This has got to be one of the coolest families in Edmonton! 

I love getting together with them and we always have so much fun!  When doing their family picture this year, they mentioned that they wanted to not do “the norm”. Perfect!  Uncontained!  I’m in!  My thoughts were to do something “urban” – and they carried it out to the hip hop look that you see.  I loved it!  This was the first time that a family shoot came with a box of props : )  You will notice that various people are wearing the glasses, hats, etc.

This whole shoot could have been posted as my favorites as they inspire me and I love working with them - however I narrowed it down.  Take a look……

Ellis family – I can’t wait to see you all soon!

Christine

How fun it was to photograph the Brown family!  It was extra special as this photoshoot was given as a gift from the girls to their dad for his birthday!  What a great idea!

I knew when I first saw everyone in purple that this was going to be a great session!  This family did an awesome job and worked hard at coordinating clothing…which just helps to make their images look even better. Take a great looking family…..dress them in a fabulous color….and tada!  (we will forget about all of the bugs that were out that night!)

The hardest thing about this shoot was picking out my favorite images to share on here!  There were so many!  Here are just a few of them….

Happy Birthday!

Christine

and we can’t forget about this little cutie!….

This little beauty is Kate….doesn’t she look like a perfect doll?  She was absolutely wonderful to photograph and has the most amazing blue eyes! 

I was extra excited about this shoot as she was (and still is) the first little one to wear one of the adorable tutus that I purchased. They are beautiful and so fun to shoot with!

One of my favorite things about this session was Kate’s mom & dad. I loved watching them together as they are so in love and cute together!  I think that one of the greatest gifts that parents can give their children is parents who love them and who love each other.  How blessed Kate is!

Creating images that have extra meaning and importance to the individual or family is something that I love to do when there is an opportunity.  During the Design Session, Kate’s parents showed me a garden that was planted by Kate’s grandma, the day that she was born.  This was something that needed to be captured and when they showed me this adorable bunny jacket….well……I love how it all turned out!

Close behind seeing a newborn’s parents in love is watching a dad with his new little girl.  There is something wonderful about seeing a mother and her baby and the bond that they share – but there is something extra special about a daddy and his little girl.  The love in his eyes as he looks at her….the tenderness as he holds her….love it!

As always with newborn sessions – mom & dad need a huge round of applause as they play such a big part and work so hard.  You two are amazing and I hope that you know how much this little one loves you!

Here are just a few of my favorites…

Christine

Talk about a cutie!  This little guy has some serious style!  My gues is that it is because his mom has fabulous style – I love it! 

They live in an absolutely beautiful home and Ryder has 3 older brothers and a dog that he loves.

How fun it was to go and spend time with him and take pictures!  He did an awesome job (as did mom and dad!) - especially as he was working on a new tooth at the same time.

Here are a few of my favorites…..

Christine

What is better than hanging out with 26 preschool kids? 

Taking pictures of them, of course!

Now I am not a school photographer, but I did have the honor of spending the day with Sunny Smiles Preschool here in Fort McMurray and doing their school pictures for them.  I loved working with each of these little ones, photographing them and just getting to spend time with them!  Next time I am going to have to leave the camera behind and just hang out at the playground : ) 

They all did an amazing job and were so much fun to be with!  One of my favorite things from that day were all of their personalities!  How beautifully different and unique each of them were! I found myself wondering at different times what they might be when they “grow up”.

Here are just a few photographs from that fun day!

Desiring never to officially grow up,

Christine

Congratulations to the preschool graduating class of 2010!  I hope that you have a great summer and a fun year in Kindergarten!

Oh this family makes me smile!   They are most definitely one of my favorite Fort McMurray families and I love their joy for life and family.

When I heard about their story – of how they have gone through the process of adopting these two children – the world “Celebrate” kept coming to mind…and continues to when I think of them.  How much this family has to celebrate!  This couple has now been blessed with children, whom they love and adore and are able to have the family that they have desired – and these two beautiful children now have  the parents, family and security that they so desperately desired.  It’s a win-win situation! 

When we were designing their session and talking about things – I wanted to try and capture that essence of celebration….and so out came the balloons for some of their shots!  Seriously – what child (not to mention adult) does not like balloons :  )  

Here are just a few of my favorites…..and yes, I am slightly biased to this little cutie that I fell in love with that day.

Wishing your family nothing but the best – especially as you move east.  Know that you will be missed here - but also know that you are going to be so deeply celebrated and cherished there.

Christine

What a beautiful name this little one has!  

I loved working with her parents as we did their pregnancy pictures – and then finally meeting this little beauty just over a week ago!  She is absolutely precious! 

One of my favorite features about her is her hands….how she folded them together as she was just relaxing in the image below – and then how she softly held her dad’s shoulder.  She often just looked comfortable and oh so loved – which she most definitely is!

Congratulations on such a beautiful girl and your new family!

Christine

Birth is said to be a miracle – and life is said to be a gift.  Watching and holding a newborn – you know that those statements are true.

I am continuously amazed with how the  personality of a little one shines through…even at such an early age, giving others a glimpse potentially in the years to come and causing loved ones to dream a little of what their life may hold. 

Taking the wonder of all of that, multiplying it by two, and adding in two incredible (and proud) parents….and you have twin sisters, Payten and Emmerson and their wonderful family.  I loved witnessing how different they are from each other – yet also seeing them together and some of the tender moments that it seems that only twins can share.  These two are so precious and were amazing to work with – not to mention mom and dad who worked extra hard to cater to their needs and to help make these images what they are.  I definitely couldn’t have done it without them!

Payten, the eldest by 23 minutes, was so alert and patient yesterday as we shot. I absolutely love her eyes and her beautiful head of hair. Emmerson is the youngest, the smallest, yet holds a delicate beauty all of her own.  She is the more serious and analytical one of the two and often had a furrowed brow as it looks like she is trying to figure things out or size you up!  Both are so beautiful and yet so different – and for all of their own amazing reasons.

I can’t wait to see these two grow up and am looking forward to having another session with them when they are 3 months! 

Christine

I met the Playford family back in the fall when I did their family pictures and loved working with them.  They are one of the nicest families that I have met…not to mention have super cute kids – so I was excited for the arrival of their newest addition!  We have been planning and talking about this baby session for the past several months and I was excited to try out some new ideas that I had.  There were also a couple of cute hats that I bought and was anxious to “play” with…oh they are so cute!

With months of anticipation, planning, waiting and shopping – you would almost think that I was the one having the baby!  Goodness!

Logan was amazing during the session…not to mention the rest of the family!   With the family being Leaf fans – you know we had to do something special to bring it into this session too!

They say that babies are a gift from God – and looking at this precious little one you don’t have to wonder why.

Congratulations!

Christine

I would like to introduce you to the latest little beauty….Coraline. What a beautiful name she has! 

I had the joy of meeting baby Coraline and her parents last week as we discussed and designed this shoot and then got together again to make it happen.  She did such an amazing job being a little model and was often awake and very expressive.  Editing this shoot made me smile as her expressions often changed. I loved seeing the tenderness and uncontained love that was in her parents eyes as they gazed upon her and to see her so in awe of the world around her.

To look upon new parents (and grandparents) whom are so enamored with this little beauty and all of her delicate little details is simply a reminder of how precious children are and how they are to be treasured and cherished.

Congratulations!

Christine