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Jill & Dan – A Vibrant Engagement Shoot!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010 Posted in Engagement, Photography

Energetic, fun, vibrant, stylish… these are all words that I use to describe Jill and Dan. They are the kind of couple that you easily fall in love with and can’t stop photographing. It was definitely the case with this “Extended Play” engagement photo session!

You may also notice that I love shooting well into the evening. By doing so, I am able to capture a range of playful and sexy imagery, spanning different lighting conditions and scenes. It really gives my couples a lot of variety in their images and goes well beyond the realms of a typical engagement session.

I am not able to post everything from the session right now (It’s kinda crazy here at the studio this week) so I will leave you with these awesome teasers. Be sure to come back for the main course later on! Please comment!

### UPDATE###
This stylish and cute engagement shoot has now been featured on The Wedding Co. daily news. Click here for more photos!

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by Jon - Union

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June 9, 2010 - 9:26 pm Jill - - Jon! I'm in love... with the pictures! We had so much fun with you last night. Can't wait to see the rest of the photos. Thank you!

Andrea & Chris – The Wedding – Kortright Center – Toronto

Friday, May 28, 2010 Posted in Photography, Wedding

The Kortright Center is well known to many who grew up in Toronto, as it was a popular destination for elementary school field trips when one was young. It definitely brought back a number of fond memories for me and it was nice to think that a beautiful wedding would now be added to them.

A winding trail through the forest, which led to a clearing in the woods, was the perfect setting for Andrea and Chris’ nature inspired ceremony. It was a very intimate celebration and was a nice change of pace from some of the larger weddings that I have been covering lately. It brought a lot of warmpth and energy to the event and made for a very relaxed day.

Thank you so much for having me at your wedding!

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by Jon - Union

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July 6, 2010 - 3:40 am singapore wedding photography - - These are really very beautiful.

Martha & Guy – Urban Engagement Photography

Friday, May 21, 2010 Posted in Engagement, Photography

I realize that I have been a little slow when it comes to posting blog content lately, so I am promising to push up a whole bunch of posts over the next week or so! Keep checking ;)

So why have I not been posting as much recently? Well, the wedding season is now well under way, with a number of shoots now behind me and around 50 or so still to go (combined wedding and engagement shoots – a fully booked season), so needless to say, things are a little hectic, but I am keeping to my promise of a three week turn-around for weddings and less than 1 week for engagement shoots. Not too shabby!

There are a whole bunch of other developments happening here at Union Photography, some that I can hint at and some that are top secret. One big thing is that the photo booth side of things is rocking out and was just accepted into Style Me Pretty’s Invite-Only, Little Black Book. Thanks SMP!

Back to photography, with this sweet little engagement shoot that I had with Martha and Guy, who just so happen to live in the condo right above my Downtown Toronto studio! It’s always great to have fantastic neighbors!

We started things off right at home, with a natural light shoot in the roof top penthouse. The soft evening lighting was just fantastic and I could have stayed there all evening. For the rest of the night we chased light and looked for interesting opportunities within the downtown core. I just love how the night transforms the city and lends in producing unique imagery.

I had a fun time! See you at the wedding (or just around the building)!

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by Jon - Union

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May 22, 2010 - 9:15 pm Brianna Phelan - - Gorgeous shots, Jon. I especially love the last two. Congrats on the little black book invite :)

Melanie & David – Toronto Engagement Photography

Friday, May 21, 2010 Posted in Engagement, Photography

I really love engagement shoots for the way that they allow me to connect with couples, make them feel comfortable and help them break down any walls that they may have when it comes to being in front of a camera. I had a fantastic time hanging out with Melanie & David for an evening and came out of the shoot with some fantastic and playful imagery that they will be able to cherish for a lifetime.

One thing that you will notice from these photos, is that my sessions are fairly long and can bridge a number of different environments and times of day. It allows me to provide my couples with a diverse range or imagery that is exciting, intimate and unique.

Thank you so much for spending an evening with me, Melanie & David. It was a pleasure working with the both of you!
I have to say that I am in LOVE with the last shot of you in your Toronto FC jerseys!

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by Jon - Union

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Jess & Jeff – The Wedding – Fredericton, New Brunswick

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 Posted in Wedding

You will notice that this post is lacking in coverage (mainly the entire ceremony) but It is with good reason.

Jeff and Jessica have been fantastic friends of mine for many years now, so when Jeff asked me if I wanted to take part in his wedding day and to be one of his best men I could not refuse. They didn’t have a photographer for their intimate and casual wedding (there were only 20 people), so I ended up capturing what I could from my inside perspective… and even organized a quick night shoot with them.

I believe that I did a fairly good job of covering things!



Congratulations Jeff & Jess (Jeffica) and thank you for having me up there with you!

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by Jon - Union

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May 12, 2010 - 8:14 pm Alaine Barrett Baines (Grammie) - - Jon, You are a true artist! We much enjoyed meeting you and your lovely young lady.

May 14, 2010 - 8:42 am Ian Baines - - Wow!

June 25, 2010 - 3:06 pm Julie whitlock - - Great work. You make freddy look good!!

Karen & Peter – Engagement / Lifestyle Photography

Monday, April 19, 2010 Posted in Engagement, Photography

Some days I just can’t wait to get to work. Yes. You read that correctly!
I have been waiting all weekend to post these exciting images from my last little Lifestyle / Engagement shoot, featuring this all-too-cute couple.

We managed to beat the weather last Friday as the rain and clouds lifted and treated us to fantastic shooting conditions all through the evening. Beautiful summer like light, a vibrant twilight sky and temperatures that were on the mild side. It was absolutely perfect for a quick trip to the park, followed by a stop at a few more industrial locations to add some diversity to the imagery.

Please comment away!

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Thanks Karen & Peter, for spending a fun evening in front of my lens! The next time I see the both of you, it will be as you walk down the aisle!

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by Jon - Union

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April 19, 2010 - 12:39 pm Emma - - LOVE the last two.....great job Jon!

April 19, 2010 - 1:15 pm Amna Hakim - - Wow I love these images! my fav has to be the one with the blossoms!! lovely! where is the last one taken, I love the art work on the side of the building!

April 19, 2010 - 5:21 pm Lauren - - LOVE this set! The different locations are fantastic

April 19, 2010 - 10:05 pm karen - - they're fantastic! WE LOVE 'EM! can't wait to see the rest!

April 19, 2010 - 11:50 pm Yung - - Love the framing and the choice of backgrounds. This couple is super cute!!! Can't wait to see more!

April 20, 2010 - 9:33 am Ventura - - Shots are awesome! Love the angles and colours - looking forward to seeing the rest :)

May 5, 2010 - 2:47 pm Brianna Phelan - - 1. Awesome location. 2. Great connection between the couple. 3. Love the framing of the 2nd last shot.

Laura & Sam – Toronto Maternity / Lifestyle Photos

Friday, April 16, 2010 Posted in Photography, Portraits

It’s always extremely flattering and quite the privilege when I am asked by other members of the photographic community, to capture the special moments in their lives.

I have known Sam & Laura for a few years now and they are one of the sweetest couples that I know! So when they brought me the news that they were going to have a baby, I just had to take them up on the opportunity to photograph some fun maternity photos that leaned on the side of lifestyle imagery.

I had a great time hanging out with the both of you for the afternoon and I can’t wait to meet the little one!

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maternity photos in toronto

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by Jon - Union

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April 16, 2010 - 3:26 pm Mark Kostel - - Hey Jon, these are super images...well done! When'r'we shooting Anna+Mark? :)

April 16, 2010 - 3:31 pm Erika & Ryan - - Awww Laura you look so beautiful!!!! Sam you look good too! I cant wait to see the follow up shoot! Nice work Jon! Love the edits!

Mary & Ed – The Wedding – Liberty Grand – Toronto

Tuesday, March 23, 2010 Posted in Wedding

The weather outside may have been fierce, but high winds and rain could not extinguish the fiery passion of Mary and Ed  - and definitely didn’t dampen the excitement they carried throughout their big day.

I was extremely privileged to have Mary & Ed as my first couple of the 2010 wedding year. Their positive energy, passion and commitment turned a dreary March day into a vibrant and exciting event for everyone who was lucky enough to be with them, either in person, or through a web connection on other side of the country!

The day started off at Mary’s family’s home, which was awash in beautiful natural light and was followed by a simple but beautiful ceremony at Transfiguration of Our Lord Catholic Church in Etobicoke (Toronto).

The magnificent Liberty Grand set the stage for their reception, with live music, great food and plenty of details – even a surprise performance by Ed’s band! Another hi-light of the evening were the scratch and win cards that Ed & Mary had custom designed as a centerpiece giveaway game. How unique and fun!

A big thanks also goes out to my second photographer, Ryan, who helped me out throughout the wedding.

Thank you so much for inviting me to capture the moments of your day Mary & Ed!



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by Jon - Union

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March 23, 2010 - 1:25 am Josie McCran - - Hi Jon, Thank you for these wonderful images of Mary and Ed's wedding day. We are all excited to see them. They are all lovely, fun and great! Loved the one of our 1950s step stool. That old yellow stool never looked so good! Great shot. And the one of our granddaughter is also a gem.

March 23, 2010 - 8:24 am Kat - - Jon....gorgous photos! Thanks for the teaser!!

March 29, 2010 - 3:02 pm Brianna Phelan - - Beautiful images, Jon. I've enjoyed looking back through your posts and seeing the way you capture the world. Fantastic!

April 6, 2010 - 9:53 am Toronto Wedding Society - - Jon, as per usual - amazing photos! Also, love that you shot at Union Station. Sweet - Anne http://www.torontoweddingsociety.com

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.

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by Jon - Union

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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!

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by Jon - Union

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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!

April 29, 2010 - 6:58 pm Veronique - - I just came across your website as I was looking at maternity photos - I don't even live in TO - but that second shot is just amazing.