Dog Sledding Adventure | Chocpaw Expeditions

Adventure and camping have always been favourite pastimes of mine. While my regular camping trips normally include hiking, canoeing, and the beach at sunset, winter camping is something I have never had the pleasure of taking part in. Well, back in January, all that changed! I was lucky enough to receive a surprise dog sledding trip for my birthday with Chocpaw Expeditions in the Algonquin area. What an incredible interactive adventure!

Upon arrival at the kennel, 300+ super excited (and adorable) Alaskan Huskies greeted us with loud barking! These beautiful and friendly dogs clearly couldn’t wait to get harnessed up and ready to go! We helped harness up all of the dogs heading out on expedition that day. Once the dogs were ready to go, and our sleds were loaded up, they were off to the races! There is no question that these dogs are born to run. The excitement of the dogs was palpable.

Two people shared each sled. Getting used to the sled was less difficult than I’d imagined; what was more difficult was hopping on and off the moving sled as the passenger! It didn’t take too long to learn to lean and hop on and off to run and help the team of dogs haul our gear up hills.

Our team of 6 dogs were just incredible. When we stopped for lunch, we literally had to overturn our sleds so that these beauties wouldn’t take off!

Camp

We made it to our camp for the night after a few snowy hours. The campground boasted a beautiful view over a nearby lake and a canvas tent.

After we got the dogs off their harnesses and onto their lines for the night, it was time to get to work! First we went down to the lake to chip out a hole for water. Next onto feeding the dogs and making straw beds for them. The last chore was heading out to find some trees to chop down for fire wood. We made dinner for ourselves after all the chores were completed. Our incredible guide Heather was so helpful and knowledgeable, not to mention so sweet to the dogs.

After dinner, we got a nice fire going, and enjoyed the silence of the woods. There is nothing quite like the silence of nature in the winter. When we were ready to turn in for the night, I was so grateful to see that Heather had been stoking the wood stoves in the tent to ensure we had a warm and comfortable sleep.

The next morning we woke up to a perfectly clear day. We spent some time with the dogs, ate some breakfast, and took a walk out to the lake to explore the surroundings a bit. What a beautiful place! Soon enough we were back on the sleds with our amazing teams, heading back to the kennel. We ended our trip with an excellent home cooked meal back at the base camp.

I can’t recommend this adventure enough. From the warm and friendly guides and staff, to the amazing and well-treated dogs, great food and gorgeous surroundings. I urge you to check out Chocpaw Expeditions for your next winter getaway! And a special thanks to our guide, Heather for all of your incredible hard work to make our trip the best it could possibly be!

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So many adorable pooches!!IMG_0600IMG_0601IMG_0603IMG_0606IMG_0610IMG_0614IMG_0616

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Pickering Family Photography

Clements Family | Pickering Family Photography

To celebrate the arrival of Spring, I wanted to post something with some pretty colours! What could be more perfect than an awesome family photo session from last Fall? I’m hoping the Winter is really gone and we can start to see some pretty greens and blooms coming soon!

It’s always my favourite when I can meet a family at their home and take photos of them in their space or yard. This beautiful spot in Greenwood, ON was no exception. Here are some of my favourite shots from the Clements family shoot!

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Bronte Creek Family Photography

You might remember baby Hannah from her adorable first birthday shoot last year. This year, we got together for a family photography session. It’s hard to believe that Hannah is already TWO! Along with her parents and their furbaby Lucy, we headed over to Bronte Creek Provincial Park to explore.

Returning clients are always some of my favourites, and the Brejnik family are no exception! Since meeting them, I have always enjoyed taking photos of their beautiful little family.

Hannah had so much fun playing in the hay, visiting the farm animals and feeding the cows with her parents.

We were greeted with a beautiful sunset for this sweet family, and Hannah was so cute!

Here are a few of my favourite photos from our time together 🙂

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Kitchener Documentary Photography

Quin & Joey | Snyder’s Family Farm | Kitchener Documentary Photography

Documentary photography is something that I didn’t really know existed. Through the magic of social media, I have been fortunate enough to stumble across some incredible photographers who do just that! This is a style of photography that speaks to my heart.

I have always loved to capture real moments in a relaxed atmosphere, rather than rigid posing and direction. With documentary style photography, I can just have fun with my clients! I have found that it makes a much more relaxing atmosphere. This is especially true for people who are not excited about having their photos taken (like cute little Joey here)!

When Sandra approached me about joining her and her family for a day at Snyder’s Family Farm just outside of Kitchener, I couldn’t have been happier! I had such a fun day with the kids. There were so many activities: running around the farm, feeding the animals, going on hay rides, and the kids even had their faces painted!

This is a new style of photography for me, and I am so excited to begin offering documentary style shoots to my clients. If you have young kids who aren’t interested in rigid posing and photography (read: ALL young kids? Haha), documenting a family activity might be something to consider. Whether it is a fun activity like the one below, or even something with your home, the options are endless.

See below for a few of my favourite snaps from our time together.

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Tiffany & Nathan | London Engagement Photography

Tiffany and Nathan met in London, so it made sense to have their Engagement photos done there. We explored a few different areas, making a pit stop at the train tracks where Nathan spent a lot of time as a kid. The Autumn colours were in full swing at Springbank Park as we wandered around the area.

Tiffany and Nathan will be getting married in the Spring and I can’t wait for the big day! Until then, here are some of my favourites from their Engagement session 🙂

-Jo

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They even brought out their Wings jerseys for the shoot 🙂 GO WINGS!

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