It’s always been about rock stars

For the team at The Ring, it’s one of the quotes we took from our first interview with Heather (over ten years ago) that is still our favourite… Heather explained, “I like to think of the couple as the star of the show and their wedding party as their backup band…” This is because Heather actually spent a lot of the early years of her photography career not just shooting weddings, but photographing concerts of the likes of Radiohead and Queens of the Stone Age. At just 14 years old, photographing live music events is where Heather got her start in photography, and says that concert photography “really teaches you a lot about photographing any live event. Live music photography is a fast paced shoot with difficult lighting; you don’t miss a moment since it can’t be repeated.” And with her music documentary work being published in the Globe and Mail, Elle Magazine and the Toronto Star… Heather perfected the art, which translates well into her wedding photography.

Goosebump moments, priceless images

Heather still gets goosebumps when she describes some of the kinds of moments she gets to capture with her top of the line Nikon gear. “The father of the bride tearing up as he gives away his daughter, the look on the groom’s face when he sees the bride for the first time, the intimate look shared between the bride and groom that no one else notices but me…” It is these moments, caught on camera that keep Heather, Niki and Lindsay excited and inspired to capture the next incredible event on their calendar.

Grace was sitting in the market in downtown London when she got the email from HRM containing the link to their wedding pictures. “I immediately opened it and before even looking at the ones of us, scrolled quickly through to see if there were any of my Uncle [who passed away two weeks after the wedding]. Right near the start, there was an absolutely beautiful picture of my Uncle looking right into the camera smiling, sitting on a bench in the sun with my Grandpa. As soon as I saw that picture I burst into tears in the middle of the market. It was my favourite one but there were lots of him (including a great one of him tearing it up on the dance floor with his daughter). If we hadn’t had HRM at our wedding, we might never have captured that last happy time we were all together. I don’t think it’s possible to put a price on those kind of memories and HRM makes sure you’ll have them forever.”

Weddings are just the beginning

The connection created between photographer and the client in front of the lens, rarely ends when the wedding does. Many of HRM’s clients go on to hire Heather, Niki or Lindsay for numerous life events, from maternity, baby and family portraits to anniversary parties and more. While HRM will travel to you when it’s needed, great portrait sessions (such as a boudoir session) can also take place at the HRM Photography studio in London, Ontario.

HRM Photography, in person

HRM Photography is made up of owner, Heather MacEachern, who started the company in 2003. Heather, whose father is a social documentary photographer, and whose mother was a highly esteemed art librarian at Western, doesn’t just have talent in her blood. She has it on her resume too, bringing to the table a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Photography from Ryerson University and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. But it’s the countless weddings that she has photographed in the past fifteen years that Heather is best known for.

In 2004, Lindsay Ross– who is a Humber College Photography grad and who actually shot Heather’s own wedding! – joined the HRM team so that the company could offer killer wedding photography to more couples in more places. Niki Patel, studied photography at Fanshawe College, and completed her internship with HRM Photography, allowing her to hone her skills working side by side with the HRM team. In 2007, she officially joined the company as their office manager and in 2009 began shooting weddings on her own as an Associate Photographer. This fantastic trio officially completes the HRM team and puts them right where they need to be to capture incredible memories of the clients who love them.

With a long list of raving fans that includes brides, grooms, wedding parties, wedding vendors, families and kids – all who have flashed their beautiful smiles for an HRM camera at some point – it’s no surprise that HRM Photography has earned numerous awards in their fourteen years in business. HRM has taken The Ring’s Brides’ Choice award for #1 Wedding Vendor in Southwestern Ontario, one of London’s Top 20 under 40, earned the title of London’s Most Popular Photographer by Wedbiz three times, London’s Consumer’s Choice award for FIVE years in a row, the Best Photographer title in Best of London awards for SIX years running,  and surely, there are more to come.

In fact, HRM’s reputation for incredible photography is surely why many brides & grooms have set their wedding dates around the company’s availability – they simply had to have HRM. “HRM Photography was the first vendor that we booked for our [May 2014] wedding, just to make sure they were available!” says May 2014 couple, Eileen and Murray. Similarly, October 2014 bride, Grace Smith, explained to The Ring, “We didn’t look anywhere else (seriously, have you seen HRM’s pictures?!)…

To meet HRM Photography in person, this video gives you an inside look at who the professional photography team at HRM is are and what make these pro shooters tick from AV Artisan on Vimeo.