toronto Archives - Boakview Photography

Selvia & Jeffry ~ A Vintage Engagement in Toronto

April 27, 2016

One chilly November afternoon, I met with Jeffry and Selvia downtown Toronto. Despite the cold weather, these two were all smiles ready to have me follow them around downtown and capture their obvious adoration for each other. Jeffry and Selvia’s story is an epic international tale. The two met in school on their first day in university in summer 2006 in Asia. They were instantly smitten with one another and went out of their way to spend as much time together as possible – they secretly signed up for all of the same group projects and any free time they had was spent talking, laughing, and dreaming about their future together. But even despite their mutual commitment and love for each other they had some bumps along the way. Selvia decided to continue her studies abroad in Japan for five years without Jeffry and they endured a long distance relationship for that entire time. After such a long time apart they just couldn’t imagine being away from one another for any longer and both came to Toronto, Canada to study together. After just two years in Toronto, Jeffry popped the question and without any hesitation Selvia said “YES”! This May the two will be tying the knot in Indonesia and although we can’t be part of their big celebration we are so lucky have captured their love in the city where they re-connected and solidified their future together!

This engagement session was featured on The Wedding Co.

We were thrilled to have shot this session with Dipak Parmar, see more of Dipak’s work here!

Engaged ~ Orla & Ian

January 21, 2016

Orla and Ian’s story is an international affair! Orla, an Irish expat, met Ian while working in Toronto – the two fell in love almost instantly and have been inseparable ever since, so much so that Orla now calls Canada her home. Although Toronto is the city where they met, they decided to be married in Wicklow, Ireland this coming spring – how romantic is that? In order to stay true to their whimsical wedding plans (they will be married in an Abbey in the Irish country-side – swoom!) we wanted to re-create that same kind of magic right here in the middle of the city. What better place to do that than in High Park. Nestled in the midst of the busy West end of Toronto, we took Orla and Ian through the quiet and peaceful park and snapped as the two cuddled, kissed, and laughed. Orla, a lover of wild flowers, brought with her a hand-made bouquet that matched the mid-autumn colours of the surroundings and we couldn’t help but be reminded of the Irish country-side. We are also super excited to mention that Orla and Ian’s whimsical engagement session was also featured on JoyWed, see their story here!

Engaged ~ Jeff & Michelle

December 3, 2015

If we had to use one word to describe Jeff and Michelle it would be “adorable”! Their fun-loving energy and obvious adoration for each other is absolutely infectious, not to mention that they are hilarious and have us in stitches almost every time we meet. Although there is some confusion as to how these two met (Jeff claims Michelle picked him up at a club, to which Michelle retorts, “In your dreams!”) we sure are glad that they did!

Because Michelle and Jeff are city folk through and through, we decided to take them for a walk through Fort York and City Place for their engagement. So on a chilly and snowy early December afternoon, we strolled through the beautiful urban Toronto landscape and snapped the happy couple as they chatted, kissed, snuggled, and drank tea to keep warm.

Engaged ~ Cayley & Sean

October 29, 2015

It was love at first sight…and we mean between us and Cayley and Sean! When we first met this adorable couple we instantly wanted to be their friends. Their energy is contagious and their humour infectious. For their engagement session we decided to keep it simple and bring them for a walk along Lake Ontario. Also, because Cayley and Sean met at a pub close to the university they both attended, it only made sense to incorporate a few pints of Guinness into the mix. And what a mix it was, these two had us giggling the entire time! Their love for one another is so evident (and swoon-worthy) that we truly felt like the paparazzi snapping away as they cuddled, kissed, laughed, and chatted through our walk together. Here are some snaps from their chilly but amazing engagement session!

Wedding Photographers Society

August 12, 2015

We are thrilled to announce that we’ve just been inaugurated into T he Wedding Photographers Society! Check out our profile here!

The long-lasting beauty of film…

July 3, 2015

A few years ago, before the rise in popularity of digital photography, we were gifted with an SLR (film) camera. This little baby changed the way we looked at the world and was our first real introduction to the beautiful world of photography. Initially, both Hugh and I found it frustrating and went through many rolls of film that were only fit for a garbage can and not much else, but with a lot of practice and even more patience both of us started to get the hang of it and fell head over heels in love with the art of film photography. So much so, in fact, that while living & travelling in Asia, despite having a cool new Digital SLR, our little NIKON F65 became our primary lens through which to document our life in South Korea – we even went as far as developing our own film a few times (and let me tell you that, in and of itself, is an art form!) Fast-forward a few years into the future when I came across on old roll of film that never saw the developing desk. Blowing the dust off I took it to our neighbourhood film store and had it developed. I was blown away that after sitting in a box for 6 years (yup 6!) the photo quality remained unchanged! This inspired both Hugh and I to once again experiment with the beauty of film. So after several years of collecting dust on the shelf our trusty old F65 is being put into circulation again – and we are so excited! In conclusion to our little rant, here are some of the photos that are 6 years in the making, along with some new ones we shot during two recent engagement sessions. Enjoy!

Jeju-do, South Korea (circa 2008/2009) Nikon F65 / Fujichrome Provia 400x

Kim & Jay (March 2015) Nikon F65 / Kodak Gold 400

Samantha & Tyler (June 2015) Nikon F65 / Kodak Gold 400

Engaged ~ Samantha & Tyler

June 17, 2015

On a bright & sunny day we met Samantha and Tyler in Roncesvalles, Toronto to chat about their upcoming wedding and to snap some photos of the blissfully happy couple. Tyler arrived first and we were instantly smitten with his quiet wit and humour, and his genuine adoration for his bride-to-be (he even hand-made Sam a rose bouquet for the session – swoon!) Sam arrived a few minutes later, and we headed around the neighbourhood and to High Park to dodge the millions of eager cherry-blossom enthusiasts. Oblivious to the throngs of people and the heat, Sam and Tyler happily chatted with each other, cuddled, and let us capture some of the love and intimacy that is so evident between them. We are so excited to have met these two, and can’t wait to head to Caledon for their big day in August!

Eddie & Alison

May 12, 2015

We are so excited to share Alison and Eddie’s wedding on our blog (which has also been featured on the Inspired Bride here). We both met Alison and Eddie at a large Toronto Wedding Expo. It was our first time participating as vendors, and we did not know what to expect – we definitely did not expect to meet so many amazing and unique couples, such as Alison and Eddie – The moment these two enter a room you can’t help but fall in love with their energy. They are up for anything and for us, as wedding photographers, this is always an exciting opportunity to try something unique!

The setting of their countryside wedding was perfect: we were able to stop at farmers’ fields, discovered an abandoned old UK telephone booth, and goofed around with pinwheels and sparklers. Eddie and Alison incorporated so many personal touches to their wedding day: their cake (masterfully created by Designer Delights), was forest-themed (not to mention adorable!) The rolling Niagara hillside, the soft dusk light, and all the natural details together provided the perfect backdrop for an amazing day.

Mitch

May 5, 2015

In our work, we are very lucky to photograph some incredibly unique and beautiful people. But once in a while we come across someone really special, someone that we just can’t help but put in front of the camera. Whether it is a unique look, a spark of charm and personality, or just plain old fashioned beauty, either way we feel the need to take their picture. This is what happened while we were shooting a wedding in Mexico this past March – where we met Mitch. This handsome and stylish (not to mention CHARMING) dude captured our hearts and was kind enough to indulge our (sometimes seemingly random) photographic urges and posed for some photos! Thanks Mitch, for being such a good sport and letting us take an hour of your time on the beach to pose for us!

Engaged ~ Phil & Steph

April 21, 2015

We are super excited to share this engagement session, which has recently been featured on The Wedding Co.

After living away from Toronto for almost eight years, we were delighted to make our way back to the city we call home. We’ve been back for almost two years now and are always amazed at how much this city has both changed but also remains the same. As photographers we are lucky enough to travel wherever our work takes us but to do a shoot in our own hometown always feels extra special. This is why we were delighted when Phil and Steph asked us to hang out with them around their neighbourhood in downtown Toronto for their engagement session! So on a chilly fall afternoon, we met Phil and Steph on the rooftop patio of their condo that overlooks the city. From there we followed them around, stopping at some of their much-loved hang-outs, snapping photos along the way. We had so much fun hanging out with these two fellow urbanites and we can’t wait to be part of their special day this summer at the Berkeley Church! Thanks Phil and Steph for sharing with us some of your favourite spots and letting us be part of such a momentous occasion!