Skin Two Fetish Fashion Book

In a celebration of 30 years in print featuring sophisticated and sexy fetish fashion,  Skin Two Magazine is publishing a coffee table book called “Skin Two Fetish Fashion – the definitive album of fetish fashion.” Tim Woodward, the magazine’s editor, has curated a collection of the most iconic images published in the magazine over the years and I am honored to have two of my images for Northbound Leather included. You can take a peek at them above. The shots are from a catalogue shoot I did for Northbound Leather back in 2013. I have included the rest of the shoot below for your viewing pleasure.

Photography & Art Direction: Jennifer Toole // Hair: Amber Fairlie @ The Manor Salon // Make-Up: Bronwen Weiderick

Dita Von Teese!

Queen of Burlesque Dita Von Teese performed her infamous martini glass routine at Northbound Leather’s 26th Anniversary Party last night in Toronto at The Phoenix Concert Theatre. God bless Northbound for bringing Dita to Toronto for the first time! She was such perfection it was otherworldly. Dita is all diamonds, silky skin, maddening teases, and old school Glamour with a capital G. I caught the act from the balcony and shot my little heart out. I am so pleased to be able to share a peek of the show with all of you who weren’t able to attend. I have never seen the Phoenix so full! The event was further proof of Toronto’s major come-up right now. Exciting times! xo

Dailytoole 2014 Highlights!!!!!

Looking back on 2014 I can’t help but feel incredibly blessed and grateful for the professional & creative opportunities I encountered this year. Not only was work steady, but it was almost always heart-warming as well. I found myself given full licence to art direct on more sets than not which is rare and why I am feeling so positive moving forward into my fourth year of business. Here are a few of my favourite professional highlights of 2014.

1) Publishing in Vogue Italia chelsea.vogueNow, getting a nod from the fashion bible that is Vogue Italia has most definitely been on my bucket list for years. I began submitting to the magazine daily at the beginning of the year and one gorgeous day in November they finally deemed the above photo worthy and published it in their ‘Best Of’ section. The slight blur and delicate colours of the medium format film photo featuring Chelsea’s ponderous stare and weighted posture have enough of a painterly quality for Vogue to consider it ‘art.’ We all know Vogue Italia only publishes ‘art’ and it made my year to be recognized by such an influential institution. I took the photo for Herself.com, which is up next on this list of favourites.

2) Herself.comherself invitationI believe it is very rare for photographers to come across a job that perfectly mirrors their own vision and greater cause. ‘Herself’ has been a godsend of a contract delivered by the angel that is Caitlin Stasey. When Caitlin asked me to work on ‘Herself’ with her back in the summertime I threw myself into the project headfirst booking and shooting all our incredibly brave participants. I shot some women in their homes and some outdoors. We trespassed to get to the perfect locations, made use of the light wherever we could, definitely engaged in some public nudity and had great conversations in between shots. I got to know every one of our participants and am proud to call them friends. Herself.com is a gesture to women for women by women. Through a nude photo shoot and in depth interview each participant is providing a raw example of her uniqueness and it’s that individualism in every woman we hope to celebrate. The site is launching on January 10th online and with a party in Toronto. Please consider the above invitation YOUR invitation. I look forward to seeing you there.

3) Talent Portraiture & Promotional Photography

It is always a pleasure to photograph great talent. In 2014 I had the opportunity to travel to France with Opera Atelier to shoot their lead soprano Peggy Kriha Dye in the gardens at the Palace of Versailles. It was a rainy morning and we miraculously had the place to ourselves. Canadian soprano Ambur Braid had me up to the penthouse of the Toronto Ritz Carlton to capture her elegance in a variety of couture dresses and diamonds. Culvert Records had me out to shoot their new recruits The Good Boys in dapper dress in the streets of Toronto. At the Carmel Bach Festival young Yale Music School graduate John Taylor Ward and I went for a stroll to the sea and captured a couple of gorgeous headshots. Toronto band The Wooden Sky had me out to cover their Vinyl Bike Tour on a rainy Fall day where the band and a slew of fans biked en masse to four of Toronto’s best record shops to hear the band play mini sets at each stop. Here’s a little video I shot of the tour:

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4) Clint Roenisch (new) Gallery Opening

Clint.A-36The opening of the new Clint Roenisch Gallery at 190 St. Helens Ave., Toronto, ON on July 10th, 2014 was the beginning of a new era in Canadian art. Not only did my blog of the event photos have 54,697 unique visitors from all over the world (breaking the blog’s traffic record), but the subsequent workings of the space have been progressively stellar. The exhibitions of Jason De Haan and Harold Klunder’s works were prime examples of lasting Canadian art and also boasted sale numbers unheard of in this country. Clint also put on an elegant event at calculus mastermind James Stewart’s architectural masterpiece of a home The Integral House on July 24th, 2014. The modern estate was full of happy guests enjoying the art installations and live music. We sadly lost Mr. Stewart on Dec. 3rd, but can feel blessed that we all got a beautiful visit in before he left us. I am also very pleased to mention that the launch party for Herself.com will be hosted at Clint’s gallery on January 10th with an exhibition of my photographs from the project. I look forward to celebrating with you there.

5) Ex-Wives of Rock

Ex-Wives of Rock_Season 3_Courtesy of Slice copy copyThanks to the endlessly lovely and professional workings of Morcom Media and Tricon Films we executed a seamless studio shoot in L.A. with the four powerhouses that make up the Ex-Wives of Rock for their promotion of season three. With Lil’ Kim blasting throughout, numerous costume changes, notorious voyeurs and lots of swearing we had a blast and got the perfect shot.

6) Madonna @ Hard Candy

Madonna graced Toronto with her majesty’s presence in February to promote the opening of her new gym on Yonge St. named Hard Candy. I was so thrilled to be hired by the gym, working in tandem with Madonna’s personal photo/video crew, to exclusively cover the auditions leading up to the red carpet event and the opening itself.

7) Boudoir Photography

The fact that boudoir photography is still, going into year four, such a big part of my business is something I will eternally be grateful for. This is the kind of work dreams are made of.

8) Northbound Leather

Northbound Leather will always be one of my favourite clients. During the first quarter of 2014 we shot the company’s new line of versatile but always sexy handmade leather goods on a gorgeous variety of models. My favourite shoot featured Ms. Leather Toronto 2014 aka Patty and her wife Saoirse in a number of compromising poses at Oasis Aqua Lounge in Toronto.

9) Art Basel Miami

Friedrich Kunath, 'A Fucking Landscape (Study),' 2014

Friedrich Kunath, ‘A Fucking Landscape (Study),’ 2014

When Art Basel Miami issued me a press pass I made it my mission to get down there and put it to good use. What an incredible experience it was witnessing all the notable contemporary art work on the planet today in one enormous pop-up exhibition. Watching a Damien Hirst sculpture sell for 4 million pounds was totally surreal and exciting.

10) Wedding Photography

Erin-Mike.WEB-1_1000 Erin-Mike.WEB-3_1000Shooting the Scott’s wedding this Autumn was such a wonderful event to be a part of. I am currently taking bookings for weddings this coming Summer in Toronto and California. My wedding portfolio and contact can be found HERE.

What a year! Thank you all for being a part of it. I hope 2015 is full of TRAVEL, love, friends, great work and charity. xo

 

 

TYLER/APRIL

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I had the pleasure of shooting professional dancer Tyler Gledhill for Northbound Leather a couple weeks back. Tyler is a 31-year-old Canadian Taurus with smouldering good looks and the flexibility of a contortionist. In addition, his good grace, his warm smile and the way he fills out his tights surely make him the full package (no pun intended). You can see Tyler in action from April 9th to 11th performing in “The Land of Fuck (a fable)” with the Dietrich Group at The Citadel in Regent Park. He will then be dancing in “The Man In Black / Looking for Elvis” with Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie also at The Citadel from May 21st to the 31st. I hope you enjoy these photos of him in the meantime. Does Game of Thrones start tonight?! xo

Photography: Jennifer Toole // Styling: Cheryl Kocot

Shot on location at The Extension Room.

Northbound Leather: MARCH/ASIA

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Miss Asia Lydia Vickovic is our featured woman of the month for March at Northbound. She is a fiery 26-year-old Jamaican/Croatian Scorpio. She is a great producer of art in the painting and sculpture veins. All the clothing she wears so well for us is available now in store and online at www.northbound.com. Learn more about Asia as she answers the Northbound 20 at http://northboundleather.tumblr.com/. All photos shot by me

Northbound Leather Crystal Collars.

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$55 each at Northbound Leather. Shimoor shot by me.

SHIMOOR/FEBRUARY

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Meet S aka S Machina aka Shimoor Machina, Northbound’s featured lady model of the month for February. Shimoor is a 24-year-old Canadian Aries Psych major at York University. Shimoor is pictured here wearing the newest designs by Northbound’s in-house designer Cheryl Kocot. We caught up with her to ask her the Northbound Twenty. Click through to see the interview. Text and photos by me.

 

Skin Two.

image (4) image (2)image (3)A few selects from the last Northbound Leather catalogue shoot, shot by me, as published in the Fashion Section of Issue #65 of the United Kingdom’s fetish fashion magazine Skin Two.

Dailytoole 2013 Highlights!!!!!

Happy New Year pals!!! 2013 has made a bonafide hustler out of me. Working full-time as a freelance photographer has been the most challenging and most exhilarating experience of my life thus far and I don’t expect it to get any easier as the business grows. I am very proud and grateful to be embarking upon year three. There is still so much to learn and there is a lot to look forward to. As we settle into the eve of 2013 here are the top ten highlights of Dailytoole this year:

1) Northbound Leather CatalogueNBLTears-1The beautiful people behind Northbound Leather have been a total delight to work with this year. In addition to the monthly fashion features I shot for the brand, I also art directed and shot their 2014 catalogue. With nine amazing models, the best beauty team in town, the help of some family and friends we made a sophisticated and sexy catalogue for the brand that I think is my best work to date. I am very much looking forward to working more in-depth with Northbound in 2014 and taking the brand to new and exciting places.

2) Soho House Toronto ResidencySohoLifeDraw-20My photographer’s residence at Soho House Toronto took me to some very interesting events this year. There were a handful of vibrant parties, a feature on sister design team Beaufille, author readings, culinary experiences, rooftop markets and more. The event that really took the cake at the house this year though was their life drawing evening. The soft, directional lighting, supple models, intent participants and flowing wine turned the main floor into a Baroque painting. It was a luscious feast for the senses. The house has had an amazing first year in the city and I expect it will only become more of an influential space for creative minds as it evolves.

3) PARISCWMParis-366Going to Paris on a work assignment was definitely a high priority on my bucket list and, thanks to a high-end travel and event photography client, I got to cross it off my list this year. The job took me to Paris, Champagne and Versailles. I had the incredible privilege of exploring the Louvre after hours and spent a good fifteen minutes alone with the Mona Lisa. Dreams really do come true! Here’s to 2014 bringing more travel & event photography opportunities like this unforgettable experience.

4) David Bowie AGO Exhibit Opening1mickrock-51The lovely folks at Arthouse had me out to cover the AGO opening of the incredible David Bowie Exhibit and the subsequent after party at The Templar Hotel. It was a star-studded event with Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust era photographer Mick Rock in attendance, and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield performing a moving rendition of Bowie’s Space Oddity. It was an evening of Toronto at it’s best and I was thrilled to play my paparazzi part.

5) MTCKClaraKlien-2-2MTCK were the first ever to hire me as a photographer back in 2010. It gives me great pleasure that as my business has grown their music is reaching an ever widening audience. We shot this series for their new album art at The Drake Hotel. It is one of my most favourite shoots to date.

6) Kania F/W2014KaniaAsia_9Kania Couture has been a loyal client of mine for quite a few years now. We featured Asia V. as the face of the F/W2014 line which we shot in Toronto’s Distillery District. Stacey, Kania’s incredible designer, is such a delight to work with. I love to see young, entrepreneurial women achieving such high levels of success. Keep up the great work!

7) L’Oreal Colour Trophy Competition w. The Manor SalonL'OrealTeaserWith Amber Fairlie of The Manor Salon at the reigns, Bronwen Weiderick on make-up and myself behind the lens we put forward our best hair look modelled by the ever ethereal Natalie Sirianni for the L’Oreal Colour Competition. We were very proud to represent the smallest salon to make it to the semi-finals. Let’s go for the win next year!

8) Fashion Series Featurescreen-shot-2013-02-18-at-9-55-34-pmFashion Series did a feature article on my fashion photography in their aSymmetry issue this year. It is always flattering to have a publication take an interest your work. The interview was published alongside my fashion editorial entitled “Arinna Rises,” modelled by  Kadri Hansen, styled by Megan Ann Wilson with hair and make-up by Bronwen Weiderick.

9) L.A.Cali-47This year I finally broke the border barrier and worked for the first time in the states. The American Film Market had me down to L.A. to shoot a couple of red carpet events. A lot of doors opened up on that reconnaissance mission and I hope to work there a lot more in 2014.

10) www.jennifertoole.comScreen shot 2013-12-31 at 11.53.10 AMIt has been a bit of a process honing my own personal style of photography and figuring out how to best put my work forward. It is all most certainly still a work in progress, but the newest version of www.jennifertoole.com is headed in the right direction. I am aiming to focus on fashion, event and portrait photography in 2014. Please take a look at the new site and let me know what you think.

Moving into 2014 I have a few projects on the rise. I am extremely excited to continue working with Northbound Leather. There is a larger artistic project in development that I am hoping to put on my fourth photography show with. Stay tuned for more info on that in the coming months. My team and I are also in the midst of planning a creative for submission to Vogue Italia which is an unparalleled opportunity. All in all, 2014 is looking like the best yet. Happy New Years everybody!

P.S. Special thanks to my make-up artist and right-hand babe in most shoots, Bronwen Weiderick.  She is simply the best. xo

P.P.S. On a side note, I starred in the Mooseknuckle F/W2013 campaign commercial by the awesome production team at 1188 Films. Check it out!

Northbound Leather: The Holiday Edition

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Happy Holidays from Northbound Leather! We are having a big sale in the days leading up to Christmas to ensure that everyone gets their stocking stuffed. Peruse our holiday-themed leather lingerie fashion editorial featuring Rob Manuel and Chanele for gift ideas.

Rob is a faithful customer of NBL and we adore him for it. Wrapped over his bulging muscles our pieces look good enough to eat. You can catch Rob in action every Friday night on stage at Remington’s. He told us he would love it if you came.

Chanele is a nineteen-year-old dream. She is a student of broadcast journalism at Ryerson  who models on the side. Her Latitia Casta face and Rapunzel hair are enviable tokens of beauty. Chanele is single, open-minded and always up for a party. She certainly got us into the holiday spirit!

All items pictured are available at Northbound’s Yonge Street store. Drop by the shop and stock up for the season.

Love,
Jennifer Toole // Photographer & Art Director
xoxo

Www.jennifertoole.com

Make-up & Hair by Bronwen Weiderick.