After a couple of very cold nights up in Shenandoah National Park, Charlotte and I decided it might be time to head toward the beach and thaw out. (I must digress to warn anyone who plans to take a road trip, that you should check the night time minimum temps, not just the daily highs).

We got our maps out and plotted a course for Virginia Beach. Seeing that it would take as right through Charlottesville, I immediately knew we had to spend a day there checking out Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

You see I’d heard about Monticello during my road trip down in these parts last year, but hadn’t been in the right area to check it out.

We spent the night in a gorgeous little spot nestled by a lake. There were birds, squirrels and we came across a big buck during our evening stroll. We both woke rested and ready to take on the world! On the way to Monticello, we were told we should stop in at Michie Tavern and grab an old-style southern lunch. This tavern is over two hundred years old! (in fact it was built a few years before Australia was even discovered!) The food was actually pretty good… deep fried chicken, bbq pork and the veggies were all cooked like my grandma makes ‘em - that’s to say, rather squishy.

Next on our list was Monticello. To set the scene, it’s a mansion designed by Thomas Jefferson. It sits atop a cute little rounded hill, rising out of open forests not unlike those we see around Toronto’s rivers. For some readers of this blog not from America (perhaps most?!), you may only know of Thomas Jefferson as being the man who wrote America’s Declaration of Independence. Well let me tell you, he was many more things… The third President of the United States, an architect, gardener, scientist & botanist, inventor, plantation owner, and founder of the University of Virginia.

As we arrived on “the little mountain” (Monticello translation is little mountain) we were struck by the grandeur, serenity and natural beauty of the location. It was one of those sun-drenched but crisp days.. you know, where the sun is on your face but your butt’s a little chilly!

We decided to wander on the southern side of the mountain where the sun was a little warmer. This was where Thomas spent each evening, sitting in a small (20”X20”) window filled brick building amidst his garden, no doubt pondering his many ideas (we’re standing in it for the photo above - and yes, I need to shave). Charlotte and I sat there for some time soaking up the atmosphere. The gardens are still used and the produce gathered is shared among the staff to this day.

Below his garden the vineyard begins and falls down the slope deep into the valley. We wandered among the vines and then found ourselves amongst peach trees. When we returned to the top of the mountain we were ready for our guided tour of the house.

The tour took us through each room of the main floor, with all wall dressings, paintings, artifacts and maps being pointed out and explained to us by the guide. The main floor was packed with fascinating relics from America’s early years. We both found the tour fascinating and a very powerful way to be able to step back into the days of when the home was lived in.

As a bonus we thought we’d include some photos we took at a winery the following day… More about our road trip soon… coming up is “Nights in Rodanthe”.

I’m going to travel back in time about a week, to last Saturday… After Jerry’s workshop finished on Friday, Charlotte and I decided to take a day to spend the next day checking out Washington DC. I have to say, if we were to do it again, I  should have let Charlotte convince me (which she tried to ) that we should take a segway tour of the city… ala G.O.B. Bluth of Arrested Development

Washington is BIG. I know it looks like a few buildings surrounding a lawn on a map, but as we soon discovered, maps are deceptively not to scale! haha.

Our first stop was Capitol Hill. We then checked out The Botanical Gardens, The National Museum of the American Indian History, The Smithsonian Air & Space Museum (A Must See), then crossed the “lawn” and headed up to The National Portrait Gallery. I tell ya, if you only do one thing in DC, I suggest you check out the Portrait Gallery… it was full of photographs, paintings, sculpture and designs depicting, well, portraits. Duh.

By the time we’d done all this, we were getting a little peckish, so decided to hit Chinatown for dinner. I have to say I was a little underwhelmed… about 5 restaurants and not much else. Either we didn’t actually find it or I’m just used to the bustling markets of Toronto’s Chinatown.

On the way back to our car, we passed Madam Tussauds Wax Museum… Well worth the money to check out… we got to hang out with JLO, Bradgelina and have a laugh with Obama! It’s actually pretty cool to “look into the eyes” so to speak - of some of the great men and women of history… Malcolm X, JFK, Mohamed Ali and so on. It’s unbelievable how real they all look - kind of eerie.

With a very long day behind us we got home to our very waggy dogs… Fritzi and Greta make arriving home a real joy each day. More bog posts to follow soon… We’re catching up!

After reading “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson last year it’s become a dream of ours to set foot on the Appalachian Trail. Bill Bryson’s book was a big reason why Dave and I decided to treat ourselves with a month long holiday after this busy wedding season. The book is filled with side splitting humour and hilarious anecdotes but also allures readers with the visual descriptions of the beauty of the trail. So being in Washington for this workshop last week seemed to be a great excuse to jump right into our road trip, beginning at Shenandoah National Park.

When we decided to attend (and model in… photos to come!) Jerry Ghionis’ awesome photography workshop in Washington last week, it made perfect sense to turn this dream into a reality. We started planning and after a week in our Washington hotel suite, we moseyed on down to pick up our fabulous new accommodation…. an RV!!

On our first day we drove straight to Shenandoah, an unbelievably breath-taking park constantly dazzled us with expanding vistas and dramatic rocky peaks. When we cleared the gates of the park I honestly did not think that we were going to make much distance on this road trip, we wanted to stop at every look out to take in the jaw-dropping landscapes. Virginia hosts the longest chunk of the Appalachian Trail so we’ll be able to see a lot more of it in the time we’ll be here.

We reached our camp site in about two hours (should have taken us 1/2 an hour! lol) and as soon as we pulled in five deer greeted us at the entrance. I was totally shocked, they were everywhere! I know I live in the city but I’d never seen anything like this. They were soooo peaceful, we didn’t get too close but when we took a few photos they didn’t even seem phased… awww Bambi.

The hiking so far has been fab, fresh air and sunshine!! The only thing that’s freaking me out a little is Dave’s fascination with snakes. He flips over every flat rock he can find in hopes of discovering a sleeping reptile. For his sake I hope he doesn’t find one because I know I’ll either pass out or forget first aid for snake bites. The leaves are all gorgeous, red, yellow and orange tones and rustle lightly in the wind reminding us why on earth we decided to hike so far down the rocky slope when we know were gonna have to crawl back up, oh well it beats the climbmaster at the gym right :).

The dogs are in having the time of their lives out here in nature. Fritzi is great to have on walks, he’s like a little tank and gives you that extra pull you sometimes need. Greta however, works on her beauty sleep and makes sure no one in a 15 mile radius approaches our motor home. She only likes walking on her own terms so we have learned to let her have her way.

We’ll be checking out the Monticello (Jefferson’s homestead) tomorrow and then, who knows…. Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Miami, Key West and beyond!!!!

Kristin, our booking consultant, emailed us with the weather report today… SNOW in Toronto, already??!!

With such an amazing and satisfying year to date - photographing our awesome couples during their engagement sessions, rehearsal dinners, dress fittings and of course amazing weddings - we have been overwhelmed with the amount of referrals and client inquiries over these past few months. We’d like to thank all of you who’ve taken the time to visit our site, as well as tell friends and family about us. We both feel incredibly blessed to have your all as friends and would like you all to know that it’s your word of mouth that has made our company such a success.

All that said, next week we are heading down to Washington D.C. to participate in a 5 Day Workshop with Jerry Ghionis. If you have a minute to browse his site, I’m sure you be blown away by his photography. He’s been sweeping the album and print award categories at WPPI (It’s the biggest wedding photographers convention in the world) for many years now! He was also names as one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world last year.

Charlotte and I had a chance to meet Jerry and Georgina (his wife) while were were at WPPI this year and felt an immediate connection with them both, so it’ll be awesome to have a chance to hang out with them as well.

After the workshop, we will be taking our two precious little dogs - Fritzy & Greta - on a roadtrip with us. We’ve rented a luxury RV and will hit the road for a few weeks. It’s sure to be a ball! We haven’t yet planned a route, but we hope to hit the Carolina’s, Georgia, Florida, then perhaps head inland and see the Great Smokey Mountains, Nashville and head north to West Virginia…. We will be keeping you posted as plans evolve!

Now for the big news!

We are very excited to have our new Booking Consultant, Kristin on board to “hold down the fort” for us while we’re out of the country. Kristin has shot with us on many occasions and has become a good friend during the process. Not only is she a talented photographer, Kristin is also in the midst of planning her own wedding, so can relate to all the brides out there who might be a bit flustered by the amount decisions a bride-to-be faces.

Please feel free to contact us and we will set up a time for you to sit down with Kristin to discuss your wedding in more detail. She will be available on Tuesday and Thursday evenings by appointment only.

We’re back in Toronto now after a fabulous time away in the tropical paradise of Barbados. We have had sooooo many shoots since we’ve arrived home we have had absolutely NO time to do what we LOVE to do so much… blog about all our adventures! ~ sniff sniff. btw, thanks for your facebook messages and we will try to stay on top of our blogging duties everyone (p.s. Yes, we have workshop deets coming soon. November’s workshop is gonna be off the hook!!)

So back to the Barbados fun! As predicted we had an unbelievably awesome time with Natasha & Kester. They’re the sweetest, most romantic, fun and charming couple ever! It was such a breeze to work with these two because every shot just works, and neither of them have a single bad angle!! As soon as we hit the airport asphalt, we knew we had a couple of supermodels on our hands!

They really are the hottest couple, we called them Brangelina but soon re-named them “Kash” as they deserved there own hybrid Hollywood nick-name. Natasha was an absolute dream to work with. She’s taken dance all of her life and it shows. She’s so elegant and graceful she just floats like a cloud when she moves. Kester on the other hand is always looking cool and charming and kept us all laughing which is why they just made the best models ever!!

When we arrived to the resort we were blown away by it’s beauty. Aquamarine waves lapped upon the shore and Barbados is of course known for soft white sand beaches that feel nothing short of baby powder between your toes. They were kind enough to book us in a stunning ocean view suite with all the amenities and luxuries of home. Geez guys, thanks again, you never cease to amaze us

Not only did they make all of the arrangements for their destination wedding from Canada, (with help of their wedding planner of course) but they did not miss a single detail. From the ‘how’d they do that’ wedding invitations, to the out-of-this-world floral design, the personalized wedding website to the phenomenal clifftop ceremony complete with shoe string palm trees swaying in the sun and a custom built deck for the guests comfort and enjoyment.  The evening ended with an opulent reception at the exclusive Wispers on the Bay Restaurant… Aaahhhh, just thinking about takes me back.

Another great thing about getting away with these guys were all of the exciting adventures we got in to. We went on a glass bottom boat ride, swimming with sea turtles (heeyy dude), toured the Mount Gay Rum factory and experienced the breathtaking natural wonders of the Harrison caves (out of this world and a must see.) We ended it all with a tour of the island and made our way to Bathesheba or small community commonly known as surfers paradise.

We knew we’d have the time of our lives shooting “Kash’s” perfect wedding in paradise. We’re planning 5 dream albums together from the engagement to wedding and everything in between!! Documenting one of the most important times of their lives was such an amazing experience for us and a pure joy to be a part of. Thanks so much guys, can’t wait until we shoot your one year anniversary in beautiful Barbados!!

Tonight we’re off to shoot some of our newest clients, Jackie & Paul. They heard about us through the recent wedding of Jennifer & Brent at The Briars in Sutton. We drove up to meet them a couple of weeks back and immediately hit it off. That night we scouted their wedding locations with them and began planning their big day!

They’re getting married at Lagoon City’s Harbour Inn & Resort…. A beautiful location on Lake Simcoe.

We’re looking forward to catching up with friends Jenn & Brent on the way and being in the great outdoors for the shoot with Jackie and Paul.

Signing out, Dave.

When you truly love, love LOVE what you do, everyday is like a holiday. Each day starts out pretty much the same for us…wake up, grab a piping hot- freshly brewed coffee, play with the doggies, catch an episode of Entourage and get cracking on our jam packed day.

Us humans are prone to routine and lately it’s been the norm for our jammed packed days to continue on until the wee hours of the morning. It is very satisfying almost addicting for Dave and I to see the reactions of our clients…or should I say friends when they see they see their photographs for the first time. It’s really a driving force and motivation for us to keep at this crazy pace. At least we get to do it together!

As per Dave’s parents advice, we were due for a day off. We were both fully on board and wanted to invest in some serious "us time". Dave, Fritzi, Greta and I love getting back to nature and out of the big city whenever we get a chance. Exploring country dirt roads, and photographing old abandoned houses and barns always makes the top of our list.

We saved up until Friday for our big day off and of course it rained cats, dogs and quarter horses . Dave googled the weather network and said "hmmm…80% chance of thunderstorms…possibility of large hail…are you afraid of a little rain?" I was all like…"who..me, no. (did he say hail ?!?)"  Throwing caution to the wind, we embarked on our grand adventure!

As we loaded up the car, I asked Dave if he had any locations in mind. He revealed nothing…we were going on a surprise adventure!!! Unbeknownst to Greta, Fritty and I we were headed to the Badlands. When we arrived, we were all in awe…the Badlands totally rocked…but what exactly were they?! Land clearing left the soft red clay exposed to rain and created rounded hills. Circulating groundwater caused red iron oxide to change green making the narrow green bands. Wow… and only 40 minutes from Toronto- sweet!

We had an hour of fun at the Badlands. Ominous clouds loomed overhead and we knew we didn’t have much more time. At the first sight of rain the dogs ran for the hills. Greta was not impressed was sure to shake, shake, shake the rain drops off her pretty pink raincoat.

Geeesh, you’d think these dogs were made of sugar. We had to quickly dry these little ones off or they would never forgive us! Greta was looking at me like…"Mommy, you should know by now…we detest the rain!"

This time of year is always the busiest for most photographers. Events and photo shoots seem to take place during the warmer months and weddings book us every weekend. Dave and I took a look at our overflowing Spring/Summer calendar and to our surprise found…a free weekend! This was just what we needed to rejuvenate and re-energize to keep on top of our busy schedule. We immediately booked ourselves a four day spot. I already had the perfect place in mind…and we made our way to the beautiful cabin in the woods my family has frequented for the last 20 years. The cabin is located on gorgeous Lake Kamaniskeg in the Madawaska Valley and has everything to offer in a nice, relaxing holiday.

With no T.V., radio, internet, newspapers or phone this beautiful little rustic cottage is a great place to unwind and leave the noise of the hectic city behind you. Some might think that four days without all of these little luxuries would be the furthest thing from a holiday but it’s so much fun and such an amazing time! Our entertainment mainly consisted of watching the sunsets, The Continuing Adventures of Fritzi and Greta , our little tin motor boat and of course Scrabble and "Acronym Scrabble" (An illegal form of Scrabble that Dave and I invented to accumulate higher scores!)

The weather was perfect and the sun was shining on us all four days. We were even lucky enough to have a lightening show over the lake one evening, so we watched over a glass of wine on our little front porch. The beauty of Canadian Cottage Country is so mesmerizing it’s truly a photographers dream.

All good things must eventually come to an end. On our last day we decided to leave a bit early and take the long way home through Ontario’s largest and best-known Provincial Park, Algonquin Park. We had asked some of the local residents what our chances were like if we wanted to do some moose-watching and they assured us that our chances were good…Especially good for some reason at approximately 4:00 in the afternoon. Heeding the advice of the local residents we made our way to moose country. We stopped many times along the way in shear excitement to view broken tree branches in the lake forming the shape of moose antlers and the rustling wind in the trees that was no doubt a Black Bear readying to launch from the bushes. We did, however spot this real life creature on our journey.

A massive snapping turtle nesting on the side of the road. We kept our distance so we would not disturb her. Dave grabbed this shot with the telephoto lens, she was enormous…and, she actually looks like she might be smiling at us.

We’re back to work now with wedding season full steam ahead. We have many more wedding posts on the way so stay tuned for our latest couple John and Jung.

On our way home from a short trip to Southampton this week, we dropped in at Inglis Falls, a beautiful conservation area just south of Owen Sound. Like many of my favourite nature areas throughout Southern Ontario, it is on the edge of the escarpment, and of course, the Bruce Trail is running right through it. We took Fritzi for a short nature hike and grabbed some nice landscape photos along the way. This first one was shot at 1/10th of a second with my 16-35mm lens to capture the motion of the water.

On our way back up past the Falls we saw these amazing rock formations… so cool. Almost other worldly.

We’re off to shoot the wedding of Isabelle and Scott today. They’re getting married under a marquee tent at the Manor in Kettleby… dedicated blog readers may remember their shoot from last fall… here is the link . These guys are so much fun, I know we’ll have a ball!