SEEDS.

Okay. Imagine me, in a garden. Well, I'm trying any way. Brandon and I have been feverishly working outside on the garden-slash-patio-slash-yard. We are expecting a new puppy in a month, so we've been working on perfecting the outdoors so we are dog-ready.

Secret time: I am loving gardening. I like pillaging plants from family and friends; splitting them; nurturing and arranging them; working with the soil and getting dirt under my fingernails. I have yet to kill a plant outdoors. Indoors is another story. But I'm sure this will change. Luckily, our property came with many plants that are older than I and far heartier... giant rhododendrons and a plethora (that's right, a plethora) of tulips. They were planted by Brandon's Oma years ago, when the small house was still standing. They survived. I'm hoping that my plants will, too.



So, this morning, I'm thinking about seeds as the start of something beautiful.

WITH MILK.

I'm just contentedly sitting here this morning, editing some images from my most recent shoot (bridals... gorgeous... I'll share them soon), drinking my coffee and milk.  I'm really excited at what this weekend holds, and am now counting down the days until school is out.  It's twenty-five, in case you were wondering.

I went for a lovely anniversary dinner with my hubs last night at the wonderful Alchemist.  Seriously, I hear of all sorts of locals who haven't eaten there... it's amazing.  Thinking about the past couple years together, and it's hard to believe how far we've come since we were married.  And I do the same thing I do every anniversary; pull out the wedding album and leaf through the pages gently, one and a time.  Like you, that's all I have left of our wedding.  The photographs and a dress that I'll (happily) never wear again.  It's a good feeling.



And because every post should have a picture... my coffee.  With milk.

I LOVE MY JOB(S).

I often get asked if I like my job. 

The answer is a resounding, "yes".  But then, I have to think about what job is being referred to.  I have jobs (plural).  You see, I'm not solely a photographer.  I spend my Mondays to Fridays teaching high school, which is part of the reason why I'm primarily a wedding photographer... those babies happen almost exclusively on weekends.  But this means, that as I head into wedding season starting this weekend (yay!), my downtime goes from weekends to non-existant.

I spent my downtime this past weekend working in the yard with my hubby.  Sprinkler systems are incredibly dull work, unless you're a fan of wielding a shovel and using enough PVC cement to the tune of a billion braincells lost.  Regardless, it has to be done if we want to enjoy a maintenance-free yard, and, like the house we built last year, there is always such a sense of accomplishment when everything is finished.

That said, on Monday morning, I'm looking so forward to a crazy-busy week at school, followed by an even crazier-busy weekend (my first wedding of the year, a conceptual shoot and the last of my Flaunt Your Rock engagement sessions).  Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to work only one job, and if I would be challenged and satisfied the way I am now.  I might sleep more, have more time to bake at home.  But I couldn't give up any of my jobs.  I love them too much.

Have a happy week!

BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA | POWELL RIVER PHOTOGRAPHER

Oh yes. I live here. Well, not exactly here, but just a very short (okay, not that short) drive away.  This is the Eldred Valley, and if you haven't been here, you really need to go.  It's amazing, quiet, epic.

Yes, I consider myself a portrait photographer, but I couldn't resist capturing this area.  And it's quite the challenge, nature.  It doesn't really listen, and my jokes are completely lost.  I hope you enjoy.

I HATE HAVING MY PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN.

That probably caught you off guard. But, that is the honest truth. I hate it (and I really, really dislike the word hate, to boot).

Last week I attended a workshop in Vancouver, taught by Becker. I met a couple-handfuls of fabulous wedding photographers, ate a fabulous lunch, networked, took notes, got my learn on. And towards the end of the shoot-portion, Becker shot us. The photographers. And he wasn't taking no for an answer.

So, standing there in Gastown, I thought about protesting, politely declining. After all, I'm behind the camera for a reason, right? But it didn't matter. I looked into the lens like I was looking down the barrel of a gun. Ugh. But I gave in. Becker was nice, made jokes, complimented. And I gave in... and this is what I got.

And do you know what I realized? I'm not the person that I imagine in my head. I'm not photogenic. But I'm me: squinty-eyed, big-nosed, crooked-toothed, goofy. And as of today, I'm okay with that. :)

So, to all of you that meet me and say "I'm not photogenic", or ask me to photoshop your insert-your-flaw-here, I say no. You are all beautiful in your own way. Original. Perfect.

where have i been?

Yes, I admit, I'm the ultimate blog slacker. It's been over a month since my last post!

I've been stuck in the land of day jobs, which for those of you who know me, means I've been teaching! But that's not all - my husband and I recently bought some property, tore down the existing house (more like a shack!), and have been very busy with all the planning that goes along with a project of this magnitude. We also moved into a new little house for the interim, and have been busy unpacking and adjusting...

But, I have a bunch of new and exciting things to share with you in the next while, so stay tuned!

holidays

I know that I have been a slacker when it comes to the blog.  Beyond the insanity of work and photos, my family has suffered a loss right before the holidays. :(

The last week has shown us on the westcoast a cold winter!  I have to say, although I hate driving in the snow, it is more than beautiful from inside, while making cookies for the holidays.  

I hope that you all are looking forward to family, the holidays, and relaxing... or at least that you all get a chance to!

So, to all my clients past, present and future; to my friends, and family; I wish you all the most happy of Christmases and a healthy and prosperous new year.

The blog is officially on-hold until the new year -- I look forward to sharing my photos with you all soon!

right corner pocket

sometimes all the elements of a great photograph are accounted for and carefully thought out... and sometimes, you just plain fluke out.  this is a shot from mckinney's pub from a fashion-show fundraiser that i shot last saturday.  i'm in love with the cross-processed colours and the motion blur... just thought that i'd share a personal fave.

wishlist

excuse me while i wipe the drool from my chin.  have a total daydream day, and thought that i would share all the fantasmic photo-related goodness that i can't wait to get my hands on.  drumroll please... here is my wishlist:

the new full-frame goodness that is the alpha a900.  with grip, of course :

a fantastic new photobag that's easy-peasy for wedding shooting :

what else?  a giant pro printer for my narcissistic self (kidding!), a shoot shop in southern california, a full-time assistant, a matte cutter... and an office to put it all in!

good news for me... at least the first two on my list will be in my possession by year end!  can i hear a hells yes?  tell me know... what are you wishing for?

say cheese

my random internet and blog surfing has uncovered a true hidden gem!

trust me, this blog will change your life.

burn, baby

i hiked triple peaks today with brandon, jordan and jocelyn.  intense does not describe: a) the pain now, b) the incline up, or c) the view from the top, which totally made a and b worthwhile.  for future reference, i am NOT in shape enough to tackle this sort of thing, which was obvious when i needed to break every 20 minutes.  we did over 2000 ft. in three hours.

partial panorama... you can see powell lake and the georgia strait from here

my resting spot... the highest i reached was 5300 ft.

brando, pretend-rock-climbing

before the descent--the flagging is the "finish line", and also to find the trail to start down again.  it's insane how disoriented you get on rock face... hence the forgetting of the lunch container (aka bear snack).