March Break Special

I've got 4 openings during the week of March 13th-15th between 11am to 4pm, and I'm handing them out with a $50.00 discount!

First come, first served!

Drool Meister

Usually when I get babies who have their teeth coming in, I struggle to make sure that I get them in at least a few shots. But not with Kyra's little darling! I got an endless number of great drooley smirks and smiles. I chose a few of the sweet ones to share with you today.

Ruby Thursday

Last week I met Ruby, and I, was, smitten. Two year olds are cute to begin with. But Ruby, with those eyes and that quirky imaginative personality was an absolute gem. She was the kind of little girl that makes me want to have five, with the kind of spirit I wish I could bottle. Here are a few of my favorites from this session.

Struttin' my Stuff @ The Perk!

Due to a serious addiction to sweets and too many hours sitting at a computer, it's not my "stuff-stuff" I'll be struttin' this month at The Perk; it'll be my work!

So if you're in the mood for good coffee, dangerously delicious desserts or a nice brunch, stop by The Riverdale Perk this March and you'll also get an eyeful of beautiful children and great photography.

I'll be having a "closing night" later this month, so if you'd like to have a chat with me, that would be a swell time to do it! Stay tuned and I'll announce the date as soon as it's written in stone.

Pretty Mamma

I had a great time photographing Michelle & Chris. They're expecting their first little one, and they're so thrilled. I can't imagine I'll ever get enough of the energy that comes with an expecting couple; it's the kind of happiness that's really comparable to none, and I always feel so lucky to be able to celebrate it with all of these new families-to-be.

Here is a peek at Michelle & Chris's shoot... can you feel that? That's love.

Shy, schmy!

When Carolin contacted me about having her little cookie photographed, I was warned that Victoria was a very shy little girl. So much so that the last photography session attempt had failed!

I gladly took on the challenge and prepared myself for it. I set an afternoon aside in case Victoria had to spend a little more time than the usual to warm up to a new environment with a stranger photographing her in it.

The last thing I expected was for this little firecracker to come out of her shell as quickly and vividly as she did! Here are a few peeks at this session.

Ode to my Late January Clients!

They were the brave souls that came to me from 2 weeks to 3 days before my move, and so made no appearances on my blog...... until today!

Tiziana & Tony, and their sweet-as-a-button brand new little baby girl...

Itty Bitty Nicole with her abundance of smirks, gurgles and giggles...

Princess Lucy and her stunning baby blues...

Madison with her enormous chestnut eyes... (I had a serious mommy-wanna-be crush on this little cookie because she looks just like my sister when she was a babe.)

Prince Peri, the smiliest little honey on the block...

Bronwyn, who's expecting a little cookie I'm dying to meet in the next few weeks....

Mikaeel, with his giggle that still has me giggling when I think back about it...

That's that! Stay tuned for a glimpse of my last few clients in the next short while. I know I've been terrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrible at keeping up on here since the move, but there's hope: I'm catching up, and hope to be able to "sneak peek" my clients shortly after their sessions again like I did before. Thanks for checking in!

Update! Finally!

I am moved, I am working my little tush off and I am almost out of the weeds! While I have a few minutes to myself tonight, I thought I'd write.

First, I have to thank those clients of mine that came to me in late January and are patiently waiting for me to catch up and get to the big reveal. I'll definitely be making them blog stars in the next few days as a tribute to their kindness, and getting their galleries up shortly.

If I thought that running an independent business wasn't challenging enough, it was because I hadn't tried doing it while moving! Balance has been an interesting thing to try to achieve this past week and a half or so, but I'm getting there.

In the works:

• I want to start a program for mom groups. I'd like to dedicate one weekday per week to welcoming 3 or more moms for a collective session, which would be a much more casual package than the standard packages I'm offering. (Casually priced as well, if I dare say.) I've been noticing groups in neighbouring coffee spots and thought; wouldn't it be nice to be able to get together with some friends and have a mini-session, which could include portraits of tiny friendships?

My idea is still in draft-mode, and you moms out there are the experts on what you need and like, so if you'd like to help me shape this into something great, I welcome your comments & suggestions.

• In order to introduce myself to the neighbourhood, I'm planning an exhibition at The Riverdale Perk, just a few houses down from my new location on Logan just North of Gerrard. My work will be on display there for the entire month of March, but I'll have an opening so that I can meet and chat with whomever would like to meet and chat with me! This will be a great opportunity for me to meet my new neighbours and anyone else who would like to drop by for coffee and some of the most dangerously delicious snacky desserts I've come across.

• I'm working on some creative ways for you to share your photographs with friends and family. I've got something clever and darling in mind that's worth staying tuned for.

• My website, though functional, is screaming for a little change. It's time for updates, new portraits, visuals of products that are available, and perhaps some sample galleries for the tentatives out there that need a little more convincing. Stay tuned for those changes... sweet fun, they will be.

That's that! Better get back to work!

I'm moving.... now!

I'll be offline until the 2nd at the latest, so to those who e-mail me during that time, sit tight and I'll get back to you as soon as I'm settled in to the new place!

If you have a strange photographic emergency, do call me at 647-295-3429. I may be more intrigued than concerned!

A little quiet spell on the Blog

I thought I'd let you all in on why I won't be posting very much in the next two weeks or so. I'm headed into a very busy time since I'll be moving February 1st. I'll be shooting, and packing, and making sure my clients are well taken care of, so there will be little time for me chattering away on my blog!

I'm going from the Beach neighbourhood of Toronto to Riverdale; which is just a few blocks west of where I am now. Not a huge geographical move, but I will really miss the Beach. I'm still planning on using Ashbridges Bay as my outdoor location for shoots; but I'll now have Withrow Park as another great location for sessions.

When I'm settled in, I'm really looking forward to sharing my ideas and new products to make the best of your photographs. I'll soon be able to accept credit cards for those who prefer that method of payment. I'm always looking for ways to make my services convenient for busy moms, so if you have any ideas that you think would improve your relationship with me, I'm very interested in hearing them.

I'm also planning on updating my galleries to reflect some of my most recent work, so don't forget to come back in early February for news and updates. In the meantime, I welcome your questions and comments, so drop me a line anytime... there's always time for e-mail!

Valentine's Day!

I'm running short on available weekend sessions, but I have quite a few weekday openings for those moms who'd like to sneak their little angels in for a session to surprise their hubbies for Valentine's Day.

And for those dads who can't get away from work and/or aren't brave enough to snatch the kids away from mom for an hour or two, *and* come up with an alibi, there's always the trusty gift certificate!

Do call for more details!

How glow can you go?

We often talk about glowing expecting mothers, but today I met a glowing couple.

I'm afraid there aren't words poetic enough to describe the joy and love between Erik & Kim; but I am happy to have had the opportunity to capture this poetry in photographs! The happiness between these two was actually overwhelming. I really feel blessed to have been able to capture it, and I'm really looking forward to not only meeting this little boy, but watching Erik & Kim as parents.

Here are my favorites from this session.

Once upon a time, there was Dexter & Quinn

This morning I met two lively little blondies named Dexter & Quinn. My favorite part of this shoot by far was watching the dynamics in this family, and the roles that humor and imagination played in their relationships.

The result was a series of very colorful photographs that captured the love and friendship in this family. Here are a few of my favorites!

The Romance of Motherhood

I truly believe there are two great loves in our lives; one of them for that special him or her we choose to grow old with, and the love that is born with our children. And for these two loves, there is romance. And as much as I treasure my relationship, I really believe the most powerful romance on this earth is the romance that is born between parent and child.

Because this romance is true, pure, unconditional, completely selfless and absolutely imperishable. This is the romance I look for when I'm photographing newborns with their parents.

Having your child photographed when it first enters this world is about more than photographs of their tiny little nose, fingers, and toes... it's about capturing the days you fell in love deeply with the most precious part of yourself.

I had the chance to meet little Mikaela yesterday afternoon, after having photographed her mum in all her pregnant glory just over a week earlier. This little bundle was nothing short of perfect. Here are a few sneak peeks of this shoot... Enjoy, and congratulations, Anna-Maria & Michael!

To smile, or not to smile?

That is always the baby's question. But in the end, even if a baby wakes up with the incontrollable urge to put mom & dad to work singing & dancing in the photographer's studio in order to get a glimpse of the smiles & giggles they're so used to enjoying, there are always a few that slip out, and I'm usually pretty good at catching them!

But I can't lie; I'm always more interested in that quiet look in children, which I believe is always the most accurate portrait of a child's spirit. There's something about that thoughtful state that reveals the true nature of babies. When I catch those little muted glances, I see a soul that's constantly seeking to learn and absorb the people and emotions around them.

But in the end, I want to catch it all! And I think I achieved that with Liam and his parents this Saturday. Though Liam had his mum and dad pulling out all tricks to have him giggle, the end result of this shoot was really perfect. The quirkiest thing about this little family is that baby Liam found a way to own just about all of his daddy's features! And a proud daddy at that. I'm sure that the tables will turn one day when this little fella winds up with all of mum's best personality traits!

Here are a few of my favorites from that session. Enjoy the sneak peek, Amargit & Neil!