Acrewood Creative Studio

Black and white lets you see the light for what it actually is.

How it moves. How it shapes.

It’s simple—and somehow that hits deeper.

[ottawa wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, fine art wedding photographer]

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MUA .glow

There’s a blanket of snow on the ground here, which means my kids have officially declared it “Christmas time” (won’t lie… same).

I’m currently sick and couch-bound—because with one kid in school and the other in daycare, it was inevitable. And honestly, how are you NOT supposed to kiss their faces and eat their cheeks when they come home in the afternoon (even when they’re all snotty)!?

Between tea refills and costco-sized kleenex boxes, I’ve been working my way through galleries. This one though—it’s been sitting with me. A lakeside estate, tablescape by and the crisp fall air coming together to make it feel equal parts Hamptons and 90s Ralph Lauren.

The kind of setting that makes you forget you’re sick…or that winter’s already here.

[montreal wedding photographer, ottawa wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, fine art wedding photographer]

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Candles:
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I’ve been carrying around this little camcorder for a while now. Not just for the aesthetic (or because overt nostalgia is having a moment again), but because I missed it. I missed how simple it felt.

I had this moment one night after the boys went to bed—I was scrolling through my camera roll (as any normal parent does 🙃) and realized almost every video was from my perspective. Me filming them.

Whenever they manage to get hold of my phone to take their own videos, it usually ends with someone trying to download a game or locking me out with too many wrong password attempts. And eventually, I catch up and take it away.

But when I was growing up, we all took turns with the camcorder (that bulky ass VHS one). The adults, the kids—everyone. It didn’t matter if the footage was shaky or out of focus, because it wasn’t about quality. It was about point of view.

And maybe that’s what I missed. The way it forced you to focus on one thing. No scrolling, no pressure to make it look like anything. Just recording whatever was happening and what we thought mattered.

Now I bring it everywhere—soccer games, school trips, quiet mornings at home, and lately, even sessions and weddings. I’ll film a bit, but mostly I hand it off and let other people take over. Let the story shift perspective for a minute.

And as someone who’s still working on letting go of a little perfectionism (read: control), there’s something kind of cathartic about not overthinking it. About letting it be whatever it ends up being: a little messy, a little crooked, a little more honest.

[ottawa wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, fine art wedding photographer, mom life, photos are legacy]

After a whirlwind last couple of weeks, I finally had a moment today to slow down and process it all—from the stunningggg Film Club retreat, to a vow renewal between two deeply grounded humans, to a wild Italian party with a couple who knows how to have a damn good time. Needless to say, my brain, my heart, and my hard drives are full.

Reflecting on it all, two words keep coming up: perspective and presence.

Perspective—in how I see and create. Learning, unlearning, noticing what actually pulls me in. But also in how I witness my couples—not just what their story looks and sounds like, but how it feels from where they stand.

And then, presence. I’m no stranger to a good ol’ spiral (thanks, ADHD), but lately I’ve noticed that when I can catch myself long enough to stop the seemingly endless loop of negative overthinking and just be where I am, everything softens.

The pressure, the noise, the need to get it right—or worse, please everyone in sight—it all loosens its grip. And that’s when the work, and the life around it, start to hold me instead.

[ottawa wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, fine art wedding photographer, ottawa family photographer, photos are legacy]

Workshop:
Planning and design:  
Florals:  
Stationery:
Flooring:
Rentals:  
MUAH:  
Candles:
Cake:
Rings:
Models:
Dress: