the kippans • golden bc family photography

These guys are awesome. I immediately liked them, their home, their beautiful little son Ben, their two furry friends. Ali isn't far off of bringing another little one into the world, and all seems to be in order for the new arrival. I spent a bit of time with the trio a couple of weeks ago, taking in the many faces of Ben, and being generally entertained. 

Glenn's father is an amazing woodworker, sending beautiful handmade toys to his grandson. This truck is beloved. And the ticket to a happy kid. 

Look at this little face! Justifiably suspicious of the new person with a big black camera. 

whirl girl by stefany davies • fashion photography

I joined forces with fashion designer Stefany Davies back before the ground was covered in snow. We shot a few samples of her clothing for her autumn/winter line. The clothes are lovingly hand crafted, right here in Golden, BC, and sold at a handful of select boutiques in Toronto and Ottawa. Made from high quality natural fibres, every item feels good on the body. Since the shoot, I've become more-or-less inseparable from a hand dyed circle scarf, like the ones you'll see below. In fact, I happen to be wearing it right now. So cozy, so good. 

Already looking forward to seeing [and shooting!] the spring line. 

The talented Stefany Davies herself. Designer, model, you name it. 

Hats off to impromptu [and talented] models Carrie Bakos and Monica De. 

winter family portraits • golden bc

I especially love when people give the gift of photography to friends or loved ones. There were a few such sessions around Christmas time this year, and it was a joy to be part of such a valuable and special present. I admit, I may be a bit biased on this topic. But what could be more valuable or special than capturing casually happy moments in the timeline of a family. Wow. 

This particular family gave the impression that casually happy moments are a common occurrence. Spread across the globe at the moment from Vancouver, Whistler, the UK, and Seville, these five seemed genuinely pleased to be in one anothers' company. I just got to tag along for a bit. 

tom+katie • invermere wedding photography

Tom and Katie had a wonderfully wintry wedding on New Year's Eve. Surrounded by friends and family, and dressed to kill, these two had a church ceremony at the Christ Church Trinity in Invermere. The ceremony was followed by quite the afternoon of photo fun, and then a reception to close out 2011 at Radium Resort.

We'd perhaps all hoped for a bit more fresh snow on the ground for the big day, but the weather was quite agreeable otherwise. Cool enough that there was no hesitation when it came to hauling the blue couch (from Katie's parents' basement . . . score!) out onto the frozen lake. Warm enough that the girls were willing to pose in their lovely blue dresses, Uggs, and little else. 

Something about this posse of friends reminded me of my own crew from growing up in Maine. It was a pleasure to spend the afternoon with them and their huge smiles. 

hudson! • golden bc family portraits

Blair and Diana have made Golden their home, and this year Blair's whole posse came to town just after Christmas for some skiing and extended holiday cheer. It comes as no surprise, that Blair would come from such a smiley and lovely group. So fun. 

The shoot ended with a snowball fight. The guys were significantly outnumbered, but they held their own. 

raven mountain • product photography

Our little town of Golden has a great deal of crafting prowess. From local fashion designers to leather workers, we have some serious talents amidst our tiny population. Among them is Tammy from Raven Mountain. She designs and builds leather moccasins, corsets, belts, and amazing masks that are prime examples of wearable art. Back in November I spent a bit of time in her studio photographing her most recent works. The items you see here, and many more like them, were featured at craft fairs across the province, and likely sit wrapped up in pretty paper under trees. An amazing gift for the leather lover. 

Shay came in to check out the lighting set up during our shoot. Hi Shay. 

Check out Raven Mountain's Etsy shop here: raven. 

my dear gram

Feeling very fortunate to be spending some serious quality time with this little lady. Barbara Coan. Age 88. Mother of my dear mother. Free spirited, captivated by color and design, quick to laugh. A very good friend.

nancy + calista • mother daughter photography

Nancy and Cali came over for lunch and a visit today. We took a few photos in the fresh snow in the yard, first of the season really. Calista is just about the happiest little babe one can imagine. Which seems about right, because so is her mum. One of these lucky photos will end up on a puzzle for Nancy's own mum to enjoy on the other side of the country. Puzzleface was the nickname given to Cali for the afternoon. She didn't seem to mind. She doesn't seem to mind much.

Marching. She may only be one and a bit, but she marches. With purpose. 

little leo • newborn portraits golden bc

Leo is a big growing boy now, not so very far off 3 months. But when these photos were taken, he was quite new to the world. Two weeks new. I was keen to take some shots of the newest addition to Kris and George's family, and spent a mellow afternoon snapping away and catching up. Lucia was more than happy to share her ability to sit contentedly and smile in front of the camera. A skill her little brother will surely pick up along the way.

There was a bit of this thrown into our mellow afternoon. Leo is definitely happiest in his mum's arms. And bouncing, definitely bouncing. 

Lu!

neighbourhood hair • business portraits

Diana Taufer is back in the world of hair-crafting. She's taken a break from salon work in the last few years, focusing her efforts on sustainable food production and digging in the dirt. But her fingernails are clean now, and so is her bright and shiny new business space, right next to Eleven22. This is ground zero for Neighbourhood Hair, the hippest little hair spot in town. 

As with many small business endeavors, it's really all about the owner. Who also happens to be the receptionist, stylist, accountant, marketing guru, janitor, and more. So what better way to get a sense for the new salon than through a little insight into who Diana Taufer is. The photos are but a taster. She is so much more.

She's professional. And she's goofy. She can cut hair accordingly. 

heaton • family portraits in golden bc

Lynn Heaton is the type of person that is a delight to run into at the post office, the hardware store, the farmers' market. And as it turns out, so are her parents, Bill and Liz, who were here for an extended visit this fall. Lynn owns and runs home lodge, just outside of Golden with mountains all around. It's a good spot for Lynn, and for the horses [and now cows!] that share the property.

Shortly after our wedding this summer, for which Lynn played an integral part, Mike and I kept running into this trio. At restaurants around town, even at a remote lake in the middle of nowhere. It took a bit of convincing, but eventually Lynn and her folks let me take some shots of them out at the lodge, as a thank you for all the hard work she put into our event. 

All three are full of Scottish charm. And comedy. A joy to photograph.

 

horseback riding • golden bc photography

Dawn is decidedly squeamish in front of the camera. She's also a good enough friend that she lets me practice new shooting techniques on her. Generally the conversation goes something like this:

me: Hey, what do you think of me taking some shots of you on Tuesday?

her: No.

me: I promise I'll delete them. No one will ever even see them. 

her: As long as I don't have to look at the camera.

me: Deal. 

There are a few great elements to this recurring agreement of ours. First, I fully enjoy teasing her about where I'll ultimately publish the photos. With no intentions of actually publishing the photos. Second, as enjoyable as it is to photograph someone entirely comfortable in front of the camera, it is so much more challenging and therefore fulfilling to get good shots of someone who is hating every minute of it. And the reality is, most of us tend more toward that end of the spectrum. Myself included. 

This shoot happened ages ago, back in early August, right before I got too busy to really give them proper attention. I joined Dawn for her weekly horseback riding lessons out in the Blaeberry with Melanie Grafton. It was a hot and glorious evening, and it makes me feel warm just to look through these on a cold November day. Dawn was able to forget I was there for the most part, up until I insisted on a couple of portraits (which I had promised not to do . . . I swear I'm not usually deceptive with my models, but this one is an exception). 

Lucky for Dawn, there were plenty of other interesting subjects to keep me entertained. Like Cody the horse and Shelby the dog. The portrait session only lasted a couple of minutes. It took a while for her to agree to have these photos floating around in the world wide web. But she's on board now. Mostly. 

her: Are we done yet? Pretty sure you said I wouldn't have to look at the lens.

me: Yeah, yeah. Just look right at the camera, k?

Pretty sure she was telling me how much she hated me through her teeth in this one. Pretty sure she doesn't actually hate me.

Thank you Dawn. 

the parkinsons • golden bc family photography

Monica and Doug. Avery and Romy. Mara and Reid. Cosmo the hound and the newest member of the family, Rocky the reptile. An ancient piano and a beautifully remodelled home. A chilly walk down to the tracks, to the river. It was a really nice Sunday afternoon with the Parkinsons. 

Monica is a clothing designer, the mastermind behind the eco-aware children's clothing line Spinning Dizzy. I'm excited to one day see the new studio when the reno is complete. She has a great sense of color, which comes through in her business and her home. 

Rocky couldn't join the crew for the outdoor photo session. Still worthy of documentation. A leopard gecko.

Monica learned to play piano on this old beauty. Mara, among others, is carrying the torch now. 

crowes • golden bc family photography

Steve, Monica, and Sierra all played a key role in our wedding this summer. As a little thank you, I offered to take some shots of the fam. We squeezed it in between school and early evening mountain biking, right around their neighborhood. A little something to send to Mon's grandparents. 

If you're looking for a bit of YouTube entertainment, check out Sierra's, ahem I mean Tigger's amazing moves: Tigger Stayin Alive. Hilarious. 

the russells • golden bc family photographs

Melanie and Peter live up on Selkirk hill with their three little blonde haired cuties. Emma, Lauren, and Malcolm were all happy to show me their favorite spots in and around the yard during our session a couple weeks ago. Although they're roots are in the east, where the colors on trees at this time of year put ours to shame, this family seems quite at home in the mountains. Golden is lucky to have them. 

Jellybean! Such enthusiasm can really only be seen on the face of a little guy like Malcolm.