Waterloo Family Photographer - TimeHop

Hey everyone, just wanted to share one of my favourite apps!  I love using timehop (Google Play or itunes) because every day, I can look back at the pictures I've taken or the posts I made on social media.  You link your social accounts and then each day (ie Mar 7) it will show you everything you did on March 7th 1 year ago, 2 years ago, 3 years ago and so on.  It's pretty funny to see what I was up to 9 years ago!!

It brings a little piece of nostalgia into my morning when I'm checking up on everything.

Here's a little sneak into my Mar 7th.

KW Family Photographer. They're getting so big

Has it happened to you too?  Did your babies all of a sudden turn into kids, and your kids turn into independent people in the blink of an eye?  Me too.  How did this happen?  Why do I feel like I missed something?

I was recently reviewing some of the content on my website and a video I created for clients to get to know me better still hits home.  And seriously hits home.  At the time I made this video my youngest was still saying "I wuv you" and well, now... not so much with the cute toddler voice. 

Sheesh...I can't even tell you how quick that felt.

What is your favourite thing your kids do right now, that you know won't last forever?

Elmira Family Photographer. Family and Fun

I love summer!!! Seriously these warm, glowey summer nights are just what I need.  I photographed this family earlier this summer and it was such a fun session.  We ran around, played soccer and just plain had fun.  And I got up close and personal with their beloved dog.

And their wall design - wow!!  I can't wait to see this in their brand new kitchen (currently under renovations). 

Sarah and Steve,  Thank you so much for inviting me to photograph your wonderful family.  These are truly what real families are made of.  Please enjoy a few of my favourites.

Waterloo Family Photographer. Who likes to have some fun?

This family chose a friends farm location in Bamberg for their family photos.  I think it's safe to say that someone likes to have fun, right?

Family Gallery Wall Design. Waterloo Family Photographer

My absolute favourite part of my "job" is creating and seeing art up on the walls.  It is so very important to our children to see them selves hugging & cuddling together with their family.  This is the reason that I'm so passionate about getting images off the hard-drive and devices and onto the walls!  Here are some of my favourites designs of 2015.

Elmira Family Portraits. Boys, mud and fun!

When you are going to be a big brother and mom and dad take you out to tromp around in the woods, life is good.  This little man was not shy when it came to sticks, dirt, climbing and jumping.  I mean isn't that every little guys dream day?

He has some sweet moments with mom and day and when his new baby arrives, we'll be able to complete their family gallery wall.  Mom and I have been working on it and it will include wedding photos, newborn, family and a great mix of frames, canvas and more.

Here are a few faves from our wooded, muddy, family session

Blue Mountain Family Photographer

Every year my family travels to Blue Mountain for a cycling event and the last couple years I've booked a few sessions throughout the weekend.  It's so gorgeous up there and so many great spots for a family session.  This year, it was one of those days where you aren't sure if it is going to rain all.day.long, or break just in time for your evening session.  And this session was the latter - with beautiful clouds and a gorgeous landscape!  We settled on the boardwalk outside the Westin Trillium House where it was a little private and a lot beautiful.

Jenn and Kevin, thank you for listening to my panic about the weather and trusting me to go for it!  I'm so glad we were able to capture these beautiful family memories for you. And A was such a great little guy to work with.  Really so much fun for me!  Please enjoy a few of my favourites.

Kitchener Waterloo Family Portraits. Deer, Smiles and Frames

I loved this location along Woolner Trail on the Grand River in Kitchener. When you see 2 white tail deer during the session, you know you've got a great spot. And little 9 month old L was so great to work with. He was a tough cookie to crack and it took some silly dancing and singing to get this guy to smile. Once we did that, he didn't stop smiling and this family laughed and laughed. These are the type of sessions that drive me to do more. More for my clients and more within my craft.

Natasha and Brad, it was so wonderful to see you and work with you again. I am looking forward to seeing your canvas and frames on the wall. It will look amazing. Please enjoy a few of my faves from the session.

Elmira Family Photography. New adventures and a little fire

We met at one of my favourite spots - the Kissing Bridge trail - for this family's session.  Little W was turning one and what better way to celebrate than with family photos.  Big brother L is starting school in the fall and mom just started back at work after maternity leave, so this family has lots of new adventures ahead.  And the session was full of adventure too - I've never had a session interrupted with a volunteer fire call...but we did.  The session was a wee bit shorter as a result, but there were still lots of images and it was the perfect length for these little guys. 

Jason and Jennifer, thank you for the fun evening with your family.  Can't wait to see these hanging on your walls!

Elmira Family Photographer - Guest Post: Designed for You Nutrition

I'm so excited to partner with a few local businesses and offer some great new content for the blog.  Today we have Amy Sonnenberg from Designed For You Nutrition.  

Kids and gardens - as a mom and a nutritionist, I love when these two worlds collide! I look forward to this time of the year when we can begin planning our garden as a family. I believe that talking to kids about food and how it grows is one of the best ways we can teach our children to have an appreciation and flavour for real food. Real food is found growing on a tree, in the garden, grazing in a field or swimming in the ocean. Real food is not often found in boxes or packages. It is up to us to teach our children how to tell the difference. One of the best ways to teach this important lesson is to grow some food as a family. You don't even need to have an actual garden plot in the backyard to be able to have your own harvest. Many people grow their produce on balconies or decks in large pots and boxes with much success.

Neat things happen in dirt. Starting when my children were about three years old, one of their 'jobs' was to look for worms as we dug up the soil and prepared it for planting. They were fascinated by worms. We would collect them in pails and watch them wiggle. My boys began learning about the importance of earthworms to the health of our garden and how to be kind to other living creatures. After the worm excavation, the boys would take turns planting the seeds, row by row. Each day after we planted our seeds, there was much anticipation to run out to the garden and check to see if anything had grown yet. Here they began learning about how our seeds needed water and sun to grow. As the plants began to mature and produce tomatoes, peas and beans, the boys learned what real food tastes like and to value the work that goes into helping plants grow. They also learned patience by discovering what tomatoes taste like when we don't wait long enough for it to fully ripen!

As a mom, I learned that children have a greater capacity for understanding the world around them than I had previously given them credit for. I also learned that my children felt valued when they were able to help. They loved watering the garden independently with their little watering cans or being sent out to the garden to collect carrots for dinner. I also discovered that some of the best photo opportunities for a mom with a regular old point and shoot camera was in the garden. Since this happens to be a photographer's blog, I thought I would share that some of my most favourite photos of my children are from our gardening activities. The children were often lost in wonder and I was able to capture the beauty of the moment with little effort.

Photo provided by Amy Sonnenberg

Photo provided by Amy Sonnenberg

 I encourage you to give gardening a try with your family. Some of the easiest things to grow are cherry tomatoes and peas if you are just starting out. The time commitment is minimal and the plants are fairly easy to maintain. Happy gardening!

Amy is a registered holistic nutritionist located in The Clocktower Wellness Centre in Elmira.  You can find her at http://designedforyounutrition.com/ or 519-503-7926

I love food! I really like everything about it – how it grows, where it came from, the variety of ways in which it can be prepared but above all, eating it!  Food is such an important part of our daily lives.  We obviously need it for nourishment but there is so much more.  It can be a time for reconnecting with family and friends, sharing our hopes and dreams and celebrating.  I want to share with others how to use food to our advantage, choosing the right ingredients to support our health.