My BIG Sister

  This is my not so big, big sister & her family.  When I asked her what she wanted for Christmas she suggested I do a family shoot for her seeing as it was something she'd never done before.  Her husband (yes, the guy in the shorts.  He's from Ontario, need I say more?) had a hard time grasping what family photos are supposed to look like outside of the Sears Portrait Studio, but ended up being awesome, climbing trees for me and all!  

 

I've always felt blessed with my amazing family, but as far as big sisters go, she's the best by far.  We had a great time down at Deer Lake in Burnaby and I'm still pretty stunned how grown up my nephew looks in all these, gum chewing, funny faces and all!  (OK, I edited those ones out :) 

Here  ya go Lynda.  Hope you love them just about as much as I love you guys!  xo

A Christmas Mini Session

OK, I admittedly dropped the ball on planning Christmas Mini Sessions this year. December snuck up on me like a ninja. So I was absolutely thrilled when Julie sent me an email inquiring if I could throw together a last minute a mini session of her girls!  These two gorgeous little girls have got the biggest bluest eyes you've ever seen and they're enough to  melt absolutely anyone....I dare you to disagree! I couldn't contain my gasps & sighs the whole time I was photographing them.  

  

 

I was so blessed to be able to photograph Everly's birth earlier this year & this seemed like the perfect ending to 2011.  

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and the most exceptional New Year! 

Non-Stop Nash!

Nash is such a boy!  He's about the most boyish boy I've met so far next to my own.

He was non stop excitement the day I went to Brackendale to capture Krista & Aaron in 

and around their beautiful home for some 

fun family moments.  

We kept things rolling pretty quick for this busy little guy. 

Bigger and better things await this handsome little dude!    

Thanks for taking a moment to hang out with me Nash.  You are a TON of fun!

Ines & Mike's New Home

Mike grew up in the prairies and like many people fell in love with BC at first sight.  Loving the outdoors and all it had to offer it was no surprise that after a few visits to Squamish he wanted to call it home.  Ever since Ines has been pinching herself pretty much daily to be sure she isn't dreaming, the beauty outside her door never goes un-appreciated.

They asked that I capture them as a family on one of their favorite walks near their home along the golf course.  Nature did not disappoint us, with beautiful crisp leaves on the ground and the fleeting sun low in the sky, it was about as perfect as a fall afternoon can get.  

I have to give some special credit here to Ryder's grandma for taking so many photos of him that he's an absolute joy to photograph.  Looking at the camera and smiling pretty much the whole time!  

Welcome home guys.  Squamish looks good on you.  

The Thing I Love Most

I've never been good at routine.  As some who know me might have guessed with the word 'change' tattooed to my wrist.  (We won't get into the irony of etching the word 'change' onto my body in such a way that it won't ever.)
I'm starting to figure out that this is why I love doing this so much.  The only thing that remains consistent is my camera. Not only do the faces change with each shoot, but the place, the light, the mood....each shoot is an entirely different experience and with each shoot I evolve a little as both in my art and on the business side of things as well.  I just want to say thanks to all of the amazing clients and friends who've chosen me to capture their moments over the past year for such a truly outstanding journey!
So this next one brings me to Carolyn.  She was in my prenatal class in East Vancouver nearly 2 years ago.  I don't know what the odds were of having someone in our class who was living in Squamish, where I was about to move and knew NO one, but on the 2nd day of that class I announced to everyone that Carolyn was my new best friend, she just didn't know it yet.  Carolyn went on to not only become a wonderful friend, but went on to introduce me to more than a dozen other "Squam-moms" who've become dear friends & really given me the sense of community I was looking for in moving here.
For Carolyn I wanted to do something different.  I got to just spend the morning with them, happily snapping while they went about getting ready.  We did a few of the required outdoor family shots, then headed back indoors for some baking & story time....life.  Just some of that stuff that makes up every day of our lives that we sometimes miss out on the beauty of.

As Fate Would Have It

  Emily contacted me about some family pictures back in September.  After re-scheduling a couple times due to weather and toddler tumbles we finally made it happen late last week.  It turned out to be a stellar day for some photos down on the spit, warm and dry and the wind was calm....a rare treat when it comes to outdoor photos in Squamish.  The only drawback to the lack of wind was some extra Photoshopping to remove the black flies, not a bad trade off for such a beautiful location.

  I instantly fell in love with this wonderful family, they were so warm & friendly.  To get to photograph them was such a treat for me.  It was a true pleasure to have met you all, I really hope you love them Emily.  We made it happen!

A Walk With the McQuillans

  Crispy autumn leaves.  Sunshine.  And one adorable happy family.  Could this be more perfect?  Meet Cheryl, Patrick & Gemma.  Cheryl was one of the first moms I met after moving to Squamish, and her beautiful family was the first I photographed after officially becoming a business.  It's amazing what can happen in just under 1 year!  It has been such a joy to witness the growth of all the little ones I've met since moving here.  Thanks for having me join you at your favorite little river spot.  I look forward to seeing Gemma grow into what is sure to be a remarkable young lady.

Free Photo Shoot Winner

Sometimes having to reschedule can be such a blessing.  Originally this was supposed to be a shoot in a city park, but kids as they are get sick and we had to find another date.  By the time we picked a day summer had packed it's bags and left, so Layla & Ayan opted for coming to Squamish for a gorgeous fall shoot.

   I've yet to meet a child who isn't somewhat in awe when walking through the forest. Throw in a nice little river and a red wagon & we could have spent the rest of the day playing outdoors.  

   Thanks for coming to play in my backyard Lynde & Shawnalee.  I'm glad they loved it as much as I do!

Ryder's Impromptu 6 Month Photos

   It was a beautiful sunny afternoon & I had recently received some new backdrops I was desperate to try out, so I called up Ines.  We'd been talking a bit about doing a 6 month shoot for her son Ryder & he was the perfect candidate to model for me.  Ryder  had just mastered sitting up on his own 2 days before and he was ready to show of his new skills!

This little man has most definitely earned the nickname Sumo!  Have you ever seen such perfect little cheeks & chubby leg rolls in your life?!  Happy 6 months Ryder!  

Fall Families

Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am.  With a soggy summer & not much of a better start to the fall I thought for sure all my October shoots would be rained out, I couldn't have been more wrong.  So many beautiful families & kids that its been too much to keep up with.  So long overdue for a blog post!

Earlier this month I had the privilege of meeting Aida...and pretty much her entire family!  Her mom is visiting from Bosnia to meet her new addition and the rest of her husband's family came out as well.  It was a jam packed afternoon in a little Point Grey apartment I won't soon forget!  Thankfully the weather co-operated & we headed to the beach to snap a few more of this gorgeous family in it's entirety.  Little Tea is as beautiful as her mother & such a sweet little thing too!  

   Next up was Michelle & Dale.  Oh my goodness I can't begin to tell you how excited I was to photograph her and her daughter with their firey red hair in the autumn forest!  I was not the least bit disappointed.  Both little girls were as sweet as could be, and my gosh if their youngest doesn't just look like an angel in every single photograph...except maybe the tantrum over putting on a dress, but those are my favourites!   Precious!

Next up Ryder's 6 month shoot.  Coming soon the winner of my 150 fans free shoot!

He gets an Ocean

There are too many things about Squamish that we love to list them all.  One of the many things that has made it so wonderful living here is being able to take my son on a walk directly out our back yard onto a path that leads down the forest to the river where a spectacular view of the Chief awaits.  I recall the joy I got out of playing in the creek by my home as a child & it warms my heart to watch him find that same joy in the endless nature surrounding us.  My creek was like a puddle compared to his entire ocean.  What a lucky little dude.

Madison knows what's going on

  It was finally Tuesday.  I was so excited!  With a load of new props & a brain full of ideas I was off to photograph Madison.  Whom by all accounts was the sleepiest little baby you could ever meet.  Surely I'd be able to pose her in all sorts of ways & have so much fun!

  But little Madison stayed wide, wide awake.  Sensing something was afoot she was content to look around and try to take it all in.  Focused on the camera she kindly let me see just how astute this little girl is bound to be.

She did eventually succumb to sleep, although never deeply.  Just on the brink, so she could keep an ear out for any excitement to be had. 

Little Lily Firecracker

I had the pleasure of hosting my sister-in-law and her family for a few days earlier this month.  It has been over a year since we'd last seen our niece in the flesh, and I must say that girl is a firecracker!  The week flew by with so many things to do and see & despite our best efforts to get together a full family shoot we never quite managed to pull it off...but somewhere along the way I managed to capture a few good ones of this spirited little 2 year old, Little Lily Firecracker.

Thanks for a lovely visit Stephanie, Mike & Lily.  We hope you enjoyed your stay as much as we enjoyed having you!

Mornings Like This

  The sun is shining in the window.  The smell of coffee in the air.  Nobody's in a hurry to go anywhere.

   I love mornings like these.

The Newborn Next Door

   Meet my neighbors!  This tiny prince is just a few weeks old & already working the poses.  His little feet melted my heart, and the glow from his proud parents vastly overshadowed their sleep deprived state.

I found a tiny new Pearl

  And a sweet little Pearl she was.  I still can't believe how strong she is for just 3 weeks old.  All smiles for her mama too....melts my heart.