A few weeks ago I tagged along with this family to document their after-school routine. Theirs is not like many others! Living in the heart of downtown, close to the lake, the kiddos go to preschool on Toronto Island and travel back and forth with their teachers on the ferry! We met them as they exited the boat, enjoyed a snack and I then followed them as they made their way home. An urban playground to say the least!
One of the many things that I love about this city is that you can be in the heart of the old Distillery District, surrounded by buildings, restaurants and stores – and then just minutes later on the beach with toes in the water and a view of the city skyline.
The trip to the beach during this session was completely impromptu. It was actually a pretty chilly morning when we started, but heading to the water turned out to be a great idea. The sun warmed us up and the girls taught me about sea glass.
I was so happy that this family booked in September which is my absolute favourite month for shooting. The grasses and trees are still alive and fresh, and the sunsets are glorious. When I asked these girls to sit down on the grass and THIS is how they fell into position, without any direction or prompting from me, in that moment I knew this would be a good one. The kind of session that is effortless and fun, that oozes with love and connection.
I think this session is a bit different for me. What started out as a cloudy morning, turned into a very sunny morning. I was drawn to the highlights in their hair and across the grass and flowers. And the connection between the family – I loved how close they were. They were rarely more than a few feet apart.
I photographed this sweet family last July when Baby B was just brand new! And it was so nice to spend time with them again this year, just days before B's first birthday.
More and more often, I find myself leaving sessions thinking "I could totally be friends with these people". And not just casual, "small-talk on the street" friends, but "Is it really time for me to leave now, come on over for dinner, we should hang out" friends. This family felt just like that. After only a few minutes in their home, we were chatting away and before I knew it, our time together had come to an end. I love sessions like these.
My first post on my new site! Thank you so much to everyone for your positive comments on my new logo and website, which was launched last week. It was a long time in the making and I am so thrilled to have a new look and a space to share my work.
I'm kicking things off with a family I photographed earlier this week. We finally have summer weather and it was great to start what feels like a new season with these four.
It has been a long, cold winter, but the one positive thing we can admit is that we've had beautiful sunshine (it comes hand in hand with the cold) and it's probably the brightest most of our homes have ever been with all the snow to reflect the light in. Just trying to stay positive over here :) So I was pretty happy when this family chose the winter for their session, and I was even happier when Mom mentioned that they have a backyard fireplace where they enjoy roasting marshmallows. And can you believe that she forgot to mention the tire swing? That was just a bonus when I showed up.
I captured this sweet family back in early December. Baby C was about 9 weeks old at the time, and while I do love my newborn sessions, it's always really fun to work with babies that are a bit older – especially when they are smiling and cooing for their parents.
As 2014 comes to a close, I thought I'd share a few favourites from sessions this year. I have been so lucky to have worked with so many awesome families and it was tough to narrow it down to just these. As we enter 2015, I'm looking forward to catching up on some blogging and "behind the scenes" work over the next few months, and also eager to meet some of my youngest clients as they join the world (and if you or anyone you know is expecting a little one, please do send them my way!). Also, if anyone is interested in a snowy, outdoor family session, drop me a line and we'll start planning.
Thank you for a wonderful year and I wish you all the best for 2015.
