Sunday, February 24, 2008

My Boys

Gabe loves the animals he got for his birthday and asked me to take a picture of him with them.

Right now, the horse, the cow, the duck and the alligator are his favourites. They all have names - Manny, Ellie, Diego and Sid, which I think are characters from Ice Age. They have grand adventures like running away from cracking ice, falling down cliffs, and when they're tired, Gabe reads to them (that's my boy!)

The pig, from the first picture, has "passed on" (in Gabe's words) and is currently hanging out in heaven with Opa. (I think he may be down a vent somewhere.)



And, our dear, sweet Isaac, who is finally starting to talk. One of his first words was cheese, but he's added a bunch to his repertoire. My current favourites are get it and sky.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

My Ma's Book

There's been a lot of interest in my mother's book. Please contact me if you would like to order a copy.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Opa

Charles Eckert
1919-2008


9 more days for 2007 pricing

The new pricing for 2008 is now up.

There are 9 more days to book your session at 2007 pricing. Please contact me for details.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

My baby's 3!

I cannot believe that this wee baby boy is now three years old.After he fell asleep the night before his birthday, I filled the living-room with a bunch of helium balloons. The look on his face when he came in to see them was precious.

Yes, it was still almost dark out when he woke up.
His Dad and I bought him a bike for his birthday - he looks pretty thrilled about it. He rode it around the living-room for a bit and even let Auggie have a go. Its now sitting in the porch waiting for the snow to disappear.

He had his first real birthday party. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he said "Cake. Chocolate cake." When I asked him what design he wanted, he said "a horse". Far beyond my ablities, but Jen came to the rescue.

This is our family. We don't live together, but we make sure we do the important things together.

Happy Birthday Gabe!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

The Wee Welsh Princess

Adara is a beautiful little girl, with awesome parents. I spent several hours with Adara, Angharad and Mark at their house getting these photos.
Adara's Daddy makes her laugh.

A lot!

It is entirely possible that Adara may grow up to be a tomboy. She was not so fond of the dress (although I did get several photos without her crying.) I just loved this one best.
Here is her lovely mother. Angharad is a Montessori teacher and we spent a long time discussing parenting. She gave me some great ideas, which included how to get children to help in cleaning up their toys. I instituted her suggestion to clear out a bunch of toys and then separate them into sections. Now all the cars are in one basket, the blocks in another, the friends (i.e. animals) in another. Gabe's helped me clean up every night since. Thanks!!
And finally, Adara's beautiful family.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Birthday

Its my birthday – well, not mine exactly, but it is the first anniversary for Dragonfly Photography. A year ago this month, I shot my first engagement session and booked my first solo wedding.

A huge thank you to all my wonderful clients; the photographers who’ve helped me establish my business and improve my photography; and my family and friends who’ve encouraged me, cheered me on and sent love my way.

I couldn’t have done it without you.

Angela and Geoffrey, thank you for your faith in my work and being my first wedding clients. Beth, thank you for your wonderful support and for talking me up to all your friends. Melanie, thanks for experimenting with me. I can’t wait to see your children’s playroom with your beautiful canvas. Chris, the amazing wedding photographer – your mentoring, support and encouragement are invaluable and so much appreciated, every time we speak. All the photographers at OSP have been an invaluable source of inspiration and advice. Jen and Hung, and Dave and Naomi, thank you for giving me the seeds and encouragement to launch Dragonfly Photography. Andrea and Matt – it has been such a pleasure to see Lukas grow, thank you for sharing him with me. Barbara, I cannot say enough good things about you (the only problem is, when I have clients we have in common, I end up spending far more time with them talking about how much we love you than I do taking pictures.) Sue, your business and marketing advice has been so useful for this business newbie. Gwen and Chad, Douglas and Mag, Chris and Haeshika, thank you for sharing your special days with me. Patricia and Ryan, Kim and Marty, Philippa and Jon, Olivia and Neal, I look forward to capturing your memories with you. Heather and Rod, thanks for supporting my work (and me). Desiree and Mark, my first maternity clients, I’m so happy to have caught your belly on (digital) film and so happy to see wee Stella grow. Tracy and Wayne – it was such a pleasure to capture your third pregnancy. Gemma, thank you for sharing your wonderful 3 (3!) boys with me. They are lovely. Christine – thank you for sharing your 3 boys. You are a great mom. Michelle and Chris, I loved photographing your family, and thanks for the new outdoor location tip – I’ll use that park often. Amanda, your children are great and I look forward to many more photo sessions. Angharad, it was such a pleasure to meet you and I will have your order done soon! Trish and Richard, your girls are so lovely and I’m looking forward to a playdate with our children. Kristine and Kent, I will be thinking about you a lot over the next few months. Come home safe Kent. Pam and Jay, your encouragement means so much to me and Jay, I am so touched that you cried when Pam gave your Christmas present. That is the best thank you. Savannah and Travis, your daughter is so sweet and I got some of my favourite pictures with her. Reshawn, your family has touched my heart deeply and solidified my belief that this career is the right choice for me. Zina and Cole, I can’t wait to meet your baby. Only four more weeks! Leanne and Kevan – one of my other set of favourite photos were the ones I did of you.

Mike, your support – both practically and emotionally has given me the confidence and means to pursue this wonderful career. Gabe and Isaac, thanks for being patient while I’m working and letting me practice with you. Mary Ann and Daddy, thank you for your support. Philippa, you were the first baby I photographed, so thanks for giving me the head start on this business. I can’t believe its 20 years later and you’re getting married. Thomas and Seth, thank you for your practical advice (which you probably don’t even remember giving, but it was useful.) Georgina, thank you for your beautifully encouraging words this Christmas. They mean a lot.

My dear friends, Kim, Lana, Jen, Jodi, Heather – your support, advice and critique have been so valuable and appreciated.

And for the good news/bad news. Now that I have a better handle on the business of photography, I realize I need to adjust my prices to reflect the amount of work that goes into creating your finished product. The good news is – if you book a session for 2008 before the end of February, I will honour my 2007 prices. After March 1st, the 2008 prices will apply. Some of you already have sessions booked – if you want to confirm the dates, please send me an email.

Thank you all again, and happy birthday to Dragonfly Photography.

I look forward to seeing you soon.