365 day 106 best day of the Olympics! | Calgary photographer

I have become an Olympics junkie this year. I watched it all day long almost every day... and the reruns at night!
Before all those gold medals came rolling.... I was completely hooked! Really wanting my kids to be in on the excitement I tried to get them all fired up. Which worked for Kadence. Rohan well.... wanted to watch Treehouse the last two weeks OF COURSE!
There were so many moments of these Olympics that were just so amazing. So emotional and real. Made you feel like you were somehow part of the athletes lives. I laughed and cried wished and hoped for so many of them. They were nothing short or inspirational...... LOVED every minute of them. I am so sad to see them go... watching them was so fun and a total change from cartoons :)

So we did what EVERYONE was doing today. Sat glued to the tv with good people and great treats!! And watched the CANADIANS kick some butt!!!!!! Wahooooooooooooooo!!!!!!
It was an awesome game and such a fun afternoon.  WTG Canada!!!!!

We are left with the record for the most golds EVER and some fantastic memories. I am so proud to be a Canadian and hope my children will be too. Canada is a great country, and our athletes showed the true colors of the people living here.

Here is how Ro spent A LOT of the game!!!! Funny kid is convinced he wants to play hockey.... but won't watch it!!!! Even as a newborn I would try to watch Flames games and without fail he would cry through the whole game!

Timmy's and snacks. Best game ever ;)

Poor grandma.... didn't see much of the game!

THE MOMENT.

the kid who LOVES to watch hockey.... high fiving after the win!!! Nothing is focus... I saw it and snapped. BUT I have her excitement forever!!

adorable kids alert!! | Calgary children's photographer

Today I had the pleasure of meeting these two!! They were probably the most well mannered kids I have met in my life! And cute to boot!!!

Here is just one sneak from the session. I am very hard at work finishing up some other ones and will have them out to people asap!!! This is my newest fav.... damask. I just love it!

365 day 107 | Calgary children's photographer

My son spends too much time with Kade and I. Poor kid. He has really wanted a purse. I told him we will get him a cool bag... like one for boys. But kept putting off actually shopping for it. I am a little afraid of what he will actually pick out lol.

BUT.... they found my stash of play purses I had been keeping. I let Tay play with them when she was little, and was keeping them for Kade. so they took them out and started playing. Of course Rohan had 3 or 4 and let Kade have 1... that boy is crazy.

Also... purses apparently make boys want to model for the camera!!! *insert smiley face rolling on the floor laughing here* This kid just cracks me up.

They played the best today that they have since Kade was a baby. They were walking around with their purses pulling out their cellphones calling each other... it was AWESEOME!!! They played all day and I actually got some cleaning done! Wahooooo!!! Now I hope he gets over this purse thing and a coold boy bag has DEFINITELY moved to the top of the list of things to get, but I was so happy they played so nicely today I honestly just DON'T CARE.

Plus... it makes wicked blackmail pics when he's older!!!

Here is my little train wreck girl. She is just a disaster!

365 day 106 | Calgary photographer

Why can't kids just be kids? They do NOT know how good they have it!!! Here Rohan is surrounded by toys... fun things.. trips to the parks.... and all he wants to know about is growing up and having babies!!!

So the other day I took them to Safeway later at night (for us they go to bed early) and this was the conversation:

We are in the car at a red light.
previously.... Kade had been bugging me for something that I was saying no to.
Rohan - Kadence, daddy and mommy are the bosses you know.
Me - Don't you forget it Ro!
Rohan - When I grow up I am going to be the boss.
Me - yep when you are 18 you get to be the boss of you!
Rohan - no I mean of my baby!
Me - oh what baby?
Rohan - Well when Kade grows up she will have a baby, and I will be the boss of it.
Me - No, Kade will. That will be her baby.
Rohan - No mom. I will be the boss of Kade's baby.
Me - You won't you will meet a girl and fall in love and she will have your baby.Daddy and I are not brother and sister... you will just meet someone not in your family.
Rohan - Why would I want to do that?
Me - Well you will fall in love and get married and have kids.......
Rohan - and she will have my baby and I can be the boss?
Me - sure. (laughing so hard on the inside. We all know they aren't the boss!!)

End of story. So I thought. About and hr later tucking him in to bed.
Rohan - WHO is going to be my wife ANYWAYS mom???
Me - you'll know when you meet her. (DYING on the inside!!!!)

Seriously Rohan..... you are going to have your life planned out by the time you are 6. Go carefree and play with your toys!!!!! Like lego or something ;)

I am SO NOT PREPARED for these random talks!!!!!

365 day 105 | Calgary children's photographer

What a gorgeous day. In Rohan's words ' I'm so glad spring has decided to come back'. LOL. I hope there's no major snowstorms in our near future!!!! We are all so excited for summer here.
It is just so messy right now to go to the parks... but it is soooo nice you want to do something!
Today I decided to take them out to Fish Creek. And just let them get muddy/wet/all around dirty. Because they NEEDED it.

And they did indeed get all these things. But had a BLAST doing it. Very worth it. Sometimes we get so busy, at least I do, that I forget to just spend that time messin around with them. So we played an incredibly lopsided game of Simon Says, climbed up on the rocks under the bridge (Ro will now be known as bird poop boy lol) and just played. I let them splash in puddles and walk in mud. WHY NOT.

COME ON SPRING!!!!!

It was gorgeous.... just beautiful out :)

Jumping in mud puddles.... I remember doing this!

THE RING!!! It's back on! And what would be a feature pic of Kade's hands WITHOUT mud on them!!!

He REALLY wanted a slurpee.......

joke of the day......

Rohan - Kade as soon as you grow up you wll have a baby in your belly. 

Kade - that will be fun! 

Rohan - I don't think so.... that baby will KICK your belly!

hahahahahahaha

6 month olds.... the perfect age :) | Calgary baby photographer

Seriously.... they are! So smiley, so happy, and so well not moving hahahaha.
I knew this session was just going to rock. I have photographed this cutie since she was in the womb lol. She always has the best smiles, and she is more than happy to get her pictures taken. So.... whenever I have a baby that is as happy as little Miss L I take as many shots as I can.
WHICH made it really really hard to trim down for a gallery. She is just so cute :)

Here you are K - I know you have been waiting........

One more bucket pic ;) Kade STILL gets made when she sees this pictures.... declaring she is never sharing with baby L again. Not that she was really sharing....... haha

I love this picture.... she looks like trouble already!

sneak peek........ two little sweethearts | Calgary children's photographer

I did a session on the weekend that was so challenging but very rewarding!!! These were a couple of seriously cute kids!! Blond hair , big blue eyes and smiles that could melt your heart!
This little guy wanted nothing to do with sitting still and looking at me... we tried it all! Singing, talking, plopping him down and trying to snap before he crawled away.... it was tricky!!! I am very excited that all our hard work paid off! it may have taken 4 adults... but we got a few of him looking!

Hope you enjoy your sneak peek.... they are too cute!

365 day 104 | Calgary photographer

Today we went out. Oh yes we went out. Everyone is healthy (Kade is still coughing... but that's ok) so we left our house for some fun. Of course now that we are healthy the friend we were going to go out with's daughter has the cold :( So we packed up and went out to Grandma's.
It was an interesting drive.... she told me it was foggy out, but it was just this weird fog. It would be all clear, then you'd see these clouds zoom over you, then the thick grey clouds. And then you COULD NOT SEE.
Totally random, happened the whole way all along the drive.

But we got there and had fun. FYI I kid you not.... Strathmore is like 10 degrees colder and the wind MUST be at least 5 km/hr faster than in Calgary. It is always colder there! On our walk today we were in hoodies, scarves, mitts, winter coats. We got home and it was gorgeous! Just so you know. HA.

I have been searching and searching... randomly driving around trying to find a driveway/road completely lined with trees to use for a photoshoot. Especially for fall. Seriously... is that too much to ask for? Sooooooooooooo hard to find here (unless I wanted evergreens lol). I thought this might work and have been dying for a chance to try some pics. Well. SIGH. I did it. And it won't. The trees are too far from the road.

*insert sad smiley here* If anyone knows of one.... please please let me know! This street still is beautiful... just not what I need.

then on to cuddles and loving with grandma.....

GORGEOUS sunset on the way home (same street lol)

365 day 103 | Calgary photographer

I am going to Two Photogs meetup tonight!!!! With 2 other photogs hahahahahaha.
I am soooo excited. I know I can share here..... someone is BOUND to share and understand my excitement!!!
It is being put on by Fresh Sugar and Bowes Photography. Who BTW are two of my all time fav Calgary photographers. Dion thinks I am a nut and does NOT understand why on earth I want to go just meet up with people!!!!
But I am soooooooo very excited. They are like meeting celebrities ;)

So I had this shot all planned out for today's blog. Kade just started taking an interest in jewlery and had this little flower ring on. It was pink and silver and trust me nothing has ever looked so cute ;) But as we all know... when mom's go out (especially if it's before bedtime) there is a ton of work and planning.
So I have spent the day planning, laundry, showering the kids, preschool pickup and dropoff, getting supper ready, getting the kids jammies and everything ready.
Somewhere in that time.... Kade LOST the ring. She was so proud she could put it on and off... and now it's just OFF lol.

So while I was making their lunch I just snapped a few pics instead.

When I went over to my friend V's the other day she was having a light snack ;) It is something I ate all the time when preg with both kids.... and I totally wanted some!!!

Vanilla yogurt, granola, strawberries...... a bowl full of yummy goodness!!! Try it! Kids LOVe it too ;)

Strawberries are on sale at Sobey's and Safeway right now. I went to both stores looking fo iced green tea that Dion drinks lol. Super cheap and really good too!

Yogurts was also on sale.... LOL. I spend so much time at grocery stores... I should do price comparisons!

Is it just me or does this stuff keep going up in price? You were right V - way pricey!!! Almond and Cranberry granola. YUM.

365 day 102 | Calgary children's photographer

DUM DUM DUM...... today was the BIG day.
Olympics. Team Canada vs Team USA.

.......... and we lost.

I had bought an outfit for Kade for Canada Day... and wanted her to wear it for today. She likes watching hockey... so I figured it would be a most excellent time to bring it out.
Well... she loved putting it on. She walked to Daddy saying 'Daddy this is my hockey shirt!!!!!'
She wore it all day... but do you think I could get a pic of her in it???? I mean really she did everything she could to NOT look at me.... make funny faces... move all over the place.
So I gave up and went out. Where she fell asleep. and proceeded to sleep through two wakeups for almost 3 HOURS!!! Poor kid her cough is so bad.

But she did go to bed tonight! A little later.. but she's out. Here's hoping it will last all night... cause that is RARE these days!

yep she definitely does NOT want to look!

mmmmmm hmmmmm... nice one!

I guess she was serious about the no picture thing!

Someone may have heard about jeally beans for smiles......

The only one I got of her standing and looking at me. LOL. Nice face!

Go Canada Go!!!!

Sleeping beauty..........

365 day 101 | Calgary children's photographer

This picture makes me laugh. I was setting up my lights for a photoshoot today and I was trying to test them. Trying being the word of the moment. Who can get anything done with these two around anyways??
Excuse the quality... I had to fake the background, and my lights were NOT in their places... I love this picture because. Just because. In fact it will prob go in one of my empty frames I have lol. Because it is THEM.

Bubbles is just the in thing for Feb photoshoots!!! Everyone wants them.. and they seem to work well. Kade absolutely loves them and when the shoot was over she ASKED to have her pics taken so she could play with the bubbles. And really who was I to say no???? I LOVE this picture!!!

indoor family session | Calgary family photographer

I had the pleasure of talking lil man L's pics a few weeks ago, and his family came back for some family photos. I knew it was going to be fun and we were going to get some great shots as these brothers are very easy going and seem to like being on the other side of my lens ;)
AND it was all that. and more.
Thanks so much for letting me take  these pictures for you... I hope they bring you many good memories :)

The happy couple :)

Just a couple more of the little man himself.... I wanted to get a few more poses of him!

6 month old sneak peak | Calgary baby photographer

I had an amazing photoshoot with this little 6 month old today. I have been able to take his newborn, 3 month, and 6 month pics. And have already planned some 9 month ones ;) He is a dream to photograph... always has been! Super happy and just fun! His mom is pretty cool too, and one of his older brothers makes a most excellent playdate for Ro.
All in all awesome photo sessions with this little guy!

Here is one sneak... just couldn't wait to put one up. And come on. These bubbles are just FUN!

365 day 100 | Calgary children's photographer

Soooooo being the 100th day... that's right 100th day, I wanted to step out of my *sort of* comfort zones.
High key photography is fairly popular. But you have to be able to pull it off. Doing it in photoshop doesn't really cut it for me. Washed out skin tones on high key are not good.... there are so many troubles trying to get a truly great high key image.
I'm sure once you KNOW how you can knock them out no problem. But for me... well still green people!

But unless you try you can never learn, never get better.

So I tried it today. TODAY of all days ;)

I woke up with the headache I had when I went to bed last night. I had a photoshoot (which was awesome) at 9, dropped Ro off for preschool at 11, washed the car, got groceries, picked Ro up, my nephews got dropped off, my MIL came over and took us out for supper, and Kade keeps getting up coughing. So it was insanely busy and the headache has gone NOWHERE!

Anyways.... I have wanted to try high key. It is not a look that I personally LOVE to pieces... but I like it in its place and would like to be able to add it to my portfolio, and check it off my list of things to learn.

It can not be checked off today! It was HARD. I had my huge light hitting the back of the backdrop and some spilled onto the people. OOPS. I had my umbrella lighting the person along with the window light.

I have figured that I either need 2 lights on the backdrop, or a light with reflector.
As for the people.... I am still trying to figure it out. The one with Rohan sitting.... the floor was actually not pure white - there was a section I had to ps white. dissapointing. But I couldn't figure out how to light the floordrop without overexposing the person.
BACK TO THE BOOKS!

This is why I try everything... to learn.
And these are not stellar pics. I know it. But it's part of my journey. Part of my learning.
So here is my VERY FIRST try at true high key.

It's blinding lol.

kade in all her glory. Seriously.... the hair? Rohan got ahold of some soap, and her hair was the unlucky recipient. And her face.... She gets dirty in NO TIME flat. Silly messy kid. This is her.

Oh yeah.... he REALLY wanted to do this. Or NOT. HA.