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!

Having Fun at the Healthy Family Expo! | Vancouver & Chilliwack Event Photographer

Wow... you can tell it's a busy month when I haven't had time to blog for a while... oops! I guess I had better get sharing some of my travels pronto then...

Well, yes, it has been a busy month, and one of the highlights was when I was asked to shoot the Healthy Family Expo, at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Being a family-oriented "gig", it meant that my hubby and girls could actually tag along for once. The girls LOVED it! There were so many fantastic activities to do, as well as some delicious sampling, and great entertainment from the likes of Bobs and Lolo, it made the long day fly by. (AND, I should mention that Bobs & Lola are, by far, the nicest entertainers I have ever met... and that includes all the folks I met during my years of working in UK Radio!)

Here is just a tiny taster of the day...

Oh yes... and the prize for the best photobomb of the day, had to go to the fella from the Naked Coconuts booth...

Thanks For A Busy Year!! | Chilliwack Newborn Baby & Commercial Photographer

Phew! This has been a crazy busy Fall/Winter... and it hasn't slowed down for the Christmas Season with 2 Newborn Sessions, a Business Headshot Session AND a long Commercial Session to shoot in just this week alone! My January is already mostly full and with enquiries coming in all the way to March, I am excited to see what 2015 brings...

Well, in case my schedule keeps me from hitting the blog before New Year, I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a happy & healthy 2015, and to say a BIG thank you to everyone who has helped or supported my business in 2014. I love what I do and the people I have the pleasure to work with in this business - who thought grafting to pay the bills and put food on my family's table could be so rewarding in so many other ways?!

Thank you and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Rain or Shine, The Farming Must Go On! | Vancouver Commercial Photographer

The commercial side of my business really has been taking me here, there and everywhere lately! A couple of weeks ago, it was to this fantastic urban farming project in North Vancouver...

This acre of land, at Loutet Farm, not only produces great, fresh produce for people in need, but it also provides valuable education and community inspiration. (You can see more info at www.ediblegardenproject.com.)

This was a fun shoot, which gave me some great tips for my own vegetable garden. However, it did come with its own challenges... because we live in BC... which boasts a temperate rainforest climate... meaning we get a lot of... rain! It is great for plants, but not so great for cameras. Of course, I came prepared... boots, BIG umbrella and lots of waterproof stuff!

Another Sizzling Show... | Abbotsford & Vancouver Commercial Photographer

I recently had the great pleasure to be working again with the award-winning Marketing Team from Valley Countertops, at the IDS West Show in Vancouver. Every year, these guys sizzle with fresh ideas that sets their booth apart from the pack... but this year the sizzling was literal, as Chef Jorge cooked up some delicious bites for show guests!

Planting a Greener Future | Vancouver & Surrey Commercial Photographer

I had the great honour, in September, of being invited to photograph 2 special community events, organized by the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, called TD Tree Days. I had already shot a similar event, earlier in the year for the City of Abbotsford, so knew exactly what these fantastic events were like and was thrilled to be a part of it.

The project is in its 5th year, and helps to develop green spaces in urban areas. The Tree Days not only help develop some beautiful environments for communities to enjoy (the thousands of volunteers involved have planted over 135,000 trees so far!), but they are also a fun bonding experience for families and friends alike. (Oh yes... and they lay on some great food to keep you going!!)

These particular 2 were in Stanley Park & Surrey's Royal Heights Park.

Oh... and as if shooting these events weren't already fun enough for me, one of my shots also made it into that week's Vancouver Sun!

If you would like to get involved in a future Tree Day, head on over to www.tdtreedays.com  to find out more!

Flashback to A Busy Summer | Abbotsford Commercial Photographer

It has been a crazy, busy couple of months, so with my first weekend off for a long time approaching, I thought I'd take this time to catch up on the blog a bit... and share a few of my other recent adventures...

My Summers are usually dominated by family time, with the kids being home from school for a couple of months (the pros of self-employment, of course!). However, this Summer's schedule was also spiced up a bit by a commission to shoot a number of Summer camps. As a parent, I do enjoy these jobs, since they offer me inspiration for some great things to do with my own kids!