Welcome to my new website. That's me, above, in the arms of the man who taught me how to use a camera. I'm next to my grandpa, Leslie Hutchcroft, who would leave me my first film SLR camera twelve years later. I was half-named after him—Blythe Leslie Fraser Hutchcroft—so it seems appropriate that this gift would shape me in a way that stuck.
I learned photography somewhat auto-didactically, but credit my dad for this hobby's origin. His interest sparked mine. His talent, too. (That's us below. I like to think I am receiving my first lesson in indoor lighting here.) During my BA in English Lit, I took as many photography electives as possible because it gave me access to the campus dark room. When friends started asking me to photograph their weddings, I translated this experience to digital. Even today, a subtle film aesthetic (ooo, that grainy first love of mine) permeates my work.
I shot my first wedding in 2008 (happy ten year to meee!) and have been photographing people for a living since 2010. Though I mostly shoot within BC, I have travelled to Alberta, Quebec, and Washington for work. While I love wedding party portraits—and, in particular, hunting for unique scapes in which to frame these shots—my favourite part of wedding photography is the candid, small moments I get to bear witness to. Pieces of leftover communion, the weight of chalk in a young guest's hand, your great aunt's wrinkled grin, an unassuming corner of celebration: these are the images I prize. You can learn more about me and my approach here.
When I'm not photographing weddings, I am either thumbing through cookbooks or cooking blogs (probably looking up a recipe by Ottolenghi, the Rebar Cookbook, Molly Wizenberg or Renée Erickson), baking a loaf of sourdough, making a cup of coffee (I like it nice and stone-fruity), reading a good book or essay or poem (some favourites: Annie Dillard, Maggie Nelson, Marilynne Robinson, Walter Brueggemann, Anne Carson), writing, or watching a movie with Matt (my most beloved of 2017 was Call Me By Your Name).
If I sound like a human you'd like to work with, let's chat! And should you have questions, I'm happy to field them over e-mail or a cup of coffee in Vancouver—your choice.