Robert Nowell Photographer

Paul and Heidi married at Queens Landing in Niagara on the Lake

Paul and Heidi were engaged in April this year in Paris and decided they wanted to be married this year, so the planning began feverishly to secure a venue, photographer, etc. You'd never know their wedding was planned so quickly as it went off without a hitch (well the couple got hitched but that was the only one).
The ceremony was at 4:00pm and neither Paul or Heidi  wanted to see one another before the ceremony so we had to get all the family photos, the bridal party and the bride and groom photos done in sixty minutes. Oh and did I mention the group photo of everyone attending the wedding as well? In spite of the short timing we got everything done and the couple were on time for the cocktails and their entrance. Great couple to work with and I enjoyed the speeches so much from great family and friends. 
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Our dog Morgan New pics at Puparazzi!

Check out out the photos of my "westie" Morgan over at Puparazzi my dog portrait site.

www.puparazzi.ca

Alecia + Brad Rodman Hall Wedding

Over the years I have chuckled when I mention Rodman Hall to someone here in the Niagara area, and they look puzzled and say "where and what is that?" It astounds me that this priceless architectural gem is often overlooked by it's own citizens. So I was excited when Alecia told me at our first meeting that her plan was to have her ceremony at Rodman Hall outdoors at the back of the great hall. Brock University now owns the property which houses an art gallery.  see Rodman Hall.
I used to photograph dozens of wedding partys at Rodman over the years until wisely they put a policy in place that required a permit to be purchased in order to photograph a wedding there.  
Back to Alecia and Brad, they were very lucky to have a beautiful summer day for the outdoor ceremony and the light was exquisite. The grounds of the estate afforded us so many varied backgrounds and shade from the hot sun. When we finished there it was off to Club Castropignano. We stopped a couple of times on the way to take advantage of some rustic settings before heading into the air conditioned (thankfully) hall. 
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Bobby and Yianna Opah!

Love Greek weddings! Bobby and Yianna both live and work in Toronto, but Bobby is a farmer at heart. So no surprise they elected to have the wedding in Smithville, a stone's throw from the family farm. They wanted a wedding that felt like a Greek village wedding and they certainly achieved that at their Smithville outdoor ceremony outside the Greek Community centre. You could smell the sizzling lamb and chicken even as they exchanged their vows. Right after they said "I do" we whisked off for a quick (really it was 30 minutes) photo time with bride and groom and then returned to the venue for some family photos and then it was food music and dancing for the rest of the night. Here's a few teasers.
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Angela and Jeff married in Niagara on the Lake

Angela and Jeff see eye to eye on most things and that's not just because they are both ophthalmologists.
I photographed their engagement session in the Distillery District in Toronto (which I have yet to post) and we  had a great time getting to know one another better. Jeff and Angela had a really great group of friends in their wedding party and we just kept laughing all day. They've just returned from their honeymoon and are anxious to make their selections and get their wedding album going. Here's a sampling from their day. 



















This photo is my ode to Annie Leibovitz ; )  









Ooolala.. Blue Manolos under the dress !!






Jeff is formally inducted as an honorary "Newfie"

 



 

 

Kelly's Grad Portraits

Kelly reminded me during our photo session yesterday that it was three years ago when she came to my studio on a high school co op placement. Since then she has attended and recently graduated from Fanshawe College with a diploma in photography.  Kelly is also my main assistant when I photograph weddings. She asked me if I'd photograph her for her grad portraits and I was thrilled to. I knew Kelly would be "up for anything" so knowing how she's admired some of my trash the dress sessions, it was inevitable that she would be taking a plunge. So glad she did cause the results are awesome! Congratulations on your graduation Kelly!! 

I know there will be a few photographers who will want to know where this session was photographed and I'm happy to share that with you. We photographed the first half of the session in downtown St. Catharines, and the water photos were shot in the Twenty Mile Creek in Niagara. 












 

Sarah and Matt Queen's Landing wedding

Was that snow in those photos??  Okay a clear indicator that I'm behind in my blog posts. This February wedding was sitting patiently waiting to be posted and today I actually had some spare time in the studio to get to it. So what's kept me from blogging in the past few months ? Not wanting to make excuses because if I have time for Twitter and Facebook I should also have or make time to blog right? Well I have had a lot on my plate as they say . From January to end of April was my final term teaching digital darkroom at Niagara College for the year and it was awesome. I love teaching photography. Add in my position as chair of the Hamilton Niagara Professional Photographers of Canada, my other business EnlightenME with two workshops that I taught locally and in Ingersoll, well it's been a full schedule. Add in a couple of architectural projects, numerous portrait commissions, many wedding consults and album designs.. well you get the picture. 
So glad to have finally posted Matt and Sarah's beautiful winter wedding. 

Niagara Weddings by Chelsea

What a great way to end a Friday afternoon. I just spent an hour with Chelsea Smith who has just launched her own wedding planning service called , "Niagara Weddings by Chelsea". 
I can't think of anyone better suited for a job like this. I first met Chelsea when she came to my studio a few years back asking for my involvement in a Niagara College Foundation fundraiser. More recently I would bump into her at the Casablanca Inn where she worked as the wedding coordinator.  Chelsea is just easy to get along with.  She knows her business inside and out, but is also  great listener which I think is really important in a planner.  I'm excited for her new business, both for her personally but also for the brides that put their trust in her. I know she'll make the organization of a wedding seem easy, but there are numerous details , deadlines, etc. that cause so many brides to be an enormous amount of stress. Admittedly I love talking with her 'cause she laughs at my jokes.  We  spent the last twenty minutes of her visit talking dogs as my dog Morgan jumped all over her and gave away the days quota of kisses.
So I don't mind giving a shameless plug for Chelsea right here and now. If you're getting married soon and want to de-stress the planning part with someone who cares, get in touch with Chelsea Smith

niagara weddings by Chelsea
905 938 2337
chelseaesmith@bell.net  

Amanda + Justin's Wedding at Queen's Landing, Niagara on the Lake

 
Well reception really, Amanda and Justin were already married only a week before in Sandals, St. Lucia. Amanda and Justin still got in the full spirit of their wedding for all the family and friends who weren't able to join them on the island. They dressed in their wedding finery and braved the freezing temperatures to get some Canadian wedding images to add to their memories from the Caribbean. As always their reception venue, Queen's Landing was exceptional in decor and service. Flowers were  by Cathy Martin and makeup was by Lisa Marie of Mobile Bridal Beauty.   I had been away in Punta Cana only days before photographing this wedding and this was a great way to return to our Canadian winter.










































 

Diane + Jason Caledon Wedding at the Royal Ambassador

I think I may have found a new favourite fall outdoor wedding venue! Diane and Jason's wedding was absolutely gorgeous! The big pond with Canada geese, the gazebo by the water with the amphitheatre seating and the huge marquis tent for their reception was just fantastic. Add to that what I think was the perfect fall day and you get an extremely memorable wedding day. Diane and Jason had so much fun planning this wedding and they had so many details that added to the day. I loved that there were apples everywhere and what a nice touch having hot apple cider and hot chocolate for the guests as they waited for the ceremony to begin. I hope you enjoy this sneak peek of the photos. 

 

 I also just want mention what a pleasure it was working with their fantastic wedding coordinator Jennifer Borgh of Jennifer Borgh Events. I'd definitely like to work with her again she was so helpful!

PPO Meeting with Lori Nordstrom

On Sunday Sept 26th I attended what I'll call a professional development workshop at the Renaissance Banquet Centre in Hamilton. The event was something we (the local Professional Photographers of Ontario executive) and I have been planning for months. Late last year I suggested we bring a top Speaker from the US up here for a full day workshop and I already had Lori Nordstrom in mind.  After a lot of meetings and planning the day finally came and Lori was amazing. She poured her heart out to all the attendees and let us in on how she manages her very successful photography business. There were photography students and veterans of the business listening attentively and scribbling notes. I know I came away with some great ideas I am implementing at my studio that will be a benefit to my clients. I also had the great pleasure of having lunch with Lori the day before the workshop as my wife Heather and I picked her up from Pearson airport. We were able to get to know her a bit and found her to be a warm and   caring  person.  Thanks Lori for a great day!!

Meg Z - Niagara Senior Grad Portraits

For the last few years I have had high school co op students spend a term at my studio. My last co op student here was Meg.  She's now attending Seneca College for fashion but we had the chance while she was still here on her co op to go out for a session. I already miss having Meg here at the studio.  All the best at college Meg! 

 
            

Emma- Niagara Baby Photographer Robert Nowell

Here's a few teaser photos of the absolutely gorgeous baby Emma! She was so co operative and cheerful throughout her photo session. Even though it's nice weather I still find that we can get some really great images in the studio of children under a year. I just love the way the light shows off their perfect skin. Emma's mom and dad, Jessica and Scott will have a tough time choosing as there are so many great photos to select from. But hey, Emma can't help it if she's so photogenic, right? -RN 

     

Remis Family- Niagara Family Portraits by Robert Nowell

A while back I got a call from Naomi, who wanted to surprise her parents with a family portrait.  They were all gathering to celebrate her parent's 30th wedding anniversary in Niagara on the Lake. The family were coming from Manhattan New York, Boston, MA, and Washington. While I drove to meet them at the Bed and Breakfast they were staying at, the rain drops started on my windshield. I thought we'd be doing the portraits indoors until Naomi met me at the door and mentioned her Mom loves the water. The rain held back as we headed to the Queens Royal Park and used the gazebo and the huge tree down by the mouth of the river. In a few of the photos I included Fort Niagara across the river so they can have a bit of the good old US of  A in their portrait. They were such a great family to work with and happy to try anything I suggested. RN

          

Baby Kayleigh- Niagara Baby Photographer Robert Nowell

Here's a sneak peak for mom and Dad from our park session with Kayleigh this morning. The park right next door to our home/studio is definitely one of the reasons we bought this house back in 2006.  I've photographed dozens and dozens of sessions there and the light is just amazing at different times of day. This morning Kayleigh had just snoozed a bit before her arriving and was bright and cheery for her session. This is the day she turns six months. Do you get cake for that?  RN 

 
  

 

Sherri + Greg Garden Wedding

Another hot and humid start to a wedding this past Saturday but the heat didn't seem to bother Sherri that much. She was focused on her saying her vows with Greg and what a beautiful setting they had in Greg's parent's back yard in Niagara on the Lake.  Sherri got ready at the Pillar and Post  before leaving by horse and carriage for a short ride to Charlotte St., where the wedding guests and Greg waited on  her arrival. After the ceremony they went back out together for a 40 minute private ride before returning for photos. They sat down to a scrumptious catered meal and later Sherri got the dancing started. She and Greg had taken some dancing lessons and impressed everyone with their smooth moves. Thanks Sherri and Greg for including me in your intimate wedding day! -RN  

                     

Stephanie and Kyle- Niagara Portrait Photographer Robert Nowell

Here's a sneak peek of Stephanie and Kyle's engagement session in Niagara Falls. We started at the scene of their first date at the DQ on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls. We then walked over to the Secret Garden  and found some amazing light for some portraits. Then we finished up at the Niagara School of Horticulture run by Niagara Parks.  It was hot so they agreed to cool off in the fountain. Awesome!

               

Baby J - Toronto Baby Photography by Robert Nowell

Okay I know I'm behind with my blog posts but hey it's been crazy here at the studio. To make up for my lack of current posts, here's a super session with baby J.  This is her second session with me and she is just gorgeous. Her parents David and Melissa are so fantastic and I love that they drive down from Toronto to have portraits of their daughter done with me. This time we did some outdoor portraits as well as some super cute studio images. I just love the outfits they brought for her to wear! Enjoy! RN 

 
  





      

Kayleigh Elizabeth- Niagara newborn photographer

Kayleigh dropped in today for her second portrait session from her premier portrait plan. Well she brought her Mom, Courtney along of course. If we were going to be precise we'd say this was her third visit to the studio because when she came on Monday of this week, she was exhausted and felt a sleep was more important than getting a portrait taken. Since we already had great sleeping shots from her first newborn session I felt we should try again this week when she was wide eyed and ready. So here is a teaser from our session today.  She is just adorable and today's session was awesome. Thanks Courtney for being such a great Mom and hey Jon (Dad), we missed you today!  Happy 3 months Kayleigh.

 

Copyright 2010 Robert Nowell Please do not copy!
 

Business Portrait by Robert Nowell Bluestone Financial

Meet Terry and Patty Rempel of Bluestone Finacial. They wanted to update their portrait for their website and newspaper advertising. When they called they asked if I knew where we could go to get some tree blossoms in the background.  We didn't have to go far. These gorgeous cherry blossoms are right in my backyard. We also went for a walk at Walkers Creek Park right beside our studio and home. They hadn't heard of the park before and were delighted by it's beauty. Terry and Patty are local financial planners and if you're in need of financial advice  I'm sure they'd love to hear from you. Bluestone Financial