b-lo: expecting
April 18th, 2012 by sharaleep | 4 Comments »
this is my first trifecta. i took their engagement photos. and then their wedding. and now…their pregnancy. i think brett will be happy if he never has to see me again, at least with a camera in my hands 🙂 that’s a lot of pictures in one year! but he’ll have to put up with me one more time when the little peanut arrives. and then i promise to leave them in peace. at least until the next one arrives.
music monday: seventh edition
April 16th, 2012 by sharaleep | 3 Comments »
you know that feeling when you “discover” a band that not many people know and you make it your mission to tell all your friends about how amazing they are and you go see them live at a small, intimate venue and you really want them to do well…and then they do something that makes them popular and suddenly you kind of wish that they had stayed small and beautiful and that you were the only one that knew about them so you could be secretly serenaded by them without it being “cool” to like them? or is that just me?
that’s this band for me. got to see them twice last year (proof i was there) and though i truly am very happy that their music is being heard by more than just me, i still kind of wish we could rewind back to before the grammy’s…and the hunger games soundtrack…and when i googled them, information about actual civil wars was number one…and it could just be me listening to them in my cold, dark basement office sweetly satisfied that i had “discovered” them.
russ & kaleigh: expecting
April 15th, 2012 by sharaleep | 4 Comments »
we would have been remiss if we didn’t include a picture of their first baby…she’s a furry one, but will hopefully be a good big sister.
these two were so funny. russ went on about how un-romantic kaleigh is and kaleigh insisted that if we were taking pictures of her belly, she was also going to highlight the sympathy weight russ has put on.
but under it all, they were pretty darn sweet together. whether they like to admit it or not 🙂
sam & adriana: engaged
April 12th, 2012 by sharaleep | 9 Comments »
so, i leaked a couple of these pictures on facebook and the general consensus is that they are probably the best looking couple ever. i don’t really think God makes people much more gorgeous than this.
i am always so blown away when a photographer asks me to shoot them. secretly i’m hoping they might, but never actually believe they will. which is why the initial e-mail correspondence between adriana and i contained A LOT of caps…i wanted her to know just how EXCITED i was they had asked ME.
sam’s family has a cabin on gabriola island where these two have spent a lot of time and they really wanted to bring a gabriola feel to the pictures. so with a sandwich and a bag of apples in hand, we headed straight to the ocean.
i literally CAN NOT WAIT for your wedding in august.
jeff & amy: married
April 12th, 2012 by sharaleep | 2 Comments »
waking up mid-march to this day:
= glorious! and even better that it was a wedding day. jeff & amy. making it official.
their wedding party was super sassy, but since i’ve been known to deal out a little sass from time to time (ahem), we got along swimmingly.
the reception was centred around food and fun. from a prop filled photo booth to cupcake hors d’oeuvres to stacks of games & a coloring contest to one of the best buffet dinners i’ve ever seen or tasted. they wanted their guests to have a great time and it showed. super fun. super delicious.
huge kudos to the people who made it happen (aside from, jeff & amy of course):
Ceremony, reception, catering & bride’s hair and make-up: Harrison Hot Springs Resort / Decorators: http://www.valleyweddings.ca / Wedding dress: Tiffany N.Y. Bridal in Vancouver / Flowers: Country Gardens / Tuxes: The Tux Store / Cupcakes: Original Cupcakes / Cake Topper: Kikuike / Wedding Commissioner: Marion Payette
music monday: sixth edition
April 9th, 2012 by sharaleep | 2 Comments »
this past week i had the opportunity to speak to a group of women who want to learn how to take better pictures. i felt nervous and inadequate and excited all at the same time and really had no idea what would come of my time with them. of course i was hoping they would learn something and that i could share a little bit of my own journey with them. i started off the evening by asking them what inspires them. because really, i believe that you can have all the technical expertise in the world, but that is not necessarily what makes a beautiful picture. what makes a picture stand out to me is when it tells a story or conveys love…when there’s heart involved.
all that to say, this question started to stir something in the hearts of these women. even if they didn’t share on the spot. i received a lovely e-mail from leanna the day after the workshop and was moved by what she had to share. if you have a moment, please check out her blog – she wrote a post about her inspiration and her hope and her love. i never knew asking a simple question would have this effect, but i was so glad it did!
if you live in the fraser valley and are interested in connecting with other moms who are learning how to use their cameras, check out this group! or if you want to arrange a time that i could meet with you/a group of your friends to do some small group mentoring, send me an e-mail. i love to help people take better pictures of their family.
as for something else that is inspiring…how about this?! my kids have probably single handedly added 200 views to this video (as i was posting, josiah heard it from the other room and came running).
preet & suman: expecting
April 8th, 2012 by sharaleep | 3 Comments »
i love being able to hang out with people who aren’t used to having their picture taken. their reactions are so genuine and they are always so delighted when it’s way easier than they imagined it was going to be. preet had to warn me that he often feels like he’s smiling but when he sees the pictures later, he realizes he looked really angry. so we did our best to keep him laughing and i think they both look pretty happy…agreed? can’t wait to meet their sweet little boy!
music monday: fifth edition
April 2nd, 2012 by sharaleep | No Comments »
cliff and i have been taking guitar lessons. i know how to read music and spent 3 solid years of my adolescence playing the ukelele, but have never really known how to play guitar. i always thought i’d just teach myself. and well, you know how that is.
so when our friend mark offered his services to facebook land, we jumped at the opportunity. i have been a less than ideal student (rarely practising), but i’ve loved picking up some chords and watching my fingertips callous.
mark is an awesome teacher and a wonderful musician. he was the opening act at cliff’s variety show on saturday night and was a big hit. he also recently finished recording his album which will be released soon. can’t wait!
the toews family: new baby
April 1st, 2012 by sharaleep | 1 Comment »
hanging out with this family felt a little like stepping back in time two years. their kids are spaced similarly to ours and i vaguely remember the fog of those early days with a newborn and two lively older ones to keep busy. what i remember more clearly is how they loved their baby brother, fiercely protected him and adored showing him off. it was no different in this house. this little boy is going to have a good life if his big brother and sister have anything to say about it.
p.s. i only met these lovelies because a friend and photographer referred them to me after she was admitted to the hospital and couldn’t do the session. love and prayers, miss kyla!
if you’re interested in having family portraits taken, contact me at sharalee@sharaleeprangphotography.com
music monday: fourth edition
March 26th, 2012 by sharaleep | 1 Comment »
this is a lady i’ve been listening to since high school (much to my poor mother’s shagrin). i only put her on when cliff’s out of the house…i took him to see her at a folk festival when we were still dating and the abundance of hairy armpits and lack of brassieres made him very uncomfortable.
all that to say, she spoke (speaks) to me. i could do without some of the dirty talk, but the thing was that she was pretty real. especially in a time when not much else seemed to be.
and now we’re in an era when we feel safe and equal when the reality can be quite the opposite. we need people like ani and my big sister to gently (and sometimes not so gently) remind us of those who are not safe and are not treated equally and remember that we too have a voice and can create change. so let’s go make change, shall we?
(i prefer to just minimize the window and listen to the lyrics on this one. but that’s just me. or maybe just go read melissa’s blog while you listen)
(if you haven’t heard much about trayvon martin, do some reading…i know it’s american news and america is so much bigger and badder than we are up here in cozycanadia – insert tongue in cheek here – but it’s good to be informed and aware and then to do something with the information you have)
how’s that for an uplifting start to the week?!
Find me on Facebook!