Toronto has beautiful places for pictures; The Bluffs are no exception. They provide a gorgeous background and are a photographer's gem! Well, that is exactly where we went with Jonny and Caro.

This engagement session is very special to me. I have known Jonny and his family since he was a child.

We have shared lots of moments together and have great memories with all of them. Now, he is getting married! It is surreal and exciting at the same time. I am so blessed to have been chosen to document their special day!

We ventured into a long engagement session that started at the Scarborough Bluffs and continued at the Harbour Front in Toronto. 

Caro has lived in Toronto ever since she moved to Canada, so this city holds a special bond for her. We visited places where they are used to walk together as a couple, and had a lot of fun!
The session finished with a few night shots by the CN Tower. The perfect spot for a romantic evening.

​All the best to you both... Can't wait for the big day to come!

Enjoy!
​Rachel

Sana is getting married! Her sister, friends and family organized this beautiful bridal shower in downtown Toronto. The room was beautifully decorated, the food was exquisite and the company extraordinary. There was so much love and happiness. Seeing how beautiful it all was for Sana's shower, I can image how wonderful her wedding will be. Here are some highlights from the event... Enjoy!

The sweets table was gorgeous...

Sana looked stunning!

They had lots of fun games for their guests.

And lots of yummy food and treats.

I had the privilege of meeting Sana's family... they treated me like family!

Heber Down is a beautiful conservation area located in the heart of Whitby, east of the GTA. I am holding Mini Family Sessions for the month of June and it comes as no surprise that many of my wonderful families choose this park for their photos. Corry is a beautiful talented nurse and a mom of three gorgeous -and very active- girls. She took care of both my children when they were born. Corry gave them their first bath and looked after us at the North York Hospital where she does an amazing work. It is always a pleasure for me to photograph them! Here is a sneak peek of their Mini Session.

Mariah is the oldest. She loves nature, animals and the outdoors. Although she didn't love all the mosquitoes we had to deal with!

Maddy loves to play soccer and she babysits on the side. My children love her! If you need a babysitter, you can count on Maddy...

Ava is the "little one"... She's so grown up now and lots of fun to be with.

Hard to tell this beautiful girl is only five years old! She takes from my friend, her mamma, a pageant beauty from Venezuela. Just like her mom, posing in front of the camera comes super natural to her. While having a BBQ with friends I took just a few test shots... the result?, amazing pictures! 
It will be my pleasure to photograph this beauty as she continues to grow and bloom into teenage hood.
​Enjoy!

Here is with her "posing" smile... Gorgeous!

Check out that pose! Amazing...

I love her natural smile... with her tongue between the teeth. It is so adorable!

And finally... some Photoshop to create a little bit of drama.

If you have a girl and want to be part of this "Girls Are Beautiful Series" please Contact me ASAP. I would gladly take pictures of your little one and turn them into Fine Art Potraits!

When you live in such a gorgeous piece of land, you do not need to go too far to get amazing pictures! I had the privilege of photographing this beautiful family, who I can call friends. This huge property offers a wide variety of backgrounds to get great pictures. Their love for the outdoors and nature is inspiring! Mom is an amazing artist. She did a great job selecting the wardrobe for her family after our initial design consultation. Her refined taste and extensive knowledge for color and texture combination comes through in every shot. I adored the children interaction with their grandma... you could feel the love between them! I had a blast capturing memories for such a lovely bunch!

It is that time of the year... Family vacation time!. As most families start preparing to set their time off and select beautiful locations to go to for a well deserved time to rest and have fun, one of the main items packed in every bag is some sort of photo camera. A yearly vacation is the best time to document your family story because you are all together, you're ready to have fun and you have the time. How beautiful it is to be able to look back at the pictures from your trip and relive all those wonderful moments! Here are a few tips to help you improve those family shots to keep them for years to come.

1. Pack the right camera equipment
If you are one of those who write down a list of all the things they need to pack in their bag, then here is one more for you to add: camera equipment. The amount of gear that you decide to take with you depends on the destination and how much weight you are willing to carry! Whether you are a pro or a hobbyist, there is always more than just your DSLR or smartphone to take with you. You might also want to invest in other accessories, such as a tripod and a selfie stick. If you are not taking a laptop to upload pictures from your camera, then it could be a good idea to pack an extra memory card to make sure you do not run out of memory in the middle of your trip. Don't forget cables, batteries (they tend to be pricey at resorts and airports), external flash and additional lenses, if you have them.

2. Prepare for the trip by reviewing your camera manual
I know... I know... Who has time to read the manual? I don't mean you need to read it entirely. Just make sure you know about the main settings and the best situations in which each one should be used to get the best out of your equipment. Things like replacing batteries, using the different shutter settings and changing memory cards are also a must know.

3. Be aware of the light
One of the most important things in photography is light. Being aware of the light situation surrounding you can help you create much better pictures. There is a lot that can be said about lighting in photography. I won't go into all of the details, but it is worth mentioning some of the most typical light situations that may arise when on vacation and how to properly handle them.
a) Harsh sunlight. Whenever you are able, try to avoid taking pictures in harsh sunlight. This is not the most flattering type of light as it creates harsh shadows and squinting. Whenever possible, take your pictures in the shade. If you are on the beach with no shade available, use an umbrella or a blanket to diffuse the sunlight. Make sure to keep those out of the frame when snapping the shot.
b) Sunset light. In most cases, when shooting with the sunset the subject/s in the picture come out dark and/or blurry. How can that be fixed? By using flash! As your camera focuses on properly exposing the light in the background, you will not have enough light cast over those in the foreground. That is when you need to add some sort of light, either flash or a reflector. Try to find things that will reflect that wonderful sunset light back onto your subjects faces; such as aluminum foil, a mirror, or a white wall.
c) Night light. For those pictures in or outside in very low light situation, consider using candles, lanterns, or the video light from your smartphone. Additionally, you need to hold the camera as still as possible. For best results place your camera on a tripod, or flat surface to avoid shaking.
In the example picture above, both shots were taken in the same spot and just seconds apart. The one on the left was taken without flash, and the one on the right with flash. You can see what a big difference a light source can make on your pictures.

4. Choose the background carefully
When it comes to the background (what's behind the main subject/s in a picture) remember that it is best to keep it simple. Try to avoid photographing your family in front of very busy or distracting backgrounds, remove the clutter when possible and consider re-positioning people as needed. It takes just a few extra minutes to do so but the results are worth the extra effort.

5. Try new things
It is very easy to end up with 200 pictures at the end of your trip that look pretty much the same. We all have a preferred angle and feel comfortable having our portrait taken in a certain way. This vacation try something different. Step up to take pictures from above; lie down to take pictures from a lower angle; pay attention to details and special moments; find frames within the frame; and experiment with tilting your camera sideways. Apart from the posed shots, thrive to capture candid moments that tell a story; moments that will trigger that special memory when you see them again. Aim to get at least one great family picture to frame or to use for your Christmas card.

6. Get a lot closer
Although you might feel inclined to snap a wide shot of your family with all the beautiful scenery behind them, take a few steps closer and grab a cozier picture, including just a few details around them. Sometimes, less is more. If you are snapping with your smartphone camera, remember that the zoom is not a real zoom. Even if it shows great on your phone screen, it might be pix-elated or blurry when blown bigger. Experiment with different distances from the subject/s and have fun taking lots and lots of pictures.

7. BE in your pictures
There always seems to be a "designated photographer" in each family vacation trip, isn't it? Always holding a camera and ready to snap a shot. Well, even the "designated photographer" needs to be in the picture. Here is when a tripod or a selfie stick come handy. You can also ask a by stander to snap a shot here and there with you in it.

8. Print your photos
The very last tip of today is print, print, print your pictures! As soon as you make some time to upload the pictures onto your computer, select the ones you want to print first, plan for sizes and spots on your walls or albums where you want to display them, and send them to the lab to be printed. That is the best way to preserve your memories. Pictures taken with your smartphone can also be printed, within some limitations depending on how they were taken. For more information about printing cellphone pictures, I find this blog to be very helpful: http://iphonephotographyschool.com/print-photos/
Make sure you back up all of your digital files to a safe place!
Happy shooting folks!

It was a Saturday morning in Whitby... Forecast said we would have 8 degrees and sunshine. Yeay! Beautiful day for an outdoors shoot. But in this unpredictable Canadian winter, you learn to be prepared for anything.
This young mom of three, and grandmother of two wanted to have a big family portrait done. What a great opportunity that was, temperature rising, and sunshine. 
Although the weather played some tricks on us, this beautiful family was determined to have their session. 
We came out to the park, braved the ice patches and melted snow puddles and have a wonderful time! The sun made a few appearances, and the best thing... rain waited to come down until after we were done. We can't complain. The results... amazing pictures! These are going on the walls, for sure.
​
If you haven't reserved your family session for this Spring, don't delay. March and April are almost fully booked! Enjoy

It is the most wonderful time of the year again... Yes! Christmas is coming really soon, and with that a lot of preparation, and Photo sessions for their Christmas cards to send to family and friends.
Here are the previous of this wonderful family that I always enjoy photographing. They always like to have a Life Style Session at home and get beautiful children and family portraits. They are very creative and come up with a ton of ideas for their Photo Sessions. Always with big smiles and a great spirit... We have a blast every time we get together for their session.
Thanks again for letting DreamLight Image in your home to capture your most candid and tender moments as a family...

Fall Photography... who doesn't like a golden, sunlit family portrait at this time of year? At DreamLight Image we love to take advantage of these combination of golds and reds that nature has to offer in Canada during the Fall. I had a lot of fun this with all the families that came to the park for their Fall Mini Photo Sessions this year!  A big thank you to all of you and endured all kinds of weather conditions and still rocked their photo sessions out! Looking forward to the 2016 season!
Here are just a few samples of the results... Enjoy!

Wrapping up the Fall Family Sessions in this beautiful Fall landscape in Ontario. I had lots of fun with this family. Their dynamic relationships are fun and loving. To watch this proud dad, surrounded by all his girls is a great blessing. Taking their pictures was a breeze! They made my job so easy as they love photography and appreciate all that goes into it. They were willing to walk, lie on the ground, and they let me take my time to capture beautiful images. These are some examples of what we accomplished that day. Enjoy!