Happy New Year! | Chilliwack & Fraser Valley Newborn & Commercial Photographer

“Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” - Brad Paisley

Going through my images for 2015, to make this collage, it has reminded me of what an amazing year it has been. I have met some fantastic new families (with the cutest children), caught up with some fantastic previous clients... and had a lot of fun and crazy new experiences with my fantastic commercial clients. As an artist, I had fun stretching my skills and finally ticked some shots off my to-do list. As a business owner, I have had a busy year - my busiest to date - with most of the last 6 months being fully booked well in advance! (In fact, I was fully booked into January 2016 halfway through just October!)

So, I would just like to thank all of my clients, family and friends for a wonderful year and wish you all the best for an equally wonderful 2016! I am excited to see what it will bring. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A Lovely Gift | Chilliwack Newborn Photographer

With 2 loving big sisters to look after him, I'm sure this little man has many years of fun and adventures ahead of him... and Dad is sure going to enjoy the back-up when they enter those crazy teenage years!

They were such a lovely family to work with,  and were gifted their newborn session by an equally-lovely family member in Alberta - such a great way to share in these precious family memories when you can't be there in person! (A meaningful gift that will last way longer than any cute outfit, toy or stroller.)

Here is a little taster of their morning with me...

What a Change Just One Year Can Make! | Abbotsford & Chilliwack Baby Photographer

Having children is a real eye-opener to how fast life can pass you by. Whilst many things in the world can take decades to change, children do it in the blink of an eye! Another reason to keep taking as many photographs as you can - to put a pause button on those fabulous little moments of time.

You rarely see more change than in that first year of life - they go from tiny, curled-up, feeding & pooping machines... to lively, fast-moving bundles of personality that just absorb everything around them with wonder and a thirst for exploration. This little lady was no exception. 

I remember her well from her Newborn Session - back then, she had a beautiful mass of gorgeous, thick, dark hair - so I was amazed by her change into a sweet, little blondie, when she returned for her 1-Year-Old Portraits! The fabulous personality was all there.. with lots to spare... and dimples that would melt the coldest heart!! She was SO good to shoot... I could've just photographed her for hours...

Happy 1st Birthday, little lady!

It's A Boy! | Abbotsford and Chilliwack Newborn Baby Photographer

Following on from my last blog post, here is the little guy that was safely tucked away in that beautiful belly! His arrival was a bit of an unpredictable early surprise... and caused poor Dad to make a frantic race home from a work trip.

He was a funny little chap to work with, for his Newborn Session - he definitely had a favourite position to lie in and was not keen to try anything else. He also wasn't a fan of my normal background noise (which I use to reduce any startling reactions while I shoot... usually white noise or peaceful music). This little guy, it turns out, is a bit of a rock man already... and settled beautifully while listening to the Foo Fighters!! 

He is such a cutie though... and as the first grandson, he is definitely feeling the love from the older generation as well! In fact, his wonderful grandparents stopped by, at the start of the session, so they could be included in one lovely family shot together... and rightly so, as I hear they have been a fantastic source of help for Mom & Dad during this first week. 

Mixing It Up a Little | Abbotsford & Chilliwack Maternity Photographer

A tiny bit of a "throwback day" for this blog post - these maternity images were actually taken back in November, but as their exciting news had not been officially announced "online" yet, I was more than happy to hold back on sharing until baby had made their grand entrance! Well, he has arrived and is now keeping them very busy (as all good newborns do!)...so, here is the first of 2 posts that I am proud to share, featuring their wonderful beginning as a brand new family.

When my clients book their Maternity portrait sessions, they usually have a choice of 2 very different styles of photo - they can either pick that pure, simplicity of a studio-based session, or something a little more casual and relaxed in their favourite outdoor location. Well, with things being rather "chilly" at this time of the year, it does make it a little bit more uncomfortable for the outdoorsy folk hoping to also have that popular bare-belly shot! 

Luckily, my studio is within a short distance of some beautiful outdoors locations, meaning that we can sometimes squeeze in a couple of those bare-belly shots in the studio, before heading out to one of these local locations for the remainder of the session's hour. 

Welcoming A Bonny Little Lass | Langley Newborn Baby Photographer

One thing I love about my job as a Newborn Photographer, is getting to know some wonderful couples as they begin this an exciting new chapter in their lives. I love hearing their stories from their varied walks of life... and these new parents were no exception! Mom is an experienced back-packing adventurer, and met Dad while on her amazing travels.  With such great jet-setting parents, I have no doubt that this little girl will enjoy seeing many wonderful sights around the world when she is a little older.

Although this little muffin was less than 2 weeks old, when I met her for her newborn portrait session, she was already filling out well and developing some gorgeous "rolls"! Add to that a beautiful thick head of hair, and I could've cuddled her for hours...

Counting Down to a Very Special New Year | Fraser Valley Maternity Photographer

I met this lovely couple at the recent Baby & Tot Show, and whilst my simple, clean style of newborn photography was not completely what they were looking for (knowing your style preference before booking your Newborn Photographer is something I strongly encourage, since you need to love your images for decades to come), they were still very enthusiastic to visit my studio for their Maternity Session.

I am so glad that they did, because they were an absolute joy to work with - fun, kind, very responsive to direction and pretty darn good-looking! 

Something a Little Festive | Agassiz Family & Child Photographer

It was a very welcome return to the studio for this wonderful family, as they visited for a special Christmas-theme children's portrait session.

I've been photographing this little lady since she was still just a bump at her Mom's Maternity Session, so it is always a joy to see how much she has grown. Her last visit was only a few months ago, but it really is amazing to see how much they change in such a short amount of time. Photographs really are providing a valuable pause button on these cherished moments! 

Now, this little lady is truly "on-the-move" (and at quite a speed in all directions!), so life must be really interesting (and very busy!) for her lovely parents. Shooting toddlers of this speed is also very interesting (and very busy!) for us baby photographers... but I love to be kept on my toes occasionally!  

We kept things light, and just wandered from backdrop to backdrop, as she explored and warmed up to the idea of being photographed. It was such a gorgeous day, though, that we had to finish the session with a little fresh air in our neighbouring park!  

My Family's New Favourite Person | Chilliwack Family Photographer

November has been a crazy-busy month for me... in fact, it has probably been my busiest month since I started my business! Of course, this is fantastic.. and I can't thank my wonderful clients enough... but it has brought a few challenges balancing work and home life. Well, without the lovely lady in these family photos, we may have starved!

OK... maybe "starved" is a little exaggeration, but I can say that she has seriously saved my sanity, this month. Angela is the brains & talent behind "Thyme to Enjoy", and she offers various chef services including private function catering, cooking lessons, kids' cooking parties and fill-your-freezer days. It was the freezer-filling service that came to my rescue - and it not only saved me a stack of effort and stress on busy working days, but her meals were also insanely delicious! (So much so, that my oldest daughter said she wanted to kidnap her and make her cook all of our meals forever... her words, not mine!)

Anyway, enough food talk (before the drooling clogs my keyboard) and onto her family photos! We braved a very chilly November morning to capture some lasting memories with an outdoor family portrait session... followed by a very quick dive into the studio for a couple of business headshots (featuring her very cool, signature, pink chef coat!) and a wee school photo re-shoot. It was a rather productive morning!

Welcome Back For Baby Number 2! | Chilliwack Newborn Baby Photographer

It is such an honour when I am asked to record the treasured memories of local Fraser Valley families, as they welcome a brand new baby into their lives... but it is a huge compliment when a previously-photographed family returns to my studio, as they welcome another bundle into their fold. 

This is one of those families! It only seems like yesterday when I had the pleasure of photographing this little lady for her Newborn Portrait Session... but it was actually a little over 2 years ago...and she is now a (very cute) big sister to a (very cute) little man.