Welcome to the Green Apple Photography Blog. By viewing my stories and images, you will get a glimpse into my shooting style and personal experiences. My mission is to get you excited about your family portraits, about the moments I capture of your gorgeous children and the beauty of your pregnant body. I want you to share them with your friends and family and to see quality and artistry in every image.

For the many people who share their comments, stories, and lives with me, thank you!

Friday, November 30, 2012

Elmira lifestyle photography: The holidays

I'm very excited about some of the changes I will be making to my business this coming year.  You can check out a little teaser in this post here.  I'm so excited that I haven't been sleeping - I've been thinking too much about it all.  I've also been planning a gift for my 2012 clients and am impatiently patiently waiting for those to arrive.  My business is slightly in limbo as I wind down the 2012 year and get ready for 2013.  As the holiday season quickly approaches, I want to wish you all a wonderful time and I hope you find shopping (and giving) as simple as possible.  Still looking for something for that someone? I have gift certificates ready and waiting for you all, just place your order here, or send me an email!

 {insert shameless plug here}


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

A little fall family fun. Elmira Family Photographer

If you are from the Elmira area, you may recognize a few faces in these next photos.  Especially three year old Kate.  She is the inspiration behind Kate's Kause.  And. She's. A. Fighter.  So it was my pleasure to photographer her and her brother, with mommy and daddy last week.  We were lucky enough to get some surprisingly warm weather before the snow arrived.

Kelly and Jeremy, I always love taking your photos.  I get to spend a few moments with some really amazing souls and it's always a lot of fun.  Hope you are loving these as much as I am.



To see more of my favourites, please visit

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Elmira Family Photographer: What Mom wants

I recently posted a photo on facebook from a session I had had the previous day.  I like to tease my clients sometimes.  I like to get people excited about their photos and truthfully...I like the positive feedback.  It helps to fuel my creative juices (so to speak).  This particular photo was a group of people I hold close to my heart: my brother-in-law and his family.  I love taking photos of them because of how easy it is, how flexible they are and because I kinda like them.

So when Kelly commented on the photo: "THAT is the most perfect picture...thank you! It's beautiful and just what I wanted!! Thank you thank you!",  I knew three things. 1- I had done half my job (the taking of the photographs) and 2 - I had to make this happen for her.  To make sure that this image she loved so much didn't end up in a file folder on her computer. and 3-That this is something I want as well.  That all moms want that photograph where their family is together, forever captured in that moment. That. Is. My. Job.  

For those reasons, I will be making the move to specializing in custom designed wall groupings and fine framed pieces of your family and children in 2013.   So that my clients smiles, hugs and lovely faces have a place in their homes.  So that everyday they can truly appreciate that moment; their moment.




Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Waterloo Maternity Photographer: Nicole

I was totally amazed by Nicole from the first time we spoke on the phone.  She's strong, kind and just plain lovely...and yes that all came across in a single phone call.  It was a pleasure to photograph her as she steps into the next stage of her life: motherhood. 

We had planned to meet at her home and shoot indoors, but since it was such a lovely day, plans changed and we managed to get some amazing shots at a nearby wooded area.  It was awesome!  I love when my clients understand my style and are willing to be flexible, depending on mother nature. 

Nicole, it was great to finally meet you and so lovely chatting with you as we strolled (or power-walked) our way through the trails.  Thanks for the lovely conversation.  Please enjoy a few of my favourites from our session.  Hope you love them.

To see more of my favourites, please visit

Friday, November 16, 2012

Elmira Children's Photographer: Ashley, Mike and a little monkey!

I've known this little guy since he was born (see his newborn session here). He's a wonderful little man:  polite, sweet and cooperative - he's a photographer's dream!  And who could resist his amazing lashes!  I spent many minutes trying to get some lovely shots of those.  These images will look amazing in my clients home.  They really capture the essence of family.  They show love, togetherness and joy. 

Ashley and Mike, thank you for allowing me to capture these moments for your family.  Your little guys is wonderful.  Hope you love the images as much as I do.


To see more of my favourites, please visit

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Envisioning Family: How a few words on a few pages changed my photography

I kinda have this girl crush.  This woman is amazing to me.  She has 3 kids, runs several successful businesses, is an author, teacher, and is pretty much awesomeness wrapped in a beautiful woman.  To me, Tamara Lackey is brilliant.  I love her style in all its forms (personal style, family style,  photography style - all of it).   Plus, she has a real grasp on how to successfully do it all - by not doing it all.  I recently purchased her latest book: Envisioning Family A photographer's guide to making meaningful portraits of the modern family and her words really knocked. me. in. the. head.

Tamara Lackey was able to capture everything family; starting with the definition of family, her journey to create her own family, right down to the photography gear she recommends and how to interact with your subjects and clients.  But it was the final section of the book on the aesthetics of making a great family portrait that really made me pause.  Don't get me wrong, I really appreciated the previous chapters in the book including the "bare it all" details of the adoption of 2 of her 3 children, but it was the section on lighting in particular that made me realize I wasn't doing everything I could to make an amazing portrait.  I was getting lazy.  I was fully capable of making that exceptional portrait - but I just wasn't.  Why, because it wasn't convenient.  I didn't want to interrupt the flow of the shoot by changing a lens or grabbing the reflector.  Believe me, when you get an 18 month old rolling, you don't want to break that.  The trick is to keep that flow, while still doing those things - and it is worth it in the end.  As much as adjusting your focus is worth it, or changing your position to get a better angle is worth it.  Or changing your location to improve the composition is worth it.  It makes a huge difference and before reading the last chapters, I didn't quite see that worth. That all those other things I was trying to do to get the best expression or location or angle, didn't really matter if I wasn't doing it all.

So my light bulb moment while reading these pages was that I can do it.  And in fact I should do it.  Otherwise I'm not doing myself, my clients, or my photography justice.  That although I come back from a shoot completely exhausted and spent, I'm not giving all that I can give.  So thank you Tamara Lackey, for the kick in the butt and the growth.  I actually feel empowered, so I hope that was your goal!

Below are two images from a recent session where I needed to break free to grab the reflector to ensure a better portrait.  The expressions and angle are different, yes.  And I prefer the expression on the left, but the improvement is in the lighting.  It's something my clients may not ever notice.  But I notice and it's the next step in making some epic family portraits.


To see more from this session, please visit

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Elmira Children's Photographer. My {not so} little girl

My little girl isn't so little anymore.  I asked her if I could take a few photos of her when I was setting up the studio this past weekend.  Here are a few of my fave shots.