I’ve been quietly growing.  And growing.  And GROWING!

For those who don’t know, I’m pregnant.  Nearly 34 week pregnant, actually!  I’ve taken time away from my photography business to focus on being healthy and rested to welcome my new baby in March.  My last photo session was actually back in October!

I’m doing well, and am eagerly anticipating the arrival of another baby girl.  You can expect that I’ll have some newborn portraits to present.  I’ve been meaning to do some maternity portraits for myself, but just haven’t gotten my butt in gear to actually set up my lighting gear.

Thank you to those who have inquired about portrait sessions for 2010.  I will honour the ones I’d previously booked, don’t worry about that.  Just give me some time after March to recover!   Beyond that, I’m going to see how being a Mom of Two works out, and if I can manage to continue my business.  I’ve been so honoured to be asked to capture so many wonderful moments for other families, but I do have to remember to stop and just “be there” for my own family.  I know you understand, and I appreciate that you’re willing to wait for me.  Thank you so much!

Hopefully I’ll be able to do more updates once I’m on maternity leave.  Until then….

For a Reader’s Choice Award with the Milton Canadian Champion! 

I’m under two categories:

#57 for Favourite Photography Studio: Digital Heirlooms

#144 for Favourite Photographer: Karina Sinclair

Although I don’t technically have a studio, those who’ve had me come to their home for newborn or smash cake portraits, know that I bring enough gear to fill a studio!  LOL

I’m SO totally tickled by this nomination.  It’s a simple little nod that I must be doing something of value for my customers, and that is so deeply gratifying.  Running a photography business has put me in touch with some truly fabulous people, but it’s also meant less time for me to spend with my own family.  It’s nice to know it’s not all been in vain.

Congratulations to all the nominees for all categories.  When you see the long list, you’ll realize how many talented people we have in Milton who are all dedicated to enriching our community experience.  I’m proud to be a part of that.

And of course, I’d love your support!  To vote, please visit the Milton Canadian Champion website and click on the Readers Choice Feature.  Voting is open until September 19th.

Thanks for allowing me to join you this past year in celebrating yourselves and your families.  You’ve all been so wonderful!

What can I say…taking some time away has just been what I needed after a busy first half of the year. My husband and daughter and I have made use of our time together as a family and enjoyed all sorts of great things together.

My sweet husband is also a budding photographer, and we took a hike up a mountain on Thursday to capture some scenics. Taking photos of landscapes is so totally different in many ways than taking portraits of people. The settings on the camera go from f/4 to f/22, and that allows me to capture MORE detail in focus. In portraits, you actually want the background all soft and blurry, but in landscapes you want it sharp from front to back. Here’s just a sampling of what I saw…keep in mind I don’t have any photo editing software with me while on vacation, so these are pretty much out of the camera as is.

Here’s something fun taken with our new fisheye lens.  There’s some bend in the trees, but it gives a really great super wide view.

This is the Lake Okanagan…and like the Loch Ness, there’s rumoured to be a sea monster living here called the Ogopogo.  Look at the cool pattern in the water…don’t you think that must be caused from a swirling sea serpant?

I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be away from June 30-July 20 and
will not be able to answer any business emails during that time.

I do have all current print orders ready for those who have submitted them
in the few weeks; please contact me before June 25 to arrange for pick up
or delivery.

To those who have not made their print selections, I will gladly address
your orders when I am back in the office after July 20th

Thank you for your business so far this year. It’s been so great to work
with you and I look forward to continuing our relationship after my
holidays.

AND I look forward to taking lots and lots of photos while on vacation.

Here’s a cutie from a recent Baptism Portrait session. Isn’t he the sweetest? You might remember this little guy from an .

What a glorious day to celebrate fathers! Big blue sky, idyllic puffy white clouds, and a daughter who, for once, was patient!

I have to give a big shout out to my husband, whom might be the best father in modern times. This is a man who is confident enough with his masculinity to play Barbies and princess dress-up. A man who takes the time to make “cakes” with our daughter while she plays in the sandbox or tub. A man who treats his wife with love and respect as an example of how all women should be treated by any of her partners in life. Without my husband and his commitment to being such a hands-on Daddy, I would never be able to have a photography business. I’d never be able to spend hours with other families taking their photographs, or spend hours on the computer to process those photos. Without him, I wouldn’t have gotten into photography in the first place, and without him, I’d cease to be inspired by his love every.single.day.

Our daughter has told me she’d like to marry Daddy when she grows up. I’m so proud of my husband for being the kind of man that she can imagine her future prince in him. I deeply deeply wish that she has the luck to find someone like I have, and to know exactly how great her Daddy really is.
In this image, I can TOTALLY see the resemblance….the nose, the jaw line, the raised eyebrow expression. I have a beautiful daughter because I have a handsome husband (who needs a shave LOL)

And a toast to my own father! It’s been nearly 3 years since he passed suddenly in his sleep, but not a day goes by I don’t think of him. I can’t even possibly fathom what it must be like for my Mom to not have her husband wake up beside her every day, and so I acknowledge her on Father’s Day, as well. In fact, I think I’ll go call her right now.

Digital Heirlooms Photography has joined Twitter! Watch for alerts to new postings on my blogs, photo tips, & other Digital Heirlooms stuff.

Follow me by visiting http://www.twitter.com/DigitalHeirloom.

I’m new to Twitter, and am still figuring out how I’ll use it to benefit my clients. But I hope to reach out to you with fun and interesting tweets every once in a while. I promise not to inundate you with messages.

And since every post is better with a photo…here’s one from a birth I photographed last summer.

Say it ain’t so! But it’s true. My internet router at home has fried and that means I can’t submit print orders to my lab. So if you’re hoping for your prints this week, looks like it might be early next week before I can get them in.

I’m so sorry for the delay…how did we ever get by without the internet?

If you’re ever wondering what’s taking me so long to post your session galleries or sneak peeks, THIS GIRL is usually the reason. I do have a full time job as well as my photography business, but most important to me above anything else is my husband and daughter. It’s been busy lately with dance recitals (she was a cowgirl), swimming lessons, playing princesses, and planning her birthday.

So thank you to those whom are patiently waiting to see their session. I am working on your files, and hope to post them very soon. Having families of your own, I know you’ll understand.

Four years. It’s been four years since this darling girl came into my life and changed it forever. And she’s taught me more about myself in those for years than I’d learned my whole life before her.

Tomorrow is her birthday.

She is why I take photos. She started it all. Look at her…the camera loves her!

I’ve really been enjoying putting together some album designs lately.  I know that sometimes clients have a hard time choosing which images to print because, let’s face it, there’s only so much space to put up framed photos!

Custom albums or hardbound coffee table books are a great solution.  They look gorgeous, and can tell a better story than any solitary print.  I’m putting together a few different samples to make it easier to order.  You’ll see them as I add them to my main website  galleries.  So far, I have two different albums posted, and more to come.  I’d love to know what you think!

Here’s a sample of the Zoe Album.  These are single 12×12 pages.

And here is a sample from the Vivian Album.  These are show in double layouts, so as if you’re looking at an open book.

And I think that’s so evident with my most recent family.  2 totally terrific tow-headed tots and their equally great parents, PLUS a hip aunt & uncle.  Now, the aunt and uncle were pretty camera shy, but I could tell they adored their niece and nephew.  Needless to say, by the end of our session, I was enamoured with them as well.  Full of the typical energy that comes with little kids, both little L and H were sweet, full of hugs, trust, and shining personalities.

This kind of session isn’t your usual sit-for-the-camera-and-force-a-smile family portrait.  It’s meant to show the energy of the family dynamic, the relationships and playfulness of a well-bonded family unit.  And I think this family displayed that quite beautifully.

To A, who gave this session to her sisters family for Christmas, I’m SO glad you booked me.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time with everyone.