ryan macdonald PHOTOGRAPHY blog » Halifax

Sabra MacGillivray – Little River Portrait Session

Ryan — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:25:04 +0000

I had a session with Sabra MacGillivray during the week of Celtic Colours. She was needing some promotional photos for her upcoming instructional dance dvd, so we met at Little River in between shows and festival clubbing! It was absolutely freezing around the wharf with the wind cutting right through us, but Sabra made it look like a balmy day! Sabra and I go way back and used to spend summers teaching together at the Gaelic College, and even spent a few weeks as roommates in one of the super-haunted dorm rooms. She’s a lovely highland dancer and stepdancer, as well as a Registered Massage Therapist/business owner at Celtic Touch Day Spa…make sure to stop by on your next visit to Cregnish! Sabra’s fisherman husband Iain came along for the session so we managed to tear him away from visiting the fishermen on their boats and in a few photos.

The Worry Birds – Halifax Folk Band Photography

Ryan — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 07:15:29 +0000

A few images from a session with The Worry Birds at York Redoubt in Halifax, NS. Band members Zach Smith, Adelle Meagher, and Bhreagh MacDonald were so much fun during this shoot and kept park visitors entertained with their tunes. They’ll be working on their album during 2012, so keep your eyes peeled for the release!

Lake Family – Lunenburg Family Portrait Session

Ryan — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:14:39 +0000

Following my session with the McKinnon Family, I had a session with the Lake Family. Emerald is one of Angela’s highland dancing students. Emerald’s mom (also named Angela), wanted to get some photos of Emerald in her highland dancing outfit before we started the family portion of the session, and you wouldn’t even be able to tell it was freezing outside. Emerald was an absolute trooper in the cold!

McKinnon Family – Lunenburg Family Portrait Session

Ryan — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:02:44 +0000

I had my second annual McKinnon Family portrait session during my trip East. I drove to Lunenburg to meet Angela, Matthew and Maria and we spent a few blustery, cold hours taking some photos around some fishing shacks and downtown Lunenburg.

Shoshanna + Keith + Finley + Isla – Family Session

Ryan — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:07:47 +0000

When Finley got a new little sister, it was time for another family session with Shoshanna and her family. This year I went to their home in Balls Creek, Cape Breton for their session, and we had a bit of a warmer day than our last session a few years back. It was pretty neat walking into their home and seeing giant canvas prints of my images all over their walls! Hopefully there’s some wall space for some more images, because Isla needs her own wall of giant prints!

MacEachern Family – Baddeck Family Portrait Session

Ryan — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:18:35 +0000

Kent was a grade ahead of me in school. I think Sara and her sister were the first set of twins I ever saw as a little kid, because I can still remember the day clearly along with the confusion of seeing two of the same person. Kent and Sara got married and now have the sweetest little baby boy named Lawson. When I went to their home in Baddeck for their session, Lawson was just a month old and he was pretty sleepy …it’s hard work doing all of that growing! Alexander Graham Bell’s boathouse is on their property, so they dressed Lawson up in his warm bear suit and we went outside for a few photos. He stayed awake for about five minutes and then passed out again for another nap. It was really great to finally have a session with Kent and his family as it’s been in the works for some while. I’m really looking forward to seeing Lawson grow up through the years…he’s pretty lucky to have such cool folks.

Gillis Family – Barrachois Family Portrait Session

Ryan — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:16:15 +0000

We laughed. Holy smokes we laughed during this session!! I arrived at the Gillis household and had a little visit before we started shooting. The kids were in fine form and every single thing that came out of their mouths was hilarious. The damn cat, the damn Leafs, general bathroom humour, you name it. Brenley had a mere dozen or so outfit changes lined up for herself (complete with a wide array of sequins to match the rural setting), and her mom Dawn joked that she thought perhaps she was part crow. Every 20 minutes or so, she’d disappear into the house and reappear in a new and fully accessorized outfit, much like Beyonce at the Grammy Awards. Madden is a natural comedian and he’s only a toddler…I can’t even imagine the things he’ll say when he realizes he’s funny! You don’t have to search too hard to see where the kids get their comedic ways…their parents are a laugh and a half! At one point the kids started killing themselves laughing, and when I turned around to see what was so funny, Dawn was cartwheeling across the lawn! I might just hire her to cartwheel herself through every session if that’s the reaction it produces!

Drea + Jera + Their Folks – Louisbourg Train Station Session

Ryan — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:26:26 +0000

This is the fifth year in a row I’ve been doing sessions with Kelly, Mike and the kids. I’ve seen their family expand and their kids grow up, and a trip to the East Coast wouldn’t be the same without a session with the ‘MacShep’ family. Kelly has been a great promoter of my work since day one and I’m always grateful to her for sharing my name and images, and making sure I have a busy schedule during my Cape Breton visits! Drea is one of the best behaved and sweetest little kids I’ve ever met, and it’s always a treat to take her photo. She also has a giggle like a machine-gun, which makes you laugh along once she starts! Jera is the squishiest little boy with a grin as big as his entire face, and he’s forever on the move…just like his mom. Mike and Kelly ‘get’ me, and always choose the best locations for their family sessions. This year we went to the Louisbourg Train Station, and it was the only year we had a session where it wasn’t freezing! We all bundled up in sweaters assuming we’d be frozen as usual, and it was like summer outside. Go figure.

Mallory + Stephanie – Bedford Baby Portrait Sneak Peek

Ryan — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 04:46:26 +0000

I had a session with new baby Mallory and her mom Stephanie at their home in Bedford, NS.

The Worry Birds – Sneak Peek

Ryan — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 03:23:19 +0000

Had a session full of laughs with The Worry Birds in Halifax, NS. More to come.