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.

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.

I’ll keep this post short and sweet, and let the images speak for themselves. So many wonderful couples…so little time to blog!!! Thank you so much to all of you for your patience, and please make sure to check in to our White Linen site in the coming weeks for the full posts of each and every one of these:)

Have I mentioned lately how fabulous my job is? Yup. I’m one lucky girl!

Enjoy…

Up first?  Kane + Tania, my uber-fabulous couple that had me stay at their home with their families in Mexico City. Make sure to stay tuned for their full post, as it was nothing short of incredible. Thank you so much for being such amazing hosts. I loved every second. Oh, wait…..almost every second. hehe!

Are you KIDDING me ?! This was one of their After sessions, and it was surreal. Kane and Tania wore traditional Mexican clothing, and we shot along one of the oldest manmade canals in the world. So very beautiful. Nadeem + Lila.  What can I say? These two were so full of personality and sweets that Brooke and I couldn’t stop smiling. Thank you both for being yourselves and putting up with our silliness!!I am SO in love with this image….canvas-worthy, non?!Shawn + Kelsey . OK Falls.  This was such a laid back, perfect day….complete with turquoise boots and cowbells. And this is their family property….100 acres at our fingertips? Brooke and I were in heaven!Ryan + Jen : God’s Mountain, Penticton BC. Loved loved this morning session…..the location was so serene, and Jen and Ryan? You guys were HOT!!! Mmmmm….I cannot wait for the wedding next year! Craig + Carly :: Linden Gardens, Kaledon BC.  Hmmm…. what could I say about this day?!  Let’s see. Perfectly overcast skies. The most relaxed wedding schedule we’ve ever shot, thanks to the fact that C + C agreed to a First Glance – we shot these portraits before the ceremony. LOVED IT!  And yes, in case you’re wondering – they have both modeled:) Our job was easy-peasy. SO, to each and every one of you….thank you thank you a million times over for choosing us to be a  part of your days. And remember to check back here and White Linen for the full blogposts…:)

So, it took awhile to get things in order, but I pulled together my favourite images of 2009 to share with all of my wonderful clients, friends and blog followers ( that still seems hilarious to me – strangers coming to my lil ol blog to check things out…seriously?  SO appreciated)!!!  Anyways, here are the fab couples. They really, truly were. I’m pretty sure I laughed my a** off , and made a fool of myself with every single one of you. So much fun…..thank you thank you a million times over for choosing me to document such an important day in your lives. I am so thrilled to be doing this, and can’t wait for what 2010 brings. I’d also like to say a very special “thank you” to Brooke for being my partner in crime….it seriously is double the fun having you to work with – I don’t know if anyone else could deal with my bossiness/quirkiness/flightiness as well as you do ! Stay tuned to us both as we put some amazing plans into action in the coming year……

Happy 2010!

So, after such a fabulous wedding day I was a little anxious as to how our session would go. I didn’t feel as though the bride and groom were truly on board with the idea of getting all done up again, in the heat with what was sure to be many onlookers! Well, they showed up , the weather somewhat agreed; although there wasn’t a cloud in site we were able to work it out….and most importantly we had SO much fun! We had quite a few lookie-lou’s, people taking pics and even a restaurant worker who jumped in with his “eat my burrito” apron; it seemed harmless enough until he lifted it up…..WHOA! Good thing it wasn’t real is all I have to say;  I’ll leave those pics for J& J to view at home as they’re not completely appropriate for a family blog:)  One of the shots I wanted to get was something with a lot of color and an obvious Mexican feel; the first ceramic ones are a few of my faves. Jay and Janine’s request?!  A volkswagon. Hmmm….. considering there weren’t vehicles allowed where we were shooting I didn’t think it was going to happen. But luck was on our side, and instead of flagging a cab on the way back from the hotel I asked if they could flag us a VW. It worked! It was getting quite dark out, the ISO was cranked, but we got it….and bonus…..it’s GREEN!  VW’s were one of the many things that brought these two together so I’m thrilled we were able to incorporate one into the shoot. Guys, thanks for dragging yourselves away from the beach and taking the time to come out again….I’m pretty sure  you’ll agree it was worth it. 

Enjoy!!!

My fave..

Love.

Jay, you are one lucky man!Are they not the poster faces for Destination Weddings?  I think so:)So stylin, and I just lovvve the movement in this one; fave #2.Believe it or not, this great find was outside the Hagen Daz ice-cream shop; yum!Ummmm…..yeah, you two are seriously HOT!   
High ISO, blurry, grainy….and I don’t care! Love them:) Edited to add *** One forgotten image – I had to!

Thank you so much, both of you and each and every person who played a part in me getting to be included in your big day!

Last Thursday, November 19th I had the privilege of photographing Jay & Janine’s gorgeous oceanside wedding in the tropics. It was perfect. The dress, their shoes, the weather, even light seemed to hold on a teensy bit longer for us to be able to shoot a few on the beach. I first met Jay and Janine in Calgary just hours from when we flew to Cancun. Brooke was with me, as we’d just done a workshop with [B]ecker and J & J offered up their place for us to crash at (probably because the heard I SUCK at getting my butt outta bed and didn’t want me to miss the 4 a.m. wakeup call)! B thought I was a wee bit off my rocker to stay with people I’d never met, but through the emails we’d sent each other I had a feeling that I was going to click with these guys. And I was right…they were fab. So, early the next day 59 of their friends and fam met in Playa Del Carmen at The Iberostar Tucan Resort. Even my hubby came along for the ride:)  These pics are from the wedding day, and as I forewarned the bride and groom I knew it would be rushed. A 3 oclock ceremony with the sun gone at 5. So, I made them move, made em sweat, got a little bossy ( okay, a lot bossy)! and we shot until the last bit of light was gone….you can see proof from the night shot; that was minutes after I finished the last shot on the beach ( for you photogs,  I was shooting at ISO 3000)! I could seriously keep on writing about all the great details, but I’ll spare you and let the images speak for themselves. 

Make sure to tune in in the next few days for their After session….by far my fave; we’re talking mosaic tiles, hot pink brick walls, and a roadside bar with swings:) Yup, I was a happy girl! I promise you won’t be disappointed as they were rock stars!

Jay, Janine and all of your seriously amazing friends and fam…..I had such a great time and really appreciate you having me; now somebody else get married away…..I’m addicted!!!Are you kidding me?! Janine, you are stunning.  Doesn’t Jay remind you of Hugh Laurie…aka: House??! 
I just adore the expression on her brother’s face here……Does she not look like she could just burst here?! Love.The boys giving us a little groove after the ceremony….Okay, so there’s a bit of a story behind these next two;  these guys are all “city-folk”, and although I’m no country-bumpkin, when it comes to getting a great shot, I will do what it takes. Well, I’d spotted this little cluster of ruins off the side of the road and just had to get us there for a few shots after the ceremony. Well, there were bugs. Big bugs. And lots of em. Of course I didn’t care, even laid on the ground for a couple while getting eaten ALIVE ( I’m not kidding….27 bites just from that afternoon; ouch)! Well, although we got these two, there really aren’t any others….they are literally slapping each other, screaming (boys too)  and/or ripping off clothes in the rest. But come on….soooo worth it! This may be may fave…..I love how real this moment is. These next two were shot at ISO 3000……meaning it was NOT good light.Believe it or not this was taken just minutes after finishing up on the beach; ISO 200, no flash of course. Ain’t it purdy!? 
And the ring shots….it was a bit of a problem as each time I remembered about the rings it was dark out. I shot the first in their jewellery shop, not having a clue really as to what I was doing and the other 2 were shot just before I hopped the bus to go home. Good thing I didn’t pack the macro or there would’ve been an entire post dedicated to their rings!

Yup, they’re for real…..super hot, super stylish and superDUPER fun in front of the camera. My fave thing?! They were amazing listeners…..I have a tendency to get a bit bossy; well, let’s face it – I am Queen Bossypants, can’t help it. But hey, it worked, they laughed, and we squeezed in a lot in some fast fading light. Janine and Jay, thank you thank you thank you for bringing me to Playa with you, for trusting me without ever having met me ( little did you know what you were in for)! and most of all for letting your real selves shine through in your photos. It was an amazing week, and I feel so very fortunate to have played a role in your day. Hope you enjoy the peek…..more to follow once I finish some blog catch-ups!