Pieces of me.

Character....

.....Character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you.

Great summer weekend. Hope it treated you well.

xo

She. He.

If you're lucky enough to find this....it needs to be written down.

Love these two.

xo.

W.

Hot and steamy....the day after.

Shayna & Mark trashed the dress in Mexico. It was memorable in so many ways. We had the beach to ourselves for the most part, until the Mexican workers gathered to stare towards the end of the steamy session. Mark lost his ring in the ocean. The chemistry was obvious. I love these sessions because the stress has diminished, the couple is relaxed and the photos are magic. Here are my favourites:

Love you two! (Can you believe they have three kids???)

xo

W.

Memory Makers. Problem Solvers.

I've learned in the short time that I've been shooting weddings that our role is much more than just taking a photo. In the age of digital where everyone thinks they can do our job, it seems we are constantly trying to justify what we charge and all that is involved in wedding photography.

As many of my colleagues can attest, we are much more than photo takers. We are memory makers. We are storytellers. We are workhorses with hustle. We are firefighters. We are problem solvers. Often times, we are the only vendor present from morning until evening so anything that falls out of the realm of our job, often lands on our shoulders. I'm willing to bet there aren't many photographers who say "that's not my job" because we truly care and want their day to run smoothly, even if indeed, it is not our job to run errands, sew loose buttons, be the time keepers, counsel and calm crying family members, tie ties, fill in for the missing makeup artist, grab drinks for the wedding party, toast to the bride and groom, stay past our hired time, and overall just take on the responsibility of telling the bride and groom that everything will be okay. Even if we have to do it ourselves.

I remember reading an amazing article by the wonderfully talented Elizabeth Messina on the importance of feeding your photographer. Read the article here.

This past weekend I was second shooting a Greek wedding and my time was no longer required during the speeches. I was told afterwards that the hired photographer and myself were thanked in the speech and I couldn't believe I missed that. A thank you goes a long way and I realize so many people are thanked that we as photographers are often overlooked. Usually the caterers and the hall and many other vendors are included in the speeches but for some reason (and I don't take it personally), we have yet to be thanked in a wedding speech. And we work our butts off from morning until night and for many weeks leading up to the wedding, and many after. We work in inclement weather conditions and often times without even taking a small break the entire day. We have learned to survive thirst and have grown large bladders.

We love our couples and have made lifetime friends with them so this is not a disrespectful post towards them (especially since they show their appreciation in so many other ways afterwards) but merely an eye opening experience for those who think that wedding photographers simply show up and snap photos.

It's so much more than that.

And with that being said, here is a mobile upload I took at this weekend's wedding where the wedding party brings in a pig, the guys dress in wigs  and play musical instruments and the guests throw money in. What a wild evening!

Thank you everyone for an amazing time and Melissa & David, enjoy your time in Hawaii!

xo

W.

Be nomadic.

I stopped to ask where the washroom was and then I walked away. Something stopped me in my tracks. I turned to Michael and said...why does that woman look so familiar? In an unusual fashion, my feet turned around and started walking themselves back over to her. She must have thought I was crazy, she just told me where the washrooms were.

I looked at her. Do I know you? She scanned my face with intense scrutiny. Wendy? she asked aloud.
She worked at a resort where we were married and later we would find out was the manager of photography services...her boyfriend at the time was the one who got me inspired by photography and he took our wedding photos!

I asked her how she remembered my name. We were in a totally different resort years later. She said that she follows my photography and never forgot our wedding.

Ruse (pronounced Russ-ay) is an inspiring woman. She is edgy, covered in tattoos and piercings although you would never know it in her uniform. She has her MBA and is working in a prestigious part of the hotel chain, travelling from country to country. She let us know if we needed anything to ask her bellboy to take us and he surely would. We returned to our room one day to find a lovely fruit basket and a note.

She is single, inspiring and loves life. I had to share her post yesterday. It was pure magic with words.

Ruse, I am so thankful we met. Wherever you are in the world next, I am certain we will meet again.

Love,

Wendy

Don't settle down and sit in one place. Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon. You are going to live a long time, it would be a shame if you did not take the opportunity to revolutionize your life and move into an entirely new realm of experience. You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only or principally from human relationships. God has placed it all around us. It is in everything and anything we might experience. We just have to have the courage to turn against our habitual lifestyle and engage in unconventional living. ~ Ruse

Swoon!

I'm sorting through thousands of photos from the past three weddings I have shot. I love when such thought and detail goes into making a day so special and personalized. This room at White Oaks was filled with gorgeous swoon worthy decor and these flowers were everywhere. This wedding will be submitted to a few publications for sure.

Swoon!

When a naked person offers you a shirt.

My writing has taken a beating these days. Partly because photography takes up most of my time but also because I haven't drawn upon any personal or new experiences to write about. I haven't put pen to paper, errrr, fingers to keyboard in some time. I've felt that part of me missing. In the height of wedding season things are fairly chaotic. It's a mad rush of excitement and hustle and social belonging, and then there are nights when I deliberately seek out the peace and quiet to revel in my thoughts and recent experiences.

Last week I was getting my hair done and having my usual  heart to heart with my hairdresser. We got to talking about friends and trust. She recently had her heart broken by a friend who was not being good to herself and not being careful with other's hearts. She was saddened by her friend's behaviour and decided to end the relationship. What's that saying, she asked? You are who you hang around.

I have always been attracted to people who deep down I think I can help. Since I was a little girl, my mom said I would choose the most troubled kid in the class and bring them home to dinner. Even in the men department, it took me 30 something years to finally accept that I was worthy of good treatment.

I recounted a recent scenario to my hairdresser about an acquaintance I reached out to. She had called me late at night to come over and was in tears. She poured her heart out to me about a mistake she had made, to which I immediately consoled her with the fact that I too had made mistakes. And I gave specific examples. Which were then thrown back in my face at a later time. This is where I apparently fail. My hairdresser told me that I am trusting and honest and not everyone deserves those qualities. Over the waft of bleach, I mulled this thought over for a while. But how else can you show someone that you understand? You know when you are going through a difficult time, and someone tells you they understand, do they really? How can they understand if they haven't been through it? When we were in Mexico, I met a family from Ohio. The mother couldn't understand why her 22 year old daughter could not get over this abusive 2 year relationship. I asked her if she had ever been cheated on, to which she replied that she was still married to her high school sweetheart. Of course she couldn't understand. How would she?

So how do you go forward? Listen with open ears and never share your own experience? Isn't friendship give and take? There are many takers. They will call you when they need something. Listen to your own troubles to make themselves feel better. Complain about the same people they will happily use. And never, ever offer anything in return. These are the people who never ask how you are doing, reciprocate invitations or share their hearts. They just take, point the finger when the relationship ends and move on to the next friendship or neighbourhood, never once accepting the fact that there is a common thread amongst their failed relationships.

I'm far from perfect. Fuck no. I've had indiscretions and made mistakes and when the finger is pointed at me, I really stop and analyze what is being said, even if it stings. Growth and development and higher learning is never a bad thing. But the older I get, the harder it is for me to really open up and trust people. Almost every relationship has some sort of falling out at one point or another. But it's interesting and hurtful when it comes to the demise, because true feelings are lashed out and it makes you wonder....were you being fake with me this entire time? I almost wonder if we would be better off to have a fight right away, because once we seem to make up, there seems to be a new respect level. New boundaries are set and you know where each other stands and accept people for who they really are, rather than who you wish them to be.

Sometimes new beginnings are a good thing. It sometimes takes one rotten apple to spoil the whole bunch. If you remove certain personalities, sometimes the dynamics can suddenly change.

That's life. I'll end today's post with a quote by Maya Angelou. It's food for thought on a Wednesday morning. Someone who doesn't first love themselves could never offer you the same.

Be careful out there. It's a vicious world.

Love,

Wendy

Tristan Thiago!

A week ago, Tristan Thiago was welcomed into the world by his adoring family! Congratulations to all on a beautiful baby boy. Here are some photos from yesterday's Burlington session.

Love,

Wendy

The Boys of Summer

My husband's photo was featured on the cover of a magazine and if you click on the link and scroll to pages 82-87, you'll see a spread on him! Such a talented writer and now, food photographer. I love you Michael! Big things in store for us this year.

xoxo

http://issuu.com/foodiecrush/docs/foodiecrush-summer-2012?mode=window