Michele Dyson Photography

This one is for my Dad, and Nevaeh and Eve’s “Gimpa”. Yep, Miss Nevaeh tagged him with that name when she was just one year old, and it has stuck!  Last month I did a quick session with Dad, stepmum Dianna and their 3 kids….it had been years since they had a family pic done, and well….I guess I was the obvious choice, right?! So, don’t say anything if you see him because this image is his Father’s Day gift….I’ve printed it HUGE for his office – I think he’ll love it!

And of course to my hubby……Happy “Papa’s” Day to you too…….xoxoxoxox!

Mish

Here he is……Mister Quinton, born on May 25th to Mum Heather, Dad Nick and big sis Cyan. I don’t think I’ve met a prouder family…..thanks so much for having me do your photos again. Heather ever-so-kindly informed me that I am their official “photographer for life”. Not a bad title, is it?!

Their little man was a perfectly snuggable 5 days old here. SUCH a beautiful little guy with a wonderful and hilarious family…thanks again!

Are you KIDDING me with this one? Girl, you are a pro in front of the camera……thank you for being comfortable and lovey, and oh-so easy:)I heart this image:)



Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it’s all right

Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it’s all right

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it’s all right

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes…

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,

and I say it’s all right

It’s all right

First, a sneak of my Dad’s family….well, just my siblings in this one. They’re pretty good in front of the camera, don’tcha think?! ….And of course much easier for me when the girls are being held down and can’t take off! Make sure to tune in for their full post:)

And yes, I realize Eve’s hair is ultra dorky, but what else can I do when her bangs are halfway down her face and she will NOT keep anything in ?! Good thing she can pull it off……and no, she still doesn’t have any teeth; hurry up baby!!!

My newest fave of our biggest girl……I adore her little face in this one. Thanks Miss!This was a somewhat impromptu session – I literally dragged the girls with me and shot these in the few minutes before my Dad and his family arrived for their session….it was Eve’s bedtime, it wasn’t warm and they definitely weren’t into it. Regardless of all that, I’m happy with what we got and can’t wait for the next outdoor, sunshiny session:)

** Sidenote for photogs – these were all shot with my brand spankin new 35mm 1.4 . I am LOVING this lens…perfect for a “shorty” like me:) **

Here’s a bit of what I’ve been up to the past week……although it is of course starting to feel hectic and busy and crazy – I am loving being in the midst of it all!  This next week is going to be another one with me behind the camera….Nevaeh’s ballet recital, an outdoor photoshoot of my girlies, a teensy baby girl, an uber stylish family of 4, and second shooting a wedding with Brooke. Whew!. I guess this means it’s time to start hitting the caffeine again. Hehehe!

Enjoy the sneaks and make sure to stay tuned in for full posts:)

A wonderful engagement session I got to shoot with BrookeFamily session of four of the nicest kids around….a surprise for Father’s Day!My first wedding of the year….it was hot and very sunny – these two rocked it!Last but not least – a very chill baby boy. Easiest baby to date….thanks Evan!

A few hours before heading to WPPI in Vegas I had the opportunity to catch up with an old friend and take some shots of her and her gorgeous girls. Corrin and I were neighbors more than 20 years ago, and we still (somewhat) keep in touch…even if it is a Facebook relationship! I remember rollerskating down my driveway, slip n sliding, and an impromptu wedding between her and my then 6 year old brother….we lost touch for a very long time but it’s great to hear form her again. Corrin, I told you we’d pull it off……a (very) reluctant teen and a 4 year old girl with a mind of her own can be a challenge on the best of days, but your girls came around and I’m oh-so glad they did.

Hope you enjoy the pics:)

Michele

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!

I think this is a contender for one of the warm-fuzziest belly pics EVER!
33.5 weeks ( yup-I’m counting the .5) It was -14 degrees outside and Brooke still managed to make me laugh!February 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.Eve 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!

Possibly the best little ballerina pic EVER….look at all those hungry bums!Father’s Day. Love these.This 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..

These 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.

Nevaeh at almost 4 years old and Eve at 6 months. I could just squeeze them in these pics…..Our biggest girly-girl. Love you Miss.
Okay, come ON! If this pic doesn’t make you have baby fever I don’t know what will. Absolutely my favourite shot of her. Mmmm. Thanks again Brooke, man I adore this image.
Baby Miss. 
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!

My besties of the girls together. An impromptu session at home while Nanny was in town for a visit. Homemade tutus +cardboard crowns = adorable! Miss Nevaeh + her 4th Birthday Party :: Alice in Wonderland Style Perhaps the best “real” moment I’ve captured of them…..I can only imagine what Eve was thinking here!Christmas-time pics…..At 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. Love you so, SO much !!!! Mwah! xoxox

A bunch of my faves from the year…..there were so many images I adored it was tough to choose, but these were some that made me smile the biggest. Thank you all for workin’ it in front of my lens, and for having me be the one who got to capture all these wonderful little moments.

Michele

You may remember a previous post from back in November when I decided to find a family who would benefit from a family session free of charge. Although I received quite a few heartwrenching and heartwarming stories, I decided to choose a family close to home here in Penticton. Thank you so much to Lisa Halquist for nominating the family. Her and her colleagues at Summerland Physio were sponsoring this family through the Food Bank, and they sounded like the perfect recipients. A Mum, a Dad and two girls aged 8 and 18. Your typical family except that Mum is very ill and Dad is out of work. I can’t think of anything better than being able to take them out and document their love as a family, their relationships with each other and just, well…..them enjoying being able to document their family at this stage in life.  I don’t know their names due to confidentiality reasons, but am looking forward to photographing and meeting them in the Spring.

Thank you so much to each and every person who participated, and to Lisa and Summerland Physio for the winning nomination…..see you in the warmer weather!!

Christmas morning, 7:30 a.m. We woke up to two sniffly girls, the littlest with an ear infection who had barely cracked a smile in the past few days…but once they got up and saw the twinkly lights and prezzies, they were both grinning ear to ear .  Even Eve, at 10 months old was seriously into tearing into her biggest box. And Nevaeh didn’t surprise me, she was thrilled with every little thing right down to the packs of undies, if not a tad overwhelmed with everything ! We had a great day, a little crazy…..Aunty A even got Nevaeh dolled up in a dog collar choker- I think she really thought she looked cool. Great. Thanks Andrea!   And a big thanks to all the family for spoiling the girls ( really, Nanny……STOP it)!  and more importantly, for all making it to the same spot this year; maybe next time we won’t be feeling like sickos and I’ll be able to kick you -know-what at the beer-pong table.  Look out people…….

And enjoy the pics!

 
The four grandgirlies hanging proudly on Nanny’s tree…..We decided to abandon the actual “Christmas jammies” on Christmas Eve and replace them with the cutest jams EVER….they say ” bear hug” on them; I seriously could have squeezed them both alllll day…I swear the excitement of the toys was a better cure for her than the prescriptions……Eve’s big prezzie….she adores it!
The card was written by Nevaeh for Mummy’s gift……A post-present story break with Papa. I believe she was enjoying her snuggle time, and was very unimpressed with me for interrupting yet again…they’ll love me for it later, right?!
Oh yeah, it’s a dog collar. Thing that bothers me the most is she looks freakin’ cute in it! ( If not mildly crazy in that first one)!
Hope everyone had a wonderful time celebrating ‘09…..and thank you ALL for stopping by!

Christmas baking with Nanny. What could possibly be more fun for two 4 year olds?!  Nevaeh and her cousin Ellie, who are 7 weeks apart ( oh yeah, Nevaeh lost out in the height department)! spent the morning with my Mum baking away. Sugar cookies, lots of icing and decorating and birds nest cookies filled with jam. Yumma-yumma! We were quite impressed at the job they did, and I’m pretty sure they were as well, judging by the amount of cookies they ate!  Anyways, thank you Nanny, and enjoy the pics!

Michele

Batch 1….finger lickin’ good, apparently! Taking a break for a Christmas show….Nevaeh didn’t like the bad guy at ALL!They’re pretty darned cute, aren’t they?!Batch #2 Something about this one just makes me smile:) Didn’t they do a fabulous job?!

Cookie “cheers” !