I am an honest-to-goodness believer in projecting.  As in putting things out to “The Universe”.  Apparently when you want something to happen, you’re supposed to make it real in some way — write it down, or maybe tell someone.  Well, I’m doing both :: I’m writing it in the blog, and therefore telling every who reads it!

Remember, I have a camera and a passport, and I will go anywhere — the more exotic, the better!

THE LIST ::

1.  Newfoundland ::  The smaller the town, the better.

2.  Thailand + Bali :: Magic.

3.  Tofino, British Columbia :: Or any coastal city/town in B.C.  Especially here.  Booked/shot — Agassiz, BC.  Still waiting on Tofino!

4.  A cottage community outside of Toronto :: Intimate, family-oriented, laid-back.  Booked!  Stay tuned for this one coming in 2011.

5.  Prince Edward Island :: This province holds a very special place in my heart (as does the entire East Coast for that matter).  Booked!  Lilly + Dave partytimes in 2011!

6.  New Orleans :: The culture, the food, the life!

7.  Tobermory, ON :: You can’t beat that crystal blue water.

8.  Italy :: Anywhere in Italy.  Absolutely anywhere.

9.  France :: I can hardly imagine how amazing this would be.  Paris, the South…sigh.

10.  New York, NY :: Isn’t this on everyone’s wish list?

11.  Your backyard  :: Because as a little girl I watched Father of the Bride over and over, and their wedding was in their backyard.  Bonus points if you have Frank + Howard as your wedding coordinators!  Booked!  Coming in July of 2010 (Minus Frank + Howard)

12.  Vegas :: I don’t have to elaborate on this one, do I? 

13.  Salt Spring Island, British Columbia :: I know I kind of covered this in #3, but sometimes it helps to be specific!

14.  Scotland and/or Ireland ::  With a name like “Tara McMullen”, it seems only right.

15.  Japan :: Traditions, colours, love.  Need I say more?

16.  Muskoka, ON ::  Classy + cottage = one great wedding.

17.  India :: The colours, the culture…imagine it…

18.  In a vineyard in any city, and any country.  Booked!  Coming October 2010!

19.  The Ice Hotel in Quebec :: could it be any more Canadian than amour over ice?

20.  Somewhere completely private, tucked away in the middle of nowhere – just the two of you + me.  The perfect elopement.

I will update when I book any (all!) of these places one-by-one.

~ Tara

Agassiz, British Columbia for Katelynn + Janez in May, 2010.  Photo by my amazing second shooter, Scarlet.

P.S. It was raining (does it do anything else in BC?!).  My pants were very, very wet

Meet my new office!

Lucy is my dear friend Scarlet’s new puppy.  I am in love.  We did a little shoot with her today in my new office in Leslieville.  Come visit anytime!

Happy long weekend!

P.S. Regular wedding-themed blogging will resume next week

The last year rocked my world.  I laughed, cried, danced…it was better than Cats.  Seriously.

I’ve been cruising through my images from the last 12 months, and have come up with a few selections.  Some you’ve seen, and others are in queue for a blog post of their own.

The new year is full of possibility, and I am riding a wave of anticipation for the upcoming wedding season.  In the meantime there are many family shoots, engagement sessions, boudoir marathons, and other awesome shoots in the works.

I hope this new year brings love, joy, and inspiration to you — and I hope you enjoy my favourite images from 2009.

P.S. Stay tuned for some exciting news in a few weeks!

{Heart} Tara

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]]> http://taramcmullen.com/archives/3241/feed 12 http://taramcmullen.com/archives/3234 http://taramcmullen.com/archives/3234#comments Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:50:25 +0000 Tara http://taramcmullen.com/?p=3234 Tara McMullen Photography is currently closed for the holidays.  I will be responding to email during this time, but there may be a slight delay in response.  Normal office activity will resume on January 2.

In the meantime, be well and all the best for the holidays!  See you in the New Year!

I love this time of year…

A million years of happiness, you two.  Lots and lots of love from us here at Tara McMullen Photography! xo

~ Tara

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]]> http://taramcmullen.com/archives/2940/feed 6 http://taramcmullen.com/archives/2903 http://taramcmullen.com/archives/2903#comments Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:06:35 +0000 Tara http://taramcmullen.com/?p=2903 I shot my last wedding of ‘09 on Saturday.  It was the perfect end to an incredible season.  November 7 in Toronto — and it was 14 degrees (celcius!)  I don’t know how it happened, but it did.  And it was amazing.

Jen + Mike :: thank you for being the perfect finish to my year.  To all of my ‘09 couples — you were amazing!  To John Edgar + Niki :: thank you for shooting this final wedding with me today.  I had such a great time working with you both.

To celebrate my final wedding of ‘09, I’m taking a couple of days off!  I will be out of the office until November 12, so emails will be a little slower over the next few days.  But I will be fresh as a daisy when I return!

In the meantime, I felt this image was fitting…

As the wedding season starts to wind down in October, blog posts will become fast and furious.  I couldn’t wait any longer to post this one of my dear friend, Hallie.  There are few people as beautiful as she – both inside and out.  I love you, Hal.  I hope you like your shoot.

Hallie’s family has an amazing century-cottage 2 hours outside of Toronto where they gather as often as possible.  We decided to shoot at the cottage – for its charm, beautiful light, and amazing textures.  We began by baking scones

(If you’re curious, Hallie made the best scones I have ever tasted in my life.)

A classic beauty, no?

It means a lot to me when my friends ask me to take their photograph.  Creating an image of someone involves an exchange of trust, and it can be a very emotional process.  As a photographer, I am always honoured that others allow me into their worlds, their spaces, their lives – even just for a few minutes – and invite me to tell their story through images.

~ Tara

This is Laura with her main squeeze, Mitchell.  They are adorable (clearly).

This is Laura + Mitchell bathed in delicious late-afternoon light in a field just down the road from their house in Toronto.

This is Laura’s giggle.  I’m pretty sure that she is the love-child of the the tiniest pixie + something else super cute and awesome.

This is Laura + Mitchell under Laura’s favourite old Weeping Willow :: her happy place.

This is bubbly fun!

This is love.  Perfection.

I am very fond of you both.  See you soon

~ Tara

Check out this fabulous feature on Rock ‘n Roll Bride of Keira + Joe’s wedding.

Get married, become a celebrity :: what more could a bride want

~ Tara

Photograph from the The Tumaini Children’s Project website.

“For the first half of July, I will be traveling to a rural village outside Kisumu, Kenya as a member of the Tumaini Children’s Project (TCP).  The group of us has come together to kick start a computer resource centre in partnership with the Asembo Bay Women and Development Group to benefit more than 600 AIDS orphans and 100 AIDS widows in the area.

I have been following TCP’s work for about a year now, and after being a supporter and donor I’ve attached myself to this project in an effort to put some of my professional skills to work for the good of a group of people who have been given very little in life.  TCP’s mission is one of hope, with realistic, grounded intentions and vision.  This excerpt from their website explains beautifully:

Tumaini is not promising to lift these kids out of poverty, undo the hurt of losing their parents, or make them into better people. TCP does promise to bring a little bit of hope to some beautiful wide-eyed children.  We can do this by helping them access the skills and resources they need to allow their voices to be heard, their opinions to count, and their dreams to be realized. TCP isn’t trying to change all of Kenya. Instead we’re trying to change a few small things for a few deserving children.

The purpose and impact of this centre is potentially too multi-faceted to pigeon hole into simple categories, but the centre will initially focus on instruction of computer skills from the very basics of mouse work, typing, files and folders, right up to authoring for the Web.  In addition to computer instruction, there are opportunities for older children to learn business management and basic accounting skills as the centre grows into a source of income for the community.  There are plans to form a partnership between the centre and local schools to establish the first children’s library in the region.

Most importantly, is the opportunity for these kids to develop knowledge and a sense of self-worth and empowerment.  Access to technology and information along with the skills required to make use of both has the potential to change their lives by offering experiences and opportunities that they may never have received otherwise.

Tumaini is grassroots activism that has been helping to change lives since its inception.  I am writing to ask that you lend your support to their cause by making a donation to allow projects like this one to continue, and to help these children get a little further ahead. ”

I am looking to you, blog-readers, to smash your piggy bank, and donate what you can to this awesome cause.

Donate by clicking below ::

When you donate, email me and let me know that you’ve donated.  Every person who donates will be entered into a draw to win a photo shoot with me :: Trash-The-Dress, Walkabout, Kick Back + Relax, Engagement Session, or Family Session.

Look Good + Do Good.  How awesome is that?!

Jay, good luck :: I’m proud of you.

~ Tara