Tag Archives: Vancouver Portrait Photographer

Alanna + Stephanie: two girls from the country pt. 2

Posted on Apr. 7, 2010 under Anytime

As we moved from one location to the next, they giggled and smiled more with each step. Stephanie looked at me at one point and said “I’m not too sure what to do, I’ve never done this before”. I just smiled and said “everyone says that, but it is truly never the case”. And clearly they are both naturals in front of the camera.

Before the session I sent Alanna + Stephanie an email with the concept of the photo shoot along with clothing suggestions, so when they arrived with bags full of clothes I think I clapped. (I clap when I really like something!). Once I saw Stephanie’s red bennie I asked them to change while I ran into a shop nearby – I knew the perfect accessory! I came out of the antique store holding the red hat box and the wool blanket, everything was now set!

These two take my breath away, from their smiles to their beautiful eyes. They’ve inspired me to go places I never dreamed of going, and I hope I’ve done the same for them!

Just one more post left!

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Alanna + Stephanie: two girls from the country

Posted on Apr. 6, 2010 under Anytime

I’m so excited to share these with you, like seriously jump up and down excited! I knew the moment that I met up with Alanna + Stephanie that we were going to have a great time together. One, because they are just fabulous, like melt my heart and make me smile to the point that I would have tears in my eyes fabulous (no lie)! Two, because their relationship is something that I’ve always dreamed of having – a sister to go on dates with, to dress up with, to laugh/cry/hug/late night dance parties/tease with, which makes it easy to photograph. And three, because like me, they are dreamers and travelers at heart!

This session was inspired and brought together by the idea of two girls from the city venture out to the country. It took us awhile to be able to meet up to make it happen, but when we did meet and brought all the pieces together, everything just worked!

Stay tuned, cause there are a few more from this session!

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Spring is almost here!

Posted on Apr. 1, 2010 under Personal

I love beautiful things; like sunsets glittering off the sides of buildings or hiding just behind the mountains, a stunning pair of shoes, an infant wrapped in their parents arms, or a dress that makes you feel like you can conquer the world! Since coming back from Paris last year I’ve had a great aversion to wearing pants. All I want to wear is dresses and tights!

Mister and I are hitting up the slopes one last time before the snowboarding season ends this weekend, and since I won’t be wearing a lot of dresses up there I thought I’d share some beautiful (though unfortunately expensive) dresses that I’m loving right now! I can’t wait for spring!

Images from Thread Social.

Please note I will be out of the office from Friday, April 2nd to Monday, April 5th. I will respond to email on Tuesday, April 6th.

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I have dreams – the journey

Posted on Mar. 31, 2010 under Journey

The past couple of days have been an eye opener for me – and it’s been great to feel like my dreams and plans are coming into focus. You see, I’ve always been a dreamer and probably always will be! Sometimes it drives me a little nuts being the dreamer that I am, cause one day I’ll wake up and I think about opening a little shop that sells all my favorite items (cause then I’d get all my favorite items as a write off and everyone else can enjoy them too!), or the next day I wake up and think that being a graphic designer would be cool, then the next day I think that being a photographer is even cooler. Thankfully being a photographer has stuck around a whole lot longer then the days of dreaming of walking the tightrope in the circus as my profession (I’m not kidding, I used to try and walk across my mom’s clothes line!).

So, I wanted to start writing about my journey about finding my way. About the days where I feel a little lost, the days where I jump up and down in my office chair cause I love the images I’m staring at, and about the days where I drive home with a smile on my face cause I feel like I’ve just made a new life long friend. I want to share with you about my journey as a dreamer, cause I believe many of us are dreamers and don’t have their life plan figured out, and I wanted you to know, you’re not alone! I still sometimes dream about what it’d be like to be a parade float designer (I was about 8 years old when I decided I’d do that!). So follow along on my journey, I’d love to have some company!

This is a self portrait of myself called “Home away from Home”. The concept behind it: I’ve always been a dreamer and when I was younger I would build forts for myself and tuck myself in there dreaming about all the things I wanted to do and places I’d see. This is the older version of myself doing those things I’ve dreamed of doing but now dreaming of home, so I created something that reminded me of home – my fort.

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I wasn’t supposed to go, but I went anyway – Pt. 3

Posted on Mar. 30, 2010 under Top Gossip

***this is the final post series, you can view the previous posts here and here!

When Jasmine Star ended her talk the conference room erupted into an applause. You could tell that everyone in the room was inspired and excited for the ideas turning in their heads, not only from her but from every other photographer who had spoken, I for sure felt that way! Even though it was almost dinner time and I had developed a massive headache by this time, I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to hang out with these inspiring people as long as possible!

I stuck like glue to the sides of Laura and Cathy, thankfully they didn’t mind. We eventually found ourselves in a line up to meet Jasmine to thank her for her wonderful and inspirational talk. Even though I had already met her, I wanted a photo with her! So much for not being starstruck hey?!

I look a little funny, and the image quality is a little crappy (it was taken with my iPhone), but I love it all the same!

Laura, Cathy, and I were going to go for dinner and talk some more, but started chatting with other local photographers like Blue Olive and meeting new ones like Jason Brown. You know how sometimes you have to pinch yourself to make sure that you’re actually there, that it’s not actually a dream?! That was me!

We saw JD, Jasmine’s husband come out, and we started thanking him as well. It was like we were a well of thankfulness! It was rather cute to see! What first started out as a mini conversation turned into conversation about second shooting experiences, dinner recommendations, and what to see around Vancouver. As it came apparent that they wanted to explore our beautiful city of Vancouver we wished them luck and made our way to the exit.

That’s when my evening completely changed. Jasmine and JD were taking the same mode of transportation into downtown as I was so I volunteered to be their personal tour guide for the evening. I called Adam to let him know and meet us, a chance to meet one of our favorite photographers and to hang out with a couple who is so amazing and sweet. I highly recommend that you surround yourself with people who you admire and have the same mind set as you – you’ll feel like you’re floating on clouds!

Jasmine mentioned that she doesn’t believe in luck but when preparation meets opportunity. Although I do agree, I have to say I was extremely lucky. I wasn’t supposed to go to Image Quest, I never purchased a ticket, yet there I was hanging out talking about life, passion, and business with the one woman who inspired me to start on this crazy journey.

Adam and I had an awesome time showing them around our beautiful city, giving them a glimpse of the beauty that surrounds us every day and take for granted, and showing them the mecca of Lululemon!

I’m kicking myself now for not getting a photograph of all four of us together cause now it feels like a dream, but I know it happened. I am inspired by Jasmine and JD because their marriage and friendship, and as their relationship as business partners. It’s a model I hope to follow!

Thanks Jasmine and JD for a wonderful evening, and we hope to see you soon!

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I wasn’t supposed to go, but I went anyway – Pt. 2

Posted on Mar. 26, 2010 under Top Gossip

***this is a continuation of this post.

Jasmine Star was the last speaker at the Image Quest conference. She in a
way, sparked my interest in this crazy business called photography. I
had been following her amazing progress since about the beginning of
2006 and has inspired me in so many ways then I can count. When Adam
proposed to me I knew instantly who I wanted as my wedding photographer -
Jasmine Star. We contacted her and were seriously on the verge of
booking her cause we both loved her and her photography so much – but we
decided that we couldn’t swing it and also fly her and her amazing
husband JD up from Orange County.

So knowing that seeing her was
within my grasp I said “okay!”. Now you have to understand that this
group of photographers all paid to be here, and I was a little unsure
about slipping into the conference room without a lanyard around my
neck. But when I arrived at the door no one was checking so I slipped
in, my stomach twisting…worrying I’d get caught. Once I got in everyone
was happy to see me there, so I didn’t feel so bad. I was worried they’d
hate me for not purchasing a ticket. For those of you that are hatters, I’m
sorry – I just really wanted to see her!

And not only did I
see her, I met her. In the bathroom of all places. LOL! I thought I
would be all starstruck on her, but surprisingly, I wasn’t. It was like
talking to one of my best friends who I hadn’t seen in a long time. Hugs
all around with lots of laughing!

Her platform speech was
amazing. Filled with inspiration and truth. I sat there writing pages of
notes on my iPhone trying desperately to soak everything in. I sat in the conference room surrounded by amazing photographers and amazing business people and I was inspired, here I was, apart of this unbelievable group!

Image by the fabulous Andrea Blair

One more post left, it’s fantastic!

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I wasn’t supposed to go, but I went anyway

Posted on Mar. 24, 2010 under Top Gossip

I’m trying to process everything that has happened in the last 24 hours, it’s still all very surreal for me. As yesterday came to a close and Adam and I walked down the streets of Vancouver hand in hand while both eating by-the-slice pizza my heart was light and my mind saying “I can’t believe that just happened!”.

Yesterday morning I received a text from my friend and very own wedding photographer, Jamie Delaine “Are you going to Image Quest today?!” I had missed the ball on purchasing a ticket but I wanted to go and see everyone. She suggested that I come out for lunch, so I did!

I arrived shy and feeling completely out of place. Here were a group of photographers who had just spent the past three days together learning, laughing, and being inspired and I just showed up expecting people to hang out with me. My stomach turned – would anyone hang out with me?! The doors burst open from Blue Olive’s platform speech and I was greeted with smiles and giggles. You know that scene in Anne of Green Gables where Anne goes off to Queen’s University and her elementary school friends squeal with happiness that they found her and pull her away for lunch. That was me yesterday, it was exactly that scene, but in modern day times! I felt loved and accepted!

A group of us grabbed a table and instantly fell into a wonderful conversation about life, passion, and business. My second wedding photographer Laura Hana is a jewel, and she introduced me to my newest friend Cathy Empey - her and I clicked, kinda like kindred spirits. We invited two wonderful ladies to sit with us, Peggy from Bliss Photography and her friend. We sat for 2 hours chatting about everything and coming up with some amazing ideas! As the bill arrived I was sad that I’d have to say good-bye to them and head back home. But their heads perked up and they told me “Come to see Jasmine…come!”.

Image by Jessica Claire

I don’t want to bore you too much, so the continuation of this day will be in another post, you know just to make you come back!

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Christmas Welcome

Posted on Dec. 23, 2008 under Personal

For the past three years Adam and I go to a tree farm to cut down our Christmas tree. And every year I look forward to running around the farm, finding the perfect tree, and then running around some more to see if there is a better one.

This year was no different except that I had my face behind the lens of the camera most of the time trying to tell the story of us searching for our tree.

Need to find the perfect tree, so the search begins…..

And search some more…..

And continue to search….

How about I take a photo with a tree, this searching is tiring!

This is my second favorite photo of the trip!

How about this tree?

I think we found our tree!

Me, attempting to cut it down….

Adam takes over and in 2.2 seconds it’s done.

Adam is my hero!!! (My favorite photo from the day)

Welcome home Christmas tree!

Part two of decorating the tree will come later.

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Duke

Posted on Oct. 20, 2008 under Portraits

The other day I spent the day with my awesome friend Kelly. She recently added some bangs to her hairstyle and every time I look at her I think she looks like a hotter and sexier version of Kim Cattrall from Sex and the City.

We ran around the city trying on wedding dresses and bridesmaids dresses, and then went back to her house to pick up her dog Duke to head up to SFU for a mini photo shoot so that I could learn how to use the camera a little more. I think we were fully expecting to get kicked off campus for having such a huge dog up there, but surprisingly nothing happened.

We started off in the underground parking because it was raining so bad, and also since neither one of us knew the campus very well, we felt the safest there.

Duke loves Kelly, maybe just a little too much!

Eventually we got a little braver to look for the graduation auditorium which I knew was outside and covered. Once we got there however, we saw that fog had rolled unto the campus, so we had to think of creative ways to capture Kelly and Dukes awesome relationship!

Walking around with a dog up there was quite amusing. There were a bunch of ESL groups who seemed terrified of sweet Duke (seriously, I don’t think he could hurt a fly), but instead of staying away from him they would make the ’tisk tisk’ sound you would make to call a dog over while shaking their head! Oh the amount of times I would laugh out loud cause it just looked so funny! I know I’m horrible!

I had fun crawling all over the ground trying to get the photos that I wanted and also realized how ’soft’ my core actually is! This last photo I knew would be something that Kelly would love to have. Like me, she is a lover of shoes and she also loves her dog!

Kelly and Duke thanks for being so awesome! Can’t wait to do it again, and I hope you find a photo to give to Kevin so that he can take it to work and always see his two special loves!

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My first Model

Posted on Oct. 10, 2008 under Portraits

Driving down the Oregon Coast Hwy relaxing in the passenger seat Adam and I talked about simple things like the weather, or what we’d have for dinner back at the camp site, or if there was enough wind to go windsurfing, we passed by a bright red barn. My head whipped around as we sped past it, and even though it was just a glimpse of the building I couldn’t get it out of my mind.

The rest of the drive back to the camp ground all I could think of was the red barn and how much I needed to go back there. Adam was jabbering on about how I should go windsurfing and how we needed to check the wind, but my mind was else where. We checked the wind – it was dead. “Good” I thought, “I wasn’t interested anyway. I want that barn!” Eventually Adam tuned in that my mind was else where. I told him about the red barn, and how I wanted to go back.

I wanted to take photos of it, with someone in front of it. Initially I wanted to ask my windsurfing instructor to be my model, but Adam thought it wasn’t a very good idea since we didn’t know her that well. I very shyly asked Adam to be my model and thankfully he was more then happy to be my first model!

Thanks Babes for being my first model!

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