lindsay + mike + spencer

I was so happy that Lindsay + Mike invited me over to their place to take photos of Spencer. Hands down, he is the jolliest, happiest, smiliest baby I have yet to photograph - an absolute dream! We got some amazing shots from our session and I'm really excited to share some of my favourites here. Thanks again for a great morning of shooting!

on the grow

Remember sweet little Olivia? Well she's growing up and looking like a big girl now - toddling about and exploring the world around her. It was amazing watching her pick things up and examine them... I could just see the wheels in her head turning, trying to figure out what's what. As you can see below, she's just as sweet as ever with her gorgeous baby blues.

It was an absolute pleasure to be invited back to Garett and Kristal's home to capture this special time. It was great to see you all again - I had a lot of fun and hope you did too! Enjoy your sneak peek!

a day in the life

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about how I take photographs. More specifically, I've been thinking about what I take photographs of. I love doing portraits. I love getting those shots of perfectly sharp eyes and genuine expressions. I like cropping out the details so that the image is not about a time or place, but about who a person is.

But, I think I've discovered something I love doing even more. I think more than anything, I like telling stories. I like taking photographs of not just an individual but of an individual in a particular time and space. Because I think the time and space helps us, as a viewer, understand the people in the image by providing better context.

I know that as I browse other photographer's portfolios, the images I tend to bookmark and revisit time and again are those with a journalistic slant - the story-telling shots that are immediately relate-able and give me goosebumps.

One of the reasons I fell in love with the art of photography was because I wanted to be able to document people's moments of love. When people asked, "What do you take pictures of?" My cheesy yet truthful answer was, "love." Because really, what's more important in this life than the people we love and our relationships with them?

So with that in mind, I started taking pictures. And originally I felt the best way to do it would be to take portraits - capturing the essence of who a person is and preserving it for generations to come.

But, like all things in life, ideas and approaches evolve. And over the course of time I've started to realize that my most favourite images from every photo session that I do, are not actually the ones with tack sharp eyes and perfect expressions, but those that tell a story of how the people in the image relate. The odd shot where I catch a man looking lovingly at his wife-to-be or a mother's patient yet weary smile while holding a squirming two year old. It's these images that I treasure the most.

This evolution of thought does not come as a surprise to me, as I've always said that if I were to win the lottery, I would make documentaries. And I often think about going back to school to take journalism.

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this... other than the fact that I want to tell you that I've been doing a lot of thinking about photojournalism and in particular, family photojournalism. I passionately believe in family and believe even more firmly that it should be documented.

So yesterday I started practicing. I went over to my brother's place and while I got some really nice portraits of Hannah and Joshua, I concentrated moreso on taking environmental type shots that told a really good story about what a day in their life is like. I concentrated on preserving the light and shadows to tell a better story of mood and I didn't photoshop out any of the "imperfections" that I would normally deem distracting (such as a corner of a picture frame on the wall).

Even though some of the images are not perfectly exposed or perfectly sharp, I am in love with the results. It's got me wondering how I can do this for other families. Wondering how plausible it would be to spend an entire day with a family from breakfast to bedtime and how easily and quickly could I melt into the background as they went about their day? Am I able to get these shots just because it's my brother's family? I don't know, but certainly, someday, I would like to try.

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!

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!! :)

paper hearts

Yesterday I visited with Rhianna. We played four games of Trouble (I won three). Obviously, she took it well. Have I mentioned how much I love this little girl?

wayne et al

At first, I had no idea how I was going to take pictures of a family with five kids. You look at "family portraits" on other photographer's blogs for ideas and you mainly see Mommy, Daddy and Baby. If the family count is more than four, you get to see a whole lot of sitting on logs with white t-shirts and hands on shoulders... I knew that kind of photo was not going to fly for Wayne, Melissa and their kids. So, I was a little nervous.

But I soon learned there was no need to be. This group was so.much.fun. and up for anything! At first I think they were a tad skeptical when I told them to line up and hold hands but very quickly they caught on and were thinking up awesome poses on their own. What fun!

We got so many good shots from their session that I had a really hard time narrowing it down, so here are ten (yes, ten!!) of my absolute favourites. Can you see how much love there is in this family? It was a beautiful thing to capture.