Bruce Mines

Wirta Wedding 6-Month Revisit

Hello there again Everyone!

 

So as some of you know, I shot the wedding of Brea and Adam Wirta. The wedding was amazing, but the only down side was that they had the wedding in the beginning of January, when it was almost -40 outside. Now, I've lived in Canada my entire life, so I know that it gets cold, and I accept that fact. But none of us were prepared for the wind-chill that came off of the lake the day of their wedding. 

So as brave and foolish individuals, we decided to do some of the bridal party photographs outside, in knee deep snow, with a -40 windchill. Needless to say, we took about 6 photographs and everyone gave up and went back to the reception. So with us all wimping out, I felt the need to give them another shot at some beautiful Bride and Groom portraits, just in warmer weather the second time around. 

So we settled on July, and we settled on a location in Bruce Mines. Without the pneumonia inducing weather, and the rush to get back to their reception, we made magic, and I was so happy with what we were able to put together. I honestly feel like this is the best wedding image I have taken to date. 

I present to you, Brea and Adam, a 6-month Wedding Revisit. 

The Smell of Sawdust and a Lost childhood.

Ever since I have been really young, my fathers workshop has been a place that I was told not to go into. I was always told that I was going to hurt myself, and that I would be in a lot of trouble if I went wandering inside of it. Much like any child, I listened... until my father left for work, or went outside to fix something. I rarely ever touched anything, but I always had a fascination with all of the tools, and the machinery, never quite understanding what it all did. 

My teenage years, I didn't take much interest in the tools or the machinery, I actually didn't take much interest in the shop at all except for a few 'Budweiser Girls' calendars that were hanging on the walls. I never took an interest in making and creating things with my hands, and it is something that I regret to this day because it never allowed me to bond with my father. I never took the steps I needed to take to learn from him and be interested in his life. 

Now that I am a bit older, I have taken council from the most important people in my life, and I have realized that I need to be more involved in my fathers life, because all of us are only here for a short period of time, and I don't want to have our last memories together being a three minute conversation at Christmas asking how his dog is. I have realized that I need to make more of an effort to be a more involved, more understanding person with everyone in my life, but mostly with my father. 

I've spent the last two weekends taking the time to spend with him and trying to be more active in his family. This weekend I decided to step back into his shop for the first time in many years, and being the shutter addict that I am, I had to take some photographs because photos tell your eyes, what I can't say with words. 

His shop can be messy, and dirty, and sometimes have cigarettes and blood on the floor, but my father has made some of the most amazing pieces of woodworking I have ever seen, and it completely blows me away how a man who I always feared and who I always saw as rough and rugged, can craft and perfect such beautiful and delicate pieces of work. I have such a grand respect for my father now, that I wish I would have had when I was younger. 

Behind the rough hands and gruff voice, there is a beautiful heart and soul, and I never realized that until I moved away and tried to find myself. 

Until next time,

 

Allan.