casual, warm, and welcoming while maintaining a professional look.

When creating a new website for a business, your choice of images can’t be overlooked. As much as the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” gets overused, it’s incredibly important. People who find your page for the first time don’t want to spend too much time looking around - they immediately want to know: is this business going to provide the product/service they need.

It was a joy and a privilege to photograph my cousin’s engagement to her partner Andrew. Both have a strong love and connection to nature, so it was only fitting to find a location with plenty of it.

Pat and Amanda were complete naturals and a pleasure to photograph. With little guidance, they leaned into the intimacy of the moment as I documented all the excitement surrounding their next chapter together.

Marina and I connected over our shared love of photography. Luckily for me, she knows how to work both sides of a camera and made this shoot feel effortless.

We met up on a bright and sunny day and wandered along Toronto’s lakeshore looking for places to casually listen to music, read a book, and pose in front of graffiti.

Nye and I met working in a restaurant together several years ago.

During a shift together he talked about the bike repairs he did as a casual side business. He talked so passionately about working with his hands and the joy it brings him to do custom work for people. I immediately got ideas for this shoot and pitched the idea to him.

After quite a few months passed, we finally got together and spent an afternoon shooting these photos.

Summers in my late teenage years and early twenties were not exactly chalk-full of easy-going days. I spent many hours working for my mom’s cousin, Paul, most often hauling hundreds of hay bales through the heat and humidity.

Here we are, roughly 10% through 2023 already. I thought now would be a good time to update this space and look back at the first few weeks of the year.

A year ago I was in a completely different place. Although 2021 had plenty of roadblocks and lockdowns, I ended the year in a rough mental state and felt stuck. I didn’t feel like I had grown much or challenged myself enough. On a quiet New Years eve, I told myself that 2022 would be different. 

It’s been many years since I’ve been to Western Canada. I have a faded memory of the Canadian Rockies and the country’s west coast, so I’m grateful to have brought my camera gear with me for this trip

The biggest caveat was a limited access to nature and time, so taking my camera out became more of a chore. I still managed to get out once in awhile but it was not sparking the same enjoyment as it had initially.

Three days in the Swiss Alps gave me just enough time to enjoy some absolute peace and quiet. The mountains were calm and the sun kept me warm as I photographed the serenity surrounding me.

I love the mountains, but Toronto is severely lacking in that department. Whenever I get the chance to travel somewhere with these geological giants you can bet I’m going to spend a lot of time taking photos and pushing my lungs and legs a little more than they’re used to. The results - breathtaking.

Travelling through France packed an experiential punch in a short amount of time. Arrival in Paris was exhausting and rainy but had that mysterious quality that comes with arriving in a new place for the first time. Still, walking through the history and culture of the capital made for a great memory. The vast, symmetrical gardens of Versailles were eye-candy. Strasbourg’s quiet cobblestone streets made for one of the most beautiful evenings I’ve spent in Europe. Yeah, France just has it all.

Being a creative comes with so much self-critique that it can be hard to feel proud of one’s work. Many creatives I know (and myself) don’t give themselves credit for their accomplishments and often apologize for not upholding some standard of perfectionism that, realistically, cannot be achieved in something as subjective as art.

I suppose the rain and overcast skies that come with autumn in Canada lend themselves well to my creative flow. Unfortunately, these kind of days can also present an absolute creative block.