I'm Ali, a natural light, adventurous couples photographer.
I jive well with couples, young and young ;) , who walk a little on the wild side... who speak their truth and honour their relationship. Couples who feel at home in the outdoors and tend to make the best of any situation. The kind who dance like nobody's watching and love like there's no tomorrow.
Getting to know new couples, and what inspires them, ignites a spark in me to create what they feel reflects them perfectly.
I work with couples to plan elopements and intimate weddings, so that the focus is purely on the couple, their fantasies coming to life without the opinions and limitations of others getting in the way. Creating a day that is deeply motivated by what makes their love unique and incredibly special. Manifesting the intimate experiences that are tangibly drenched in joy, freedom, and peacefulness. Sounds perfect, right?
All that said, your experience doesn't need to be overly emotionally-charged, but I feel that it should be entirely a representation of you, your partner and the life you've made (and continue to make) for yourselves.
What have I been up to?
Over the last six months, I've been faced with the reality that my smallest child would be starting school in the Fall (the days are long but the years are short!). Jason and I discussed again and again how I would move forward and fill my time once all the children were officially in school. I kept coming up with wild ideas and brainstorming unique ways to promote my graphic design and multimedia skills. I had been working freelance from home, filming, editing, designing graphic videos for the last three years.
Over and over, Jason shared how he always pictured me with my own photography business. I'd dabbled in the past, been hired for a few weddings and portrait sessions but there was something missing. With pregnancies and illness, the photography always got set aside. My background is in science after all.
I'd started following some YouTubers who practiced Canadian landscape photography which I found so inspiring but always felt something was a little amiss in the images.
Lightbulb.
What if I could merge these two things that inspired me; couples portrait photography and landscape photography, into something real for myself. I explored more and found a whole niche dedicated to Adventure Elopement Photography!!!
DING DING DING!
We had a winner.
So since then, I've been exploring whatever opportunities I can get my hands on in order to shoot in these environments, and figure out what I would need to have in place in order to proceed with my business venture.
I've been getting more involved with the outdoors. Kayaking Lake Ontario and hiking in the area.
I've begun jet setting. Leaving my family, and crossing the continent on a bit of a whim to experience the demand of travel, have new experiences, and practice being alone.
I've been photographing every chance I can get.
Prince Edward Island is so picturesque and such a unique landscape. I set up 5 photoshoots while I was on vacation for 6 days. I met couples cliff-side by the ocean, in the straight for supping, at a lavender field. There were iconic fishing villages, beach fires, vows exchanged, rainstorms, and more... Testing my endurance and ability to balance many clients at one time. I used this as practice photographing in various, unpredictable environments, and to nail down my workflow and find any weak spots that needed correcting.
Bright and sunny California was a whirlwind. I went from one coast to another. I participated in a pop-up workshop, meant more for locals. I had travelled the furthest (the only Canadian!) for a one day, mountain top experience where I worked alongside 7 other photographers to photograph four couples in two hours. It was wild, incredible, and pushed the limits of space, time, collaboration, light and logic. I left with the most gorgeous content of some of the most unique couples. I also left with incredible contacts and sweet friends from the industry which is just priceless.
Southern Ontario isn't too far away but definitely a jaunt to photograph an engagement and elopement couple, complete with styling, stationary, edibles, florals and decor. Working with and feeding off of the inspiration of other photographers and vendors to create some Autumn-inspired magic.
South New Jersey escape to the forest for five photoshoots ranging from indoor-cozy, to intimate outdoor, to adventure elopements in the woods.
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What ELSE have I been up to?
Guys, I've been soaking up any opportunity I can reasonably manage to push my creativity, explore my limitations and experience what it is to join you on your own elopement day.
I've taken multiple business courses, focusing on niching down, marketing, client experience, and Instagram; upping my organic growth asap.
I've built my very own website from scratch. Nursing this thing, like a tiny baby with bad taste, to the grown-ass, stylish adult it's becoming. Always an ever-changing work in progress... (so, yeah, check back often ;)
I've spent weeks and weeks perfecting my workflow with clients; setting up wicked client management software to make working with me oh-so-easy, researching albums, galleries, and perfecting a client experience on my site...
And I've been working on perfecting my workflow with my photographs in general; efficiently culling, editing, retouching, delivery, followup.
I've edited and re-edited and re-edited galleries on a micro-adjustment basis, ensuring consistency across galleries. I've bought and tested a hundred presets only to discover that I always end up adjusting my way back to my own style of preset anyhow!
I've put a huge amount of energy into studying and practicing prompting and posing. But not only that, how to deliver this direction to couples in a very easy and effective way, putting them at ease and still catching those in-between moments.
I've been present with, and have learned from, some of the industry's most influential photographers, alongside so many incredibly talented photographers and vendors.
Don't even talk to me about the hours of YouTube education from leading photographers I've consumed!!
I've built the confidence from the ground up, to finally unleash my ability to provide you with an absolutely delightful photography experience.
I've still got a bit of official business on the docket but I don't think that will ever change...I'm always learning and developing and becoming certified wherever makes sense.
So, that's what I've been up to leading up to the launch of my website.
Eleven years ago, I received my first DSLR for Christmas from my now husband who had accidentally broke my point-and-shoot at a Christmas party. He recognized something in my "eye" and creativity that I didn't even really know existed yet.
I've been doing this for a while but have had more intense, immersive, inspired education and experiences in the last six months than I've ever had in my lifetime if "doing photos".
I'm like a raging bonfire of creativity right now. I'm on a creative roll, guys! Juices are a'flowing, with staggering motivation, and such an incredible variety of experiences under my belt.
Get in while the gettin's good!
My website launch is here!
And you stand to save on services when you book in the month of December 2019.
Promo code needed via email subscription to site.
Reach out via my contact page so that I can hear more about your plans and how I may fit into them.
Follow along on Instagram to see more on the daily, https://www.instagram.com/ali_logan_photography/