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.