My Award Winning Engagement Shoot
As an artist it is a dream, a privilege, an honour, the biggest compliment ever - really just all of the good things - to be trusted with and given complete creative control over a project. Luckily for me, that’s exactly what happened with this engagement photoshoot. The couple had one singular request: interesting lighting. The rest was in my (perpetually unsteady and anxiety ridden) hands. I was excited and terrified, but how good can an idea really be when there isn’t a little bit of fear involved? Spoiler: it turned out to be some of my favourite captures to date. On top of that, one of the photos ended up making the list on Junebug's Best of the Best Engagement Photo Contest 2024. Biggggggg pinch me moment energy.
The Concept: Mr. Golden Sun
The concept I went with for the photoshoot was the sun in all of its phases. From soft, and dreamy sunrise, to bright and crisp daylight, then into the warmth of golden hour, the dramatic beauty of sunset, and finally, saying goodbye to the sun itself with an interpretation on blue hour. It felt like a perfect metaphor for a relationship—how love can shift and evolve over time, just like the sun’s journey through the sky. Ok that last sentence was exclusively ChatGPT. I hadn’t really related it to a relationship at all. I mostly just thought it was beautiful and cool and interesting, and I think that’s enough. Oh ya - I also decided to incorporate some tropical inspired florals, since the couple was going to be getting married in a tropical greenhouse!!! Take that, I have depth after all.
Playing with Light and Surrealism
Even though I prefer to shoot in studios, I enjoy weaving in organic elements to create a surreal vibe. For this shoot, it was also my first time using a spotlight mount on a continuous light—and wow, was it a game-changer.
The effect it created was incredible, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was able to adjust the shape of the spotlight as well. I felt like changing the full circle spotlight to a semi-circle - despite being a simple change - really elevated the impact of the sunset shots.
The Big Moment: Junebug’s Best of the Best
After the shoot, I knew we made something special. So, I submitted one of my top picks to Junebug’s Best of the Best Engagement Photo Contest 2024. I really had no expectations, as I anticipated I’d be up against thousands of other submissions from all over the world. But, one afternoon in March, as I was driving past a No Frills (unnecessary detail I had to add obviously), Siri informed me I had an email come in from Junebug telling me that I had made it the list!!!! What!!!!! Even!!!! Is!!!!! Life!!!! It was such an honour to be included in the collection, especially alongside such talented photographers. The whole gallery is stunning, and you can check it out here: Junebug’s Top 50 Engagement Shoot Photos 2024.
Side note: Business Insider actually did a write up on the list as well, and I want to take a moment to give myself credit for making this sunset look SO convincing, that they thought it was….real??? Specifically, they described my photo by saying, “in this photo the sunset frames a couple in Toronto”. I’m obsessed haha.
Why This Shoot Means So Much
Looking back, this shoot is a really proud moment for me. Being trusted with full creative control, getting to play with light in new ways, and seeing everything come together—it was exceptionally fulfilling. I’m so proud of how these photos turned out, and the recognition I’ve received is just the icing on the cake.
At the end of the day, though, what made this shoot really special was the trust the couple put in me. It gave me the freedom to experiment and push myself, and I am so grateful to have been given that opportunity. It’s a pretty indescribable feeling to be trusted to create, let alone to be trusted in a situation where the people trusting you are agreeing to do something outside of their comfort zone. I put a lot of weight on that, and I feel extremely lucky to do what I do.
So, to all of the couples up to this point who have put their trust in me, I am forever grateful for you. To the couples I have yet to cross paths with, I am also forever grateful for you, and I can’t wait to see what we make together.
