12 Aug Handmade Knitwear and Spring Light | Portrait Session with Mel
One of the things I’ve been loving lately is allowing my different creative worlds to overlap.
Photography has always been my main artistic outlet, but over the past while I’ve also been reconnecting with slower, more hands-on creative hobbies like knitting. Recently, I finished a handmade scarf for my friend Mel’s birthday, and once it was completed, I immediately knew I wanted to document it through photography as well.
I picked a self-striping yarn with shifting colours that reminded me of Mel’s aesthetic and personality. The colours felt earthy, artistic, cozy, and expressive all at once, which suited her perfectly. After giving it to her for her birthday, I asked if she’d be open to doing a small spring photo session wearing it naturally in her own style. I didn’t want the shoot to feel overly posed or commercial. I wanted it to feel like her.
Mel did her own hair, makeup, and styling for the shoot, which made everything feel even more authentic and personal. She paired the scarf beautifully with her wardrobe in a way that felt effortless and very true to her personality.
We met at her house and walked together to Mooney’s Bay in Ottawa, photographing along the water and exploring different little pockets of light and texture as we went. The entire session felt relaxed in the best possible way. No pressure. No huge production. Just creativity, friendship, and documenting something handmade with care.
Some of my favourite images from the session happened naturally as we wandered. In one set of photos, the sunlight burst through behind Mel near the water, wrapping her in this dreamy spring glow. In another, I photographed her sitting along the edge of the water, creating a soft silhouette against the landscape. We also captured portraits along the shoreline that felt cinematic while still keeping the quiet calmness of the afternoon intact.
What I loved most about this shoot was that it celebrated multiple forms of creativity at once. The knitting itself became part of the storytelling. Instead of the scarf simply existing as an object, it became connected to movement, environment, personality, and memory.
As photographers, I think sometimes we forget how meaningful it can be to document the smaller things we create. Not everything needs to be a giant production to matter. Sometimes a handmade scarf, spring light, a friend, and a walk by the water are more than enough.
A huge thank you to Mel for always being open to creating alongside me and for bringing such warmth and authenticity into every shoot we do together.
To see more of Mel’s work click the link below:
Mel – Model – https://www.instagram.com/littlebambi888/
And Mel’s photography page – https://www.instagram.com/bambiscosmosphere/
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