For the past few years I have been photographing the product line for Path and Laftr, a boys clothing company owned and designed right here in Vancouver.  In retail you are always working well ahead of the season you are selling in, so one of the challenges is shooting the summer clothes well before it's warm and sunny and as we did recently, shooting the fall/winter line in the peak of summer.  Our models are bothers, both with loads of personality, making it a fun morning.  We also managed to get a few portraits of the boys and even a few with their mum.  The clothes are in stores now and available online at http://www.pathandlaftr.com.  Some of my favourites from the session.

Earlier this year I signed on to be a volunteer photographer with the Special Olympics BC North Shore.  On June 7 at the Kay Meek Centre in West Vancouver, SOBC – North Shore celebrated their 30th anniversary with a “Diamond Gala”.    It was a wonderful evening of celebration, acknowledgement and entertainment.  The weather was perfect for the red carpet arrival, the guests were entertained by the talented Will Blunderfield and awards were presented throughout the night followed by photo sessions backstage.  It felt wonderful to contribute in just a small way to this event and to be surrounded by enthusiastic volunteers and talented athletes and coaches, each one of them inspiring.  

It's been the longest summer ever…..for those of you in BC you will understand, for those of you from far and wide, I'll explain.  Not only did we have the most amazing long summer weather this year, we also experienced a public school teacher strike.  My kids have been at home for 14 weeks!  That's 3.5 months people.  98 days of summer holidays leaves me feeling like I need a vacation.  However, I'm happy to report that today was their first full day back at school (CHEER) which means I can get back to my photography blog.  I have neglecting all things related to marketing, including Facebook and Blog updates, so starting this week I will pick out some of my favourite sessions from the past few months and get them online.  Stay tuned over the next few weeks for a giveaway that's a bit different and because I am often asked, some tips on how to master your camera and get it off auto.

A summer photo of me and the boys in NYC after a bike ride around central park.  Disclaimer: G is NOT really taller than me, he was standing on a hump ;)

What a beautiful evening it was at Dundarave Beach to photograph this lovely family.  The weather is Vancouver has been spectacular and I just know it's going to stay that way for at least another 2 months (positive thinking right!), so if you are thinking of having photographs taken this year, don't wait until it cools off and we are back in sweaters and coats, book your session now.  I have some spots still available in July and limited spots for August and September.  

I love beautifully designed spaces which has lead me to enrol in an architectural photography course at Langara this summer.  Every 2 weeks we take a field trip to photograph a building and on the alternate week we present our best 10 images to the class for critique.  For those interested in photography, the key learning for first few weeks is to keep the vertical lines of the building vertical.  This is done with both the angle of the camera and the location you stand relative to the space.  Architects don't to like photos of their buildings that look like they are leaning or distorted.  These are some of my favourites from our first and second trips, Sunset Community Centre and Creekside Community Centre/False Creek area.  

Another puppy arrives in our neighbourhood.  She is a Vizsla and about 9 weeks old here.  So very sweet and a bit of a challenge to photograph because her long legs get her moving fast.  We look forward to many walks with her and our Brody.

This beautiful little girl was 17 days old when I photographed her.  We had planned to do it a little earlier, which is preferred for newborns, but something came up and so we rescheduled.  It didn't matter, she co-operated completely and slept soundly.  We incorporated some special items into her photo session, a special blanket knit by a relative and an amazing painting done by grandma.  Here are my favourites from the session and yes I had many favourites.

If your expecting a baby this summer and are interested in having a newborn photography session, it's best to do it within babies first 2 weeks and to contact me as early as possible during your pregnancy so I can keep your due date in mind.  Then when baby arrives all we have to do is schedule the session, all the other details have already been taken care of.  If you leave it until after baby arrives, chances are you'll be tired and too busy to make it happen.  A newborn photography session makes a unique shower or baby gift and it gives the new parents a beautiful memento of these precious early days that go by so quickly and from personal experience, in a bit of a blur.  This beautiful little lady below was 17 days old when I photographed her recently, but we still managed to capture her newness.  There are many great photographs from her session, so stay tuned for another post this week to see more.  The cocoon and diaper cover was knitted by my very talented mother, Thanks Mum!