I have a love of photography. I see potential beautiful portraits as I drive through the country. I am always looking for new locations for photoshoots. I live and breathe it.
I've always wondered if it was similar as the love some have for music. When Sophie got her brand new guitar, the answer was clear.
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Sophie is only 11 years old and she lives and breathes music as I do photography. She listens to Spotify day in and day out (I should know, I'm her mom!). About a year ago she started getting more into playing the guitar. She now knows a few good songs, is in the middle of writing her first song, and has already played on stage at a local pub. So, needless to say, she was very excited when she got her new guitar. She picked it out right before the quarantine started, and hasn't put it down since.
So what do you do when you have a mom as a photographer, a passion for music, and a lot of time on your hands during a country wide quarantine? Photoshoot! The streets were empty, the skies were calm. It was a perfect day, all things considered.
We started in the streets of Ridgeway, Ontario. The stores were mostly closed, very few cars driving on the streets. Ideal for some street photography. The small village of Ridgeway is part of Fort Erie, where we have lived for the past 3.5 years. The village was built around a railway, which has since been removed and turned into beautiful walking paths and parks. In the centre of the town, you can find the Ridgeway Village Square, with a few benches and small water splash area, where most springs you can find people gathering for picnics, or sitting down with an ice cream cone from the local dairy bar. On this day, however, it was a ghost town.
The Friendship Trail goes straight through the square and continuing on towards Sherkston. We only had to walk a few minutes down the path before we found another great photo location. When Sophie first asked for this photoshoot, this is what she had in mind. She wanted woods, trees, nature.
Back in the car, we decided to head to Crystal Beach Waterfront Park and Boat Launch. Named after the Crystal Clear waters, this beach used to be home of the famous Amusement Park that sadly closed their doors in 1989. It is now where we put the boat in the water to float around on Lake Erie. Again, the beach and surrounding areas were essentially clear of people, ideal for a few photos.
Our last stop, but possibly my favourite, was at the Fort Erie Train Museum. The museum was closed, and of course we did not want to trespass, so we opted to stay close to the street where it intersects with the rail line. Always a great photo location. These are possibly my favourite photos from this shoot. My daughter is creative, smart, funny, and beautiful. I know I'm biased, but I feel like looking her up for the next few years is in her best interest... But until then, I love to support her dreams any way I can. She will begin posting songs on her Instagram Account (I'd invite you to follow it but it is a private account, parental controls 😉). Thank you for reading, and hope you enjoy the photos!
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