London Ontario Photographer | 2019 Spring Blossom Minis

Ahhh, Spring Blossoms. The thing we photographers look forward to and dread, fawn over and despise. We love them, they are gorgeous and make for the dreamiest backdrop. They are also fickle, unpredictable, fragile and in high demand (picture 5 photographers huddling around the same Magnolia tree). But at the end of the day, we just can’t get enough of these beautiful blooms.

Today I’m looking back on last year’s Spring Minis, which coincided with the Magnolia blooms. (They don’t always, sometimes our date coincides with crabapple blossoms or redbuds - also gorgeous!)

I’ll be emailing everyone on my Mini Session Advance Notice List this afternoon (to get on the list, email sophie@rawfootagephotos.com, subject line: Mini Session Advance Notice) with info on the upcoming 2020 Spring Minis. Once the advance notice list gets first dibs, any remaining spots will be released over on the booking page until they are sold out.

It might be -15 degrees and snowy outside today, but Spring is right around the corner, pals! :)

London Ontario Family Photographer | Woodsy Family Session

This was such a fun family session. With family sessions involving adult children, it can sometimes be challenging to draw out candid expressions and help clients settle into unfiltered interaction. You’re not going to have dads swinging kids around and moms scooping them up to smother them with kisses. It’s a different type of dynamic, and often the adult kids feel a little uncomfortable, at least at first, posing and emoting with their parents in front of a photographer. It can be tricky to take these sessions from the “stand together, look and smile” starting point into more meaningful territory. Over the years, I’ve learned how to connect with adult families on the fly through conversation, and how to identify their unique dynamic - all of which leads to capturing more natural interactions.

This family in particular was extremely close and comfortable with each other, and as a mama of two girls I was particularly inspired by the connection between sisters. I had a blast getting to know them as we walked through the woods, and they’ve since gone on to print a whole bunch of these images to hang on their walls, which makes me the happiest photographer. :) Here are some favourites from this family session!

London Ontario Headshot Photographer | Bree's Downtown Lifestyle Branding Session

The great thing about a lifestyle branding session is the ability to incorporate different outfits, locations, and styles in the same session. Bree even included her adorable family for a few photos before heading out to explore downtown with me. We grabbed coffee, found a back alley staircase and took a stroll on a sun-soaked bridge at golden hour, all in different outfits. We jumped between professional, playful and lifestyle approaches and the result was a gallery full of different photos that tell the story of who Bree is as a person, as a business owner, as a mama. I feel like her bubbly personality really shines through in these images, and I am so happy to finally be sharing some favourites here on the blog!

London Ontario Headshot Photographer | Randy & eileen's Lifestyle Branding Session

I feel like a broken record saying this, but it is truly such an honour when another photographer trusts me with the task of photographing them. Randy and eileen (who prefers her name spelled with a lower case ‘e’, in case anyone thought I was consistently forgetting to capitalize it. ;) ) are an amazing husband and wife photography/videography team here in London, and I’ve loved getting to know them. These photos were meant to be branding photos for their new website, as well as document their sweet family. I’m sharing some favourites from their lifestyle branding session on the blog today!

London Ontario Family Photographer | Cozy In-Home Lifestyle Family Session

I have always loved in-home lifestyle sessions. They are popular as newborn sessions, but I love photographing families at all stages of life, playing and snuggling together in their cozy homes. This family in particular holds a special place in my heart. Meg was my midwife (twice!) and it is always such a joy to see her and her beautiful family again. This in-home session was so much fun, and the perfect mix of playful and snuggly. Here are some favourites from their shoot!

London Ontario Family Photographer | Heather, Eric, Iris and Walker's Downtown Family Session

I loved this fun downtown session! Call the Office is such a meaningful place for Heather and Eric and the story of their relationship, so it was great to incorporate it into their downtown family shoot. They definitely came dressed to match their cool surroundings, and it was such a blast to hang out with them. Heather is a fellow photographer that has been a mentor and dear friend to me, and it’s always an honour when I have the opportunity to help her document her own beautiful family. Here are some favourites from this session!

London Ontario Family Photographer | Tree Farm Mini Sessions

Tree Farm Minis open up for booking to the advance notice list tomorrow, which means it’s time to look back on last year’s sessions. I love these festive minis, and as always they will be the last minis of the year! Booking will open up for the public on the booking page on September 16th.

London Ontario Family Photographer | Fall Woods Minis

Fall Minis are officially open for booking, which means it’s time to look bak on last years Fall sessions in the woods. I don’t specifically plan my Fall minis around trees with changing leaves (They’re either way up high in a mature tree or on the ground, which means that anything other than a wide shot gives me a tree bark background - not my favourite ;) ). Instead I am a sucker for golden, overgrown grasses and Autumn wildflowers. I loves these sessions and cannot wait to be back in this same location for Fall Minis again this year.

London Ontario Family Photographer | Flower Farm Mini Sessions

Booking for this year’s Flower Farm Minis is opening up to the advance notice list in a couple of days, which means it’s time to reminisce about last year’s sessions!

I’d been wanting to shoot on a flower farm for awhile, and last year I was finally able to make it happen on Harris Flower Farm’s beautiful property. There’s nothing quite as vibrant and whimsical as a field of flowers, and I am so excited to be shooting here again soon.

Here are some favourites from last year’s sessions!

(To be added to the mini session advance notice email list, email sophie@rawfootagephotos.com, subject line “advance notice minis”.)

London Ontario Family Photography | Train Bridge & Greenhouse Session

This is the second blog post in a row that showcases a fun but chilly early Winter session that started outdoors and ended at the local greenhouse where we could warm up and take advantage of the beautiful lush backdrop. Parkway Garden Centre is one of my favourite places (both to shop and browse AND to shoot!) and they are always so gracious in letting us in to shoot when it’s chilly or raining! Here are some favourites from a shoot that started at a train bridge and ended at Parkway, and featured an adorable baby girl and her gorgeous dog sibling, too!