You know the feeling…’tis the season, after all. 

My aunt emailed a few weeks ago wanting me to take some pics of their family – at least those living at home – for this year’s card.  (Missing from these pics are about 24 or 25 other members of their family…a few of which can be seen a few posts down in the post ”Where the Green Grass Grows.”)  I was only too happy to oblige.

Loving the individual and couple shots, if you don’t mind me saying:

Have a great weekend! :)

20 years:  7300 days ago today, my bro and sis-in-law tied the knot.  I was very delighted – and honoured - to be asked to take their family pictures last month: to capture them, their 5 kids, and their love. 

I instantly had the entire shoot laid out in my head: (ok, I admit, I had it all worked out before Linda even asked!) I envisioned their family on a dock, at their Kawkawa Lake house; and then in their boat, hair whipping in the wind…capturing the essence of summer.  So…I’m not gonna lie, when a session works out exactly like I’d planned, hoped and dreamed, I get kinda excited.  Like as in thrilled. 

These were shot 2 days into fall…but with the brilliant sunshine and warm water, it sure felt like mid-summer!  We started at 9:00 am.  I put on my bathing suit and plunged in, waist deep to get these captures on the dock.  Thanks for trusting my artistic vision guys! :)   ”you want the couch out here? sure, no problem!”

This picture above needs to be blown up BIG.  Couldn’t you just dive right in?!?

Before heading off in the boat, we took a stroll down the road in front of their house…

The Camerawoman Who Dared.  Yup, that’s me. ;)   To get this shot below, I had to stand straight up on the dash (if that’s what you call it on a boat?!) by the windshield, and not holding onto anything, snap away while cruising along at a rather rapid speed!  I’d have to say the results were worth the danger – it’s another one that I’d blow up big, if I were them! :)  That one, and the one of Jake and Linda laying in the front of the boat, with blue sparkling water all around.  Love. 

I could have shared about twice as many, but then you’d be here all day waiting for the pics to load on your computer…and I’m trying to practise some self-restraint. ;)

Thanks for being so fabulous you guys!  I look forward to seeing these on your walls! :)  Jake and Linda, I wish you much happiness, health, and many more years together. xo

Blog loving and well-wishes appreciated. ;)

I’m so glad we went ahead with this session despite a rainy morning; the weather, as you can see, was gorgeous…as were my clients. ;)

Rather photogenic, I’m thinking?!   

Thanks Debbie, Dennis and family!  I had a great time shooting you guys…my camera loves ya! :)

Here it is.  The session you’ve “all” been waiting for! ;)  The session that I stressed over, dreamt about, spent weeks planning and collecting ideas for.   With the pefect location that I had in mind, and these two adorable and beloved family members of mine, I was fairly confident that the shoot would be fabulous! :) 

What I hadn’t counted on was the heat.  I do believe it was the hotest day that we’ve had all summer, and that fact, combined with the fact that I was racing against the clock made for me being a rather unpleasant and disheveled sight!  Thankfully Care and Ben were calm, cool, poised and perfectly photogenic through it all. 

Carey-Jane and Ben got engaged in Toronto, Ontario (Ben’s from St. Catharine’s) earlier this summer.  He got down on one knee right after he nearly threw Care over a bridge into the water.  Yeah, I guess nerves will make guys do crazy things!  Their wedding is planned for next July dv.  I’m afraid I won’t be able to take the pictures on that day, as I hope to be IN them – looking forward to being in their wedding party! :)

This house was perfect.  The light streaming through the widows, the state of delapidation.  Loved it.

 These next few (well ok, there’s more than a few) are some of my faves.  As in faves ever taken…and I’ve taken a few! ;) 

See what I mean????  I may make some of them into huge canvases for MY walls! :)

Care also wanted to get some pics with Mt. Cheam.  Unfortunately, even though they hope to live here in BC for a while/few years, Care and Ben will likely eventually end up in Ontario.  Care wanted some pics of the two of them with Mt.Cheam so that she’d always have a piece of home with her, that she can put up on her wall. 

Hence the reason for me racing against the clock!  We started the session at 5:00pm, knowing that the sun goes down (or did last week anyway) around 7:10, I wanted to be at my aunts house by 6:45ish for these last shots.  Thankfully we made it there in time to get some great shots of them and the magnificent mountain view just before the sun went down.  Shots to cherish for a lifetime, for sure.  Kinda cool as well, is the fact that decades ago Care’s (and my) Opa planted the very plum trees that she and Ben are sitting under.

I love the different effect that backlighting (above) and frontlighting (below) has.  One’s so soft and dreamy, the other is so vivid, and bright.  I also loved the fact that Carey-Jane and Ben (especially Ben, being a guy and all) put up with me for this extra long photoshoot, and willingly tried any pose or idea I had.  

Words to live by: Be a best friend, tell the truth, overuse I love you, go to work, do your best, don’t outsmart your common sense, never let your praying knees get lazy, LOVE LIKE CRAZY!

xoxo you guys.  Wishing you all the best in life.

Please share in my/their excitement, and let us know what you think! :)

This is one photogenic chick!  She’s so relaxed in front of the camera, so chill.  Despite the fact that it was 35 degrees out and we were both feeling rather hot and sweaty, and anything but chill, really. 

I’ve gotta admit, I love senior shoots, and was delighted when Julissa booked hers mid-summer.  It was initially going to be a grad-gown shoot, but that fell through last minute…and I think I can confidently say that it all worked out, despite that fact! :) 

Love her relaxed and sassy attitude.  Work it girl! :)

Thanks Julissa – I had great fun, and hope you did too. 

Feel free to let the girl know how fine she’s looking. ;)

…and then I was off to Carey-Jane and Ben’s engagement session immediately after this one….those pics are up next!

Picking the perfect grad dress is usually one of the most exciting aspects of graduation for most girls.   Ciska, on the other hand, has had hers picked out for 4 years already. 

Ciska happened to see the most perfect dress in a school’s yearbook….in it, my cousin Cathrine was wearing the most perfect yellow dress that Ciska could have ever envisioned, and she said to her mom “when I graduate, I want to wear that dress!!!” 

Flash forward 3.5 years and Ciska’s mom gave a phone call to enquire about the whereabouts of the perfect yellow dress, and requested to borrow it.  Apparently Cathrine’s little sister had been using it for dress-up for the past few years, but Ciska was more then welcome to see if it was salvageable.  Well, after getting it dry-cleaned and steamed the dress turned out like brand new….and it fit Cisk  like it was made for her! :) 

I’m sure you’ll agree that she looked gorgeous in it:

Ciska happens to be one of my kids’ babysitters…and we’d like to congratulate her on her graduation, and wish her all the best in her university ed!

I had the honour of photographing Mount Cheam’s grad portraits 2 weeks ago…before their ceremony and banquet.  It was so fun taking pictures of these super excited kids, in one of the most thrilling times of their lives.  Congrats you guys! :)

Curently working of finishing a session of a beautiful/handsome mommy & daddy-to-be, as well as scouting out locations for the next 6+ sessions that’ll hopefully be shot in the next 2 weeks! 

Thanks for stopping by! :)

I’m so proud and excited to introduce my first Tiny Light family to you! 

Thanks guys, for being so patient as we tried (and tried) to set a date for this photoshoot.  I hope you’ll agree that it was all worth the wait! :)  The weather was phenomenal…and so were you all.  I loved meeting you and shooting you.

Meet Maddison.  Maddi is a fun-loving, active 10 year old, who loves to dance and sing.  Sadly, she’s also been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, which is a chronic illness with no cure, and it prevents her from attending school in the morning due to the pain.  She is currently involved in a study at Children’s Hospital…and is hoping that one day a cure will be found for her illness.  As you can see, Maddi doesn’t let the disease define her or her personality: it shines and she simply radiates beauty. 

Consider yourself warned: this is a very long post as (once again) I simply couldn’t narrow down my favorites! :)

We started our session at the Cultural Centre and Prospera Centre…

…before we headed off to a field for an early supper picnic.

See what I mean?  Isn’t she gorgeous?  ….the rest of the family isn’t so bad either! ;)  Thanks again guys – hope you love the pics!

That’s how excited I was when I was going through these pictures: I was like a kid in a candy shop, unable to decide which ones to edit first. 

Vanessa came down from Calgary for the weekend, and her mom had surprised her with a photoshoot.  Yay for  me - and her…fun times all around! :)  Man, what a model she is – she sure made my job easy! 

We met downtown and took some shots out back of Wellington so she could relax and get used to the camera before we headed to the candy shop.  Well, clearly she didn’t need to be “eased” into anything at all – that picture on the top right is the very first shot I took!!  Vanessa, Seventeen magazine may be calling you up soon! ;)

Sorry there’s so many, I really couldn’t narrow it down.  Hello gorgeous:

I’m rather excited (like I mentioned last week) that I was told about this great candy store a few weeks ago.  Sticky’s Candy is the largest candy store in the lower mainland.  Such a bright and fun place, and great staff too – thanks for the use of your shop! :)  You’ll find them on Wellington in Chilliwack beside The Bookman:

Thanks for looking – and waiting for all these pics to load!   Give Vanessa a little blog love why don’t ya?  We’d appreciate it! :)

This afternoon was wonderful.  Two fabulously fun sessions which I’m thrilled with, and just HAD to share a few of. 

Remember that amazing location I told you about on my FB page?  Well, I can’t wait to show you more pictures of the beautiful Vanessa, taken inside of Sticky’s next week…(I’m so thankful my sis-in-law told me about this place!) 

The second session was my first Tiny Light!  Loved everything about this session too – you guys were great!! 

More of each session coming soon! :)

Have a good weekend.  Cheers!