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!

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)!

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!

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!

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!

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.

Last week was a very rainy one, but I was lucky enough to have Tyler and Kristy brave the weather for a quick little engagement session out at some of my favorite Toronto locations, including the brickworks and the financial district.

Enjoying some time together while hiding from the rain

We found a few funky murals to play around with… Bee mine?

I always love reflections!

I can’t wait for the wedding on the water this coming weekend. It is going to be absolutely fantastic!

We ended up heading out to do a little street shooting up in the Yorkville area of Toronto. It’s a fantastic area that has a little bit of everything, including boutique shops, open air art installations, some fun architecture and plenty of quieter areas that yield great photographic opportunities!

I am looking forward to the wedding!

We actually broke the shoot into two days due to inclement weather and a theater manager who was out of the loop on a booking request we had made (it happens!). On the first day we headed off to one of my favorite indoor spots in the city – a beautifully maintained set of greenhouses which provides a nice break from the cold, wet and generally unfavorable late winter weather.

On the second day we headed off to a local movie theater complex for a quick 5 min shoot (strobist style!). We had to be speedy with things, as it was a busy afternoon at the downtown location and we had to be in and out before the next movie started rolling! Once the film was in the can, so to speak, we headed back outside and were greeted with a blast of balmy (for spring!) air! It made for a great afternoon of shooting with a great couple. Thanks Jenn & Jeff!

For the sake of mixing things up a little, I decided to process most of this set in black and white to give it that classical and timeless feel. I really love hot the tonal ranges pop out when the images are properly processed (vs. just doing a B&W conversion).

Enjoy!
- Jon

It’s simply amazing what can be captured within an hour when you have a couple that is fun and ready for adventure! The tandem bicycle is actually my ‘gallery bike’ and made a great prop for the shoot. I have to thank Kate for putting it all on the line, as Taylor awkwardly pushed forward on his first attempt at maneuvering the purple beast!

It was great fun photographing the both of you!

- Jon