Blair: 

Hey David and Sherry, it’s great to be working together and I am thrilled to have a chance to promote your work on WBWP. You’ve been professional photographers for 11 years. Can you tell us a bit about the first time you picked up your cameras?

Sherry: 

I honestly can’t remember not having a camera. I do remember having a plastic pink one when I was very little that I got from McDonald’s.

David: 

Right, I think my first one was Cookie Monster.

Sherry: 

My first digital SLR came from David as a wedding gift.

David: 

True, but I fell in love with the camera before I gave it to Sherry and then ended up basically taking it back. We visited the temple at the Mount of Olives during our honeymoon and I wanted to take a photo of the Temple Mount. I went for the camera and ended up dropping it and breaking it apart.

Blair: 

Ouch, that sounds like a bit of camera karma, but it looks like you were able to replace it and move forward as photographers. What happened after that? 

Sherry:

We came back home, bought a house and were ready to settle down. Then our world totally shifted when a friend of ours in Mexico, Juan Carlos Tapia, offered for us to “come and learn.” David dove right in. Assisting Juan on 30 weddings in 3 months and spending the days learning editing and business and practicing the skills needed to capture great images. 

David: 

After that, we came back to Canada with a small portfolio and got a booth at the largest bridal show in Toronto, We booked 19 weddings from that event. From there we kept honing our style and skills and pleasing our clients, so we’ve been busy for years. Right now we are confident that things will open back up for weddings and portraits and we’re making the most of our time. It’s very possible 2021 will be huge as we will have two years worth of weddings fitting into one. 

Blair: 

Your clients gravitate to you because of your style and reputation. Can you explain what most of your clients are looking for?

David: 

Our style is focused on portrait art that often incorporates landscapes and settings. We try to bring all the elements together including lighting, texture, composition, color, and mood to create photographs that can be printed in large formats and displayed. Our clients want photos of all the important moments but they also want emotive artwork for their walls. 

Sherry: 

We are inspired by gorgeous magazines like Vanity Fair and Vogue, photographers like Annie Leibovitz and Mario Testino, and painters like Caravaggio and Raphael. 

Blair: 

That makes total sense. I can see those influences in your work. Toronto is such a beautiful city. Can you tell us a few locations that are particularly perfect for your style of photography?

David: 

Yes, there are many, and a few that come to mind right away are Graydon Hall, The University of Toronto, Blue Mountain Haven, and Van Dusen Gardens. Graydon Hall is perfectly maintained and looks good in any light or season. Blue Mountain Haven has the feeling of a secret mountain retreat with wood beams and lots of old world ambiance. The university has gorgeous architecture, great window light, and stunning grounds; and Van Dusen Garden is full of beautiful backdrops that include a large arbor of rare yellow wisteria. We also shoot half our season in Vancouver and often at destinations all over in Canada and around the world. We love to travel. 

Blair: 

Thank you so much for letting us in on these location gems. People are already planning weddings for next year and it is good to have an insider’s view. Last, but definitely not least, how has your family been coping during these challenging times?

Sherry: 

Our clients have been amazing and we’ve been able to reschedule most of our weddings. Our kids, who are 4 and 7, are already homeschooled so they are busy running about and things are pretty much the same. We’re grateful for that and looking forward to people being able to celebrate again. 

Blair: 

That’s wonderful to hear! I hope life keeps treating you well and I look forward to showing off more of your work on WBWP.