Kensington Market & Chinatown Engagement

Kensington Market and Chinatown are both extremely sentimental locations to me in Toronto. They’ve consistently been my go to hangout spots since I was a teenager and at this point I feel like I know them like the back of my hand. Whether I’m grabbing a corn pie from Jumbo Empanada, being tempted to buy more Genovese basil plants from the fruit stall on Augusta or drooling over film cameras and the most incredible coffee in the city at Graination, these two adjacent neighbourhoods are endlessly inspiring - for my stomach and my photography haha. In my opinion, they’re truly the perfect backdrop for engagement session in Toronto.

What I love most about photographing portraits in Kensington Market and Chinatown is that every time I go there, I don’t know what to expect. Things are always changing, despite a deep familiarity, each visit brings new street art, different vendors and unique energy. There’s a vibrancy and an unpredictability that keeps things fresh and magnetic that spills beautifully into images. Maybe it’s the magic of urban engagement photography in Toronto - every session feels different, alive and kind of chaotic.

For this particular Toronto engagement shoot, Zoey, Zion and I embraced the chaos fully. We spent a couple of hours wandering through alleyways and parking lots, ducked into colourful storefronts and shared quiet moments amidst all the beautiful noise. The result? A collection of candid, artful photos that feel like a love letter to both the couple and the city itself.

Scroll down to see some of my favourite frames from this session - full of colour, connection and the raw heartbeat of the city.