[hangin'] out

The little man in THIS mama's beautiful belly made finally made his appearance and I was honored to document all of the sweet little newborn details. Aren't little babies amazing?

I especially love this first nerve wracking shot of the baby hangin' out in a piece of fabric.

Despite the fact that we had a big, comfy, soft bean bag chair about two inches below his bum I was still just about having a heart attack when I took this shot. I was so afraid he was going to slip out and fall - even with Mom, Dad and Grandma standing by just in case.

I'm happy to report there were no accidents during this session. Well, not involving the baby anyway. I did mange to fall off a footstool and almost break my brand new 17-55 f/2.8 lens (and my hip, but of course I was more worried about the lens!) Um Joe... thanks for the footstool but next time I'll remember to bring my own.

Thanks again Deanna and Joe. I loved meeting your beautiful new son and congratulations to you both!

[monkeying] around

I know I say this every time I do a birthday post, but I just love taking photos at kid's birthday parties. What's not to like? Cake? Good! Ice Cream? Good! Presents? Good!*

This little guy's third birthday party was more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I especially loved the venue of Jump! Gymnastics. What a great place to have a party. The kids just loved climbing all over the equipment and playing in the ball pit and bouncing on the trampoline. I've already got my daughter excited about the idea of having her birthday party there next year which means I should probably give them a call right away!

Anyway, thanks to Jen & John for inviting me to document such a special day for your little monkey. It was great spending time with you and catching all the action. xo c

* I should probably point out a little "Friends" reference I just had to slip in there. Remember when Rachel made a mistake with the trifle recipe on Thanksgiving? It tastes like feet! Check it out HERE on YouTube. The best part is Joey at around 3:46. Too funny!

another cherry [blossom] quest

Here's a quick little post before I dash off to pick up my daughter from preschool. It's her last day before summer break and she's very excited. I'm not quite sure why though because she loves school and doesn't quite understand that she won't be going back for the rest of the summer. I think she just wants to go to the class picnic tomorrow where I'm sure she thinks there will be lots of cupcakes and ice cream. Of course, to her, anything worth doing must involve cupcakes and ice cream. I have to admit, she's got a point.

Anyway, here are some photos of a great family who I have been looking forward to working with for quite a while. Mom is a wonderful photographer and was very keen on indulging me in a quest for awesome cherry blossom photos. As you'll see, we certainly achieved my our goal.

Oh, and once again, yes, I make my clients climb trees.

Thanks for scouting some great locations Darcia! I loved meeting your family and adventuring all over town with you to capture some great memories.

full [bloom]

What an awesome family! I was lucky enough to capture memories with this family in the fall (HERE) and enjoyed working with them for a second time just recently. With the cherry trees out in full bloom in Stanley Park it was a perfect backdrop for some family photos... and yes, I do make my clients climb trees!

The last shot is probably my favourite from the day. Near the end of the session the sweet little boy had just about had enough of me and my camera. He was tired and had a terrible sore mouth from teething, so his mom sat him down on the blanket and gave him a nice soft fruit bar to sooth his gums with. Obviously the fruit bar was a perfect choice because he was so comforted and relieved by the chewing that he started to fall asleep sitting up. It totally was adorable and also the perfect moment for his big sister to give him a kiss. Love it!

Thanks for another great photography session Alisha and Mat. I can't wait to work with you again one day.

[pure] essence

Wow. Two posts in one week. I am really motoring now! I've finally got my computer fixed and running smoothly so I'm happy to report that I'm almost completely caught up on my sessions. Woot! Just a few more to deliver and I can kick back and enjoy the summer. But oh wait... I still have sessions booked for every weekend and a couple of weddings to look forward to shooting so it should be a very busy summer for me!

In case you live in the Vancouver area and know someone who is dragging their feet about getting photos done (maybe it's you?), have them call me right away because I'm already fully booked through the middle of August. Now is the time to schedule a session if you want family photos made while the weather is still nice. The same goes for weddings too. I'm very interetested in expanding my business into wedding photography, so if you know anyone looking for a relaxed and affordable photographer, have them give me a shout.

Anyway... moving on to the photos. This family was great fun to spend some time with. They're old friends of mine and it's always nice to have such a relaxing session where I'm not struggling to remember everybody's names. I wish name recall was one of my strengths, but it just isn't. Sorry to all of my clients who have experienced this failing of mine first hand!

While I do not pride myself on having a good memory, I do pride myself on seeing kids with a mother's eyes and capturing their true spirit with my photography. I love to help children feel comfortable in front of my camera so they can get busy with just being themselves. Most parents flatter me after a session by telling me that their kids chattered excitedly about me after I left. I love knowing I've connected in a way that was meaningful to my clients, especially with the littlest ones who are often afraid of strangers with big black clicking boxes in front of their face. As much as I love hearing that kids ask about me after the shoot, my favourite feedback by far is when a mom tells me what Ginger did... she said that the first set of pictures below are the pure essence of her son.

I can't think of a higher compliment for what I do. So, thanks Daryn and Ginger. It was a pleasure working with you and your family. I can't wait to capture more wonderful memories with you in the future!

sweetness & [laughter]

My computer woes are finally sorted out and I'm slowly catching up, but this blog has been woefully neglected. So to those of you still following along... hi!

A big thank you goes out to all my clients who have been patiently waiting for their photos. I'll be in touch to let you know how I'm progressing. In the meantime, here are some photos of another wonderful family I had the opportunity to work with last month.  These kids were so much fun and made my job easy. Thanks to Dallas and Stella for welcoming me so warmly into your home!