Rockwood Conservation Area
Rockwood Conservation Area near Guelph is a photographer’s playground. With so many unique elements to capture, it is an absolutely wonderful space for an outdoor woodsy engagement photoshoot. When Patricia and Habib asked our thoughts on capturing their engagement photos at Rockwood, we immediately said yes! Is it a bit of a mission to get to? Yep, but we love adventure!
The main feature of Rockwood Conservation Area is the Rockwood Woolen Mill that dates back to 1867. The ruins that greeted us as we arrived for the engagement shoot are the remains of the stone structure that was build in 1884 following a fire that destroyed the original mill. Simply looking at the remains nowadays you don’t realize what an important part of Canadian history this stone structure played, yet during the First World War, the Rockwood Woolen Mill supplied a vast quantity of blankets to the Canadian army, so much so that it often operated through the night to meet demand. Diego and I couldn’t wait to start creating here, but we had an entire conservation area waiting for us to explore.
Whenever we are shooting an outdoor engagement session, we love to start off by casually exploring the area a little with the couple. It’s a great opportunity for them to get comfortable in front of the camera. As we entered a wooded part of Rockwood Conservation area on one of our first stops of the walk, we found the sun rays beaming through the trees and the blue sky peaking through the branches, creating a magical feel. The day of Patricia and Habib’s shoot, the weather could not have been any better. The sun was warm, the sky was a gorgeous deep blue, and there was a light breeze, so this dream-like feeling continued as we came up to the edge of the lake, which was reflecting the deep gorgeous colours of the evening sky, and the sun cast a yellow glow around Patricia and Habib.
As we were finishing our walk, the sun had begun to set so we returned to the stone remains of the Rockwood Woolen Mill, where Patricia and Habib enjoyed a little picnic and relaxed while we waited for the sky to darken. The golden sun and the dreamy feeling of the shoot inspired us for our final portrait of Patricia and Habib, who were both absolutely wonderful and excited by our idea. Thank you for all your enthusiasm and patience, Patricia and Habib! We cannot wait to capture more magical moments on your wedding day!
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