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Natalie and Starbuck

Posted in Families, Pets

 

Right from the first moments of arriving at the barn, I knew these two had an extraordinary connection. Natalie’s love for this horse runs deep, and Starbuck… well, he will do almost anything for her. I loved watching them interact with each other as I captured these pictures. When we went into the field, all Starbuck wanted to do was munch on the fresh green grasses at his feet.. Natalie would lightly smack him with the rope to get his attention the way good friends playfully nudge each other when one is acting up. They each had their own idea about how this photo shoot was going to go, and for Starbuck, it wasn’t about looking pretty for pictures. When we returned to the barn, I was so moved when I watched them hug each other as Natalie gently removed his halter. I found myself smiling the entire time I was editing these photos, because I was so utterly charmed by this horse. I was editing, but also reminiscing at the same time.. wishing I could go back and visit Starbuck once again. Speaking of halters, don’t you just love how he has a custom bridle with his own beautiful nameplate?

 

Posted in Families, Pets

A Turn for the Better

Posted in Families

 

As I was driving to the beach to do this session, I had my doubts. Little raindrops were lightly tapping my windshield and the trees were swaying a soft dance. I thought to myself, just wait and see. The weather can be unpredictable when you live on the coast, and sometimes things can change quickly. Although I knew this, I dreaded calling this family and cancelling so last minute, as I know how challenging it can be to prepare your kids for a photo session. And the drive wasn’t all that short. I parked my car and walked a small stretch of the beach, and while there were a few raindrops, it wasn’t serious. And sure enough, as soon as we all met each other and began the session, the most beautiful thing happened. The warm fading sun slipped behind a cloud and the soft filtered light was absolutely magical. It is my most favourite kind of light! And what a delightful family. I got completely lost somewhere within my camera as I clicked frame after frame. If it weren’t for the diminishing light, I could have gone on for hours. Sometimes it pays off to be patient, when it comes to the variable weather and see what unfolds!

 

Posted in Families

The Golden Girl

Posted in Families

 

The last time I photographed this beautiful family was eleven years ago. How the kids have grown! I don’t think I would have recognized any of them if I passed them by on the sidewalk, but as I looked through my lens, I saw the young children they used to be in each of their faces. I even noticed some of the same mannerisms that they had as young ones. We change over the years, but in some ways we never change, and that is a wonderful thing. What was really fun and unique about this session though, was that it was an extended family shoot… which included their beloved chicken Golden Girl! In all the years I have been photographing families, this was a first. How delightful! What a sweet creature.. so willing to pose quietly for me as the family gathered and prepared for the shoot. I kind of wish I could have a chicken now.

 

Posted in Families

Fun at Willows Beach

Posted in Families

 

I’m always amazed at how resourceful kids can be when they are playing on the beach. No screens of any kind are needed here. These three beauties found all kinds of things to keep them immersed in play. They used the charred remnants of a beach fire to write their names on stones (complete with little hearts), they built sand castles with only their hands and imaginations, they performed countless gymnastics moves on the pillowy soft sand, while I stood back and marvelled at how flexible they were! I wish I could do a back bend! Children have a way of simply being in the moment and creating their own worlds of adventure just by being present and spontaneous. It was so beautiful to watch these girls be themselves and take advantage of the sea and sand this lovely early Autumn evening.

 

Posted in Families

All Beak and No Wing

Posted in Pets

 

They are called Indian Runner Ducks, and they hatched a few weeks ago in Ms. Takhar’s kindergarten class at Lochside Elementary. They have been adored since the first beak cracked open the egg. The class gave each of them a special name… Star, Rosy, Rocky and Chirpy. Now they reside on my friend’s beautiful organic farm, and it is truly a lovely place to call home. They have so much room to run, and they are excellent runners, which is a good thing because they don’t really grow wings. Even as adults, they don’t fly. They prefer to forage in the grass and even catch flies! love how they stand tall, almost penguin-like, and how they always stick together. Soon, they will lose their fuzz and grow a fresh coat of pretty white feathers. Hopefully, they will grow into those big beautiful beaks, too. I know that these lucky four will be living the good life.

 

Posted in Pets
2 comments

  • Gyneth Turner - Oh my gosh, those ducks are the cutest lil things!  They look like Easter!  Did they hatch in Helena Takhar’s class?  Great names. .ReplyCancel

    • rhayne73@yahoo.ca - Aren’t they sweet? Indeed they did! They lived in the kindergarten classroom for a week before they found their new home at Michelle’s farm!ReplyCancel

Lacey

Posted in Pets

 

She was so little, we couldn’t take her for a walk at the beach yet. But that’s ok… she was showing me just how adorable she is, just by sitting on the couch! No need to find the perfect setting when you’ve got eyes the size of dinner plates and the softest puppy fur imaginable. Little Lacy stole my heart.. over and over again. Everything she did was scrumptious. We played indoors for a little while and then ventured outside with her sweet little ladybug leash that she loved to chew. Everything in the world was new to her. We couldn’t keep her contained! She went here, there and everywhere, with a little bounce in her step. She jumped into the hedge and almost completely submerged… she crawled under my car…. she smashed the pansies in the front yard…and when she finally tuckered out, she flopped down on her favourite mat and fell into a deep snooze. She’s so very new and very small, but looking at the size of those paws, she’s in for a bit of a growth spurt!

 

Posted in Pets

Bug Catching and Puddle Jumping

Posted in Families

 

If you ever need someone to catch you a grasshopper (or in this case, a beach hopper of some sort), Ava is your girl. At first I thought she was pretending to catch little critters in the sand… but I quickly realized that she was actually collecting real ones in her hands! She was lost in a world of her own while she combed the beach for ladybugs and other random but delightful things. Then she was visited by a familiar four-legged friend who just came in from a swim in the sea. They had a couple rounds of tug-o-war before they parted ways. And when it was time to go home, her rubber boots couldn’t help but collide with the puddle in the path. She’s quite an expert at puddle jumping… but she had enough as soon as she realized how wet she was getting. Back to the van for some yummy goldfish crackers and a rest from a busy day on the beach.

 

Posted in Families

Bella and Puddles

Posted in Pets

 

Do you ever wish sometimes you could go back to a time in your life, perhaps in childhood, when the world was completely new, and every experience was a novelty? Meet Bella and Puddles. They are still so very new to this world, so this was their first day ever on the beach! They were quite tentative at first, not sure about all that soft deep sand and wide open space. Bella, dressed all in black, was the braver of the two, and she was the first to venture out, but as you will see in the above photos, she looked just a little bit terrified at first. But she got over it quickly, and in no time, was all over the map, exploring every nook and cranny. Sweet, tiny Puddles took a little longer to warm up to this new adventure, but perhaps as he watched Bella, he soon realized that this world exploration thing could be a whole lot of fun! He trembled and took baby steps, and then he found his feet. All four of them. He even climbed big logs and things. Here’s to stepping outside of comfort zones!

 

Posted in Pets
2 comments

Nesting

Posted in Personal

 

It appears as though my easter egg hunt has already begun! They are not of the sugary or chocolate variety.. but can these count? I did hunt for them…. although, I won’t tell you where I found them. No birds were harmed in the making of this photograph. *wink* Although, a little boy was curious and observant as his mother let me borrow his beloved swing for a few minutes. And what a delicious swing.. it hangs from a tree in the corner of their yard, nestled right up against the sidewalk. It has been there so long, the lichen can’t tell the swing from the tree anymore!  It’s just sublime. The child in me wanted to run barefoot across their lawn and swing so high as to see over the treetops! There must be something in the spring air that infuses one with a sense of earthly delight and sweet nostalgia. And just wait until the lilacs come out…

Posted in Personal
2 comments

So Good to See You Again

Posted in Personal

There’s this one little magnolia tree in Oak Bay that I visit every spring. It is remarkable because the tree itself is quite small… But the flowers that bloom, once they open completely, are almost the size of volleyballs! How can those wee, delicate branches hold up so much beauty?  This year, I was a little early… because last year I was a little late. Magnolias are a fleeting phenomenon, it seems. They bud and bloom into perfect exquisiteness and then they are gone in a matter of days. So it’s hard to time it just right, especially when I don’t live in the area. But I just can’t get over this tree. It’s one of those things I wait for all year and savour it all the more because it’s a once a year event… like tasting fresh berries in June, or spotting that first house to turn on the Christmas lights. Oh, and the baby lambs that leap and twist in the daffodil fields. And the insulating quiet of winter’s first snowfall. It’s a different kind of quiet, isn’t it?  … I could go on and on. There’s something reassuring about the cyclical nature of things, and the looking forward to those things that manifest in their own time. All is well in the world when this little tree expresses its love for spring. And once the petals fall, I know I will be back in twelve months to take it all in once again.

Posted in Personal
3 comments

  • Gyneth - I love magnolia blossoms!  Thanks Jaime, I needed a little reminder about the beauty of springtime renewal, and savouring the gifts of the season!ReplyCancel

  • Sarah - Beautiful colors, so soft. I had a magnolia bush in the yard where I grew up. I wonder if my parents still have it…ReplyCancel

  • Dawne - Beautiful shots and words honey…can’t figure out if your a better photographer or writer both  your talents leave me breathless….xxoooReplyCancel

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