JF"Squared"² {Films}

WE{MAKE|DOPE|COLORFUL|VISUALTASTIC|EMOTIONAL|FRESH}FILMS ö Engagement | Wedding Films ö Corporate Films ö YouTube Series ö Event Highlights & Promotions ö Inspiration & Nature Films E-Mail Us // {Films}@JFPHOTOGRAPHYBLOG.COM Tweet Us // JF_PHOTO_FILMS var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-15499542-4']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); || We love art, to inspire and create what is authentic and real. Film is more than a medium but a canvas on which we showcase our art. We love colors, emotion, being unique and strive to create timeless, DOPE & FRESH films ||

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Justin & Shivani | ∞ Infinite Love ❤︎

ö I remember meeting Justin & Shivani just after Jen + Niraj's engagement weekend, in New Jersey last year. Ironically we never bumped into each other during that weekend but inevitably, we ended up crossing paths and it was certainly for the better.  About a week or so after Jen's engagement, I met Justin and Shivani after filming some content for Jen's Portrait {Film} and it was nothing short of great vibes during our short meet. I remember handing Shivani my card just before we wrapped up. ö Shivani wasted no time after that to get in touch with me and connect. I remember meeting them both at a coffee shop and how Justin was quiet at first but opened up and Shiv was nothing but a burst of energy. I was super humbled when they got back in touch with me after our meet, to commission us to film their wedding and boy was it something special!

ö We met a few times after that and exchanged quite a few emails, phone calls and texts. It was after quite a few phone calls that I recommended that they get in touch with Farah from A Shahzadi Affair for planning and coordination. Whether your wedding is big or small - a planner and importantly someone that's NOT family who can help you in the days leading up to your wedding or help you on the day of your wedding - IS SO CRUCIAL! It wasn't too long after this that Justin and Shivani told me that they brought Farah on board to help plan and coordinate and I was ECSTAAAAAATIC! Aside from being a great friend - Farah and her brand are the BOMB.COM. We've worked together several times before and her bubbly personality fused with her strong attention to detail, really makes every creative's job - much easier on the day of a wedding.

ö Justin and Shivani yet again dropped another piece of good news on me - Farhad & Rajmeet from Life Through A Lens Studios were going to photograph their wedding. As always, I was excited and really stoked to work with a creative duo that myself and my ninja shooters always have a good time with!

ö Fast forwarding to a couple of months ago into the last weekend of June. Justin & Shivani's 2-day wedding put simply - was A TON OF FUN! From the tassa to their intimate but fun Hindu wedding to their Christian ceremony all the way to their EPIC wedding reception. Ever been caught in between a bunch of Brazilian dancers performing? ...I have ;) ! Did I forget to mention that their wedding took place during my birthday weekend and Shivani definitely shouted me out!! ö Big shoutouts again to the crew from Life Through A Lens Studios, A Shazahdi Affair and to my fellas Sri, Suen and Nick for holding me down during this weekend! Take a look at their next day edit which received a sweet response from the crowd that night! Congratulations to Justin & Shivani!

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Rikhia & Harpreet ~ ❤ #Pyaar | #Bhalobasha ❤

ö I still remember the day when Rikhia got in touch with me inquiring about her fun filled mixed wedding, late December 2013 going into 2014. We had spoken quite a few times and were trying to figure out logistics and the feasibility of filming a Portrait {Film} along with her EPIC 2 wedding. ö A few phone calls, emails and convincing-conversations later - we finally met. It was a busy day at a local second cup near where I live {misssissauga le #905} and I won't ever forget how intimidating Harpreet was at first. Much like a lot of couples that commission creatives to help and assist with their wedding - he was nervous about bringing me on, a tough cookie to crack at first but eventually he warmed up! Rikhia was full of energy, smiles, laughter and was eager to get the process started. From the time we booked leading up to this past weekend, I still did have the great opportunity to get to know them both & boy was it a pleasure!

ö Originally we had planned to film a super-duper cool concept for their Portrait {Film} but time and busy schedules just didn't allow for it. So Rikhia and Harpreet presented me with the option to film their Holud, Sangeet  and official Engagement ceremonies. I generally turn down the offer to film pre wedding events but I knew that I couldn't - and knew that I NEEDED to think outside of the box. I asked them both to write out a paragraph that we would record and use as narrative, to guide their Portrait {Film}. While we never ended up using their recorded portions for this piece - I'm STOKED with how it turned out.

ö I challenged myself to approach the aesthetics and filming of their pre-wedding events, differently than I have in the past. A huge thank you and shout out to Rikhia and Harpreet for trusting my vision, for allowing me to get comfortable with your families and for letting me choose the song for this film (haha!)

ö Sit back & enjoy this Portrait of Rikhia and Harpreet's last days leading up to their engagement! Stay tuned for their Next Day Edit composed of two wedding ceremonies & a fun filled reception in the weeks to come!

❤ #Pyaar ∣ #Bhalobasha ❤ from JF² {Films} on Vimeo.

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Love {♥} Again // Safa + Saad {Next•Day•Edit}

ö If you read our last blog post on Safa & Saad's Portrait {film} then you know I'm in the blogging mood! Just a few months ago we had the pleasure of covering Safa and Saad's exquisitely planned & super-fun 3 day wedding! I still remember walking into their barn for their mehndi and being pretty blown away with the venue. Set on what I believe was a horse ranch both Safa and Saad nailed this venue down to the T! Aside from the fact that my team & I were initially running around trying to get everything set up - the night was amazing!

Love {♥} Again // Safa + Saad {Next•Day•Edit}

ö Let me start off by shouting out my photo-G-homeboy, Mir from Mir Anwar Photography who I've worked with previously with during Farah + Rohail's wedding! Mir killed the stills from that wedding and never failed to deliver with Safa and Saad's wedding! What's dope about working with Mir is that he's super ninja-like {never in my line of sight}, easy going and we just get along really well. So it made the process of sharing camera time with the bride and groom, easy-peasy! My second round of shoutouts go out to Amna from Lemon Truffles Design Inc. I remember the conversation I had with Safa and Saad quite vividly about choosing a decorater and Safa in particular raved about Amna. Well let me be the first among many to continue on with the raving! & make it well known that Amna and her team not only did a killer job with decor on all 3 days. But they were super, super polite and humble. Amna - you're going to be in this industry for a long time due to your vision, work ethic and ability to be so humble :)! When I get hitched - I'm giving you a call! My last shoutout goes out to both Safa & Saad's family and wedding party. When you watch the edit and their mehndi performances you'll really gravitate to just how much fun, down to earth and really, really forward these group of peeps are! 

Love {♥} Again // Safa + Saad {Next•Day•Edit}

ö These three days were a lot of fun to film and kudos goes out to Suen and Sri who helped me film across all 3 days. But boy oh boy was I tired by the end of day 1. Day 2 and 3 had a day break in between, which meant that I had more than enough time to get Safa and Saad's next day edit ready to go. Now before I go on I must admit that after filming more than my fair share of weddings - it's been a while since I've attended one. I guess I spoke too soon because I had a family wedding to go to during the day break of their wedding which inevitably left me with NOT ENOUGH TIME TO EDIT. This meant that after day 1 and 2 my time and file management needed to be on their A game. I'll be super vague and not so technical when it comes to how I structure next day edits. But in short - the more organized you are, the more time you have to be creative and finish on time. I still remember cutting this together just 40 minutes before it was played on Day 3. My fingers were shaking and I was super nervous as I burned the final DVD. Did I get it all? Did I miss something? Well we played the next day edit and it's response from everyone that night was great! P.S - Do your awesome brides blog? Mine do! Check out Safa's blog dedicated to all things about her wedding!!! MyBigFatPakistaniWedding So without further adieu, here it is!

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RUN ~ Safa ℓ Saad // Portrait {film}

ö After a busy two months into 2014 - we're back & in full swing might I add! These last two months have been crazy busy! Our 2013 wedding season was nothing short of epic, fun-filled, momentous and extravagant weddings that our brand got to cover! From shooting in Edmonton {more on that here} to shooting in New Jersey {more on that in few} to coming back to Toronto and filming all over the GTA - it feels good to back & bloggin'! I present you with Safa et Saad's Portrait {film}!

RUN ~ Safa ℓ Saad // Portrait {film}

ö I was introduce to Safa + Saad immediately after Farah + Rohail's wedding back in 2012. I remember getting a plethora of phone calls the day after up until about 5 days after Farah's wedding and one of them stood out :) - Safa!!! She left me a hilarious voice-mail just expressing her desire to meet with me in person and her love for our work! A little afraid, nervous and humbled all at the same time, I finally got in touch with Safa and we spoke a few times for a long time. Eventually I had the great, great, greaaaaat pleasure of meeting Safa & hubby to be {at that time} Saad! I remember Safa walking into our meeting with her "binder" and Saad coming in with nothing but some great looking loafers - I joke - you both looked great!

ö Conversation was filled with laughter, honesty and just a great vibe from these two. Sidenote: if you've met with me then you know that I love me some Second Cup! While a lot of the times when I meet with my brides and grooms, I tend to have a lot more in common with the bride - this instance was a little different. Saad and I got to talking about his choice of DJ and from there conversation went into and about my new laptop, about clothes and Safa's eyes definitely shined with a bit of jealousy! :P! I've got love for you Safa but Saad's got me with his taste in music, loafers and tech knowledge! I can see why you like the fella!

RUN ~ Safa ℓ Saad // Portrait {film}

ö After our initial meeting, we met again and I was so blessed to have these two book me {a little over a year before their big day} and commit to having my brand and creative team - film their wedding {just this past August of 2013!}. We spoke over the phone, sent emails constantly, text messaged and even went out for brunch and this all, jump-started the creative process for getting their Portrait {film} in order! Something simple, full of colors, fun, quirky and something that embodied a mixture of how they met + their free spirited personalities, taste in activities & fashion forward closets was the idea for this Portrait {film}.

RUN ~ Safa ℓ Saad // Portrait {film}

ö After an intense couple of months of communicating and planning. Just the day before our two-day shoot for this {film} both Safa and Saad gave me a call. All was well as this phone call was merely just to go over plans and have a quick prep talk with my star couple. ....And then it came *dun, dun, dun*, they dropped some serious news on me - a song change! We originally planned on using The Wanted's "Glad You Came" for this Portrait {film} and boy am I ever so glad we didn't! Visuals in my opinion are 80% driven by what you see and 20% by what you hear. Nevertheless, I was shocked and a little worried because my vision and ideas that I had were all centered around the cadence of this particular song. Oh no, right?! Let's just say it all worked out and that I'm glad these two put me to the test.

ö Everything that you see in this {film} is all a product of immense planning between all of us but If there's one thing I can't deny - Safa & Saad were tres au naturale! I tell this to everyone that I show this {film} to, "I showed up, stood behind my camera, hit record & they did the rest". A big shoutout to you both, Safa and Saad for not only planning everything so well but for executing your role in terms of outfits and being as authentic as possible.

Less words, more moving images ~ Enjoy folks!

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Soruban + Tarini // The Amazing Race {running late}

ö I remember getting a phone call in early January this year from Soruban with regards to having me covering his wedding that was happening in Scarborough, a short and very quick 5 months later. We spoke briefly once and we both got hit by the case of well - being way too busy! A month or two passed by and we exchanged another phone call or two, a few more emails and finally but surely - Soruban had booked us! A huge credit goes out to Drew Haran for kindly referring me in good faith to Soruban & Tarini!

ö Soruban + Tarini // The Amazing Race {running late}

ö Soruban + Tarini // The Amazing Race {running late}

ö Soruban and Tarini lived in Edmonton but Tarini had grown up in Scarborough up until she was about 16 years old. After which she moved to Edmonton where she's lived since and grew up right next to Soruban, which is where their relationship began and sparked! ö I distinctly remember telling Soruban and Tarini that if there's one thing I loved doing - it was being fun and different and creating something outrageous with my work. Call me cliche but we whipped out one heck of a Portrait {film} that I'm really proud of! Sor is in the I.T field and Tani worked in the medical field (she's on her way to becoming a doctor in fact!) They both worked crazy hours so finding the right time to make their Portrait {film} happen was vital. A few weeks later I flew down to Edmonton and met up with Soruban + Tarini the day before our shoot to discuss everything and nail out all of our ideas and concerns.

ö Soruban + Tarini // The Amazing Race {running late}

ö Soruban + Tarini // The Amazing Race {running late}

ö Soruban + Tarini // The Amazing Race {running late}

ö The next two days we were in for a whirlwind of surprises with shooting a bit of their Portrait {film} inside of West Edmonton Mall {nuts right?!!}, inside of a car posed as a taxi cab, at a park, on a two-seater bicycle and on foot! A LOT of running was involved. A lot of participation was involved. I put both of them through the paces to make this work and they certainly gave it a %110 all the way through!  ö The idea was simple for their film - they were running late...literally! They figured if they posed as if they were running late to their actual wedding and if we filmed it as if they were running all over Edmonton to Scarborough in their Portrait {film} - it would only make sense and make for an epic entrance to their wedding reception, right?! Filming this certainly put me to the test with my inner athlete! Running all over the place, driving all over the place, shooting in hot weather and doing some crazy but super fun stuff! 

ö Soruban + Tarini // The Amazing Race {running late}

ö Soruban + Tarini // The Amazing Race {running late}

ö That being said I would like to take the time to thank Drew for referring me to Soruban and Tarini! Secondly, I would really like to thank Soruban and Tarini for having me out to Edmonton! Edmonton - you were so good to me! I never imagined that my job would allow to me to travel to so much but you two put complete confidence in my vision and my craft and in letting me bring your idea to life! Thank you for being super patient and understanding throughout the entire process! Don't forget - stay tuned for their Next Day Edit from their wedding to hit the blog real soon folks! 

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Fathima + Atif // Humko Pyar Hua

ö I received a phone call the day after boxing day last year and I remember looking at my phone wondering "to pick up or to be Über lazy" - I picked up! I answered my phone right away and ended up having a lengthy and great conversation with Fathima. We got right into my background and into hers and into what my brand did for wedding films. We clicked really well and from there it was nothing but smooth sailing! ö Fathima + Atif // Humko Pyar Hua

ö A few short weeks later I met up with Fathima and Atif in person and that was an even better treat for me! Atif was definitely a little quiet during our first meet up but Fathima can attest to how during our Portrait {film} shoot - that CHANGED. (haha!) Atif - oh your dance moves are killer bud! ;) ! Fathima and Atif shared a really great up-beat and overall just killer dynamic that I was able to gel with quite well. Days turned into weeks and we kept meeting up, emailing, texting and calling each other and that led to the both of them graciously booking us to film their wedding! ö Fathima + Atif // Humko Pyar Hua

ö Fathima + Atif // Humko Pyar Hua

ö Both of them wanted a Portrait {film} that used a particular Hindi song that meant a lot to them - done and done! They picked "Humko Pyar Hua" from the movie "Ready". We initially had a long list of locations and ideas for where and how we wanted to shoot everything but for the better, everything changed as we kept talking.

ö Fathima + Atif // Humko Pyar Hua

ö On a medium cold day, we set out to film at Kariya Park in Mississauga, parts of Port Credit and ended off at UofT's Mississauga Campus. What I loved the most about these two was that they were so willing to go with the ups and downs - they were effectively and lovingly adaptable. What I mean by that is that if it was too cold - Fathima in particular would troop it out and warm up with Atif's jacket for a quick minute or two and then get back to filming. Atif was motivated and accepting of having to practice a few dance moves and take my direction without any fail. I still remember eating pizza in Atif's car and the both of them had no hesitation with letting me inside, cutting the pizza box in half which we used as plates and just making things happen! YOU GUYS ROCK!

ö Fathima + Atif // Humko Pyar Hua

ö To Fathima & Atif - thank you for being so kind, understanding and REALLY energetic during this shoot. I know I pushed and pushed but you two went that extra mile for me and it really showed with the reaction we received from everyone at your Valima when we debuted this piece along with your Next Day Edit! {Stay tuned for that to hit the blog very soon folks!}

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Farha + Anwar // The Perfect Person

ö Farha + Anwar // The Perfect Person ö It was late in October last year when Farha got in touch with us to film her wedding. After a long list of emails and phone conversations, I had the pleasure of not only meeting Farha but her siblings Ibraheem and Erum + Sobia (Ibraheem's wife!) in person! Needless to say I was outnumbered but our coffee date was great!

ö I'm a firm believer in developing strong relationships from the get go and not one for rushing into them when it comes to my work. The longer I have to get to know my clients, the quicker they go from "clients" to "friends" and overall just great people that I've had the pleasure of working with & for. That being said - I had a long time in getting to know Farha & Anwar (her husband). Here's the catch, like any typical desi movie the Sharukh Khan of this relationship (Anwar in this case) was from far and abroad - the UK! Anwar and Farha were planning their wedding between Canada and London. Couples that survive long distance relationships are definitely a favourite for me! ö Farha + Anwar // The Perfect Person

ö With Anwar being in the UK and Farha being here, there was a large distance and personal barrier that eventually came down as their wedding date approached. I pitched the idea of a shooting a Portrait {film} to Farha and friends and they were all up for it. The big question was a) what ideas and concepts did we want to bring to the table b) how could we film it with Anwar coming only weeks before the wedding c) were Farha & Anwar ready to be in front of the camera? Needless to say - it all worked out!

ö Farha + Anwar // The Perfect Person ö Farha & Anwar share a very special relationship and bond because of their strong relationship with their siblings & parents. It was evident as ever during our Portrait {film} shoot and during the days of their wedding that their love for one another was just as deep and persona. It was clear that Farha wanted to tell her audience {at her wedding} about the relationship she held with her family and with Anwar as well! So we set out to create a film that was narrative based but something that had substance & a very strong personal feel to it.

ö A long day of shooting that resulted in multiple and lengthy interviews with both Farha's parents and Anwar and Farha herself; proved to be extremely useful by the end of our day! We started off at Farha's house and moved to St. Lawrence Market then off Dundas Square and continued to film inside of the Toronto Eaton Centre & finally ended back inside of a small Starbucks. We eventually and practically almost got kicked out of the Starbucks - yep, it was a long day for sure.  ö Less words & more moving imagery. I present you with Farha and Anwar's Portrait {film} ~ The Perfect Person. Stay tuned for their Next Day Edit on the blog to come in due time!

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MAYØØRAM 2013 • HOSTED BY YUMSA

ö MAYØØRAM 2013 • HOSTED BY YUMSAö It's been quite a while since I've been commissioned for a pretty awesome university formal. When I received word that YUMSA {York University's Malayalee Student's Association} wanted me to film for the night - I couldn't pass up on an opportunity to do what I love & kick it with some people I haven't seen in forever! 

ö It was a pretty cold night in december when I made my way up to Brampton to where the formal was held. Let me start off by mentioning that I started off my career by photographing university formals & eventually moved on to different events. After immersing myself heavily within the wedding cinematography field and watching people at weddings REALLY party - like it's the end of the world. I realized that university formals and their videos that recapped that night - were either really boring to watch, painfully put together, shot poorly or just lacked any sort of artistic integrity that made the viewer not exactly want to watch the rest of the video. And hey! Let's face it - I can't exactly be angry that no one {in my opinion and of the video highlights of other formals I've watched} cared enough to make these highlight videos look "fun". But I certainly can do my part to change that & the overall scope of what a highlight/recap video from formal SHOULD look like - RIGHT? ...Alright ran't over lol

ö MAYØØRAM 2013 • HOSTED BY YUMSA

ö As with any of my promotional pieces - I try to make things fun, energetic and BOLD. Vibrant colors, a fun concept and I LOVE playing with slowmotion & bokeh! 

ö MAYØØRAM 2013 • HOSTED BY YUMSA

ö I found a pretty bad-a$$ remix to PSY's "Gangnam Style" and told myself - "HAYYYYY SEXY LADEHHH!" SIKE - I'm kidding ofcourse. I found the song and pretty much fell in love with it. Presumably, { & if you know me then the rest will make sense lol} I over consumed my nights & days after the formal to cut all of the footage I had from that night - in the best way possible. A BIG mention goes out to Benjamin Varughese who helped co-host the formal {with Dona} and was super kind enough to lend me his creative mind to make this highlights {film} what it turned out to be! 

ö MAYØØRAM 2013 • HOSTED BY YUMSA

ö That being said I had a phenomenal time at the formal and can proudly say - MALAYALEES.KNOW.HOW.TO.PARTY - I'm SO.SO.SO serious. Not only that but they also know what it means to coordinate, be punctual and show respect and regard to everyone that they've commissioned on the night of an event. A big THANK YOU - goes out to Deny for bringing me out to the event, the entire YUMSA executives & team, the other Malayalee executives and team members from the other universities for showing me love. Last but not least - I was graced and quite frankly just REALLY blessed to bump into old and new friends that night. All of whom had nothing but the kindest of words for me. Everyone that I spoke to, joked around with and took pictures + video of, on that night - you guys made it worth it! {Malu/Mallu Sandwich - you guys know whatsup!} Less words more moving images ~ without further adieu ~ turn ya speakers up folks! 

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Zehra ❤ Haroon // Sooner ❍r Later

ö If there's one thing I didn't know during wedding season, it's that big weddings do still exist out there! Zehra + Haroon's 3 day wedding was no exception! From a Mehndi that had a whopping 450 people to a Shaadi + Final Reception day that had about 800 people in attendance! I've been to weddings with large amounts of guests but have never been apart of them  - being apart of a huge wedding for my 2012 wedding season - CHECK ✔! And I can definitely cross that one off my bucket list!  ö Zehra ❤ Haroon ~  I helped carry in some make up too before we started filming!

ö Zehra ❤ Haroon ~ Raj's insane set up on Day2 of the wedding! 

ö For my readers out there, I met Zehra + Haroon similar to how I met Farah + Rohail  - 2 degrees of separation! My Über good friend Rae who knew Haya who knew Haroon and well...the rest is history now isn't it? So from Rae ☞ Haya ☞ Zaroon *thats Zehra + Haroon for the folks out there :P!* How did it all come together? 

ö Zehra ❤ Haroon ~ you can definitely say it was a crowd frenzy on Day2! 

ö Zehra ❤ Haroon ~ #footagedump on my new Macbook Pro Retina *insert drools here*

ö Zehra ❤ Haroon ~ 800 guests were spot on! 

ö So let's travel down memory lane a little bit to where Haroon & I met up at a Starbucks for the first time. I had my laptop, ipad and some samples to show Haroon. It was only during our last couple of meetings that I finally met Zehra. Needless to say however, our first meeting was almost about to be our last, in my opinion at least. My laptop was being super finicky, my ipad wouldn't play any of my sample work and to make matters worse Starbucks' wifi just wouldn't work! *insert angry face here* To my great surprise however, Haroon and I ended up meeting again, exchanged several phone calls, texts & emails. Over several months Zaroon had several questions and inquiries about their big wedding and how it would be filmed with my team.

ö Zehra ❤ Haroon ~ Thank you to Bineesh for making this happen! =D 

ö Zehra ❤ Haroon ~ I decided to use the library as my editing spot to get into my creative zone to put together Zehra+Haroon's Next Day Edit!

ö Just last week the beginning to a 3-day wedding finally came! Zehra + Haroon put great faith in my team and myself to go hard at work and trusted my creative vision to put together an intense Next Day Edit. After the first 2 days of their wedding there was a 1 day break where I sat down in many places from my living room to the library to a Second Cup to sort through, organize and edit through over 150 GB's of footage. In the process of spending about a full day, putting this edit together from beginning to end, I ended up falling sick. Was it worth it? HELL YEAH! The reception I received from a crowd of 800 people watching my work that my team and I filmed was priceless. But was losing my voice and putting my body through strain the best way to go about it? Not at all. I've learned that taking the time out to find balance during these kinds of weddings help and can dramatically improve the way I deliver and put together a final piece that's perfected to the T! A special mention goes out to my parents & my good friends *you know who you are* who kept checking up on me and gave me motivational + funny texts/phone calls to keep me going throughout the day, while I was editing. 

ö Zehra ❤ Haroon ~ This was probably the biggest moment of my career, having a crowd of 800 people watch my work on 4 big projector screens that night #speechless !

ö I'd like to add in that I had the AWESOME and I'll say it again, AWESOME!!! pleasure of working with some top notch wedding vendors. Garima + Harpeet from G+H Photography - you two are such a great team & super funny may I add. It's always nice to work with vendors who don't even act like vendors but like one of your good friends during and throughout a wedding. Bineesh from Arora Wedding & Event Planning + her team did a splendid job of organizing everything over these 3 days of intensity! Thanks so much for coordinating with my team and myself at anytime during each day of the wedding! You guys rocked it out! Raj from Dream Party Decor Inc totally blew my mind with his setups from Day 1 to Day 3 of the wedding. Though we never got to meet in person - I need an autograph from you big man! Another shout out goes to Sheeba from K STUDIO MAKE UP you are hilarious & really know your craft well! It was a pleasure and an honour working with all of you great industry peeps! 

ö Zehra ❤ Haroon ~ A happy couple by the end of the night a whole lot better! 

ö Thank you to Zehra + Haroon who took a leap of faith and invited my team & myself into your homes, your 3 days to the beginning of your lives and into your lives. 

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Farah ❣ Rohail // Next Day Edit

ö It was late December when I met Farah. You know how that saying about six degrees of separation? Here's the break down of how I met, got to know and essentially knew Farah without even knowing it! My good friend Rae knew Haya who knew Farah {more or less} who then got to know me? So what's that - 2 degrees of separation, I guess?? haha :P! ö Needless to say Farah and I exchanged many phone calls, texts, emails, voice mails and we ended up playing phone-tag for a bit! With my schedule and her's never aligning for the right time to meet up or talk initially- it ended up working out for the best. If there's one thing I love about taking the time to book clients months or even a year before their wedding - it's the relationship I get to build with them over that time period. Farah and I and Rohail {eventually} went from becoming mere clients with plenty of inquiries to really great people that I had the opportunity to get to know.

ö Farah ❣ Rohail // Next Day Edit - Just moments before their Nikkah began!

ö Farah ❣ Rohail // Next Day Edit - Prepping a classic #ringshot

ö Farah ❣ Rohail // Next Day Edit - let's just say my trunk space wasn't ever enough =(

ö I can't thank you both for the opportunity and great time you gave my team and me as well over the last 3 days of your wedding extravaganza! Farah - you still owe me a cupcake! Rohail - dude you rock! To both of your families - Insha'Allah! Thank you for humbly accepting my team + myself into your humble abodes to film a great starting point & exciting part of your lives. ö I wish you both nothing but the best & to you both - when I come down to Dubai - I plan on having the best cupcakes ever made on that side of the world! =D ö Here's the final Next Day Edit I cut together in less than two days running on practically Empty to 7 hours of sleep :) Be sure to check out some behind the scenes pictures of those three days below as well!

ö Farah ❣ Rohail // Next Day Edit - I ended up putting the final touches on the N.D.E just before #makeup and #bridalprep filming began, hours before we premiered it!

ö Farah ❣ Rohail // Next Day Edit - a little dark I know, but they knew how to PARTY!

PS - For my readers who don't know Farah runs, owns and operates Little Miss Cupcakes, check her out!

ö Farah ❣ Rohail // Next Day Edit - A happy bride & groom makes me go #colgate !

ö For the camera geeks out there: //2 X T3i + Grip //60D

// 17-55mm F2.8 // 17-35mm F2.8 // Nikkor 50mm F1.4 // Canon 50mm F1.4 // 85mm F1.8 // Glidetrack // Cinevate FLT // Glidecam //Manfrotto Tripods + 562 & 561 Monopod //Zoom H4N + Rode VideoMic

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STATIC NYE 2012// MIKE TOAST + STEVE AOKI + THOMAS GOLD

  ö Better late than ever here goes how exactly our 2011 going into 2012 unfolded & turned into pure epicness, a moment to remember & just a great time for music - from 3 guys who really know how to throw it down! 

ö So just a couple of days before New Years Eve of 2011 going into 2012. Mike Toast gave me a shout and brought me out to "STATIC NYE 2012" @ the Guvernment/Kool Haus on New Years Eve. Mike, Steve Aoki & Thomas Gold were spinning that night and let's just say they all had wicked sets!  ö DJ MIKE TOAST threw it down for the first 2 hours and Steve came in just after 11:30pm and it all went bananas right after. From the crowd going insane to Steve going wild and previewing a little bit of his new album that night - we had a full house that night! Steve rang in the new year while he was djing his set & left Thomas Gold (pure genius) to spin his set shortly after he was done. I didn't get to stay for much of Thomas Gold's set but all I can say is, if you ever get the chance to see him play live - DO IT! With that being said take a look at the visuals we put together from that night! 

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Sherry + Denys // Highlights

ö So where do I begin? Should I start out with how much fun my team and I had while shooting this wedding? Post some behind-the-scenes pictures? How high stress was running? How much of an incredible night this wedding was? The funny and awkward moments that happened during the day + night? How hard it is to put on a Same Day Edit for the first time? Or with what the difference between clients and friends are - I couldn't really tell this time! 1. The day + night was epic for starters. 2. Though it was one hell of a tiring day for me in particular - I'm so proud of my team and both Sherry + Denys for rocking on during the entire day! 3. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention how incredible the day was not including the gajillion desserts they had to offer *drooools* 4. I'm certain that I cracked a whole bunch of jokes that SUCKED lol during the day, to cure and put an end to the stress going on throughout the night  5. Putting on a Same Day Edit is no joke but the KEY - is being over but well prepared and learning how to cope with everything that doesn't go according to YOUR plan.

öI 'd like to start off by thanking everyone from Nick Kazlovskis, Connor Beardsly, Jonny Page, Lucas Joseph , Isuru Abeysekera, Prashanna Jayaseelan {for all the insight and profound knowledge you willingly shared with me}, my family and my friends in particular {who never heard the end of this wedding from the time I met Sherry and Denys} and most of all God. 

ö My team really came through on the day of this wedding - on all ends - plain and simple.  My family and friends really held be down.

ö The day started off super well at about 7 am for me and Jonny. I was with Sherry while Jonny was with Denys. By the time we got to the Church in the early afternoon - nerves were jittery! I left my laptop at the brides house - no big deal right? Needless to say, I got it back and all was well! By the time our superstars, Sherry and Denys had officially {wahooo!} tied the knot - we were on our way to starting and finishing their photo-session and proceeded on to the evening's festivities!  ö The night was filled with plenty of speeches, slideshows, a dance performance & one awesome live spanish band! ö I got the chance to premier the {Portrait Film} that I shot with these Sherry & Denys - to everyone that attended that night - #EPICNESS. It's pretty awesome when you see you're own work being premiered on a huge screen, almost like the movies no? {Portrait Film} Premier

{Same Day Edit Premier}

ö Enjoy some Behind-The-Scenes Images from the night before the wedding!

#weddinggearprep

ö setting up a nice shot while the festivities go on!

 ö #Sherry's #Mylanchi - oh how those little kids were great fun!

ö #moreMylanchifun !

 ö Contrary to the Same Day Edit that I cut together on the night of - I knew I just didn't do it ENOUGH justice. So here goes the final piece of that day + night which also includes footage from the night before at Sherry's Mylanchi.

ö I'd like to especially and continually thank Sherry and Denys for supporting my team and myself. I know we all have come a long way since we first started speaking in August, since you two got engaged and shot the {Portrait Film} with me. But I can't say thank you enough! Your families embraced everyone on the team with nothing short of a warm welcome - including all of those flower girls who coined us guys with the cameras as "Camera Boy!"  ö I wish you two nothing but the best for your future and would definitely like to say one thing in closing. Some people refer to the people they work with as "Clients" but I choose "friends" instead. To S + D, You two started out as complete strangers to me and eventually turned into great people that I had the pleasure of getting to know. Keep in touch and do let us know when little Malayalee and South American kids are on the rise!

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{Sherry + Denys} // It Was Perfect

ö So we couldn't be happier to be releasing this {Portrait Film} the day before Sherry + Denys' big day! We filmed this just about 3 weeks ago now, all over Brampton & Caledon. Sherry and Denys were a blast to work with. I compare Sherry to my sister and Denys much to my brother-in-law - they're hard working, super laid back and are always up for a fun time. What started off as a quiet morning as our shoot commenced eventually turned into a tree-hopping {watch the video you'll totally get it and laugh!}, sweat filled, MARS DUSTED, ice-creamy filled day. To Sherry & Denys, ö I wish you two nothing but the best for your future! My team & I are excited to work for you two and put on some fireworks on during your wedding night! You two were humbly accepting of my style, sense of humor and love for what I do. It was you two that definitely made this {Portrait Film} really speak out and become something fun and memorable! I hope that you watch this years from now and look back on what really went into the making of it - your chemistry, your humor but most of all the both of YOU!

ö I often get asked what a {Portrait Film} describes and I usually think back to what an actual portrait picture - of a couple or family describes. On the surface you can usually tell who's who - who the mother, father and their kids are. My goal with {Portrait Films} are to allow viewers to feel like they too, know whom they are watching on their screens. TECH STUFF

ö Color grading this was more difficult than actually shooting this piece {considering it was 35 plus degrees out there that day} I decided to shoot this in Cinestyle. A brave choice I know but it certainly helped in bringing out the richness of the colors and in preserving a lot of the details in the {film}. Sherry and Denys approached me with the idea of keeping this simple but different. I know that's pretty typical of everyone these days but that pretty much lined up with what I had in mind for this piece. We went with a Super 8mm kind of look for the final product. Exposure is key when you're shooting in the Cinestyle profile, that pretty much defines whether or not your color grade will come out the way you want it to. If you have the TIME to color grade your footage properly and have a good eye for exposure - I'd recommend using the Cinestyle profile. Beware - while shooting that everything will appear pretty much flat in terms of your color on your screen BUT - that dramatically changes when your inside post, coloring your footage. ö For the camera geeks out there:

//T3i + Grip //Nikon Series E 50mm 1.8 //Nikon Series E 135mm 2.8 //Canon 18-55 //Tokina 28-70 2.8 //Manfrotto 682B //Glidecam 2000 Shot in Cinestyle Graded & Cut in FCP

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Sherry + Denys {Portrait Film} // Behind The Scenes

Here are a couple of Behind The Scenes images we shot while filming our first {Portrait Film} to end off the year with! Keep a close watch to the blog & Facebook Page for a new video in the next two weeks! 

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 ö Sherry + Denys {Portrait Film} // Behind The Scenes

ö Sherry + Denys {Portrait Film} // Behind The Scenes

ö Sherry + Denys {Portrait Film} // Behind The Scenes

ö Sherry + Denys {Portrait Film} // Behind The Scenes

ö Sherry + Denys {Portrait Film} // Behind The Scenes

ö Sherry + Denys {Portrait Film} // Behind The Scenes

ö Sherry + Denys {Portrait Film} // Behind The Scenes

ö Sherry + Denys {Portrait Film} // Behind The Scenes

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{···•Motion•···}

When we shoot, we're all about imagery and colors! Believe it or not this was shot purely on a Zeiss Makro 100mm F2. The lens is a workhorse like you wouldn't believe! In due time all of our main primes will hopefully be Zeiss because oh boy - do they rock! The focus ring goes to almost double infinity which was solid for this piece that I put together - over my birthday weekend in Hamilton & Niagara Falls with my pops! 

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JF² {Films} X HNM + Kariya Park // {Pre-Prom}

For our readers that don't already know, we started off doing photography and have been commissioned by a variety of clients since then. We still shoot whenever we can! Just this past summer I was commissioned to shoot Holy Name of Mary's Prom! An all-girls school prom, can you say fun? During the pre-prom park shoot I handed over the shooting for images to my assistant & decided to make a small {Film} of the ladies at Kariya Park before prom madness begun!  //35mm 1.8 //Nikon Series E 50mm 1.8 

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JF² {Films} X Shawn Desman | B.T.S

  We caught up with Shawn Desman as he prepared to perform @ Nathan Philips Square in Toronto on New Years Eve into the new year!  //Nikon 35mm 1.8 //Nikon Series E 50mm 1.8

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