How do you make the most of lockdown version 2.0 for your winter Ontario documentary family photos? You make a skating rink in your driveway and an igloo in your backyard.
At a time when indoor photography wasn’t allowed, Mother Nature gifted us with the most wonderfully mild winter and plenty of snow to play in – and so the Carrieres took advantage! I’ve always enjoyed working with this crew because Mom and Dad have so much energy and put so much work into making sure that they really get down in the dirt – uhhh snow – and play with their kids. Ollie and Calla have no shortage of gusto themselves, so whether it’s ziplines or swings or sledding, I know that there’s going to be a ton of laughter and probably some sort of mishap – and Calla proved me right by falling off her swing in SPECTACULARLY hilarious fashion.
This session was a beautiful reminder that life really is only as good as you make it. This gang could’ve been disconsolate about having to endure another lockdown, but instead they figured out how to make lemonade out of our province’s proverbial lemons. Stuck at home with limited options for exercise, they flooded their driveway and made their own rink, which they use for a multitude of activities: interpretive dance on skates, slingshot sledding, art canvas, hockey, skate mazes – not to mention the occasional free-form Snocone snack… :P I couldn’t help but stand back and admire the ingenuity and dedication on display.
I also had great appreciation for the fact that Allison and Jarrett were able to find perspective on the situation and recognise the value of capturing this incredibly unique period of their lives on camera because it (hopefully) isn’t something we’re likely to ever live through again. I get little butterflies in my stomach when I think about what these photos will mean in 30 years, when Ollie and Calla think back on a time so filled with isolation and struggle, but have this visual reminder of the joy that their parents worked to include as part of their experience.
Here’s a look at an afternoon of outdoor play with the Carrieres looked like through my eyes:
I’m Ang – a Cornwall, Ontario wedding and family photographer with a passion for capturing light and photographing natural moments in life as they happen. My goal is to capture memories that you will cherish once your children are too grown up to curl into your lap for cuddles and the house seems oddly quiet at night. I love meeting new families in their natural environment, whether that’s a rural farm, a back yard in the city, or a local gymnastics lesson, and getting in amongst the bedlam so that I can document the perfectly imperfect realities of daily life with images like these winter Ontario documentary family photos. Want to see more examples of how unique winter Ontario documentary family photos can be? Start here!
