jenn kavanagh photography

marissa and brad: cambridge mill wedding

2011-12-01T20:34:00.006-05:00

this wedding has got all sorts of beautiful going on- a beautiful venue, a victorian inspired dress, an amaaaazing diy candy table, and best of all- a couple that is so in love and who were a pleasure to spend the day with! i am so thankful that elizabeth in love asked me to shoot with her on her last wedding of the season. even though it was getting a bit chilly outside, everyone in brad and marissa's wedding party were more than willing to do whatever was needed to get the shots! marissa is stunning on the inside and out (and makes me want to cut my bangs like hers!) and brad is a sweet heart so its no surprise that they are such a great match.
enjoy!
xo jenn

jess & jean-francois: bluffers park engagement session, toronto

2011-11-17T21:57:00.008-05:00

jess and jean-francois met while attending university in ottawa, and they've brought the love back home to get married next september. we started off jess and JF's engagement session in beautiful sunnybrook park, which made the perfect backdrop with lots of old trees that had their changing leaves still clinging on. after the park we headed to bluffers park, a place i had also never been to before. who knew there was a beach with scenic cliffs in toronto?! jess, you are beyond stunning, and JF, your friendly smile can put anyone at ease within a matter of seconds.
i had such a great afternoon with these two- they were so natural and happy to be spending a few hours in each others' arms!
enjoy, and congratulations to jess and JF!
xo jenn

teresa & paul: rosedale village, brampton wedding

2011-11-02T12:51:00.008-04:00

teresa & paul's wedding was on a cold and gusty day, but you would never know by looking at these photos of their day. teresa has such a gorgeous and genuine smile, and that smile never left her face the entire day! paul is so chatty and easy going, making it a pleasure to shoot their intimate ceremony with their closest friends and family.
it was great having a lot of familiar faces at this wedding, as it was the same family from this black creek wedding i shot last year.
we also had a very special ring bearer make a surprise appearance, and he definitely got a few laughs from the guests!
teresa and paul, thank you for sharing your special day with me and i hope you've enjoyed your honeymoon!
enjoy,
xo jenn

jenna and garth are paul's children and they were also the wedding party! i think this might be the only smile i grabbed from garth, but at least i got one!

i just love this shot- look at the way teresa is looking at paul!

these two were just beaming after the ceremony. i had to quickly whisk them outside to catch the beautiful setting sun!

and one last one of teresa's beautiful smile! she was just glowing after the ceremony and i'm glad i caught this moment right before she headed back inside.

kyla & lucas: guelph wedding

2011-10-27T08:51:00.007-04:00

kyla and lucas' wedding was a celebration of their love and they very much wanted to share it with their family and friends. the two eloped in brazil 3 years ago, and they finally got together with everyone they love to have a traditional wedding day. i second shot this beautiful day for Elizabeth in Love and once again, we couldn't have asked for anything more. the light we had for the portrait session of the day was gorgeous, and it makes our jobs so much easier when you've got a couple as in love as they two were.

enjoy!
xo jenn

steph & jaime: mcmaster engagement session, hamilton

2011-10-09T21:53:00.007-04:00

steph and jaime are old friends of mine and i was so stoked when steph approached me about shooting their engagement photos. little did i know, these two would rock it out the entire shoot! they were so natural in front of the camera- i just had to give them some small directions, and they would immediately turn towards each other and get lost in the moment. jaime recounted their engagement story for me on our way to hamilton, and it seriously gave me goosebumps more than once! cherry picking is something that is very near and dear to jaime's heart, as he and his family would go out when he was a child and look for rare white cherries. earlier this summer, jaime arranged for he and steph to have a picnic in a private cherry orchard, where he would propose. after searching everywhere for white cherries to pack for their picnic, jaime gave up. you can imagine his surprise when steph pulled out a package of them that she had stumbled upon earlier that day in the grocery store. its just one of those coincidences that makes you believe that it was just meant to be!

enjoy, and happy thanksgiving!
xo jenn

vaughn wedding: kortright centre

2011-10-04T23:10:00.006-04:00

i spent another lovely saturday in september with Elizabeth in Love (follow the link to check out her version of this story!) and yet again, we couldn't have asked for a better day! the weather was great, and we had such a caring and genuine couple (and bridal party!) to work with. marion and dave are both gorge, and so is the kortright centre where the forest ceremony as well as the picture perfect 'outdoor' reception were held. its such a beautiful spot for any couple who loves the outdoors, and marion and dave are all about it (their tables were named after canadian campsites!) i'm always happy to spend the day shooting for an enthusiastic (and waaay talented) photog, and a couple that is in love as these two are.

enjoy!
xo jenn

caledon family portrait: late summer!

2011-09-26T20:25:00.003-04:00

here is a quick little post of some family photos from last weekend. working with babies can be quite the feat but i think we did well! you probably won't recognize wesley anymore (i barely did!) from his newborn shoot a few months ago.
i've been shooting like a madwoman lately, and now i'm just floating along in a sea of editing so i thought i would share a few here and there as i go along.
enjoy!
xo jenn

toronto wedding photographer: backyard wedding

2011-09-06T23:58:00.005-04:00

this little backyard gem was a pleasure to be a part of- it was my first time working with Elizabeth in Love and man, does this girl have talent! looking forward to spending my next few saturdays with her!

i love the idea of a backyard wedding- everyone is relaxed, the guests and wedding party feel at home, and there are always tons of tasty apps and drinks floating around! the casual atmosphere was so nice to walk into on this overcast afternoon, while lindsay took her time getting ready with her awesome bridesmaids. i spent some time with the boys while the ladies were getting ready, and i don't think jordan could have asked for a better group of guys to hang out with all day!

thanks to beth for asking me to shoot with you! and what a gorgeous couple!

enjoy!
xo jenn

the sweet mack at rogue studios

2011-08-15T21:10:00.004-04:00

i recently popped by rogue studios to hang with my friends, the sweet mack while they were recording some songs for a new EP. the studio was an intimidating place to shoot in- its very dark, its quite cluttered, and i wanted to shoot without flash so i wouldn't be distracting (and flash is too noisy for when they are recording). i knew i would have to make these into some gritty black and whites, so i turned on all the lamps i could and cranked my settings way up (hello 6400 ISO, thanks nikon!) and shot with just available light. all the wires and cases and clutter gave the space character, and i shot through glass for the vocal recordings which added more depth.
here are a few of my faves.
enjoy!
xo jenn

baby wesley - newborn portraits

2011-07-12T22:19:00.002-04:00

this poor post has been waiting patiently for weeks and weeks to be posted, but it got lost in a blur of vacationing, moving, then vacation photo editing and now enjoying the summer weather. well its time to get back to work and i'm very happy to be posting this little gem!
as i mentioned in this post, i have come full circle with this little family. wes' parents' wedding was one of my first, and i shot their maternity photos a few months back.
anyway, time for the photos! without further adieu, here is the little darling, wesley.
enjoy!
xo jenn

on vacation!

2011-05-25T23:56:00.004-04:00

i am heading out on an adventure for the better part of a month...but i still have a few shoots that need to be posted! they will have to wait til i am back.
and guaranteed, there will be plenty of travel photos coming your way very soon.
but for now, here are 2 shots of Q who is looking all grown up and toddler like! she is amazing and is growing SO fast.

enjoy and have a good month!
xo jenn

mothers day- cherry trees at high park

2011-05-08T22:09:00.005-04:00

spent an amazing morning with my mudder at high park, taking in all the cherry trees! i've never really seen them before, minus one or two in vancouver last year. this is the weekend to go see them, and i'm so glad we did. we got up ungodly early to go, and by the time we left the park around 11am it was crawling with people. the combo of the cherry trees, mothers day, and fantastic weather got a lot of people out of bed early! i might head back tomorrow for some nice sunset lit shots.
enjoy the prettiness!
xo jenn

p.s. hope all the mothers out there had an awesome day and were treated to something special!

having some fun with the colours...

sam + owen - maternity

2011-05-07T18:10:00.004-04:00

very early this morning, sam delivered a little baby boy! wesley william arrived around 6am on one of the nicest days we have had yet this spring. i delivered this shoot to sam and owen just a few days ago, so it seems i was just in time because newborn shots are just around the corner.
sam and owen's wedding a couple of years ago was actually the second wedding i ever shot, so i'm very happy to be able to document yet another exciting time in their lives. this family lives on a great property, so it seemed like the natural thing to do to shoot sam's maternity photos out there. the field was a bit too bright, so we headed back into a building that was actually once a pig farm! inside, the rusty background turned out great and slatted open wall gave us some nice light to work with. outside, owen suggested some shots in front of the mint green door which looked awesome in contrast to the red walls.

congrats to the new parents, and i can't wait to meet the little addition to your family!
enjoy!
xo jenn

i really like this shot, so i tried a new layout...not sure if i like the layout but i wanted this to be on its own!

annual easter greeting card

2011-04-22T11:28:00.002-04:00

hope everyone has an awesome long weekend, filled with lots of family and food!

toronto wedding photographer: palais royale wedding

2011-04-21T01:04:00.007-04:00

i am so stoked to finally be able to blog this entire wedding! val and colin have been waiting patiently since the sneak peak i posted, and now the whole thing is finally ready to be unleashed.
i love the fresh green accents- very fitting for spring! colin's reaction during the first look was priceless, but no wonder. val looked beautiful all day long, and i really love the shrug she chose. very classy!
p.s. how adorable is their son jack, in all his drooly glory?
congrats to val and colin, and thank you thank you thank you for letting me share this day with you guys!

enjoy!
xo jenn

sending mother nature some good vibes...

2011-04-03T16:29:00.005-04:00

...with some pretty shots of spring flowers.

enjoy!
xo jenn

the sweet mack & gentlemen husbands live at vinyl & horseshoe tavern

2011-03-27T14:48:00.004-04:00

this first set of shots are from last week at vinyl in guelph. the sweet mack had a short but sweet set to start off the night, and gentlemen husbands killed it at the end of the night with their american rock. plus they covered tom petty's american girl and if you know me, you know thats something i definitely enjoyed.
the last 3 shots are from a few days later, when the sweet mack played at the famous horseshoe tavern in toronto. always a pleasure!
enjoy!
xo jenn

val & colin: sneak peak

2011-03-20T20:53:00.003-04:00

this weekend, i got to spend my saturday with these two lovelies at palais royale.
such a gorgeous day! full post to come soon.
congrats val & colin! thanks for letting me be a part of your day :)
enjoy!
xo jenn

raptors vs pacers

2011-03-20T15:38:00.006-04:00

and the raps won!

the sweet mack: cd and promos (post 3/3)

2011-03-08T18:11:00.008-05:00

last band post!
although they might be back on here shortly as i am shooting two shows next week as a part of their mini ontario tour.

1) the final product! a lot of work and time has gone into creating this baby, and here she is. artwork by moi, design work by leanne elizabeth
plus, now its available on iTunes! its pretty rad to have my work on there. you should check it out- its a fantastic album!
(this copy looks a little beat up because i've been toting it around in my purse for the last month!)

2) a fun poster/site background i made using various head shots from the past few months. might make an appearance on a t-shirt in the near future...

3) recent promos

enjoy!
xo jenn

1)

2)

3)

the sweet mack: head shots (post 2/3)

2011-02-22T17:15:00.003-05:00

this is the second (of three) blog posts dedicated to this band.

we did these head shots over the weekend for their website (which should be up and running soon!) and other promo items. we've been shooting a lot lately!

i shot these using the nikon 85mm PC-E lens, and let me tell you, i love love love this lens. it can be difficult shooting portraits with it because it is manual focus and the tilt i used creates such shallow depth of field, but with steady hands (or a tripod, ideally) you can get what you need.

enjoy!

xo jenn

the sweet mack: cd release party (post 1/3)

2011-02-17T23:11:00.010-05:00

last night at c'est what, the sweet mack held their official cd release party and its so good to finally have the album done and printed (plus it sounds kick ass). next post will be some recent promo shots we did plus some shots of the finished cd! stay tuned for two more updates on these guys...

enjoy!
xo jenn

amelina: a few more

2011-02-02T22:30:00.004-05:00

finally about to deliver these newborn shots....here are a few more, continued from the sneak peak. i especially love the shots we did of ranin holding amelina...they have a soft and warm feeling to them, and ranin looks stunning in them.

enjoy!
xo jenn

logan. need i say more?

2011-01-06T00:01:00.002-05:00

i wasn't lying when i said he is the cutest thing in the world. seriously!
took a few quick shots on new years eve but we were losing light- fast.

a fabulous addition to this already fab family.
so soft... so chubby...so awesome. i love him!

enjoy!
xo jenn

baby amelina

2011-01-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

so i'm already posting a sneak peak even though i said i wouldn't do it anymore!
however, these photos are a bit different- i tried something new this time around, esp with the post work.
when i looked at these shots after i got home from the shoot, i realized that they reminded me of a baby in the womb, so i tried to kind of emulate that with the colours (pretty obvi). amelina was so comfy in there, regardless of how nervous her mother was while we were shooting it. it must have been like going home!

hope you like them!
enjoy,
xo jenn

holiday wrap up...its not late, i swear!

2011-01-04T19:28:00.011-05:00

so this post may seem like it should have been written a week ago... but for most, today was the official 'back to work day' (me included) so i tried to stretch the holidays out until 6am this morning (and staying up late watching curb your enthusiasm didn't help my cause).

so here it is, a short post of photos basically summing up what my holidays were all about (sans photos of my family sitting around for countless hours talking, eating and drinking).

p.s. check back for a recent newborn shoot and the cutest puppy you have ever seen (promise!)

enjoy!
xo jenn

1. Q turned one! i can't believe its been a year since we did her newborn photos. i feel like i have grown and gotten a lot better since then. here are a few from the 1st birthday party and a book i made for her for christmas.

2. this kitten hardly left my room for 10 days. still mad at leanne for taking zoe back to ottawa! kitten theft aside, you should check our her awesome site that she designed herself.
also played with some christmas tree bokeh.

3. was supposed to have an alternative to traditional stuffed turkey on christmas day, because i am not a fan (even though the 'alternative' just turned out to be a stuffed chicken with all of the usual sidedishes). instead, my family decided to spread bronchitis all over our house so the 5 kids had leftover Montfort's, and i did not complain once!
bought fresh rosemary for the chicken...you already know what happened there so instead i did some quick shots of it so it wouldn't go to waste!

the nerdiest thing i have ever done...

2010-12-28T19:17:00.007-05:00

a 24-70mm nikon lens mug review & comparison.

its happening, right now. if you came to look at pretty pictures, then leave. no don't, but maybe just skim over this if you don't ever read technical reviews of geeky things like this...
2010 is almost over, i bought this as a christmas gift, i don't have any shoots til friday, and people at work asked how it looked in comparison to my own 24-70mm, etc, etc. so alas, this post was born.
*as a side-note, since my trusty 24-70 is usually the one keeping my camera warm, i had to bust out my old 50mm to shoot this thing. i love my 50mm, and am not sure how i let it become the forgotten lens. adding to the list of new years resolutions: use my 50mm more this year!

enjoy, tech geeks? heehe
xo jenn

i think this is the 3rd generation mug, but don't quote me. upon first glance, this thing is pretty damn close. the only difference i really noticed was the gold band- the one on the mug (which is on the right hand side in all of these photos) is a bit cheesy looking, but no big deal.

the M/A M focus switch actually works, and you can zoom in and out!

the only issue i have is with the silly lid! i wouldn't classify it as a 'travel mug' because you have to take the whole lens cap off to drink from it. and i'm not sure how sturdy of a base that really is...maybe don't fill it up with a hot drink and go flailing your arms around it...not that you do that anyway. if you do, then perhaps using it as a pen holder would be a better option.

anyway, i think its a cool gift (or post-christmas personal present for myself...? hehe).
i bought it off of ebay from here for $9.99 US and it shipped from Hong Kong for another $15...but apparently you can buy it from the photojojo store (almost everyone who saw it at work asked if that's where i had gotten it...and they got a big 'huh?' from me. i am now acquainted with photojojo). however- it seems like it'll end up being a tad more expensive from there and it also has 'photojojo' as a label instead of nikon which i'm not too keen on. but you should def check out their other items- i'll be spending some time today doing that!

alyssa: just a few more

2010-12-05T20:04:00.005-05:00

i have been a very busy lady lately, but it all must get done before christmas!
with this post i realized it is getting repetitive having a sneak peak (which really should just be one photo...but i'm usually just too excited to post just one!) plus a full post, so consider this the last one.
i already gave these images to the new mom & dad, and they were quite happy with them. alyssa was snuggling up to me like a little mole digging into the ground! she is so cute.
enjoy!
xo jenn

little Q ain't so little any more...

2010-11-27T15:35:00.006-05:00

a few extra shots of the star of my blog! there is a lot more of her cuteness to come but they are for other projects so i'll just share these for now. some of the 'in between moments'
enjoy!
xo jenn

alyssa: sneak peak

2010-11-15T17:35:00.006-05:00

a little teaser for the excited parents...full post & printed photo book to come soon!
enjoy sam & kathy!
xox jenn

alyssa is already too big for this old crate i had pulled out for our shoot...i guess it'll be reserved for newborns for now on!

moving on to some nice window light (the reflection is kind of nice too...)

i had to post this one- mainly because i think it is sam's favourite (and maybe one of mine too). alyssa was def not enjoying herself!

janine & ryan: the full engagement post

2010-11-01T21:33:00.010-04:00

i'm so happy to finally be able to post the rest of this engagement session with janine and ryan. they have been waiting so patiently for them, so i hope you both love them! i had such an enjoyable morning with you two :)

i went to high school with janine- we had several classes together, shared the same group of friends and played on several sports teams together. i remember when she first got a part time job at a grocery store... instead of doing our math homework, she would tell me about all the new people she was meeting and hanging out with at her new job. slowly, among all the new names, there was one name in particular that started to become a regular fixture in all of her stories. ryan.

the rest is history, as they say. now several years later, i'm thankful to be a part of their story and to help document the official 'beginning of their lives together.' while i won't be shooting their wedding next year (i won't do friends or family weddings!) i will be enjoying it from the sidelines (which i am so looking forward to).

janine & ry: congratulations!

enjoy!
xo jenn

fall wedding: terra cotta inn

2010-10-14T22:18:00.008-04:00

i recently second shot this autumn wedding with the very talented Nicole Duplantis at the Terra Cotta Inn. we couldn't have asked for a better day- awesome weather and beautiful fall colours all around us. here are just a few details (mostly of the gorgeous shoes and flowers)...
enjoy!
xo jenn

sneak peak: janine & ryan - engagement photos

2010-10-10T19:19:00.006-04:00

i spent this morning with janine and ryan, one of the cutest couples. ever. i wanted to put up a quick sneak peak so they could show their families this weekend in between bites of turkey and mashed potatoes. janine and ry: thanks for hanging out with me today and congratulations! stay tuned this week for the rest of the apple orchard session...
p.s. happy thanksgiving everyone!
xo jenn

vicky & andy... the details!

2010-09-27T21:13:00.009-04:00

i had the opportunity to assist and second shoot this wedding a few weeks ago with nicole duplantis, so i thought i would share some detail shots. these are always my fave part of the day, and if you read any other wedding shooter's blog, you'll quite often find that they'll admit the same thing!
these little parts of the day make such a huge difference. even though they can sometimes be overlooked by guests, you would definitely notice them more if they weren't there! they certainly make the day more colourful.
the bride and groom are always so surprised when they see the photos of them, because they generally don't see us taking the shots. it helps them to remember these smaller aspects, since they are often so busy on their big day to take notice of them. and its always nice for them to see how all their time, energy, and money spent while planning the wedding has paid off!
enjoy!
xo jenn

we always end up with so many lovely test shots...

summer's end...sigh

2010-09-13T22:18:00.007-04:00

for the last month, i have been in vacation mode (with the exception of the always time consuming full-time job!), hence the lack of posts. its about time that i'm getting back into the swing of things. before i post some shots from this past weekend's wedding, here are a few snaps from last month. i tried to spend time outside with family and friends, and some cold drinks. i've also been working away (slowly) on some retouching for a wedding client. lots of yoga and soccer too (almost too much), but no pics of that!
xo jenn

a very special birthday dinner...

time exposure of the sky in bloomfield (i liked this one better than the ones where you can see the star trail)

and as always...there needs to be a shot of quinn.

the morning of...

2010-07-25T17:35:00.010-04:00

wedding week is officially over in the kavanagh household, so i thought i'd wrap it up with some photos from the morning of the wedding. i took these shots at the salon for our makeup artist (see below images for salon & MUA info) so she could have some examples of her work.
an amazing day with amazing girls! here are some shots of my two gorgeous sisters.
xox jenn

makeup: cia saldutto (c_saldutto@hotmail.com)

hair: stephanie @ headquarters of hair design - (905 451 6554)

michelle & joe

2010-07-22T17:50:00.007-04:00

the day has finally arrived- my sister michelle and her amazing fiance joe are tying the knot tomorrow! it has been a busy couple of months and an insane week leading up to the wedding, but both of them are super chill and relaxed, which has set the tone for the rest of us. we decided to do some last minute engagement photos a couple of weeks ago, and just thought i'd share them in the spirit of this week. i also made them a photo book for the guests to sign, which i will post photos of after the wedding.
michelle and joe- i'm so happy for you and can't wait for tomorrow! love you both.
xox jenn

nico's salon & spa

2010-07-12T18:20:00.005-04:00

i recently had the pleasure of shooting some images for nico's salon & spa's new website! i happened to plan the shoot during an italy world cup game (on father's day, no less), so needless to say things got pretty rowdy in the salon come game time. the photos are up on their website, and you can check out examples of their amazing talent via their facebook group.
enjoy!
xox jenn

jenn & neil

2010-06-27T19:51:00.011-04:00

i shot this beautiful wedding last weekend at black creek pioneer village with the help of the very talented nicole duplantis. we could not have asked for a nicer day or better weather, and jenn was such a trooper all day in the heat. i love arriving at a bride's house in the morning to see everyone calm and cool and ready to enjoy the day.
jenn and neil's journey together so far is quite interesting (as was outlined in their adorable table cards!), and you could see in everyone's faces that they were so happy to spend the day with such a beautiful and positive couple.
thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day! congrats jenn & neil!
enjoy!
xox jenn

meet & greet before the ceremony- this was too cute! neil's expression when he saw jenn was so precious!

they mastered the dip quite quickly...jenn said that neil has been practicing!

happy fathers day!

2010-06-21T00:01:00.004-04:00

i've been quite the busy lady lately, so today was so nice to be able to sit down and relax at my dad's place for a few hours between a morning photo shoot and yet another soccer game. i cooked mussels for him (it was my first time! yiiiikes. seafood isn't all that scary i suppose...) and they turned out really well. we had some beers in the backyard, grilled up some skewers and laughed at my sister's impression of my dad. love you papa kavs!
xox jenn

sarah

2010-06-14T16:53:00.003-04:00

this amazing and beautiful young lady is one of my sister's best friends, but over the years has become known as my 'sista from anotha mista.' i've been meaning to shoot her for a long time, and the last time we went out to take some shots we got rained out. a couple of weeks ago i was finally able to pull her outside from a party we were at and grab a few quick snaps.

sarah, i am insanely jealous of your eyes and you make me want to get my nose pierced. enjoy! xox

jenn

a second shoot with quinn...

2010-03-14T18:48:00.011-04:00

I was lucky enough to get to spend some quality time with Quinn and co. last weekend, and we had a great Sunday morning playing with different outfits (the jury is still out on the Easter outfit...) and shooting with some beautiful light. At eleven weeks, Quinn is already smiling and almost ready to laugh. She always knows where the camera is, and never stops moving for it!

Enjoy this beautiful girl!
xo

a little family time

2010-01-25T13:01:00.009-05:00

Last month I was able to spend some time with the family that you all know and love.

Having known them for the majority of my life, it would be an understatement to say that they are more than comfortable when I am shooting around them. I always have a good time shooting any members of this family, especially when the 2 dogs get thrown into the mix.

before baby Q arrived!

2010-01-11T21:52:00.003-05:00

baby Q!

2010-01-11T20:51:00.003-05:00

2 and a half weeks old...