Tara and Karl are another one of the great couples who I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years – first for their wedding, then as part of the wedding party in her brother’s wedding, and now documenting their beautiful little daughter Hannah as she grows up.  We met at Fraser’s Grove Park on a lovely fall evening.  Hannah wouldn’t remember me from her baby shoots and wasn’t quite sure what to make of me at first.  But it wasn’t long before she decided that my camera and I were alright, and after that she got right down to business and started doing what any sensible toddler would do: check out the play structure and tear around the park.  We probably spent a good two hours climbing the structure, going for wagon rides, throwing leaves, finding sticks, and doing yoga, everyone pretty much enjoying being outside on a fine autumn evening.  Hannah is soooo cute and smart as a button – I can’t wait to see what she’s like next year!  Some of my faves:

One of the last weddings of the “summer” took place up at Camp Morton, just North of Gimli, where Cassie and Tyler tied the knot.  It was my first time back in nine years since I was there for a camp-out with friends and family after my own wedding, and I had forgotten what a picturesque place it was.  Another pleasant surprise was seeing our good family friend Heidi playing her beautiful blue harp for the ceremony.

Cassie was held up briefly en route to the wedding, which gave me time to catch a number of nice candid moments of Tyler and his family patiently waiting. It wasn’t long though before the bride arrived, looking every bit as picturesque as the scenery.  She made a lovely processional through the trees and met Tyler along the rock-walled edge of the field where they got married in a cozy outdoor ceremony.  Afterward, we took advantage of the wonderful greenery and the beach along Lake Winnipeg for a quick portrait session.  A shorter day than most for me, but still very much enjoyable and a pleasure working with Cassie & Tyler.  Here are a few of my faves from the day:

For the first of a double-header wedding weekend, we drove out to Red Lake, Ontario, which is about 3 hours North of Kenora.  It was a pretty drive through Canadian shield country – rocks, lakes, boreal forest.  But just as we rolled into town, Mother Nature decided to turn on the taps and in no time at all there were rivers running down the street in front of our motel.  The forecast for the wedding day was pretty grim too, so it made for some anxious sky watching on Saturday morning.

And though we got rained on no less than 5 different times that day, we still managed to get out and get the pictures done – some against some pretty awesome skies.  Melanie and Morgan are both avid outdoor enthusiasts, so it was great that we were able to capture some of the outdoors despite the downpour.  It was my first time to Red Lake, Ontario, and it was a first time for a lot of things for me – a bride with hot red shoes, the groom & best man cracking out their fishing rods in the middle of a shoot, hitting the bowling lanes for a few shots, a rainbow appearing just in time over the gold mine… Melanie and Morgan bravely faced the weather and were among the nicest and warmest people to work with.  While I hope they’re enjoying their time away on their sunny honeymoon, here are a sneak peeks:

From stopping ice cream trucks to climbing light poles in the Exchange, there was always something spontaneous to shoot during Amber & Andrew’s wedding!  Between the expressiveness of the wedding party to the beautiful sunny summer day, it was a fun and easy wedding shoot, culminating in a picturesque outdoor ceremony out at Breezy Bend Country Club.  Congratulations Amber & Andrew – hope you enjoyed your time away in the sunny Carribbean!

Colorado and back in 8 days was a little on the hectic side – that was a lot more power driving than I’ve done in a long time.  That said, we still managed to squeeze in a good day of hiking before we left, as well as passing through the Black Hills and the Badlands on the way home.  This trip helped remind me how much I enjoy road tripping (at least when there’s more time to enjoy it).  At the end though, I think everyone was very happy to come home to the comfort and familiarity of our own beds.

And now back to the crazy summer schedule!  But first, a few more pictures…