Amanda Morch of Elite Models Toronto, captured poolside by Guido Di Salle

Its a beautiful day and summer is winding down. In fact, it is one of the hottest days of the year in Toronto. There is little to save us from the heat but we do our best with intermittent dips in the pool in between takes. Amanda hasn't been modelling for long, despite her natural beauty and relative ease in front of the camera. She chooses to shoot a piece for GQ Italia with me. (click here to see it on GQ)

The mood is light, and the less clothing on the better. It is one of those days. Amanda is carefree and completely relaxed in front of the lens. More time passes, and the mood never stops being upbeat. We have no makeup, no wardrobe, and no assistants. This is the real art of photography as practiced by the greats such as Mario Testino, Terry Richardson, Annie Leibovitz, Diane Arbus, and Juergen Teller. The editorial brings us back to a time when photos were not heavily edited, or too "clean". Photos had personality, some character. This editorial is everything I love about photography. Less emphasis on the equipment, and more emphasis on living in the moment. 

Night falls, and Amanda and I literally take the last photo of the set as it begins to pour down rain like nothing Toronto has seen before. This was an incredible day of shooting, and such an incredible honor to be featured on GQ Italia as their first Toronto fashion photographer to contribute. Humbled to be featured next to some of the best photographers in the world.