Creative Wedding & Portrait Photography

November 21, 2010

Jenn and Alex’s Intimate Muskoka Wedding

Filed under: Weddings — Tags: , , , — johnbrisbane @ 7:10 pm

The couples who book us to photograph their wedding tend to have several things in common… they love photographs, and they want wonderful images that will stand out from others.  Jenn and Alex were very much like that. From the first time we met it quickly became clear that their wedding photographs were extremely important to them.  I also sensed that they would be willing allot time and energy to allow me to work with them to create some great images.  This proved to be true.  The wedding was in September, at Delta Rocky Crest on Lake Josesph, in the heart of Muskoka.  I have photographed numerous weddings at Rocky Crest and love the wide range of backdrops available on the property.  Instead of the usual ceremony on the dock Jenn and Alex chose to have their service beside the small lake at the back of the resort underneath several tall pine trees. This was a perfect setting for the small, intimate wedding they had planned.  

Jenn got ready in one of the resort’s well appointed suites and we got some great pre-ceremony shots of her and the rings.  

The Canadian Military plays a big role in Alex’s life so he chose to wear his armed forces uniform for the ceremony and for some of the post ceremony images, then he changed into a suit for the later part of the married couple alone for the first time, shots and reception.  During some lulls in the action during the reception we made a couple of excursions out into the dark and used some great, lowly lit parts of the resort property for some dramatic low light images.

Bride, Delta Rocky Crest, Muskoka, Parry Sound wedding Photographer

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November 4, 2010

Mary-Lyn and DJ – Married at Parry Sound’s Stockey Center on a wild and stormy day

Filed under: Weddings — Tags: , , , — johnbrisbane @ 10:03 pm

Mary-Lyn and DJ have been in love with each other for many years.  Although they now live in Barrie, they have strong ties to the Parry Sound area and they had planned for their early September wedding to be on the back deck of the Stockey Center.  During our walk about a few months earlier we had selected a number of great Georgian Bay shoreline locations for post ceremony images.

As it turned out the day of Mary-Lyn and DJ’s wedding we had one of the wildest rain and wind storms in years.   The wild weather required that the location of the wedding and the post cermony shots be changd to inside locations but it did nothing to dampen the strong feelings these two have for each other.

When I connected with the girls, while they were in the later stages of getting ready, it was clear that the strong wind and rain could not put out the sparkle in Mary-Lyn’s eyes.  The ceremony was held inside the Stockey Center’s large performance hall/reception center and then we went up to the second level and balcony area to get shots that captured some of the atmosphere and passion of the day.  Part way through the reception, the rain and wind stopped for about 15 minutes allowing us to slip out side and get some, after dark shots of DJ and Mary-Lyn with the Big Sound in the background.

Bride portrait Parry Sound photography

kissing bride and groom Stockey Center Parry Sound ON

a Bride and Groom kissing Stockey Center Parry Sound

wedding party at Stockey Center Parry Sound

bride and groom Stockey Center Parry Sound

a Bride and Groom in Balcony Stockey Center Parry Sound

a bride and groom kiss after dark Stockey Center Parry Sound

a Bride and groom after dark Stockey Center Parry Sound

October 25, 2010

Butterflies & Blueberries – Ashley & Anthony’s Muskoka Wedding

Filed under: Weddings — Tags: , , , — johnbrisbane @ 10:32 am

One of the weddings I shot in August was Ashley and Anthony’s amazing wedding on beautiful Lake Joseph, in the heart of Muskoka.  The ceremony took place on the waterfront of Ashley’s grandmothers cottage property at near the top end of Lake Joseph.  The setting was awesome, with lots of rocks, water and pines. To top it off Blueberry Island sat just off shore in front of  the cottage, providing a great addition to the setting.  At the end of the ceremony the wedding party released monarch butterflies.  One took a fancy to Ashely and decided to stay around. It spent a good half hour with Ashley and even took the boat ride with us out to Blueberry Island where we did the wedding party and couple alone shots. 

When I had done the walk about with Ashley and Anthony about 2 months earlier we had selected a number of spots on Blueberry Island that would have some meaning for the couple and would also provide an great backdrop.  I knew the site would be great, but also challenging so I made arrangements with Kate Flesman to give me an assist for the day.  Kate, was great, as usual.

We were lucky with the weather.  Although it had rained in the morning and while Kate and I were driving out to the site, the rain held off throughout the ceremony and shoot on the island and started again just as we were pulling into the boat house. 

During the tail end of the dinner, and just before the speaches got rolling I snuck Ashley and Anthony out to the water front and we got some great shots in the late evening light.  After the dinner and speaches, Kate and I shot the first part of the dance, which took place in the room on top of the traditional muskoka boat house.

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October 12, 2010

A Muskoka Wedding – Barb & Kevin married at The Rosseau – AJW Marriott Resort

Filed under: Weddings — Tags: , , — johnbrisbane @ 8:48 pm

One of the weddings I shot in August was Barb and Kevin’s wedding in the heart of Muskoka, at The Rosseau – AJW Marriott Resort.  We had originally planned to start the day at Barb’s parent’s cottage on Lake Rosseau where Barb and the girls were to get ready and then travel via muskoka launch to the resort.  The morning of the wedding was pretty wet so the girls opted to get ready at the resort, so that’s were I caught up with them.   Luck was with us and the sky’s cleared just I was approaching the resort.

The wedding took place on the resort’s well manicured lawn overlooking Lake Rosseau. After we did the family shots, Barb, Kevin, their great wedding party, and I used a wide range of backdrops on the resort’s large property to get some interesting images of the couple with their wedding party, and alone for the first time, as a married couple.  

The reception was held in one of  the resort’s great halls.  The hall was flooded with the light from hundreds of candles and looked amazing. 

I shoot a lot of weddings and receptions and this couple received more accolades from speakers at their reception then any I have ever documented.  Clearly they have touched many lives.

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a muskoka wedding, AJW Marriott Resort, Red Leaves - Lake Rosseau, KS-560

October 7, 2010

Nicole & Glenn – Engaged in Killbear Park!!!

Filed under: Engagement — Tags: , , , — johnbrisbane @ 2:08 pm

In July I had the pleasure of working with Nicole and Glenn.  Glenn had contacted me several weeks earlier and had shared his plan to propose to Nicole while they were visiting Killbear Provincial Park in July.  We made plans for an engagement shoot a few days after the proposal was to happen. 

A few days before the date we had selected for the engagement shoot I got a call from an estatic Glenn saying that Nicole had accepted and that they were looking forward to our engagement session.  A few days later, I met with Nicole and Glenn at Killbear Park and we made our way to it’s striking shoreline. 

These two are clearly in love with each other  and as we worked our way through the shoot I learned that the day of the proposal, Glenn had asked Nicole to get up before the sun rose. They then paddled in the dark, out to a small island, just off shore from Killcoursie Campground.  As daybreak came and just as the sun rose, Glenn asked Nicole to marry him!  Glenn clearly has romantic soul!  Their “special island” is in the background of some of the images below.

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October 1, 2010

Lorraine and Nathan – A Parry Sound Engagement Shoot

Filed under: Engagement — Tags: , , — johnbrisbane @ 8:02 am

Lorraine and Nathan are from Hamilton but have strong ties to the Parry Sound area and Lake Shebeshekong.  We met at Lorraine’s family cottage on Lake Shebe early one evening in August for their engagement photo shoot.  We  did a range of images along the steep and well treed shoreline near the cottage.  Then we headed off by boat with their two best friends, and future maid of honor and best man, to the famous Shebe jumping rock, further down the lake.  We got some nice light and a great wind that added to the chemistry that these two clearly share. 

Both Lorraine and Nathan are big time Toronto Maple Leaf fans.  They have friends who also recently got engaged and who wore their Habs jersys in some of the photos. Not to be outdone we worked Lorraine and Nathan’s Toronto Maple Leaf sweaters into some of their engagement shots.

Later this fall I will be building a custom designed sign in book for this great couple using some of the top pics from their engagement session.

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September 28, 2010

We’re growing!!! A new studio, new cards…

Those of you who follow my blog and facebook page know we have recently opened a southern Ontario studio in Cambridge to help us better serve the Southern Ontario market.  We will be continuing to have a strong presence throughout the Parry Sound – Muskoka region through our studio on the shores of  Georgian Bay, near Parry Sound, while using the Cambridge studio as our base for Southern Ontario.   

 The new Cambridge studio has nice high ceilings, tons of storeage, and awesome natural light.  As well, it has lots of room to display our ever expanding portfolio, a great office space, and a wonderful room for client consults.  To reflect these changes we now have a toll free number for Canadian and USA based clients 1-877-942-1661 and new business cards.  The back and front sides of the cards are shown below.  Our e-mail contact is info@bayshorephotography or john@bayshorephotography

Bayshore Photography serving Parry Sound and Cambridge

Bayshore Photography Parry Sound and Cambridge studios

September 26, 2010

Jess & Ryan are getting Married!!!!!

Filed under: Engagement — Tags: , , , — johnbrisbane @ 9:24 am

One of the couples I worked with in August was Jess and Ryan.  We got together for their engagement shoot on the shores of Georgian Bay, a short distance from my studio. It was early one evening as the sun was settling down a bit casting some nice rays across the water.  We started out at a sand beach not far away and then moved to a different location with some of the granite outcrops that are so charactisitic of the Parry Sound-Georgrian Bay area. 

Once we got some of the initial warm up shots under our belt Ryan got right into the swing of things and we got some nice images of these two and the passion they share for one another.    Jess and Ryan have two lovely dogs that are a big part of their lives so during the tail end of the session we worked them into some of the shots. 

I won’t be shooting this couples wedding next summer, as I was already booked for another wedding on their date,  but I had just finished designing a custom sign in book for these two using some of their favourite shots from the engagement shoot, so a part of me will be with them on their wedding day.

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a Parry Sound Engagement Kissing

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an engagement parry sound georgian bay with dogs

September 23, 2010

Lauren and Scott – From England with Love

Filed under: Weddings — Tags: , — johnbrisbane @ 9:56 pm

In July I had the pleasure of working with Lauren and Scott on the shores of  Trout Lake, near North Bay.  Lauren grew up in Canada, dreaming of life in London, England and Scott grew up in London, England, reading Jack London and dreaming of the wilds of the Canadian north.  As fate would have it these two met at a museum in London, England.  Lauren had to London to teach school.  Scott is also a teacher and vice principal, with impressive Oxford credentials.   Their shared interest in history and education quickly lead to  friendship and love.

Lauren contacted me during the summer of 2009 and we handled all the arrangements via phone and the Internet.  I was able to do a walk about of some sites when I was in the North Bay area this spring on some business so when we met for the first time, on the day of the wedding, we had a good comfortable feel for each other, how the day would unfold and some good locations for post ceremony shots.

The wedding was a strong mix of who’s, who from the education world, as Lauren’s parents are both university profs as were many of the guests.  Scott’s brother, who looks like he could be from a James Bond movie set, family and friends brought a strong English flavour to the event. 

Education being central to their lives, Lauren and Scott had a school bus come after the ceremony and we used it for ride and a series of shots before heading off to a nearby forest and creek for some wedding party and couple alone shots.   A storm arrived just as the reception was well underway and provided some dark, dramatic skies so when there was a bit of down time part way though the dinner the three of us slide out to get some shots of the newly married couple on top of the boat house just before I left for the drive to Parry Sound.

a north bay bride and groom

a groom & best man, brothers, North Bay

a Bride & Groom laughing North Bay

a bride & groom, teachers, school bus, North Bay

a bride and groom kissing North Bay

a wedding party in forest North Bay

a wedding party North Bay

Bride and groom playing, North Bay

a north bay wedding party

a bride & groom, north bay

September 19, 2010

Courtney & Parry are Married!

Filed under: Weddings — Tags: , , — johnbrisbane @ 7:51 pm

I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Courtney and Parry several times over the past year.  We did their engagement shoot in Killbear Park last fall, then I built a custom sign in book for them, and earlier this summer we had an awesome time shooting their wedding celebrations.  Courtney got ready in one of Parry Sound’s great bed and breakfast’s near the waterfront, then we did a “First Look” session before the church ceremony.  We had scouted out a spot a few months before and Parry waited there at a designated time, then Courtney got positioned so that Parry couldn’t see her until she stepped from behind a fence… I shot while Courtney peeked around and then stepped out into Parry’s view for the first time.  The look on both their faces was incredible.   Afterwards we did a number of shots of just the two of them, along the edge of the Sequin River just as it passes under the impressive railway bridge and out into the Big Sound.  Then we were off to the church for a wonderful ceremony, followed by a great photo session along the rugged Georgian Bay shoreline.  Finally we headed over to the Stockey Center for their reception.  All in all it was an awesome day… great weather, great couple and lots of  great chemistry.

a first look, parry sound wedding

A Groom's first look at his parry sound bride

Parry Sound wedding bride and groom

a Parry Sound wedding cermony

Parry Sound  Married couple

A bride and groom in love, Parry Sound

Parry Sound wedding bride and groom, black and white

a bride and groom over look the big sound in Parry Sound

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