Winnipeg Newborn Photoshoot

I had the most wonderful opportunity to shoot miss Emily Jennifer Sprague who was at the ripe old age of three days old when I met her. To be with a newly hatched family over the course of three days was a very special circumstance. I was flown to Winnipeg and would visit the family each day with my cameras in hand. Having the time to capture very relaxed moments does not come often. I felt very blessed to be present to meet grandparents and other family members as well.

Child photography 101

I will begin with the obvious. Patience is a must in any photographic situation. Waiting for the right moment is key in capturing the casual smile or glint in the eye and I think this is the hardest for parents. Time is of the essence, usually, and trying to get those perfect moments with kids can be very stressful.

One of the greatest challenges with photographing families is the parents, not the kids. I am not saying this is true in every case, but even in capturing my own kids, parents desire cooperation from our children. I believe that children can sense this need and do almost anything to deny their parents a well-composed image.
So, what do we do to channel our kids into good subjects? The first thing we do is to shed our preconceived notions of that perfect family photo and making our children sit still and look just so. I find that the most beautiful of images come when I sit back and let my children be themselves.

When photographing families I will tell the parents that they need not worry about their child. I am there to capture the true moments of beauty which include silliness, thoughtfulness and even moments of frustration. I do capture the images that the parents want, but I also capture those little antics that give a more rounded view of the child.

When I was planning the design for my business I knew the image I wanted that, to me, would convey who I was as an individual as well as a photographer. I needed my daughter's assitance. My darling eldest child cooperated for all of 10 minutes and then grew frustrated with my directions. She is a very independent child and does not appreciate being asked to do anything she would rather not do. I grew frustrated myself... but only for a moment. I stepped back and tried to sink into the background as I could see she was losing herself in the moment of dirt and digging. I remained quiet and unobtrusive and felt almost giddy watching her play. I thanked her profusely at the end as she gave me more than I could have asked for. She also loved viewing the images of herself later.

***Be a fly on the wall with your children. Take photos of the spaces they call their own. Take a photo of that beloved stuffy; the corner where they sit and lose themselves in a book; the structure or village that took hours to build. Capture a moment that defines their childhood, not a stiffly posed image set up for others. It is wonderful to have those images of siblings posing nicely for the grandparents and other relatives, but mix it up a little. I imagine my children looking back at all the photos that I have taken over the years and I hope they see a more complete picture of what was important to them and the spaces within which they existed.

Here are a few photos from the shoot for the images I use in my business:


Eldest daughter put the brakes on early on.


Wait!!! She found a worm and wants to show me.





I love this image. She is lost in a world of her own.


Boredom sets in. She is done.


This is her payoff. I had to take a photo of teddy on her little stick swing. I think it is a good deal.

December and January have been very busy months but I have grand plans for the blog. I will start a 'how to take great pics of your kids' section or perhaps just a few helpful hints that can make an amazing difference when taking photos.

I have a few shoots to post, but I was out today on a very beautiful winter day and I wanted to get these images up. I had a lovely afternoon taking pictures of three siblings and the best part of the afternoon was just watching their interactions. I know I only have a very small window into the lives of others, but the ease with which the three of these young people simply 'were' with each other was very pleasant to watch. They appeared so content to just be present with one another.

summer relics with hats on

I could have spent all day outside with my camera. What an amazing day. The sun was perfect. The snow was so delicate and framed everything with its white outline. I did manage to take a break and slip out into my backyard before the sun was too high and started melting the snow. It appeared that all the odd little objects that are scattered in my backyard were wearing these lovely white hats. Perhaps a party occurred that I was not invited to.

my street this a.m.

As the crows fly...

The crows of Vancouver have fascinated me for years as they have for many who see them fly overhead every night at sunset. I believe most people either love them or hate them. I happen to love them.

I wanted to photograph them up close along their route at sunset. I chose a rooftop just off of Grandview Highway recently and experienced the most amazing sensory encounter. As I waited patiently for their arrival I was able to observe murder after murder flying from all directions to where I sat. In large roving circles they slowly came closer and then almost at once they converged onto the building where I was and onto a few of the rooftops around me.

As my eye was looking through the viewfinder I could only hear them arriving behind me. The swoosh of their wings surrounded me. I wasn't sure if I would be perceived as a threat or not. Crows are very close knit and protective of their family units. I heard them chattering away to each other and I felt safe. I sat very still and found it hard to photograph with any concentration. I was overwhelmed with amazement. Everywhere that I looked were crows. I have never seen them in such numbers.

I will go back another night and try to take some better photos. Now that I know what to expect I will be more prepared.

I asked my oldest and dear friend Ashlie if I could take photos of her nephew and her parents. I wanted a few grandparent photos for the website. She arranged for her mom to call me and we set up a date.

Her nephew is 4, the same age as my daughter and it is a fun age. Luca did very well sitting for me on his own and then with his grandparents and his mom. He had just sat through a haircut so I had to make the shoot short and sweet. In the end I like the photos with him on his own the best and one with his mother.

It was a little surreal returning to the same home where I used to hang out with Ashlie as a teenager. It was a great experience to take photos of her parents and her sister.

I was asked to do headshots for a young woman who is contemplating a career in acting. It was raining that day so the majority of the shoot occurred indoors. I really like the photos that we did manage to capture outside. A few of my favourites are posted here.