niagara escarpment Archives | Blog | Ben Lariviere Photography

Milton Family Portraits (Kelso Conservation Area)

May 10, 2018 by Leave a Comment

In October, I met the Sandau family at Kelso Conservation Area in Milton on the most gorgeous, unseasonably warm, evening. This was my first time visiting Kelso, so I excitedly arrived early to take a look around. I’d driven past the conservation/ski park a thousand times, but never visited to see the beautiful views from the top of the Niagara Escarpment. With lots of vibrant orange and yellow leaves on the trees and ground, it was the perfect time of year to shoot family portraits high up at the top of the hill. Before you get to take in the breath-taking view, the hike up the trail will take the breath out of you – but it’s all worth it.

Angela & Brian’s 7-year-old, Addis insisted on not leaving his stuffed dog, Barky, out of the family photos. Barky even got a new outfit to match for the occasion, so of course, he got his own solo portrait (which Angela noted made his day when he saw the resulting photos). The most perfect, golden, late-day sunlight made the beautiful fall colours pop and created a perfect atmosphere for a quiet evening hike.

After checking out the view, the four of us continued along the trail into the forest. There, Addis found a walking stick, which quickly became a stabbing stick. My favourite moment of the shoot was when I asked the trio to crouch down, along the trail, for a quick photo. Addis wrapped his arm around his mom, Angela’s neck and leaned into his dad, Brian. This motion pulled Angela off balance and the whole group would have toppled over, if it weren’t for Brian swooping in to support the group. The near-disaster made for a shared hilarious, genuine moment of laughter and the resulted in some of the best smiles of the day.

Addis beat Brian at rock-paper-scissors to get to be the one to retrieve their wagon from where it was abandoned earlier in the shoot. The small boy filled to the top with enthusiasm started down the hill with a bit too much speed, resulting in total loss of control of the vehicle and he had to bail before making it to the bottom. Thankfully, daredevil Addis made it out with nothing but a scratch on his leg and got to relax in the wagon all the way back down the trail.

It was such a pleasure to get to know the Sandau Family during their shoot and I’m looking forward to shooting an updated set of photos this year.

David Springer Estate Wedding – Beverly & Vish (Burlington, ON)

April 13, 2018 by 2 Comments

You would never know it by the photos in this post, but when I arrived at David Springer Estate in Burlington, ON for Beverly & Vish’s June wedding, I was preparing myself for a wet, rainy day of wedding photos. It had already rained earlier in the day and another dark cloud was moving over this beautiful 1830s home, threatening to pour as I was unloading my gear from my trunk. I took a look around the gorgeous property, nearly grieving for the beautiful wedding photos I could have taken, if the rain wasn’t an issue. Attempting to stay positive, I went inside to find Beverly & Vish, each getting ready in separate rooms of the beautiful historic building.

After a couple hours of rain, the bride and groom were each ready to take their pre-ceremony formal photos. I took a peek outside, pleased to see that the clouds moved on and the sun made its first appearance since I arrived. As we were setting up for Beverly & Vish’s first look outside Springer House, we could see that the sunlight’s heat was causing steam to rise from the wet grass on the front lawn. Thinking we might only have a short time before the rain returned, I took a walk around the property with Beverly & Vish, capturing their incredible connection and love for each other through portraits.

Before too long, it was time for the guests to begin arriving and for the ceremony to start. To my surprise, the clear skies stuck around and the ceremony could be held outside as planned. The ceremony was set up behind the house, near a gorgeous old shed, which stands in front of the ruins of an old stone wall. The wall, I would guess, was once part of a larger barn, shed, or perhaps a house. Beverly & Vish really wanted their wedding to feel authentic to them, so some of the formalities and traditions normally associated with weddings were abandoned for a more causal, low-key occasion. It was sweet, beautiful and perfect for Beverly & Vish. They said their vows in front of a wall of hanging origami cranes, which symbolize happiness and eternal youth.

After the ceremony, the couple joined their guests for an outdoor cocktail hour on the patio and yard to the side of the Old Springer House, as the staff prepared for dinner service to begin. Beverly & Vish put an enormous amount of work into personalizing the details of their wedding, including a custom picture frame for photo booth style photos, a window pane seating chart, a chalkboard “guestbook” and small potted plants for each guest, each with their own personalized, illustrated tag. Their reception was packed full of interactive games, which had guests chuckling throughout.

To end off my night, I invited the newlyweds out to the back of the David Springer Estate property, which opens up to a field that offers a gorgeous distant view of the hills of the Niagara Escarpment. The golden, late-day sun peeked out from behind the clouds for a brief few moments before disappearing below the horizon. Congratulations Beverly & Vish!