We had a beach… and a birthday celebration. We had the warm glow of a late summer afternoon.. smoky, but beautiful. We had crowns and sparklers and champagne and cake. There was cricket catching and releasing and there was swordplay. It was a most magical evening with a wonderful family, all enjoying their together time. It is times like these that make you wish summer had a pause button!
I love doing before and after photos of dogs at play on the beach… especially dogs who love the water. They always look so refined and dignified before they get in the water, and then the aftermath… well, you can almost see the joy in their faces after they’ve had a good long play. How is it dogs can tolerate cold ocean water? Do they feel the cold? Or does the fun of chasing after the ball override any discomfort they may have? Baily absolutely loves the water. But I have to say, I was seriously impressed with her level of restraint. As soon as she hit the beach, she bee-lined it for the water, but stopped immediately when she was called..we had to take some photos before she reached the waterlogged state! She was so well behaved! Not only did she resist going for a swim, but no matter what was asked of her, she complied. She would sit so patiently as I took her picture, even if all she wanted to do was chase that ball! Such a sweet sweet dog.
My cousin Kayla… I used to look after her when she was really little. And the thing that stood out to me the most, even back then, was how brave she was. She would fearlessly jump off of things. She was a little fireball of happy energy. And really, nothing has changed. This girl knows how to live a full life. When she’s not working as an ER nurse, she’s fighting forest fires or giving her time and expertise to Search and Rescue. Or she’s traveling to far away countries to help the most vulnerable. Basically, she handles everyone else’s catastrophes. Last year, when she suffered a major health setback (due to a tree falling on her) she decided that she needed a goal to get her through this difficult time.. her plan was to climb Mount Kilimanjaro by year’s end. And she did it! But she didn’t do it alone.. in fact, she doesn’t do most of these things alone. Right by her side is this amazing guy, who works alongside her, and climbs up mountains with her and understands her better than almost anyone… and probably makes her laugh… I know he makes me laugh! In fact, I couldn’t stop laughing through this entire photo session! These two have something ultra special. And I couldn’t be happier for both of them.. for finding each other and building a crazy adventurous life together. Oh, the stories they will tell their grandkids. Congratulations, Kayla and Mark, on your engagement. You awe and inspire me to reach for the things I really want… even the scary things. Much love to you both. xo
I can’t believe this beautiful girl is graduating already! The last time I saw her, she was still quite little, plunking notes down on the piano, playing with her cat, and also playing every sport imaginable. To me, she seems like the kind of person that will live large… live according to her own rules. And what better way to experience the world? I know pink isn’t her favourite colour… that she had other, bolder colours she wanted to wear this day that matched her personality a little more closely, but I can’t help but love the softness of her dress with the gentle colours of her surroundings as we wandered the gardens, taking photos. I wish her all the best as she boldly ventures out into this new part of her life!
That’s right… seven dogs with their seven humans, all in one photo shoot on the beach! It astounds me how incredibly unique each of them is. From the smallest to the biggest, they each had something to reveal to me. Whether it was the pup with the longest eyelashes in the history of dogdom, or the one who could hold the most still while I tried to get in close to get a good nose shot, each one could have won a beauty pageant in their own original category. The youngest of the bunch experienced his very first dip into the ocean, and he did such a good job keeping up with the bigger dogs and their bigger splashes! In the beginning, they were all nicely groomed… clean and fluffy…. and by the end, they looked waterlogged with skinny legs and sand on their cute little noses. Here are a few of my faves…
There must be some fairy dust hidden amongst the crooks and crannies of that little star studded crown. Because from the moment this session began, I knew it was going to be special. What little girl wouldn’t wish to be a princess for a day? Sweet Sammi’s eyes lit up the moment she saw this crown… and her little brother Hayden was captivated by it as well. But it was temporary, for he just wanted to hit the beach. Now, I know forest fires are terrible things.. but there is a silver lining to them… the hazy smoky air produced the most gorgeous soft warm light… pure magic! I got lost in it.. and in the world of this beautiful, playful young family. I laughed while they twirled in the grasses and picked wildflowers… and played helicopter. And especially when Hayden would walk out of the frame of the most wonderful family shot… because he had other plans. Other things to do in this summery landscape. And serendipitously, he helped create other shots as a result! I enjoyed this evening so much, the only thing that prevented me from taking more and more photos, was the setting of the red sun and the dying of the light. Truly.. an evening of fairy tales.
Meet my new favourite four legged fellow. His name is Bruno. Such a strong burly name for such a tender little pup! This day, he walked further than he ever has in his short life. The world must have felt like a big, busy place. He explored every nook and cranny he could find, and still paused to pose for me… well, sort of. If there were treats, he would pause for me… but only for a second or two. There was too much to do! So much, in fact, that he finally just stopped walking. His little feet were done. Time for a nap.
Newborns love to sleep, right? Not this little sweetheart… at least, not this day. Her big beautiful blue eyes wanted to take in the world this day and all of its happenings. And a lot was going on! When you are only two weeks old, everything is new and interesting. Especially all of that light coming from the windows. Even though it was cold outside, we kept her warm and toasty… with a full tummy and mom’s soothing voice by her side. A perfect recipe for sleep, you might think. She did take a tiny nap… photo shoots are exhausting events, and a wee bit of beauty sleep was definitely in order. But it wasn’t long before those baby blues were wide open once more, charming me utterly and completely with her adorable little expressions. What a beautiful baby girl. A winter princess.
This time of year can be unpredictable when it comes to weather, but we lucked out this mild day at the Esquimalt Lagoon. The water was running high under the bridge, the fall colours were abundant and the rains subsided just long enough for us to have some fun in the sand. This little guy was offering me all kinds of adorable faces, but his infamous smile was undercover for much of our session… which is perfectly fine by me! I think that children have such a vast range of interesting expressions that are so unique to each child. I think my favourite is the pensive look.. whether they are looking at my lens slightly perplexed about what it does, or whether something in their environment catches their eye. For Carter, it was the airplanes in the sky. He was fascinated by them. I was able to catch a few little grins and open smiles from time to time as well, which I know will make his mom and dad happy, as that is how they know Carter. They joked about how he is all smiles most of the time… except during a photo shoot when we want him to smile! I think he will go through much of his life doing things his own way… is there any better way to do it?
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Isn’t she beautiful? I love love love doing head shots. It gives me the opportunity to connect with a person one on one in a very real and sensitive way. Each and every time I photograph someone in this way, something wonderful is revealed to me. It takes a little time, as we all get a little nervous when a lens is pointed at us, and we feel vulnerable…. but there is a moment in the session when the person being photographed relaxes, and their true beauty shines. It happens every time. I can pretty much throw away the first images from any session… the good stuff is always at the end. Mai was no exception. I love her natural smile, her gentleness of being… with a little touch of spark. She is beautifully unique, and was such a treasure to photograph. Thank you, Mai, for your trust in me. You shine.
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