Cherry Pop ... Art!

Full disclaimer before I get into this shoot, my allergies got ABSOLUTELY destroyed!

Why did I decide to be in the midst of blooming cherry blossom trees in the heart of spring? Well that’s an easy answer, because LOOK. AT. THESE. SHOTS.

This is Victoria, who came into this project series with so much excitement, it was so fitting she had her own solo shoot. This concept was one that only a certain type of person could portray, and needless to say, she passed the test with flying colours!

There were 2 main components that I went into this shoot looking to achieve, 1, being the cherry blossom tress (because if you know how they bloom down here in the Lower Mainland, you too would want them incorporated in your shot) and 2, some amazing pop-art eye makeup to pay homage to my inspiration of this session.

An easy 2 check marks to tally off this shoot, with the outrageously stunning Cherry Blossom festival in Steveston, BC (there is a spot not where the big crowds are where we took these photos, just saying….) and the lovely hair and makeup artistry from the lovely Anmol!

But what I wasn’t expecting from this shoot that I ended up receiving in a surplus, was the willingness and authenticity that Victoria brought to this shoot. As I said in my previous post, there are some things that us photographers cannot teach or instruct someone to do, and commanding the shoot and knowing what you are capable of posing and achieving is one of them.

There is a certain “aura” about Victoria that I can’t put into words, but if I tried, it would be that she can be given any prompt, or inspiration or concept, and she will treat it like it is her own. She will work to make it happen and ensure your vision is brought to life; this makes it an effortless experience working with Victoria and I know she is always someone I can count on!

She has a lot of insight into the world and industry as well and we actually got to catch up on a episode of my new photography podcast series, Life in Autofocus! Check her out by clicking below and let me know what you think!

All in all, this was the second shoot of my portrait series that really carried the momentum from the first studio shoot! Alongside myself and Victoria, we had the amazingly talented Anmol who did our hair and stunning makeup, I had Aislinn working tirelessly (and I mean tireslessy as we had to be up early for this shoot) assisting with lighting and posing and just conceptualizing with me in the moment, and we had my best friend Cody assisting with behind the scenes footage for me! The collaboration this project has harvested for me is unlike any other and I am so grateful to not only share my creative passion with these people, but to share the final product with you all.

The freedom of expression

The meaning of life is contained in every single expression of life. It is present in the infinity of forms and phenomena that exist in all of creation. - Michael Jackson

It is so fun when I think about this shoot because it truly opened my eyes to the realm of bodily expression and just how captivating we can pose ourselves to tell stories and evoke emotion. Parina, although I had initially just chosen her for this shoot after looking through her portfolio, came into this session and completely surprised me with her talent and willingness to break the norm of standard posing.

With her (Parina), I offered almost no direction for any of these poses. I essentially went to her and let her know that I wanted something more abstract for this shoot. I had completed 3 photoshoots prior to this one at this point and the concepts were becoming such visual landmarks for myself and I really wanted to get out of both mine and the models comfort zone with shoot number 4 and offer something I hadn’t done before.

As a photographer, there are moment when you take a photo and you get instantly overwhelmed with the straight out of camera (sooc) photograph, and what you saw above and what you will see below are images that required little to no post production and are the simple, raw and authentic version of what was happening in front of the camera.

If you know me and how I have photographed since 2014, you will know that I LOVE to incorporate nature and foliage in my images! I do this in many ways, sometimes it is having a blade of grass or branch in the foreground that becomes out of focus and offers a “vignette” effect (probably my most common version of this), or I will use it a frame for my subject as you can see above!

To be honest, I didn’t even expect to get this type of framing when I thought of this angle. I actually remember seeing Parina against the gloomy sky and wanted an angle that elongated her into it; that was the original concept. But then after getting down and seeing this version, I knew we had found exactly what we needed for this shot. And again, the posing, this was all on Parina and I really have to give her praise here because the fluidity in her movements and how effortlessly she tossed her arms, or flicked her legs, or spun in her dress, or glared through the lens; every moment was pure and every movement was sequential.

I have moments when I am going through these sessions where I sit in complete awe and amazement. To reflect on myself 14 years ago and see where I have managed to carry myself to in terms of comfort zones, conceptualizing, execution and networking. I never imagined being in a position of launching a project series, and connecting with all new faces to make this project work, or really break down the influences that have helped shape my outlook on the artistic industry. In the short form, I just truly never saw myself being here 14 years ago, and this project has created something for me that I will hold onto forever and use as a pillar in the progression of my passion.

To Parina (model), Cody and Angie (BTS), and my creative influences, thank you for creating allowing me to create the visions in my head and make them a reality.

Seven in the Studio

Let me tell y’all something here …..

This shoot was a revelation for me! The first photoshoot of my creative portrait series that I started in 2025 and it consisted of 3 models that had never met one another before, 1 make up artist that was absolutely amazing, a great friend of mine doing the behind the scenes videography/photos, and another great friend as my co-creator and visionary sidekick! If you do the math, that is 7 people total that I managed to collectively arrange for this vision to come together. Lets see how it turned out …..

This shoot was a big one for me, it was the first time stepping back into a studio environment that required my full control from start to finish. A moment that I hadn’t experienced since my early photography school days (circa 2015) flashed back in to my life and unlocked all the festered inspiration and passion I had built up over the years.

I think the biggest takeaway and motivator for this project that was so apparent in this shoot, was the importance of having like-minded individuals be apart of this series with me. What initially overwhelmed me with the thought of managing all these components solo, soon proved to be done with ease the day of. The professionalism and creativity that came from each person present is truly what led to the success of the shoot.

Meet Matthew, who I know from being a close friend. Courageously stepping into the realm of modelling, Matthew reached out and immediately volunteered to help me with this project, and he absolutely crushed it! Channelling his inner Italian roots to deliver impactful photographs, you would think he has been modelling his whole life (when in reality, he has not done many photoshoots like this).

One thing Matthew brings to not just this session, but to everything he does, is his collaborative spirit, amazing attire (he is heavily involved in his community and local politics and also holds a position for the Government, which means….. he has suits upon suits upon suits!), and willingness to step out of his comfort zone, it’s ultimately what makes Matthew one of the best people you can around you. It was an absolute no brainer for having him included in this photoshoot!

Katherine showed up with such elegance, poise and a certain edgy-ness that instantly assured me that she was perfect for this shoot! There is one thing that as a photographer, you cannot teach to your models, and that is commanding the room and needing little to no direction. Effortlessly we were able to fly to the shots that we had envisioned and I mean, come on, look at her!

She was fully committed to this shoot as well, taking a ferry over to the mainland to be there bright in early the day of, a true photographers' dream!

The vibe was simple for Katherine’s set, serving this stunning gold two piece, we aimed for a edgy and moody “amazonian” style fashion shoot, incorporating foliage, vivid lighting, dramatic posing, and encompassing all the energy in between.

Amanda, showed up, and DELIVERED. She was not here to play games! (Okay, that’s a lie, she came to have a great time!). Such an energy that comes off Amanda, an infectious, positive and radiant energy that can be portrayed playfully or as you can see here, be honed in for powerful, chic and regal styled photos.

You really get the best of both worlds when you work with Amanda and this was apparent from our initial messages and our team call before the shoot! Her passion for doing creative work outside of her blue collar 9 to 5, is more than some people I know that do the creativity industry full-time.

This shoot harnessed her personality so perfectly, allowing her to showcase this stunning green gown and fur coat, serving her vibrant blonde hair and red lipstick, this scene naturally came together as she walked past this spot and I yelled “Freeze!” and the rest was history.

This team really pulled through to kick off this amazing project series! From the hair and makeup done by the amazing Georgie, to the stunning BTS footage captured by Angie, to my amazing co-creator Aislinn for assisting me through this entire shoot, and to Katherine, Matthew and Amanda for absolutely blowing me away as models; job well done team.

Oh and to me, great job Jaydon for take a group of 7 people and creating absolute magic! Onwards to next shoot!

From left to right: Katherine (Model), Jaydon (Me), Georgie (Hair+Makeup), Matthew (Model), Aislinn (Co-Creator/Assistant), Angie (BTS Video/Photo), Amanda (Model)