Spring Creative Photography Meetup

04 Jun Spring Creative Photography Meetup

This past weekend, I hosted a spontaneous spring shoot that came to life thanks to a simple idea I had while walking my dog. I wanted to create something just for the fun of it — a way to generate fresh content, make new connections, and spend the day creating alongside people I admire. So I reached out to my two friends, Ian and Mel, who are both local photographers here in Ottawa, to see if they’d be interested. Thankfully, they were in!

We decided it would be even more exciting to add one more photographer into the mix and invite a few models to join us. Mel, who’s not only a talented photographer but also a well-connected model in the Ottawa creative scene, suggested bringing in Marco — and he ended up being the perfect addition to the group. It was great to meet him and see how our different styles came together throughout the day.

The goal was to give newer models an opportunity to practice in front of the camera while also helping more seasoned models refresh their portfolios with new content. There was no pressure, just a relaxed, collaborative environment where everyone could experiment, create, and have fun. What made it even more special was that each model had the opportunity to shoot with four different photographers in one session. It gave everyone a broad variety of images and styles — and we did a great job avoiding shooting in the exact same spots, which kept things fresh and dynamic.

We had a bit of a late start, but made up for lost time quickly. While we waited for the rest of the group to arrive, I kicked things off by photographing Nomin and Maissa blowing bubbles — a lighthearted way to begin the day. I also did a quick shoot with Marco along a path and near the beach by a lifeguard post. It was fun getting a few behind-the-scenes-style portraits of one of our fellow photographers before the models stepped in. I also got a group shot of Maissa, Nomin, and Vanessa sitting on the ground together — it was a great way to get some relaxed, candid images while setting the tone for the rest of the shoot.

Once everyone arrived, we split off and started rotating through the models. I photographed Vanessa along a beautiful pathway, using artificial light to make her pop in the shadows. Then I captured Mel, camera in hand, in a tennis court — she’s always so great at posing outside the box and keeping things spontaneous. After that, I shot Maissa on a bridge, where she looked stunning in her vintage-inspired outfits. She brought multiple looks and nailed each one. I also quickly photographed Vanessa again on the bridge while I waited for my turn with Nomin.

I was only able to grab two quick photos of Nomin with a water gun — I had maybe three minutes before the sky went dark and the thunderstorm rolled in. It was kind of a bummer because I had bigger plans for that concept, but I’ll definitely revisit it in a future shoot. We didn’t want to risk getting caught in the rain with all our gear, so we had to wrap things up early.

Overall, I’m so happy with how everyone got along and how smoothly the whole shoot went. We’re already planning our next meetup for the end of June — this time with a beach theme. I want to thank all the models for trusting us and sharing their time and talent, and of course, the other photographers for saying yes to this wild idea I had while walking the dog.

Spring doesn’t last long, and it’s easy to let the season slip by. I’m glad we took the initiative to make this one happen. It was a “no-pressure, go-with-the-flow” kind of shoot — and honestly, those are some of the best kinds.