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.

KW Newborn Photographer. Musical baby

I'm seriously in love looking at these in-home newborn photos I did of this little man.  He gave me a run for my money at the start, but Dad is going to love these guitar images we managed to capture.  So awesome!

Safety Note: Mom was fully supporting baby while he was on the guitar.  I removed her hands in post-production to create the final image.

KW Newborn Photography. Real Moments

Sometimes during a session, I experience amazing moments between families.  They take my breath away.  They make me feel so much pride in what I do and what I give to my clients and their families.

At this wonderful newborn session, I captured an image that truly made me pause.  Is it perfectly perfect from a technical point of view? Probably not.  Is it perfectly perfect still? YES!

This sweet big sister was just loving on her new baby sister and wow.  This is why I do what I do. These real moments between people who love each other so much just blow me away every.single.time.

Tween Photography. Building self-esteem

Moms,  I'm writing this to you because I see it coming.  I see the tween years only a wee bit off in the distance and it brings me back .

Do you remember when you were 9,10,11 years old?  Do you remember how you felt about yourself? I sure do.  I was the smart kid who wore glasses who never thought she was beautiful.  I was always self conscious about what I was saying, doing, wearing...heck even how I was standing.

Now imagine how a single, beautiful portrait could have done for you when you were that age?  To not see yourself as just the fat, skinny, glasses-wearing, hair never working girl...but to just see yourself as beautiful! 

And how many of you don't even have photos of yourself at that age? Don't have anything but the soft blue background (or cool lazers) of a school photo (you know the one you could have done re-takes for 1000 times and still not loved).

Let's give your daughter something you never had the opportunity for, something that studies have shown can help self-worth. Something she'll likely never outright thank you for, but you'll feel it everytime she stares at herself in these images.

I will be offering limited Tween sessions in the new year.  Contact me for more details about how together we can raise self-esteem, give an amazing experience and you can spend some one-on-one time with your daughter (or son).

Waterloo Newborn Photographer. Collaboration

When Rebecca asked me if I would help her learn more about posing newborns, I couldn't say no.  After all she has helped me out several different times, from assisting to modelling for commercial shoots.  Plus she's so darn fun to work with.  And her kids...well gorgeous.  So here we are at her home, hot and sweaty from both the weather and the space heater keeping little E warm.  We walked through my "flow posing" with newborns and how I pose with older siblings and then Rebecca came up with this great concept for a breastfeeding photo - which turned out absolutely beautiful.

Thank you Rebecca for showing me a thing or two and for the awesome collaborative feel from this session.  You are a stunning, glowing mama and would love to teach or collaborate with you anytime!  Here are a few of my favourite images.

Kitchener Newborn Photographer. Where miracles happen

When I arrive at my clients' home for their newborn session, I take a quick peek around to find the best possible light for the session. I've worked in family rooms, kitchens and even hallways - It's all about the light. But once in a while I find the best spot in the bedroom. And for this family, it meant even more because that's where little W was born. Right at home with dad and family and their midwife bringing him into the world. And mom - well she rocked it! So this session was special to them. W was fussy and awake and not feeling it when I first arrived, but with a little patients and some cuddles and feeding, he settled and we went to work. These are some of my very favourite newborn images.

Nick and Shana, thank you for welcoming me into your home. Your family is amazing and kind and I loved working with you. Please enjoy a few of my favourites from your 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!

Waterloo Family Portraits. Real Families

Seriously, I had such a fun time photographing this family.  Family portraits aren't just a chance to show how your family looks, it truly is a fun family experience too!  Get dressed up, cuddle, be silly. run around the pathways, and despite some pesky mosquitoes this families made the most of their session.  Melissa and I used to work together in what feels like another life....before we both had kids, careers and a crazy thing we call family.  We bonded again over our fight for our daughters, living up to our own expectations (whatever they are) and life with 3 kids under our feet.

Melissa and Sam, it was a pleasure to photograph your family.  Thank you for welcoming me into your lives and capturing your great relationships.  Please enjoy a few of your favourites.

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.

Elmira Baby Photographer. Baby's First Year

Ahhh I'm so excited to be launching my baby's first year program.  Who wouldn't want an amazing, professionally photographed heirloom baby book featuring your baby every single month!  And to celebrate, I will be offering an introductory investment price to the first 3 babies!  (save over $500  at this rate) Contact me today for more information.  Not sure what the first year looks like, check this out!