Dragonfly Photography

Moving House

2010-05-19T22:02:00.001-06:00

I've integrated my website and blog into one.

Come see my new space at www.dragonflyphotography.ca

See you there!

Bonnie and Vince - the wedding

2010-03-22T21:38:00.007-06:00

Bonnie and Vince - I said a lot about how wonderful they are in this post.

I am in love with this picture. Its a little Picasso (I think I am in a cubist phase at the moment, artistically), and I love, love, love the space between. Generations. Passage. Mother/daughter.

There were so many wonderful things about Bonnie and Vince's wedding. Bonnie radiated calm throughout the day, but the evidence of her planning and attention to detail spoke out in every part of the day.

They opted to do the "first look", which I think is a fabulous idea. In the whirlwind of events that is a wedding day, it allows the couple to have a few private quiet minutes together before the festivities start.

Looking radiant. Bonnie and Vince's wedding was at the First Baptist Church on 109 St, downtown. Its a beautiful space. These pictures were taken in the chapel.

Bonnie and her sweet and gorgeous nieces. We also did the family formals prior to the ceremony - another great idea.

More beautiful details. Flowers by Zocalo. Hyacinth, hydrangea, lily-of-the-valley. And the colours - whew! Love them.

These pots of hyacinth adorned the church windows and travelled to the reception. Awesome idea.

The thing I loved most about Bonnie and Vince's wedding was the thoughtfulness that went into every detail. The wedding was held on the March equinox, and themes of renewal and birth permeated the ceremony. Their minister is a close friend, who Bonnie went to seminary school with and, each of their family members had an important role in the ceremony.

And there was laughter. Lots and lots of laughter.

Vince is Filipino. Here - his sister and brother-in-law are binding them with a cord (bond of love and friendship). They're holding gold coins (spiritual abundance) in their hands and are draped with a veil (union and mutual surrender).

Here, Vince's father is offering a Prayer of Blessing.

Such joy and happiness.

The reception was at the Union Bank Inn. While we waited for the guests to arrive, we took a few shots.

More details.

The reception was beautiful. A mingle-style lunch, buffet and butlered. Lots of laughter and talking.

This is my favourite shot from the reception - Vince's father toasting his son, in response to Vince's thank you. You can see where Vince's big heart and sense of humour come from.

Such love in those eyes.

Thank you so much Bonnie and Vince, for including me in your wonderful wedding. It was a great pleasure.

Cuba, si!

2010-03-15T12:58:00.005-06:00

I just had my annual holiday (aka child-free week :) ) to Cuba. I love Cuba a lot, and wanted to do so much while I was there. But - what I wanted, and what I needed are two different things.

So - I read, I slept, I ate, and then I did it all over again. Several times a day. For seven days.

Fabulous.

I did take my camera, but took very few pictures.

Mostly a self-portrait. I set the shot up, and then a security guard offered to push the shutter. The weather was a little dicey on my trip - but look at the sky. Wow.

Did I liquify? Well, yes I did as I'm not terribly happy with my body at the moment :)

Love these baby toys

2010-03-09T22:33:00.002-07:00

Ticki Tacki Toys are hand made wood, dyed with fruits and veggies. How awesome is that?!

Babies!!!!!

2010-02-23T23:58:00.006-07:00

I got my hands on my first baby of February/March (there's lots more coming, so stay tuned!)

Introducing Noah. Is he not adorable, very sweet and cuddly.

You might remember Jacob - he's a big brother now, and he's telling Noah all his secrets.

Which Noah thinks are pretty funny.

This is what Jacob really looks like. For all you mamas and papas out there who engage in any combination of the following: natural birth, co-sleeping, breastfeed (well, not the dads, but you know what I mean) and delay/don't vaccinate - I have a theory - this is what those boys look like. (I forgot a little, because mine are slighly older and have slowed down a tiny bit.) You're in for a ride!

Jacob is awesome!

And, with the cute, sleeping babies, they trick you into thinking they will be mellow, so you get to relax, a little.

Love, love, love this picture of Jacob.

A little Daddy time. Kent is so good at this dad thing.

And Kristine - looking amazing.

Thank you so much for coming to see me on your way to the east coast, via Saskachewan!

Family Day

2010-02-21T22:29:00.018-07:00

Warning! Huge blog post with lots of pictures ahead. I've made composites of some of the pictures because I just couldn't decide what to post, and I'm not sure Blogger will let me do 50 pictures in a post!

This past Family Day, I was privileged to spend the day with Albert, Bertha, and their children, Tom, Brent, Renee, spouses Jesse, Ray and Eva, and the grandchildren, Connor, Ava and Anson.

This is one of my favourite family sessions ever. Renee had contacted me asking if for family pictures for their parent's anniversary. As you can tell from my blog, I'm not a huge fan of the standard family portrait. I'm more interested in documenting the energy, love and interaction between family members, so I asked Renee if her family would be interested and she said they loved the idea.

Pictures in winter in Alberta can be a little challenging, but the weather was absolutely perfect for our plans.

We started off at Bertha and Albert's home. That is everyone dancing in the basement. They do that!

Renee fixing Brent's hair. She's the big sister. And Tom, with the coolest piece of art ever. He made this in grade 9 - I love that his mom still has it hanging in the middle of the kitchen.

After we got a few pictures at the house, we headed off to the park to get a few more.

Beautiful!

I love this picture of Albert and Eva on the swing. They both look so happy. Eva and Brent live in Taipei, and this was Eva's first winter-time in Edmonton.

The babies of the family.

Albert waiting for his kids to gather round. Renee said this is classic Dad.

The whole family.

I am in love with this shot.

Tom and Jesse. They will be adding another member to this awesome family in March.

Anson was hungry with all the cold (for him) weather and picture taking.

My little man, Connor. Its been 18 months since I saw him last. He was 2 1/2 then. He still remembers me! Smart as a whip, this kid. He also remembered that Jesse and Tom had their wedding photos across the river at Hawrelak Park, and his mom and dad were married at the Mayfair Golf and Country Club.

I couldn't believe how big Ava was when I saw her. I guess that's what happens in 18 months!

Jumping pictures are awesome!

I love how Eva is right into the spirit of winter - snow fight!

It was starting to get cooler with the sun going down, so Ason was wrapped up in scarves and blankets.

I love this picture of the three generations - Renee, Ava and Bertha in the background.

Ray and Connor did a lot of tobogganing. Connor was fearless, even after they wiped out on this hill, Ray landing on top of him. You can see he's laughing really hard as soon as he gets our from underneath, and then he burst into tears. A little Daddy-love fixed him up.

This was Eva's first time experiencing the Canadian institution, the winter wiener-roast.

Happy Family Day everyone! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful family with me.

Birthing

2010-02-20T10:26:00.002-07:00

My dear friend Pam Aloisio has officially launched her doula business. Check out her great site here.

For those of you who know me well, you'll know I am passionate about positive, empowering birthing experiences. Both of my boys were born at home with my midwife, Barbara, my doula friend Kimberly and their dad Mike by my side.

I know homebirthing is not for everyone, but I absolutely believe that every woman should have a doula. She will provide you with information about the birthing experience, educate you on your options, hold your hand, rub your back, call you to check up on you many, many times before and after the birth of your baby, provide support to you and the father, advocate on your behalf with medical staff and most importantly become a huge part of your life.

Pam will be an amazing doula. She's loving, compassionate, passionate, adores and respects little people, is super smart, and one cool chick!

Congratulations friend!

Love this

2010-02-11T11:20:00.001-07:00

Brilliant Earth has conflict free and ethically sourced diamonds. Pretty, and easy on your conscience!

A Real Mama's body

2010-02-07T07:21:00.003-07:00

I don't know about you, but I feel great about myself. Except when I look in the mirror. At that point, my internal image of myself comes face to face with the image of what a woman "should" look like. I don't read a lot of women's magazines, but I see pictures of the Hollywood woman every time I go grocery shopping, and that cultural image is wired into my brain. I try hard not to look at the magazines because I don't like feeling bad about myself.

A friend of mine posted this great article on what magazines do to celebrity bodies on Facebook. I had to share.

Here's a picture of a (semi) celebrity mama who was willing to be normal and real.

This is How its done.

Remember - you made a baby. In that amazing body of yours. Celebrate that.

To Haiti With Love

2010-02-03T10:27:00.004-07:00

My fabulous friend, Rene wanted to do a "little something" for Haiti. Her little something turned into a massive art auction, with beautiful (and practical) art donated by artists all across North America.

Go - check it out. There's everything from children's clothing to photography to mentoring to a week in Teluride, Colorado.

http://tohaitiwithlove.squarespace.com/

To Haiti With Love

2010-02-03T10:27:00.001-07:00

Glowing

2010-01-24T18:54:00.002-07:00

Some women absolutely glow when they are pregnant - and Cindy is one of them.

Gorgeous x 10.

As Cindy laid down for this shot, Jean Marie and I let out a collective gasp. We could see their baby's bottom right through her stomach. So cool!

Look at that beautiful belly.

I love this picture, how Jean Marie is wrapped around his wife and baby.

Waiting - a few more weeks!

Wonderful to meet you both, and I look forward to meeting your new baby!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-23T11:04:00.004-07:00

Happy Holidays from me and mine to you and yours.

xxR

Thanks to Lana and Amy for taking the pictures of us.

Aimee!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-18T21:39:00.005-07:00

I've known James since he was 2. I was 5. We spent a couple of weeks together every summer, and watched each other grow up. So many of my childhood and teen memories involve James in one way or another. We've got the incriminating pictures to prove it (my favourite is when we decided to go boating/surfing on the water covering the ice in the slough one spring. One of our parents caught a photo of us coming out of the slough, running, with our soaked pants heading south, laughing our heads off. My mom made us get undressed outside and they hosed us down before we were allowed inside. It was probably only about 10C. I remember having so much fun, and freezing at the same time.)

We've always stayed close, and I had the pleasure of standing up for James at his wedding to Erin. Those are much nicer pictures.

But, this post is not about us, its about Aimee. Aimee is James and Erin's long-awaited love child.

Erin has a wicked sense of humour, and Aimee has obviously inherited it. Score!

She is dearly loved. James wasn't too sure about the whole baby thing (kids, yes, but the baby stage . . . a little worrisome), but it appears Erin was right, and he is a great dad, and has it down pat.

I love how Erin looks at James. Warms my heart for my little brother/friend.

Erin knew she would kick but as a Mama. Absolutely.

I LOVE this picture - it says so much about James and Erin. When they renovated, James wanted a work out room - working out has always been important to him. Check. Erin is good at decorating. Check. She has impeccable taste. Check. You can see Erin's hand in the reflection. Love the stencils on the walls. Live pretty much says it all.

Here's another, right above the treadmill. Erin's done marathons. She rocks. And her baby looks pretty cute up there.

And, finally some close-ups. Eyes to die for.

Teeth hurt a bit though.

And, I had to close with this picture. James dancing with Aimee. Give us another 30 years, and I will be doing this shot again at Aimee's wedding. We'll all be bawling our heads off.

Love you guys so much!

xxR

Something to warm you up

2009-12-14T10:33:00.006-07:00

This was a whole family session - Troy is the first grandbaby, so we got some family pictures first, and then moved to the main show. Troy is absolutely adorable. He didn't want to smile too much (I think he might be reaching that "making strange phase") but all the people he loved most in the world were there to help him.

Here is our champion, Troy. Look at him devour that Stanley Cup.

Troy's mom brought a hat along for his pictures. I normally don't do this much post-processing, but this hat just screamed for a little antique look to the picture.

And again, in my antique chair. Check out his feet.

Basket shot. I'd been wanting to do this for a while, and Troy was totally co-operative. Thanks buddy!

Connie also brought along Troy's favourite toy - his drum. He was fascinated and happy.

I love drool shots.

Family time. These are my favourites. I love watching people interact with their family. So much emotion comes out. You can tell Troy is a well loved little boy!

Thank you so much Connie, Andy and Troy for coming out on a cold winter's day! It was wonderful to meet you.

Solly and Lawrence

2009-11-28T16:42:00.008-07:00

Solly and Lawrence had a beautiful, intimate, winter wedding in the Wedgewood Room, at the Hotel MacDonald.

Solly is my kind of girl - she, with the help of her mother and mother in law started planning the wedding only a couple of months ago. You would never know it from how perfectly everything turned out.

A few beautiful details - flowers by Zocalo.

The gorgeous fondant wedding cake, topped with yellow orchids. Check out their names in the icing.

Solly's cousin and best friend help her get ready.

Isn't she gorgeous?! Not only that, but she is fun, smart, full of life and a great mother.

I love these two shots of Solly and her dad.

The Wedgewood Room is great to photograph in.

Usually, the registry signing is one of those "must take" shots, that aren't particularly interesting. This one is a great tableau of the couple, their sweet son Liam, and their attendants.

My favourite shot of the day. I captured this one while doing the formal shots of Solly, her cousin and their beloved Baba. I far prefer the "outtakes" to the formal shots :).

...Although, these formals turned out really well. Solly had all the little details down - her something old in this picture are her great aunt's stole (perfect for a winter wedding) and Lawrence's grandmother's bracelet that both her new mother in law and grandmother in law wore on their wedding days.

The boys, looking smashing.

Love this one.

Liam is 21 months old, and was so good during the ceremony. He was a little discombobulated by all the excitement of the day, but got lots of good lovin' from his mom and dad.

Lawrence's boutonniere.
And, the dashing groom.
First dance. There were a lot of looks between them like this all day. Their adoration for each is awesome.

First dance with Liam. Love this shot.

Solly and Lawrence, thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of your beautiful wedding.

Dear Wee Ned

2009-11-27T16:12:00.006-07:00

This is Ned. Is he not the cutest little baby, with the best name?!

Ned is pretty cheerful, almost all of the time, except the day of his photo session. He didn't nap at all the previous day, and was up, happy as a bird, until 1:00 am. When I arrived, he had tears running down his face, and his poor mom was pretty distressed too.

Lucky for us all, after a little quiet time in his room, the camera caught his interest, and he was (mostly) back to his old self. A little silliness from Daddy, and some cuddles from Mama definetly helped.

This is how they spent the previous night - hanging out with Ned, in bed.

'Cause I love the nose-picking pictures :). Actually, Ned is just at that stage where he's learned control over his hands, and all the cool things he can do with them.

Beautiful eyes!

Outside we go. This was our first sort-of winter day, after that nastiness that happened in September or October. These trees and driveway made a great backdrop.

I really couldn't decide about the post processing on this picture, so I included both, because, I like both.

Check out the pigeons flying out of their house. We scared them as much as they scared us!

The best thing about this time of year is the light. Makes beautiful pictures happen.

I LOVE these pictures.

Ok, I'm done, says Ned.

Wonderful to meet you and spend time with your family. Thank you.

Cards - in time for Christmas

2009-11-21T16:35:00.002-07:00

In time for Christmas, new templates! Yeah.

Card designs are $75 for a high resolution file (so you can print all you like, where you like.)

I can also order you folded cards - contact me for prices.

If you purchased the Portrait Package (which also includes a 16x20 Canvas), your card design is included. Just pick your background, and your picture(s) and I will put your design together for you. (You can upgrade from the Portrait Session, if you like).

All cards are customisable for colour and text.

Deadline for ordering cards (to get them in time for Christmas) is December 15. For folded, printed cards, December 5th.

If you're having trouble getting organised for Christmas, don't worry. People would love to see your family pictures just as much in January or February!

There are other designs here , if you prefer something a little more traditionally Christmas and here, for baby cards.

Saige

2009-11-11T22:36:00.005-07:00

Saige is all grown up. She's out carousing and crashing cars.

Just kidding. But she does stand on crashed cars.

But really, she's still pretty little.

And lovely.

She loves her Mama.

And her Daddy makes her laugh.

(I love these two pictures!)

Her Mama and Daddy love her a lot. There's plenty of kissing in this family.

Playing.

Saige is so funny.

After our out door shoot, we went back to their house, and Saige entertained us for an hour with her hiding in the cupboard in the entertainment unit, putting her monkey to bed, then having to fix the bed because it broke. She's one sparky little girl, with awesome parents.

It was wonderful to see you all again!

Riel, mon belle

2009-11-10T14:50:00.005-07:00

This is Riel. Named after that Riel. Cool. And would you expect anything else coming from such a cool family? We got a little smile in this one.

I am loving my mother/child pictures right now. This rocks.

And Daddy's pretty cool too. You can see the edge of Riel's moss bag in this shot.

Family portrait. Cat included.

This is the lovely Zea. She can spin and dance like nobody's business.

Adores her brother.

Another family portrait. Becky and Marc have such a great house, I wanted to capture some of the background. Its such a warm and inviting place.

I did the post processing on this picture two ways. I'm liking the second, but that just might be me, trying new things. Let me know what you think.

Wonderful to spend time with you!

This is . . .

2009-11-08T12:28:00.002-07:00

This is . . .

Jacob. With his home-grown pumpkin. How awesome is that?

I took photos of Jacob the summer before last in Fort McMurray. It was great to see him (and his mom!) again.

He has eyelashes to die for.

I used this truck for Meagan and Kelly's wedding, and Kelly's mom and brother kindly let us use it for Jacob's photos. He had a lot of fun driving it - pretending he was driving the big trucks in Fort McMurray.

Boys and sticks. Is there a stick they don't like? This one looks a little "Where the Wild Things Are" to me.

Jacob - thank you for sharing your cars with my boys (who came along for this shoot). It was wonderful to hang out with you.

Introducing Anabelle

2009-11-04T10:41:00.006-07:00

I KNOW that Erin has been waiting patiently to see these pictures - and here we are:

Jeremy and Erin adoring their new baby girl.

Is she not the sweetest, fattest, squishable baby ever?!

I had to get a close up of her lip.

And her sweet feet.

Aidan and Ethan are pretty happy about their new baby sister.

Look at that grin.

Daddy and Anabelle.

Daddy and his boys.

Erin and Jeremy have the coolest bedroom. They've recently renovated their house, and it looks great. I love this family picture.

The boys really wanted to include props in their pictures. Here they are giving Anabelle her welcome home from the hospital presents.

Being October and all, we couldn't not take a Halloween picture of the sweet little pumpkin.

Welcome to the world baby girl!

Third year running!

2009-10-26T21:29:00.004-06:00

This is the third year running I've photographed Michelle, Chris, Matthew and Emily. It is so wonderful to see Matthew and Emily grow.

This is my new favourite picture - very Madonna and Child. Michelle is so beautiful.

We've done our photos outside for the last two years, but the weather refused to co-operate this year, so we headed to the Muttart Conservatory, which is a great space for family pictures.

Co-incidently, Michelle and Chris were married here. I got this awesome shot of Emily pointing that out.

Matthew is an awesomely engaging child. He's smart, clever, funny, and can escape from dinosaurs.

Emily, on the other hand, likes to fly with them.

Emily has the most amazing eyes - her stare is direct and engaging.

She's a little on the shy side, but soon got over that.

Matthew is so cool.

I love, love, love this picture.

The stare again.

More coolness.

And, just so you don't think it all goes smoothly . . .

It was wonderful to work with you again!

Another baby

2009-10-25T09:48:00.002-06:00

This site almost makes me want another baby. Thank goodness I have a niece!

Check out Baby Green Sprout - eco everything for little ones.

Their products are:

made with 100% certified organic cotton (free of pesticides) and natural dyes
made from recycled materials to help reduce the amount of waste filling our landfills
paraben-free and contain non-irritating ingredients
made in Canada and the USA supporting our local businesses and economy
chosen based on companies that produce their products with fair-trade and sweat free standards

And - a mom owned Canadian business. Whoo hoo! What's not to love?!

Location ideas

2009-10-16T22:01:00.002-06:00

I've got some awesome location ideas rolling around in my head. If you have a shoot scheduled (or would like to schedule one!) let me know if you

-love ice cream
-adore movies
-orange is your favourite colour
-are expecting identical twins (please, please, let me know!)
-dig downtown (I have two ideas here)

Family

2009-10-07T21:36:00.007-06:00

I got to take pictures of this gorgeous family last week.

Billie called me up to ask what they should wear. I sent her this link, and this is what she came up with. I love it. Hot pink, orange and brown. Perfect for fall.

It was crazy windy at Rundle Park that evening, but the light was perfect, as were Miya and Owen.

This is one of my favourites. Its classic - I have two small children and the move fast and I love them a lot.

Perfect light.

Awesome action shot with Cory.

Beautiful Miya.

Love these orange circles!

Daddy time.

Mama time.

You can just tell from Miya's grin that she is full of the dickens.

Owen is a runner too. His mom and dad had to catch him to keep him still.

I love how in this family Owen looks so much like his dad, and Mia so much like her mom.

I love this family portrait.

Thank you for inviting me to spend such a perfect fall evening with you! And, thank you to Cherie for the referral.

Log Houses

2009-10-06T22:24:00.002-06:00

As you may have guessed, I'm a crunchy kind of girl. I was going to have my basement insulated using spray insulation. When I'm editing pictures in the winter, its often 10 C in my office - way too cold. I really want to be warm, but I started freaking out about off-gassing and the use of petrochemicals in my basement.

I did a little googling and found this product. Made in Alberta and everything. Whoo hooo!

I immediately emailed my friend Karin who's husband operates Angels Log Homes. Of course, they already use wool insulation in their construction of log houses.

I am so planning for the day when I can build one of these. They're so pretty. And warm!

(And if you need awesome green-scaping in your garden, drop me a line. Karin is my go-to girl on anything garden related. I can hook you up.)

Perfect Girls

2009-10-01T21:25:00.007-06:00

Ok - perhaps not what you would expect to see from a professional photoshoot - but I think nose-picking pictures rock. Probably because I have been cultivating my inner boy, living with two small ones of my own.

Terri, feel free to use this picture of Kaeli as blackmail/wedding reception photos 20 years from now. You could show it to her first boyfriend if you don't like him.

(BTW - If Kaeli is demanding to see this every five minutes on the computer, let me know, and I will take it down.)

Ailey, on the other hand was channelling her inner princess. Practising for Halloween.

The fam. Way back in the day, Terri and I stood up for our friends Erin and James at their wedding. It seems ages ago. Terri and I reminisced for a while about our pre-children days and how fun it used to be to stay up until 5 in the morning.

The garden is yummy.

Here are some lovely ones of Kaeli She's so precious.

Ailey -

I LOVE this picture.

The sisters. Its always a challenge to get good shots of small siblings together. A bit like herding cats.

So cute!

Thank you Terri and Wayde for sharing your girls with me. They're perfect.

TNT

2009-09-30T21:46:00.004-06:00

Had a little bit of died and gone to heaven with this shoot.

Beau and Jackie (previous post) have been friends since their children were small and she arranged both sessions for us.

I love the colours in this shot.

This is Beau - gorgeous.

And her beautiful kids.

Logan was SOOOO not interested in having his picture taken, but he was still a good sport. I promised him a cool one for all his co-operation. Thank you Logan!

One for his mom. His cheeky smile is awesome.

Then there was Erin. Did I think her orange boots would be good in a shoot? Would a hay bale be a good backdrop? 1. Well, only if I don't steal them before I get around to photographing you! and, 2. Big empty fields with perfect blue skies are only my favourite backdrop next to graffitti walls.

Erin is stunning. Here she's sharing a joke with her dad.

How sassy-cool is she!?

Ty's the big brother - I love these pictures too.

The willow tree made a great background. In black and white, it looks mysterious.

Love this. Beau said the way they are standing is a good representation of their personalities.

It was so windy and cold the day of our shoot - I love how Erin's hair glowed in the sunlight and the horizontal lines it creates in the frame,

A lovely photo of Beau and Lloyd.

And finally, one of my all-time favourite family pictures.

Thank you so much for having me come out and for sharing your home for Jackie's family photos. And another thank you to Beth for introducing us all.

Rock and Roll Baby!

2009-09-30T13:59:00.007-06:00

I had a photoshoot in the country last week, with two great families.

This is Emi, David, Jackie, Nic and Ben. And their dog.

The girls - love this picture! Emi is still at the "handing out free hugs" stage.

I love Emi's expression in this one. I only realised what she was doing after I took the shot. Perfect!

Jackie has the best smile.

Jackie and David look so great together.

This was my first time photographing teenagers, and I wasn't sure what to expect. Ben, Nic and Emi (almost a teenager) were great though. I'd suggested bringing along props to showcase something they loved to do.

This shot turned out great!

And only my second time photographing twins. Cool! (Strange how that works, no twins in 3 years, then two sets in one week).

I don't want to use names here, because I don't want to mix these guys up - that must be irritating!

However, both awesome guys.

I asked what kind of music they like, and guess what?! Their favourite band is one of my favourites too. We had a bonding minute. Cool!

I am so digging Emi's freckles in this picture!

LOVE this picture!

It was wonderful to meet you all.

Thank you to Beth for the referral, and to Beau for sharing her house.

The Zebra and the Butterfly

2009-09-29T15:57:00.005-06:00

We went to the Kaleido Festival this weekend. If you're the least bit interested in art - of any kind - dance, participatory theatre, hoola hooping - mark in on your calenders for the last weekend in September next year.

These are the two acts I wanted to see.

Adrien La Chance

I'm not sure what this act was called (I can find out if you want to know though - it was very cool - and how I got my kids out of the house - "lets go see the Spiderman people.")

And, my boys. Isaac sat quietly through his, while Gabriel bossed the face painter around the whole time. We had a little chat about allowing people to do their jobs.

Baby inside

2009-09-28T08:13:00.005-06:00

There's a baby in here - in case you couldn't guess. Erin and her family came over to have some maternity pictures done.
I know this one is all of centre (I cropped it that way on purpose). I love the sense of anticipation.

A lovely picture of Erin and one of her first babies.

A family picture.

Mama and her boys. This looks so much like my family picture from last year. Wiggly little boys.

The three babies.

And, we promised the boys they could make faces. I'm always happy to oblige in that department! How cute are they? They're really exited about the baby coming and will make great big brothers.

A big thank you to Cherie for the referral - Erin is Cherie's cousin.

Erin and Jeremy, thank you for the wonderful session, and I look forward to meeting your new baby!

My dear friends

2009-09-24T19:28:00.008-06:00

A year and a half ago, I photographed Avelina. Not only do I have the greatest job, working at something I love doing, but through my job, I've met the most wonderful people. Trish, Avelina's mom has become one of my best friends. Our children hang out regularly, love each other like siblings (that includes love and a few fights) and Isadora calls me Mama Rebecca. (Actually, let me amend that. She says Rebecca like a proper English girl. There's an R on the end too - Rebeccer).

My job rocks - as do my friends.

Rich's parents have been visiting from England, and Trish and Richard asked me to come and take some photos of their family.

Here are Percy, Jenny, Richard, Avelina and Isadora.

Isadora getting ready for their pictures.

A couple of the family.

Trish and Richard are some of the best parents I know.

Dear, sweet Avi.

Isadora and Daddy.

Jenny looking on while Rich and Isadora play.

Avi peeking from behind Trish's legs.

Hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa.

Discovering a bird's nest in the park.

I love this family portrait.

And, a little fierceness from Isadora about the sale of Epcor.

Love you guys!

William II

2009-09-19T12:21:00.003-06:00

Just playing with this picture and poem.

Nataliya and Greg

2009-09-17T11:38:00.006-06:00

I'm thinking about restricting my wedding business to Ukrainian weddings - just kidding. But
there's a lot to love about a Ukrainian wedding, even before the perogies. So glad I live in Alberta.

When Nataliya and Greg told me they were having their ceremony at St. Josephat's, I was thrilled.

Here is Natalia, looking like a princess, waiting to go into the Cathedral.

Inside - I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it is.

The details are stunning.

The ceremony was beautiful. They are kneeling on an embroidered rushnyk.

After the Crowning, the Priest led Nataliya and Greg around the tetrapod three times, performing the Dance of Isaiah.

A few details:

Three generations.

Syncing pocket watches - Greg's gift to his best man (and himself).

Princess dress and princess flowers.

The weather was perfect for pictures, and the North Saskatchewan co-operated by being a lovely shade of aqua.

Closer up.

Formals with Nataliya and Greg's best people, Matthew and Melinda.

Natalia and Greg took dancing lessons before their wedding. They'd not practised while Natalia was in a dress, so they danced around the gazebo at Louise McKinney park a few times. Greg cuts a very dashing figure.

A quiet moment before the festivities.

Thank you for inviting me to share your day Nataliya and Greg.

William

2009-09-16T10:38:00.004-06:00

You might remember Caitlin and Scott (and here) who were married last year.

They've just had a baby boy - William. He is adorable.

I love this picture. It reminds me of one of my favourite poems On Children, by Kahlil Gilbran.

The last stanza:

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,

and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let our bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Scott has a tattoo on one arm with Caitlin's name, and for William, he's had another tattoo - baby blocks with William's name and date of birth. Love it.

So sweet. And, are babies supposed to be able to roll onto their backs at 2 months? Because William can!

A sweet funny face.

I love the contrast of sweet babies with their strong daddy's hands.

Congratulations Caitlin and Scott. William is wonderful.

Jodi and Brent - the wedding

2009-09-12T15:14:00.006-06:00

I have so many great images from this wedding, I had a hard time narrowing down the pictures to blog.

When I saw Jodi when she arrived at the church, I took one look at her and said "you are going to cry, aren't you?" She begged me to make funny faces at her so she wouldn't. I tried, I really did! But here she is, walking down the isle with her dad, and her mom handing her Kleenex, because the tears had already started.

After Jodi and Brent's beautiful ceremony, we headed to the lake for a few shots. Here is the wonderful couple (and awâsis, inside).

Jodi's best and most gorgeous girls. Spot the awâsis. Actually, spot where the awâsis are not! (And, do you have any idea how many ways there are to refer to a child in Cree?)

The brotherhood! All family, all awesome. Brent is a good people, and has good friends to prove it.

Jodi's dad cleared an old farmstead for our picture taking - how cool is that!? Doesn't Brent make a great farmer?

We saw a vulture while doing this set of pictures, which at first gave me pause, because I am big into animal symbolism (and they are a little creepy). I did a little googling. In Egyptian, the hieroglyph for Mother, is the same as that for vulture. Very appropriate. And, in traditional American cultures, the vulture is the symbol for renewal, cleansing and transformation. I think that is a perfect symbol for Jodi and Brent's wedding.

After the formal photos, we returned to the Dion home. Jodi's dad had commissioned a tipi for the traditional Cree ceremony. Jodi is Big Bear's great-granddaughter.

The baby bears represent Brent and Jodi.

Often, ceremonies are not allowed to be photographed, but after their ceremony, we got some great shots of Jodi and Brent inside the tipi.

My favourite of the day.

Lovely

and handsome.

Ok. Maybe this is my favourite - from the reception.

When I did Jodi and Brent's engagement session, I knew they were magic. This wedding just confirmed it.

Jodi and Brent - thank you so much for inviting me to share your beautiful day and for your family's wonderful hospitality. Can't wait to meet your awasis!

Michelle and Johan

2009-08-31T21:49:00.006-06:00

Michelle was one of the chill-est brides I have met. Nothing was worth stressing about - it was a pleasure to photograph her wedding to Johan. They had their ceremony at her parent's house in the backyard.

Everyone looks so happy!

We did Michelle and Johan's formal photos at "Say I Do In the Garden". Its an absolutely stunning garden near Ardrossan, owned by Arlene Birmingham, who was also their marriage commissioner.

Michelle and Johan love to golf together, and Arlene has a putting green set up at the gardens, which made for some great sets.

Poor Michelle, cursed/blessed with a gorgeous set of dimples.

Johan, looking dapper.

Arlene's husband arrived while we were shooting in his super cool car, which he invited us to use as a backdrop.

A great shot of Michelle, Laura and Tina - best friends since school.

The bouquets were simple and beautiful, and I loved the ribbon they used for the ties.

A beautiful shot of Michelle and Johan in the gardens.

Congratulations you two! Thank you for inviting me to share your day with you.

Megan and Ryan get married

2009-08-24T22:11:00.007-06:00

When I did Megan and Ryan's engagement photos, it was so good to see what a wonderful connection these two have. That continued into the wedding day, which was beautiful, serene and lots of fun.

Here is Megan looking stunning.

They had great attendants, who were up for anything.

Ryan and his boys, looking tough. Cause they're from the 'hood :).

Great laughs, beautiful flowers and beautiful girls.

One of the best parts about being a wedding photographer is seeing people drop their reserve for a minute, when they forget the camera is there, and just get real with each other - and then catching a moment like this.

Megan is going to law school in the fall. She wanted some pictures close to the Law Buildings on campus, which conveniently happen to be right next to the Fine Art Building. Awesome backdrop, Megan. Thanks for finding this!

Megan and Ryan had the best cake topper. They look all sweet and serious . . .

and then . . .

Megan and Ryan's wedding reception at the Mayfair Hotel was a blast. Ukrainian food (whoo hooo!), great speeches, the wonderful DJ, Alec, from Echo Sound, fun music, and lots of love and laughter all around.

Thank you for asking me to come and spend the day with you. I wish you all the best!

Jessica and Dustin - the wedding

2009-08-17T12:24:00.005-06:00

This was such a special wedding for me to photograph. I've known Jessica's mom since she was about 15. I used to play with her little sister (Jessica's aunt), and we always thought Eileen was so cool. My little sister went to school with Jessica and her sister, and days before the wedding, I clued in that I knew Dustin's mom and grandparents. Then, when Jessica was introducing me to their wedding party, I realised I knew (or was related to, in a third cousin kind of way) half of them.

Then, we did the portraits on the farm where I used to play with Jessica's aunt, and we briefly stopped at the farm where I grew up. That was a little mind-bending.

I was invited to the wedding as a guest, and contracted to do the portraits after the wedding, but I couldn't resist getting a few before the wedding anyway. I love these of Jessica and her mom and dad.

Jessica was such a stunning bride. All the adjectives - radiant, glowing, beautiful - all apply.

Off to the farm . . .

Aunt Cathy did the flowers. They were gorgeous.

Dustin is so good looking, and I want to say "nice" but that word doesn't really do him justice. He is so genuine and open hearted.

Jessica and Dustin wanted photos of their wedding party in a playground. I got some really cool shots, and love this one of Jessica.

A beautiful, semi-serious shot. It was hard for Jessica to keep a straight face. She loves to laugh.

This was one of the last shots of the day, and one of my favourites. I love the metaphorical level of flare shots. It looks like Dustin is holding a rainbow in his hand, and Jessica is crowned with light. Good blessings for a wedding day.

Congratulations you two, and thank you for inviting me to be a part of your special day!

Meagan and Kelly

2009-08-09T22:47:00.005-06:00

This was such a great wedding. Meagan and Kelly are two of the nicest people you could hope to meet.

I love how Meagan's friend's tattoos set the tone for the day in this picture. Love and Faith.

Kelly told me about this old truck they had on their farm when we first met to discuss wedding pictures. I'd been thinking about it ever since.

I couldn't ask Meagan to get up on the truck with her dress (but if you ever want to do another session guys, let me know! ). Their sister-in-law was up for it, though. This truck is special to Kelly's brother, so I was glad to get a shot of the two of them with the truck

Meagan's aunt did the flowers - they were stunning.

When we first got out to field where the truck was, I saw this. And then told my clients I was peeing myself with happiness. How cool is that they still like me after that ever-so-professional confession?

These trees were amazing, and I could have spent all day there.

Sometimes the best pictures are serendipitous. It was smoking hot on Meagan and Kelly's wedding day (32C, I think), and its the middle of summer, so there's lots of bugs. The little grass bugs seem to like white, and kept crawling up between the layers of Meagan's dress. She didn't like that so much! Here she is swirling her dress to get the bugs off - but what a great bridal portrait.

Congratulations you two! Thank you for including me in your special day and for your wonderful hospitality.

A new baby for our family

2009-08-06T09:25:00.005-06:00

Introducing Kaylee!

Philippa and Jon had their first baby - how cute is she!?!?! Nice work guys.

Gabe was very excited to have his first cousin. The boys are so gentle with babies.

They're not so gentle with each other though. Kaylee looks like she's asking her mama "what the heck is going on?!" You'll get used to them.

I love how babies always look to their mamas. They can't see much yet, but that's where their eyes always go.

Welcome to our family baby girl!

Mason

2009-08-01T22:41:00.004-06:00

This is Mason, on his due date - he was born 10 days early. How lucky am I!?

I love doing newborn photography. They are so unbelievably cute at this age. And precious.

Leanne is so lovely.

I have this effect on men. I don't know what it is, but this session, and the previous newborn session I did, the dads got sick during our session and had to go and lie down. Sorry guys! I did manage to get a few good shots in there before I chased you away!

I have such a hard time wittling down the pictures I deliver to clients. As I'm editing I keep thinking "oh, look at this one. Look at his lips. Oh, what a great expression." I'm sure to anyone but the parents and I, the pictures look pretty close. But mamas know better :)

I have been invited to document Mason's first year. YEAH! So, stay tuned for more pictures of this sweet pea.

Kim and Sean - the Wedding

2009-07-28T07:34:00.016-06:00

Warning - picture overload!

Choosing my favourites from a wedding to put on my blog is HARD! I got so many wonderful shots of Kim and Sean - who basically told me to go wild and do whatever I like creatively - THANK YOU!

But first, because Kim's mom asked so nicely, I promised I would get a standard formal picture of the two of them. Aren't they gorgeous?! This one is from the end of the day, just in between the wild storms we had that weekend.

Back to the beginning of the day.

Kim had her hair and make up done at her cousin's salon - excellent place for getting ready - lots of room for everyone to move and no fighting over mirrors. These three are her cousins (and best girls).Beautiful dress.

Meanwhile, my friend Amy who was second shooting with me (thanks Amy) got pictures of the boys getting ready.

Kim and Sean were married at Convocation Hall at the U of A. Its a gorgeous space, and it was great having Amy along, so she could get shots from the balcony (like these), while I got shots from the isle.

They're married!

We headed outside for the family formals, and Amy captured some great candid shots.

We were in danger of making all the photos about this cutest flower girl, ever! I had to force myself to stop taking pictures of her.

Then, off for the bridal party pictures.

I drove past our green graffiti wall the other day, and its GONE! (I have issues with this no-graffiti rule in this city.) Luckily there is a cool wall outside the International Centre at the U of A.

Sexy!

It was 30C for Kim and Sean's wedding day, and their best people were amazing. We dragged everyone around campus, made the boys dance, jump and climb fire escapes; then headed over to the Legislature grounds (to get to the 109 St Bridge), and I did not hear a single complaint. Thanks guys!

Off to the reception at St. John's Cultural Centre. The food and service were amazing, and its a beautiful space. (OMG! As I was checking out the site to get the link, I see they have take-out perogies. And they are the real kind of perogies, with real cheese. Not tub cottage cheese. Yum. Book your wedding there!)

Sorry for that aside. I love perogies.

Back to the wedding.

Kim and Sean's friends are so much fun. Moonwalking to see a kiss.

Best reception kissing picture ever!

I took Kim and Sean outside for a few minutes after supper. So glad I did!

Thank you Kim and Sean for asking me to document your wedding day. I feel so privileged to do what I do and was honoured to share this day with you.

Michelle and Johan

2009-07-26T09:56:00.003-06:00

Michelle has been my cousin Laura's best friend since they were in school together, and Laura has been helping organise their photography for their wedding this summer.

Michelle and Johan met at Corporate Challenge. Johan was competing in the Power Pull, and Michelle was in another, more fun sport, which involved lifting 8 oz glasses. Its pretty clear they have a lot of fun together.

This is my favourite from our session.

I'm looking forward to your wedding!

Bonnie and Vince

2009-07-05T10:44:00.006-06:00

This was such a lovely session - for a couple of reasons. Bonnie and Vince are wonderful people, fun and classy at the same time. But the best part of our session was watching Bonnie's face change when she looked at Vince.

Most people get a deer-in-the-headlights look when I start taking pictures (I do this too!) I keep talking and chatting, and soon I start getting the good stuff. (The pictures you see are very rarely the first shot after I've asked you to do something).

With Bonnie though, as soon as she looked at Vince, or interacted with him in any way, her whole face would light up and fill with love and light. And, the way Vince treats Bonnie - lots of laughter and respect - they were really beautiful to photography.

My favourite picture from our session.

Bonnie and Vince's wedding is in March, so they wanted some good summer shots. I love the flare on this one.

We'd had to reschedule once because of the weather. This weather this evening (mostly) co-operated, plus we got lots of great dramatic skies. Alberta summer at its finest!

More of Bonnie and Vince loving each other, a lot!

There will be lots of laughter in this marriage.

I love Bonnie's ring. A beautiful flower, from Tiffany.

It was wonderful to work with you, and I am very much looking forward to your wedding!

Stories from the farm

2009-06-27T08:30:00.009-06:00

After our photography session with Carmalee and family in Camrose, we stopped by my parent's farm for a supper picnic.

Gabe and Isaac were hanging out with Nana Mae

My dad and I chatted on the lawn. The lilacs were in full bloom and standing beside them, we could hear the entire tree buzzing. I'd been worried about the bees, but seeing the masses of different types of bees on the tree (about 3 bees per flower head) made me relax a little.

I'm no macro photographer (that's a skill - and a lens requirement - that I need to work on), but I wanted to share these pictures. There's a couple different types of bees in there, including a ginger one, with no black. If you look closely, you can see the ball of pollen they're carrying on their legs.

This is a story about our brave, brave Odie, who was upgraded to heroic status last spring. He's about 12 years old and his job is to guard the sheep (after the experiement with Duddly the Donkey failed. Instead of guarding the sheep, Duddly would chase them and bite them, leaving tufts of wool all over the pasture - he is now relegated to the back pasture with the cows who can fight back when he gets miserable with them).

Odie patrols the sheep at night, keeping them safe from coyotes. One morning, my father found 5 dead coyotes.

Despite his super-toughness in guarding, he is the sweetest dog. During the day he lazes around on the porch and will roll over for anyone willing to scratch his tummy, but other than that refuses to be groomed.

Last spring, my dad realised he hadn't seen Odie for a day or two (a day is not unusual, as Odie might go off on patrol for a bit). He later caught sight of Odie in a field lying still and acting a bit odd. He didn't think much of it, until another half day later, when Odie still hadn't returned to the yard. He knew something was wrong, and took the wheelbarrow and gun out to the field. Odie was lying in the field, covered in blood, with two sets of huge claw marks in his backside, like he'd been jumped by a cougar or a bear (I had no idea they were around in Central Alberta, but apparently they are.) Knowing how long Odie had been out there, and his age, my dad knew there was not a great chance of Odie surviving. He lifted the gun and looked in Odie's eyes and was brought up short. He said it was if Odie was saying to him you are not going to shoot me.

Somehow he managed to get Odie (who must weigh nearly 200 lbs) into the wheelbarrow and got him back to the farm. Now, Odie is a dog who walks around with dagos on his butt, permanently. He refuses to be groomed, and when a dog who is 200lbs and can kill 5 coyotes in an evening growls at you, you skip the grooming.

Back at the farm, my dad spent the next 4 hours shaving Odie's back, picking magots out, and injecting penicillin into each claw mark, some of which were as deep as his bones. Odie never whined or growled or whimpered. He just let my dad heal him. Then my dad tried to shave the dagos. And Odie growled.

That was last year, and Odie is still going strong.

(This story always makes me weepy, at Odie's braveness, his will to survive and the bond my dad's dogs have with him - they know their man. For my readers who haven't been around farming, it might seem a cruel, that my dad had made the descision to put Odie down, but on a farm, with hundreds (altogether) of animals, you have to make the call as to who gets to go to the vet, and who doesn't, taking into account their ages and the work they do. And my dad's a soft-hearted man. I remember him making my mom take off the chicken's heads, because he gets so sentimental about the animals.)

Here is our brave, brave Odie.

After our picnic, the neighbours let my dad know the calves were out on the road. Its so dry, the electic fence doesn't work and the calves are hungry for grass, and push right through the fence. My dad called Scott, (his border collie), we went out in the truck, and Scott rounded up the calves and chased them back into the pasture.

Then back to the farm, looking for the fencing supplies, and back out to the feild (this is at 9:30 at night). Gabriel was quite thrilled to be helping his Grampy fix the fence.

Isaac supervising.

And Gabe my litter collector. He's quite passionate about litter, and even told some "big" kids (i.e. teenagers) in the park to stop littering.

This was one of those magical Alberta summer evenings. Light until nearly midnight, so dry there are no mosquitos and a mellow evening hanging out with family.

Pirates and Sunshine

2009-06-25T11:41:00.007-06:00

I have a new assistant. And maybe a new boyfriend. I think he asked me out on a date - he did invite me to a movie!

This is Caleb. Caleb rocked our photo session in Louise McKinney Park. He had a ton of ideas of where he (and the rest of the family) should pose. This was his most favourite and he was thrilled with the idea of looking like a pirate captaining his ship, the Edmonton Queen Riverboat (although, I think we should maybe call it something a little more pirate-y.) Caleb, I hope you like it!

This is dear Sophie, who is wild and three and opinionated. Here she is smashing glass. I totally dig her!

Sophie playing with here awesome mom, Cherie.

Here is Caleb with his dad, Ryan. I told them to tell stories to each other. I could immediately tell how much time they spend together, by how quickly they got into it, and I and my camera disappeared.

And the family pictures. I do take one or two standard, all looking at the camera type portrait, but I far prefer these.

More of Caleb and Sophie being cool (Caleb picked his own wardrobe too. Love it!)

How beautiful is she?

And, my favourite of the day - the light, the tree fluff like snow, the pose. Big happy-smilie.

It was great to spend a couple of hours with you all. Thanks for all your great ideas and for not freaking out when your kids led down on the sidewalk with me!

Magic

2009-06-21T15:14:00.004-06:00

Sometimes you meet people, and they just shine. My dear friend Lana introduced me to Jodi and Brent, and I am very happy she did.

Jodi says of Brent "I had been living in San Diego on my own since I was 18 and decided to move home when I was 25. All those years I thought I would find the right man...in a city of millions. And yet I come home and find the most amazing man a few blocks away from me."

Magic.

And Brent of his brother and grandfather (being Father's day). "They raised me, and I need to be the best man I can be to honour all that they did for me."

Magic.

There will be more magic this summer when Jodi and Brent get married, and a few months later, there will be a little more magic in the world.

Jodi and Brent are fun - there's a whole lot of laughing in their lives.

And a lot of loving.

A sweet dog named Brody.

Magic love.

Beautiful people.

More laughing.

I am so looking forward to your wedding!

Red hair, and eyelashes!

2009-06-20T10:10:00.006-06:00

I met Carmalee and her wonderful family in Fort McMurray last year. Lee was doing a ride to raise funds for MS in Camrose this year, so we took a day trip to see the family and get some photos.

Her boys are as gorgeous as I remember.

Are they not perfect?!

And, so good with each other. Of course, being brothers, there's some scrapping, but they totally look out for each other.

Here is a beautiful picture of Carmalee with her boys. She is delving into photography (which I am very excited to see!), and I know one of the things about being a mom with a camera, you don't often get pictures of yourself with your children. So - I love this one.

Baby Alister is one of the babies in my wee-ones section on my home page. Look at him now. He has eyelashes to die for. Unbelievable! And the sweetest personality.

Ardon has the same eyelashes. Lee tells me they're not so beloved during the school years, but we can heap praise on them now, so they remember it as they are growing up.

Ardon is pretty thoughtful, and comes across as kind of serious. But behind that thinking-all-the-time face is this sweet laughter and smile.

Rowan seemed happy to see me when I arrived. But, not so happy when I pulled out my camera. Which, is ok, because I got some great shots of him with his parents. Another of Alister, discovering the joys of nose-picking. (I think I say somewhere on my site that I will capture pictures of your kids being themselves. And, I was not kidding!) I should probably not have laughed so hard at Alister (reinforcing his behaviour), but I think pretty much everything kids do is cool, so - sorry Carmalee!

And a lovely picture of Carmalee and Lee. How wonderful are they together. Love this picture!

Carmalee loves little boy feet, and really, who doesn't. We tried to get a shot like this last year, but didn't have much luck. This year, I managed to get their sweet, grubby toes.

The promise of rewards is an excellent way to get some photos. Here we are, off for icecream!

Yum.

I adore this picture, and Carmalee is a mother after my own heart - no freaking out about the dirt, or the mess, just clean off the grass and give it back :)After 2 hours, both the boys and I were done. But I managed to get this cool one of Ardon and Rowan climbing on the playground equipment, and jazzed it up with a little funky post processing to make the most of the blue sky and the boys' expressions.

It was wonderful to see you all again, and enjoy!

Beaches, Beautiful Skies and a Movie Recreation.

2009-06-11T09:23:00.007-06:00

Megan and Ryan contacted me last fall for their wedding coming up this August. We met earlier this week to do their engagement session.

They are the sweetest couple and just adore each other. Their energy is so calm and they have an amazing connection.

We did the session near their home in south Edmonton. I never thought I would have the opportunity to do a beach session in Alberta!

The weather was looking a little iffy that day (and it was freezing - poor Ryan had a short sleeved shirt and got the worst of it. Brrr!) However, the clouds gave us great skies.

This time, my groom to be was more nervous in front of the camera than the bride, but he's got a great sense of humour and Megan knows how to get him focused.

Megan is so beautiful. She knows how to work the camera.

In the park was a playground, with a boat. We had to get a re-creation of that super romantic moment from the Titanic. :)

One of my favourite pictures of the day.

Megan and Ryan are so connected (I said that already, but have to say it again.)

Megan and Ryan, you wonderful to work with and photograph. I'm looking forward to your wedding.

Please check out Renee's blog, from Shaun and Renee Photography who came out to second shoot with me. Her shots from this session are on her blog. Thanks for coming Renee.

The lovely Nicola

2009-06-10T09:31:00.004-06:00

I can't believe Nicola is 18 months old! I have had the privilege of photographing her since she was a baby inside. Check out her earlier pictures here.

Nicola is at the running-busy stage now. She chatters adorably and her favourite word is "ducky" - which stands in for pretty much anything yellow. She was obsessed with dandelions.

As you know, June in Alberta can be cold - which it was. Poor wee thing was shivering, but the dandelions took precedence.

She has got the cutest expressions.

I can't decide which one of these three is my favourite.

We headed inside to warm up and get Nicola in this super-cute pink outfit. Luckily, I have a yellow chair, which was the perfect backdrop for her, and her yellow obsession.

Her silly monkey outfit.

And finally, some with her amazing mama, Reshawn.

Kim and Sean

2009-06-04T22:14:00.004-06:00

I love when people say - do whatever you want - when they book me to photograph their sessions.

Kim and Sean found me when they booked their wedding at Convocation Hall at the U of A. We talked via email for a couple of months before meeting and I knew we would be a great fit. They like non-traditional photography and together we came up with a bunch of great ideas.

For their engagement session, we headed downtown to a great graffitti wall - their colours are green, black and white for their wedding, and this green fit in perfectly.

This is the lovely Kim, being adored by Sean.

And the handsome Sean.

I love this pose and the picture.

Across the street from the graffiti is this awesome old garage. I've loved this place for ages and was really happy to be able to use it as a background.

The less savoury parts of town have so much character, and I love it when other people want to come along with me.

How sexy is this picture?!

We headed to the Shaw Conference Centre, where there are giant letters that spell out DREAM. The green one has the E, which is what Sean's last name starts with.

Sean's favourite time of day is in the hour or so before the sun sets - lucky for us both - awesome lighting.

We were getting some silly pictures (the ones previous in the session had Kim and Sean with their sun glasses on the back of their heads) when I realised photographing them from behind was an awesome pose.

Kim has such beautiful hair, so I had them step up on a platform and got her to shake her head so I could catch the sunlight shining through it.

You guys were so much fun!

Congratulations to you, and I'm really excited to photograph your wedding.

Meagan and Kelly

2009-05-31T11:58:00.008-06:00

Photography is about relationships, and relationships are based on trust. So, I always feel so honoured when someone I know in another area of my life asks me to photograph their wedding.

Meagan taught my sons at their preschool, and they ADORE her - because she, (and her fiance Kelly) are pretty cool.

Meagan is camera shy, so lets just get out of the way right now how gorgeous she is and how much the camera loves her. One of the reasons I include engagement photography in my wedding packages is to build our trust. When the wedding day comes around, I want my brides (and grooms) to know how beautiful they are and just relax when I'm there.

Meagan and Kelly's wedding is in Ardrossan, on his parent's acreage. There will be lots of beautiful nature background there, so we wanted to get some contrasting images for their engagement session - still using their wedding colours though - silver, blue and black - so off to my favourite graffiti wall in Edmonton.

We started with the graffiti (by the way, I am looking for a graffiti artist - drop me a line if you know someone) and started heading to Edmonton City Hall. On our way, we found this uber-cool sign, hidden by an electric box.

Sexy!

Off to the new Art Gallery of Alberta. I cannot wait until this is done - its going to be one of my favourite places to shoot, I can tell. We had an awesome discussion about architecture, and would just like to give a shout out to whoever commissioned and approved this design.

Perhaps the people at Edmonton City Hall? We found this beautiful walkway.

This is my favourite picture of the day. Gorgeous sunlight, beautiful people.

I can't wait until your wedding!

And, a big thank you to Renee from Shaun and Renee Photography who came out to second shoot with me. Check out her shots from our e-session on her blog.

Look Mama, I'm a Man

2009-05-18T23:11:00.005-06:00

Waaaaaaa. My baby boy is growing up. That's good right? That's what they are supposed to do. But, I'm all nostalgic and teary too.

We went to the barber. That's the kind of thing we do for family days. Weird, I know.

Here are Gabe and Isaac checking out Mike as he's getting his hair cut.

And my dear, wee baby boy decided he did in fact want a hair cut too. In fact, he look thrilled out of his mind at the prospect.

I love, love this picture of Isaac with his dad.

Ahhhh. There it goes. I want to cry. Naif kept asking me if I wanted to save "this piece". I saved the whole damn lot.

Although Isaac looks really solemn in this picture, he's actually really happy. When he's pleased about something, he gets a really serious look on his face, and you have to watch closely for the smile to shine through.

In this picture, he couldn't stop checking himself out in the mirror long enough to look at me. He's so stinking CUTE! He's got a gorgeous head under all that hair, and now he looks like he's actually related to his father instead of being spawned wholly from my loins :). Actually, one of the first things I noticed about him after he was born was his hair. He's got exactly the same cowlicks (about 3 of them) as his dad. It almost looks like someone scalped Mike and transplanted it onto Isaac.

Also in this picture, Gabe was dancing up and down demanding that he also have his hair cut. Lucky for me, there were three customers waiting behind us. I now have three weeks to convince him that wearing braids and twirling his hair at night are essential to his mental health. Or not. In the end, I do actually let my kids make up their own minds.

Isaac's starting to look slightly less-selfconsiously pleased.

Calling home to tell me he's a man now and all grown up.

So grown up, he can go to the pub if he pleases.

Sit at the bar, and order a drink.

Love this picture (look above his head). When I was little, I lived in England, and we used to go to the pub with my Aunty and Uncle, Granny and Grampy and my dad. I remember sitting up at the bar and ordering a gin and tonic. I used to think maybe they gave me just tonic water with lime, but I'm wondering now if they actually gave me the gin. What better way to mellow out your kids :)

Long hair hippie kids

2009-05-17T22:56:00.004-06:00

I get lots of comments about Gabe's hair. Its beautiful, and I am very attached to it, but we also get lots of comments about him looking like a girl. He's started getting really chatty with strangers and starts out with This is my brother Isaac, and I'm Gabe and we're both boys here. No girls. Except my mom. She's a girl (and sometimes they get an anatomy lesson too, while I turn slightly red). I have long hair and I'm a boy.

Apparently, I come by my refusal to cut his hair honestly. This is my dad, who also had long hair until he was 4. He and my mom just returned from England, where he took this picture of himself as a boy.

And no, that doesn't mean I plan to cut Gabe's hair now that he's 4 :), just in case you were wondering. I've told Gabe he can get his hair cut when he's ready. He said he'll do it when he's a man like his Papa.

Isaac on the other hand wants to get his hair cut like his dad's. I'm so sad. We're going for a field trip to the barber tomorrow. I don't know that he will actually follow through, but if he does, I might cry a little, or a lot.

We're Famous!

2009-05-13T11:50:00.003-06:00

Check me (and Jacob, Gemma with Bernabe, Caitlin and Scott, the sweet Nay littles, Olivia and Neil (and her boys), Jay, Pam and Kylie, Ryan and his boys, and Jessica) out on The Bokeh Pot, and a big thanks to Crystal Genes for sharing her love!

Mandy Stewart

2009-05-10T22:50:00.006-06:00

Mandy came to see me for some headshots for her acting career.

Au-natural:

A little glamour:

Black and White:

Mandy's not just a pretty face - she's funny too.

The out-takes. Or, Mandy teaching me to dance.

Thanks!

Here is her bio:

Mandy is a Theatre Artist and over the last 10 years has worked
as an actor, director, producer, technician, teacher, film extra and voiceover performer. She has a diploma in Theatre Performance from Red Deer College and continues to
attend workshops with talented professionals to learn and to improve her craft. Past performances include "The Wicked Witch of the West" in The Wizard of Oz, "Woman" in The Bundle, and part of the Ensemble for the 2009 Vagina Monologues. Next up is a reading of the play Mr. Twiddles for the Walterdale Theatre's Footlight Festival from May 27 - June 6, 2009.

I'm in love with your baby

2009-05-10T12:56:00.003-06:00

One of the best parts of my job is hanging out with new babies. Cole was particularly sweet, and I had a hard time narrowing down the images I'd taken of him.

I love this one - his sweet pouty lip, and Jodi's expression as she comforts him.

And just so you don't think it was all crying . . .

Here is one of the whole family.

And in colour. This is sort of a standard family pose, but I love how the boys are turned towards their parents - my goal in photography is to document the relationships my clients have with each other, not just how people look.

I bought some new actions (post processing tools for photoshop) this weekend, and these pictures were perfect for trying them out.

Alec and Cole were so easy to photograph - this was a great session for me. Wonderful to meet you all!

Single Mamas rock

2009-05-04T08:02:00.006-06:00

Mother's day is coming out, and I just have to give a shout-out to all the single mothers.

While I am a glass-half-full kind of person, focussing on the positive and keep telling people that being a single mama is in many ways easier than being partnered, its still a tough gig.

So, with mother's day coming up, please remember the single mothers in your life. I would suggest that one person in your circle of family/friends be responsible for making sure that your mama is taken care of for mother's day - from here on out. Take her child(ren) shopping for flowers or something lovely, every year, so she never has to send her kids to the store with $5 so they can buy her a card.

I also have to give a note of gratitude to my boys' dad. Every year for mother's day (and my birthday), he takes Gabe and Isaac shopping, brings them over and they (very excitedly) give me my gift. Thanks Mike - I really appreciate it.

And now I will introduce Liezl and Carter, who are both delightful and lovely.

A duplicate of the above picture. I was playing around with different post processing. Let me know which one you like better.

Liezl's brother came with her to our session, and had no intention of having his picture taken, but I'm wily with my camera and couldn't resist getting pictures of Carter with his uncle. They already have a great, loving relationship. And they look great in their hats.

So sweet!

Beautiful.

My absolute favourite - Liezl looks like the Madonna in this picture. I love it.

Here, Carter looks like he's about to kick me. Stop taking my picture, already. It is very un-him, as he was an absolute dream during our session.

It was wonderful to meet you all.

I almost forgot! As an added bonus, Mohammed said, all single mamas go straight to heaven. I sometimes remind myself of that at 3 am.

Jessica and Dustin - engagement session

2009-05-01T08:17:00.006-06:00

I've known Jessica since she was born (that makes me feel so old!), and I was honoured when she asked if I would photograph her and Dustin's wedding.

Dustin is studying engineering at the U of A, where we went to take pictures. It was freezing cold (I pulled out my down-winter jacket for this shoot) and I was so worried about Jessica and Dustin being cold, but they did great.

Having known Jessica her whole life, I have a slight proprietary interest in who she is marrying. After getting to know Dustin, I'm good :) He's awesome. Funny, energetic, thoughtful, engaged. I dig him. Good job Jessica!

And, he clearly adores her.

They are so sweet together.

We went inside to warm up for a few. This is in Convocation Hall (where I have a couple other weddings this summer.)

Congratulations Jessica and Dustin, and I look forward to your wedding.

A big thank you to Renee, who came out to second shoot with me. Check out her photos on her blog.

Me and My Boys

2009-05-01T07:54:00.003-06:00

Dear sweet Isaac, licking a dragonfly. I'm sure he would be horrified by this picture, as he seems to be a little sketched out by bugs.

That's my Gabriel - and why yes, he is pant-less while hanging out in the woods (with Meme). I'm not sure how that happened - I think he fell down and got wet and took them off. I'm just lucky they didn't decide to go swimming in the pond.

We were hanging with girls all weekend, hence the pretty hair things - but I do think he looks a little Rambo-esque (despite the pastel colours).

These were taken by my lovely friend Lana. I don't often get photos of me with my boys, so I'm pretty happy about these.

The slight look of terror on Isaac's face is due to the dogs Lucy and Gypsy. Isaac has been terrified of all things with fur ever since he was very small. (He's totally fine with having a turkey stick its head in his stroller - at Fort Edmonton - but, if its got fur, no way.) This weekend really helped to cure him of his fear though. By the end of the weekend, he was saying "I LOVE Gypsy. I LOVE Lucy." And since then, we were at a park and he willingly (without any prompting from me) approached several dogs to within 3 feet. This is a huge change from when he would see a dog half a block a way, turn and run toward me and scramble up my leg and body and try to sit on my head, shrieking bloody murder. I'm so proud of him.

What a family picture looks like in our house. Tongues sticking out, trying to get away. Lots of wiggling.

And this.

This is what happens when you give children markers on a road trip. "Look Mama, I'm a cat." Isaac started this one. Usually its Gabe with the tricky plans. They're so cute!

The fabulous Miss Meme and her beautiful Mama

2009-04-23T16:25:00.006-06:00

Meme is my best friend's girl, and Gabe's first love. She rocks.

Here she is being Santa (I don't get it either, but I'll go with the program).

Meme is a girlie-girl, who knows how to use a "gun".

Taken by Lana.
Here is my beautiful Lana, full of light and life.
Lana with her baby girl.
And, all of us in the car.

Serina

2009-04-21T22:44:00.004-06:00

How gorgeous is she?

Easter Cards

2009-04-21T22:40:00.003-06:00

I made these awesome Easter cards for Luisa. They are so pretty!

Introducing Jagger Nash

2009-04-10T12:56:00.004-06:00

Whenever I go to Jay and Pam's house, I feel so honoured. They have a ton of my photos on their walls. I've know Jay and Pam since I lived in Red Deer, eons and eons ago, and we've managed to maintain an orbit over the years.

But, on to more important things - Mr. Jagger Nash.

Does this child not have the coolest name on the planet?! His middle name is in honour of Robin Nash, one of Jay's dear friends, of the Schematics.

Here are Mom and Dad. Poor Jay was so sick the day I did these photos, but I managed to catch a couple before he had to lie down.

Big sister Kylie, giving her brother some lovin'.

Love this one. His little forehead makes him look so serious.

And he's obviously clever - imitating Mom.

A bunch of blondies here. Gabriel and Isaac adore babies, and considering how they beat the crap out of each other, I am so impressed with how gentle and loving they are with little ones. Isaac in particular seemed very taken with Jagger. He even asked to hold him. There was much Jagger loving and kissing going on this day.

Peace, love, rock and roll, little dude. Welcome to the world. We are glad to meet you.

Why the logo?

2009-04-10T12:41:00.003-06:00

All my clients receive a disk with their pictures to print 4x6s (some packages also include the high resolution files, which can be printed as large as you like - I've done up to 3'x4' with no pixelation).

I am also going to start including a web-ready file folder on your disks, which will include the Dragonfly Logo.

Two reasons - first, copyright.

But second, and more importantly, in this age of right click and copy, microstock, and on-line theft, having the logo on your pictures protects you as well. The last thing you want is your breast-fed baby selling formula or your wedding pictures promoting viagra!

(disclaimer, I am sure those companies pay for all their pictures. I'm just sayin' :) )

Maui

2009-04-08T14:25:00.006-06:00

The biggest question I had before I had children was will I be able to travel? Mike and I made a deal (ok, I insisted) that I would get a week to myself every year. I start saving for these trips the second I return from one. This year, I went to Maui with my sister.

It was much different than I'd expected. Much more laid back and rural. Not very developed (like Oahu).

This is the 40 mile/3 hour drive to Hana on the far east point of the island. It was an amazing drive. Unbelievably green, rainforest, hills covered in African Tulip trees, with red flowers, hair-pin curves in the road (you can see the road carved into the hill in this picture.

Then of course, the beaches. I was surpised at the variety. Where we went surfing, it was fairly shallow and mellow. This beach (big beach) is on the far west side of the island. The waves were really strong, but the water was amazing. (sorry for the spots!)

We had to go whale watching. When else do you get to see the biggest creatures alive in the world, just hanging out with their babies? We went with the Pacific Whale Foundation because their profits go back into research and protection. We got up at 4:30 am to do the sunrise tour, and it was totally worth it. (I fell in love with the black and white prints various photographers sold of the whales - so lovely!)

Here is Georgina on the beach, on our last day. Luckily, we stayed at an awesome place, Peace of Maui, where the owner let us come back and use the room before we had to get on the plane. (Its a great place to stay and one of the cheaper - but nice - places on Maui.)

This was the most amazing flower I saw. Its called a Jade Vine. I love the colours - aqua and purple.

The Islands have a colourful history, most of the post-colonisation based around sugar plantations. There are some beautiful old buildings. I could spent a lot more time photographing than I did.
Whenever I am with my sister, she has grand adventures planned out. This is the Haleakala Crater. We walked into it for about a mile and a half, before I said I needed to go back up. Never-the-less, I had to stop 10 times on the way back up. I'm blaming it on the altitude.

Sunset, and Georgina on the phone. It makes me feel really old when I am amazed that you can be half way around the world in 8 hours, and still pick up a telephone to call home. That's a long way from when I first travelled, and phone calls took several operators and a lot of money.
I'll put a bunch more up on Facebook, if you want to check them out.

Beautiful Eyes

2009-04-07T22:24:00.008-06:00

I had the pleasure of photographing these beautiful girls late in March. Maya is 1 and a half, and Adeleine is 5 months. The were so sweet and easy to photography. Of course, they live in my neighbourhood!

Five-month old babies are the easiest to photograph. They haven't learned to crawl yet (usually), but are at the push up stage, where you can get great eye pictures.

Maya is very independant and likes to do her own thing. Luckily her mom told me she likes explainations as to why she's being asked to do things. I've got one of those too, so know the lingo. She was so co-operative.

Don't they have amazing eyes?

Adeleine loved that flower.

Maya and Adeleine's mom is Italian (and only speaks Italian to them), and I thought this picture (totally unscripted) was perfect. It made me think of the guy with the rose in his teeth.Just about sitting (with a little help.) How cute is she?!?

Maya was more interested in being naked (well really, who isn't?) but we got her into this dress, which went perfectly with the green chair.
It was a wonderful to work with you Luisa, and I look forward to our outdoor session (more back alley pictures - yeah! ) when it warms up a bit.

Surfer Girls!

2009-04-05T22:10:00.002-06:00

First, I cannot believe its been a month since I blogged. I have a good excuse though - I was on holiday (not for the whole month though!)

So stay tuned, this week will be picture heavy as I catch up.

Onto the fun stuff. I can SURF. I am so excited about that. I read Agatha Christie's biography a few years ago, and she went on an around-the-world tour with her second husband, and while in Hawaii, learned to surf. I though, if she could do it, so can I. So, I did.

This is the first time my sister and I have travelled together (despite the fact we've both been travelling for the last 20 years). It was great to explore Maui with her. At first she wasn't sure about the surfing, but after our first lesson, convinced me to sign up for more.

We look a little up-tight in this shot.

But not so much here!

Look how happy she looks! I love it.

Me too.

If you'd like to see the full set, including wipe-outs, check out my Facebook page.

These pictures were taken by Doris Maran, shooting for Na Ka Oi Photo, Surf Photography. If you're looking for pretty shots of yourself while in Maui, check her out.

Have enough pots and pans?

2009-03-09T23:15:00.003-06:00

Introducing - Wedding Registry Cards

How it works

Advise your guests that you have registered with Dragonfly Photography. You can register for a particular item (such as an album, canvas or prints), or use the money toward your general photography budget.
Your guests can contact me by email, phone or through my website (I will provide you with business cards with my contact information)
I will arrange payment with your guest, and send them a card they can fill out to give to you at your wedding or shower.

Skating

2009-03-09T14:23:00.003-06:00

My brother was working out of town for Gabe's birthday, and when he came back, we had ourselves a day with Uncle Tom. He did some brilliant research and found "bob skates" which attach the boys' boots (so their feet don't freeze) and change sizes so we're not looking at a swackload of money each winter.

Here is Thomas with Isaac. Tom is the best uncle. He plays like mad with them, is totally attentive and they adore him.

I was ridiculously proud of my kids seeing them skate for the first time. They got the knack pretty quickly. Of course, when I stepped anywhere close to their vicinity, they would fall down and whine Mama, help me, I'm stuck. The fact that I am a big fat suck/enabler is why I let Tom and their dad teach them stuff like this.

Yoga Bellies

2009-03-05T19:55:00.005-07:00

Corinne, from Lotus Moon Wellness, asked me to take a few pictures of her yoga class for her new website (check it out, its pretty!)

This is Corinne. She is a Doula, a yoga instructor and does Thai massage.

And her class.

Being extraordinarily clever!
And a few of my favourites of the individual poses.

This was one of the coolest sessions I have photographed. Thank you for all your co-operation, and for holding those poses "just two more seconds"!

Friends

2009-03-03T09:39:00.003-07:00

I have been friends with James since he was 2 and I was 5. (That's a long time ago, in case you were wondering!)

When we grew up, he met this wonderful person, Erin, and they got married and asked me to stand up for them at their wedding. I was so honoured, and it was a great wedding!

I was supposed to do maternity photos for James and Erin, and a couple hours before I left, James called to tell me Erin was in labour. So the first time I got to meet Amiee Jane was at her baby shower.

This is Penny(Willow) - James' mom.

Have you ever met a group of sisters who just click? These girls are so cool and funny. Hanging out with them is like being at a comedy show.

James flew his sister Joy out from BC for Amiee's baby shower.
The aunties wanted to call Amiee Chantarin, after themselves. She does not look impressed at the thought!Here is Tara's daughter.

James and Erin, I am so happy for you guys!

Slow

2009-02-24T16:07:00.002-07:00

Things have been slow around here lately. I will shortly have some exciting new things to post.

1. I am getting a new monitor. I actually have a mini-session and pictures of my boys first school show on my computer, but I've been experiencing some technical difficulties. First, my monitor decided to highlight all the blues. I like blue, but not that much. Then I bought a new monitor, but it refused to play nicely with my editing programs and everyone looked like they had liver disease. I'm currently working on a CRT screen, which is great (thanks John), but even though I've got it dialed up to the max on the brightness and contrast, its still not like the LCD screens, so what looks bright to me would look technicolour to you.

2. I have ordered my first sample albums - designed by Pink Polka Designs. It's a beautiful design.

3. At the end of March, all going well, it looks like I will be doing my first destination wedding! To Maui.

Bring on the Baby!

2009-02-16T22:16:00.002-07:00

I am always happy when people want to get a bit adventurous with photographs. I've only done indoor maternity portraits before, and of course I decided the middle of February, in Edmonton, was a good time to do out-door maternity portraits.

Lucky for me, Val was up to the idea.

We started off inside to get a few classic poses.

I love this one - the v of her arms reminds me of a bird - it feels really open and free.

And outside we go - how beautiful is she!?!?
Close to my house is this beautiful aqua wall (I think it used to be a garage). And the sky!!!

Love, love, love these pictures and the colours.

Thank you for freezing your butt off with me, Val. (oh, and the title of the post - Val's baby is 2 days overdue, so send her some baby vibes!)

Why aren't your pictures centred?

2009-02-15T18:07:00.003-07:00

I read a great article today about composition in portraits. I've tried to explain this before, but never had the theoretical know-how. But Ciaran Whyte can!

Things I am loving lately

2009-02-08T21:05:00.003-07:00

Canada has a new magazine for mamas. And all the ads were products I know, like Hylands teething tabs, and Calme Forte (also known as "wild boy tabs" in our house) and cloth diapers and pretty bottles (because eventually they stop breast feeding!) without BPA.

Its so gratifying to realise I'm not the only woo-woo out there - although, perhaps woo-woo is the new mainstream?

Anyway - check it out: Blush. You can get it at your midwife's office (of course :) ) and Please Mum

~~Also, I know you're all dying to know what I want for Christmas (ok, I know its February, but I start now, and forget about it until December 23rd, and maybe other people are the same).~~

Leonie, at the Goddess Guidebook is doing some super-cool stuff. I love her Godess paintings, and her voice - its so positive and cheerful and full of love. Her blog perks me right up.

The Happiness Project is fascinating.

I'm skeered of the interweb

2009-01-31T12:49:00.005-07:00

For someone who spends so much time on the internet and computers, I'm still a little afraid of technology. But, I took the leap and have a Facebook page. I'm still figuring out how to use it though.

Ack. What if no-one wants to be my friend?

Canadian Style Picnic

2009-01-24T22:30:00.003-07:00

It was so cold here in December, and then we had a week or so break, where it got up to freezing. I was so sick of being housebound, I took 4 children under the age of 3 outside one day. It took us half an hour to get on snowsuits etc. but I didn't care.

On the last day it was (sort of) warm, Gabe asked to go outside to play. I couldn't bear the thought of coming in for lunch, so I dragged the picnic table out and brought lunch to the back yard.

This is how we picnic in this country!

Doesn't Gabe look like Relic with his hat like that? He doesn't like having it over his ears.

Gabe is into spitting/raspberries at the moment. I've got him trained not to do it at the kitchen table, only in the bathroom or outside. He took full advantage.

I love this one. The light at this time of year is beautiful. If only it weren't so stinking cold!

And, one of Isaac dancing (also with his tongue out - what is with my kids?!)

Ladybugs

2009-01-18T17:21:00.006-07:00

I just did a photo essay in the Rat Creek Press about how much I love my neighbourhood, and I really need to add to that - the people who live here are pretty much awesome.

Jenn contacted me (via Barbara - another member of the fan club!) to do family pictures as they have a new baby and her sister was in country from Australia.

Here is the family.

Jenn's son Trystan is one awesomely cool 11-year-old.
Here are Jenn, Iles and baby Chloe.

This shoot made me think about how lucky Trystan and Chloe are. My brother and I are 13 years apart, and after the first two months of his life, where I called him Tomato Head, I fell in love with him. We were close while he was growing up, even though I was usually in a different city or country, and now we're the best of friends. I hope Chloe and Trystan have that kind of relationship.

Chloe from her mother's perspective. Look at her cute little baby hands and sleeping smile.

With Daddy.
And Grandpa (I think she thinks he's cool!)
The tiny wee bug in her very sweet bedroom.

Chloe got this lovely coat from a friend, and we stuck ladybugs all over her. Babies are the best!

It was wonderful to spend the afternoon with you!

2009-01-15T14:58:00.004-07:00

My friend Savannah contacted me to do family photos over Christmas. It took us a bit to get organized, but just before Tanner was to go home to his mom in Saskatchewan, we managed to get it together.

Makenna is nearly 2, and Tanner is 4. Oh boy!

This is what it looks like trying to get everyone settled.

Eventually we did though.

Here is the lovely Savannah and the sweet Makenna.
Makenna and Travis.
Tanner and Travis.
Tanner was very intent on telling us something. I think by this point, he was fed up with photos. But, I like photographing that too!

Makenna was digging her sunglasses, and holy cow, does she look cool.
And finally - yeah!!!! We're done.
As always, a pleasure to photograph you.

And, if any of my other readers are interested, Savannah is a dancer and teaches dance classes - privately too - and Salsa Babies. Let me know if you need her contact info, and I will set you up.

Displaying your photos

2009-01-13T21:44:00.003-07:00

For a photographer, you'd think I'd have a better handle on displaying art. Ususally, I avoid it at all costs - when I used to move every 8 months when I was in school, my pictures were often just stacked against the wall the whole time.

(The only thing I know for sure is you are supposed to have the middle of the picture - or the arrangement - at eye level.)

However! I was inspired by my client Michelle's wall display to make my own. I didn't have enough family pictures that went together, so I ended up rearranging some of my other art.

My living room was tidy for 5 minutes today (please ignore the state of the couch!) which I took advantage of to take these pictures.

(all the other pieces, except for the giraffe are my photos and are also for sale.)