Jeff Cooke Photography

A Canso Tease

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:56:40 +0000

Sara and Ben were married on another perfect day in the beautiful town of Canso, Nova Scotia. They were surrounded by an amazing cast of characters and I’m looking forward to sharing more from their wedding. In the meantime I’ll leave you with a tease …

Sarah + Dustin Engaged

Jeff Cooke — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:46:23 +0000

Sometimes, my favorite shoots are all about creativity, where the couple has no set plans for their images and wants the shoot to be full of fresh ideas, creativity and imagination. This was one of those shoots. We began Sarah and Dustin’s engagement shoot sharing time with their beautiful bernese mountain dogs. After that, we headed out to capture the couple with no real destination in mind. I was looking for a place that was fun, different, and unique for their shoot, as I love it when a couple trusts their wedding photographer to use his creative eye. The chosen location was great, a setting that had a very “trash the dress” feel to it. They totally rocked the shoot, making my job easy. This is a wedding that I am looking forward to shooting at the beautiful Glen Arbour Golf Course, just outside of Halifax. Sarah and Dustin are a great couple, and I cant wait to capture their special day.

A Lakeside Wedding – Robyn & Egist

Jeff Cooke — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:09:11 +0000

A few weeks ago Jenn and I got up at 5 am and drove to the Inverary Resort, located along the waterfront of Baddeck in Cape Breton, to capture Robyn and Egist’s wedding. Perfect timing for a wedding as, what started as a rainy day, ended up as a gorgeous Cape Breton evening with an amazing sunset and full moon over the Bras d’Or lake. A lot of their day brought me back to my dad’s time as a Halifax police officer, especially when I heard the stories shared by Egist’s fellow officers at their reception. It was an amazing day with a tight-knit group that welcomed Jenn and I like family. But driving up and back to Cape Breton in one day with a wedding in between definitely makes for a long day, especially after having another wedding the night before. Thankfully I had Jenn (and several stops at Tim Horton’s) with me to help navigate through thick fog and the thrill seeking foxes that darted in front of us.

The Following Day …

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:47:04 +0000

Alyssa and Chris travelled from Calgary for their wedding set on a perfect day at Chris’s home along the shores of the beautiful St. Margarets Bay in Nova Scotia. We had a blast, and I’m excited to share a few of the images from their special day, but this post isn’t specifically about their actual wedding day. A few months ago, Alyssa mentioned that she’d like to get a few creative photos taken within the city, and since we were unable to make into Halifax on their wedding day, we met up following day for a sort of trash the dress / rock the dress creative session. And besides, a wedding day shouldn’t be the only time a bride gets to wear her dress…right? Here are a few of my favourites from our session set in the beautiful city of Halifax … more to come.

And I have to give credit to Jenn … she’s worked with me enough to know how my brain works and came up with an idea that totally rocked. The result was this next shot (Jenn was the one who actually pushed the button). It’s another example of why I love having her on board …

Adele & Jim

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:04:50 +0000

Jim & Adele had a perfect maritime wedding with close family and friends on board the Tall Ship Silva – some were visiting Nova Scotia for the first time from Scotland. It was a beautiful sail around Halifax Harbour and into the Northwest Arm, which provided guests with another fabulous view of a sunset that set the Arm aglow with amazing sunlight. When the time was right, without any formal announcement, the two simply began dancing on the deck of the Silva as they were serenaded by their brother who played a beautiful acoustic with a traditional fiddle accompanying him. You can’t get more romantic or maritime than that – I’m pretty sure that their visitors from across the pond got a really true sense of how amazing Nova Scotia is!

Trash the Dress + Boudoir

Jeff Cooke — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:02:54 +0000

Annica wanted to do something fun and creative with the dress she wore to her wedding in 2006. She researched Trash the Dress photography and fell in love with the idea of creating artistic, fashion-inspired images of a bride in her gown. She had also just lost an astounding 65 pounds and felt it was the perfect time to celebrate this major accomplishment. While reading about TTD sessions, Annica came across my site and after a few emails, traveled from Boston to Halifax for our trash the dress session. Of course we spent a lot of time planning and brainstorming before the shoot – beaches, swamps, barns had all been done, and we both wanted to do something a little different. We decided on a late night shoot around downtown Halifax – I loved the unique look the city offers after dark and thought it would perfectly compliment this style of photography. We didn’t want to ruin the dress, but definitely wanted a bit of edge to the shoot, so we threw in a little “boudoir” with a black corset for some of the shots. Annica brought a friend (and her favorite guitar), I brought my talented assistant, Jenn, and we all had an amazing evening together – until 3 am in fact! I always love how in the end, with hair and make-up combined with a very cool concept, even the shy or more reserved clients always seem to eventually let loose and “work it” in front of the camera. And doesn’t every woman deserve to rock a photo shoot after a little pampering every once in a while?

A big thanks to our amazing hair stylist Keagan Coolen, and the talented makeup artistry of Naphtali Carlton … both did an incredible job of bringing out Annica’s best features and adding a little bit of edginess to her look.

Pauline & Ives

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:42:03 +0000

I took a drive towards the South Shore for Ives & Pauline’s wedding at the beautiful Oak Island Resort and Spa near Chester, NS. The setting and weather were a big contrast from their very chilly engagement session in downtown Halifax this past February. I found myself staying a bit later than usual – but it’s easy to lose track of time when you’re in good company …

Kim & Dan

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:30:58 +0000

I always enjoy making so many new friends while capturing their special moments, and Kim and Dan are the perfect example. Working with this amazing couple on both their engagement session as well as Kim’s trash the dress shoot, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know them quite well. It was an honour to be part of their big day, a perfect wedding on a beautiful evening sailing the Halifax harbour on board the Tall Ship Silva, which included an incredible sunset to act as their backdrop. I was able to get to know the bridal party as well, as the couple welcomed me to join them while they toured this fine city in their limo after the wedding. It was a wonderful day spent with a wonderful couple, and I look forward to sharing many more memories with them in the years to come.

Let’s Hear It For The Girls

Jeff Cooke — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:02:15 +0000

Let’s face it ladies, you deserve to be treated like a celebrity on your wedding day. Your hair, make-up and nails are perfectly done and, to top it all off, you are surrounded by friends and family in those moments leading up to your wedding. I really enjoy starting the day off with the bride and her favorite gals to break the ice and have some fun in those hours leading up to the wedding as there are lots of fun, impromptu moments. You and the girls will have a blast being treated like models for a day and we’ll have some fun creating your own personal version of the “Americas Next Top Model” pose (don’t be surprised if you hear me use the word “smize”!). I’m sure most will agree that these recent photos from Kim & Dan’s wedding make the old, cliche “dress shot” and “getting ready” pictures a lot more interesting (a big thanks to Kim for letting me share her images):

In all seriousness though, my shots leading up to the wedding don’t necessarily mean bridal boudoir, or just “the dress”, or “the shoes”, but are meant to be pictures with your unique spin on things to help tell the entire story of your wedding day.

Westward Bound

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:05:52 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, a very cloudy Halifax day broke up just in time for Brett & Andrew’s wedding at the St. Mary’s Boat Club. As only Avril Mulholland of Update Events can do, each and every wedding detail was perfectly planned and reflected Brett & Andrew’s style. The St. Mary’s Boat Club was transformed into a hip, contemporary feel for the night and the Mellotones definitely knew how to keep everyone on their feet in the fun, upbeat atmosphere. I saw lots of great moments throughout the night and I really enjoyed learning more about Brett and Andrew while capturing their big day. It was also a perfect send-off for the couple as they will soon be leaving the Maritimes to start off their new life together. Best of luck in Calgary!

Tall Ships Ahoy!

Jeff Cooke — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:58:59 +0000

This past weekend I happened to have two great weddings with a unique maritime twist on board the Tall Ship Silva in Halifax. The weather was perfect on both days, and although they were in the exact same setting, Kim & Dan and Adele & Jim’s weddings each had a totally different feel while sailing in the harbour with Halifax as the backdrop. Thankfully, I managed to keep my sea legs and neither myself or my gear ended up in harbour (but I think I made a few of the guests gasp while leaning over the side for a different perspective). I can’t wait to share more of their stories!

Cottage Country

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:46:43 +0000

I have been to Chester, Nova Scotia for many sailing trips with my best friend’s family over the years so I knew it would be an amazing place for photos when Andrea and Mark asked to meet there for their engagement session. Mark’s family cottage is in a sweet spot overlooking a little cover off the Chester Basin, so this was definitely the obvious spot to get some great photos of the two with an amazing backdrop that only Nova Scotia can provide. I’ll be seeing Mark & Andrea again this fall when they tee up at Ashburn Golf Course for their I DOs!

On the way home, Jenn and I drove past an old motorcycle parked on a quiet Quinpool road in Halifax and I had to stop to try out a shot idea that I had been thinking about for an upcoming trash the dress session. This is another example of why I love having Jenn on board.

She Said … YES!

Jeff Cooke — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:26:53 +0000

Usually engagement sessions are scheduled in the months leading up to a wedding once a couple becomes engaged. But in this case, Andrew took the idea of engagement session literally. He was planning on popping the question to Mairead where they met at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, so we strategized a few days before and came up with a plan to have the moment captured with photos. The plan basically involved me being out of sight spying on the couple as things unfolded. I’m sure that I looked out of place – standing in the wet weather, dressed in black, tucked behind a tree with camera gear in hand, waiting … and as they approached, I noticed their umbrella read “merde, il pluet” – how fitting. She said yes and it was a perfect moment – and thankfully, campus security didn’t stop by and ruin my cover …

Those who have worked with me know how I love to capture those “real” moments, so I have to say, it was a pretty exciting shoot for me – I’m sure Andrew would agree for his own reasons! Congrats guys and I look forward to ringing in 2011 with you at your New Year’s Eve wedding.

THE Dress … with a Wedding Teaser

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:26:10 +0000

I wanted to share a few photos of Brett who just tied the knot this past week-end. You always hear brides talking about finding the perfect dress – THE dress, and Brett definitely found hers – an incredible dress by Demetrios – at Felicity Bridal. I stopped by in the weeks leading up to her big day to snap a few shots as Christa, Mickey and the rest of the staff were helping with her fitting.

I’ve had a couple of chances to work with Brett and Andrew in the months leading up to their wedding, including a chilly engagement session earlier this winter. This helped me to get a feel for the couple’s personalities and style before their big day which made for a fun, friendly dynamic with the couple when it finally came time to say their “I DOs”.

There will definitely be more to come on Brett & Andrews nuptials – the wonderfully talented Avril Mulholland of Update Events transformed the St. Mary’s Boat Club into Halifax’s hottest spot for the night and the music of the Mellowtones definitely kept the party alive. More to come …

Felicity Bridal is located at 5150 Salter Street, in downtown Halifax.
(902) 420-8888

Law Abiding Citizens

Jeff Cooke — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:06:47 +0000

Gayle and Brent were visiting Halifax from Ontario to celebrate Gayle’s graduation from Law school. Although their wedding isn’t till 2011, the couple took a moment away from their busy weekend to meet up for a few engagement photos. With Brent being a Professor and Gayle a recent Law student, I thought the Dal Library would be a perfect spot for a few shots.

Speaking of Law Abiding Citizens, within 24 hours of this shoot, my wife and I managed to rack up a total of 5 tickets from the Halifax Regional Municipality: 1 traffic ticket, 1 ticket for talking on a cell phone, 2 tickets for lack of paperwork in the car and 1 ticket for failing to obey a traffic signal or sign. Not bad for a day’s work – I guess the Halifax police were out in full force before the long week-end!