photos for a good cause

Hey! I'm donating a photo shoot to two great causes: Haiti Relief and a local Massage Therapy School. If you would like a chance to bid on a photo session with yours truly, here's the info.

When? Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010
Time? 3:00 pm
Where? The Rock Bottom Brewery, Spring Garden Road

E-mail or call me if you have any questions! Also, you can click the image below to make it bigger. :)

kyla + marc + karlyn = love

It's always a teensy bit nerve-wracking going to someone's home for a photo shoot. You never quite know what you're going to walk into and of course, I'm always plagued by the "what if I can't get a good shot?" doubts.

But the instant I walked in the front door, Kyla and Marc put my nerves at ease. These two are the most easy-going, warm and welcoming folks you'd ever want to meet. I felt comfortable right away and knew this was going to be an enjoyable hour.

Their baby girl Karlyn is an absolute pleasure. She was so well behaved and the camera loves her. I got some absolutely breath-taking shots of this blue-eyed beauty.

I wasn't able to capture an a-one traditional family portrait (it's hard to get everyone looking at the camera with a normal expression!). But what I think I did do, was capture a moment in time - a new family in love with each other and so very happy. (I'm sure Merlot the Cat is happy too, despite his grouchy scowl!)

Thank-you Kyla and Marc, for inviting me into your home and allowing me to share in this special time!

little men

Last week I hosted a crafternoon at my place (which I will blog about eventually). I know! Isn't the term crafternoon super-awesome? Sadly, I can't take credit for the idea, which lies here. And I certainly can't take any credit for the two handsome gentlemen who also attended crafternoon. But what I can take credit for, is snapping these pictures. These adorable little dudes are all about the eyes!

here comes trouble!

Another shot of Rhianna, this time enjoying a game of Trouble. I absolutely love taking shots of kids doing what kids do best - playing and having fun. It's such a happy and sacred time in our lives that I consider it a privilege to document it... and by doing so, hopefully remind people to hold on to this care-free attitude and embrace the importance of PLAY! xoxo.

the ones we love

I absolutely adore collections of photographs. Collections with meaning. Or collections of photographs with no meaning at all. Collections of blue images, images of birds, images of babies or images of buildings. It doesn't really matter - I love looking at things in groups. Maybe it has something to do with the old notion, "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." I think it was Aristotle who said it and I'm not entirely sure it's applicable to groups of pictures but for today, I think it was and it does.

So I pretty much lose my mind when people come up with a collection of photographs that has profound meaning... a sentiment linked to a group of pictures that makes me go, "dammit! why didn't I think of that?!" because it's such a great idea. Which is exactly how I felt when I stumbled upon the project The Ones We Love.

I think photography is especially suited to a sentimental personality. Most photographer's I know have a romantic streak that runs very deep. So it's no surprise to me that a photo project resulted with this as it's goal:

The Ones We Love is a project highlighting young and talented photographers from around the world. Each artist contributed six photographs of the person(s) who is most important to them, taken outdoors in a natural setting. The goal of the website is to portray the people who are loved, cherished, and inspirational to these artists, and also showcase the differences and similarities in the photographs each of them took within the same guidelines.

*Swoon* What an amazing idea. And some of the photos are even more amazing! I think it's so interesting how you can put a bunch of photographers in a situation and they all come out with very distinct representations of what happened. So give photographers the world over an idea, imagine all the different approaches! I love it.

One thing I especially like about this website is the hand written introduction about the loved one by each artist... Some serious, some whimsical, some almost too messy to read. I've always felt that I am especially good at taking pictures of the people I love simply because I love them so much. And I think that's exactly what makes these images so profound. You read the intro, you see the pictures, you feel the love.

Here's a sample of what I'm talking about from artist Ian Aleksander Adams from Savannah, Georgia. (click it to make it bigger).



You should probably just go check it out for yourself! Happy viewing!

sarah & joel {in love}

After months and months of talking about it, Sarah, Joel and I got together for their engagement shoot in January. Sarah wanted to do it outside on the beach because Joel proposed on a beach... God love their hardiness because it was COLD and you can barely see how freezing Sarah is in any of these images. Afterwards, I don't think I felt my fingers for 45 minutes!

But these shots were totally worth it. Sarah is stunningly beautiful and her and Joel simply glow. You can tell that these two are meant to be together and it's wonderful to see two people so in love. Hopefully their wedding down south this Spring will be a touch warmer than this day was. :)

four decades of love

Ever since I first started taking my photography seriously, I've wanted to do a shoot with Mom and Dad. But you know how it is - there's never time or it's never convenient. And one sad but true fact I've observed is that as people get older (and I'm talking sometimes 35 or 40!) they become more and more reluctant to have their portrait taken. I don't know why, as the stories on people's faces become ever-so-much-more interesting with every day that passes.

But I digress. One fine fall day this November as they were driving me back to Halifax, the sun was slanting at such an angle that I absolutely had to pull over and get some shots. My parents essentially had no choice in the matter. And just like that, their impromptu photo shoot began.

Have I mentioned before how amazing my parents are? Well, they are. And I consider myself a lucky pup to have witnessed the growth of a marriage - a delicate balance cemented by love - that I can refer to as a healthy and vibrant reference point when navigating my own life. For two people to have been in love every single day for over 40 years is nothing short of incredible. And I really do think these pictures highlight something magical. xo.

PS: This jumping shot was all Mom's idea. Seriously!! :)

a morning's contemplation

I don't know why I've had a hard time pinning myself down long enough to blog lately. My mind has been scattered and my heart has been pulled in many directions. Consequently, my focus has been a tad blurry, if not completely lacking these past few weeks (er... months).

The drama of life continues to unfold on a daily basis. The thoughts of, "have I chosen the correct path?" and "how am I going to make this work?" continue to poke holes in my normally determined and hopeful bubble of thoughts. I've been getting discouraged with my job-that-pays-the-bills and have been employing lame excuses for Not Getting Anything Done. (I have a headache. My room is too messy and is stifling my creative flow. And so on).

But this morning as I looked at the light falling on my delicious cream cheese brownie (made in celebration of a dear friend's birthday) sitting on its immaculate white plate, I felt something creep in and nestle in my heart. Was it the promise of spring? Was it a renewal of faith that everything will be OK and all is well? Was it the whispering of, "don't forget about the small things that really matter?" I don't know what it was, but it felt warm and good and my stomach felt fizzy with excitement.

It's so easy to get bogged down with the must-dos, should-have-dones and the don't-really-matter-details that I sometimes forget to broaden my mind to the bigger picture and those things that truly bring me joy. And sometimes all you need as a reminder is delicate light cast on a homemade brownie.

(These are easy and delicious. Click HERE for the recipe from Betty Crocker).