Gary + Sheena

My name is Gary and here's the scoop on how Definition Photography came to be. Prior to meeting Sheena in 2004, I always seemed to have a camera with me no matter where I went. This is probably because, growing up, my dad always had his SLR with him and took every opportunity to photograph my sisters and I be it at the beach, in the backyard, camping, travelling or just lounging around. At the time, we all thought this was a really annoying habit and we didn't quite understand why he insisted on taking our pictures. Looking back now, though, I am so glad my dad made every effort possible to capture us growing up and, because of it, we all have amazing images of our childhood that I can show my own children today. Then, when I was around 15 years old, my dad gave up his hobby and handed me his NIKON EM SLR. I knew absolutely nothing about this strange black box with weird numbers and dials, but I knew what it had the potential to do and that is all I needed to get me started thinking about my future dreams as a photographer. This led to my personal travels around the world over the next ten years photographing people, places and moments. Some of countries I have photographed that stand out are: Nepal, India, Cambodia, Morocco and Vietnam. I studied photography at the University of Western Ontario as well as in private classes until Sheena and I met in 2003. We continued travelling around the world together for the next 4 years, married in 2007, and created Definition Photography out of my passion for photography and Sheena's love for kids, babies and weddings. We rely on having two different critical perspectives that allow us to give our clients real, one-of-a-kind images that will definitely be just a fun, exciting and visceral to look at today as they will be long into the future.

We are based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We live with our two young daughters, and our loyal yellow lab named Blaze

Gary
LIKES: pizza, Pearl Jam, camping, hockey, patios, dogs, BBQs, travelling, being challenged, live indie music, 
DISLIKES: garbage, SUVs, seafood, classical music, taxes, math, airport terminals
TOP LIFE MOMENTS (in no particular order): 1. getting married 2. having Eddie Vedder dedicate a song to Sheena and I at Massey Hall (I can show you the video if you ask me about it) 3. running with the bulls... twice... and surviving (barely) 4. having two beautiful daughters 5. seeing the Taj Mahal at sunrise (and taking pictures of it as well).

Sheena
LIKES: reading, kids, shopping, travel, wine, dogs, jewelry, more shopping, Etsy, Starbucks
DISLIKES: brussel sprouts, grumpy husbands, black coffee, spicy food
TOP LIFE MOMENTS: 1. having Evi and Elise (no particular order) 2. getting married 3. sleeping under the stars in the Sahara Desert 4. holding our dog Blaze for the first time

Wedding Photography Q & A

Q: What type of couples do you tend to work with?  
A: We tend to find couples who place photography as the most important element of their wedding day. We take your wedding photography more seriously than our own wedding images and we love working with couples who want us to be creative, fun and flexible on the big day. Couples we book understand that we are both working together for a common goal which is to give you the best wedding pictures that are fun, creative, artistic, classic and well composed. Couples we book also like the fact that we always integrate with your guests and really make an effort to speak to your family and friends to build relationships throughout the day. This means that your guests feel they know us personally and much more open to having us take their pictures and pose with groups. We also work extremely well with kids and enjoy getting to know them and capturing them throughout the event. In short, couples tend to hire us for our skill and personalities. 

Q: Are you the photographers who will be shooting my wedding or event?  
A: Absolutely, yes. Gary is the primary shooter with 30 years photography experience both in the field and through formal education. Sheena is the second-shooter focused on snapping those small details that tend to go unnoticed, and covering angles of the ceremony and reception that need to be documented.

Q: What kind of gear do you bring?
A: Lots and lots. We shoot with professional Nikon cameras and lenses using a variety of fast lenses that allow us the freedom to shoot what we envision. We also bring studio lights/umbrellas/softboxes/stands and lots of other accessories that might bore you if we actually listed them. In short, we come prepared to professionally photograph the most important day of your life. We always assume that we'll be photographing under any situation (rain, heat, no power, change of venue at the last minute) so we come ready to make sure, no matter what happens, you'll get amazing pictures.

Q: What is your style?
A: Our style is to capture your wedding day in it's entirety, as it unfolds, through the nervous excitement of getting ready, to the moving speeches, to the energy on the dance floor. We are invisible throughout the night, work as quietly as we can and skilled at anticipating each decisive moment. We don't label our style as "documentary" or "candid". Take a look through the galleries and that is our style.

Q: How do we book you?
A: If you are interested in booking us to photograph your wedding, the first step would be to contact us via email or phone to check the availability of your date. If we are available, we will set up an initial meeting time to get to know each other and talk about what package best fits you and your budget. I will show you sample albums, prints and proofing books so that you can see a couple of complete weddings and get a taste of how we will design your album.

Q: How long does it take for us to get our images?
A: We'll send you a private online gallery with all your high resolution images in roughly 2-3 weeks. It's been the standard for us for ten years straight.

Q: Do you do videography as well?
A: No. We are photographers and focus on what we do best.

Family Photography Q & A

Q: When is the best time to get pictures of my family taken?
A: Right now. This second! Every moment is the best time to take pictures of your family to capture this special stage in your life. We honestly feel that family pictures are such an important way to capture your growing family that the best time is the earliest time we are available. 

Q: What do you mean by setting up a studio in my home?
A: Photography is 100% all about lighting so, if when we come to you, we bring our own studio equipment that consists of light stands, light modifiers like softboxes and grids, a backdrop on a stand, and a bunch of other things. This way, we do not need to depend on the weather or the lighting at your residence. If you would like more of a studio look with a black backdrop, we will need a space of about 20-25 feet or so. This means, that quite often, we will need to move some sofas and tables to create the size we need (don't worry, Sheena will move it all back when we're done). However, many families simply want us to take candid pictures around the house, without the backdrop, to get a different feel for your collection.

Q: What happens if one of my kids gets sick right at the time of our booked session and I have to cancel?
A: We are parents, too. We get it and we understand that life happens. We definitely do not like hearing when babies and kids are not feeling great, but we'll just reschedule for another weekend when, hopefully, everybody is happy and healthy!

Q: Do you take newborn and/or maternity pictures?
A: Yes and yes. We can incorporate these into your family pictures, depending on how you want to use your time with us. We will need to change up our studio a little for each type of photography (i.e. moving lights, changing backdrop), so this does take up some of the time we have with you, but, depending on what you're looking for, it may be something you'd like to incorporate. We also can only focus on a maternity session or a newborn session. It's totally up to you.