Toronto Butterflyway Murals / East York, Ontario
I first met the Rivards last Fall when I photographed for this mom’s sister and their side of the family. We had a lot of fun getting photos with 6 adults, 1 toddler, 1 infant and an adorable golden Lab (click here to view some photos from our session).
This year, the Rivards reached out to me directly to have some immediate family photos taken. They wanted to document their little one’s smiles, funny faces (including her famous grumpy stare) and also to capture her in action as she showcases some of the milestones she’s reached throughout her first year. It was a unanimous decision to get together and photograph at a familiar park that held meaning to them – this is where their little girl loved to play, and it also had a beautiful laneway of colourful murals that would serve as a beautiful backdrop.
When I first scouted out their location, I was in awe of all the beautiful murals that cover the laneway’s strip of fences and garage doors. Adoring the wide range of bright and vivid colours used throughout, I noticed that each painting pertained to butterflies in some way, and I had to look into the meaning of it all! More than just a laneway of pretty paintings, this Butterflyway (Butterfly Highway), is actually part of a much larger community project, supported by the David Suzuki Foundation, to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators, such as butterflies.
We had such a fun time during our session, and got some really colourful photos like the ones you’ll see in this Journal entry below. A huge shout out to the artists, known as Butterflyway Rangers, for the beautiful work they do!
For more information on the David Suzuki Foundation, and The Butterflyway Project, please visit: The Butterflyway Project.
When we passed by this mural of pollinated roses painted across two garage doors, I just had to take a wide photo of their daughter walking by with her walking toy. This was one of the milestones that the Rivards wanted to capture during our session.
This mural was created by Canadian artist, Chris Perez (www.chrisperez.ca).
We used this beautiful Tiger Butterfly mural as wings opening up behind the family. The added touch of a halo up top represents what their little girl means to them.
The Tiger Butterfly mural above is by LuvsumoneTO (https://www.instagram.com/luvsumone/).
For more information on the David Suzuki Foundation, and The Butterflyway movement, please visit: The Butterflyway Project. If you are, or know someone who is, a part of this project and would like to be credited in this Journal, please reach out to me!
