Our trip to Chicago is upon us! My dear and lovely cousin Narissa is marrying her man this coming weekend and Shane and I have the privilege of photographing it. First plan was to leave Thursday, but that got bumped to Wednesday and now, last minute, tonight. This is the adventure of traveling standby :) I’m learning to roll with it…to give up my urge to plan and know what’s ahead and kind of literally, throw it up in the air. I like to have it all mapped out in my mind and to see what the coming days will look like. But then again, how often does life go perfectly, according to plan? And do I really even want a life like that? So we’re in for a quick flight to Calgary, then the red-eye to Toronto, where we’ll catch a shuttle to Toronto’s other airport, from where we’ll fly to Chicago and be there Wednesday morning. Fingers crossed ;) I SO have to get packing and organizing. But I also wanted to take a look at the last time I was in Chicago to see Narissa nearly two years ago…back when we were still both single girls and her fiance hadn’t even entered the picture…gosh, can’t believe she’s going to become someone’s wife in a few days. Of course, not just anyone’s wife, but a lucky man’s wife :) Love you guys, see you SOON! PS – since I’ll be out of office, I won’t be checking my email as often as usual. So if you happen to drop me a note, please bear with me :) Thanks!
Read MoreCalgary Engagement: Amber + Mike
The first time we met was a dark, grey morning under a down pour of rain. Amber and Mike were out in Chilliwack visiting family for the weekend and so we had originally planned their engagement session for that Saturday. The weather, however, did not cooperate with our small window of opportunity…so we made other arrangements and a few days later I was on a plane to Calgary for the evening. I was more than happy to change up my routine and shoot in a new place! A place that had a much more promising weather forecast than at home. Mike and Amber are friends with Shane – he and Amber both have worked for Westjet for years and it just so happened that Shane was already out in Calgary for work. The four of us met up and had much fun shooting at the city’s Prince’s Island Park. Amber and I had been emailing back and forth leading up to their shoot and had filled me in on a little about them. As she had put it, Mike is more preppy whereas Amber is more of a free spirit – Mike says she’s like a crow because of how she loves anything colourful and shiny! :) I loved that and was excited to see that come through in their photos – just check out the cute and vibrant dress Amber chose for her outfit change! Mike and Amber, thank you for the fun and laughs and introducing me to a little piece of Calgary. All the best with your Kelowna wedding in July! A little bubbly to celebrate! An engagement gift from Amber’s dad. Amber had warned me that they weren’t uber lovey dovey…but I think they had just the right mix of fun and romance… If haven’t already, check out the slideshow for more pretty pictures from this session.
Read MoreOne Year Portraits: Jude
Happy first birthday, Jude! Johan, Corrie and Jude attend the same church as I, and Corrie and I have a very dear, mutual friend in common…so I was so happy to document her family in honour of her son’s milestone birthday. I don’t photograph as many families as I used to, with my focus changing toward weddings, but I still love the energy that little ones bring to a shoot! Jude was a treat to photograph, with his handsome, smiley eyes and oh those cheeks…see for yourself :) Here are just a few from our afternoon together:
Read MoreCalgary Engagement Sneak Peek
Yesterday I spent the afternoon/evening in Calgary. Flew from Abbotsford, landed an hour later, to shoot an engagement session with a super fun couple. As I was flying I couldn’t help but feel grateful. Grateful to change up the usual routine, change up the scenery, and escape the cold rain of the Lower Mainland and score some warm sun on the other side of the mountains! I love flying – and this is a VERY good thing, kind of a deal breaker when your boyfriend works for an airline and loves to travel as often as possible! – and the feeling that comes with it. No, not the occasional drop of the stomach when you perhaps encounter some turbulence, but the feeling that the world is yours to explore. My mind starts darting across the map, to all the possibilities it could land at. Yesterday it was only an hour but it didn’t stop me from dreaming of other, far off destinations that I will visit one day, places that said boyfriend and I have dreamed of traveling to in the future… And for now, here is a sneak peek of Amber and Mike’s engagement shoot! More to come next week :)
Read MoreGrad Portraits: Tessa
Gorgeous and glowing, grade twelve graduate Tessa shone on an otherwise dreary day. Mom and sister were close at hand to hold umbrellas, make her laugh, and watch this beauty work her modelling skills…as I juggled my own umbrella and had such fun taking shot after shot, loving the overcast skies in spite of the rain because of all the lovely light. Tessa, hope you had a blast at your prom! All the best as you continue your baking apprenticeship!
Read MoreMaternity: Lori + Jeremy
You might recognize these attractive faces from one of my favourite sessions to date: Lori and Jeremy’s Day After shoot. Less than a year later, they are proud, expectant parents to a little boy named Rowan, and I had the honour of documenting their hope and immense love for him. Rowan will be born next month, and with only half a heart. His young life, not yet even born, is already filled with so much uncertainty and challenge. But at least one thing is for certain – it’s also filled with so much support and prayer. Lori has been writing about her pregnancy, living with this knowledge, living through medical struggles, in her blog. She writes so beautifully of the fear and the hope, the hope and strength they find in the Lord, who is doing amazing things in and through Lori. I would strongly urge you to check it out and ask that you pray alongside them. I can’t tell you how much I admire their perseverance. Taken from Lori’s blog: “The Father continues to place his people in our lives, their hope flowing from their lips, uplifting my heart so that I can only believe. Believe that God has a plan, our son will bless and be blessed. Oh my son. You do not understand the words I say to you, but may I as your mother use this situation to teach you of the great abundance of LOVE the father has for you, for us his cherished blessings. May you know the miracle your life already is, that he giveth you life sustained in the womb, of an all too unworthy servant…that he planned your days and formed you inside of me, for his glory and purpose. Whatever your life beholds, we promise as parents to direct all glory not to the science of nature, but to the flawless plan of the Almighty.” Shoes in a row: Jeremy’s, Lori’s, and what will be Rowan’s As a baby, Jeremy slept in this bassinet, and before that, his grandmother. It was the perfect, added element to the shoot! “Every night I prayed for you, my special child. I prayed that your bones would be straight and your heart would be strong.” God Gave Us You, by Lisa Bergren
Read MoreFort Langley Portraits: Hamades
It was a perfect Saturday morning to snap some family photos in Fort Langley. The sun was shining and the streets were still fairly quiet and better yet, we had a happy baby who loved the camera! I met up with Justin and Carrie and handsome little Kaelen who – even though he was woken half way through his morning nap – was perfectly content to have his photo taken. And look at his outfit! Absolutely loved it. Thank you to the three of you for making my morning a little brighter with these photos…
Read MoreRoyally Inspired
You would think that spending all your time on the couch recovering from the flu would lend itself well to catching up on work. Just bring me my laptop and a heating pad and I should be good to go. But alas the flu drains your brain along with the rest of your body. I thought I could at least catch up on a few blogs and do a little pinning on Pinterest. But my eyes keep shying away from the screen. So here’s an inspiration board I put together last week while watching the Royal Wedding coverage…as a wedding photographer, and a girl who will one day plan her own wedding, I thought it would be fun to put together my own idea of a wedding fit for a princess…and I admit, looking at all this prettiness does make me feel a little bit better. Photo credit: BHLDN, Braedon Flynn, Elizabeth Messina, Sweet and Saucy Shop, Edyta Szyszlo, Poppies and Posies, Justin Marantz
Read MoreMay isn’t going to wait for the flu…
I was coming off of a fun, yet productive weekend and feeling pretty good. Last week, I started the week feeling unusually stressed and overwhelmed…with wedding season under way, still setting up my business, and a full weekend and week ahead, it all hit me and honestly, paralyzed me a little. But oh what a few days, a few lists, and a few kind words from strangers can do. And then the week ended with a royal wedding and a tea and lunch date with girlfriends! Can’t ask for anything more lovely. We had already made plans for afternoon tea at our favourite place, The Little White House, without realizing how fitting the date was. I felt as though I should wear a dress and fancy hat for the royal occasion. The weekend continued with sunshine, a photo session with an adorable, young family, and a girls’ night with my mom and sister. Sunday afternoon brought about a perfect, styled photo shoot in which Shane and I got to model. A springtime picnic, sunlight streaming through the tall trees, bicycles…watch for those photos on Robyn’s blog! Robyn’s husband, Andrew, came along as second shooter, and to wrap up our day, we went for dinner and swing dancing. We realized dance lessons would be extremely beneficial for next time but we made it work and laughed our way through it. Like I said, I was coming off of a fun weekend. But then the stomach flu had its own agenda. It crept up out of nowhere and hit me so now I lie here on the couch, my to-do list pretty much thrown out the window. My new list consists of sleep, drink Gatorade, eat saltines, and watch a movie. And hope and pray I beat this quick because this busy and promising month of May isn’t going to wait!
Read MoreA Royal Affair
Congratulations, William and Kate! So who of you woke up in the wee hours of the morning (or stayed up past your bedtime) to watch the Royal Wedding? I admit, I wish I had. But then again, that’s why we have PVR’s so instead, I woke up somewhat early and am watching the coverage as I type. Large, strong coffee to my right. I’ve seen a number of Facebookers complain of all the Royal Wedding talk but I’ve quite enjoyed it! Maybe because it was only yesterday I started poking around websites and blogs that featured inspired shoots or memorabilia. And costs of this wedding…it’s reported that the wedding will in total cost $34 million – $32 million spent on security alone! Not only that, but can you imagine your parents spending $434,000 on your wedding gown?? But what a gown it is…I wonder how this will effect wedding gown trends. How many gowns with sleeves will we see in weddings soon to come? Not my first choice, but it’s growing on me! I have a feeling it wouldn’t matter what she wore, Kate could make anything glamorous and lovely. Oh she just stepped out of the car and is making her way into West Minster Abbey. I think I’ll leave off here and give my full attention to the ceremony…but I couldn’t help but look ahead and pull a few photos off the Internet. I suddenly have a desire to fly to England and take that UK trip I’ve been itching to do…
Read More