Creations Blog

NEW BLOG

2009-02-09T12:27:00.001-07:00

Hey all -

I have just activated our new blog...http://www.creationsphotoblog.com/

See you there :)

Trina

Top 10 of 2008 - Cakes

2009-02-08T23:20:00.004-07:00

With soo many wonderful cakes this past year we had a tough time narrowing down our favorite images...I look forward to seeing who our winner will be...

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Adorable - Holding Hannah

2009-02-05T10:18:00.003-07:00

The other day we attended Hannah's baptism. It was such an honor to see this family again in this special moment. We thank you for inviting us to attend and photograph this event!

Hannah did not mind getting a little wet at all.

Hannah with one of her good friends :) They are just too cute!

Hannah loved the paper in her presents alot.

My all time favorite pic of Hannah - she was playing peek-a-boo with me - I love how you can see her two little bottom teeth cutting through.

Top 10 of 2008 - Rings

2009-02-01T23:08:00.005-07:00

Here we go midway through the top 10 of 08 contest...Poll #5...The Rings Category...
There are so many beautiful rings! Omari and I had a tough time narrowing down these photos for you. I am looking forward to seeing what your favorite set is :)

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Top 10 of 2008 - Happiness

2009-01-25T21:12:00.010-07:00

On with the contest we go...this is week 4 of 10...if you haven't had a chance to vote on the other categories just scroll on down and find the other 3 :) Displaying today is my favorite 10 pics of the Wedding Parties in 2008:

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In Memory of Adeline

2009-01-23T12:51:00.003-07:00

What the caterpillar calls the end of life,

the Master calls the butterfly

This morning, very early, I recieved a call that Adeline was going to make an appearance so I was off to the hospital to capture some images for her family to treasure. We knew ahead of time that her stay would be brief and we were all hoping that she would beat the odds and have a some time to stay and meet her family but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be. My heart goes out to the family of this little angel. Thank you for including me in this moment.

I'm thankful to the NILMDTS organization for putting together this whole operation that helps families capture moments with these angels. If you know of anyone who may be going through a loss of a child please direct them to this website (http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/) which has a great support forum as well as has a list of photographers who will donate their talent to create memories for the family.

Top 10 of 2008 - Commitment

2009-01-18T22:59:00.004-07:00

So here we go number 3 out of our top ten poll.

Luckily we were celebrating my brothers birthday tonight - my sister-in-law brought up the poll and asked when the next category was coming up. "Tonight!" I exclaimed as I realized it is Sunday!! Wow, that was a close one...getting it in right at the nick of time...here we go onto the ceremony...the category I call "commitment"...

Thanks once again for all the polling you guys are doing! The contest is coming along great and I'm really looking forward to the final results.

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Vote for your favorite photo in the "Commitment" category: ( polls)

Confidence - getting Racey with Miss R

2009-01-15T17:15:00.005-07:00

The other day I photographed my first boudoir session. Funny to be in business this long and not to have done one but it hasn't been on my agenda. When Miss R saw some photos that we did from her friends wedding she decided to give me a call. I let her know that this was a new experience for me and if she trusted me I would give her some tastefully sexy photos. She was up for the challenge and I believe that we got some great photos that fullfill my original intent. I'm sure her boyfriend is going to love his valentines day gift :)

Thanks for calling me Miss R. The shoot was alot of fun and I thank you for your patience with me and my inexperience in this area. I am really honored that you decided choose me to photograph this intimate session.

An Update on the Retouching List:

Weddings:

Ready for pick up:

Jenine & Tim
Destiny & Chris

At the lab:
Shauna & Dave
Jaycee & Bradley

Working on:
Megan & Jordan

Waiting their turn:
Cassandra & Matthew
Kirsten & Art
Lisa & Kevin
Nicole & Jeff
Amberlee & Danan
Cindy & David

Portraits:

Ready for Pick up:

Anne
Carol
Jessica
Wendy
Amanda
Christine

Working On:

Elisha

Additions - Waiting to Hold Hailey

2009-01-12T22:45:00.005-07:00

I met up with Holly and Ryan last Friday night to do some belly shots. We were able to photograph Holly and Ryan as they were married last year and it is very exciting to see them adding to their family now. They already know that they are expecting a little girl and her name is going to be Hailey. It shouldn't be too much longer before she makes her arrival into the world - and there are already soo many people looking forward to meeting her. Holly has been having a great pregnancy and it shows in how cute she looks.
Thanks guys for including me in this special moment! I totally enjoyed photographing you guys at this exciting point in your lives. Hopefully I will see you again soon with your new addition.

What a cute Mommy-to-be - love her shirt as it says "baby makes the belly go round" :)

The matching camos are soo Ryan!

Love this tender moment.

Soo many cute pics, they fit perfect into this collage...made up in the colors of Hailey's room...

Top 10 of 2008 - Anticipation

2009-01-11T08:55:00.005-07:00

This is the 2nd set in our top 10 of 2008 contest. This week we will have photos from the getting ready part of the wedding day. Thanks for your votes - we look forward to announcing our winners at the end of the contest.

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Vote for your favorite photo in the "Anticipation" category: ( surveys)

Love - Tara & Cole

2009-01-05T07:52:00.005-07:00

New Year Eve brought us to Tara and Cole's wedding - our final wedding of 2008, New Years Eve and my birthday - we were in for a great day. It was blowing snow and minus 26 but still a great day for a wedding. The girls looked fantastic and the boys looked pretty good too. Everyone kept cozy in the Morinville Catholic Church for the beautiful ceremony in which all the bridesmaids started crying as Tara came up the aisle...it was soo sweet. Then it was off to a friends log house for photos. We were pleased to have such a beautiful location to capture some images for this couple. Finally we took off to the party at Cardiff Hall...and I must say the hall has never looked soo good! They had the place decked out for our New Years Celebration with stars and Christmas lights. With some speeches from friends and family - Tara and Cole's love was celebrated and you could see the two families happily blessing this union. We stayed for the midnight countdown and it was fun to watch the groomsmen shoot off the Kabuki Canons at the stroke of 12. Everyone ushered in the new year with some cheering, kisses, hugs and alot of horns tooting. The party was DJ'd by Puttin' on the Hitz and Greg did a great job keeping the dance floor rocking all night long. Omari and I headed out around 1 am and the party was still going hard.

Thank you Tara and Cole for including us in your wonderful celebration. It has been such a pleasure getting to know the both of you. We hope 2009 brings you many blessings! See you soon to go through the wedding photos...for now here is your sneak peek slideshow...Tara and Cole's Slideshow.

With customized M&M's - the rings and decorations fit together well.

I LOVE this pic of Tara sitting and listening to the readings during the ceremony

After the informal recieving line we went back into the pews for this great shot.

We were heading out to the "formals" when I asked the couple to come back to the front of church for this shot.

The bridal party was alot of fun...with family and friends involved they looked great together.

Top 10 of 2008 - Excitement

2009-01-04T17:24:00.007-07:00

So we have decided to run a little contest that will span over the next few weeks. I will do my best to post a new poll every Sunday and at the end of 10 weeks we will have our top 10 photos of 2008. So it is up to you our blog stalkers to vote away and help us determine our winners! The top 10 photos (one in each category) will be enlarged to 8x10 size and given to the couple who's session it is from. We will start the contest with our favorite photos from our "Excitement" category - the engagement sessions.

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Joy - An Exciting time with Elisha

2009-01-02T17:57:00.003-07:00

Before the new year I was able to spend a few hours meeting up with Elisha and her family. I had met Elisha for an engagement session awhile ago, since then she married her honey and now they are expecting their first child. How Exciting! It was a pleasure to meet her extended family as we did some family photos and then did some belly shots. I look forward to meeting this little one really soon :)

Love this shot of the whole family.

A siloutte shot is always so fitting during this season of your life - beautiful guys :)

Elisha has such a cute round belly - getting rounder every day at this point.

They took cute e-session pics and now I'm happy to showcase their belly shots

Final update for 2008

2008-12-23T12:37:00.003-07:00

Wow are we really nearing the end of 08? Seems like the year just flew by! I am sorry to any anxious people who didn't get their orders in time for Christmas. I did try to accommodate everyone who let me know they were using their photos for gifts and I believe I satisfied all those. So a quick update on the retouching line-up....

Wedding line up:

Ready for pick up
-Jenine & Tim

At the lab:
-Georgina & Phonse

Currently working on:
-Destiny & Chris

Still awaiting their turn:
- Shauna & Dave
- Jaycee & Bradley
- Megan & Jordan
- Cassandra & Matthew
- Kirsten & Art
- Lisa & Kevin
- Nicole & Jeff
- Amberlee & Danan
- Cindy & David

Portrait/Online orders line up:

Ready for pickup...
-Carol
-Marsha
-Anne
-Wendy

working on...
-Amanda

Awaiting their turn
-Michelle
-Kimberly
-Peter

Joy - A merry time with the MacNeil Family

2008-12-06T12:19:00.003-07:00

Last weekend Omari and I met up at the lake outside the millwoods golf course for a walk and some family photos. It ended up a pretty decent day considering the season that we are in. It was alot of fun trying to keep up with their little guy - he was so adorable. Here is a peek at a few of our photos with them....

Omari captured this sweet shot as I was setting up a family photo.

aren't they a beautiful couple?!

You can just see his personality in this one

I love capturing the casual moments too.

update again.

2008-12-01T10:55:00.003-07:00

We are moved in and even though there is still some renos to do and a few more boxes to upack...it is starting to feel like home :) Thank you to all for your patience during this transition. I know people are anxiously waiting their orders so I will list the line up as it stands right now....

Wedding line up:
Ready for pick up
Jenine & Tim

At the lab:
Kim & Jon
Crissy & Alan
Allison & Glen

Now working on:
Georgina & Phonse

Still awaiting their turn:
- Destiny & Chris
- Shauna & Dave
- Jaycee & Bradley
- Megan & Jordan
- Cassandra & Matthew
- Kirsten & Art
- Lisa & Kevin
- Nicole & Jeff
- Amberlee & Danan
- Cindy & David

Portrait/Online orders line up:
Ready for pickup...
- Brenda

At the lab:
Kelly
Robyn
Candace
Anita

Now working on...
Melissa & Dylan E-book

Awaiting their turn...
- Wendy & Ryan E-book
- Kim
- Robert
- Marsha
- Karen
- Victoria
- Carol
- Kimberly
- Carlin
- Katy
- Anne
- Brenda

The line up...

2008-11-11T09:52:00.003-07:00

A reminder that we are moving to northeast edmonton this week so I have to take the week "off". At this point this is where the line up stands. The wedding lineup is pretty much the same as I got about half-way through the current wedding. Thank you again for your patience!

Wedding line up:

Ready for pick up
- Melissa & Marc
- Jenine & Tim
- Angela & Greg
- Bryanne & Tyler

Now working on...
- Kim & Jon

Awaiting their turn...
- Crissy & Alan
- Cassandra & Matthew
- Allison & Glen
- Georgina & Phonse
- Destiny & Chris
- Shauna & Dave
- Jaycee & Bradley
- Megan & Jordan
- Kirsten & Art
- Lisa & Kevin
- Nicole & Jeff
- Amberlee & Danan
- Cindy & David

Portrait/Online orders line up:
Ready for pickup...
- Brenda
- Liesje
- Sandra

Awaiting their turn...
- Kelly
- Jessica & John E-book
- Melissa & Dylan E-book
- Wendy & Ryan E-book
- Robyn
- Candace
- Anita
- Kim
- Robert
- Marsha
- Karen
- Victoria

In Memory of Ida

2008-11-08T21:35:00.003-07:00

An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth.
Then whispered as she closed the book,

"Too beautiful for this earth"

Yesterday, baby Ida silently entered the world. Unfortunately she wasn't meant to stay with us. Ida was a beautiful baby girl who is already greatly missed by her family.

In Memory of Isaiah.

2008-11-03T10:54:00.006-07:00

Perhaps they are not stars
but rather openings in Heaven
where the love of our lost ones shines down
to let us know they are happy.

- Eskimo Proverb -

On Oct 30, 2008, Isaiah entered and left our world. He was born too early but loved oh so much. Thank you to the family for inviting me to share in the meeting of this little one. These sessions are truly life changing.

The line - up

2008-11-02T20:08:00.002-07:00

So it is that time of year again when the wedding and portrait orders have backed up on me. Everyone is wondering where they are in the line-ups so I will try to post the list every couple weeks so you all can see where you are....Thank you all so much for your patience!
This upcoming week I am planning to try and get out alot of the portrait orders as I know many are wanting the prints for Christmas cards and such...of course I'll get to some of the wedding pics too...Just a warning though - I need to take most of the following week off of retouching so as to pack up our house for the big move -

Wedding line up:
Ready for pick up
- Melissa & Marc
- Jenine & Tim
- Angela & Greg

At the lab...
- Bryanne & Tyler

Now working on...
- Kim & Jon

Awaiting their turn...
- Crissy & Alan
- Cassandra & Matthew
- Allison & Glen
- Georgina & Phonse
- Destiny & Chris
- Shauna & Dave
- Jaycee & Bradley
- Megan & Jordan
- Kirsten & Art
- Lisa & Kevin
- Nicole & Jeff
- Amberlee & Danan
- Cindy & David

Portrait/Online orders line up:
Ready for pickup...
- Brenda
- Tara & Cole E-Book

At the lab...
- Tatjana
- Crystal
- Peter

Now working on...
- Wendy

Awaiting their turn...
- Brandi
- Dayna
- Kirk
- Liesje
- Karen
- Davin
- Sandra
- Kelly
- Jessica & John E-book
- Melissa & Dylan E-book
- Wendy & Ryan E-book
- Robyn
- Candace
- Anita
- Kim
- Robert
- Marsha
- Karen
- Victoria

Joy - A Session with the Sahagun Family

2008-10-28T21:05:00.003-06:00

I met up with the Sahagun Family at Beaumaris Lake not too long ago. We had some fun as we took a walk around a small portion of the lake. Their youngest loves having her photo taken! She just asked for a photo every couple steps we took LOL. I'm so glad we ended up with some decent weather to go out.

I love this family photo. Aren't they soo cute?!

Another great family photo for the wall.

The kids posed themselves for this one :)

And at the very end we had some fun throwing leaves around - somehow Dad always ended up with the most hitting him! The little ones loved this part the best.

Excitement - Wendy & Ryan

2008-10-23T22:03:00.003-06:00

We are now on a little break from weddings - well photographing them anyway - still alot of retouching and album designing to do :) Our final wedding for the season is on new years eve and should be alot of fun!

So this past weekend we still pulled out the equipment and met up with Wendy & Ryan. They are a very sweet couple whom are getting married next year. We took a walk through the Millcreek Ravine and did some engagement photos with them. They brought along their canine kid so we made sure to include her in some pics too.
Can't wait to meet up with you guys to go through your images - I know you are going to love them! Everytime I thought I found my favorite I saw another one...

I could tell I would love this pic when I was taking it - I love the repetition of the angle with their holding hands and the beam.

Another cool shot from Omari - love how he focused on the foreground and the couple is just blurry off in the distance.

Can you see their baby poking around in behind them?

The rim lighting in this shot is so great - as soon as I saw it I wanted to capture it!

Joy - A Romp with the Robichauds

2008-10-19T09:15:00.005-06:00

It was a great day for a walk. A tiny bit chilly but with sweaters on it actually wasn't too bad. We met up with the Robichauds at the lake outside Millwoods Golf Course and spent some time tromping around. Another sweet couple from our past clientelle - I just love keeping in touch! The kids did especially well staying together when I told them that Mom and Dad were going to make faces and act silly so that they would laugh....and it totally worked...somehow Omari missed the pic of Mom being a train though :(

Thank you for sharing your morning with us - it so good to see you guys are doing well and such a pleasure for us to meet up with you again. We need to hang out so that I can check out your scrapbooks and the guys can chat about http://www.carsgone.com/ and such!

This series was fun cause their daughter had all sorts of fancy walking she was trying out.

I'm pretty sure this is when Mom was being a train behind my back.

The little ones had decided they didn't have enough making faces yet so Mom and Dad had to keep going...

And one classic pose for the wall.

Joy - A Date with the DeGuzman Family

2008-10-17T10:23:00.004-06:00

It was another chilly day when we met up with the DeGuzman's so we headed back indoors to their house. They got married last year as well and now have a beautiful little daughter added to their family. You can tell they love being parents and their world is now revolving around her. She is so adorable I coulda brought her home with me but I was happy enough just to be able to hold her for a bit :)

Thanks for sharing your baby with me for a little while - it was great meeting her and seeing the both of you again!

Hangin out on the stairs.

She has such an adorable laugh!

Mom and Dad kissing their little one.

Love this candid Omari took while I was talking with the family on our way out!

Joy - Meeting up with the Martinsons

2008-10-16T12:52:00.003-06:00

It was a great pleasure to meet up with the Martinsons. We photographed their wedding last year - they were my lucky 7-7-7 couple. I'm so glad they are adventurous cause it was a chilly morning. Of course I had them cuddling alot so that helped keep them a cozy. We met up at the Sunridge Ski Hill because there are some great areas there to go walking. They brought along their newest member of the family as well - so I was able to meet Korby. He was pretty good for being a curious puppy!

Thanks for inviting me to take a walk with the three of you. It was fun and a good workout LOL.

Love this pic with Korby just checking the camera out. It's funny how Davin is stepping over his leash in the background!

A little sweet talking is always good for some smiles.

It was soo sweet how Erin was holding Davin's hand.

Heading back to the car - Omari got this great shot...he's so good at capturing those candid moments.

Scrapbooking Weekend...

2008-10-14T15:49:00.003-06:00

Here is the info that I just recieved for Scrappin for Scouts. I love this event! Maybe we'll see you there?

Scrappin` For Scouts 2009

Registration will be held at Wellington Hall in the meeting room on October 18th! Doors open at 9am, tickets are limited to 2 per person.
Each year Scrappin` For Scouts sells out, don't be disappointed!

Scrapbook Weekend Retreat!
February 13-15 2009
Proceeds go to 112th Wellington Scout Group
Funds Raised in 2005 $3000!
Funds Raised in 2006 $4000!!
Funds Raised in 2007 $4947!!!
Funds Raised in 2008 $5000!!
Fundraising Goal for 2009 $6000!!!!

Scrappin` For Scouts 2009**************Prizes - Contests - Concession Loonie Raffles - Remember to bring lots of loonies!
Make and Take Classes
Friday: Registration: 6:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m and Scrappin` From: 7:00 p.m - 1:00 a.m
Saturday: 9:00 a.m - 1:00 a.m
Sunday: 9:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m
Location: Wellington Community Hall 13440-132 Street Edmonton, Alberta
Your Scrappin` Hostess'Lisa Laidler & Carole-Anne Gagnon
Registration: $70.00 per person
Friday: Snacks
Saturday: Light Lunch and Supper
Sunday: Light Lunch
Registration also includes two make and take classes!!You also get your own scrapbooking space!!
Scrappin’ For Scouts In Support of the 112th Wellington Scout Group
February 13-15 2009 (Alberta Family Day Long Weekend)
No registrations will be taken until October 18th at 9am
Registrants must be 16 years of age or older. This is a child free weekend getaway!

Love - Amberlee and Danan

2008-10-10T20:20:00.005-06:00

Last Saturday we shot our last wedding for a little while - it works out great cause we will be moving next month and I'm totally getting behind on getting orders out! Everyone keeps asking where we are moving to so I will let you know here - we bought a place out by Londonderry mall, just off of Victoria Trail still here in Edmonton. I look forward to meeting with our clients there and getting feedback on what they think of the new office area - I think you all are going to like it.

Anyway, back to the wedding. Amberlee and Danan were married at the Mayfield Inn. The had a lovely ceremony with alot of family and friends in attendance. Afterward we stayed in the hotel for photos as our couple didn't want to take the time away from shooting to do any traveling to a park. We got some pretty cool images even though it was getting dark fast - they were married in a late afternoon ceremony. When we finished up it was a quick trip back down to the ballroom for the party. We had a great dinner and the DJ kept everyone dancing. I thought it was great when Amberlee and Danan entered the room cause a whole bunch of people started to throw garters at them - it was pretty funny. Afterward alot of people had fun shooting eachother from table to table with them.

Thank you for inviting us to photograph your day. We had a great time getting to know you guys better. We wish you many blessings in the years to come. See you soon. And here is their sneak peek slideshow...Amberlee and Danan's Slideshow.

Joy - Special times with the Schendel Family

2008-10-08T09:35:00.004-06:00

Last week I was able to meet up with the Schendel family. I had photographed their family farm a few year ago. Their parents were selling and the kids wanted them to have some great memories of it. We also did some family photos. So it was neat to meet up with them again - meet their newest member and see how big their oldest has gotten. These little girls are active. They didn't want to sit still so we just did our best to keep everyone doing something...whether it was digging in the sand or climbing or sliding...we had alot of fun creating some great photos. I have decided that being swung in the air while walking is a 3 year old's favorite thing as the last few 3 year olds I have shot wanted to do it again and again :)

I love this pic with their oldest smooshing her Daddy's face. Eventually she will learn to be more gentle...

See she is loving the swinging!

Going down the slide together - it was a tight squeeze but the kids loved it.

Climbing the monkey bars - this was trickiest for the parents. I'm so glad nobody fell!

Thank you for calling me to do your family photos. It was such a pleasure to see you again and meet your youngest. Enjoy the photos.

Love - Megan & Jordan

2008-10-03T21:50:00.003-06:00

Last weeks wedding was for Megan and Jordan. These guys are so adorable together! We started off getting ready the girls at their house and the boys at the Holiday Inn downtown. The girls had In Motion Style Group come and do their hair. The ladies were quick so there was alot of time to relax and have some lunch before getting dressed and heading out. When it was time to leave - we were off to the Robertson-Westley Church downtown. The ceremony there was lovely. I love shooting a shot with the church in the background and this one is so beautiful and classic looking. With no rain outside, we headed over to the museum for our photos. We tromped around there for awhile, played in the leaves and generally had a good time. The weather was so typical of a fall Edmonton day - cold, warm, windy, still - of course it changed every 15 mins or so. Our newlyweds went to check into their hotel early so we took off to the Royal Glenora Club to do some detail shots while we waited for the grand entrance. The hall looked great - it was nice and intimate. I loved the wine bottles with Megan and Jordan's engagement photos on the labels. I also loved that they had a cash donation bar with the proceeds being donated to Cystic Fibrosis.

Thank you Megan and Jordan for inviting us to photograph your special day. We totally enjoyed working with the both of you. We wish you much love in your future together. I look forward to getting together to go through your images next week. For now here is your sneak peek slideshow...Megan and Jordan's Slideshow.

Happy 4th Birthday!!

2008-10-02T17:22:00.004-06:00

So today is our official 4th birthday here at Creations Scrapbooks * Photography. Hard to believe that it was actually 4 years ago today that I went in to have the name registered and made it all legal :)
To celebrate I would like to offer a very special opportunity to our past clients as a thank you for helping us get to this point. We appreciate everyone who has put their faith in us to capture their special moments. Soo for the next 4 people to give me a call at 780-710-0012 we would like to offer a complimentary portrait package. You must be a past client of ours whether we have done a wedding or a portrait package for you. Limit of one booking per family. You must use this package within in the month of October of either a family session, a maternity session, a baby session or even an engagement session. Value of $150.
Thank you once again for all the support we have recieved in the past 4 years!!
Lots of love,
Trina and Omari

Joy - So much fun with the Semeniuk Family

2008-10-01T13:35:00.005-06:00

I was happy to see the Semeniuks again. Near the beginning of my business I photographed their wedding and then later I was able to do some family photos as a little one entered their lives. This boy has sure grown since the last time I have seen them. He is now active and on the go! We had so much fun trying to keep up with him at Rundle Park.

It was great to see you guys again. I look forward to next time :) Enjoy the photos - I love how they turned out.

Joy - The Pedersen/Ash's and their puppies

2008-09-29T12:09:00.004-06:00

The other session I did two Sunday's ago was with the Pedersen/Ash Family. This is another family we met through one of our recent weddings. They brought along their 3 canine companion's to include in a few family photos as well. They were not all puppies but I like the sound of the title :) Sometimes it is difficult to get a genuine smile in the teenage years but I think these guys did pretty well. Even more difficult is to get 4 humans looking and smiling along with 3 dogs! With a little help from some family friends as well as a few doggie treats we did manage to get some pretty good images.

Thank you for giving me a call to do your family photos - it was a pleasure to meet all of you.

Excitement - Melissa & Dillon

2008-09-29T11:43:00.002-06:00

2 Sundays ago - 2 Sessions....

One of the sessions was for Melissa and Dillon's engagement photos. They are a totally adorable couple getting married next year. I thoroughly enjoyed working with them as they are really easy-going and so in love. They had picked up some big lollipops at the museum store as we had met on the museum grounds so of course we had to incorporate them into our shots. I love how you can shoot at the same location but end up with such different photos for everyone!

Thanks for trying our wacky ideas! I am looking forward to meeting up with you to design your guest sign in book....see you soon...

Love - Nicole & Jeff

2008-09-28T22:57:00.004-06:00

Two Saturdays ago we spent a great day with Nicole and Jeff as they were married. They had a lovely ceremony at the Petroleum Club. A very special element to this wedding was Nicole's walk down the aisle as she has two special men in her life so she decided to have one walk with her halfway then met with the other as they switched and the other walked her the rest of the way. The sentiment was really quite beautiful. The day was kept on track by the Making Memories wedding consultants and the decorations looked fabulous. Then we were off to the museum for some photos. We had some fun there before we headed back to the Petroleum club for the party. The dinner was a very yummy turkey dinner with gravy and mashed potatoes. The speeches had alot of people in tears as they were all very emotional...there were even a bunch of "man tears" in the room. The room was toasty later as they had a great party and their guests danced their night away.

Thank you so much for including us in your wedding day. We totally enjoyed working with the both of you and had a great time documenting your day. We hope you have a fantastic honeymoon in Vegas! See you when you get back - we look forward to hearing about the things you saw :)

Oops...I almost forgot the link to the sneak peek slideshow! Here you go...Nicole and Jeff's Slideshow.

Joy - A session with the Augustin Family

2008-09-24T12:54:00.002-06:00

It was off to McNally High School to do a session with the Augustin's. I haven't seen these guys for awhile and it is amazing to see how the kids have grown. With 3 active little boys these parents have their hands full! I thought everyone did really well though and we got some good photos to send out for Christmas :) Kids can't help but look cute - cause they just are!

Thanks for calling me up to do a session for you! It was soo good to see you again. Hopefully we'll meet up again sometime soon at some scrapbooking event...

Joy - Entertaining Ella & Lauren

2008-09-23T10:30:00.006-06:00

It was alot of fun meeting up with Ella, Lauren and family at Rundle Park for a few photos. Ella is a quiet, shy girl while her sister is quite the model - she just loved posing for the camera. Lauren made me laugh with her posing...she just seemed to know whenever she had a camera pointed in her direction...it was difficult to catch her off-guard! You can tell Ella just loves her big sister - she copies so much of what Lauren does - it's adorable. We strolled around the lake first then had some fun over at the park. We even saw a lady doing a "trash the dress" shoot off in the distance. It was great weather to be outside and an entertaining experience photographing the girls. Thank you for the opportunity :)

Joy - Time with the Tillmanns

2008-09-22T17:09:00.003-06:00

This week I also went for a walk around the Muttart grounds with the Tillmann family. Again this is a family that is related to another of my past brides. I feel really honored that people are comfortable referring us to their friends and family. The Tillmanns are pretty laid back people and they were really easy to work with...more adorable kids here as well...

Thank you for inviting me to create some family portraits for you! I'm sure you will love them.

Joy - Walking with the White Family

2008-09-21T11:16:00.004-06:00

This past week has been busy with family portraits as the leaves have changed color and we had some fantastic weather. I had the opportunity to meet up with a sister of one of my past brides and do a family session at Hawrelak Park. It was a beautiful day for a walk around the lake and the 2 boys had a great time checking out all the ducks and birds. Another adorable family to add to my collection :) I so love watching families grow!

Thank you guys for inviting me to take photos of your family. It was a pleasure...with such cute boys I know you will enjoy your images.

Love - Kirsten & Art

2008-09-19T11:33:00.005-06:00

This past weekend we celebrated with Art & Kirsten as they were married. Omari and I were experiencing a little dejavu as we headed off to the same church ( Holy Family Parish )and (Red Willow) Park as the weekend before :) Of course we just move around differently cause we don't want all the same photos all over again - that would just be boring! A cool part of hanging out with these two is that they are friends with one of our wedding couples from a few months ago...so it was fun to meet up with some familiar faces along with meeting a bunch of new. The meal that we had at the reception was huge with 5 courses and soo delish. I was stuffed to the point that when Art's Mom came over to make sure we had tasted some of the goodies that his Aunties had made for the late lunch later - I still couldn't handle another bite! Of course Omari can always handle a little more food so he assured me of the great quality of the treats. They also introduced us to a tradition that we haven't seen before where the older siblings of the bride who are not yet married must dance in a bucket....well Kirsten couldn't find a big bucket but the staff at Delta South Hotel kindly let her borrow a laundry bin and they made that work...it was pretty funny - be sure to check it out on the slideshow.

We thank you for including us in your wedding plans - it was a pleasure to photograph you guys again. We wish you so many blessings in the years ahead and alot of love.

See you soon - and here is your sneak peek...Kirsten & Art's Slideshow.

Adorable - Just Adoring Jake

2008-09-11T22:50:00.004-06:00

Sunday was a busy day as I also met up with Jake and his family. Jake has just turned 6 months old and they had me come and do some family pics to document the occasion. This little boy is pretty relaxed with an easy going personality. It wasn't too hard to get him smiling and laughing at his parents as they made funny noises and faces for me :) I love the rolly polly look he has.

This was a neat session because I actually met Jakes parents awhile back at one of our weddings.

Thank you for sharing this time with me - it was a pleasure meeting your little one and hanging out with you guys.

Excitement - Jessica & John

2008-09-11T22:05:00.003-06:00

This past Sunday afternoon I was able to go for a walk with Jessica and John. We strolled through the river valley and came across some fantastic views - perfect for some really great engagement photos. We had perfect timing cause the weather was totally beautiful but as soon as we were done you could see some storm clouds rolling in. These guys are getting married next year and I'm looking forward to spending the day with them.

You both did a great job! I know you were a bit nervous but you look wonderful together :)

Love - Jaycee & Bradley

2008-09-11T12:23:00.003-06:00

We spent this past Saturday with Jaycee and Bradley as they were married. It was cold and rainy at the beginning of the day but by the time the wedding ceremony was done the sun was shining and we had some great weather to work with. These two were married at the Holy Family Parish in St. Albert and with windows all over, the ceremony was nice and bright. Jaycee was adorable as she was so excited to marry Bradley - she kept cheering all day! Afterward we headed off to Lions Park in St. Albert for our photo session. The bridal party was alot of fun to work with as they were a young energetic bunch. What made this bridal bunch special was that everyone was related. Then we headed back into our Blue Sky limo bus to party at Snow Valley in Edmonton. The venue looked great and the room was full of well wishers. I loved the chocolates that they gave at each place setting. You'll see I used it with the rings in the slideshow...Now our couple is off on their honeymoon to Scottland. I hope you guys have a fantastic trip! I look forward to hearing all about it when you return and come to check out the rest of your photos. Many blessings to the both of you and we wish you a safe journey. For now here is a little slideshow...Jaycee and Bradley's Slideshow.

Joy - Playing with Payton

2008-09-08T11:42:00.004-06:00

The other day I had the opportunity to photograph a little girl celebrating her first birthday. She was such a doll, we had a great time exploring Rundle park with her family. It was adorable to watch her uncertain steps as we navigated the rough terrain. She loved the camera - at times - and gave me the most fantastic looks. I had to create a little montage of her cause it is just too cute! She is definitely little miss independant as she wanted to be off on her own to do her own thing - no holding hands or being carried. Thank you to her family for sharing her with me. I enjoyed the session immensely!

FAQs

2008-09-08T10:10:00.003-06:00

Here are some answers to the a few of the questions we get asked. Hope this helps anyone else out there who wants to know more about our services....

How do you identify your primary photographic style?
We like to capture natural, relaxed emotions.

Please describe any special techniques you offer:
At Creations we can provide many special effects if you wish including B&W photos, Sepia toning, Hand-Coloring, etc. B&W as well as Sepia conversions are done free of charge. Hand-coloring as well as other special effects are done with an extra charge upon request.

Do you have a media preference?
We work with Canon Digital equipment.

How many photographers do you work with?
Trina and Omari work together at every wedding. You will not have someone else show up to photograph you. Engagement and Portrait Sessions are generally photographed by Trina only.

Do you sometimes book yourself for more than one wedding in a day?
We only book one wedding per day and will not be booking 2 weddings on back to back days in the future.

Do you have a replacement photographer in case you become unavailable on the wedding day?
We have a list of photographers that we work with that we can access if a tragic event were to happen.

Do you bring back-up equipment to the event in case of malfunction?
We always have back-up equipment on hand.

Do you charge hourly or full day?
Our packages are based on events (ceremony, formals, reception) rather than hours, because each wedding is so different.

Do you require a meal break? If yes, do you require that the wedding party provide your meal?
Generally we are with the bride and groom for a full day - we do appreciate a meal be provided when the bridal party eats.

Do you charge for travel?
Events held within 1 hour of Edmonton, Alberta have no travel charges incurred. All other locations will be quoted upon inquiry.

How soon after the event are the proofs ready for viewing?
Unretouched images are ready for viewing within a week of the wedding.

In what format are the initial proofs offered?
The inital image viewing is with Trina in our office - after that visit the images will be available on a password protected online site for friends and family.

Do you reserve the right to publish the photos?
We offer a clause within our contract in which each couple can choose whether they are comfortable with having their images used for advertising purposes.

Do you provide the digital files to the couple?
Digital files are included in all of our wedding packages. Files can be purchased from our portrait packages.

Will images be available for viewing on an online gallery?
Yes, after the intial viewing session with the bride and groom.

What kind of albums do you offer?
We currently offer 4 styles of albums. Please contact us to come in and check them out.

When will I get the final book?
We provide our packages within 8-12 weeks from the date of the viewing session with our clients.

With so many photographers to choose from why should we choose you?
We love working with people and especially love the challenge of wedding photography. We are not general photographers who try to photograph landscapes, commercial photography, sports, teams, etc. We specialize in working with people in weddings and portraits. Within our company we try to exceed your expectations. It is our goal to have every client happy with the work they have received from us and want to come back to us for their future photography needs. We want to make your time with us fun and relaxing - we want you to have good memories from your session rather than memories of standing and waiting for us to set up around you.
Lastly - we want to "click" with you! If you are not comfortable with us and our relaxed style then we cannot give you the images that you see in our portfolio. We encourage you to meet with a few photographers to find the one that you are most comfortable with.

What hidden fees do you have?
Hidden fees suck and we don't have them. Our pricing is very straight forward and online for your convenience.

You take an unlimited amount of photos but our package has 300 retouched images...how does that work?
We take as many photos as we need to in order to cover your event fully. Afterward you will come in for a viewing session and go through those unretouched photos with Trina (we do edit out the obviously not good ones such as blinking, licking lips and poor exposures to save time). At that point you will choose the photos you want to fullfill your package. The images you have chosen will be retouched, printed and you will recieve a CD of them.

The images that go online - are they only the ones we have chosen for our package or all the images?
The images that go online are all the unretouched images that you have viewed with us. Any photo orders from the online site will be retouched before they are sent out.

What does "retouched" mean?
Retouched can mean many different things to different people - to us it is color and density (brightness) corrected. We remove minor blemishes (if you broke out with a major pimple on your wedding day). We may choose to crop your photo to remove distracting objects as well. Trina also uses her artists discretion in the retouching process - some images may have special effects added in, colors may be brightned or dulled as desired and some images may be converted to B&W or sepia toned.

Joy - Kirk

2008-09-05T10:12:00.006-06:00

It was a pleasure photographing Kirk the other day. We met up at his old high school and did some great sunset shots over the city skyline. He is a very interesting fellow and it was great to get to know him a little better. Kirk you need to stop working so much so you can find your soulmate ;)

Excitement - Tara & Cole

2008-09-03T12:40:00.004-06:00

Over the long weekend Omari and I got a break from the wedding scene to celebrate the birthday of our kids. They were born 2 years and 9 days apart so we have always put their parties together. I was definitely outnumbered with the amount of boys in the house!
We still did get some shooting done as we met up with Tara and Cole to document their engagement. Somehow we have managed to have the most amazing people to work with - we're not sure what we are doing right but I sure hope it stays that way :) Tara and Cole are not only adorable together but they are awesome people too. It was a pleasure to hang out with them for the afternoon at their acreage. There are waaayy too many great photos to choose from and it was difficult to decide on the 3 to show here on the blog. Their guest sign in book is going to look Fantastic! Although they were a little nervous at first all they had to do is be themselves and the images are Hot! They look like they just came off of a magazine. Way to go guys - you did a great job being you LOL! I am really looking forward to photographing your wedding this winter...

Love - Georgina & Phonse

2008-08-27T01:13:00.003-06:00

Georgina & Phonse were wed this past Saturday at the Devonian Gardens. They had a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding! We were all so happy that it wasn't too hot or too cold. After the recieving line we headed off to the Japanese Garden area for our "formals". Of course we had alot of fun with this huge bridal party. Then we let them go hang out in the limo bus that was toting us all around while we continued our session with Georgina and Phonse. They are so in love and look beautiful together :) After making our way around the gardens we headed back to the limo to join the party. It was off to the Mayfield trade center for their reception. The place looked great as our couple had used a beach theme to decorate. The food was delish especially all the desserts. They had a really good DJ as well who was very interactive and kept the party going until Georgina and Phonse headed out.

Thank you guys for including us in your wonderful day! It was fun to work with the whole crew. We wish you many blessings in the life you have together. See you soon to view your wedding photos but for now here is a sneak peek slideshow....Georgina & Phonse Slideshow.

Joy - Tinga Family

2008-08-20T09:22:00.004-06:00

2 Parents + 4 Gorgeous Kids + Lots of Energy = Alot of Great Photos!!

This past Sunday I met up with the Tinga family at the lake in St. Albert. How they do such a great job raising 4 kids is soo beyond me - I get wiped out daily managing my 2 :) These 4 youngsters are all under the age of 10 and very active. They were such fun to photograph cause they are all soo cute! OK the parents were cute too... We had some fun climbing fences, picnic tables and stairs. We threw rocks, bottle caps and even a ball. Finally we dipped our toes in the water before we left - definitely not water to swim in though - in my opinion. It was hot out so the toe dipping felt really great. Thanks for including me on your outing guys, I had alot of fun with all of you and really enjoyed meeting your family.

Love - Lisa & Kevin

2008-08-19T14:48:00.004-06:00

On Saturday we spent the day celebrating the marriage of Lisa & Kevin. They were married at the St. Andrews Roman Catholic Church in a lovely ceremony. After we were off to the museum grounds to do some photos. It was a warm sunny day and we had some fun with our couple as we tromped around the grounds to use some areas that we haven't really used before. Next we headed downtown to walk around a bit and end up at the Citadel Theatre for a few more photos. It was fun watching the passersby check out our bridal party as they made their way through the downtown streets. The reception was held at the Westin Hotel. Lisa had the room done up really nice and I especially liked the heart shaped lights in behind the head table. Their cake was a truffle cake which was a little different and very cool. Omari was loving the bread pudding which was part of their dessert spread.
Lisa and Kevin - thank you for having us photograph your day. It was nice to meet up with the 2 of you. I look forward to going through the rest of the photos when you make it back into Edmonton....for now here is a sneak peek slideshow of their day....Lisa & Kevin's Slideshow.

Adorable - Hannah

2008-08-15T13:36:00.004-06:00

On Sunday I spent some time with Hannah and her family. She is now 3 months old and totally getting more adorable by the day (if that was possible!). She's smiling, laughing and trying to copy all the people around her. Hannah was totally enthralled with the camera - especially the flash. We think she may just grow up and do some modelling :) Mom and Dad, thank you for sharing your little girl with me, I am soo enjoying watching her grow along with you!

Love - Destiny & Chris

2008-08-14T00:01:00.004-06:00

08.09.08 brought about the wedding of Destiny and Chris. This one was special because Destiny has become an adopted neice to me. They had a great ceremony at the Cardiff Hall then we proceeded to Cardiff Park to do our photos. Destiny works at Tim Hortons so of course we needed to stop in there to grab an ice capp. We also found a great field with all sorts of purple plants and since purple was the color of the day we stopped to check it out. Finally we headed back to Cardiff Hall for the reception. The meal was fabulous and the party was great. We had our 2 boys along for the day at the request of the couple so the day was a little more challenging in my opinion...keeping an eye on kids while you are working is more work! But it turned out well and the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves, especially on the dance floor.

Destiny and Chris - thank you for entrusting us with your photography. It was a pleasure capturing some special moments for you. You guys look great together, we wish you a lifetime of happiness ahead!

And of course here is a sneak peek slideshow of their day....Destiny and Chris' Slideshow...

Love - Cassandra & Matthew

2008-08-13T20:28:00.005-06:00

On 08.08.08 we photographed the wedding of Cassandra & Matthew. They had a beautiful ceremony out at Hastings Lake Gardens. They even enjoyed a cinderella carriage ride as well. The carriage was quite beautiful and made for some great photos - Omari and I could have shot images all day with the gardens, carriage and then some old trains to work with! It was pretty hot so we all enjoyed hitting the shade back at the reception which was held at Cassandra's Mom's acreage. The property was done up really great - the family obviously put alot of time and effort into the details of this party. They even had a stage area that they had built for the dance. There was no drinking and driving because everyone had been invited to stay the night in their tents and trailers.

Thank you Cassandra & Matt for including us in your wedding plans. We enjoyed meeting your friends and family and you guys were great to work with. We wish you many blessings with your young family! Here is the sneak peek slideshow...Cassandra & Matthew's Slideshow.

Joy - Getz Family

2008-08-10T11:07:00.004-06:00

On holiday Monday I had the opportunity to meet up with the Getz family to do a special family shoot. This year is their 5th anniversary and this was a very wonderful way to celebrate the milestone. We walked around the Devonian gardens with their adorable little girl and captured alot of great moments for them. Thank you for entrusting us to do your photos :) It was such a pleasure to finally meet your whole family, Carlin.

Love - Allison & Glen

2008-08-08T00:14:00.004-06:00

Sunday brought about the wedding of Allison and Glen. We had the honor of photographing their wonderful day as well. The ceremony was lovely and held at the Robertson-Wesley United Church then we moved on to the Museum grounds for photos. Our couple were chauffered around in a fantastic classic vehicle which we featured in a more than one photo. Allison looked fantastic in a lacey wedding gown - we had teased Glen earlier that she was going to be poofy like a marshmellow and wearing a hoop skirt like a southern bell :P Glen has a fantastic sense of humor and kept us laughing all day long. We also went to the University of Alberta Arts Building for a few of our shots with the couple. Then we were off to the Sutton Place Hotel for a fantastic reception. The evening was kept rocking by live band from Calgary named Pistol Noon...and Glen even joined them on the drums near the end of the night for a few songs. One of my favorite parts of the reception was the candy bar with the chocolate bars, jelly bellies and other treats.

Thank you Allison and Glen for trusting us with your photography - we had a ball following you around all day. Many blessings to the both of you and we wish you a lifetime of joy! Here is the sneak peek slideshow...Allison & Glen's Slideshow.

Love - Cindy & David

2008-08-07T22:43:00.004-06:00

This past Saturday we spent some time with Cindy and David. They had a wonderful wedding day with great weather. Cindy had a fantasic dress with red trimming on it that suit her really well. They have an adorable little girl whom I could have held all day given the chance :) The Ceremony and Reception were held at the Chateau Louis and we did the formals at the Legislative Grounds. They had a singer as well as a harp for both the ceremony and their first dance. There was also a small ballet performance at the reception put on by 2 of the guests....the girls did really well despite one young lady having a very injured foot! I loved the gentleman who got right into my camera lense for his photo as well as the wonderful couple that danced the night away - they have been together for over 50 years and still seem very much in love.

Cindy and David, thank you so much for including us in your day. It was a pleasure to work with you. We wish you so much love in the years to come. See you soon to view the rest of your photos. For now here is a small sneak peek slideshow....Cindy and David's Slideshow.

Love - Crissy & Alan

2008-08-01T23:54:00.004-06:00

On Sunday, Crissy and Alan celebrated their love by getting married. This couple had a bit of a rocky start to their day but it went uphill from there. We ended up with some fabulous weather and I was soo thankful cause we had some great outdoor shots that we wanted to try out. This couple have 4 beautiful kids in their family already and it was sweet how they were all included in the ceremony. We had fun cause Crissy and Alan were pretty much open to all our suggestions and even had a few of their own - I love this kinda couple. They got passionate pretty easy and the shots show how great they look together. We did the whole day at the Hotel MacDonald - getting ready, ceremony and reception. The Hotel Mac is such a beautiful venue, I always love shooting there. After some family and bridal party pics at the hotel we headed out with our couple to Starbucks - their favorite coffee shop. We took the long way there through one of my favorite back alley's, got them to hang out in a phone booth for awhile and even stopped to kiss in the middle of the road :)
Thank you for including us, we really enjoyed capturing a bit of your love. We wish you soo many more years together with lots of passion! Here is a sneak peek to a few more of your images....Crissy and Alan's Slideshow.

Love - Shauna & Dave

2008-08-01T22:54:00.004-06:00

This past Saturday we spent the day with Shauna and Dave while they formally pledged their love to one another. It turned out to be a beautiful day and our couple looked fabulous so it wasn't hard to get some great images of both of them. The ceremony was held at my home church - North Pointe Community Church - so that was a treat to shoot in. After we did some family photos our front, we took the bridal party and headed off to the museum for some fun. It was hot so the girls even took a little dip in the fountain to cool their toes :) Finally we headed back in the limo to Druiz Center for the party. The dinner there was yummy and the DJ did a great job keeping everyone up and dancing.

Thank you to the both of you for including us in your day - we loved working with the both of you as well as all your friends and family. See you soon to view the rest of your pics. For now here is your sneak peek slideshow....Shauna & Dave's Slideshow.

Love - Kim & Jon

2008-07-25T21:34:00.004-06:00

Last Saturday Omari and I attended the wedding of Kim and Jon. It was a beautiful day and we were all greatful as the ceremony was held outdoors at the Devonian Botanic Gardens. Kim and Jon included a butterfly release in their ceremony and it turned out beautifully. After the ceremony we headed over to the Japanese pavillion for our "formal" photos. We had a little fun tromping around the gardens and trying out some new ideas. Our couple needed to stop off at home to tend to their canine kids so we took a few family photos there, it was great cause first we stopped of to get some totally refreshing slurpees! Then it was off to the Millwood Golf Course for the reception where the party went on until the wee hours of the night.

Thank you Kim and Jon for including us in your special day. It was a pleasure photographing you and your friends/family :) I look forward to meeting up with you again when we view the photos together....for now, here is the sneak peek slideshow that I have compiled....Kim & Jon's Slideshow.

This weekend we start our super busy section of the year - and somehow I managed to promise to take the kids camping in the midst of it all! It's gonna be a fun ride so get ready to hang on tight. Now, I must go get some sleep so that I can make it through Saturday and Sunday's weddings.

Excitement - Amberlee and Danan

2008-07-20T21:06:00.004-06:00

So I was off to the Sherwood Park gun range not so long ago for a fun engagement shoot with Amberlee and Danan. They wanted photos that reflected them so this was the perfect location. They brought along their 2 adorable canine kids to include in a few as well. We had a good time - except for the minor ant incident - We made a late meeting time and it worked out perfect, we had great weather and gorgeous light to work with. I look forward to what we will come up with for their wedding photos.....here are a few of my favorites...there are just too many to choose from...I know that the guest sign in book we will be making is going to look really good!

Excitement - Nicole & Jeff

2008-07-17T20:16:00.004-06:00

Last Friday I met with Nicole and Jeff down on Whyte Avenue. We had some fun dodging the raindrops while we shot their engagement photos. I was thinking that it would be fun to just get drenched and take some cool shots but by the time we were near the end of our session the sun came out and there were blue skies. Thanks for hanging out with me guys - it was a pleasure getting to know you better. I'm looking forward to the fun we will have at your wedding :)

11 years.

2008-07-17T12:47:00.005-06:00

Not too long ago Omari and I celebrated out 11th wedding anniversary. We went out to our favorite restaurant, Red Ox Inn, for dinner. The food there is always soo scrumptious and tops our list for food anywhere we have ever been. I got Nubian to snap this photo of us before we headed out...

Thank you to friends (past clients you know your included there!) for all the kind comments through Facebook.

I'm trying to get caught up on work now as I had maxed out our drive space and Omari has spent the last few days upgrading us.....

Excitement - Cassandra & Matthew

2008-07-11T21:03:00.004-06:00

The other day I spent some time with Cassandra, Matthew and their 3 little ones. This couple is so very busy with 3 under the age of 5! They are all so very cute....I am excited to see them all dressed up for the wedding ;)

We met up at the Legislative Grounds and walked around just a little bit before the kids were tired so we just did a few more pics with my couple and then let the kids go jump in the fountains. This definitely was the highlight of their day - I'm so glad that Mom and Dad had packed them a change of clothes. Here are a few of my favorite pics from our time together - see you very soon at the wedding -

Love - Jenine and Tim

2008-07-10T14:17:00.003-06:00

This past Saturday we spent a beautiful day with Jenine and Tim. They were married out on the Timber Ranch in Stony Plain. The Timber Ranch Trading Co. is a totally awesome facility which Omari and I really adored shooting in. I recommend this place to anyone who may be looking for an outdoor wedding venue. Jenine was a beautiful bride and I still can't believe the super long lashes this girl naturally has on her. So the ceremony was beautiful and the ranch was so great that we were able to do some fantastic photos there and still didn't even use all the little nooks and crannies available to us :) The weather turned out beautiful and we even got a small spot of rain which worked out great cause then we were able to do our cute couple under the umbrella shot. I loved the wonderful yellow field that we were able to shoot in and our couple did some great shots around the horses. Then it was off to the Woodbend Hall for their reception. The place looked great and the night was only hampered by a little noise from a quick hailstorm...otherwise it was great. Things moved along quite smoothly thanks to Michelle French from Behind the Scenes wedding planning.

Thank you Jenine and Tim for including us in your wedding day - it was such a pleasure to witness your celebration of love. Well I can't call this a sneak peek anymore cause your soo quick you've already come and chosen your pics....so here is the slideshow that I have complied for friends and family that haven't seen the pics yet...Jenine and Tim's Slideshow.

Excitement

2008-07-03T20:53:00.004-06:00

On Tuesday I took a walk by the lake with a longtime friend of mine and her fiance. Teri and Jason are so sweet together and they make a cute couple. I am soo sad that I will miss their wedding in August but wish them the best day for a beautiful wedding. I'm glad to hear they won't be photographerless. It was a pleasure doing your engagement photos guys - thanks for the slurpee afterward :)

Excitement

2008-07-03T11:04:00.003-06:00

On Sunday I took a walk through the park with Kirsten and Art. Along the way we stopped and took some great photos to celebrate their engagement. It was a super hot day but luckily down in the ravine with the trees and shade I'm sure it was at least 10 degrees cooler. Thanks for taking the time out of your house painting to meet up with me and I really appreciate your willingness to keep going to find the great spots :) We look forward to shooting your wedding in the fall.

A renewal of love...

2008-07-02T23:46:00.005-06:00

This past Saturday we were off to Red Deer to spend some time with a past couple of ours. Last year on this very same day they were married. For those who follow my blog you will remember Angela and Greg as my most intimate wedding ever with just me, the couple, the minister and 2 church ladies for witness'. Well this year they renewed those vows with a big celebration - white gown, tuxes and all. This time their blended family was included and they had the same minister do their ceremony at the Crossroads Church in Red Deer. They included a sand ceremony this time and had the kids pour their own sand in as well, with all the colors it was really pretty. Then we toured around Red Deer to do some photos and we did get some amazing ones cause not only did we have alot of time to try out all the ideas we had in our heads but the weather was amazing as well. It was a warm day so we only kept the kids with us for a short time....besides it is difficult to get romantic with little ones on the go around you....and I am known for making you kiss - Alot! The reception was at the Holiday Inn in Red Deer. The room was decorated really nicely and here our couple had a few twists as well. They did their first dance together as soon as they walked in the room - then later after the dinner and speeches they did a family dance with the kids. There were 4 cakes - one large one representing the couple and 3 mini cakes for the kids - and they all cut them at the same time. Again, really sweet. I love how they tied the family in on this event and I felt so honored to be in attendance once again for their show of love.

Angela and Greg, thank you for your patience with both Omari and I - we loved how you were so willing to try out all of our crazy ideas. Once again, you'll see there are just soo many great shots when you come to view the images. You guys are such a great couple we wish you many more years of love ahead! See you soon.

For now here is the sneak peek slideshow....Angela and Greg's Slideshow.

a little walk

2008-06-27T00:24:00.005-06:00

On Monday I took a walk around Beaumaris Lake with Shauna and Dave and their little ones. Their wedding is coming up quickly and we wanted to do an e-session/family shoot beforehand. The kids were alot of fun to work with as they really liked climbing and exploring. The sun was out and of course I am having a ball with my sun shots lately...I love how this one turned out with the lake in behind them.

A beautiful day

2008-06-25T10:16:00.005-06:00

Last Saturday we celebrated the love of Melissa and Marc. Saturday ushered another beautiful couple into our lives and the weather was fantastic. I don't think anyone expected it to get as warm as it did though - I know I didn't. The bridal party looked fantastic as this couple commited themselves to one another on his parents property just on the outskirts of Edmonton. The yard looked fantastic with all sorts of beautiful flowers in bloom. Melissa and Marc had chosen to have some harp and cello music played in the background for their music and it was really lovely. After some great photos at this location our couple hopped into their uncles antique ford and we took off for the museum grounds to do a few more photos. Then it was off to the St. Johns Culteral Center for the party.

Thank you guys for entrusting us with your precious memories. It was great working with the both of you. I look forward to seeing you soon to look through all of them with me....for now, here is a sneak peek slideshow....Melissa and Marc's slideshow.

Family Time...

2008-06-22T14:44:00.004-06:00

Last Sunday I spent some time meeting Leisje and her extended family. It was a little rainy but we met anyway as it is tough to get everyone together especially when they are not all living in the same place. While the rain was sprinkling down we spent some time at the Legislative building using the front where we could keep dry under the overhang. The rain let up after a little bit so then we got to head out and do a few shots in the greenery. Not all the family was comfortable being on the blog so here are a couple cute shots of Leisje and her husband and their canine kids...

Thanks for including me in your family time - it was a pleasure meeting everyone :)

Bryanne & Tyler

2008-06-19T11:32:00.004-06:00

Last Saturday we spent a fun filled day celebrating the love of Bryanne and Tyler. This adorable couple was full of great ideas for their wedding day. First they started off with the ringbearer driving a 4 x 4 remote controlled car down the isle that had the rings in it. Bryanne had a fantastic hot pink streak in her hair and it matched the flowers along with the sash on her gown. After the ceremony at the Best Western Sherwood Park we quickly did some family photos then headed into Edmonton to the Whitemud Amusement park for some minigolf with the bridal party. That was fun for everyone except one of the groomsmen that was pretty disappointed that we weren't going to actually "play" the whole game. We did try to get at least a putt for everyone at most of the holes though...Tyler had purchased some cotton candy as well so everyone was nice and sugared up for us. You can see the energy in the slideshow when Tyler leap-frogs over the frog on the course :) The best part was when Bryanne actually won the "free game" putt at the very end of the course! After all of that excitement we sure weren't done. These guys had told me about some great location that they wanted to drive out to where there wasn't really a road....it sounded good to me....sort of.... Luckily they had rented some Hummers for their day so when we got to the "off-road" part Omari and I parked our car and joined the party in the Hummers for some 4x4 ing to our next location. I have to admit we did have some fun getting jostled around in the vehicle even though I was a bit freaked out when we hit the peak of the hill and you couldn't see down the other side cause it was that steep. Of course Tyler wouldn't take us somewhere that he hasn't been to alot already and knew that it was all good and I agree it was! Along with the great tunnel, we had some beautiful scenery to work with. I am so glad we had such a beautiful day too. Next on the agenda was a quick stop to Whyte ave for a few more couples shots by a sign they really wanted. I added in a "traffic going by" shot and a "phone booth" shot and then Tyler showed us some fantastic graffetti on the way back to the vehicles so of course we had to use that too. Then it was time to head back to the Best Western in Sherwood park for the Rock 'n Roll themed reception. Unfortunately we missed the guest playing guitar hero (they had it going to pass the time until the couple came back) but the kids had some great blow up guitars that they lugged around. Elvis was the M.C. for the night, the food was great and the dance was rocking.
Thank you so much guys for including us in your wedding day! It was such a pleasure to hang with you and your friends. I loved all the energy and great ideas for shots that you had...you sure made our job easy... I look forward to going through the rest of the images with you, I'm sure your going to have trouble picking your favorite cause there are a bunch of really great ones-your album is going to look SO good!

Here is the link to the sneak peek slideshow...Bryanne & Tyler's Slideshow.

Rebecca & Mitch....

2008-06-12T23:44:00.005-06:00

Last Saturday we attended the wedding of Rebecca & Mitch. They had a beautiful Ukranian ceremony at St. Nicholas Church here in Edmonton. It was a little windy and chilly out so we stayed at the church to do our family photos. After a few snacks we headed into the Neil Crawford center to do some more photos with the bridal party. I loved shooting with this couple cause not only were they very cute and sweet - they gave us a tonne of time to work with them. We had so much time that Omari and I actually finished all the ideas we had in mind! Luckily the weather held up and we had some great storm clouds to work with and the sun even peaked out from time to time that afternoon. The reception was at the Millwood golf course so of course we stopped and took a few photos of our couple around the lake in that area. With some time left to spare the bridal party headed over to one of their favorite hangouts - Tim Hortons and sure we did document that too. Finally it was time to head into the party. I love hearing all the tales about our couples - I always feel like some long lost family member when it is all said and done. Of course the food was great and the DJ did a good job keeping the party going....it seems that everyone had a great time.

Rebecca and Mitch I will see you soon to view your photos. Thank you for entrusting us with capturing your memories on this special day!! We had a ball with the both of you and we so appreciated all the willingness you had to try out all of our suggestions. I wish you soo much love (and tonnes of babies...LOL...had to throw that one in just to tease them... u had to be there to get it....) Oh yeah, there is a sneak peek slideshow here - Rebecca & Mitch's slideshow.

A Tale of Two Amy's - Part 2

2008-06-04T12:35:00.004-06:00

On Saturday we hung out with a great group of friends. Amy and Craig were married at the St.Albert Parish in a beautiful traditional ceremony. Afterward we swung by Red Willow Park in St.Albert for some family photos...we finished up quickly and just in the nick of time too as it started raining just as we were doing our last shots. I was glad the girls in the bridal party stuck it out through a few drops to get the last "formal" photo. This has to be the biggest bridal party that I have had yet with 8 groomsmen, 8 bridesmaids, a flowergirl and a ringbearer. They were a great looking bunch and a whole lot of fun to work with. The boys were all about the vehicles and they had some very specific shots that they wanted to put together so we headed out to a friend of their's acreage next. There we had some huge trucks that the guys had all brought in and a bunch of motorcycles. We did up those fun shots and then started in on my romantic work with Amy and Craig while the others went to get some food in the house - I was so thankful that the rain clouds disappeared and we had lovely weather to work with. Next we headed back into Edmonton to the Chateau Louis. I have never seen the place decorated so nicely. Amy - you did a fantastic job with this room! The party got going and didn't stop...everyone seemed to have a great time...young and old alike. The highlight of the evening for Omari was when he got to see a guy "burn" out his motorcycle. I guess it is some kind of tradition among friends who were at the party - one guy smoked his tire until it was just shredded - Omari was soo happy that he was there to capture it and couldn't stop talking about it for the rest of the night. Amy and Craig - I hope you are enjoying your honeymoon - I look forward to seeing you both when you come and check out the images from your day. Thank you so much for including Omari and I in your wedding plans - it was alot of fun working with the both of you! Of course here is a sneak peek slideshow to tide you over until you get back...Amy and Craig's Slideshow.

A Tale of Two Amy's - Part One

2008-06-03T13:17:00.004-06:00

Two weddings, one weekend, two ladies named Amy.

On Friday we documented the celebration of Amy and Jim. It was a beautiful day and we took advantage of it making sure we got some great photos for them outside.

They were married at the Scottish Society Hall - it is a nice little out of the way place that you kinda gotta look for. With all the changes in Edmonton we now have the NW and SW areas when you hit the south side. Well this hall was in the new SW area and that had people confused. Eventually people found their way there though and the ceremony got underway. They had a bag pipper playing as they came in and left and the guys all wore kilts. Afterward we headed down to the Legislative grounds for some family pics. The front of the building was packed out with Graduating kids - so it was a good thing I don't rely on using the front steps. The grounds are so vast and there is alot of great greenery and architecture to use all the way around the building we had no problem finding some quiet spots to use. Omari did a great shot where he had the sun sparkling in between them as they kissed - I'm posting it below, definitely one of my new favorites from him!

Amy and Jim - thank you for including us in your day. It was such a pleasure to meet your family. See you soon to view the rest of your photos. For now here is a sneak peek at the highlights...Amy and Jim's Slideshow.

Full Swing.

2008-05-27T09:30:00.006-06:00

So the season is now here and we are on the go. As we progress into wedding season it gets busier and busier :) I love it though and this year will prove to be one of our busiest yet. Last weekend we didn't have a wedding on the books so we enjoyed cleaning the house...yeah right...there wasn't any enjoying that part! Omari and I did volunteer to go off to the 2008 Canadian Chess Challenge though and we did a few team photos for them. Our son is involved with the Edmonton Chess Nuts so I thought this was a good way to give back to the program. Without model releases I won't put any of the teams up here but here is one of the other pictures that I like...this king and queen do not need to give me permission to use their image...

Afterward I decided we would go out and make use of the great weather. I wanted Omari and I to do some promo photos that represented us - so we got the boys to help us and headed out to a great hill down the street from our house. I had this image in mind that I wanted to get and we had alot of fun trying to get it to work. The boys were hot and grumpy before we even got out of the car - humm - first we set up an extra light that I knew we would need to make it work but the hill was steep so one of the kids had to hold it in place. Next I had Omari stand in place while I set the camera up on the tripod and had the other boy push the shutter button for us. Nubian kept snapping way more pics than we wanted and didn't let the flash recycle for a bunch. Nope he is not ready to enter the industry any time soon. But they did get a bunch of cute pics and a couple that I like. One we are using on Facebook and at the side of our blog here. Another you might see in circulation at some point. Here are a couple of what Nubian calls the "out takes". He's so proud of them!

Recently we were off shooting a ceremony at the Legislative grounds. Unfortunately there is no model release for this event to share images. There are some great ones though as we did a few formals at the Leg and then some more out at Shalom Park (out by Rabbit Hill). We had never shot there before and I was surprised how lovely the place was. I loved the rickety looking dock and the water as well as the hills. The couple had the building decorated really well too. The room looked great. I look forward to going to this venue again sometime.

I have also had the opportunity to hang out with one of our past couples. They just had a baby and we did some baby and family pics. I loved meeting Hannah! She was great for the photos and even fell asleep for us at the end so I could get some adorable sleeping photos. I was so excited to finally get to try out the baby on the towels shot. They are going to have a hard time narrowing down their choices cause I know I did. Here are a couple of my favorites from the session...You gotta agree she is a doll :)

In Memory of Madelyn

2008-05-21T22:08:00.005-06:00

Yesterday I spent some time with a beautiful family that is going through a very difficult time. Their baby girl was about to become an angel and it was important to them to get a few family photos with her before she left. I was hoping they would have alot more time to spend with this sweetheart but today I got an email to let me know that she left us this morning. I feel very greatful that we had the opportunity to create some beautiful photos of her time with them. I love this one of her on her Daddy's arm.

I'm thankful to the NILMDTS organization for putting together this whole operation that helps families capture moments with these angels. If you know of anyone who may be going through a loss of a child please direct them to this website (http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/) which has a great support forum as well as has a list of photographers who will donate their talent to create memories for the family.

E-Session

2008-05-14T13:54:00.005-06:00

On Sunday I hung out with Holly and Matthew. They are heading off to get married in Ontario but we did an e-session here. They are so cute together - Holly is the quiet one and Matthew keeps her entertained. It was a pleasure meeting the both of you and I hope your wedding day goes smoothly.

Pam & Robert

2008-05-13T23:05:00.005-06:00

On Saturday we spent a great day with Pam and Robert. Their wedding ceremony was held at the Annunciation Church here in Edmonton. Afterward we headed off to the Santa Maria boat at West Edmonton Mall for our formal photos. It is always a fun experience shooting there as you become instant celebrities when all sorts of people stand around the railings to watch what is going on. The bridal party took it all in stride though and had fun with the whole thing. Then it was off to the Best Western Westwood Inn. The food was great as was the DJ who kept the party going really well....I'll have to find out who they used cause good DJ's seem hard to come by :)

Omari knows Robert through basketball and it was really wonderful to be included in their special day! I wish you both the best of love in your future together and look forward to seeing you soon to view the rest of the photos. Here are a few of my favorites from the day and of course the sneak peek slideshow - Pam and Robert's Slideshow.

Love...

2008-04-30T14:37:00.006-06:00

This past Saturday Omari and I spent the day with Laura and Chad while they celebrated thier love for one another. The wedding was beautiful! Laura and Chad looked fabulous. So did the wedding party. Laura decided on a beach theme for the wedding day so there were alot of nice little touches to go along with it. I especially liked the gummy candy sharks.... The ceremony and reception were at the Whitemud Creek Hall here in Edmonton. We went to the Citadel Theatre for a few bridal party pics, headed out for a quick bite at the Italian Bakery and then met some of the family at the Legislative Grounds for some family pics. They guys were pretty funny - Omari and I don't usually set up "wild" shots but we will photograph anything the bridal party is willing to do - so the boys got Omari to go into the restroom with them to get shots at the urinals and then before we left they asked for the security guard to pat them down as they stood at the wall - no they weren't totally drunk just looking for some fun stuff to do :) (no I didn't include any of those images online, sorry those are for Laura and Chad to decide what they want to do with them) I'm so glad that we got some great weather so that we could do some outdoor photos as well! Before we headed back to the reception we took a detour to go visit Laura and Chad's baby and grabbed some shots with him - he's a cute little guy - you'll see him taking over a shot below....

I hope Laura and Chad are having a blast on their honeymoon - I look forward to going through the images we took with you when you get back. For now here are a couple of my favorites and yep there is a sneak peek slideshow as well - Laura and Chad's Slideshow.

On Sunday I had another great sunny afternoon to work with as I met up with Elisha and Mike. They are another adorable couple that are getting married soon but running away to Halifax to do it. They wanted some pics so we did an e-session here in Edmonton at the Legislative Grounds. We had been trying to meet up for awhile but the weather just wasn't cooperating with us so we were all happy to have the sun shining. I hope you guys have a fabulous wedding day!!

Bridal Fantasy Winners

2008-04-24T22:05:00.004-06:00

The other day I was able to photograph an e-session for Samantha and Brendon. They won the grand prize package at bridal fantasy 2008 - lucky or what! It was fun getting to know them and I enjoyed hanging out at the Citadel Theatre with them. Their really cute and get along great so it was pretty easy capturing some of their love for one another.

I hope you guys have a fantastic wedding .... thank you for including me in your plans :)

Here are a couple of my favorite images from our time together.

Denver TriCoast Workshop

2008-04-21T21:37:00.014-06:00

Wow - it has already been a week since I was in Denver but it feels like it was just yesterday I got back home. Life truly gets faster and faster with age!
So the trip was great and the workshop was awesome. I really enjoyed meeting everyone from Tanja who hosted to Suzy, Mike and Jordan from TriCoast and all the others inbetween :) I will admit that I'm still a bit disappointed I didn't get to see Suzy dance on the bar at Coyote Ugly! Next time girl and no I'm not joining you.......
I had a great stay at the Drury Inn in Denver and would recommend it to anyone traveling that way. It was easy to find with easy access to the freeway and the feed you in the morning and evening for free. The beds were comfy too which makes it high on my list.
I was even able to experiment with some of the new lighting techniques I learnt a bit this weekend with a couple that got married. Unfortunately I don't have a model release from them. I do however have permission to post the images from the workshop - we had 3 models to work with one day and then we were shooting eachother and Suzy the next. The workshop ran 3 days and we had fantastic weather for the first 2 days. The third day got cold and ended up snowing-people kept trying to blame me for bringing the snow along with me LOL good thing we were doing classroom work that day. So here are my favorite images...

This shot was fun to take cause we kept dodging traffic to get it, ahhhh the excitement of it all!This girl was such a cutie and her look changed alot just by changing her hair style.This model knew how to work the camera - there were alot of great poses she gave us.She did the serious attitude well :)This model had some amazing blue eyes - I would need to paint them in here to do here justice!It was pretty hot out and we were all getting tired and sunburnt but she stayed out there with us even when others were going indoors.Mike and Suzy - their steamy!

Working it for the camera - Suzy made a great model. (no liquifying will be involved in this photo - Suzy is Hot LOL)

Last but not least this is a pic I took of Jerry another attendee. I love this photo.

Additions - On the way...

2008-04-11T12:45:00.005-06:00

Yesterday I spent some time with Jamie chatting about babies, labour and all that fun birthing stuff. Meanwhile we did a great little shoot to show off her round belly before her daughter makes her grand entrance into the world. Jamie is one of those women that make you totally want to be pregnant - she's all cute and thin except for a round ball out front. I had a great time creating some fabulous images with her. She photographs soo well. Thanks for hanging out with me Jamie! I can't wait to meet your little bundle. I'm so excited to do some newborn pics with you and Mac :)

This weekend I'm off to Denver,CO to attend a photography lighting workshop. I am sure I will have some fun images to share when I get back next week...

More Cuba

2008-04-07T13:08:00.005-06:00

Awhile ago when I was in Cuba I was able to do a fun portrait shoot with my sister. We went out to the beach and just walked around in and around the water near sunset. It was a beautiful sunset and I was glad that I got to watch it with her. I thought I would post a couple of my favorite shots from this session... I hope you approve of the ones I chose Sis :)

Family Portraits

2008-04-03T08:57:00.009-06:00

I love the whole Micheal Jordon tongue hanging out look! Now Sydney's trademark.

The other day I was invited to do a photo session with Chrysten and Ken. This session was to mark Sydney's 6 months with them. She is sure growing and getting sooo active. I am honored that you guys have chosen to include me in these special moments :) It was also pretty cool because usually I do portraits and engagements on my own but it just so happened that Omari is on spring break right now and had some time to come with me on the shoot. I love shooting with Omari - good thing I married him! It was nice to have someone extra to help distract the little one - she was sooo wiped that she ended up falling asleep before we even left. That was extra cool though cause those sleeping pics are among my favorites. I hope you guys like using the new proofing site - I know it is a different path than what we have used before with your sessions - let me know if there are any issues understanding how it all works. Thanks again for letting me into your lives, as always it was such a pleasure spending time with you.

Sydney is so adorable.

Chrysten is such a patient Mom.

I love watching families grow! You guys look so great.

Tanya & Mike

2008-03-24T14:49:00.006-06:00

On Saturday we spent the day with Tanya and Mike as they made their vows to one another. Tanya is sister to Scott whom we photographed not too long ago when he was married to Magdiel. Omari hung out with the boys while I spent time with the girls in the morning. The ladies got their hair done at Zulu Hair in Leduc nice and early and the guys slept in a bit... The ceremony and reception were both held at the Best Western in Leduc and we came back into Edmonton to the Neil Crawford Center for the "formal" photos. Purple is Tanya's favorite color and you could see it added into everything throughout the day. The reception was wonderfully decorated and the food was great, especially the desserts just as Tanya predicted to me :)
Thank you to this great family for once again trusting in us to create wonderful photos for one of your members. It was wonderful to see everyone on Tanya's side and meet some new faces (Mike's side) as well.
Tanya and Mike have a very relaxing honeymoon and enjoy that sun for all of us!! See you soon to check out the rest of your photos - and better book about 3 hours to sit with me cause there are alot!
Here is the sneak peek - Tanya & Mike's Slideshow.

Another adorable couple.

2008-03-20T14:42:00.007-06:00

I met with Jaycee and Bradley at the Citadel theatre this past weekend. We had a fun time finding nooks and crannys to shoot in. Jaycee is quite animated and very cute - I am sure we will have a bunch of fun at their wedding this summer. Bradley was a little quieter but I get the feeling that he's not that way around his friends... You could see alot of love between the two of them and I think I captured some of it :) Thanks for hanging out with me you guys - I'm looking forward to doing it again soon.

fun in the sun!

2008-03-16T22:37:00.013-06:00

Last week I was lucky enough to be in Varadero, Cuba. The weather was fantastic for 5 out of the 7 days I was there. I totally enjoyed the white sand beach at Melia Las Antillas where I stayed. You can read my review of the hotel on Trip Advisor if they ever get around to posting the info...

This trip wasn't all R&R though - I did do a little work while I was there. I photographed a fashion shoot as well as a portrait session. I have the model release for the portrait session so I am excited to show a couple of their great pics here. Of course we did some sunset shots - I couldn't get enough of the beauty in the rays :) Here are a few of my favorite shots with Sonia and Olivier - they are such a cute couple it really wasn't hard to work with them in this fantastic setting. Thank you for your time guys it was a pleasure doing your first "formal" photos together!

Aren't they soo hot!

In Memory of Gabriel

2008-03-02T17:18:00.006-07:00

Sometimes love lasts a moment,

Sometimes love lasts a lifetime,

Sometimes a moment is a lifetime.

-author unknown-

Last night I had the humbling experience to witness the short life of Gabriel. This was one of the most difficult photoshoots that I have done and yet Gabriel's time here didn't bring us alot of tears in his presence. While he was with us the room was filled with smiles and awe at the sweetness of this little man. He is already greatly missed because 2 hours is just not long enough to fill a lifetime of memories. Thank you to Gabriels parents for trusting me to document this very special time with their sweetheart.

This experience has made it possible for me to grow as a photographer and provide invaluable images to a wonderful family. Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, a foundation I have been associated with for over a year now, is a place where families can connect with information to assist in the bereavement process. Through this foundation photographers, such as myself, volunteer time to assist people dealing with infant lose.

Cindy & Jason

2008-03-01T19:53:00.008-07:00

Last weekend I had the opportunity to meet with Cindy and Jason. We took some really cute photos to celebrate their engagement. The Edmonton Legislative Building was the location of choice and they brought along their canine kid to include too. It was a little chilly outside but of course we had a great time, I liked how they packed a change of clothes to for 2 different looks. Thanks for including me in this special time Cindy and Jason, it was a pleasure!

This upcoming week I am on a last minute trip to Cuba. In preparation for the weddings coming up, I hope to get a little R&R while I'm there. Along with some shooting, I plan on taking a few strolls along the beach. I'll be sure to post some fabulous images when I return. I will have my cell with me and will also be checking my emails regularily if you need to contact me.

Christine & Ryan

2008-02-25T23:54:00.008-07:00

This past Saturday we went out to Beaumont to join Christine and Ryan on their wedding day. They were married at St. Vital Church and it was a beautiful ceremony. This couple has 2 adorable little ones and they sure added their personalities to this occasion. They were in alot of photos cause they were just soo cute! I loved the red sash that Christine had on her dress, it is always a treat to see a bit of color on a wedding dress. The light at the church was beautiful with the huge glass windows by the alter, everything seemed to glow just a bit. Afterward we travelled back into Edmonton to the Citadel Theatre to do our "formals". We had the family join us and then we walked around a bit with the bridal party. Thankfully some family members took the children so that our couple could have some alone time - I'm all about getting you to be romantic in front of the camera. You can check out their slideshow here - Christine and Ryan.

Thank you to the both of you for your patience and willingness to try a few new things :) The images look great and I can't wait to show them all to you! Much love to your family...

Promo Video

2008-02-18T11:36:00.004-07:00

Omari and I had a presentation we did at the University awhile ago. Unfortunately we had a few technical glitches so it didn't go as smoothly as we would have liked. I thought I would share the promo video that I made to show there.
Check it out here....
Thank you to all those lovely clients who provide us with model releases to make this stuff possible :)

I had a fantabulous time scrapbooking this past weekend. I haven't work on my own family photos for about a year now and that was way too long for me. I went to a great event which is held once a year called Scrappin for Scouts - and they raise funds to help out one of the local scouting groups. It was a success as it has been in the past and I was really happy to be one of the teachers at the event. Everyone was able to sign up for 2 free classes and I enjoyed the 2 I attended. In one we made a cute 2 page spread and in the other we made the cutest little wooden book ever. I am having trouble now deciding if I should fill it with photos and give it away as a gift or keep it for myself!
I heard about and signed up for another fundraising scrapbooking event in May. It is going to be held over the National Scrapbook Day weekend and all the proceeds will be donated back to Y.E.S.S (Youth Emergency Shelter Society). For more info check out http://www.supportyess.com/. Let me know if you plan on attending, it would be great if they could sell out this event! They will also be holding some great classes there and I will be teaching one again.

Such a sweet message...

2008-02-16T08:47:00.003-07:00

In the fall I had the opportunity to fly out to Ontario and photograph my favorite Aunt's wedding. She married Jeff the toy store owner - if you recall - in a spectacular "rainbow" wedding. So my Mom and I went through the photos together and picked out our favorites. I created a storybook as I my Mom wanted to give that as her wedding gift to them. I guess they recieved it on the most appropriate day...Valentines Day....how sweet is that?
I missed my Aunt's phone call but got to hear how pleased she is with the book on my messages. I also got this very cool email from my new Uncle which I thought I would share just cause I like it so much, especially the heading they gave it :)

Wedding pics...The Book Of The Year Award Goes To Trina !

Good Morning Trina. All we can say is WOW,WOW,WOW. Did I forget to say WOW!. What a spectacular way to capture our weddingthan through this book. It is nothing short of stupendous. Betty and I were just amazed at the great choices that were made in arranging the wedding album. You amazed us with the slide show and now with this!. We are truly impressed. I hope that all of your clients get a chance to see what you did for us and that they will choose this style to go with, becauseit really does make a very lasting impression. I was joking with your Dad last night on the phone and I said that I would have to go to Chapters and pick up some additional copies for everyone that wants one. He said that only Indigo was carrying them. You are an extremely talented artist and we are very blessed to have you do this for us. Thank you just doesn't seem enough for what you did for us.
Love Betty & Jeff.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the kind words and I am super happy that you like the book! I think everyone should have some kind of beautiful album to remember their wedding day. Something they will love to look at again and again and remember the romance and fun of the day. I appreciate the patience you had in waiting for your pics as well. I know I hate to wait. Lots of love, hugs and kisses to the both of you and all the kids!!

Felicitea Grand Opening

2008-02-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

The store front in the evening

We were able to stop in to Felicitea on Sunday while they had their grand opening. I must say that I was very impressed with this little tea lounge. I would have never thought of putting the purple and green together but it looks fantastic in here - very relaxing with the dark brown furniture. It has an inviting atmosphere and the bubble tea is the best! We took a few pics of course and I look forward to returning soon to try some more bubble tea flavors. Best of luck on this cool venture Karen and all the staff at Felicitea!!

Our food - minus the bubble tea which Khaalid was drinking.I'm soo honored to have my pics front and center when you come in the door.

I met up with Chito and Anne while I was there and got to give them their wedding package. Anne is helping out in the tea shop and she is doing a great job running around even with a pregnant belly in tow :) It was so good to see them again and I look forward to doing some belly shots in the near future.

Brandi & Blake

2008-02-04T21:02:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we attended our first wedding for 2009. Brandi looked great with a wedding dress trimmed in red. The bridal party were real troopers braving the cold with us for some formals outside - and it was cold! Cold enough that my camera equipment was slowing down due to frozen electronics after a few minutes...good thing I have Omari who keeps the batteries warm inside his jacket and another camera tucked away to switch out with. The day was great despite the temperature and the sunshine made it even nicer. When we got out and the sun was low in the sky I just had to make use of it's rays in my images. I love how these pics turned out. The ceremony and reception were held at the Royal Executive Inn in West Edmonton and the food was delicious. Brandi and Blake had their first date and he also proposed at the Sawmill restaurant so to commemorate there was some steak sauce from the Sawmill on each table. I tried it out and it was very tasty. I forgot that Brandi is a cousin to Candice from Candice and Ray whom we met not long ago when we photographed their wedding so I was a bit surprised when I saw them come walking into the ceremony. It was neat to recognize so many people whom we had the opportunity to meet during this previous occasion. What fun to work with them all again - I honestly feel like some long lost cousin :) . For the party there was a DJ and a live band so things were rocking along. We always notice that there is a different energy that a live band brings to the night. It is fun to listen to for sure and a nice break to have the DJ switch out with them between sets.

Thank you for including us in your special day Brandi and Blake. It was a treat to spend the day with the both of you! Many warm wishes to the both of you for the years ahead. See you soon to go through your images. For now here is a sneak peek - Brandi and Blake's Slideshow.

Oh Yeah, FYI - Felicitea is now open! I can't wait to go and check them out... I'll try to stop in there this weekend...The address is...15047 Stony Plain Rd. Edm. AB ....and they are open....Mon-Fri 9:00AM-9:00PM Sat 10:00AM-10:00PM Sun 10:00AM-9:00PM.....with the official grand opening this Sunday Feb 10 at 10 am..... I wish Karen and her partners alot of luck with this venture!

Hanging out with Hannah

2008-01-31T18:44:00.001-07:00

What a great smile!

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit with another brand new soul this morning. She's only 3 months old and her family is soo in love with her, it is easy to see why. It's cold outside so we stayed toasty inside to get a few fun shots. I have photographed this family before so today was Hannah's special day but of course her big brother wanted to get in on the action too:) Of course who am I to say no - they are soo cute together! Bonnie and Wade will be test driving my new client proofing site so that is a bit exciting too as they have so many great shots to choose from.

....Bonnie, I hope I spelt her name right - I never actually asked you how to spell it....

Not sure if she wants to hold hands.

Checking eachother out.

Such cute little toes!!

The Models

2008-01-26T23:24:00.001-07:00

Remember I talked about shooting some models with a bunch of other photographers when we were in Florida. Well I had to get the girls some of their images so I have a couple to put here online. We headed out to the Tampa university grounds in the morning and did a shoot there with these three ladies. They did well considering we (Omari and I) don't ever do models. We were trying to go for the relaxed casual look we are know for and they kept posing and changing their face everytime we clicked the camera. It was kinda funny to us. In the end we did get a couple that I really like....

Alison wasn't a "model" per say but has been a photographers assistant for awhile. She did well on the other side of the camera. We liked how easy it was to get her laughing and chatting with us.Julie wore this wedding dress not long ago at her wedding so it was fun for her to get dressed up again for some more pics.
Cindy brought along an entourage with her which included her little son. He was hungry but managed through the shoot with us without too much complaining. He even lost his first tooth on our drive back to the hotel (it was already wiggly).

Much thanks to Stephanie who coordinated the morning shoot and Alicia who coordinated the afternoon. Both were a great time!!

Scrapbooking Tips...

2008-01-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

I was deleting old files while waiting for some data to transfer this morning and I came across these scrapbook tips that I used at a class once. I thought it would be fun to post them here on the blog for all those new scrapbookers out there :)

Important things to remember:

Journaling is the heart and soul of your albums!! Scrapbooks are created to remince with your photos. Without the stories or information your memories will be lost whether you have made beautifully decorated pages or not. You could work 6 hours to create a gorgeous page that will tell nothing about you or the photos on the page or you can create a page in 20 minutes with words that will go on forever.

Error on the side of simple. It is far easier to add to your scrapbook page than it is to undo your work. Very easily pages become overdone and the decorations begin to overtake the photos. The object of scrapbooking is to enhance your photos and stories. Unless you have a special event to highlight, it is best to place your photos down, then add the stories, then if the page looks like it needs something else…then add some decoration.

Try to create a decorative edge, border or title rather than to just “splash” stickers and die cuts into every blank spot on your page. Your page will look cleaner and more “professional”.

Tips:

* Match the colors you use on the page with the photos you are using. Generally it is not appealing to mix bold colors with pastels. Try to keep softer colors together and brighter colors together. Of course there is always exceptions to every rule.
* Try not to use more than 3 colors per page as the colors start to overwhelm the eye. Remember we are enhancing the photos.
* Decorate more on the pages using 4 or less photos if you have only a little journaling to add then decorate less on the pages with 5 or more photos so as not to distract from the pictures and their stories.
*Cropping will allow you to add more photos to the page but you must remember not to crop out all the details of your life. It is a good idea to leave one “whole” photo for each situation to show the area in which the event takes place. Remember that the photos with the price of gas in the background and the cars show the era of time we are in. If you take all the excess background out you are also editing how your family will be able to view their history, let them see the “yucky couch” you once had.
*Memorabilia will enhance the stories in your scrapbook with variety and interest. Treat them as decoration; things you put in are generally detailed and/or colorful and you won’t need to add much more color to your page once the photos and stories are along side.
*Keep the photos and memorabilia separate. Do not let the photos overlap the memorabilia as it can contain acid that will harm your photos.
*Newspaper deteriorates very quickly. The best way to preserve an article is to copy it onto acid-free paper.

Bridal Fantasy....

2008-01-21T18:00:00.002-07:00

Wow, Thanks to all the wonderful couples who stopped by our booth on Sunday. I have enjoyed talking with a few of you who have already called today and look forward to meeting even more couples in the near future. Sorry to some, who I know were upset when they found out that we are booked for their date. We are definitely now booking into 2009 and the summer of 2008 has very few Saturday dates left. Call to check your date availability soon. This was Omari's first year joining us at the booth to hand out our fliers - he was amazed, as was I, with how many brides told us that they have checked out our site already. Thanks for taking the time to browse our work and give us all the fantastic comments, our heads "swelled" just a bit ;)

My Sister-In law Shauna did a fantastic job helping us out again. I always owe her a huge Thank You by the end of the day. She took this pic of Omari and I at our booth. Thanks again Sis!

And the winner is.....Marzena M.

Out of the 250 people who entered to win our basket of scrapbook supplies my son Khaalid pulled out her name. Congratulations!

There were alot of unique booths at the show this year. Among them stood out a fantastic carriage that I haven't seen before. Check out http://www.horsesence.ca/ to see this amazing way to get around on your wedding day - you get to be Cinderella for real! I look forward to one of my brides using them. Nope there is no compensation for this plug - I just loved it soo much I had to pass the info along.

This is a busy week with a few photo shoots, client meetings and yep still some retouching to do. I will try to get some more of those Florida pics online when I get a chance. Thanks again for taking the time to stop in and read my chatter!!

E-session

2008-01-19T14:56:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I got to spend some time with Tanya and Mike while we took some pics to document their engagment.

First we went to the park and had a little fun walking around. It was really neat because I had the opportunity to go to the firehall with them next - Mike is a volunteer firefighter. We had a great time finding ways to include the firetruck in our pics with them. I'm looking forward to their wedding coming up in a couple months.

Tomorrow I'll be hosting a booth at Bridal Fantasy here in Edmonton. If your going - make sure you stop in to say HI.

TTD in Florida

2008-01-14T12:27:00.001-07:00

So it was freezing cold in Floridian standards :) Of course this was scheduled on the coldest day of the year for them...so we weren't in the water long. I think the shots turned out great for Rosalind - she was soo fantastic to work with and very brave to get right in the water for me! I felt really honored to do this shoot with her.

10 years in the making

2008-01-09T13:11:00.001-07:00

This year was Omari and I's 10th wedding anniversary.

Some of you know the story of how we got married and didn't honeymoon cause we had a little guy already and didn't want to take him along or leave him behind - as well, Omari started work the day after the wedding. So, way back then I decided for our 10th anniversary we would go on a cruise with the kids (yep, I planned on having 2 right from the start). After years of planning - I finally got my wish!! For Christmas this year we went on a fabulous 7 day cruise with Carnival on the ship called Freedom. The ship took us through the Carribean where we stopped at Cozumel, Caymen Island and Ochos Rios. The food of course was fabulous and we all way over-ate all the time. It is funny to see my pics at the start of the cruise and the end cause I gained about 15 to 20 lbs in the week! My favorite part of the trip was not having to cook of course :) Thankfully the weather was great the whole time. The kids totally enjoyed hanging out in Camp Carnival so Omari and I got to have some alone time as well (this was the original plan, so I'm glad it worked out). It was nice to just find a quite space on one of the decks and just sit together looking out at the ocean. The staff on the ship were fantastic as well. We made friends with out servers Daniel and Felix - Daniel showed the boys new tricks each night at dinner, much to their enjoyment. I soo appreciated the housekeeping staff that came in each morning and evening to tidy up our room and even left us the famed "towel animals" to enjoy. I would recommend cruising to everyone as we all had soo much fun!

Khaalid took this pic of Omari and I on the ship one night at the beginning of the week.
Our Cruise Ship - The Carnival FreedomOur room - an inside stateroom with bunks for the kids.Our awesome dining staff on the ship.
L-R: Nubian, Trina, Daniel, Khaalid, Omari and Felix.
After our cruise we headed up to Kissimmee in Florida to a vacation villa that we were meeting Omari's family for the remainder of the holidays. I was worried about this leg of our journey because I booked the house online and as you all know - sometimes the internet doesn't quite give you all the information as to what you are really going to walk into. Once again I thanked God for leading me cause this house was an incredible vacation spot!! We walked into to a spotless home (I was worried about insects but didn't see any) with a TV in every room (so great cause everyone could watch their own shows with no arguements), 5 bedrooms (enough for us all to have our own space), an outdoor heated pool (the highlight of the kids stay - they practically lived in it), and even laundry (of course we had a tonne to do after cruising for the week before) and an internet ready computer (another of the kids favorite things to do was sit on the internet going around to kids games sites). All I could say was WOW. I will totally recommend Florida Villas and Homes to anyone who is making a trip to Orlando and area. This house was all the site said it would be and more. The whole trip was so successful - it all went smoothly. I kept waiting for something to go wrong and nothing did.

Khaalid enjoying the pool in the back yard.Omari watching one of the TV's in the living room.
Me with the kids in front of WonderWorks.
L-R: Trina, Nubian, Khaalid and Davu (my nephew)

On the last leg of our journey Omari and I attended a Wedding Photographers Convention in Tampa. It was nice because we got to leave the kids with their Grandma back at the house in Kissimmee. We got to meet all sorts of top notch photographers from all over the world. Of course we did a little shooting too. A little later I will post some of the images we took while we shot brides, some models and even got to trash a dress in the bay.

So stay tuned....first I need to do some major unpacking.....

Happy 2008 everyone!! I'm looking forward to more great images this year!