J+S+ Adorable Baby N- Family Lifestyle Shoot

The Christmas season is just around the corner and of course to get ready for this festive season there are a lot of family shoots we are taking. Our friend Vien and Jim, recommended us to their friends J and S to help take some family shots. I knew I would get along with J right away, I mean fellow CA’s stick together after all =)

We had tons of fun with baby N and luckily enough Leon and J had coincidentally scheduled the shoot the same time her family was visiting from Vancouver. That meant we also got a chance to get the grandparent’s involved as well. J and S were a great team during the pictures, we had one throwing leaves in the background while the other was waving like a crazy person trying to get little N’s attention. I love it when our clients are into the shoot and willing to do anything, it just makes it so much easier to get fun shots in a natural setting. N of course had a number of outfit changes, two of the most memorable were his coordinated family fall outfits and we even got the chance to use the cute outfit that Noah’s aunt bought for his first Christmas.

We wish your family a Happy Holiday Season and we were honoured to be there as for some of N’s 1sts. Maybe we can even be there for his first flight I mean he really showed us his wings that day =)

Gi

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Michelle + Andrew Married Toronto Edition

Marriage is a celebration and Michelle and Andrew really know how to make sure the party rocks on. These two not only had a civil ceremony, a destination wedding, but also a wedding in town….now that’s what I call fun. As their Toronto based photographers we were able to capture a lot of great moments as we had plenty of time in their third installment of wedding bliss. The wedding party went over to Michelle and Andrew’s home and got ready for a relaxed and fun filled day since no stressful timelines existed. Getting ready in the morning was super fun with the girls upstairs and the boys downstairs. We had the bridesmaids in their Henkaa dresses and Stella and Dot accessories everywhere. Btw, Michelle, I just have to let you know that I have now purchased from Stella and Dot and I am my best/only customer :p. Another thing I did take away from this day is that these guys are definitely a collector of sorts…I couldn’t help but notice the batman/anime/toy room. Love it!!! We had a ton of fun at this event from U of T classics to the heartwarming the visit to your grandfather’s.

Gi

Gi used the key word that described this wedding best …and it’s “fun”. Starting with everyone in the wedding, you guys are a blast! I never laughed so much in a wedding. I think one thing I noticed the most the close connection and friendship everyone developed after reuniting after the destination wedding.

I’m not going to go into details too much for their day, as I really want to pics to tell the story, but I do want to commend both Michelle and Andrew for something. When I first met Michelle and Andrew, they mentioned to me that it was important that we fit in time to see her grandfather who is living in a home for geriatric care. So on the day of their wedding, it was so sweet and kind to make a trip to do this as you’ll see in the pics . It probably meant a lot for both Michelle and her Grandfather and it was an honour for us to be able to document this.

Michelle and Andrew, I can’t thank you enough for having us in the many parts of this wedding bliss through out the year. Here are just a few pics from the day while we process the rest. Much love to you both.

Your Friend, Leon Chai

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S+B+ Little B+ Baby C / Family Fall Lifestyle Session

I love seeing this family as they are good friends of mine and I am privileged enough to do annual photoshoots for them. It truly makes me happy to see their kids grow up and to capture some fun moments. It’s funny, the day we scheduled the shoot… Gi had an Ultimate game that day and she texted me before I got there… “don’t wear your glasses to the shoot… You scare little B with your glasses on…remember..”… LOL…

The session was fun as always with these guys and seeing how much Little B and Baby C have grown…aww..man I am soo going to be the uncle that says I remember when you were in diapers. BTW, The no glasses tricked worked… and little B warmed up to me in no time. To my good friends… S+B+B+C… much love to you guys and thank you. Here are just a few pics from our session.

Your Friend, Leon Chai

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L+J + Baby A / Family Fall Lifestyle Session

When I got to L&J’s place and knocked on their door I had an ear to ear smile. Seeing baby A put me in awe on how much he had grown. From my end, the last time we saw Baby A was when Gi and I did a newborn session with him… probably when he was about 14 days old… and now he’s a little dude!!

First off, it was great seeing L&J and baby A… They’re a fun couple to hang out with. We headed off to Springridge Farm to start off the session…and I think that day… all of Milton was there! It was crazy packed with people. We quickly left and found a good spot to capture some fall colours. To L+J and Baby A, thank you guys for this fun fall session and it was great seeing you guys…. I can’t believe how big baby A is… hehe….

Here are just a handful of pics from our day.

Your Friend, Leon Chai

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Michelle + Allen Lifestyle Engagement Session

I was out for dinner on the weekend with a few friends and I was telling my friend Syl, who is a registered nurse that I’m going to stop busting her chops… since every time I see her, I asked her everything health related. The reason is, I have now met a beautiful couple that are also both registered nurses (Don’t worry guy, I wont ask you guys questions on the wedding day =))

When I first met Michelle and Allen, I could tell that they were such an awesome couple. When they told me that they were both nurses… I instantly gained so much respect for them. For me, I think that every nurse or doctor should be paid as much or more than what a professional athlete makes… I mean how can you put a price tag on helping people for a living.

For the lifestyle session, we headed down to the Hamilton area and McMaster University since they both went to school there. During the drive down, it was a great opportunity to really get to know one another. When we got to Hamilton, we started off by capturing some fall colours and then headed off to McMaster to work around the campus. Oh and of course we couldn’t miss taking some shots by the “grand” arch =)

To my new friends Michelle and Allen, you guys are amazing and I really had a great time hanging out and I can’t wait for the wedding next year. Here are a few pics from our session. I owe you guys dim sum… let me know when you guys are free =) One last important note before I let the pics to the story telling, I really want to thank Gary for the kind referral to this awesome couple =)

Your Friend, Leon Chai

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H+J + Family / Family Lifestyle Session

There is a personal philosophy behind these family lifestyle sessions that we do. For Gi and I, 4 years ago we started these sessions with one awesome family (O+J + Baby Z) who gave us the total creative freedom to do whatever we wanted. Before Gi and I shot the session with them, we figured out that our approach and philosophy on these type of shoots. So what’s the secret Chai? It’s simple and everyone that’s reading can relate. Regardless of how technology has evolved, there is one core essential factor about pictures, that there is meaning behind every image. If you know want to know exactly what I mean, go dig up your family album and sit down with your parents and let them talk you through each picture. Don’t say a word. What you will notice is that there is a story behind each picture…and that’s the secret…Simply put, make sure each photo has a meaning.

For this family lifestyle session I met this gorgeous family at the Scarborough Bluffs. They are truly lucky that they live close to such a beautiful part of the city. Chatting with H, she told me they spend a lot of time here with her family. I had a blast capturing their pics and got quite a workout trying to keep up with these boys =) When you see the pics below, I will only know that I did a good job if they look back at these photos one day and can tell a story. Before I let the pics do the talking, I want to sincerely thank Sara for the kind referral and allowing me to meet this beautiful family – you rock!

Your Friend, Leon Chai

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