Puppy Love | Chilliwack Newborn Baby Photographer

Sibling photos are probably the most popular part of many of my newborn photo galleries. Having a sibling is such a special relationship - you have a shared upbringing that forms a unique bond as an instant ready-made friend, playmate and confidante. Well, for this session, our new little person brought a slightly different kind of sibling... one with 4 fluffy legs!  

I am a true dog lover, but I don't usually encourage pets in our newborn sessions. Animals are very unpredictable, especially when thrown into a strange, bright studio environment with a scary camera-face lady...and like the regular little 2-legged siblings, they are adjusting to a major change in their home life. On top of that, as a mother & wife to allergy sufferers, I am sensitive to keeping my studio as allergen & dander-free as I can.

However, after talking it through with Mom & Dad, we decided to give it a go, since pup was very well-behaved, had taken to baby fantastically and had the kind of non-shedding coat that doesn't cause so many of those pesky allergy reactions. I am so glad we did, because the shots came out great. Both parents happily jumped in on "safety watch" for the session, and both siblings rocked it like pro models. Now it make me want to do more pet photography!!

Here is a little taster from their gallery...

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...

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...

A Long-Awaited Bundle to Love | Chilliwack Newborn Baby Photographer

Every baby is special to their new Mom & Dad. Planned or a surprise...first baby or third...each arrival changes their parents lives in many varied and wonderful ways. This little man, though, is particularly special for his loving Chilliwack parents... and that is because his grand arrival has finally come after 20 years of waiting!

So, as you can imagine, I was extremely honored when his lovely cousin contacted me, to help arrange his Newborn photo session. Mom & Dad were a little nervous to brave the world with this precious treasure, but were such a pleasure to get to know, during the session's couple of hours. The love for this little man was so evident - they are going to be fantastic parents!

2 Weeks Old and Ready to Take On the World! | Chilliwack Newborn Baby Photographer

This cheeky little man came to visit, last weekend. (You may remember his ridiculously-good-looking parents rocking their Maternity Session back in July.) He is quite the personality already and really wasn't too interested in going to sleep for his newborn photos. Thankfully, I am just as stubborn as this little guy, and managed to get a few gorgeous shots during his brief napping moments.

For anyone wondering why a sleeping baby is so important in a Newborn Session, there are a few reasons. Newborns have very little muscle control, resulting in some crazy facial expressions, and wildly moving hands and limbs - neither of which usually giving cute, flattering photos. They also have far less control over their eye muscles, so occasionally going cross-eyed is fairly common... and again, not very flattering for junior! On top of that, at this very early age, they really only want to do one thing when they are awake... and that is feed - perfectly natural, but not helpful for taking photos! 

 Since, he was so keen on staying awake though, and was actually pretty calm about it (a rarity at this age), I decided a few awake shots would be pretty cool to grab too. Here is a little taster of this cute little guy's gallery...

Meeting a New Family Member | BC Newborn Photographer

I love meeting new little people, but this one was just a teensy bit more special than normal - this brand new little person is my brand new niece! That wasn't the only thing that was different about this newborn session - we had to travel over 7000km to meet her! Her arrival was the perfect excuse for a UK holiday, and we enjoyed the baby snuggles along with 2 weeks of family visits and sightseeing.

Of course, being away from my studio brought a few challenges. I had to convert my In-Laws' living room into a make-shift studio, and was limited to only 1 blanket and 1 basket. Thankfully, my awesome Mother-in-Law happens to be the person who makes most of my wearable props, so came to the rescue with a cute pair of pants and bonnet... and my fantastic husband jumped into the role of assistant - spotting baby, moving furniture, converting couches into posing tables, and helping me tame some difficult midday sunlight. Oh yes... and my daughters were only too happy to jump in as models for a cousins pose! All-in-all, I think we make a good family team!

Cute and VERY Cuddly! | Abbotsford Newborn Photographer

I had the pleasure of meeting this brand new little man, last week... who was not only very cute, but also happened to bring with him a set of very photogenic parents - double win for me!

He was slightly older than most newborns that come to see me, due to a brief NICU stay. This meant he wasn't quite as "squishy" any more, and was now wanting to stay awake for longer. He was also a bigger fan than most at being held and cuddled. I never mind though. Slightly different photos are far better than no photos at all! It is just more of a challenge for me as a newborn photographer... and means more snuggles for this baby-loving mama of 2! 

Well, perseverance and some modified posing won the day... and we ended up with another great gallery of images... even if I do say so myself! 

Just a Little Peanut... | Chilliwack Newborn Baby Photographer

This tiny little fella came to visit me last week... and broke the record for the smallest non-multiple newborn to visit the studio, having surprised Mom & Dad with a very early arrival!

When photographing newborns, we like them to go into a really deep "milk coma", so that we can position/wrap/unwrap them while they stay asleep (awake, fresh newborns are not so flattering to photograph, as they have little or no control over their limbs, facial muscles and eyes... creating some crazy looks!). This little peanut was not so keen to go into that deep sleep, but he did behave very well anyway, staying mostly asleep and calming quickly after each move... so he was also done with his session in record time!

Welcome to the world little man... it was a pleasure to meet you...