An Adorable Little Man! | Chilliwack Newborn Baby Photographer

This absolutely adorable little man came to see me last week. Little Carter was not only very cute, though, he was also a very good little boy; he stayed sleepy and content through most of his session - an absolute angel to photograph. (Oh yes... and his parents were pretty awesome too.) It was a pleasure to meet you, little man...

2 Gorgeous Little Ladies | Chilliwack Childrens Photographer

I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing this lovely family, last year, so was really happy to see them again.

Little baby Jade has had a rough start at life - a life filled with hospital visits, tests and way more than such a little bug should have to go through. However, she has the best big sister that a little girl could hope for, to support and look after her; big sis really is just as beautiful on the inside as out. Their parents must be so proud!

A Beautiful Mama-to Be | Chilliwack Maternity Photographer

This maternity session was such a huge privilege to shoot - the Mama-to-be is my fabulous BFF! Not only is she rocking her bump, but she was truly fantastic to "pose". It really was a pleasure to do this session. Am I biased? Maybe... but lets be honest, your close friends and family are usually the most difficult, aren't they? No? Just mine then? Oh... ok... anyway, here is a peek at the best of her session... (Can't wait to meet the little guy inside!!)

Top 10 of 2013

It's that time of the year again... time for some reflection and to pick my top 10 shots of the previous 12 months.

Picking this year was tough... REALLY tough... mostly for 2 reasons:
1. You are your own worst critic, and if you are constantly improving, you find it hard not to over-critique previous work
2. Some shots had a story to them that made them special, even if they weren't as technically good as others.

Well, after much deliberation, and some peer consultation (yeh... I cheated a little and asked a few friends!), here are (in no particular order) my top 10 of 2013... enjoy!

I love this shot because I had tried to lure a hummingbird to my garden for 2 years, with no success.
This success was a result of a Moose Peterson tutorial on Kelby Training, and a new hummingbird feeder!

Picking this particular one, from a group of this session's shots, was tough - I loved a few of them!
Captured just off the beach at Porteau Cove, I stalked this guy for about 30 minutes,
gradually (& very patiently) getting closer...

My favourite shot from the 2013 Wedding Season. :-)

Don't Put Off What You Can Do Today | Chilliwack Family Photographer

How often do you say to yourself  "I should get some up-to-date family photos done" but then life gets busy, you forget and another year rolls on without it happening? How often do your family albums look like a member of the family (the photographer!) is missing at most events?

Well, if you still need some inspiration for a great New Year Resolution or a goal for 2014, then I have a little suggestion for you... get those photos done, and get in some photos yourself! If you really need to, you can pretty much juggle ANY schedule, but you CANNOT turn back the clock, and you have NO idea what is coming round the corner tomorrow.

Take our wedding, for example... we have 1 group shot that I adore... it is not anything special or particularly unique. It is not an award-winning photo and not everyone is smiling or posed perfectly. It is just a simple shot of everyone who came to our wedding... but within 18 months of that photo, 3 of those people had passed away (and 2 were very unexpected). Sadly, that is the harsh reality of life.

OK... so, I have a confession - I was the worst offender for not being in photos or putting off our own family photos. Yup... pot meet kettle! (Phew... that was a relief to get it out there!) At the end of last year, I decided that I should listen to my own advice and get our own family portraits done. I hooked up with my fabulous photographer buddy Pam (Pam Dykstra Photography) , who had the exact same problem and thought, and we did a session swap! It was our turn first...

Photograph courtesy of Pam Dykstra Photography

I LOVED our shots and am SO glad we did them. I now exist in photos and we have 3 canvases proudly adorning our walls. It was also a great learning lesson, for me as a photographer, about the stresses of outfit picking for the family!! (Watch this space, as I now plan to add a pinterest board to help!)

A few days later, it was Pam's turn!

So, you can make many excuses why you can or may not get photos done, but I am pretty confident that you can also find a solution for each one. In the words of a wise man of the South, "get er done"!

Happy New Year!! | Chilliwack Newborn, Family & Commercial Photographer

2013 was a big year of growth for me and my business... and none of this growth could have been possible without some very fabulous people... 

Special thanks should go to my fantastic Husband, Mother and Parents-in-Law for the endless hours of building, sewing, knitting and so much more, to help make the magic happen. 

Thank you Jillian & Lori, for your marvellous mentoring, words of wisdom and support. 

Thank you to all of my fabulous friends & supporters for your endless encouragement, cheerleading and helping to spread my business name much farther than I could on my own. 

And last, but by no means least, a big thank you to all of my clients - you have all truly been an absolute pleasure to work with and it was an honour to capture your special memories for you. 

Wishing you all the best health and happiness in 2014! x