Playing with light and florals.

There is just something magical about a warm, and abundantly colourful greenhouse in the middle of summer. Some of my fondest memories are summers spent with my maternal grandmother. She has the greenest thumb and a real knack for growing beautiful flowers and yummy vegetables alike. I vividly remember sneaking into my grandmother's greenhouse, cracking off her shallots, and running away eating them as if they were the hottest commodity going. Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely despise onions, but for some reason nan Rose's shallots always hit the spot. Unfortunately, I didn't inherit the green thumb -- all of that was passed down to my sister Hilary. However, I did gain an appreciation for the beauty and fragility of flowers. It amazes me how something so delicate can flourish if given just the right care and attention.

So, a morning spent at the local greenhouse (@birdhousegardenmarket) sounded like the perfect way to spend a Sunday to me! I had the idea for this session and immediately knew Mckenzie (@lureofthelabradorwildflowers) would be the perfect model. I mean, her Instagram name is a dead giveaway isn't it? Not only did she bring her beauty, natural modelling abilities, and half of her wardrobe, she brought her own creativity which completely enriched this session.

Rather than go for neutral colours in her outfits which is my typical go to, I decided having a range of outfits that were pastel toned would be perfect. The pastel tones act to enhance the beauty of the florals surrounding her, but are muted enough that they don't distract from the colours of the flowers. It was a sunny day which added an element of challenge since we had to work with the sun beaming through the greenhouse. At first I was a little intimidated as any photographer's best and worst friend is light. Harsh full-sun morning light adds an extra element of fun. We quickly learned the angles of the greenhouse to shoot from. Mckenzie was such a great sport, with a tremendous eye, and helped me move around the flowers to set up each shot.

After a few outfit changes and about an hour of shooting, here is the final result! I'm very pleased with them as they create nostalgic feelings of joy, and represent the many colours of summer. It was outside of my comfort zone in the sense that both intense colour and light were at play, and typically I lean towards neutral and muted tones. However, it felt like an injustice to the beauty of the florals to mute their idyllic pigmentation.

Hope you enjoy!

-Hannah