The Gift

There is nothing in this world I love more than my family.  As your photographer, I see you on the best days of your life.  You have let me turn your love, your beauty and your truth into art.  Thank you for giving me such a position of trust.

The last few years have flown by too fast for me.  I thank God every day for His gifts and His guidance in my life.  After prayerful consideration, and trying to find balance, I am choosing to simplify my life.  Effective immediately, I am taking a sabbatical from my business to focus on my family. The photography part will never leave me…but I have to step away from the business part so I can be fully present.

As in nature, our lives cycle through seasons.  This is the season for me to put all of my love and energy in to the biggest blessing in life, my family. Children are only little once.

You are the most wonderful, patient, and kind clients, friends, and family on the planet.  Thank you for your support through the years.  I look forward to working with you and your family in the years to come.

 

Andrew + Kelly + Baby Koala

I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to share this post with you. I wish I could say that it was on “Baby Koala Eve”. Or maybe it is? My timing can be just on time or I can be a touch late. I’m never obnoxiously early….

This blog post is especially sweet to share because it contains two very special people in my life. My sister, Kelly, and her husband, Andrew.

I love these two very much. I’m so excited that these two will become parents very soon. I think that their child will change their lives in the best way possible. He already has and he hasn’t reached the other side just yet.

Baby Koala when you arrive we know that these two will love you so much.

You will laugh at your mummy’s sharp wit and general hilarity.

You will dance to your daddy’s music he plays on his guitar.

You will be love reading and you will probably be reading books on your own by the time you’re two years old.

You will be the youngest person at Sasquatch Music Festival.

You have two great families that can’t wait to adore you, love you, squeeze you, kiss you, and spoil you.

Baby Koala, YOU are so loved already!

Can’t wait to meet you, Baby Koala! Love, Auntie Nicole  xoxoxo

PS: I will always have gum and take you to feed the ducks when your mum needs a rest!

Baby Fox

Thank you so much again, Jordan and Matthew for asking me to capture some of the best days of your life!

It really is an honour to be the official archivist for you!

I’m in awe of watching you fall in love as a family and I have proof.

Dawson

Having two little girls at home helps me understand pink, princesses, mermaids, rainbows, dollies, horses, and dancing.

When I get a chance to photograph a little man- it’s a WHOLE new world to me!  Dawson is strong, bold, funny, and pensive.His eyes tell a story.

His mouth tells me a joke.

His freckles and wild locks of honey blonde hair will get him out of trouble.

His sense of adventure will open the world to him.

Every child teaches me so much. I loved Dawson’s sense of humour, style, and above all his sense of adventure and fun.

Oh, and by the way, Dawson, I’m so thankful that you let me photograph your wild crazy hair side. This part of the session made me smile from ear to ear!

 

Smooth Sailing

This is a little phrase I like to say based on the “Keep Calm and Carry On” theme. I was inspired by a sailor/photographer when I made this.

Ever notice how smooth the sailing is when you choose happiness, joy, health?

Keep your crew positive.

If you reach rough water, stay calm, and remember the storm will pass. Know which direction you are headed. Every challenge provides a lesson and it makes you a stronger sailor.

On a less metaphorical note, I can’t wait to learn sailing this Spring and Summer!

Still Crazy

I’m excited it’s January and I’m starting a winter project! I’m going through my archive and I’m processing older images that have been on the backburner. Personal images of friends and family that I captured for art’s sake. This is something that is making me smile right now.

Love this image of total giddy love after all these years.

What is the glue that keeps you giddy and in love?

The Beginning of Something Beautiful

There is something so sweet and wondrous of documenting a new family. Always. It’s such a special time.

It’s beginning of something beautiful.

In the Spring, I photographed Crispin and Carla’s small intimate North Saanich wedding where they exchanged vows on the beach and celebrated their marriage at the Muse Winery with family and friends that have traveled far and wide to be there for them.

At the start of a winter, their love had grown with a little girl named Kenna Jane.

She was so beautiful and charming even at 5 days new. I was impressed at how much the two new parents had taken to their new roles with ease.

Look at them already, they already had everything they wanted for Christmas wrapped up and looking lovely under their tree!Congratulations to you, Crispin, Carla, and Baby Kenna!

 

 

 

The Outback of Deep Cove

Courtney and Paul have been planning this family session for nearly the whole year. IT has been a hard secret to keep under my hat especially when I got to work with their darling Gracie again -who is cuter than a baby Koala!

I love the fact that they wanted to showcase their part of the world and home in Canada.

They call both Australia and Canada home. The two met when Courtney traveled to Australia to work abroad as a nurse. She met Paul on a blind date and they clicked right away. Could you imagine the phone call home to her mother in Canada?!

“Mum, I met the most amazing man here in Australia!”

The couple married in Australia and resided there for their first couple years where the had their daughter, Gracie. Now they have returned to Canada where Paul can get shipments of authentic Vegemite and VB.That grin! Oh her smile is the sweetest thing ever!

She is such a love to work with!

Nuzzled next to a cedar tree seemed perfect on a typical Canadian sunny day! I wonder what  Gracie is thinking at this moment?

 

We headed back to the beach for one more set…

A beautiful image of Paul and Courtney

And another one of Mum and Dad!

Gracie loves the beach and as an Aussie babe-she’ll always be happiest in the sun!

An Eskimo kiss is always bliss!

Thanks so much, Courtney and Paul for asking me to capture your first family Canadian portrait!

I love these images so much!

Paul is a sailor so this made a perfect canvas for the walls of their home!

 

Baby Ballerinas

Oh Christmas, what a crazy awesome time of year! So many sweet times with the family. Here’s a little share of Kennedy and her friends dancing at their Christmas recital.

I love watching these Baby Ballerinas dance and their understudies (siblings) watching from the stage wings dreaming of dancing too!

Hey, who’s the new dancer? Biggest Fan!The understudy jumps in. I am such a big fan of her “Dance Face”!

Dance Buddies!

Thanks, Katy for helping hold Katie back so Kennedy could dance without interruption. Not pictured, her husband holding Roxy back from dancing with her big sister!The cheering from the fans and our Baby Ballerinas beaming with pride was something neat to watch.
The scenes of the fans were as precious as what was happening on the stage.I love the special times that Kennedy and I share together through  her dancing. I know that even if she decides to move to another hobby or interest that this has given her so much confidence  and a opened up a world of art, music, beauty, grace, and of course the DANCE FACE!
Thanks, Baby Ballerinas, Dance Families and of course the best dance school ever! :)

Aaron and Andrea welcome John Dean!

You may remember their maternity session from this fall. Aaron and Andrea were so excited to meet their first child.

John Dean arrived like a boss at 10 pounds!

For the record, just because they both grew up in North Saanich they did not name him after everyone’s favourite park on the hill. He was named after Grandfather, Dean.

This was his face at 5 days old. What a cutie pie! His face changed so quickly after our newborn session. I’m glad we captured him in these early days. His chubby bump is all gone. I know, I know, I almost cried myself when I saw his latest snapshot of John Dean his Mum put up.

Andrea is a natural. She was so comfortable calming him and soothing him. It was as if she had been doing it for years.

These images are so beautiful of mother and child.

 

John Dean has Métis blood through his father and we all remarked how much his heritage showed when we wrapped him up like a papoose.

Aaron said that no matter what the gender was before John Dean was born that he’d always teach his children to hunt and fish. It only seems appropriate that this fall it was time to outfit his newborn son in the finest newborn Stansfields direct from Port Alberni!

Images of Daddy’s big strong arms wrapped around their newborn babies are so precious.

Captures like this one are the pride of a new mother. It’s lovely seeing the man they love with their new love they created together. Life couldn’t be more perfect…

My favourite family image that will be hanging on the walls of their home is this one. It’s full of connection, love, and symbolizes their early bonding moments together as a family.

It is something they will cherish for a lifetime because this newborn stage goes by so fast. It’s not cliche- it really works that way. A photograph makes time stand still.

Thank you for letting me capture your early moments together. John Dean is one handsome little man!

Congratulations to you, Aaron and Andrea on your beautiful family!