Ovyian Photography // Blog

Engagement: Melissa & Jacob

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:24:04 -0400

She also wore her soon-to-be mother-in-laws wedding gown. I loved the history behind this gown. During our part two, Melissa will be wearing Jacob’s great grandmother’s dress…….can’t wait.

The Phoenix*

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:52:00 -0400

The entire room stood in silence as Meera (editor of Fusia Magazine) recounted the struggles she went through to get to this point. Her eyes welled up as she explained to us why she spent so much of her maternity leave creating this magazine instead of spending it all on her new born son. She wanted to create the best world possible for him, a world where everyone is treated equally, a world where women are not raped for sport, a world where fetal infanticide is a myth, and a world where we are not afraid to stand up against injustice.

Fusia is a magazine that unites the world of fashion with compassion and is not afraid to speak its mind (just my kind of magazine).This is a great example of how we can make difference in a non-conventional way. I feel so honored to have been a part of such a wonderful movement.

It was awe-inspiring to see so many people come together as a collective to support a common cause.

To me this cover of Veronica Chail isn’t just a pretty picture of a pretty girl,

it represents the strength of one individual

it represents the voice of women who can’t speak for themselves

We had a wonderful team of individuals come together to create this cover. The proceeds from this issue will support ‘Free the Children ‘and you can grab a copy at your local Chapters.

I hope you enjoy these photographs and look beyond its obvious beauty.

*The phoenix is a long-lived bird that is cyclically regenerated or reborn. Associated with the sun, a phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(mythology).

Shirley Wu & Maggie Wu

Satya Paul Canada

Veronica Chail (the beautiful and strong cover model)

Meera Solanki Estrada

Daniel Ashwin Pillai

Shri & Dilani (my wonderful assistants)

Ammara & Hassan's wedding Featured in Elegant Wedding magazine

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:15:00 -0400

Was absolutely thrilled to have this romantic and dreamy wedding featured in Elegant Wedding Magazine.

To see more images from their mid-summer wedding, have a look here : http://www.ovyian.com/midsummer-stroll

A fairy tale...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:01:00 -0400

Once upon a time…

There was girl named Kirstyn and a boy named Marino and they lived in a kingdom far far away…just kidding they both live in Toronto.

I met both Kirst and Marino through my husband, who seems to only know all the good people in the world.

They truly are a beautiful couple inside and out, and know exactly how to have a good time.

It was a freezing cold sunny/cloudy afternoon when we took these photographs.

We shot for about an hour, I was wearing a winter coat, gloves, and a hat but I still couldn’t feel my fingers/toes/gluteus maximus/arms/face by the end of it!

Kirstyn, on the other hand, had her jacket off for most of it (what doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger!)

I hope the images that you are about to view, will whisk you away into a world of romance, warmth, and true love.

To my dear friends Kirstyn and Marino, I’m so happy to have met you both.

Their official wedding photographs were captured by my friend Gregory White of Gregory White Photography

And they lived happily ever after…..

Vipoo

www.ovyian.com

Engagement shoot inspiration outfit

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:18:00 -0400

In love with this Sabyasachi creation, summer can’t come soon enough!

Fashion creative: "Inner City Chic"

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:00:00 -0400

I recently did a personal creative with some very talented artists: Gaurav from CTC WEST and Shobana Lakavally from Amplified Soul , Odessa (stylist) and Zara (FORD models).

The idea behind it:

“We just call them clothes”. Most of us have a distinction between “INDIAN clothes” and “clothes”. By working sarees into some inner city chic apparel, perhaps we can start to throw away the barriers, and “just call them clothes”.~Gaurav

Published in:

Institute Magazine

Maybe this will inspire your next engagement shoot ;)

A special Thank you to Surenthar, who was a killer assistant and Thurka for capturing the behind the scenes (look out for it soon).

Inspiration: Classic Black & White

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:43:15 -0400

Love this classic black and white image, and her beautiful Balenciaga wedding gown. Any brides interested in visiting the 1950’s with me?

Doubt There are days where you can’t help but doubt yourself....

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:44:00 -0400

Doubt

There are days where you can’t help but doubt yourself. Thoughts like “am I doing the right thing”, “are people appreciating what I do?”, “does it matter?”, “could I have done this better”, “will I be able to make a difference”, “will I be successful”, are running constantly through your head.

You get lost in the negativity that end up holding you back, even though in actual fact,

you

have

pretty

awesome

life.

That’s when those kind notes from a fellow admirer are a god-send.

“Hi- Just wanted to say that I admire your pictures all the time, perhaps calling them photos is an understatement. Each image is a work of art, and captures elements unbeknownst to subjects…each piece of art, tells a story, evokes an emotion and captures my breath. Thank you, for producing such good art!”

They remind you, that you are where you’re supposed to be. Even if it means you make only one person happy or make $1 dollar, you are doing what you love…

A traditional Sri Lankan Hindu wedding

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:41:00 -0500

When I met Suhanya at her sister’s wedding years ago, I was smitten. She is a down-to-earth, happy-go-lucky, stylish person. So it only made sense that she would find someone like Thevaker, who is a “que sera sera” kind of guy.

I was honoured when she asked me to capture her wedding memories.

When I asked Suhanya to describe in one word what she expects from her wedding images, without thinking she replied “happiness”.

It was a spiritual wedding, completely immersed in love, laughter, joy and traditions.

They wed in a temple with the presence of God and those closest to them.

These are some of my favourites…

A koorai (bridal saree) is customarily red with gold thread embellishments. Suhanya custom designed both of her sarees from ‘The silk factor’(http://silkfactor.ca/) for her wedding day. (I want the purple and green saree for myself!)

The bride on her bridal saree: “Working with ‘The Silk Factor’ allowed me to create my very own wedding sari, detail by detail. Everything from the size and style of the border to the shape and spacing of the motifs on the body of the sari were custom designed. I couldn’t have been more happy with the results”

A veil is placed over a brides head to ward off the “evil eye”.

The mangalsutra or thaali is the token symbol of a Hindu marriage, just as wedding bands symbolize commitment, union and respect for one another.

Rice is an integral part of a Hindu wedding and is known to symbolize fertility and prosperity. Guests congratulate the newlywed couple by showering them with rice.

Banana leaves were used as plates (this is great because they are biodegradable).

Suhanya and Thevaker are very humble, and always grateful. As a gesture of gratitude, they also helped served lunch to their guests.

Suhanya’s brother-in-law, on noticing that the couple were getting really wet in the rain, ran in, grabbed an umbrella and stood barefoot in the cold shielding them from the rain. Unbeknownst to him, I caught this sweet moment of pure expression of love.

The end.

Cottage Country: Autumn & Aaron

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:15:00 -0500

Haliburton, Ontario

On a brisk fall afternoon, with their dear family and friends, Autumn and Aaron said their “I do’s”.

Autumn is a cheery, blue eyed beaut, and Aaron is an easy going gentleman with big doe eyes that can probably get him out of a speeding ticket. They both love spending time outdoors, by the water fishing (more so Aaron). So they brought touches of the outdoor inside ie. covered vases with tree bark, chocolate dipped marshmallows and made table numbers out of barks of wood.

When they mentioned an “outdoor ceremony” by the lake, I was hooked. Unfortunately, the weather in Ontario is moodier than a 13 year old girl.

It is sometimes said that rain during a wedding is considered a blessing from the heavens. Well it’s suffice to say that they were bountifully blessed that day.

It rained, sometimes with clouds and sometimes with sunshine, and in the end we caught a rainbow.

These two just wanted to party and that they did.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I had fun capturing them.

Sisters are best friends for life.

Sometimes you have to improvise using what ever you have…

Planks of wood were cut by the handy Aaron and used as runners for the ceremony

Aaron’s priced Cutlass

Truly a beautiful bridal party!

Rain, sunshine and a rainbow

Stop and smell the roses...

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:13:29 -0500

Inspiration can strike anywhere, and this time it was at the Gardiner Museum.

Walking through the galleries, I began to appreciate the thought that was put into displaying each piece of art. Not only were the artwork carefully curated to tell a story, they were strategically and tastefully placed in order for the audience to appreciate the art without any distractions.

It dawned on me that we often live in a world of clutter and chaos, and we sometimes forget to stop and smell the roses.

I took this revelation and applied it to my own work.

It is with this thought that I cordially invite you to my newly redesigned portfolio.

So go ahead and smell the roses, dance in the rain, and take a stroll.

xoxo

~Vipoo

Happy Valentines Day

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 10:35:05 -0500

Share today with anyone/everyone you like, really really like or love.

Some love for the grooms I realized I don’t give enough...

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:03:00 -0500

Some love for the grooms

I realized I don’t give enough love to the grooms I shoot.

So, here is a teaser of Steve :)

He’s a handsome one isn’t he?

I am nursing a terrible flu right now(it looks like everyone is...

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:12:04 -0500

I am nursing a terrible flu right now(it looks like everyone is dropping like flies) so I wasn’t able to post this sooner. Here is the link to the Style Me Pretty feature I mentioned a couple of days ago.

Style Me Pretty

You are more than welcome to share, comment or subscribe to our page to stay up-to-date with our current work :)

Enjoy!

We deal with difficulties in many ways; some embrace the...

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 23:39:00 -0500

We deal with difficulties in many ways; some embrace the darkness, while others try everything in their might to surround themselves with sunny days, flowers, and lots of fluffy love. The latter is me. I love happy people, warm tight hugs, lying on my mommy’s lap while she runs her hands through my hair, good food, and pretty photographs. I grew up in the middle of a war and truly appreciate Steve McCurry’s masterpieces. I may not be as strong as many of the survivors you may meet, but in my own way, through my photographs, I try to create a reality that I hope will one day exist; a warm and sunny reality.

This is a just a teaser of what will be coming to Style Me Pretty this week. I’ve said this many times, and It must be said once more; your ability to be great not only comes from within, but also from those who surround you. I was so honored when these talented ladies ask me to be a part of this beautiful shoot.

I hope it inspires and makes you smile.

Vipoo

The team:

Creative Direction & Production: Lemon Truffle Designs & Noor Artistry

Set Designer & Stylist: Amna, Lemon Truffle Designs

Favors: Couture Favor Shoppe

Floral Design: Berries & Blooms

Makeup Design: Noor Artistry

Hair Design: Melissa Noelle

Stationary: Barbara Kua Calligraphy

White bridal gown: One Bridal

Mint green bridal gown: Naz Fashion Bug

Looking through some of my favorite images on a cloudy Sunday...

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 16:00:12 -0500

Looking through some of my favorite images on a cloudy Sunday afternoon @chelshyne

Very excited to share with you a teaser of what’s to come...

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 21:24:00 -0500

Very excited to share with you a teaser of what’s to come on Style Me Pretty tomorrow.

Until then……

At the end of the day, it’s all about the love. This...

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 16:52:00 -0500

At the end of the day, it’s all about the love.

This pretty much sums up their relationship.

James & Bayan.

Outdoor wedding inspiration. Simple, just flowers and wood. How...

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:04:21 -0500

Outdoor wedding inspiration. Simple, just flowers and wood.

How beautiful is this???

tip: Pair up sarees with contrasting colours for blouses ie....

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 18:18:00 -0500

tip: Pair up sarees with contrasting colours for blouses ie. burgundy and sea foam, yellow and turquoise, or red with blue.