A Candid, Windy Family Session in Stratford, Ontario

The elements can play a big part in a family session - and can even make or break how your photos turn out. A lot of people wonder if the wind will “ruin” your family photos.

Secretly, I love the wind! It’s almost like it’s another member of our session. It creates so much movement and really gives such a dreamy, candid feeling to your photos.

This family session proves this so beautifully. I love how the wind picks up the mom and daughter’s skirt, or wraps little pieces of their hair just right around their face to create that movement. I love how it bends the trees and the grasses in the field just so to tuck the family into it’s space so perfectly.

A lot of photographers see wind as inconvenient and annoying, but if you give it the chance, you can partner and play with it to accentuate and make a unique atmosphere!

Bright, Bold & Full Of Joy Family Photos

There’s something special about finding the perfect backdrop that mirrors the energy and personality of a family. For this session, that perfect spot was a row of vibrant, painted shipping containers. I had been eyeing these colourful containers for ages, but knowing the sun was facing directly on them always made me hesitate to try a family session there.

This year one of my goals for my photography was leaning into full sun and stepping outside of my normal box lighting wise. This seemed like the perfect opportunity and as the family stepped in front of the containers it was as if the colors had been waiting just for them, with each bold hue seeming to reflect their laughter, love, and zest for life.

The Dawn of New Life: Mabel's WaterBirth Story

Birth is something that has always fascinated me. In my 20s, I studied to be a doula and then photography (and a husband and family) found me, and well, we all know that babies come when they come and when you have your own babies to attend to, it makes it a little difficult to be on call and drop everything at a moments notice!

I’ve dabbled a bit in birth photography over the years and perhaps it’s something I will do more of once my children are older and I have more availability, but it truly was an honour to witness this little life be born into a room filled with so much love you could almost physically feel it.

This experience left a mark on my heart that I don’t know if I will ever be able to quite put into words. Watching this mama be so in tune with her body, knowing every movement and what every contraction did in her body to bring this baby forth was powerful. The atmosphere in the room was so peaceful, yet so intense - like the veil between life itself and life to come almost didn’t exist.

When I tell you I shed tears.

Mabel was born up out of the water at 3:09am into a room bursting with love, welcomed with tears of joy and relief.

Welcome to the world Mabey-Baby. (The nickname given by her oldest sister).