In the spirit of Amsterdam they brought a tandem bicycle! It was their first time riding it but watching them you’d think they were pros.

Janine, I love your shirt and how it matched the theme!

These colours are not from Photoshop. Crazy things happen when you look at the sun! (Which I really don’t advise, unless you have a camera and purpose).

They have this amazingly awesome umbrella with all the places they’ve been and the date and temp. Amsterdam next!

Colin serenaded us with his gorgeous (and spicy smelling) guitar. It rocked so hard the squirrels were dancing! Well no… but it rocked

I love this shot that Dave took.

We started our shoot a little before sunset and the light was AMAZING. I absolutely LOVE sunset light and definitely recommend if for outdoor natural light shoots. It’s just beautiful.

I’ll end the post with Janine’s killer ring. Nice work, Colin!

Happy Friday everyone.

Catherine and Mike built up a strong friendship before they started dating. And Tim Horton’s was where it all started! So I was excited when Catherine said she wanted to incorporate a few elements of Tim’s into their shoot. Telling a story unique to them is one of the best parts of the my job.

It was a beautifully overcast day, which meant we could shoot anywhere without worrying about harsh light. Although we heard what sounded a lot like thunder every now and then…

And then the ominous thunder turned into rain. Which worked out well, because Catherine and Mike know how to work an umbrella

Then we took refuge under the bridge!

They’re so adorable

After it started to storm like crazy we went to their old workplace, where their awesome friend and old work mate Dean gave us coffees while we dried off and arranged for us to take a few pictures in the back!

I’ll end the post with these super sweet custom donuts, decorated by them

Last weekend I had the pleasure of covering this year’s Calgary Amateur Theatre Awards. It was a grand evening with lovely performances, talented and fabulous people, recognition, heartfelt speeches, laughs and tears. These are a few of my favourite photos from the night. Enjoy!

As a side note: actors tend to have a grace about them which makes you (me) feel like a blundering klutz. Despite that though, it was a really fun night!

Dave and I went to yoga yesterday, it was the first time for Dave and I haven’t been in a few months. It felt so amazing to be back at that place of serenity, bliss, sweat, quite, focus, strength, openness… the list goes on but those were the big ones yesterday. It can be easy to forget your sense of self and get too focused on negative, draining stuff. Yoga has a way of reminding you that you’re you, and that that’s good thing.

Dave was surprised at how intense it was, he totally loved it. I’ve kept telling him that yoga was hard and awesome and that I wasn’t just all hippy dippy… he’s agreed on the first part and someday he’ll agree on the second

So I’m told that today is Friday (yay!), and I think now is as good a time as any to reflect on what inspired me this week. Here we go…

- Reconnecting with yoga

- The mountains and emerald water

- Labyrinth

- Real, honest smiles and laughs

- Smoke from forest fires in BC mixed with sun showers and thunder

- Other talented photographers: Davina + Daniel, Jasmine Star, Wildflowers, Rachel Thurston… I could go on for pages, but I’ll stop here for now.

- Looking for beautiful spots in Calgary’s industrial area

There’s more, but I can’t remember them now… maybe I should start recapping daily. What big or small things inspired you this week?

I need to say that Heather is a serious trooper. Climbing a cliff in a wedding dress is no easy task. She wins.

Ben, being all GQ. (Ben, I was sooo close to putting the tiger picture here instead.)

They’re totally perfect for each other

Heather, being all ethereal and gorgeous.

These are some of the most endearing pictures that can warm even the grumpiest of hearts. And because we can’t ask our tiny subjects to laugh at our jokes, we strive to create an environment that will make them as comfortable as possible, and as a parent you know what that is best. Below are a few things to keep in mind when booking a New Life shoot.

First and foremost, work with your photographer on scheduling. Every baby is different; some are active in the morning and sleepy in the afternoon, and others are the exact opposite. A sleepy baby will let you pose them, change their outfits, the lighting and location. So try to schedule the time of day they are most sleepy and feed them shortly before the shoot. It’s also ideal to book within the first the first 10 days of your baby’s arrival, the sooner the better.

Second, bring the most meaningful of your child’s items to incorporate into the shoot. If your baby has a blanket that their grandmother sewed for them, or a jumper from a family friend, or anything else that means a lot to you and your child, then they should be in the pictures as well. This helps us to tell a story unique to your new family member.

Finally, bring your patience. As you probably know, sometimes babies are fussy and need to be rocked and cuddled. Your photographer may book two hours for a New Life shoot but actually be shooting for thirty minutes of that, you just never know what is going to happen.

While it takes a little careful planning, getting these images is absolutely worth it. Babies change so fast, especially when they are brand new. Being able to capture their first stages of life is very special, and protecting these memories is important to us.