Gone Crackers At Christmas!

Here's a fun shot of the Christmas Crackers we all tugged and pulled on before feasting on an amazing Christmas dinner cooked by my amazing husband. We had a great time...and yes..most of us wore our crown of crepe paper while eating dinner. Happy holidays and have a wonderful New Year!

New Beautiful Bumps

This was kind of a fluke...I will admit, it didn't look as good on the camera as it did on the computer. Gina was a wonderful model. We spent 4 hours visiting and taking photos. I will adjust the light on the arms to match but this is the start of the process.

Another lovely shot!

Ahhhh...window light...I love window light. 

Brook And His Lovely Daughter, Jennifer

This was taken 2 days ago in my garage. Brook and his daughter Jenn brought over some photography equipment for me to borrow for a shoot today. We set everything up and started taking pictures. I asked for a father/daughter photo and Brook was a bit reluctant....but caved. Thanks Brook! I think this is a lovely shot of you two. There's more to come from our test shoot! Jenn was lovely and patient.

Textures

A find in Fort Langley.

A find in Chinatown.

More Horsing Around

This is the chest of one of the friendly horses we met that day. He was beautiful. The first photo of the horse's eye belongs to this horse. He was so big I couldn't fit him into the frame...joking.

Respect, trust and love between partners.

Darcy and Titus sharing a joke.

A real beauty.

Brushing up! Even though it was a bit blurry, the color and texture of this shot made for a nice photo I think.

Big Boots

Andrew is a goal keeper for his soccer team . He prides himself on his powerful goal kicks. This boy in yellow obviously didn't realize that he should move out of the way. Luckily for him, he wasn't hit by the ball. If you notice, the ball is out of the picture for this shot, although you already know it was there a second ago.  This was taken during a summer tournament in Langley 2010. GO ANDREW!

A First

This is Baby Nate. This was taken during my first photoshoot with a dear friend, Michelle, her husband John, and Nate. He was 5 weeks old here and was so easy to photograph. I had lots of squishy baby time with him as well. We had a great day!
Oh, how I love love love babies.

A Day Of Horsing Around

Today I went to the Vancouver Police Mounted Squad's Headquarters with my friend Brook. He's got an 'in' there. I didn't know what to expect and was so excited about the experience. We got to wander around the stables and take photos of beautiful horses, and the patient and wonderful people who care for and ride them. This is one of my favourite shots of the day. We were so close to them, and they were amazing. It's hard to explain how it feels when such a majestic creature comes up to you, nuzzles you with their big muzzle, and bows it's head to have a scratch. I learned a lot today.

Some More From The DTES ~ Was a great day!

This is one of my favourite accidental photos. This man was running non-stop up and down this muralled alley, but I thought he was well out of the way when I tried to shoot the wall. I like the motion. You?

These are a couple of my favourite colours mushed together. The fact that there are only 4 colors in this photo makes me like it more.

This man was enjoying his smoke outside a restaurant doorway in Gastown. We chatted a bit. He said that he likes photography as well. Shortly afterwards, another man came out and said "Hey man, your ice cream is ready!" And off he went. Was a quirky kind of day. Memorable.

Silhouettes

We stumbled across a photo class in a muralled tunnel on our lunchbreak. They were taking photos of this skater. He was waiting for his next pose request....A good crisp silhouette I think.

And........Action!

Ol' Yell'r

This was taken while on a photo day with Brook and my mother in law, Rina. She loves photography as well. I think Brook was above and to the left, behind a fence taking a photo of the fountain and Rina was sprawled on a bench to the left of me in quite an awkward position, taking a photo of a spider and its web. Check out her blog as well! 
rina-seeingbeyond.blogspot.com
You will see her spider web shot!
This lone leaf looked like a praying mantis to me. Or perhaps some alien creature of some sort. I love photo days.

Some Black And Whites - Downtown East Side Photo Day

I like this photo but didn't think of  'framing' when I took it. If I was to print this off and frame it with a matte, it would have covered over the V and the R. It's a reminder to frame within the camera.

I liked these handles. I normally don't do symetrical photos...this one I liked.

I liked the textures here. It makes your eyes move around the picture.

This was a cool architectural view at eye level. The building was beautiful.

The black and white makes this look kind of cold...but that's the feeling I was looking for.

What A Little Tone Can Do

Graveyards can be fun to walk through and take photos of. This stone fell long ago and cracked in half in the process. It was grey with black script, but it was hard to see at this angle. I toned it up with more green, blue, and yellow and presto! What fun post- processing can be!

New And Old Combined

This was taken during a summer day in Gastown. It's in an alleyway behind a restaurant I think...(one of many we ventured into). The cobblestone, asphalt were connected by the puddle and reflection of the red brick building. It got a lot of response from friends. I enjoyed how it came out, too!

The Bee's Knees

On a hot summer July day in Fort Langley, Brook and I found something to shoot around every corner. This fella and I got up close and personal. I like the spikey hairs on his head. I also liked that I looked fear in the face (literally) and didn't care. The shot was worth it!

Creepy No Matter Which Way You Look At It

The original photo was the vertical version. A friend suggested I rotate it to be horizontal. Love both results. Which do you prefer???
I have a crazy fear of spiders and of bees....but really enjoy taking photos of both. Hmmm

Happy Anniversary!

Here is my hubby, Ryan. (This is one of his realtor pics that I took for him.) We married 14 years ago today and I love him more each day. I am honoured and blessed that we found each other.
Thank you honey! I love you forever...xoxo

Bird's Eye View

I really enjoy random and unexpected results from different perspectives. This was taken from an overhead walkway looking down at a foodcourt in Vancouver. I did feel a bit sneaky taking this shot, but I liked the outcome. I like the rich dark colours and how symetrical it turned out. And my mom likes it too.   Now, if I was a bird....this may have been a great target! SPLAT! right into the ketchup!  

My Mentor, My Friend

If you haven't already met Brook, here's a great photo of him in his element. We met at work a few years ago and found that we have the same passion for photography. We have enjoyed many days out taking pictures of things that intrigue us and I have enjoyed every minute of it.
Brook has taught me so much and continues to help me stay 'focused" (no pun intended). He has taught me to appreciate my work and how I can take it to the next level. Brook, you deserve the recognition of this blog entry and I am giving you a great big THANK YOU for your friendship and support!
See Brook's Blogspot below!
brook-blogspot.com

A man and his Eden

Meet the creator of this beautiful garden.  He was glad to have us wander around and enjoy it.  He tinkered and moved dirt and whistled a tune while he worked. We never asked his name but was a very peaceful experience. I'm sure Andrea would agree.

From death...there comes life...and so on

This was taken late morning while on a photo excursion with my friend, Andrea. We came across a garden on the side of the roadway that was obviously manicured daily and we spent a good hour, wandering through it taking photos. This image said more to me than just 'pretty'. The brown withered rose next to the vibrant pink rose told a story. We soon met the gardener, as you will see.