thank you [thank you] thank you

I think it's time for a huge thank you thank you thank you to all of my wonderful friends who have been so incredibly supportive of me and my new photography business. I can't believe how lucky I am to not only have found my passion in life as a photographer, but also to have had such an overwhelming response to it so far.

This big thank you certainly extends to the terrific family I did a session with last weekend. The gorgeous little girl here in the first photo is a friend from our daughter's preschool and her mom, Andrea, has always been very encouraging about turning my photography hobby into a business. Because of that, you can imagine how happy I was to be able to take photos of them with their beautiful new baby girl. And once again, I was so busy enjoying myself at the shoot that I left worried I had almost outstayed my welcome (although Andrea assures me I did not). Phew!

Andrea and Alan - thanks for letting me take over your lovely home and go photo-crazy with your two beautiful girls. I look forward to seeing you again soon!

That's it. Time for bed!

picture [perfect]

I'm finally coming to terms with the winter-ish weather and indoor shoots because this family turned it out in style! They had everything I could want... great outfits, fab paint colours on the walls and a natural ease in front of the camera. Although I will admit that little Chloe wasn't too sure about me at first, but she eventually came out of her shell and charmed me with her sweeter-than-sweet little smile. (Big brother Luca was no slouch in the cute department too but wasted no time and charmed me from the minute I walked in the door!)

Thanks for a great session Fiona and Joe. It was a pleasure meeting you and your wonderful family! And now for my favourite shot of the day... a picture perfect mother and daughter moment that I just love:

love those [hugs & kisses]

I have to admit I was a bit nervous about this shoot. With four kids all under the age of five on a rainy November day, how would I inspire some great portraits and capture some wonderful moments while confined inside?

Well, it turns out that I didn't need to be worried at all. With four kids all under the age of five on a rainy November day - even when confined inside - all I had to do was wait for the fun to happen and pray that I was fast enough with my camera to catch all the action.

What a terrific bunch of kids these are. Mom and Dad played lots of great music to get the kids dancing, singing and having a blast. We also jumped on the bed, had a snack and, when the stars aligned, managed to capture a few nice family portraits. It was crazy, but fun.

The entire time I was there I marvelled at Mom and Dad's energy and wondered what fueled them; what gave them the energy to parent four children with such love and enthusiasm? And just as I was leaving I got my answer... when all of the kids insisted on showering me in hugs and kisses before I could leave. Melt. My. Heart. It was wonderful!!

Thank you Jackie and Warren for inviting me into your home. I can't wait to work with your amazing family again.

prettiest princess [brooklyn]

I love the idea of hiring a photographer for a children's birthday party. It may seem extravagant, but birthdays are such incredibly special occasions in a child's life and yet how many times do parents whirl through the hustle and bustle of hosting a fabulous party, only to realize they didn't even have the chance to pick up their camera?

I know exactly what it's like. I'm a photographer and yet if it wasn't for my brother - who is also an avid photographer - I probably wouldn't have photos from any of my daughter's first three birthdays. Special occasions are the perfect time to capture great memories with photography. You're already dressed up, having fun and celebrating with friends so why not get someone else to tell the story while you're busy enjoying life?

This is why I was so pleased when Brooklyn's mom hired me to take photos at her daughter's third birthday party. What a fun day full of giggling kids we had. The birthday girl was the prettiest princess I have ever seen and all of the details were perfect. A fluffy tiara, lots of balloons and yummy pink icing cupcakes (I had one, they were delicious!)

Thanks for the great day Judie and Brian... and just look at how sweet your little birthday girl is:

mom, dad and the adorable [miss maddie]

I've always loved autumn, but this year has been the best ever. There's something about doing a photo shoot amongst the vibrant fall foliage that really makes my heart sing. Last weekend I met up with a terrific family to capture some wonderful memories and the thing that stood out for me most was mom and dad's unabashed adoration of their precious daughter Maddie.

Just as it should be.

And if you look at these photos, who could blame them? Isn't she perfect? I truly adore seeing families together and especially appreciate parents who are in love with their children. It's a pleasure to watch and a joy to photograph.

Thanks for the great day you guys!