Archive for the ‘lifestyle’ Category
« Older EntriesToronto Lifestyle Family Photographer
Sunday, May 13th, 2018
Very little about my trip to Toronto last month went as planned and as much as that could have been frustrating, my time with this family made it all worthwhile. We were snowed in together, so they were forced to endure me and my camera for 48 hours. I think the beauty of not being able to go anywhere meant that I was able to really see them as they are, in the day to day tasks interacting as families do. It was something I felt honoured to witness as it so often seems that when people feel the camera trained on them, they are tempted to put on a face or try to be “the best version of themselves” and really I just want them to be themselves. Period. I want the mothers to see how beautiful they are as they wipe snotty noses and do dishes and get down on the floor to play games. I want them to know: that is the person their kids gaze up at and wish they could be one day; that is the person they feel most comfortable to laugh and cry with; that is the person they are going to remember, with or without makeup on.
When I was editing the images, I knew I wanted to show them to the family in a slideshow. I asked Tom if he would record a song that I could set them to so we could gift it to Jessica for Mother’s Day and he chose to sing this one. She has seen it, so now I can share it with you. Happy Mother’s Day.
I met this family through my dear friends whose wedding and family I’ve gotten to document over the years. They found out I was willing to travel and asked that I come visit their town. If you are someone who lives in another city in Canada and would love a lifestyle family session, send me a message! I have some flexibility in the next year and would love to come to you to document your home and family life.
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Pitt Meadows Lifestyle Family Photography
Tuesday, April 24th, 2018
Listening to Janelle Monae while I work this morning and seriously feeling the strong feminine vibe, which is fitting because this family just added another girl to their crew. I still feel so lucky to have been invited in on their journey, from their engagement to their first home to becoming a family of four…it’s been a busy few years for them. I love getting glimpses of James and Caitlyn’s personalities in their children – they are amazing people so it makes me happy to see their radness multiplied in tiny form.
I love shooting family sessions in people’s homes…the place you feel most comfortable and like “yourself”. If that sounds appealing to you, send me a message and let’s set up a time for me to document you and your loves in your favourite space! Pitt Meadows Lifestyle Family Photography
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Chilliwack Lifestyle Family Session
Wednesday, January 24th, 2018
three kids in just over three years…the beautifully exhausting chaos punctuated by moments of quiet bliss. it’s the only way i can describe these early days, having experience something close to this myself. pretty sure it’s the grace of god that i don’t remember all of the gritty details, but here is this sweet family…right in the midst of it. i’m not one to offer advice unless it’s asked for, but all i can say to you brave ones who are in it right now is that you’re doing it. i know some days it might feel like you’re flailing (or failing) but you’re not – you’re actually doing it. have lots of grace(for you and everyone around you), accept help when it’s offered and try not to take yourself to seriously. you’re doing it.
you don’t always have to see all the faces to know there are five in the frame.
if you are interested in booking a lifestylefamily session, please send me an email! i’m also planning to be in toronto in april 13-16 and have a few spots left, but they are going fast!
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Chilliwack Lake Outdoor Fall Wedding
Sunday, November 12th, 2017
There are some love stories that don’t fit into tidy boxes; the path wasn’t clear, the trail hadn’t been forged. There are some love stories that are complicated, that face challenge right out of the gate and don’t necessarily have a “honeymoon” period. While these stories may be hard for those looking from the outside in to understand or relate to, they are the ones that are forced to rely on a solid foundation, the ones where a choice has to be made very early on to stick with it, to look beyond infatuation and romance…to really and truly choose love.
Jesse & Stefanie’s story fits into that category and as we sat in the coffee shop and she shared some of the challenges they were facing only days before their planned wedding, tears streamed down my cheeks hearing the ways they were choosing to honour one another, the people who were sticking by them and even as their future was uncertain, the fact that they were committing to each other…that was not negotiable. Which in my estimation, is cause for celebration and that is exactly what their day was. They had only their closest friends and family gather on the beach of Chilliwack Lake; no wedding party, no flowers, standing on a rug that belonged to her grandparents, they said their vows with their loved ones and the mountains as witnesses.
There are some stories that I can’t believe people would choose me to document and I am daily humbled by their invitation to join in on even a portion of their journey. If you need someone to tell your story, especially if your love might be unconventional or doesn’t fit in a box, please don’t hesitate to contact me – I would love to talk to you and hear more about who you are and who you love.
Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park
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the mcdonalds: family | sharalee prang photography
Wednesday, October 4th, 2017
the mcdonalds are a special family. i have been lucky enough to collaborate with jess this year on some beautiful gifts for my wedding couples as she is a crazy talented artist. when i asked her what their priority was in our time taking their family portraits she said, “ryan has been on parental leave for the past five months and he goes back to work on monday. i just want to remember how amazing this time was for us becoming a family of four and having him home”. in preparation for ailsa’s arrival, he fixed up a van so they would have a vehicle to spend the summer exploring and camping in. i love that they will always be able to look back on this year with fondness as they went through growing pains together, brought a new life into this world, watched their toddler turn into a little boy and nurtured and strengthened their bond as a family. what more could you ask for.
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chilliwack family photographer | childhood unplugged: june 2017
Thursday, June 1st, 2017
for easter this year, the kids’ school decided to do an egg drop off of the roof of the building. they were given the challenge and some limitations and my kids got so into it. sadly, we were in ottawa when the drop happened, but the teacher sent a video of allie’s winning design. she was so proud and was determined to keep her parachute to commemorate her big win (simon’s egg stuffed in the centre of a bag of microwave popcorn didn’t fare as well). we had some really windy days this month and a couple weeks ago she came to me asking for “those long sharp toothpicks”. not thinking anything of it i went about my business, only to find her an hour later in the backyard with packing tape, a fistful of skewers and a ball of yarn…making a kite out of her parachute.
see more at childhood unplugged!
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chilliwack family photographer: mariah & chris
Wednesday, April 26th, 2017
My favourite writer, Anne Lamott, says, “one thing about having a baby is that each step of the way you simply cannot imagine loving him any more than you already do, because you are bursting with love, loving as much as you are humanly capable of- and then you do, you love him even more.”
this lamb is on the same feeding schedule as little case, so we thought we should get a pictures with his “sister”.
to book a family session, email me for more information!
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childhood unplugged: april 2017
Monday, April 3rd, 2017
we spent a lot of time looking up. at the trees, toward the sound of the rain, at the mountains, to the sun on our face, searching for the evil queen in snow white’s castle. we also spent a lot of time looking down. for lizards and four leaf clovers, for flowers, at the water, at the sand between our toes. we reached one destination just in time to search for another. we drove and drove and drove. and then drove some more. we got to see a thousand year old tree and black sand and crashing waves and surfing goats and city lights and minnie mouse and a beacon of love in the desert and big rocks and small bugs and old friends and new ones. i can’t believe just how much we crammed into two weeks and i now have a list of places we will have to return to.
for those interested, i decided to limit myself to only my 24mm lens. i knew i didn’t want to lug around a bunch of equipment and only having one lens helped me to engage with my family and challenged me to see things in new ways. please go see the rest of my friends’ childhood unplugged posts as well!
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childhood unplugged: march 2017
Wednesday, March 1st, 2017
these are the days. the long, dark, wet days. the days we spend trying to distract ourselves waiting for the sun to return. so when it does, you better believe we run to it.
see the other contributors here: www.childhoodunplugged.com
Tags: childhood unplugged, chilliwack family photographer
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chilliwack family photographer: childhood unplugged
Thursday, September 1st, 2016
the weather took a drastic turn for fall this week and a few of us weren’t ready to let go of summer, so we headed up to the lake and forced our kids into its frigid waters. they thanked us later, i swear.
check out my friends’ stories of childhood unplugged here!
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