If there was ever a year to get out of my comfort zone, to do something completely different, to learn from some top vendors in the industry- 2020 is that year.

My friend Denisse had a Día de Muertos party a couple years ago and I was intrigued by the Mexican tradition of honouring loved ones who have passed on.  It's truly a way to live forever.  At the party, we each brought a photo of a loved one along with their favourite food.  The photos and food were displayed to be honoured and left out overnight for the spirits to visit and smile.  The colours, fun and beautiful tributes where the inspiration for this styled shoot.

I am so very grateful and humbled to have been able to put this project together.  Marisza and I had been talking about it for some time, she even had the perfect ballgown shipped from Toronto.  Our vision had to completely change due to weather, then change again while I waited for my covid test results to come back.  This amazing team came together and made all my spooky dreams come to life.

Lea from Designing on the Edge, your creativity and hard work never ceases to amaze me.  Your bright personality is contagious and makes these projects so fun.  I love that you put so much thought into your art, I love that you are so highly respected in the floral industry, and I love that you inspire me to do my best.

This was the first time I have had the honour of working with Monika of Glam and Beyond.  I have heard so many amazing things about her work and I was a little intimidated to do this project with her!  Monika invited us into her lovely home and was the perfect blend of friendly and professional.  She made Denisse feel so comfortable and kept checking on her comfort level with the make up.  Masks were worn, sanitizer was used, but we were still able to have a great time and forget about the world for a couple hours.  Monika's work speaks for itself, I told her the basic look I had in my head and she expanded on it to make it better than I could have imagined.  The coloured contact in one eye completed this look so well.  The subtle details of the colours and jewels made this shoot what it was.

Marisza has truly become one of my closest friends.  I met her when she hired me to shoot her wedding and have been inspired by her ever since.  Taffeta and Tulle has thrived under her ownership.  Since purchasing the business, she has designed a new boutique space, introduced new lines, had a beautiful baby boy and has pivoted in this crazy time.  I am so proud to work with Marisza and blessed to call her a friend.

Tracy.  How could I ever ask for a better mentor?  He teaches photography at MRU and works for one of the most highly respected lighting companies in the city.  Tracy moved his schedule around so we could work together on this project.  He is always up to answering my questions and has the enthusiasm of any amazing educator.  The humble attitude Tracy has puts me at ease even when I'm feeling nervous.  Strobepro was kind enough to sponsor our little photoshoot and the equipment was amazing to work with.  This team was the perfect blend of science, math and art, giving us some pretty cool images!

Jennifer with Heritage Park, you are always a pleasure to work with.  I look forward to seeing Jennifer's smile when she pops in to see how we're doing.  Heritage Park is has so many incredible locations for us to use.  They are so versatile and fun, I could spend days shooting in this venue and I'm already brainstorming more themes!

Denisse- did you ever think becoming friends with me 10 years ago would require so much work??  You found out how exhausting it is to be a model for a day and you killed it.  I wouldn't have wanted to do this with anyone else.  You are an amazing person and your sparkle added so much to this photoshoot.  Not very many people could put on such artistic headpieces, half a face of deadly make up and still look absolutely stunning- but you did.  I love you so much!

Thank you to everyone for this photoshoot, it was so therapeutic for me and something I really needed. 

I hope you enjoy the El Día de Muertos themed photos!  It's hard to display them properly online but if you click on each image you can get the full view.