Thanks, I'm sorry. Now you know: Squamish Photographer Grinning Weasel

         It's been a roller-coaster of a year & I'm finally (fingers crossed) feeling kind of optimistic enough to share...or at the very least give you all a heads up.  

First let me start with some apologies. 

I've had to turn away quite a few clients this fall and I know it's been pretty disappointing for some.  Saying no doesn't come easily for me, but it has been very necessary.  I really appreciate the understanding I've received from both the clients I had to turn away, and the ones who had to wait too long to get their images.

This being my 3rd pregnancy in a year I have been very nervous from the beginning.  Having hit the 12 week mark we breathed a big sigh of relief thinking we were in the clear, 4 days later I started bleeding.  I have what's called a Subchorionic Hematoma.  ...I've never heard of it either.  Essentially there is a blood vessel that burst in my uterus which has now been bleeding for about 6 weeks.  Nothing can be done, it's just a wait and see type thing....waiting and seeing has never really been my forte.  If you're daring enough to Google it you'll find the overwhelming answer to be 50-50.... it'll either be totally fine, or you'll get a massive infection and miscarry....Good times. This poor child is going to be born with a full head of grey hair.

But so far so good.  Half way there!  

On to some shout-outs!

Thanks to my  husband for picking up the slack and saying, 'I told you so!' every time we go for an ultrasound and things look good.

Thanks to my mom & dad for coming to help take care of their little girl. I'm not good at asking for help and even worse at accepting it.

Thanks to my mother in law for being the most OCD retired nurse ever and cleaning every square inch of my cupboards, painting part of my house and holding back when your insides were freaking-out as my son was spilling his dinner all over the freshly cleaned floor. I promise it'll be filthy when you come back for Christmas and you can do it all again!

Thanks to the doctors and nurses and receptionists who greeted me with a smile even when I was there 3 days in a row asking to hear the baby's heartbeat.

Thanks to the lady in Pemberton who sold me the fetal doppler....I've only been mildly obsessed & checking it every 2-3 days.

Thanks to all the photographers who graciously accepted my referrals and squeezed in the people who I couldn't. 

Thanks to my co-workers and supervisor at the 'day job' for treating me like a big spoiled pregnant princess. Being offered pie and ice cream when you arrive at work should never go unappreciated. 

Thanks to all the friends who came to play with my son when I was feeling like a horrible parent not being able to run after him and keep up.  Also thanks for saying I looked great even though I was totally pale & iron deficient with giant bags under my eyes. 

Thanks again to everyone who was understanding when I turned them away, or made them wait longer than usual for the pictures they were dying to see.

As for the heads up: Assuming all goes well from here on out I will be taking time off starting in  April till the end of May? Mid June perhaps?  After that it'll be a slow return to full pace.  Family sessions will be limited as they require a lot more running around and jumping up and down than do newborns or maternity sessions.  I had way more inquires than I could possibly accommodate this year as it was, so I will be offering an 'early bird' special on family sessions towards the end of summer & fall to motivate clients to book early.  I will likely again have to cut-off any sessions who are hoping for images in time for Christmas by mid-November.

That's about it.... back to the babies and bellies on the blog.  Not mine, other people's...for now. 

Beth +1: Squamish Photographer Grinning Weasel

        I loved this session for a multitude of reasons.  First off Beth is the kind of gal who grabs life by the horns and makes it what she wants.  She has decided to brave the world of parenthood all on her own & for this I have great admiration.  I was truly honored and flattered that she chose me to capture this precious time in her life particularly as she's not a Squamish local, but was willing to make the trek just to see me.  I was also thrilled that she was not the standard size 2 gal, I can't count the number of times I've heard, "I'm not skinny enough to do a maternity session."  I think we can all agree from these photos that the beauty of pregnancy doesn't only come in small sizes.  Although I think even Beth would agree that she found a new respect for models after a couple hours of being forced into slightly awkward feeling poses ;) She also brought a friend (aka my new found assistant) who did an incredible job of keeping the mood light and fun with her traveling music box & always entertaining antics.  And finally, she requested to have photos taken with her beloved van, which for me was the highlight of the whole session.

Grinning Weasel is Cheryl Voigt, a Squamish based photographer specializing in maternity, newborn and family portraits. 

Belly Laughs| Squamish Maternity Photography

     It was such an honor to have this happy expecting couple contact me for their maternity session.  They love spending time in Squamish kite surfing, and come nearly every weekend all the way from Langley.

      I don't know that I've ever had a couple laugh more in one session....or get more bug bites.  Nothing like pausing to smack each other in the head every so often to keep the laughs flowing!  Can't wait to meet your little one!  Hopefully he'll give me as many smiles as you two did! 

Grinning Weasel is Cheryl Voigt, a Squamish based photographer specializing in maternity, newborn and family portraits.

Adore Vu!

   This family is nothing short of adorable and I can't wait to meet the newest addition!  We first met at the playground after they'd spent a nice morning at the farmer's market.  It was a great way to get to know the whole family and see just how brightly their little girl shines!

   When scheduling their session I was pleased to hear they were game for getting out there early.  You may often hear of photographers talking about 'the golden hour'.  Well, achieving anything close to that can be a real challenge here in Squamish!  With how the valley is situated we get about 30-45 min of perfect lighting in the morning or the evening during the summer.  The 'golden hour' here is more of alpine glow with a quick shine before or after.

   We got lucky that morning with the perfect balance of location, lighting and over the top sweetness!

    Grinning Weasel is a Squamish based photographer specializing in maternity, newborn & family portraits.