Form submitted successfully, thank you.

Error submitting form, please try again.

Just For Fun – A Whole Wedding in 2.5 min.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 Posted in News, Photography, Uncategorized, wedding

I thought it would be fun to just play around and do something different today, so I exported all the frames (700 of them) from a wedding I had shot this past season to see what they would look like when stitched together in a movie clip.

One thing that I love about flipping through wedding day images like this, is how you can just feel the positive energy radiating from the photos in series!

Please forgive me for the rather basic editing and crude compression – I have never made a video before, but am learning quickly!

To see the images from Elisabeth & Ian’s wedding click here.

Tags: , , , , ,

by Jon - Union

show hide 1 comment

add a comment link to this post email a friend

February 22, 2010 - 5:04 pm Mihkel - - Hey Jon, lovely to see a slide show from you. Great image selections, but I think looking at the photos flicker so quickly can be a bit dizzying. I would recommend slower image displays and just a highlight of the day by showing fewer images.

Toronto Maternity Photography

Saturday, February 13, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized

I was elated when my good friend and fellow photograper extraordinaire, Varia broke the good news of her pregnancy to me and I was even more overwhelmed when she asked if I would like to do a maternity portrait session in my studio with her.

Having never really shot baby bumps before, I decided that I would use it as an experience to try something new and to do so with as little outside influence as possible. I wanted the photography to be simple, pure and powerful, without taking away from the beautiful nature of the subject. I also wanted it to reflect my own in-studio style, which is seen more on the commercial and portrait side of my business.

To add an extra element of sophistication to the photos, Varia booked the extremely talented Natasha Kudashinka to come into the studio and body paint her belly. It turned out better than I could have imagined. It’s just fantastic when all the elements come together.

If you are looking to do an artistic maternity session, do send me an email or call. It was such an amazing experience and I am looking forward to doing many more!

toronto maternity photographer
toronto maternity photos
baby photographer in toronto

by Jon - Union

show hide 1 comment

add a comment link to this post email a friend

February 16, 2010 - 2:12 pm Ryan Rowell - - I absolutely love the second shot. When you had shown me these after the shoot I was very excited for you, they are so well done and must make Varia very happy. Great work!

The Art of Black and White Wedding Photography

Thursday, February 11, 2010 Posted in News, Products & Services, engagement, portraits, wedding

For many years, black and white photography took a back seat to the advancement of color imagery, along with the vibrancy and excitement that it brought along. Some will say that B&W was never left far behind, but it is also true that much of the art in it’s processing was lost to the “Convert to B&W” tool found in many photo editing programs.

Hand finished black and white photographs can give your moments an nostalgic feel by simply removing the distraction that color can sometimes bestow on an image. You can feel the emotion, the romance and timelessness of the subjects. The effort of dodging (brightening) elements of a photo can bring out life and energy in a subject, while a light burn (darkening) can provide a needed separation from the background, enhancing texture and balancing the tonal relationships within.

Each photograph ordered through my studio receives this loving and detailed treatment. If a picture is worth a thousand words, those words should be spoken with clarity.

For 2011, every photo that leaves the studio will be receiving a hand finishing that includes retouching, tone adjustments and more. It’s my dedication to quality service and to the art that photography is.

Below is a selection of imagery from this past season, showing how proper, subtle editing can further enhance great imagery.

black and white wedding photography

toronto black & white wedding photography

black and white wedding photographer toronto

Tags: , , , , ,

by Jon - Union

no comments

add a comment link to this post email a friend

Mira & Kyle – The Wedding – Toronto – Beth Tzedec

Monday, February 1, 2010 Posted in wedding

Well, it’s the New Year and one of my resolutions was to keep on top of the blog. So far – utter fail!

But I do have the excuse of being super busy here. The photo booth has been a HUGE hit and has been occupying a lot of time, bookings are through the roof (only a few spots are left for this year) and I have been working on many little (and big) side projects, to fill in the gaps.

I do have a number of past shoots to post about though, so I will try getting to those over the next while. Stay tuned!

One wedding that I will post, is that of Mira & Kyle. I was actually second shooting this one with my good friend Catherine at Documentographer. She’s always fun to shoot with, as we collaborate and challenge each other throughout the day and it always leads to some spectacular captured moments. Our styles are slightly different, she is more organic and candid, while I really love posing people – it’s always great having different eyes.

Beth Tzedec Shul Toronto Jewish Wedding Union Photography

I started off the day with Kyle at the Hyatt in Toronto, where we grabbed a few shots before heading over to the stunning house at which Mira was getting ready. The ceremony, reception and other festivities all took place at the beautiful Beth Tzedec Shul, located in Toronto.

Beth Tzedec Shul Toronto Jewish Wedding Union Photography

Beth Tzedec Shul Toronto Jewish Wedding Union Photography

Beth Tzedec Shul Toronto Jewish Wedding Union Photography

Tags: , , , ,

by Jon - Union

show hide 2 comments

add a comment link to this post email a friend

February 3, 2010 - 1:17 am Varia Studio - - Great shots Jon!

February 3, 2010 - 9:38 am Brianna Phelan - - Great images - great storytelling.

Come see the amazing photo booth at The Wedding Show!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 Posted in News, Products & Services

Be sure to come by the Carlu for The Wedding Show this weekend to view the photo booth, which will be on display in the Sky Room.

The Wedding Show is Canada’s premiere wedding show and features some of the best vendors out there.

Need a little more incentive? Print out the coupon below to save $3.
wedding show coupon

The Wedding Show
The Carlu, 444 Yonge Street, 7th floor
Friday, January 15, 5-9pm
Saturday, January 16, 10am-6pm
Sunday, January 17, 10am-5pm

by Jon - Union

show hide 1 comment

add a comment link to this post email a friend

January 17, 2010 - 8:20 pm Dave - - Great to see your booth mate - it's awesome!!! Also, the blog header looks kick ass! Nice job : )

Listed as one of Canada’s most inspiring wedding photographers!

Thursday, January 7, 2010 Posted in News, Photography, wedding

First off, I have to say this. It is your passion, love and energy that ignites my creativity whenever I look through a lens.

I am extremely privileged to work with amazing couples on a day to day basis and as a result, I truly love every second of what I do (well, I’m working on loving the accounting aspect). It is this love that inspires me to work hard, innovate and crate imagery that reflects the beauty and passion within each and every one of you.

So thank YOU for inspiring me.

To see the full website article and to view all of the other inspiring work, visit the weddingbells.ca website.

weddingbells top 25 inspiring canadian photographer

by Jon - Union

show hide 3 comments

add a comment link to this post email a friend

January 7, 2010 - 6:02 pm Jeff - - congrats! You totally deserve it Jon!

January 11, 2010 - 10:35 am Girish - - Hi, Visiting your blog for the first time. Very nice photographs. So much ideas and so much to learn from. Very inspiring. Added your blog's rss feeds.

January 15, 2010 - 1:06 pm John - - Nice work Jon! Jo and I loved working with you!

Happy Holidays from Union Photography!

Friday, December 25, 2009 Posted in News

Christmas brunch is perfuming the air here and I am surrounded by great family and friends. It’s easily said that the Holiday season is one of my favorite times of the year and I wish to spread my joy with you all!

Just a quick note regarding my Holiday schedule :

For the first week of January, I will be down in Mystic, CT for Mystic 5, which is a series of workshops where some of the best photographers in the world gather to share their experience (and rounds of beer). You can bet that I will be walking away with many new ideas that spark new creativity for the 2010 year.

I will try to keep on top of the emails and phone calls, but please expect a delay of a couple days for most communications until things get back to normal on the 8th of January.

Best wishes for the holidays!

- Jon

by Jon - Union

no comments

add a comment link to this post email a friend

Photography Collaborations – Toronto’s Berkeley Church & Sudbury Ontario

Monday, November 23, 2009 Posted in Photography, portraits, wedding

Through the course of the wedding season I am usually quite busy managing my own weddings, but I occasionally have the opportunity to work with other photographers to create some truly fantastic collaborative work. I am not going to do full posts on these weddings, but thought I would toss up a few selects for you to enjoy!

The crisp fall air and changing leaves in Sudbury, Ontario provided the setting for a fantastic day and evening of celebration for Kate & Dave’s wedding. I was shooting along side the fantabulous Catherine Farquharson who had been climbing Mt.Kilimanjaro only a day prior and required me to be available as a stand-in just in case. It of course never came to that, as Catherine is a seasoned jet setter, so headed out to enjoy a fantastic fall shoot with a fun couple!

Sudbury Ontario Wedding Photographer Jon Thorpe

I Just LOVE red roses. The simplicity of Kate’s bouquet really set things off and I just couldn’t keep my lens off it!

red roses bouquet photographer union photo

Faye & Micheal’s wedding was shot with Dave, who is one half of Dave & Charlotte. The Berkeley Event Center was the setting and is a Toronto location that I truly love shooting at. It was my 3rd wedding captured there and the weather was absolutely perfect as was the ambiance of the venue.

Berkeley Church Toronto Wedding Photographer

One thing that I love about the Berkley Church is the combination of vibrancy and texture that all of the different hallways, rooms, nooks and cranny’s provide. I feel like I can shoot there 100 times and have a different feel and flavor each time.

berkeley church toronto wedding photos

Tags: , , , , , ,

by Jon - Union

show hide 2 comments

add a comment link to this post email a friend

November 24, 2009 - 10:35 am Emilie - - You did it again! Lovely... as always :)

November 30, 2009 - 9:24 pm s h e r r y - - These are gorgeous! I love the colours...

Autumn & Alex– The Wedding – Newtonville

Friday, November 20, 2009 Posted in Photography, portraits, wedding

I love weddings that take place in the country! It’s a fantastic break from the hustle of the city and the picturesque landscapes make for truly fantastic backdrops for portraits.

Autumn and Alex’s wedding took place on a cute little piece of property outside of Newtonville Ontario. I’m glad that they provided me with directions too – because the location didn’t even show up on Google maps!  Things started off inside the country home as Autumn prepared for the big day and then, for the ceremony, transitioned to a beautiful gazebo overlooking a pond.

I had my good friend Sebastian as my assistant photographer for the day and he did a fantastic job of gathering the details of the event. Thanks!

newtonville country wedding
I love the photo of Autumn spinning in her beautiful dress!! The flower details on her shoes also looked fantastic. Flats were definitely the smart choice, as the dancing was pretty intense later in the evening!

country wedding ontario

toronto wedding photographer
The afternoon light was just starting to soften up as we headed out for some quick portraits on a quiet side road. They both love their Sky convertible and I just had to squeeze it into one of the shots for a bit of play!

reception party photos
The mix of color temperatures really punched up the vibrancy of the above images. The pond made for a perfect reflecting pool with the mist just starting to dance across the surface.  In the last image, I am actually catching a guests camera flash – one of those unexpected treats that I sometimes get when sorting through the days images!

Enjoy!

Tags: , , , , , , ,

by Jon - Union

show hide 1 comment

add a comment link to this post email a friend

November 24, 2009 - 7:42 am Lianne (mother of the bride) - - We had such a perfect September day. With wonderful guests and a great photographer to catch the special moments. Thank you Jon for all the beautiful pictures and memories.

The Secret Project Unveiled…. booth

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 Posted in News, Photography, Products & Services

I have to say that I am extremely excited to be sharing this ’spilling of the beans’ with you right now!

For the past 6 months or so, I have been working on a secret project which has consumed nearly every spare second of my life and today is the day that I get to share the first tidbits of information with you. It all started off as a simple idea and skyrocketed from there. I wanted to create a classic photo booth with a very modern flair and not only did I want it to look sexy, but I also wanted its design to be influenced by my background in professional event photography.

And thus it was born – A photo booth created by a photographer. Simply and affectionately called ‘booth’.

toronto-photo-booth-rental
There will be more information coming soon and the website www.getthebooth.com will be the place to find all of the details as I release them. The booth is, as of today, available for pre-bookings for the Holiday season and it will undoubtedly be very popular with both weddings and corporate parties.

So stay tuned and please let me know what you think of the booth!

Tags: , , , , ,

by Jon - Union

show hide 4 comments

add a comment link to this post email a friend

November 4, 2009 - 12:10 am Mark - - That definitely looks very cool and stylish, Jon! The logo really suits it, too.

November 14, 2009 - 6:21 am andreas. - - smart, very smart. looks amazing!

December 3, 2009 - 1:06 pm ashlee - - wow!! the booth looks amazing! so many details! i definitely love that, at the end of the event, you get a USB with all the pictures!!! awesome idea jon!

January 13, 2010 - 9:57 pm Jonathon - - I can't wait to have this for our wedding! And to offer this to my clients. When do I get to see this puppy in person??