Summer Favorites

It’s been such a beautiful and busy summer so far!

Canadian summer is simply amazing and I always want to make the best of it. It’s always a challenge, because on one hand I want to enjoy it for myself and on the other hand, it’s truly the perfect time to create stunning imagery for people, so I’m also very busy with work. So even tough I don’t normally drink coffee, this summer I’ve been starting pretty much every day with not one but two cups of coffee or green tea matcha!

Here are some of my favorites so far this lovely summer.

1. Southwest Ontario

I think it’s so important for creative professionals to take the time to get inspired. The reason behind our family getaway to Southwest Ontario was exactly that. I’ve never been to this part of Ontario, but Krystle’s Southwest Ontario Travel Guide made it so easy! We started our trip by visiting Bonnieheath Estate Lavender & Winery, then we spent a day at Point Pelee Provincial Park, we also had a great time in Leamington, Amherstburg, countless wineries and beaches in the area. I don’t think I need to add the house we stayed at was beyond stunning. I hope to do more photoshoots here for sure.

2. Little White Dress

White cotton or linen dresses are simply the best in the summer. They make our tan look stunning, they easily go with every accessory and they photograph beautifully. My love for white means of course I have way too many white dresses, but I simply can’t resist to get more…

3. Monsieur Big Mascara

In the summertime, all we need is some mascara and lip gloss. I’ve been struggling to find a good mascara that works for me for some time but this one has quickly become my favorite!

4. Art of Marina Kimono

Meeting and working with Art of Marina meant finally seeing her products in person. I’m not an online shopper but when I can see a quality product, actually feel it and touch it, I can become a loyal client. Marina’s kimonos stole my heart (I’m hardly the first one!). This cashmere one feels incredible against your skin, I love throwing it over a swimsuit when I’m ready to chill by the pool after a hard day of work.⁣

5. Formal Dress

Clients ask me all the time where to go shopping before their Personal Branding Photoshoots. My top answer is always Simons. In addition to a great variety of styles, the clothes are really good quality. This dress is the perfect example of why Simons is my favorite store. It’s elegant and timeless (finding a summer dress with long sleeves is not easy!), it also fits like a glove.

6. Prayer Beads & Mugs from Decor by Christine

Some time ago I had a chance to work with a great Interior Designer Christine Da Costa. Christine brought such amazing photoshoot accessories from her online store. I had to get prayer beads and mugs for myself, they are such a beautiful but also soulful addition to any home!

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Art of Marina

Watercolour Artist & Kimono Designer Marina Billinghurst

What a treat it was to finally work with Toronto Watercolour Artist & Kimono Designer Marina Billinghurst!

Marina’s work is becoming super popular not only in Toronto but also across the world. We had the pleasure of photographing the artist herself in her stunning Junction studio before heading out to Pure Studios for more photos.

Marina’s dreamy watercolour patterns adorn not only wall art but also accessories and of course her stunning kimonos. It was time to photograph it all!

Marina’s photos are just like her personality: effortless, free-spirited, creative, dreamy!

Marina is super warm and you simply want to be around her, but this lovely spirit also possesses an incredible strength. When she suffered a horrible car accident and learned about her mom being diagnosed with cancer shortly after, she decided there was nowhere to go but up.

“ Life is short and we just don’t know when or why it’s our time.

But we do know when we have to do something.

And we do it.”

— Marina Billnghurst

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Raj Girn

How lovely to work again with Raj Girn!

Raj is a multi-award winning media and events entrepreneur, brand strategist, marketing consultant, confidence coach and entertainment personality. This photoshoot was all about her new branding and new website. I can’t believe it’s been 4 years since Raj’s last photoshoot with us - time truly flies!

I always ask people to bring at least one white clothing item to their photoshoot. A white outfit is crisp and fresh, it will never go out of style and it’s a perfect canvas to show off your personality.

This time around, I finally got to photograph Raj in white!

When you love what you do, you want to do it all day, every day.

I could honestly photograph Raj for hours on end. The work our whole team did was so passion-driven. From incredible make-up by Shirley Wu to the help of Raj’s friend, designer Allia Qureshi.

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5 years of solopreneurship

Hello loves! For those of you who are new to our blog and website, my name is Agnes and I’m a Photographer. My specialty is portraiture and personal branding photography for women. My superpower is making everyone comfortable in front of my lens and making them look their best.

I love sharing about my business/solopreneur journey and featuring other lovely fempreneurs on my blog. That’s because I’m very passionate about women empowerment. Things are changing in the world and I truly believe that We Rise Together.

With the 5th anniversary of my solopreneurship coming, there’s a lot of reflecting and strategizing for the future. I won’t lie to you - even though I didn’t struggle long to create a successful business, it wasn’t easy and it definitely took much more than just positive thinking. I gave it all I had!

Looking back, I can honestly say that investing in myself was the best choice I ever made. We all have talents but we also all have areas needing work and improvement. You need to spend time or money (or both) working on those areas or you will stay stuck. In my third year of entrepreneurship I finally invested into learning about marketing and business from a great mentor who also specialized in my niche. The true growth only started after that and oh my - was is fast! Things literally changed over a few months and grew from there.

It’s not easy, but I know one thing: everything is possible with a positive mindset, true passion for your work and the willingness to learn and work!

Wishing you a great week ahead.

xoxo,

Agnes

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Spring with Pink Avocado Nutrition

We had so much fun shooting with Cathy from Pink Avocado Nutrition for her new, beautiful website. Cathy is a Nutritionist & Accountability Coach (that’s a combo to make things happen right there!), a Super Momma and such a ray of sunshine.

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I always admire women who went through serious struggles and didn’t let those struggles break their spirit and get them stuck in victim mentality. If you didn’t know Cathy’s back story, you’d never think this energetic, creative, nurturing lady went through so much in her life. I’m always so grateful for the opportunity to work and learn from women like Cathy. It inspires me and helps me with my own struggles. We all go through hardships from time to time and growth isn’t easy!

“I started my 40s with struggles. I had a child that was in and out of hospitals, a terminally ill father and to top it off a failing marriage! But these struggles lead me to dig deep and find what I had forgotten - belief in myself. I found a coach and realized I needed accountability. I stopped trying to lose weight, I stopped seeking approval from others & I gained the courage to believe in myself again. I focused on the process and let the results speak for themselves”

— Cathy, Pink Avocado Nutrition

Cathy is our Subscriber, which means she benefits from regular branding photoshoots for fantastic value. Who are Subscription Packages for, you may ask?

• busy entrepreneurs who want to do social media marketing but don’t have hours to spend every day taking photos

• bloggers

• people who want their photos to have a consistent look and reflect their true personality and branding!

  If you’re wondering if those packagess are for you, feel free to book a complimentary 30 minutes, no obligation, phone call and let’s see if we’re a fit! Book Here

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Lara

This photoshoot’s motto could have been “less is more”.

Meet Lara, a Toronto Realtor with great style! It was a pleasure to work with this girlboss. We’re both lovers of organic, minimalist style, so it was an effortless working experience from the start. Black and white with fresh touches of green and pink was the timeless palette for Lara’s photoshoot.

As with every Branding Photoshoot, the goal was to show Lara's professional persona and style. Lifestyle photography done in a tastefully decorated property is always a great idea for realtors. When choosing props, we kept in mind Lara's brand colours in order to create a very consistent look.

“Self marketing is awkward. I dislike most photos of myself & never feel confident putting them out for the world to see... yet it is so imperative to put a face to the name & present myself. I am my business. No face when I’m the face of my work wouldn’t work so well...

How did I overcome that?

Pure Studios

In a nutshell, Agnes makes you feel like you in a way you’re proud to present & share with the world! She specializes in branding photography & has a seamless way of empowering women to not only look great in photos but to feel great. Working with her changed my perspective on self portraits.

At our consultation she said something I laughed off... She told me to make plans for the night of our photo shoot because I’d leave feeling great about myself & wouldn’t want to take my head of done hair & makeuped face home. I didn’t believe her & showed up on shoot day an anxious mess...

I left feeling exactly how she told me I’d feel. On cloud 9, empowered, excited, confident! I was so in awe that I actually LIKED pictures of myself.”

— Lara

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