pamela and dustin. married. edmonton wedding photography.

There are a lot of things that I want to say about how special Pam and Dustin's wedding was. Not only were they surrounded by their friends, family and a community that clearly loves and supports them but some of the details of the day blew me away and had me holding back tears. Pamela and Dustin's son, for one, who couldn't stay far from them at any given time. He marched right up onto that stage to be beside his mom and dad while they got married (until he fell asleep and Grandpa had to come get him - SO CUTE!!). Then after one of the final blessings at the end of mass, Pamela's grandmother started singing - a jaw-dropping, hauntingly gorgeous song in their native language. The crowd's voices slowly chimed in and the basilica was filled with the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. Again, deep breaths in order to keep my eyes dry. Later, during the reception, I had the incredibly tender privilege of capturing the couple as they watched their slideshow - a slideshow that ended honoring Pamela's Dad who had passed away. The crowd smiled, laughed and cried together - It was beautiful. Pamela had really thought a lot about her dad when planning this day and it was so evident, special and full of honor and love. She incorporated a locket with her Dad's photo into her bouquet and gave me the privilege of photographing it alongside the ring that her Mother had been given when she married her Dad. These are the things that change each wedding for me - not the exact items necessarily but what they mean and the love that comes with them that gets integrated with a couple starting a new chapter of their lives together. It's so special and it's not lost on me how much of a unique privilege my job is. Thanks, Pamela and Dustin, for sharing your love. Here are just a few of my favorite shots from Pamela and Dustin's incredible day.  Feel free to check out more of my wedding work here and shoot me a message if you're looking for someone to capture your own love <3

Props to Sweet Bliss Weddings who did a killer job with the wedding planning and to Fabloomosity for the gorgeous florals.

nicola and matthew. married. edmonton and area wedding photography.

This past Saturday I had the amazing privilege of photographing Nicola and Matthew as they committed their lives to each other. I already seen a glimpse of how beautiful their love is when I met them and when I photographed their engagement - their wedding showcased it even more. Both their ceremony and reception were held out at Nicola's parent's acreage out near Nameo and we had sooo much fun taking advantage of the stunning, photo-worthy locations nearby. Have a look at a few of my favorites from this gorgeous wedding below. You can check out more my weddings here and, if you're looking for your own wedding photographer and think we might be a good fit, shoot me an email and we'll chat!

lauren and alvin. engaged. edmonton engagement photography.

Lauren and Alvin were so much fun to photograph a few weeks ago! They chose to have their engagement session around the Royal Alberta Museum and it was lovely. They also were game to let me play around with some new lighting techniques and I'm so pleased with the results! Check out a few of my favorite shots from our time together and then hey, while you're here, check out some more of my engagements and weddings! Shoot me an email, too, if you think I could be the right fit to capture YOUR love!

chelsa and ben. married. edmonton wedding photography.

What an amazing honour it is to be able to be with people on one of the most meaningful days of their lives to capture their love! Chelsa and Ben's wedding was so lovely, intimate and special. They had their ceremony and reception at the Union Bank Inn and had gorgeous details to compliment their day (Chelsa handmade the origami flowers in their ceremony floral arrangements!!). Check out a few of my favorite shots from our time together on that chilly April day! You can check out more of weddings here and shoot me an email here if you think I could be the perfect fit for photographing YOUR love!

alora. my second shooter. my friend.

Back in 2011, my second year of business, I put out a plea on a local women photographer's forum looking for someone to second shoot with me at what was sure to be an incredible wedding (check it out here).  Up until this point my uncle, a math teacher and photography/yearbook instructor, had been shooting my (first few) weddings alongside me.  He made the bold and exciting decision to move his family to Nairobi, Kenya, and up till then I had no idea how to go about finding someone to shoot weddings with me.  So I put out my request.  I promptly got a message from Alora.  She sent me a link to view her portfolio (which was gorgeous) and I agreed she should come shoot with me.  Due to circumstances I can't recall, Alora and I weren't able to meet prior to the wedding so, on the morning of the wedding I was excited when I got a knock on my door.  Imagine my surprise when a teenager, 16 years old, stood there with gear in hand. And that's where it began.

I'm 10 years older than Alora but that doesn't matter in the least.  What began with my random request turned into a beautiful pairing and an incredible friendship.

A second shooter has many roles (at least when they're shooting with me).  They're there to catch different angles from my own, look for candid moments in between the organized shots, carry my gear, hold my light, fix the bride's train, carry the bouquet, look for crooked ties, help me stay organized, keep me calm, listen to my concerns and, in Alora's case, even help pull me together during a few tearful moments (shooting a wedding, though so incredibly joyous, can be a bit stressful at times).

Alora has done all that and more with me and for me.  But the girl has wings.  She's moving forward in her own business and pursuing her own dreams in her career and, as sad as it makes me to not always have her with me when I work, I'm also pretty thrilled.  Although she loves weddings and is so skilled at them her real passion lies with photographing couples in general as well creating gorgeous, ethereal portraits.

Alora has shot a lot of weddings with me and will be shooting a few with me this year as well (maybe I'll be able to snag her a few times in the next few years, too).  Regardless of how much we work together in the future I wanted to let the world know how much I love this girl and to send her lots of e-hugs.

Check out some shots I took recently of this awesome gal and then head over to her website, too, to check out her mad skills (maybe give her a "like" on her facebook page, too)!

lisa and john. engaged. edmonton engagement photography.

Lisa and John are in love and it's pretty ridiculously awesome to see. I met this couple this past winter during their wedding consult and immediately knew I wanted to photograph them so I was thrilled to shoot their engagement session a few weeks ago and can't wait for their wedding this fall! Have a look at a few of my favorites from our recent time together :) You can check out more of my engagements here and my weddings here. Feel free to shoot me a message if you're looking for someone to capture YOUR love!

tina and tyrel got married. second shooting for christine wills photography.

I LOVE changing it up and second shooting for other amazing photographers when I get the chance so I was stoked when I was able to shoot for Christine Wills Photography at the Enjoy Centre back in early March. Check out a few of my favorite shots from the day! You can also check out more of my work here and here (might as well since you're here already, right?) :) In the market for your own photographer and think I could be the perfect fit to capture YOUR love? Shoot me an email here and let's chat!

cc and dylan. married. edmonton wedding photography.

I had the great privilege of photographing another beautiful couple last week. CC and Dylan chose to have their wedding on Wednesday, April 2 to commemorate (and keep) the anniversary of when they first became a couple (actually an awesome idea, eh?). With the help of Sweet Bliss Weddings, an Edmonton wedding planner, they had a gorgeous wedding to complement their ever-growing love. Loved it. Have a look at a few of my favorite shots from my time with CC and Dylan. In the market for your own wedding photographer? Check out more of my wedding work here and feel free to shoot me an email if you'd like to chat!

nicola and matthew. engaged. edmonton engagement photography.

Nicola and Matthew are getting married next month and I LOVED getting to know them more at their engagement session. We went to Hermitage Park on that day not so long ago that tricked us into thinking the weather would be gorgeous from there on out. The sun was shining and we took full advantage of its warmth <3 Have a look at some of my favorites from our time together. Check out more of my engagement sessions here and then shoot me an email if you're looking for someone to capture YOUR love :)

elaine and kevin. married. edmonton wedding photography.

Elaine and Kevin's small, intimate ceremony was the perfect way to kick off my 2014 wedding season! They chose to have a civic ceremony with just family present but still included some beautiful traditions. One of my favorite things about photographing weddings is getting to see how different cultures celebrate and I was definitely holding back tears during the tea ceremony as both sets of parents gave their blessing to the couple. Have a look at a few of my favorites from this beautiful wedding. Since you're here feel free to check out more of my wedding work here and if you're in the market for your own wedding photographer and think we might be a great fit together you should shoot me an email :)

pamela and dustin. engaged. edmonton engagement photography.

Although my wedding season is just kicking off now I've thoroughly enjoyed being able to connect with some of my 2014 couples during their engagement sessions. Pamela and Dustin are one of those gorgeous couples; beautiful, kind and in love. Awesome. I can't wait to photograph their wedding in June. Check out a few of my favorites from our time together. You can also check out more of my engagement work here and my weddings here. Feel free to shoot me a message if you're looking for someone to capture YOUR love <3

erin and martijn. engaged. edmonton engagement photography.

I was pretty stoked when Erin messaged me last year about photographing her 2014 wedding to her sweet Love, Martijn. I know Erin from when I was her junior counselor at a camp about 15 years ago as well as from her sister being a bestie of my cousin (and one of her bridesmaids [see pics here]; I just LOVE when the world seems so small that way, you know??!). Erin and Martijn chose Hawrelak park for their engagement photos which ended up being the perfect choice for this chilly winter session. Have a look at a few of my favorites from our time together as well as more from my wedding portfolio here. Feel free to shoot me an email if you're getting married this year and think I might be a good fit as your photographer!

things that rock my world. lottie-da designs...and a killer giveaway.

Being a small business owner myself, I've become a pretty big fan of promoting small businesses, specifically the business owners themselves - people whom I've met, whose work ethic I've seen, whose character speaks just as loud as their product. Enter Jaymie from LottieDa Designs. Okay, okay, I have a side motivation for being stoked about this small business - Jaymie is my sister in law. Not only have I fallen in love with my new sister (HUGS!!) but I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I first learned that Jaymie made bridal jewelry. Jaymie started LottieDa after she couldn't find anything for her own wedding that fit the style and quality that she was looking for in bridal accessories. I've looked around in my own fair share of bridal shops in the last 10 years and I have yet to see ANYTHING that matches the quality and all-around gorgeousness that LottieDa offers.

I've been singing Jaymie's praises for a while now and have been thinking that I wanted to do something to help more of the world know of her awesomeness. Hence, this blog post about another thing that rocks my world :) PLUS.....Jaymie gave me a pair of earrings to GIVE AWAY!!! In order to enter to win these earrings you need to comment on this blog post! That's it!! I'll be randomly selecting the winner from everyone who comments in early March so go ahead, share and comment!

These are the earrings up for grabs:

Check this out, too: All of my 2014 brides will be recieving a coupon code for a discount on anything in the LottieDa Designs Etsy shop! I happen to have a fair bit of availability left for 2014, too, so shoot me an email if you're looking for your own wedding photographer and think we might be a good fit. You can check out more of my wedding work here :)

Have a look at a few more selections of Jaymie's work below and then check out her entire shop here!

Gorgeous Drop Earrings:

Stunning hair combs and pins:

One of a kind hairpieces:

Beautiful and unique necklaces:

penny and tony got married. a hotel macdonald wedding. edmonton wedding photography.

I had the privilege of photographing Penny and Tony this past New Year's Eve and it was awesome! When I had iniitally met with Penny she told me "There's going to be A LOT of Irish people (aka Tony's family) there so it's going to be a realllly good party!" which indeed it was. Penny was stunning and incredibly calm; no frantic worrying or anything like that - just pure excitement and a readiness to marry her Love. Lots of laughs, lots of love and lots of dancing - the day went off without a hitch. This is the first wedding where I had almost no natural light for 90% of the day and where 99% of the day was indoors (I did pull them out into the freezing cold around 11 pm for a few quick shots). If you've followed my work before you know that the majority of what I do takes place outdoors with tons of natural light which obviously isn't an option in the middle of the winter/when the sun is already set.  Thankfully, I was up for the challenge of incorporating some new flash techniques and, with the help of my incredible second shooter/assistant extraordinaire (Alora from Alora Marie Photography) we rocked it out!

Have a look at just a few of my favorite shots from this awesome New Year's Eve wedding and then, since you're here already, check out more of my weddings here!

I still have availability for 2014 if you're looking for a photographer for your own wedding so feel free to contact me here and we can chat!

swept. an edmonton bridal experience.

Ok folks, listen up! If you follow Aeris Photography on facebook you may have seen a few posts I've recently shared about something incredible: SWEPT. SWEPT is a brand new, innovative, inspiring bridal show experience that you WANT TO ATTEND!! :)

*photo courtesy of Erin Walker Photography

Have you ever attended a bridal show before? You know the kind where you show up to an agricom, pay your fee and make your way through a crazy herd of people strolling by hundreds of booths and filling your plastic bag with pamphlets, free pens and magnets, entering draw after draw in hopes that you might win anything from anyone. Yah, those ones. Nothing wrong with shows like this but have you ever walked away more uncertain than when you walked in? Erin Walker, my pal, photografriend and the creator of SWEPT can relate. Read this excerpt about where Erin got the idea for SWEPT:

"[SWEPT] started out as a tiny idea, way back when i first attended a bridal show with a friend a few years ago. i expected the event to be like a wedding….i thought it would be beautiful, i thought i would leave inspired and pampered and instead i was left wanting more. the bridal show was just another trade show. there was no special atmosphere, and it felt like everyone was just trying to hand me pamphlets and sell me things. no matter where i looked in edmonton, there was no experience like the one i was hoping for at a bridal show.

fast forward a couple years and i was working in the wedding industry myself. i’ve learned more about the wedding industry from being a part of it than i ever would have seen at a bridal show! i’ve realized that some of the best and most creative moments i’ve had in my photography career have been collaborating with other creatives. the florists, planners, and designers we have in this city are unbelievable! working with other artists is inspiring, and it pushes me further in my own creativity.

realizing that creativity fuels creativity brought me full circle back to my experience at the bridal show with my friend years ago. what if we could create an experience where wedding vendors could collaborate and be creative, and brides could experience an over-the-top gorgeous event that would inspire them in planning their own wedding. this is where the idea for swept was born."

So here's what SWEPT looks like:

Enter a gorgeous venue (Edmonton's Royal Glenora Club) and get swept into an experience:

*photo courtesy of Erin Walker Photography

The Beauty Room - Be inspired by all things beautiful. Have a look at gorgeous gowns, get your groom measured for the perfect suit, have a look at some gorgeous hair and makeup looks for the year and get pampered by some of Edmonton's finest beauty professionals. Ask questions and receive answers from some top names in Edmonton's wedding industry.

The Inspiration Room - Get swept away by details! Floral arrangements, perfect tablescapes, gorgeous stationary...browse and breathe deep while sipping champagne and dreaming of your special day!

*photo courtesy of Erin Walker Photography

The Sweet Room - A room every bit as scrumptious as it sounds. Come taste, dream and chat with cake designers.

The Groom Room - A room for the fellas. Get your man inspired in his own right by learning about signature cigars, the perfect beer to suit his taste and more!

It gets better! Have a look a some of the AMAZING vendors participating in SWEPT:

• Poppy Barley
• Atmosphere Weddings
• Delica Bridal
• Hub Cigar
• Special Event Rentals
• Style Cakes
• Alley Kat

and so much more!!

So I can tell you want to come, yes?? Yes. SWEPT is taking place on Sunday, January 26, 2014. Tickets are pre-purchase only so get them now right here while you're already dreaming about it! Enter the coupon code GORGEOUS and get $5 your ticket!  Even more awesomeness??!  I'm giving away two free tickets!  To enter to win visit my Aeris facebook page, share the SWEPT promo post and comment beneath it OR share this blog post on your facebook page and message me to tell me you did it!  Winner will be chosen randomly on Monday, January 13!

While you're dreaming of your wedding I have to of course give a shout out to Erin Walker Photography so check her out! Along with shooting my own weddings I've also had the pleasure of second shooting for Erin and you can have a look at some of my own shots from weddings I've shot with her here, here and here! Both Erin and I still have availability for 2014 so give her a shout here or contact me here if you're looking for a photographer to capture your fabulousness!

things that rock my world. dani press.

I've been debating for some time adding a section to my blog for things that rock and so voila! Here's edition one! Since I started my own business I have come to have a new, fairly profound respect for small business owners. Owning and running a business is hard. Making a living from your own business takes a long time. Putting a service and/or product out into the world is daunting and incredibly personal and so, when I see a small business/small business owner working their butt off - pouring their blood, sweat and tears into their dream - and then seeing that they have the drive and work ethic to commit and see it through well then, I get excited. I want these people to see success because not only are they awesome people in their own right but their products are amazing as well!

Meet Dani. I went to school/church with Dani growing up although I'm a bit older than her so we weren't in the same circles. Regardless, we know each other. She's one of those people that I've had the privilege of creeping on via facebook for the last few years and I found it super cool when I found out she started her own stationary business, dani press (and here she is applying her hustle to the best darn indigogo campaign in her efforts to raise $10,000 to get dani press spread around the world - check it out!!).

Dani's a globe-trotter with a dream to keep people connected, inspired and motivated all through the power of words and getting that little something special in the mail.  Her cards are amazing and I can guarantee you they'll make you truly think and stir up memories about each exact person you could envision sending her cards to. If you love sentiment, thoughtfulness, non-cheesiness and most of all, people, then you should consider investing in dani and her kick-butt business. As if her work doesn't stand on it's own dani press also sends a percentage of every card sold to support These Numbers Have Faces, a charity organization that promotes leadership and entrepreneurship training and gives university scholarships to students in Africa.

Have a look at just a few samples of Dani's awesome work below and then head on over to danipress.com to stock up on some cards of your own. Own a shop? Contact Dani here to see how you can get her awesomeness in your store!

*all photos courtesy of danipress.com :)

Since you're here you're probably thinking that both dani press AND Aeris Photography are awesome so check out some more of my own work here and shoot me an email if you're also awesome and think our awesomeness should combine at your wedding! :) :)

exposure compensation. tips for photographers. edmonton photography.

Quite a while back I received the question "What is exposure compensation and when do I use it?" Exposure compensation is an adjustment you can choose in camera to either add or subtract light in spite of what your in-camera meter is telling you is "correct exposure." Your camera's internal meter indicates the light your camera is reading from your surroundings/subject. Have a look at the tiny little "screen" up near your finger dial or look through your viewfinder and press your shutter half way down as if you're focusing on your subject. Your meter looks like this:

So now take your camera and focus on your subject of choice. If your exposure is "correct" then the little ticker/rectangle marker should be directly under the "0". If you are shooting in an automatic or partially automatic mode (A-automatic, TV - Time value/shutter speed priority, AV - Aperture value/aperture priority) then your camera is doing the work to 1) determine how much light is in your "scene" and 2) decide which combination of factors (*ISO, aperture, shutterspeed) to use to allow only the "correct" amount of light in to result in a "correct" exposure. So your camera will do whatever it needs to do to get the ticker under the "0". *Automatic mode will choose all 3 factors for you. In AV mode you choose your aperture and your camera automatically adjusts the remaining two factors. In TV mode you choose your shutter speed and your camera automatically adjusts the remaining two factors, hence these modes being partially automatic as your camera is still making 2/3's of the decision of what to do.

Here's an example using my little stinker, Denny, as a model:

Top photo: underexposed by one stop.

Middle photo: "Correct" exposure.

Bottom Photo: overexposed by one stop.

The "correct" exposure in this image is actually really great which happens in situations where light is closer to "ideal".

An example of when to use exposure compensation would be shooting outside on a freezing cold, white-with-snow, Edmonton day like today! Let's say you have your friend standing in front of you outside and there's snow on the ground, snow on the trees, snow everywhere.... If you have your camera set to an automatic/partially automatic mode then your camera looks at the situation (all the snow) and decides "It's so bright!!!" and therefore decides that it needs to let less light in in order to obtain the "correct" exposure (ticker right under the "0"). So, with your camera making the decision then guess what will happen! Your "scene" will be darkened to the "correct" exposure and your friend standing in front of you will be underexposed. Now if you use exposure compensation to tell your camera to overexpose the situation by a Stop or so (a Stop is a measure of light...one stop would be moving your ticker from the "0" to the "1") then even though your camera is still choosing the settings you've told it to expose one stop brighter by default. A little confusing, I know, but hopefully the concept makes sense. Setting exposure compensation varies among camera models so have a look in your camera's manual (or google it) to see how to set your specific camera.

Have a look at an example where I chose to over-expose in a snowy environment:

Ok, now I need to clarify: I NEVER use exposure compensation. I 100% believe that it's not worth having an amazing DSLR camera unless you shoot in Manual mode. Manual mode allows you to choose and control every single thing about your camera in order to achieve the affects you want. Again, it's my personal opinion, but I'm the photographer so I should be calling the shots. I don't like my camera choosing what it wants so I've invested a lot of time in learning how I get to tell my camera what to do. The same concept of exposure compensation can be utilized when shooting in manual it's just that I'm the one deciding when and where to manually bump up (or down) my exposure to get the look I want. The couple's snowy photo above?  The "correct" exposure on the left had their faces too dark due to all the "brightness" detected in the surroundings so I simply over-exposed manually for the situation :)

Have a question you'd like answered in a blog post?  I'd be happy to do my best to answer your photography queries!

susy and chris. engaged. edmonton engagement photography.

I was so happy when Susy and Chris contacted me earlier this year about photographing their wedding in 2014. I photographed them once before after they had their sweet little son as well as photographing Susy's sister's wedding several years ago. This family has been so incredibly supportive of me in my crazy business venture (THANK YOU!!). Have a look at some of my favorite shots from Susy and Chris' engagement session this fall. Can't wait for their wedding next July!!

And here's a few of their family all together <3

If you already have your coffee in hand you should probably stick around and check out more of my engagements here :)

Think we could be a good fit for your engagement and wedding photography? Shoot me an email here and let's chat!

velvet and pete. in love. edmonton couples photography.

A few months ago I received a facebook message on my Aeris page from a local woman, Kerry, who had a few questions about photography and photo editing. I noticed (via facebook creeping) that we happened to know a lot of the same people which, along with talking about photography, opened up other avenues of conversation. Kerry has a start-up story similar to mine (she started learning photography due to the intense desire to have a hobby) and I found that a lot of her questions were quite similar to the questions I had a few years ago. Now I by no means claim to be a master of photography (maybe when I'm 90?  I love to think I'll keep learning and growing for the rest of my life!) but I was more than happy to meet up and chat/get to know her/swap stories/etc. We ended up setting up a time to meet and photograph together. Kerry found a beautiful couple, Velvet and Pete, to model for us and we spend some time chatting, posing and photographing their love. Thanks, Velvet and Pete!!!

**Shout out time: Velvet is an Arbonne consultant in Sherwood Park and Edmonton. I'm an absolute convert to their anti-aging skin care line (seriously, after using it for a few weeks I had 3 people tell me my skin looked "radiant" and "glowy") so feel free to contact Velvet to set up your own Arbonne party at velvetg@telus.net :)

Here's a look at some of my favorite shots from our time together!  Check out more of my couples photography in my engagement and wedding posts!

stephanie and scott got married. second shooting for erin walker photography.

I thoroughly enjoy second shooting for my photografriends when I have some weekends off from my own weddings and am always thrilled when my friend, the talented Erin Walker from Erin Walker Photography, asks me to shoot with her :).  I was even happier when I found out who was in the wedding! I knew Stephanie and two of her bridesmaids from back in the day when I went to Taylor University College and, knowing what I know, I KNEW these girls would be laughing the whole day. Not just giggles either - if you know these girls you know their laughter is a lot larger than that - laughter straight from the gut, you know? So here are a few of my faves from this wedding - See if you notice what I'm talking about. Sit back, relax and feel free to peruse more of my weddings here as well as Erin's site here :).

Like what you see?  Shoot me a message and we can connect regarding your own wedding!