Michele Dyson Photography

Three fabulous sessions in the last three weeks…. aren’t we lucky?! Make sure to tune in to White Linen in the coming days for the full posts. And yes, we know….we just may have the best jobs going!

Michele

Jenn + Ian :: Kaleden,  B.C.Danny + Jessie :: Penticton, B.C.Matt + Jaime :: Spirit Ridge, Osoyoos, B.C.

A mini post of this fabulous couple…make sure to head on over to White Linen to check out their full day ; it was beautiful!

I haven’t done this in a lonnng time, too long as I have promised “Nanny” updated photos of the girls and I just don’t deliver. So, here a bunch from the park the other day. I’ll make sure to do another post once my wedding work is caught up on….bits from our summer ( is it ALREADY over)? sniff. I’ll end the post with a Super Special photo of our KinderMiss Nevaeh on her very first day of school. She is LOVING it! ( And yes, so am I ! hehe)!

Mish.

This would be Nevaeh having an attitude. Little bugger.

My fave of Miss N. I could just smooch her little face in this one; so so cute:)Yes, I know it’s HUGE, but I love it!!!Here she is – our Kinder Miss on her first day……I can hardly believe it:)

This After session was definitely the most unique and beautiful one I’ve had the chance to do. It took place a few days after the wedding, once everyone had a chance to chill out and re-energize. 12 of us packed into a ( 7 passenger)  van and  drove about 30 km outside of Mexico City, to a place called Xochimilco. I didn’t know quite what to expect, but I have to say that ( aside from the wedding reception) it was the highlight of the trip. The Xochimilco is 176 kilometers of canals builit for irrigation and transportation by the Aztecs, and it is beauuutiful.  Every once in a while a vendor will float past, selling anything from beer, grilled corn, fruit and treats. My fave? The mariachi or marimba bands which serenade you from their boats. Oh, it was wonderful.

Tania and Kane wore traditional clothing…the only piece we forgot was a long necklace of Tania’s which was made of large ( real) golden coins. Unfortunate as it would have been spectacular, but I loved everything they wore nonetheless. The images of them on the boat were taken in someone’s backyard; the owner let Tania change in her home while we poked through her incredible gardens. Talk about luck! The last spot was just before we finished our ride….I saw a random little alleyway and we decided to snap a few more. Lucky for us, the boat driver didn’t seem to mind. Did I mention I love the Mexican people? hehe. Can’t wait to go back again:)

Enjoy the pics…thanks for looking ( and listening)!

Mish.

Okay, if you know me….you know I adore succulents; these ones were about 2 feet across – how I WISH I could have snuck some on the plane:) And Miss Tania? Girllll…..you. are. stunning.I’m sorta crazy about these next two. Aren’t they adorable together?!The random alley…..And this last one? Makes me smile every time. Thank you so much Kane and Tania……it was truly unforgettable!

Here it is!!! The big day, and probably one of the largest, most surreal and unforgettable events I will attend in my life. This wedding was like nothing I could have imagined; you’ll notice I don’t have the “standard” shots I typically take – unknown to me this day was like no other I’ve been a part of, so I was learning as I went….the ceremony was at 9pm ( which posed a challenge for me, seeing as I am by no means a Princess of Darkness – I shoot natural light ONLY – can you say “scary”)?! Aside from the lighting situation being different than what I had thought, I think the images turned out reasonably well.  This wedding was so jam packed with fun, surprises and randomness that I truly felt as though I were in another world. The live music started around 11pm and went until 6a.m. Not only was the band crazy fun, but had “props”. For example :: a country song meant that 50 cowboy hats were thrown into the crowd – a 70’s song was played and huge afro wigs were passed out. Huh?! Here were some of the other things we got thrown at us …you ready?!  hot pink and blue wigs, statue of liberty crowns, funky glasses, minnie mouse ears, soccer ball hats, chef hats and aprons, wedding veils, and the best one ( IMO)….a very random wrestling ring magically appeared on the middle of the crowded dance floor and masks were handed out…Nacho Libre too, of course. All these goodies were ours to leave with….don’t you think the DJ’s  HERE should follow suit?! Monogrammed slippers for the ladies were handed out around 2am, spicy soup served about 3, and a mariachi band finished off the live entertainment at 4. And no word of a lie…..it seemed to me that all 350 guests were still up and at em even when the sun was up. Incredible.

Tania, Kane and all your wonderful families and friends….thank you so very much for welcoming me. I really did show up at the airport not knowing anyone, but I feel as though I made a lot of fabulous friends and had one of the best times of my life.  Hopefully I will make it there again:)

Michele

PS – I apologize for sharing the longest blogpost in the history of EVER – but keep in mind that I started shooting at 1 pm and finished the next morning at 6 AM – short a pair of shoes and the not-s0-proud owner of a cracked lens. Oops! This, my friends is why you should never drink on the job:) hehe.

Here is Mr. Kane, the handsome groom – and his Best Man Corey ( who happens to second shoot for his girlfriend in Vancouver….my ALL time fave Boudoir photographer…check out Ellen’s work here:) Isn’t Tania beautiful?! What I wouldn’t give for her complexion…..Their first time seeing each other…all smiles:)Check out their wheels…not bad hey?!Inside the car, and out of the rain:)The shot on the right was taken from our cab…it rained this hard every evening around 5pm – their wedding day was NOT the exception! The highways flooded in less than 30 minutes ( yes, I was freaking it wouldn’t clear up)!Adore this one.The venue. Absolutely, undeniably the most stunning wedding venue I’ve ever been in. This was a 350 year old colonial building which is a market by day and then….voila! It transforms in the evening. It is open air, but has some sort of airy white roof overtop. There is a fountain in the center, and all those teensy lights are strung across the entire courtyard on fishing line. I wish I could have photographed just how stunning it was….there is a strict rule against bringing in equipment for professional photography, therefore I showed up with my 5D and ONE lens…that’s right, I was NOT risking it!This shot was taken upstairs while my flash decided to stop working. ISO 4000, grainy as can be and I love it. Tania, you really are gorgeous.SO glad we snuck off for these; how she looks that relaxed amidst the chaos that’s just downstairs is beyond me. Thank you for being fab !A sampling of the craziness….that’s me on the right, just after my first drink and probably 2 or 3 in the morning.  And that weirdo with me ( it’s a wig, don’t worry)…is Aaron,  the one that hooked me up with the job!!!SO funny! This was the garter toss, but Kane decided to surprise the boys with a glass full of water….the black and white below  of Tania was after the bouquet toss…all the women wore veils, danced in a very long congo line and passed under her…..she’s pouring tequila in every one of our mouths. Mmmmm………( that tequila was TROUBLE)!!!The amazing Mariachi band. Possibly my favourite “real” moment of the night. This was well into the morning and these ladies were still hard at it… the “older” lady was such a ball of energy each and every time I ran into her throughout the week…..if I only had HALF of her stamina I swear I could take on the world. Anyways, this pic about sums up the evening. Incredible, fun, crazy, random and absolutely unforgettable. 

A few facts for those of you interested in the behind-the-scenes bits…..

The morning of this session Kane and Tania had been Mr and Mrs for 3 whole days. They had been up since 4 am driving guests to the airport. Since they had needed their sleep, Tania’s hair was still wet from the shower trying to meet me on time. I had been up until 4 am sick-as-a-dog. Alcohol poisoning, or something slipped in my drink – I’ll never know. But for my two caretakers….you know who you are….I. Owe. You. HUGE! One other thing….we shot these in 30 minutes all in the few blocks surrounding their home, and I literally jumped in a cab when we were done and raced to the airport. Talk about last minute.

PS – My camera was a little under the weather and my lens was smashed on the bottom, so if these don’t look very sharp let’s blame it on that – NOT my hangover!

This first image is outside the front door of Tania’s family home – also where I stayed. Isn’t it purdy?

Every one of these locations is just steps from their home…if I’d been feeling better and had more time we would have shot all day long I’m sure! Thanks for dragging yourselves out of bed..it was worth it, right?!

What can I possibly say to express how wonderful of a time I had on this trip? Well, I’m not so good with words, so it’s a darned good thing I like taking pics – and lots of ‘em! This is the 1st of 3 blog posts I’ll be dedicating to this trip – I was in Mexico City for a week and if it weren’t for missing my family I could have stayed much, much longer. The architecture, the food….and the people. Wow. The people were honestly the MOST welcoming of any city, or any country I’ve traveled to. Truly unforgettable. A huge thank you goes out to my wonderfully fab bride and groom – Tania and Kane, as well as Tania’s family for welcoming 15 of us crazy Canadians into their home. If I’m lucky I’ll get to visit again….

Enjoy the pics!Yup. There was some weiiird stuff going on downtown – some more disturbing than others:)I could have photographed up and down the streets….all. day. long.

Well, it finally happened! I found out where God’s Mountain B & B was, and had the perfect out-of-town couple in for an engagement session. Ryan and Jen -you two were so chill, such good listeners, and totally at ease with me. I hadn’t done a morning session in quite a while, and you two broke me in!  Jen + Ryan+ God’s Mountain = Perfection. I just cannot WAIT to shoot your wedding next June.  Hope you enjoy all the photos….thank you again for being fabulous!!!

Michele

BONUS info! The next couple to book a wedding with White Linen ( us) at God’s Mountain ( dream location) will receive an additional print credit of $500 !!  ( PS – offer valid only if booking the roofless room..hehe)!