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February 16, 2012

WE ARE STILL HERE!

I’m sitting here in our (still feels new) home office (we moved a couple months ago), at our new lovely and large two person desk (finally we both have a spot to work at!), and I just thought I’d write a little something here since it’s been a while. We are still alive, actually feeling more alive than ever, but our days have been full, a good kind of full.

We came home from a conference (which I blogged about here) a few weeks ago simply BUZZING with ideas and new life. I read a friend’s blog this morning (who’d also attended the same conference) and she reminded me again of something that was said during one of the classes that really challenged me at the time, and still does. As small business owners and creative entrepreneurs, each and every one of us has taken a huge leap at least once in our careers. That “leap”, that stepping off the ledge, came when we had the courage to even go down this path and start pursuing our loves as a business. We had the courage then, but what about the second ledge that came along? How many of us have the courage to take a second leap, or a third or a fourth? Because life isn’t about taking one big risk and then coasting on the fumes of that one decision; it’s about risking again and again in pursuit of what makes you truly come alive as you grow and discover who you are.

The real reason I haven’t been blogging so much lately is because most of my time at my computer is being taken up by preparing for the launch of a new blog & website, which I am super excited about and hope will be ready in the next month or so. We’ve also been working on something pretty near and dear to our hearts that has been on our minds for a while, but that we now have the extra bit of courage to actually pursue and put into motion, which I hope to be able to share and get underway soon too! I’m excited beyond belief, seriously the days go by way too fast planning all of this! And although it’s scary beyond belief stepping off that ledge, I’ve never felt more comfortable in my own skin, really.

- Jenn xx

Just a few random images from our life recently…… does everyone else find the last frame of the photobooth strip as hilarious as I do??! I laugh every time I look at it. Toronto, February 2012.

by JENN

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January 20, 2012

YOU JUST NEED TO START

Posted in PERSONAL

You don’t realize it, but the constant stream of “updates” we receive in this life is overwhelming. Think about it. When before have people, normal people, ever been able to publicly share the highly edited highlight reel of their life, online, as we can now? It all sets us up for rather unrealistic expectations of what we, ourselves, should be doing, or how we measure up to our peers. Nobody deserves that on their shoulders. I’ve been thinking a lot on this lately. I mean, we are very rarely privy to the behind the scenes reel of other people’s lives, yet we are face to face with our own every day, bloopers and all. And sometimes it’s not pretty and sometimes it scares us, but we all have them. We all struggle to find our path underneath the polished up versions of ourselves that we show to the world. Anyone who’s achieved anything has at one point started from point A and set off down a path, whether they were ready to or not, whether it was exactly perfect or not. Figuring it out along the way is ok. The point is that they set off.

You can plan out the route you want to take all you want but what you can’t do is pad the sides of the road. You can do that in five-pin bowling, not in life. Anything worth doing is going to be risky. Sometimes you’ll even be forced to veer off onto a different path altogether, maybe out of necessity, maybe out of pure choice. But that shouldn’t stop us from not starting out in the first place. That element of uncertainty is the element of beauty.

That’s where I’m at right now and just thought I’d share. For others, but also for myself. A couple more Hawaii images folks, then I swear I’m done! We’re shortly off to a conference for creatives so it might be quiet on here for the next little bit, but I’ll try to keep in touch. Have a happy weekend!

- Jenn xx

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by JENN

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January 2, 2012

2012! LOOKING AHEAD AND INSIDE

Posted in PERSONAL | THE BUSINESS

Hope you all had an excellent New Year’s, however you chose to celebrate! Just thought I’d take a minute here while I wait for the paint to dry (is that a saying? I mean it literally though, we really are waiting for paint to dry before another coat goes on the walls of our new office…..!) and as I finish up a delicious bowl of yogurt and blueberries, to think a little bit on the past year, the new one that’s ahead, and what it all means to me. I have some thoughts to share too, if you don’t mind.

This past year has been a huge one for Dave and I in terms of coming into our own as photographers, artists, creatives, and business owners. I think for any creative jumping into their field of choice, it’s a bit like a kid learning to ride a bike, a little bit swerve-y at first, just hoping to stay on most of the time. That’s a lot of what our first year was like, when I think back on it now. There were a few moments to look around, have small successes and enjoy the ride, but it was mostly clutching to the handlebars, trying to push out the fears, and watching and learning from as many other people as we could as we tried to find our feet. This past year was our second full year, and when I look back on 2011 I see it as an immense period of growth and of discovering who I was as not just a photographer but mostly as a person. A person beyond a wedding photographer, or even a photographer or creative, and discovering the reasons behind my passions and the things that get me excited and fired up inside. I’ve spent the last little while really diving into those reasons….. I’ve loved it and have learned a ton!

There’s still a few more shoots that I want to share from 2011, but from here on out I’m taking some time to re-examine the direction I want this blog to go in, one that fits exactly with our hearts and goals. There will be some changes happening over the next few months, for which I hope you’ll stick around to see! I might not be on here as much over the little bit as I want to really focus on these things, but I’ll still be around : )

Businesses are a lot like houses — sometimes you need to paint a few walls, fix a few things on the surface, and sometimes it’s a bigger project. I think you always need to be prepared to knock down a few walls, as painful as that might be, if that’s what it takes to build up something truly great and that satisfies those things you believe in your core. We are looking into 2012 ready to push made up boundaries, expand our horizons, put our blinkers on and stay true to our voice and who we authentically are. We’re digging deep into ourselves to discover what it is that drives us as people and the causes we want to champion that reach out beyond ourselves.

So grateful for each of you that supports us and reads along. Here’s to a bright 2012 where we are all able to hear and listen to our own voice from within…….

- Jenn xx

Tags: jenn and dave | share | update

by JENN

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December 28, 2011

THE STORY OF 2011

I thought and thought, started and re-started this post to sum up 2011. I picked out some images from this past year that caught my eye and pulled at my heart, then thought about all the stories we’ve helped tell this year with so many great people, and how would I ever compile that into one big story, the story of our photography journey…… kind of overwhelming! Something I’ve done this year that I’m pretty happy about is kept a proper journal, where I’ve written down my random thoughts, ideas, things I don’t want to forget. I’ve loved it! I haven’t written everyday, but I also haven’t beaten myself up for not doing so, and it’s been really neat to read through the year……. so I thought I’d include some excerpts to go along with the images. Hope you enjoy : )

A NEW YEAR… 01/01 Happiness has got to be something portable that you can carry around with you… it may be raining, the sky may be grey, there are no fireworks or big parade, but it’s a new year and I’m determined to figure out a way to store up happiness and carry it around in my pocket, whatever my window may happen to look out upon.

TRAVELS TO VEGAS + CHICAGO… 02/13 One of the things I want most is to do something that leaves a ripple. Dave said it was good to feel this way and that people who are satisfied all the time can’t possibly have enough motivation to keep moving forward. I’d rather be constantly moving forward.

BUSY SEASON WELL + TRULY STARTS… 04/17 I’ve been thinking lately as my life as a story… one that could be made into a movie, where people would leave the theatre feeling inspired and happy. I thought about what my “inciting incident” would be, and thought about the time I was laid off my teaching job in the UK. But then I realized that really life needs to be made up of a series of inciting incidents, not just one. Life isn’t a movie with a happily ever after at the end, real life keeps on going.

THE PACIFIC-NORTHWEST… 07/03 We are currently driving through hills covered with tall, narrow evergreens and yellow wildflowers by the sides of the road. It is cool and cloudy, just how I pictured it being here… this feels like the west coast I imagined. Dave’s wearing a checkered shirt and I’m in my new scarf and we’re lazily talking about whatever comes to mind… I keep trying to remind myself to stop and really be present in these moments. (Images of us by Anda Marie & Sarah Rhoads!)

SUMMER… 08/09 In the end I think everybody is, in some way, an artist. Put on this earth to create something out of nothing from their own unique perspective and experiences.

ROADTRIP… 08/29 It really is true that sometimes the good things in life come in bunches… beyond grateful.

END OF SUMMER/START OF FALL… 08/25 There is just something about that part of the world – the fingers of the lakes, the lichen-covered stone, the pines, the colours, the quiet. The mother of the bride yesterday read out an essay called “leaving home” that the bride had written in high school and then she went on to say that for them, it has always been better to reach the peak of a mountain top than the gain of any material things. That just inspired me to no end. It all just tugged at me inside, telling me to live a better life, one that I would be proud to have told.

ROUNDING OUT THE YEAR… 11/17 I’m sure that when I look back on this year, I will look back on it as a year of realizations about myself – what I need to have, what I want to be, who I just am. The new year for me feels like a time to start over in a way, to start being that person I’m discovering that I am.

Sitting here at the end of 2011, 2.5 years after starting on this crazy dream, and I’m looking ahead more than anything. If we are anywhere, it is because we stand on the shoulders of giants — our friends + family who encourage us, and the beautiful people we have gotten to know this year, who you’ve just seen in these many preceding photographs. 2011 will forever be a memory of an awesome year of growing and discovering…. thanks to all who were a part of our lives and who made it what it was. Here’s to 2012!

Many x’s and o’s!! - Jenn & Dave

by JENN

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November 30, 2011

A TINY AND MOST RANDOM OF UPDATES

Posted in PERSONAL

Last day of November, and I’m remembering how I looked forward to this month, most of the boxes on the calendar left blank. But those blank spots disappeared and things somehow got really busy, only in the best of ways. Here is the tiniest and most random of updates of what’s been up with Dave and I over the past few weeks!

1. A birthday celebration, including a cake made out of Malteasers and a weekend with family, a twenty-four hour escape and a night out at our favourite hotel in the city, and balloons with streamers! Turning twenty eight was made not so scary (thankful for this) : )

2. We set up a time to properly meet up with an amazing business consultant, who just happens to also be one of my best friends. She’s spent the past few years consulting for some pretty major companies and she is probably the smartest person I know in real life. So we met up one night in her downtown condo, chatted about life, made dinner, and laid out our business. With my limited english vocabulary I can’t find the words to describe how good this was for us. I think a lot of the time for us creative types, and I can’t speak for everyone but I know that as much as I try to soak in all the business knowledge I can, let’s be real for a second….. most of the time I need help and direction and she gave us just that. To have someone come from the outside and look in…. again, words can’t describe. Every creative who runs their own business needs this. Really.

3. I read the TOMS book. Anyone who knows me, and probably even those who don’t (!) know that 95% of the time you can find me with a pair of TOMS shoes on my feet. The other 5% of the time probably means that there is snow up to my knees on the ground, but sometimes even snow can’t deter me…. I believe in this company so much and was still pleasantly surprised that a book that really was really very simple in nature could have such a profound effect on me. I mean, you’re probably not going to fill a notebook with ideas from the book or anything – its message was very simple but just got to me right at the core. I can honestly say that it has changed the way I look at my life. I really couldn’t recommend it more…. and I’m excited about where our business is going to be headed in the future because of these simple ideas. SO very excited! Big plans ahead.

4. We had our first real emergency with Cleo, aka our little ball of fur a couple of weeks ago….. we don’t know how she managed it, but she somehow sprained her leg one night, and if this incident was any indication then I don’t know how Dave and I are ever going to manage if we find ourselves as parents to real children in the future! She’s thankfully doing fine now : )

5. We’ve just marked the end of our second full season of shooting weddings full time (eek!!). And we’ve met with so many amazing couples recently about documenting their weddings next year and beyond and we couldn’t be more grateful for crossing paths with such lovely people…. again, so thankful.

6. The Starks are MOVING! We are so excited about this! We’ve been on the hunt for a new place for…… well, close to a year now, so it’s hard to believe that moving day is right around the corner! We’re so excited about our new home in the heart of one of our favourite little Toronto neighbourhoods….. less excited about all the packing that still awaits us, but hey.

7. We’re taking a vacation! My parents surprised me in the most wonderful of ways on my birthday, so we are soon going to be jumping on a plane and heading south to Hawaii for some complete and utter rest! This year has been awesome but it’s also been GO-GO-GO!! so we’re trying to get all our work done before we go and I can’t tell you how much we are in need of some time to reboot and clear our heads.

8. Last day of Movember today! Thank you to everyone who has donated to the cause, and I’m sooo looking forward to getting rid of Dave’s moustache tomorrow! I’ve been making him apologize to all the new people we’ve been meeting lately! Please click here if you’d still like to donate!

9. It’s totally snowing right now…..

That’s about all I’ve got for now. I’ve got to say that writing is something I really miss when things get busy and I want to try really hard to make that change. Hope November treated you guys well and here’s to a lovely December. 2011 is almost over. Whoosh, just like that.