Storms in Toronto

Last week there was a heat wave in Toronto. It was one of those it's-so-hot-I-need-to-shower-after-each-outing type of hot! The humidity was so bad you were basically forced to stay indoors in the safety of air-conditioning and my dog could only get walks late at night. But all that pent up heat made for some pretty spectacular storms and I managed to get some shots of it from my balcony.

*These were taken over a span of about 20 minutes and there has been no editing or filters done to the images.

{Photos © Laura Clarke Photography}

Marieke & Joe's Wedding

Last summer my sister-in-law got married in northern Ontario at a cottage-chic, intimate wedding along the lake. The day was over-cast and rainy but the love and warmth from family and friends made the day and night one I'll never forget. I was fortunate enough to be asked to take photos for them and I jumped at the opportunity. I love how the images turned out - that over-cast sky made for some great lighting - and I'm happy to share them here:

{Photos © Laura Clarke Photography}

Quebec City

The very first trip Robin and I ever went on together was to Quebec City. We took a five-day weekend and combined a squash exhibition (for Robin) with a romantic trip for the two of us. We covered a lot in those fives day: we walked the entire city, visited the small town of Baie St-Paul, Robin surprised me with tickets to Cirque du Soleil, we saw Italy's show for a firework competition, went to the aquarium, took in some art at the Quebec gallery and to top it off, Robin played (and won) a squash exhibition.

The city is like a scene out of an old European town. There's history, old buildings, cobblestone roads, and dining al fresco is the only way to go. At the time I hadn't been to Paris yet so in my mind it's what I pictured Paris to be like (or at least close to it). We made the most of our down time and sipped on (many) glasses of wine while enjoying conversations and people-watching. But we also made sure to stroll around all the little corners of the city to take in all it's history. It was one of those trips that made me feel closer to a city but it also brought us closer together as a couple - we had only been dating for three months at the time but after this trip we knew we'd be together forever. 

(When in Quebec it is an absolute necessity to eat poutine - sooo good!)

{Photos © Laura Clarke Photography - shot with my Canon G9}