Novotel hotel
Like many couples, Joud and Khalil’s story began online. Khalil was browsing his feed on Facebook. In the corner of his eye, his attention focused on his ‘suggested friends’ list, where he would first see his fiancé-to-be Joud. Without hesitation, Khalil made the first move and sent a message trying to get to know her. Khalil waited a couple of weeks waiting for a reply until he finally saw a notification on his phone: “Joud has sent you a message”.
The couple talked for a couple of weeks before meeting each other and deciding that they would be a great fit. Within a year, they had their Nikkah and found themselves getting ready for their engagement shoot.
The couple was looking to have an outfit change so they could take advantage of have a more formal and casually dressed engagement photos. Having an engagement shoot in Toronto provides a lot of opportunities because almost anywhere around the city is beautiful. We initially planned for Novotel Hotel, however, with the new addition of restaurants they transformed the area into a patio, which made the location difficult due to the high traffic. Instead, we improvised and had a casual engagement shoot around the city. One thing I love about Toronto is that you don't have to walk far to find neutral tone colors, which is perfect for my style of shooting. Once we wrapped up, we began our drive to Scarborough Bluffs.
On our way to Scarborough Bluffs for the second half of the engagement session we hit an unexpected roadblock - access to the Bluffs was closed off. Most photographers would call it a night since the sun was already setting, but to me this curveball allowed me to pivot to something better: an engagement shoot at Scarborough Bluffs Cathedral Park.
While it still offered similar perspective to the beachside cliffs that most people want to photograph at the Bluffs, Cathedral Park has it's own magic. It's accessed tby entering a lush entryway that provides an incredible view over the lake. What made this engagement shoot more special was that we arrived right at blue hour, which is a dreamy window right after the sunsets and the sky softens with intimate, calm and cooler tones. The weather has to be just right for blue hour. While it wasn't initially expected, this roadblock made for a unique and stunning end to their engagement shoot in Toronto.
If you're looking for a wedding or engagement photographer in Toronto, I'd love to connect!
Joud & Khalil
