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Category Archives: Babies

Baby Linden :: New

05-13-10 Babies, Okanagan child photographer, Vancouver Island photographer

My cousin’s 2nd baby, and first boy…..this is a rare thing in our family – you see…we ladies dominate! So, it definitely came as a surprise when a baby boy arrived in a very short amount of time just a few weeks ago. Linden was sweet enough to let me photograph him when he was 11 days old and I was back on the Island for a visit.  Other than wanting to stay in his clothes, he was easy to calm and after just a few minutes of “shushing” him and holding a firm hand on his back he would close his eyes and drift off. Thank you Jenn for having me take his first photos – looking forward to many more:)

Mwah!

by michele

5 comments

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05/20/2010 - 7:11 am Gina - These are so sweet! You make me want to go out and buy a white bedspread everytime I look at your blog......just know it wouldn't stay white in my house!

05/17/2010 - 8:54 pm brooke bowland - adorable. the one on the stripes...yumma. love it. of course, the light in these is unreal...seriously, can we just shoot in this light all the time!?

05/17/2010 - 8:06 pm Jenn - AMAZING! Thank you sooooo much for taking Linden`s first shoot. I have had so many compliments on these pictures, thanks again cuz, you ROCK!!

05/16/2010 - 5:26 pm andrea - LOVE these michele -- love love love!!! what an awesome session!

05/13/2010 - 9:53 pm nanny - he is just adorable isn;t he. Great job as usual my dear!! and i am sure the Olsen will come out in him too!! :)

Baby Sneak:: Vancouver Island

05-03-10 Babies, Children, Okanagan child photographer, Vancouver Island photographer

This past weekend I had the chance to not only meet up with friends and family, but also their new family members. I booked a room at the beautifully renovated Coast Bastion Hotel in Nanaimo, and in between sessions I enjoyed the ridiculous harbour view and the yummiest food. Mmmmm. The teeniest little man belongs to my cousin Jenn, and he was 10 days old and not yet 7lbs. Definitely made me have the “fever”. Hehe. Second was a friend and ex co-worker from back in the banking days at TD…I photographed her fam, including her “little” man….he is 19 lbs and just 4 months old. I think it’s safe to say he may take after his Dad:) Last but not least was my dear friend Jack and her gorgeous little ladies…..Jack and I have been friends since we were 4 years old, and these two little girls have two of the greatest parents I’ve ever met. Big Sis Pina is two years old, and Isabella….aka “BabyBelle” is 3 months. We had such a fun time, and even met up in the rain to shoot a few family pics the next afternoon.

I had a wonderful day….loved the hotel, loved the babies and catching up with old friends. Oh, and the light?! Dee-vine! Brooke and I are planning to shoot as much as we can in this same spot in the upcoming months and I CANNOT wait!

PS – Nevaeh and I spent the day at Coombs Market this afternoon and I think I’m still drooling!!!  Enjoy the pics…full posts coming soon!

Introducing Baby Linden – April 20th/ 6 pounds 13 ounces

Catherine, Jay and Mister LoganJack, Pina and Baby Belle

by michele

8 comments

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05/07/2010 - 6:27 am Becky - Gorgeous! That first picture is perfection!!! Such great light in all the pics!

05/04/2010 - 4:43 pm Mandy - michelle! fabulous fabulous job! you rocked these! love them! i am bringing my baby out to BC when he/she comes!!!!

05/04/2010 - 7:29 am Carol Swaitkewich - I NEED a picture like the one with the momma and her babies!! So beautiful!! And the little guy on the red chair is gorgeous!!

05/04/2010 - 5:58 am Jen Otchy - Michele, these are beautiful. Such gorgeous light!!! I love the pic of mama and girls on the bed. Too sweet!! :)

05/04/2010 - 5:41 am Pam - Love the light. Gorgeous babes!

05/04/2010 - 2:59 am stephanie - Beautiful! Fav's? Mom and girls on bed with mom's big smile, baby Logan looking up on bed (he's a chunky monk like my "little" guy!) and little Linden on the red chair. So sweet.

05/03/2010 - 10:47 pm brooke bowland - okay....the light in these is so stunning. i want to pack up and move there! ha. no seriously. these are all beautiful...what a stunning group! lucky girl.

05/03/2010 - 9:59 pm Jodie - Michele they are adorable! Love the first image! I want that chair! Great work.

Cameron:: Baby

03-29-10 Babies, Okanagan child photographer

What a joy this little Miss was to photograph. She came with a smile on her face, and left the same way…..and man, oh man could she motor! I think Mum and I used every trick in the book to get her NOT to crawl away each and every time I raised the camera! The session consisted of room changes, clothing changes and even a little road trip from my place over to Brooke’s studio ( I am officially in love, and oh so patiently waiting for the day when I, too can have a space to call my own – thanks for sharing, B!)  Thank you so much to Mum Caroline for taking the time to have me photograph your girl; she was pleasure to work with and an easy transition back into the world of photographing children other than my own:)

On a side note, Miss Cameron’s Mum will soon be selling beauuutiful knit clothes for babies….you should have seen some of the treasures she brought. Contact me if you’d like any info:)

Michele Such a little beauty! And if you’re interested in the knit one-piece, it’s from April Cornell. Love their stuff…..especially their dresses – they fit for-ever!

been waiting to use the blocks with Eve, but Cameron got to them first….aren’t they pretty?!

by michele

11 comments

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04/02/2010 - 5:14 pm Anneli - A'la Foto - Beautiful pictures and she´s so cute! Love the colours och her blue eyes! :O)

03/29/2010 - 10:18 pm brooke bowland - beautiful. thanks for bringing her by and putting my space to good use. love the light! she is a total sweetheart.

03/29/2010 - 9:41 pm Cara - LOVE the sweetie! Cameron is such a doll and you captured her sweetness perfectly.

03/29/2010 - 9:06 pm Caroline Grewcutt - Oh - and I can't take the credit - it is my talented mum Helen who makes all the beautiful handknitted clothing (including the grey sweater) - Cameron is her inspiration!

03/29/2010 - 8:58 pm Caroline Grewcutt - Wow Michele - I love the photos of my little honey and thank you so much for all the time you spent with us. We had a blast and you made us feel so comfortable - you are a must for all new parents!

03/29/2010 - 5:42 pm devon - oh how adorable :) i love her little gray sweater! I cant believe you would consider NOT doing wee ones anymore...you are so well rounded you can ROCK it all!

03/29/2010 - 4:42 pm Amber Snow - Just stumbled upon your blog, great work! Love this session, so soft and pretty. That baby is too cute.

03/29/2010 - 4:41 pm michele - I agree....BEST age to photograph:) And Sherry....the headband was compliments of Brooke. She whipped it up and pinned it to some elastic. Not bad, eh?!

03/29/2010 - 4:20 pm s h e r r y - She is SO adorable! I love the pink flower headband!!

03/29/2010 - 2:17 pm Megan Stacey - Beautiful pics Michele... I am always blown away by your images! Thanks for sharing them.

03/29/2010 - 1:59 pm Heidi - Beautiful! I too love photographing this age. Usually so expressive. Love the pink knit outfit.

A Weekend with Eve.

03-22-10 Babies, Okanagan child photographer, Personal

A wee Miss. Happy. Energetic. Inquisitive. Loud. Outgoing. Vocal. Stubborn. And sweet as sugar.  Eve and I had a weekend to ourselves as Nevaeh and her Papa took off to Vancouver for some bonding time. Eve has definitely noticed, being a little out of sorts and booting around the house peeking out the windows on her tippy-toes shouting, “Ya-Ya”!….”Ya-Ya”??  ( All wee ones seem to call Nevaeh “YaYa” – cute, right)?!

So before we sat down to play this morning, I dug through some of Nevaeh’s old toys and found an old fave….her light-up stackers. Well, they are now Eve’s fave. Pretty cute watching her figure it out. It was a nice, quiet weekend – I got a lot accomplished, but I can’t wait for the house to be back to its noisy self!

Now on with the pics….and yes, she is that pale ( and that cute)!!!

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eve3evd1Oh….that little face of hers. I must drive her nuts with all the smoochies:) 2882eve
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by michele

3 comments

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03/22/2010 - 8:41 pm Gina - She is so adorable! I don't even know her and I want to steal her, she would love hanging with Oli-James!!

03/22/2010 - 3:14 pm brooke bowland - Yay is right. I must leave a little note on how adorable she is. Her eyes and lashes just kill me...and I can say, this is exactly how sweet she is in person. Every bit of beautiful this miss and with the personality to match! love em.

03/22/2010 - 3:08 pm michele - Whew.....something was wrong with the comment section. Fixed it - YAY!

Almost One.

02-18-10 Babies, Okanagan child photographer, Personal

Well, here it is. Time has passed oh so  quickly, and the Littlest Miss is nearly one. This time last year I was driving my friends, fam and especially my hubby nutso trying everything in my power to get this girl out. She made her entrance ( with a little help) on February 22nd and has kept us smiling since then. I’d thought at first that she was going to be this sweet, passive, girly little thing….but I may be wrong. The last few weeks she’s been showing us another side. A very sassy, very in-your-face kind of side. Oh no, am I going to have TWO fiesty girls?!  Anyways, here I go on rambling again…..the point of this little shoot was to take some “portraits” of Eve in her birthday clothes – before the craziness of the party. Well, she didn’t want the dress on ( yes, that has started already) so I put her in some cozies and then decided that my big girl needed some new “pretty” pics as well. I bribed her with a popsicle:)  I can’t say it was easy getting the shots….my house was seriously trashed; it took all of 10 minutes to make a huge mess while moving quickly to keep Eve relatively happy, and Nevaeh? Well, like I said – she’s old enough to bribe. Oh yeah, I do it when necessary…..

So, here they are – Eve’s One Year pics as well as some of her big sissy……I sure do love these two munchkins.

** Brooke, you’ll be happy – I finally captured Eve’s “cartoon” smile…the last photo of her ( yes, I know…she’s still toothless, takes after her sis:) SO glad I got it!

story3

by michele

18 comments

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03/03/2010 - 10:15 am Amanda - I just happened upon your blog today and i'm super happy I did because you are extremely talented! i am super curious about your settings and post production for this session ;) Can't wait for your next session!

03/03/2010 - 8:03 am michele - A big thank you to every single one of you who stops by and leaves some love...it always brings a smile to my face:)

02/26/2010 - 8:55 am Mary Marantz - OMG!! I LOVE these!! What a cutie!!

02/23/2010 - 6:39 pm carla - i am not sure how i stumbled upon your website but i am so glad i did. i adore all your images. they are great inspiration! absolutely gorgeous work. i will be back lots!

02/22/2010 - 8:58 pm Jacqueline Pomponio - Pretty in Pink, they both look angelic!! (but I'm sure Mom knows better) I sooo want you to photograph Pina and Isabella whenever we get to it.

02/20/2010 - 8:01 pm Gina - Beautiful photos! Happy Birthday to Eve! Look out those February girls have personality and sass to go with it! at least mine does!

02/19/2010 - 2:46 pm lacey - LOVE,LOVE,LOVE your pictures!!! They are really somthing for me to strive for!! great shots!

02/19/2010 - 8:40 am Meg Borders - So beautiful!!!!! Your girls are gorgeous and you know I am a huge fan of these airy pics of them on the bed. So romantic and timeless. I am inspired.

02/19/2010 - 8:40 am Rebecca - So beautiful! They are going to be so happy that they have all these photos one day.

02/19/2010 - 7:26 am Cara - Fantastic! You just keep out doing yourself Michele... what little beauties.

02/19/2010 - 4:14 am Tasha - Awesome shots Michele! Your girls are so beautiful!

02/19/2010 - 1:08 am laura bunker - Beautiful!

02/18/2010 - 11:17 pm Brandi - Such gorgeous girlies you have!! I can't believe that Miss E is going to be ONE!! Happy Birthday little miss!

02/18/2010 - 9:00 pm candice - Beautiful Mish! Gosh, Nevaeh has such gorgeous teeth!!! They are perfect! I love the "cartoon" smile on Eve! Your girls are little super models, ha ha.

02/18/2010 - 8:20 pm Chantelle Turgeon - OMG Michele! She is such a DOLL!!!!! Your girls are just stunning and so are the photos! What a great way to celebrate!!!! They are so lucky to have you, your such a great mom, and I LOVE the softness of these photos! Stunning...... :)

02/18/2010 - 7:51 pm brooke bowland - oh i cannot believe she is going to be ONE. ahhhh. it feels like we just met her. sigh. she is every bit of friggen adorable that girl of yours. love them both. love these. LOVE. the colours are perfect...and the models...well, they are even more perfect. Vaya's hair like that is insane and that cartoon smile...melts me. These are some faves for sure. You did a rockin job. Happy 1st Birthday you lil' munchkin. Love you mean it!

02/18/2010 - 7:46 pm jen sander - Michele your girls are absolutely beautiful~still anxious to see the littlest miss' dress!!!

02/18/2010 - 7:40 pm Jodie - Beautiful girls! Happy Birthday Miss Eve! :)

Anticipation…

02-10-10 Babies, Okanagan child photographer, Personal

Lately the days have flown by even faster than usual. I’m not sure if it’s the fact that Eve is busier than what I’m used to, that I’ve been going to 4 workout classes a week, Brooke and I meeting most evenings on launching our new joint venture, or the many albums I’ve been trying to work on……that’s a whole other story ( who does everyone use for album companies, as I’ve literally wasted 2 weeks of work with the current company…..what a waste of staying up until 2a.m.)! Whatever the reason is though, I am so thankful that I have photos of the girls….I still need to work on taking more snapshots, but it’s a tough thing to do when you automatically look through lens with “the shot” in mind. I found these oldies from the summertime; I think Brooke may have shot these ( if so, thanks B)! as for the others of Eve…. I took these a few days ago – isn’t she getting so big?!  We’ll be celebrating her first birthday next weekend and I just cannot believe it. I can’t wait to see what the next year will bring……

And for those of you wondering about the new business goodies Brooke and I have been losing sleep over…..it will be debuting on Valentine’s Day. Stay tuned here on the blog or else catch up with me on Facebook or Twitter. It will be well worth the wait. I promise you:)

Now on with the pics…that’s why you stop by, isn’t it?!

Don’t you LOVE the drool….luckily thats’ stopped for a while…and still no teeth to show for all the wet shirts she went through.  * This image edited with get TRA get faded neutral at 20% and Kubota’s magic sharp. 9510lOkay…looking back the headbands were obviously overkill, but Nevaeh insisted. I love this shot:)  * Processed with Nichole Van’s light black and white, TRA burn out- oh snap at 15% and of course Kubota’s magic sharp.
9565The goods for the next 2 images::  Canon 5D, 105mm macro, 1/240 f.4.0  For processing I used TRA’s lighten up ( LOVE this action) faded neutral at 15%( I masked off her eyes)-burned the edges at a low opacity and finally Kubota’s magic sharp…..yes, her eyes are this incredible all on their own. Of course the macro didn’t hurt either:)
Thank you to my “ex” neighbor Ella for the great chair…….LOVE it!78737835l

by michele

10 comments

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02/18/2010 - 2:06 pm michele - Thanks ladies!!!! Of course they have their moments, but all in all they're pretty darned sweet:)

02/15/2010 - 2:14 pm Cathy Empey - Oh wow! Sweet girls, and sweet images! My favourite combo! Beautiful Michele!

02/14/2010 - 5:31 pm Carol - oops! wrong post! * tapping my watch* It's VALENTINE'S DAY!!! What IS it??????

02/11/2010 - 7:15 am Gina - I'm so excited to see what you are launching!! can't wait! beautiful photos as always :)

02/10/2010 - 11:12 pm alana bourque - Love all of them but the last one!!my oh my!

02/10/2010 - 7:39 pm Marlene Sandback - Could your girls get any cuter!!! They are beautiful!!! So enjoy your pics!

02/10/2010 - 1:40 pm Meg Borders - Lovin' these photos and lovin' the headbands. Thanks for sharing your post processing! Now you won't have crazy people emailing you asking you "How did you do that??" **wink**

02/10/2010 - 12:49 pm brooke bowland - ha. those headbands...ah yes. actually...i love them, i wish they had been different colours though...but the bw is dreamy. oh and miss wild ones eyes are stunning. seriously...those lashes go on for days! Yumma.

02/10/2010 - 11:51 am Tisha - soooooo Gorgeous Michele!!! Cant wait to see what your up to!!

02/10/2010 - 9:10 am s h e r r y - :):) They're ADORABLE! I love their headbands, and the drool. Haha. Too cute.

Miss La :: 16 months.

01-29-10 Babies

These have been a long time in coming, but better late than never, right?  At the end of summer I was watching Brooke’s kiddos and got the bright idea of sneaking my camera into her house and capturing pics of her kids. The plan was to frame a few up for her in time for Christmas. Well, it’s now almost 6 months later, it’s 2 a.m. and I’ve only just edited a few. Sorry Simon, the little lady beat you out in the pretty department…you’ll be featured next, I promise!  The reason I love these pics of Miss Isla is that the look so airy, romantic and carefree. And SO not how the session went. Whoa. It was a toughie. I dressed her up, stripped down Brooke’s bed and accessorized it with bits from around the house in order to look more “girlie”. I had also prepared for the worst….my pockets were full of lollipops, jewellery and mini  marshmallows ( they are perfect bribery as they don’t make a mess and you can hardly see them…..look closely)! It took a lot of me dancing around like a fool, hooting and hollering at the top of my lungs, but guess what?!  The Miss and I worked things out ( I think she sensed I was desperate)! and I seriously think these may be my new faves of her ( no offense B, they are just So Girly)!

And the reason I decided to get my butt in gear and post these?! Brooke was kind enough to drag her kids over to my place and help me get a logo done this afternoon. Not only is my name not anywhere to be found on my blog, I don’t even have business cards with the proper info….and we’re going to be at WPPI soon. I NEEDED to get it together!  A month of me going back and forth trying to figure it out, and she puts something together I’m crazy about in 2 hours. For real?! I knew there was a reason I kept you around !! It feels so ME….I really am drawn to anything girly and pink; can’t help myself. Don’t be fooled, though…..a fellow photog ( thank you, Rebecca) I met not too long ago said to me, ” Wow, I totally thought you’d be different after reading your blog.”  I said, ” Really? How’d you think I’d be?” She said….” Elegant and sophisticated.”  I said…..well, I don’t think I said anything because I was laughing too hard!  I’m definitely NOT elegant or sophisticated although I like the look of things that are. That’s allowed, right?!  So, these photos are a little thank-you to Brooke for being fab and helping me get my s*@# together…..I know you’re probably going to yell at me for posting it when you’re still playing, but I just couldn’t help it.

Love!lace logo2

Now for the Miss…….really, could she be any more beautiful? I think not!

1829lCan you see the marshmallows?  I’d stuck them in between her toes to gain a few extra seconds of her being still…..worked like a charm!
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1864lbw1862lNo words. I have a feeling Mama may tear up from this one. Gorgeous little lady.1871l
And Brooke, if you ever want to get rid of those pillows you know when my birthday is! Anyone reading this who sees those floral beauties at Winners…..I will give out a free session in return for them. I don’t joke around when it comes to pillows.

by michele

15 comments

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02/08/2010 - 1:51 pm Gray Photography - Zach & Jody - Great set! Thanks a ton for coming to our blog as well! If you are serious about us coming out for some workshops then we would love to chat about it! Shoot us an email and we can chat about details. Have a great day and we will chat with you soon!

02/07/2010 - 1:08 pm Cathy Empey - Ooooh love the images, and I LOVE the logo! It is beautiful, and totally you!

02/02/2010 - 4:04 pm Kia Gregory - Wow! this is the first time I've commented on your blog! I LOVE the new look of your logo. Are you going with that one? It's gorgeous if you are! And great captures of your bestie's babe! Beautiful!

02/02/2010 - 6:02 am Sarah - These are breathtaking! So soft and lovely! What a beautiful little girl, looks like you captured her perfectly! xo Sarah

01/30/2010 - 10:32 pm michele - thank you thank you ladies! And of course to B for the logo, and Miss Isla for being such an adorable model:)

01/30/2010 - 6:25 pm Inland Empire Wedding Photographer - lovely~!

01/30/2010 - 10:37 am Rebecca - Oh how do I love that pink lace! I love love love it. So perfect. I can already see your pretty pink packaging and business cards. Drool.

01/29/2010 - 7:25 pm devon - you really are something else, ya know that miss michele?? I mean that as nothing less then a compliment, just in case you took it in any other way ;) Brooke's lil lady is a beauty..the last one almost made me tear up..geesh..that little face is pure perfection. oh.. love the new logo..its so...you. (or maybe its the online perception of you??? lol) either way..love!

01/29/2010 - 6:44 pm s h e r r y - Wow, these are GORGEOUS! (I love the pink lace of your maybe-new-logo too). Marshmallows are super discreet, haha! :D And the pink pillow is AMAZING. I want it too...

01/29/2010 - 2:19 pm brooke bowland - and stop trying to steal my pillows. ha. they are pretty hot eh? i so love them. i want to build my entire room around them. not sure how mark would feel about it...but is that really relevant??? ha.

01/29/2010 - 12:33 pm brooke bowland - love. love. love. the photos. thank you. she is quite the diva isnt she. for sure ranking as one of the toughies to get photos of!! as for your logo...you know i am always happy to help where i can. so not my thing...but hey, i try. i hope that we can tweak it and make it just right for you!

01/29/2010 - 11:40 am Simone - oh my, how cute is she. Actually she quite gorgeous! I got to meet her last week and she has such a fun and sweet spirit and you can definitely see that in the photos. I love the logo so pretty and fresh!

01/29/2010 - 10:49 am Gina - I love your new logo!! LOVE! you are going to have so much fun at WPPI! Adorable photos too!

01/29/2010 - 10:39 am Daniela - She's gorgeous Michelle. Love all of them.

01/29/2010 - 9:53 am Jodie - Love them! The last one is my fav!!! Great logo too :) I will keep my eye out for pillows! So when are the three of us gonna get together busy lady!!??!

Nevaeh + Eve :: Bathtime

01-27-10 Babies, Children, Personal

So, it’s been quite a while of me thinking about taking some shots of the girls in the tub, and I finally got around to it. The way they interact with each other cracks me up! Of course bath nights are more work, especially with Eve’s age and Nevaeh’s….well, very particular ways:) But, it is always SO entertaining. And who doesn’t love free entertainment, right?! Eve isn’t yet walking…..standing quite well but doesn’t try to take steps on her own. Except in the bath. Don’t know what it is, but she goes a little wacky once she hits the water. Crazy splashing, wants to stand at all times, and literally climbs overtop of Nevaeh. I just wish I had audio to go along with these…..she sounds like such a little alley cat. Nevaeh, on the other hand, has always been pretty mellow, but now that she’s got a partner in crime I think we may be in for it. The peel n stick tiles have definitley got to be replaced with some real ones. haha!

Anyways, enjoy the pics…..I obviously have no idea how to use my flash, but in this instance I don’t really care!!!

In other news….make sure and keep checking in; there is BIG news coming in the near future and I can’t wait to share!!!

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Now, is it just me, or does she look oh-so-grown up in this one?!  11 months old….CRAZY!!!!

277bwClassic Nevaeh. She stole this one from her Mama!

289Come ON – is she not a spitting image of Jack Nicholson in The Shining?! Gotta love her, crazy little lady!247b

by michele

10 comments

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02/11/2010 - 3:39 am Jacquie - Michelle, your girls are just precious!!!!!!!

01/29/2010 - 1:53 pm Laurie Andres - Awesome pictures as usual Michele. I love looking at your work!

01/29/2010 - 1:52 pm Laurie Andres - Awesome pictures as usual Michele, love looking at your work!

01/29/2010 - 8:35 am Tasha - Too cute! I cracked up at the last one. She is a dead ringer for Nicholson. I might have had nightmares if she wasn't so dang cute!

01/28/2010 - 10:02 pm Gina - so adorable!

01/28/2010 - 9:40 am Rebecca - That third one is freaking awesome. :D Can't wait for the big news!

01/27/2010 - 10:22 pm danielle - So cute! Love the second one. I'm a sucker for bath photos too :)

01/27/2010 - 9:32 pm Mandy - haha those are adorable...zack has that drumstick and takes it everywhere with him...lol love love love these!

01/27/2010 - 6:29 pm devon - they are so darling...this just brightened my day :)

01/27/2010 - 6:25 pm brooke bowland - okay that last one...hilarious! these are fab. oh and love love the one of nevaeh over head...great angle and love that bit of crack. hehe. xo.

Best of 2009 :: Us.

01-17-10 Babies, Children, Family, Lifestyle, Personal

A year in review. Wow….time really does fly by, doesn’t it?!  The past year has definitely been one of the best I’ve had.  Mistakes were made, the learning is ongoing, and I’m still dreaming. Big. There have been times I’ve questioned what I’m doing, if I’m doing the right thing…but the fact that I actually enjoy working away at 2 a.m. must mean something, right?! There’s a quote I read on Tara Whitney’s blog a few days ago, which was so fitting ….” If you want to know where your heart is, look where your mind goes when it wanders”. Well, my mind is always a wandering – all over the bloody place. That’s the problem with being Gemini – I can’t stay focused long enough to finish a thought. Luckily for me I have great friends and fam who (try) to keep me on track( you know who you are)!

This past year or so has brought so many changes…..a new home, new jobs and of course our new baby girl Eve. Lucky for us, big sis Nevaeh thinks she’s just as sweet as we do and we haven’t had to deal with jealous fits of rage, pulling hair or eye poking. Well, yet anyway. Eve’s personality is really becoming apparent, and I’m pretty sure she isn’t going to be the quiet, mellow timid little thing we’d first thought. She may just follow in her “big sissies” footsteps and have a very outgoing “look at me world” kind of outlook.  As long as they can pause for a moment once in a while for me to snap a few shots of their cute little faces, I don’t mind.

Be forewarned, this post is ridiculously long…..I never realized just how many photos we really do have. And to think that the majority of these are the “portraits”.  I’ve been working on a coffee table album for my blogover the past year, so had to include these faves for the end of it. Wondering who I’m doing it through? Blurb. They will actually “slurp” your blog and print it up all fancy for you to hold onto. Something to show for all our late nights, right?! A big thank you to my hubby for never complaining about how much I work in the evenings( well, rarely complaining)! I promise that 2010 will include me coming to bed at least a few hours earlier each night. And of course I couldn’t possibly post with saying thankyouthankyouthankyou to Brooke for capturing all the pics of our fam , as well as a bunch more in this post; love each and every one of them and feel insanely lucky to have you around.

So, here it is. The biggest post ever. And just so you know, it was never intended to be so lengthy….I just started to get all mushy and sentimental and, well…they’re just so darned cute!  I suppose this post was kind of for me to look back at ( perhaps when I’m having a “yuck” day and wish I could have an on call nanny to deal with not-so-fun Mum stuff)! These are pretty much guaranteed to make me smile:)

Enjoy…..

These were taken a few months before Eve arrived :: thanks Brooke!
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I think this is a contender for one of the warm-fuzziest belly pics EVER!
459401949_aDGDi-Obbb1900bwbb33.5 weeks ( yup-I’m counting the .5) It was -14 degrees outside and Brooke still managed to make me laugh!st1bFebruary 22nd, 2009 at 3:30 she arrived. Eight pounds one ounce and easy-peasy. I guess it was a hint of how she was going to be as a baby…..we couldn’t have asked for a sweeter little thing.famstory1webstrybig3Eve was under 5 days old in the pics above, and just a few weeks here. What I can’t believe is how much Nevaeh has grown up since then…she still looked so wee here!
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Possibly the best little ballerina pic EVER….look at all those hungry bums!bstory4bbFather’s Day. Love these.132webbb173hluxhnywebbbThis image needed a LOT of editing to salvage it; bad lighting and a lot of noise to start with, but it is one of my absolute faves….Eve was just 12 weeks here and looks like such a little doll..
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nev1bbbThese were taken by Brooke on her daughter’s 1st birthday… I’d photographed Miss Isla and Brooke decided to grab a few of us. So glad you did.grsbbb

Nevaeh at almost 4 years old and Eve at 6 months. I could just squeeze them in these pics…..girlsbbbOur biggest girly-girl. Love you Miss.
2686luxflare57BBB4013hny5x7BBOkay, come ON! If this pic doesn’t make you have baby fever I don’t know what will. Absolutely my favourite shot of her. 3819osBMmmm. Thanks again Brooke, man I adore this image.2033BBB
Baby Miss. evestbbb
These don’t really fit, I know….but here are some summertime pics of B and I. Thank you thank you to Andrea Blair for the images us together – so much fun!
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bmstory1bMy besties of the girls together. An impromptu session at home while Nanny was in town for a visit. Homemade tutus +cardboard crowns = adorable! n1ebbbne2bbMiss Nevaeh + her 4th Birthday Party :: Alice in Wonderland Style 3166lbalicebbbPerhaps the best “real” moment I’ve captured of them…..I can only imagine what Eve was thinking here!7846l57bbbChristmas-time pics…..girlsxmasbbAt last a family pic…..this really truly was the 1st taken of the 4 of us; not even a snap before this one. I dragged B out in the cold and had her shoot us for 10 minutes before she met another fam. Couldn’t have been more thrilled. 6633b12x16bbb6670faibbbLove you so, SO much !!!! Mwah! xoxox

by michele

13 comments

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03/22/2010 - 12:43 am Jay - Noticed you on Twitter and stopped by your blog. Just wanted to take a quick second and say that I see a LOT of photographer's portfolios and you are one of the BEST children photographers I've seen! Keep up the great work!

01/27/2010 - 6:46 pm Daniela - Your girls are so beautiful Michelle, just like their mama:) I absolutely love your images and am totally jealous of your talent. You and Brooke make a great team and I'm so looking forward to seeing what you have in store for 2010. hopefully one of these days you two can make it down to Kelowna for our monthly get-togethers so we can meet (again...we met briefly at the [b] workshop in Calgary.)

01/26/2010 - 12:22 am michele - Thank you again Morgan and Meg - so appreciate the blog love, always makes my night!

01/25/2010 - 5:52 pm Meg Borders - I just ran across your blog somehow... OMGSH, amazing imagery! I am a new fan!!

01/22/2010 - 7:50 am morgan - You have the most gorgeous family! I loved each and every one of these lovely shots! As always, love to read your blog!

01/17/2010 - 9:52 pm brooke bowland - this one had me all choked up. everything about this post is beautiful...especially your girls. those faces...sigh. thank you for sharing these, totally made my day. of course thank you for mentioning me yah dork. i am so fortunate to have found such an amazing friend...i could not be more happy if i tried! so thank you for being a great person, photographer and all around bff (hehe). you rock!

01/17/2010 - 9:10 pm Simone - Ok. SERIOUSLY! You have the best pictures of your family. How do you do it? Besides having such extremely gorgeous girls, how do you make every photo look so effortless? Seriously, you should see my family photos. hehe! I love your girls, i love your lighting and your home looks beautiful! You are so talented Michelle. Your photos are so full of emotion... FYI-You and Brooke make a great team. I can't wait to see you what you guys have in store.

01/17/2010 - 8:24 pm laurie - wow. your family is beautiful and what precious memories you have captured!!

01/17/2010 - 2:54 pm michele - Wow. Thank you for the comments. Of course these photos are my absolute faves...I could look at them over and over and not tire of them....of course it's a bonus that others enjoy them as well! And yes Devon..... I absolutely know how blessed I am....I wouldn't change a thing; we're very lucky. Thank you for your comment; you always know how to make a girl's day!

01/17/2010 - 2:40 pm devon - ok well... i dont even "know" you people and i almost burst out crying a few images in...lol seriously ...do you really know how blessed you are? how stunning those little girls are? I have a feeling that you actually do know...Thank you so much for sharing the re-cap...it just made my whole day. loved it.

01/17/2010 - 12:21 pm Brandi - *sigh* love, love, LOVE all of these!!! You have such a gorgeous family, Michele!

01/17/2010 - 11:39 am andrea blair - I LOVE how you captured your family moments....I melt, these are sooooo sweet. AMAZING :)

01/17/2010 - 10:57 am Gina - georgus girls....you just gave me major baby fever this morning in hopes of another sweet girly!

Best of 2009 :: Babes n Bellies

01-13-10 Babies, Maternity

What a wonderful year 2009 has been. Lots of learning, meeting new people, making new friends ( I know, you’re thinking I’m a sap but it’s TRUE)!  I still have so much to learn, but going back through the last 12 months has made me realize that I am moving forward…constantly striving to be better and learning from my mistakes ( and trust me, I make a LOT of them)!  Thank you, thank you, thank you to each of my gorgeous Mum’s to be and their new bundles for choosing me to document these moments….. I really am so lucky.

107cbl9054lblMy most “overworked” model and fab hairstylist Linds of Heiress Salon and Boutique…..could she BE any more beautiful?!
lb1bll1blJust as pretty as her Mum…..s3blm1blAnd now a bigger girl of 6 months; yup,  she is definitely the daughter of a stylist!2118lbl2119lbl
Gorgeous baby Sophie at 3 months old…
s2bls1blGreat friend Candice and her hubby Chris  pre-baby……245lbl337blAnd post belly…..isn’t Miss B a doll?!5567blLove them. 5589lbl
5525cblA gorgeous little man to mix things up…..
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Oh yeah….twin girls! They couldn’t be sweeter if they’d tried. Thanks to Brooke for bringing me along, it was an experience!7210blAnother beauty visiting all the way from England…..128bl1195lbl
I know what you’re thinking…how did I get so lucky to have such good-looking models?! Honestly? I don’t know. This was such a great session…7221lbl
And their new addition; Dex. Handsomest little man I’ve seen…..6240bwblHe really does make me want a little man of my own…..uh-oh!6997lbl7222lblThis one melts me…I wish I had one just like it hanging on my wall.

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by michele

8 comments

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01/15/2010 - 9:05 am Cathy Empey - What beautiful images! You have an amazing talent. Not only for babies and beautiful twins!! (LOVE that image!!) but for all things photography. I am so excited for you!

01/14/2010 - 10:36 pm devon - WOW! im blown away by the sheer volume of love and fuzzy moments that you have captured this past year...some really touching moments between parents and babies...love. love. love. and for the record..i think you owe it to mankind to have another baby..a boy for sure...b/c you make some gorgeous kids! a serious shame to stop those genes from having a chance in the world! lol

01/13/2010 - 11:35 pm Jennifer Holland - I love this post Michele!!! You sure are good at what you do!!!

01/13/2010 - 9:58 am michele - Thank you all! Funny how I'd thought there would be so much more....I always feel busier than I am, which I don't want to do this year....I'd like to slow it down a wee bit and focus more on the business end of things. Gina, thank you, you are a doll! Brooke - so glad I went with you as I adore what we got, but twins are tough! And Rebecca; I just realized this image was from '08 - doesn't really belong up here but I suppose it does deserve a spot on the faves list! Thank you!

01/13/2010 - 9:48 am Rebecca - I love that first shot so much - I would kill to have that in my portfolio!

01/13/2010 - 9:39 am Gina - Beautiful photos as always, Michele....wish I lived closer so I could bribe you into mentoring me!!!

01/13/2010 - 9:33 am brooke bowland - i love looking back over the past year. you did some truly wonderful babe and belly work. i so wish we both had that last image with our wee ones...what is with us and not getting enough photos of US with our babies?? Lets try harder! the twin shoot sure was an experience...but man oh man...when you walk away with images like the one you just posted it makes it all worth while. love so many of these!

01/13/2010 - 8:59 am andrea blair - BEAUTIFUL! These are breathtaking!