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What can a husband give as a Christmas gift that is meaningful and thoughtful? Let’s be honest, as women we can sometimes expect the same amount of consideration put into a gift for us as we put into the one we buy and are often disappointed. Are our standards too high? Perhaps. But it is possible for the man in our lives to surprise us with something that requires not only thoughtfulness but effort. For example, Mike cleaned kids, packed spare outfits, got the feeding of the 2 month old out of the way, bundled and transported them to the studio to surprise his wife with portraits of the baby and a busy 4 year old. No small feat!! He even had to wait until she was safely out of town which I take it is not an everyday occurance and make a quick phone call to ask if it was possible to get a booking TODAY… again no easy feat! It seemed like Sam and Jackson knew how important this was as they were fantastic!!

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I’ve been waiting until after Christmas to post some of these very cute photos but I have it on good authority that Mike was too excited to wait! I hope it was a very good surprise Michelle.

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One of the things I like best about having a home – based studio business is having the luxury of  taking my time. Without a huge (or any) amount of overhead to worry about it isn’t necessary to book them in solid just to survive. You will never have to worry about another client waiting for their turn and feeling like you need to rush to be done. This is especially important with children. Sometimes children need to warm up, play a little, snack a little … I have sat patiently in conversation with a breastfeeding mother and enjoyed the company! It isn’t the first time I have emphasized this point and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

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However, there are families who have busy schedules, places to be,  people to see, hockey! Time is critical. As was the case for Kim and her boys. The boys were told “get it done”. And get it done they did. Almost every shot was great and the “almost” pertains mostly to Tobi who wasn’t in the mood to pose :) The moral is if you are pressed for time it is still possible to get some great shots. Get in touch and I’ll fit you in.

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Lori had a plan for this year’s Christmas portraits. Family pictures outside with at least some snow seemed likely but with the mild weather, both she and Mark working, and all three kids in sports activities, it was starting to look like she would have to settle for something other than what she wanted. And she’s just not good at that :)

Last evening’s light dusting of snow and my cancelled basketball trip to Saint John made for what would probably be the last opportunity to get exactly what she hoped for. We had to work fast before the sun dropped too far in the sky, and although it had been overcast all day the late afternoon sun shone through just enough at the perfect time to capture what I feel are my best family shots EVER! And this makes me very happy because Lori has been my biggest supporter in this difficult journey of building a business while raising a family. In what has been a tough year in almost every way for us both, it makes me proud to give her such wonderful photos of her family. Visit my facebook page to see some more.

Natural light photography is beautiful. Many photographers believe portraits should only be taken using available light. In my opinion, there are very few who are VERY good at this technique. Cameras and lenses best suited to produce fantastic natural light photos are extremely expensive. (I own one camera and one lens that I would consider using without some flash on a cloudy day!)  The others simply either can’t afford quality flash equipment or do not have the skill necessary to properly use it. Strobe / studio lighting is extremely difficult and I admit I am still trying to perfect its use! But I have some of the best available.

Why is it important to have a studio? I LOVE outdoor shots but the weather is an uncontrollable phenomenon. Sometimes our schedules do not allow for booking multiple dates. The studio gives the opportunity to keep an appointment. There are several months of the year where the outdoors are just not that pretty. Newborns don’t like -20 degrees. You don’t have to walk through someone’s home to a tiny corner of their livingroom or clean your entire house to bring a photographer into your nursery. Having a studio booking doesn’t mean you are limited to backdrops – it gives the option of two totally different styles. And a studio gives a professional photographer more control.

I am available to photograph your family outdoors. (I prefer it.) And I welcome the opportunity to bring my lighting into your home. But if you would rather visit my professional space, here is what my studio looks like. I like it! It’s warm and cozy. It may not be my dream but for now it works. Book your studio appointment today. Or if you are a photographer without the luxury of studio space / lighting ask about renting mine for a day.

I’ve never seen it before! Pretty Grace came to the studio for Christmas pictures today wearing a very beautiful Christmas dress. THAT I’ve seen before! Everytime I take Grace’s photos she is picture perfect… fabulous curls, great clothes with shoes to match. What I have not seen is a matching dress for a doll! Seriously. Grace’s Nannie Sharon was decked in her finest attire – a perfect match to her owner’s wardrobe – right down to the tights. It was priceless!! And it was good luck, because the normally serious Grace could not contain her smiles today. Made for awesome Christmas portraits. Great job Grace! Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Christmas is just a few short weeks away! With the November weather being so warm and spring-like it’s been difficult to get in the Christmas shopping spirit. Actually, I’m never in the shopping spirit this early but with many of my friends seemingly in a panic to get their decorations up, and all the talk about being DONE shopping I’m starting to feel like I’m behind.

Just in case you’re feeling overwhelmed like me (and again I say I have NEVER decorated or shopped this early), and maybe you think you left your Christmas pictures go too long … don’t worry. There is still time to book and have wonderful portraits to give to family and friends. Sessions up until the 15th of December are guaranteed to have photos back in by the 20th. LOTS of time to frame and wrap. Evenings and weekends are booking fast so email or call 367-2680 to arrange for a convenient appointment time.

Choose from numerous prints to give as fantastic Christmas presents or ask me about a variety of gift certificate options! The gift of professional portraits will last a lifetime…

How cute are these two?  :)  Payton and Jordan were little hams in the studio today. No problem! As long as they aren’t cranky and crying, children can almost always be convinced somehow to cooperate. And these two boys did a wonderful job of listening and behaving along with just enough mischief to make it interesting.

These brothers are the sons of my naturopath Julie McKeen. I highly recommend her services if you are looking to rid yourself of allergic reactions! She worked miracles on our 12 year old!!

BELLE:  beautiful, quiet, calm and gentle. This quiet, well behaved, well mannered little girl looked wonderful in her fabulous Christmas dress, tights and shoes. She had her nails done and even got to wear mascara! She calmly sat and posed when asked and no amount of confusion seemed to throw her. Here are a couple of photos from today’s session.

Chase: run after. Nanna, mom Laura and I will sleep good tonight! You’d never know it from this picture but almost the entire session was spent with little Chase running, rolling, throwing, and teasing us while we barked, whistled, begged, and bribed him to stay still and smile! Good thing he’s handsome.

Merry Christmas Belle and Chase! I’m sure your family and friends will be thrilled with your pictures.

How disappointing to have planned in advance for a family portrait session (no easy feat with 4 boys under 12) only to have the 2 year old fall and split his chin :( Only a very large band-aid would do to keep the bleeding under control. Oh well it’s a good thing he’s cute! And it’s a good thing that in the world of digital imaging almost anything is possible with some skill in Photoshop.

This picture….

becomes either of these with a quick fix…

Technology and a little know how can turn a nice family photo into a great one! Dawn and her boys deserve one.

The weather this month has been amazing. Hard to believe there was a snow day only one short month ago. It was so nice, on a recent trip home to Cape Breton it was actually warm enough to go beachcombing. I love the beach… the smell of salt water, the feel of the sand, the sound of the waves and the endless view of water and coastline. It is, therefore, a very rare treat to not only be strolling the beach with my family past Rememberance Day, but to be warm while doing it! In addition to thrill of finding beach glass along with the rocks we set out to collect we were treated to a visit from a fairly large fox who was obviously enjoying the beach and sun as well. I rushed to get out my camera before he ran off! No need. Instead he came to us and remained close by, frolicking in the sand.THAT’S the kind of day your  children never forget.

These images taken along with other works of art will be available for purchase online soon. Stay tuned.