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!

A Beautiful Evening By the River | Chilliwack Family Photographer

I really enjoyed catching up with this lovely family again, last week. (I last saw them just under 2 years ago, when their little lady visited the studio for her Newborn Session.) After a few days of gloomy, wet BC weather, we were a little worried about our photo session being washed out, but Mother Nature came through for us - the sun came out just in time.

Once again,  they were a real pleasure to photograph. With 2 children under the age of 4 and a nervous doggie in the frame, this family session could have been a real challenge, but Mom & Dad were totally on board with keeping the experience relaxed and fun for all. They were wonderfully patient, and completely went "with the flow" - even if that meant stopping multiple times mid-session to collect leaves, find cool rocks or take a quick snack break. The result was a relaxed shoot with great memories and great images to keep.

You Can't Forget Dad! | Chilliwack Family Mini Session Photographer

With all the chaos of "back-to-school" finally settling, I can now catch-up on my blogging again... and to start, here is a little mini session that I captured a few weeks ago.

As, "Milestones Memories Members" (with maternity, newborn and 6 month photo sessions under their belt), I have had the great pleasure of getting to know this lovely family and fully capturing their journey into parenthood. Unfortunately, Dad's busy schedule meant that he missed out on the final session, so when they came to hang their beautiful images on the wall, Daddy felt a little "under-represented". Well, we certainly couldn't let that happen! We soon fixed this decor in-balance with a Daddy-Daughter Mini Session... and like every session before, they knocked it out of the park!

Fun in the Sun... With a Few Photos on the Side! | Chilliwack Family Photographer

I really enjoyed working with this awesome family, last week. It was a family photo session that took over 6 months to happen (delayed by weather, busy schedules etc) but it was SO worth the wait. Not only are they very photogenic, but they are a family that take direction incredibly well... which helps my job a LOT!

An important thing to bear in mind, when shooting little kids, is that the session has to be fun and relaxed... and this may mean breaking some family rules for an hour, dropping the discipline, and let them dictate the pace. It is tough to bite your tongue when junior does not want to go in the same direction, keep their fingers out of their mouth, or sit how you want them too (I know... I am a parent too!)... but for an hour, I ask parents to "let it go", so that we don't end up with everyone having a miserable time, and finish early with an over-frustrated, sulky child and frustrated parents. It is a much more pleasant experience, for everyone, if we can all just relax and have fun for the session... and it makes for much better smiles in the photos!

Well, this family followed my directions to the letter, and we had a lovely stroll through the Heron Reserve, spotting turtles and making grass whistles ... and ended up with some beautiful, relaxed images in between the play.

A Beautiful Belle from the Class of 2015 | Abbotsford Graduation Photographer

It is that time of the year again... when excited teenagers ditch the jeans in favour of slick-looking suits and bedazzled gowns, finished with small flowery adornments...   to celebrate the end of a 13-year era in their lives, and the beginning of a journey into the big, scary world of adulthood! For thousands of teens across BC, it is the time of High School Graduation!

Last week, I had the pleasure of joining this beautiful young lady, and her lovely (and very photogenic) family, for a few formal photographs, before she was whisked away to party. Gardner Park in Abbotsford was our fabulous backdrop, and there were excited teens and proud families everywhere (And I do mean everywhere... you literally couldn't throw a stick without hitting a sequin!) Normally a peaceful park, it was a bustling hive of activity - hugging, chatting, comparing outfits, trying to work out how to pin on buttonholes, and lots of posing for photos, of course.  Congratulations Emma and the Class of 2015!

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it." -William Arthur Ward

Very Busy Little People | Chilliwack Family Photographer

I had the great privilege to photograph the lovely family of a fellow Photographer, last weekend. 

Ashley was also an exhibitor at the Baby & Tot Show, and we clicked (pardon the pun!) right away. She has such a warm, gorgeous smile and great personality...  and it turned out that the rest of the family were pretty awesome too... even the youngest, VERY fast and VERY busy little man!

What to Wear at Your Family Photoshoot! | Chilliwack Family & Newborn Photographer

When clients book a family session with me, the most common question I am asked is "what should we wear?". To help them, I have an info page and have put together a Pinterest Board... but I thought I would also share a few of my top tips/ideas with you... my lovely blog readers!

1. A great place to start is colour! Coordinating the colours of your family's clothing will get you the best results. Oh... and co-ordinate doesn't mean you must all match exactly! (Reminds me of those funny '70's awkward family photos, where the whole family are wearing identical pyjamas or bad Christmas sweaters!)

Just pick 3 or 4 complementary colours, and pick outfits that use shades of those colours! (Colour wheels are GREAT for picking complementary colours - a quick google search will find you plenty of examples like this one.) Then, try to pick outfits that keep everyone in the same tone range, if possible. 

2. Avoid bright colours, bold patterns or logos. If one family member is wearing a much brighter colour than the rest, or a bold logo, it really distracts the eye away from the other family members and their fabulous faces!

3. Pick outfits that make you feel comfortable about your body type! For example, 3/4-length or long sleeves are more flattering on adults who are very self-critical about their upper arms. Again, this something you can easily google.

4. If shooting outdoors, I advise families to pick something fairly comfortable and "every day" - that way everyone's smiles will look happier and more comfortable too! (And you aren't so worried or stressed that your child's fancy dress is getting trashed!)

5. It is a great idea to wear layers and have a back-up outfit, just in case (expecially with young children!). Just wearing a different shirt under a cardigan or sweater can give us multiple looks without carrying extra outfits around! Even having an extra accessory, like a scarf, can make an interesting difference.

For more ideas, you can check out my Pinterest Board, or a really great blog that I love, called What to Wear Guides. I hope this all helps and don't forget to enjoy your family photo session - after all, you are making happy memories, not having your teeth pulled! ;-)

Enjoying the Sun | Chilliwack Family Photographer

Take one sunny evening, add one fabulous smiley family and a sprinkle of me with a camera...transfer all ingredients to a beautiful local nature attraction, and you have the perfect recipe for some good wall art! A few shots from our session at the Blue Heron Reserve...

Family Season is Open! | Chilliwack Family Photographer

With the Fall, comes the busiest season for Family Photographers. It's that time of the year when families are back in a regular routine, and want a nice portrait for their Christmas cards - one that is taken amongst the beautiful Fall colours and before the weather gets bad.

Now, I'm not sure if anyone else does this, but when I think of "Family Season", it always reminds of that old Looney Toons cartoon where Bugs & Daffy fight over whether its Duck Season or Rabbit Season! Ahhh... the memories... oh... no-one else? Just me, then?

OK... moving on...


Well, my Fall has also started filling up with family sessions. including this lovely bunch. These boys are the same ages as my girls - and I can't believe how big they are getting now. I remember when they were both iddy biddy babies!! Sigh... I guess this is another reminder of how you need to treasure and record these moments before they fly by...