Katya summed it up quite nicely when we were driving home at the end of her wedding day in Punta Cana. The day had started at 4AM for the sunrise beach ceremony, and it was just after midnight. We were driving to the resort as the day was winding down. Katya and Rob were in the car, along with their videographers Kiera and Josh, and it was pitch black outside. The road felt like we were driving through a minefield.

Katya was fiddling with her iPod and getting into the music a bit, and settled on a song. As we were driving, she said:

“Three years. Crazy. Remember having that coffee in Vancouver”?

“Definitely. It feels like a lifetime ago”. We first met Katya back then, and she was one of the first photographers in Vancouver who reached out to us when we started our business. Actually, she was the first one to give us a bit of a lesson when she wouldn’t refer us a wedding because our prices were too low. We’ll never forget that.

“Time flies”, Katya said, and she continue playing with her iPod.

She switched songs and picked the one we used in this blog post. It’s a song by Jesh de Rox, and was meant to be their first dance song. The first dance actually never happened, but Katya got very sentimental when the song started playing.

It was a great moment to wind down the wedding day, and summed up Katya perfectly. Always thinking of others, and a genuinely kind person. We never would have dreamt up that three years after having that coffee with Katya we would be sitting in a bouncy car in the Dominican Republic, but looking back at it, we feel like we won the lottery.

Katya and Rob had a morning sunrise ceremony along the beach in the Dominican Republic, and it’s safe to say that it left everyone who attended stunned by the experience.

We’re looking forward to posting more from this wedding. It was an intense destination wedding that left us inspired in a lot of ways.

Or a mountain wedding. Or a beach wedding. Or a bingo-hall wedding (if bingo is your thing).

If it makes sense and it fits, you could really have a wedding almost anywhere. As long as it’s non-contrived.

Same goes for Document You sessions. Hahn and John made it crystal clear when we first met them: They like nature and they like to hike. This is what they do together in their spare time and for them to get out into the woods is a very natural thing to do.

Their wedding will be in a mountainous rainforest this summer. For their Document You, we picked a different mountainous rainforest, about a two hour drive from downtown Vancouver.

It was a natural fit.

If you are interested in learning more about the full-day workshops with us, email info@nordicaphotography.com for more information.

Here is what Erin had to say about her time:

1. What are the three most valuable things that you took away from the workshop?

Learning how you two scout your locations for the elements that are important in creating a vision that is consistent with your look.

How to increase my web presence and manage my seo (on my own) using the tools that have worked well for you in your business.

Helping to affirm the vision and direction that I want to move my business toward, by providing suggestions on how to get there and what steps to consider.

2. Were all of your goals/expectations met with the workshop?

Yes. We packed a lot in to our day, and everything moved quite quickly. But I’m happy to have received as much information and direction as I did and didn’t leave feeling like we had missed anything.

3. Was there anything that surprised you about the workshop that you didn’t see coming when you signed up?

Yeah, You guys drink a LOT of coffee.

Seriously, The two of you were humble and real. I felt like I was hanging out with two friends.

4. Do you have any suggestions for improvements for our future workshops?

I loved that I was your one and only student. Having the ability to ask questions at any time and have your full attention was refreshing compared to workshops that i had done in the past. Don’t change this!! Having the undivided attention of not one, but two of you was perfect.

5. What would you say to another photographer who was considering a workshop with Nordica based on your experience?

I put off contacting Cole and Jakob since I first came across their work in Sept of 2011, after attending a wedding that they photographed. I instantly fell in love with their work and wanted to know what made them tick, and what made their work so special. I must have started and deleted my email to them a half a dozen times. I felt like I was really making myself vulnerable, but once i received an email back from them I could see how down to earth they really were.

As far as the actual workshopping,  the entire day flowed really well, and I felt like there was just the right amount of time spent addressing everything that I wanted to; from scouting, to shooting, and plenty of time for discussion. What was so great about this workshop in particular is that the guys created an itinerary tailored specific to my needs and questions that I had about my business. I can say that I’ve wasted money on workshops in the past, but feel like I got good value for my money here.  In short, these guys are here to help you and were open about everything they do that has made them so successful. I feel like they’ve equipped me an arsenal of tools to take my business to the next level. Throw your fears aside and call them.

And a few of us working it.

And even tougher to do your wedding portraits outside for a few hours.

Ashley and Andrew are a Edmonton wedding photographer husband-wife team, so they knew what to expect when they planned their wedding for January. There were little surprises when it was -50 °C with the windchill, but at least it wasn’t raining.

Sometimes one day isn’t enough, as was the case with London wedding photographer RIK PENNINGTON. Rik emailed us about the workshops and was insistent on spending two full days together. After a bit of deliberation, we decided it was a great idea considering how far he was coming, and it would also give us ample time to really open up about what we do.

When putting together the itinerary for these two-on-ones, we focus on the priorities of the photographer. Rik made it clear beforehand that he was mainly interested in location scouting, seeing light, and interacting with couples. So, we ended up having four different shoots during our two days together. And in between the sessions, we grinded it out in front of the computers and talked about everything from Lightroom editing to WordPress plugins to online marketing strategies.

After the workshop, we asked Rik what he thought about our time together and for a few main points that were most valuable to him. This is what he said:

• Seeing how you scout locations and look for compositions that are consistent with your vision.
• How you look for light and get the best out of it in direct sun or shade.
• Watching wow you interact with couples and keep the flow of the shoot so well paced – seeing how quickly and efficiently you guys work together was an eye opener!

Rik also shared this with us:

As an experienced photographer, I was looking for a workshop that would really challenge me and help take my photography to the next level. You took on board what I was hoping to achieve and put a lot of time and effort into tailoring the two days so it focused on what I wanted to get out of it. During both days you were completely open about your vision, your editing workflow and your business approach. We covered so much ground that I can honestly say that I left feeling like there was no stone unturned. In some ways it served to affirm what I’m already doing, but that is incredibly valuable in itself. Your friendliness and hospitality made the experience so enjoyable that I hope I’ve made two friends in the process and I can’t recommend you guys enough. Thanks for an amazing two days!

To other photographers considering a Nordica workshop: Do it!

Whatever level the photographer is at, spending time with two photographers of your quality will be an invaluable experience. The fact that you’re located in such a fantastic city with so many great locations is just a bonus.

If you are interested in a two-on-one workshop with us, or you’re looking for more information, please email us at info@nordicaphotography.com

“Don’t celebrate the attainment of the summit, celebrate the style of the climb”

You know the kind of days when the ground smells of a freshly beaten rain? That’s how it smelled on Meagan and Chad’s wedding due to the flash showers that pounded the Mayan Riviera resort, near Cancun in Mexico.

The situation was as such: No rain for the ceremony (thankfully), but monsoon right after our five minute portrait session with the bride and the groom (not so thankfully).

So our situation at that point was very straightforward. The weather wasn’t cooperative: figure it out. The lighting wasn’t mint: figure it out. We couldn’t see a thing through our cameras because they were covered in water: figure it out.

The style of this climb was seeing the actions of the group when that rain storm hit. You can’t predict or plan those types of moments, and those were the moments we’ll remember from this wedding.

There is a slideshow to music that contains more images at the bottom of the post.

The Jessica and Karl wedding was originally featured by the pink-haired awesomeness known as Kat over at Rock N Roll Bride.

That wedding has now been picked up by the equally awesome sites A Million Little Details and La Belle Bride.

Thank you to Chantale from La Belle Bride and to Somer from A Million Little Details for putting up this wedding. We tremendously appreciate it!

Check’em out at the links below. And leave a comment or two on their sites if you’re feeling up for it.

La Belle Bride and Million Little Details