Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Simply Love | Moncton Wedding Photographer

Pam and Jon, Wow.  I don't really know if words are necessary for this blog.

When I met Pam last winter, I knew that, just from her personality, that we'd be creating some incredible pictures... not only because of her natural beauty, but because of her presence.  She is confident, and caring, and beautiful, and allows herself to feel beautiful.  A lot of women, could learn a lot from this gal.  She is a nurse, and as is true, of all other nurses I have known, they have hearts, filled right up with gold.  
I am so fortunate to be their photographer!

We met up a few weeks ago, at my favorite spot in Moncton for pictures, and this, is what I captured.





 I know, gorgeous right, and, the belt, it's epic, she got it from my all time favorite store, Ruche 











Then headed downtown, hitting up the beautiful brick and iron work in Oak Park.  See how adorable, two outfits, this was her, downtown date night outfit!  Love!








Sunday, June 19, 2011

My Dad.

He's handmade stove top popcorn on Sunday nights, while watching Disney,  He's brushing my long hair on Sunday mornings before Church, He's the one who tucked me in so tight I couldn't move at night. He is a lover of animals, no matter how much he tries to convince you otherwise.  

He's patience personified, whether he was waiting for the teenager me to be done work in the barn, or in trying to teach life's lessons.  He is one of my biggest cheerleaders.  He makes me believe that I can do it, from learning to drive standard, to making this photography passion a business.  

He is slow and steady, he is calm and determined, he is a hard worker.  He taught me that you should be proud of what you do, take the time to do it right, the very first time.  He reminds me that good food is worth the wait.   That the best things in life, are free, but damn, girl, when you buy, buy something of good quality so you don't have to buy it 2 or 3 times.  

He loves, from planting a garden in the spring, to corvettes, to fishing the brooks, to listening to music, to my mother.  He loves with all of his heart, and he wears those emotions for all of us to see.  

He is camping with his family, he is bonfires at night.  He is a mentor, a life liver.  He is a friend to everyone, and when people speak of him, their lips curl up with a grin.  He's a tease, he loves to joke, and has fooled me with more stories in my life than I care to acknowledge!  

He is Willie Nelson on long drives, and admires music, almost all of it, except that "twingy twangy" stuff.  He appreciates an honest voice and true talent with instruments.  He is my trumpeter.  

He is my Dad, and I love him with every ounce of my being.  Happy Fathers Day, Dad.  I love you.  For all these reasons, and so many more.




Sunday, June 12, 2011

In love with the world | Moncton Saint John Equine Photographer

Have you looked outside this week?
Have you seen, I mean, really seen the beauty out there.  It's June, and all the rain that we endured in May, has created an absolute oasis out there.  Queen Annes Lace, Lupins, buttercups, Dandelion Fluff, and green green grasses.  Everything is so beautiful.

Please, if you haven't, visit Westfield.  After 7, on a perfectly lit night.  You'll drive through the town, and see boys with their fathers walking home, fishing rods in hands, and smiles on their faces.  You'll see the sun shining on the water, you'll see boats.  You'll see people walking and talking and loving life, and how could they not, they live in one of the most beautiful places in New Brunswick.  I had an incredible shoot last night, we had a beautiful location, perfect lighting and fun and beautiful models.  I love that I love my job, and that I can have so much fun doing it.

An engagement shoot with ponies, in a field of lupins?  Yes, please!


Monty, or, Fabio!  He is the Ken, to the Barbie Horse.


Equally as special, Journey, his personality abounds.  Thanks Sue, for sharing your Horses, and family with me, and thank you for introducing me to such a beautiful location!

Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Doubt | Moncton Photographer

It was, one of those days.  You know, the ones where you feel the only good that came from you getting out of bed, was that the sheets had a rest from your company.  One of those days, where, it seems, like everyone else, in the whole world are enjoying epic achievements.  While, there you sit, questioning yourself, your every move and wondering why, why on earth you even take the time to try.

I'm talking, one of those days, where you can't even toast a bagel without getting it wrong.  When you go to add milk to your coffee and remember you ran out, yesterday.  Those days when doubt, doesn't even knock, it just arrives, throws open the door, totally uninvited, and gets comfortable, sometimes, curls up to take a long nap on your sofa.

Doubt, sometimes even brings along friends, you know, fear, resentment, indecision, and uncertainty.

Oh boy.  It was, one of those days.  A sequence of events, now, from this perspective, which were totally trivial, sent out a text message to doubt... "party at Christines' place, bring your friends."

So, here I sat.  Missing Ben, hating my work, my obligations, on my last "free to be me" weekend of the summer (that hasn't yet arrived).  I let doubt come in and get comfortable.  Silly me.  I tried to read inspirational quotes online, but that lead me to other websites, that made me feel insignificant, and left me feeling even more inadequate.  So, I walked away from the internetz and played angry birds, which, just made Me angry, when I couldn't knock the monkey out of it's tree.  I couldn't find anything worth watching on TV, and was too restless to find a movie.

So, I decided, retail therapy, it may have been drastic, but, it is, what it is.   The garden center was my first stop.  I went up and down the isles smelling the herbs, admiring the flowers & scents, from the flowers that I love the most.

From there, I started to pick up steam, went to a hardware store and picked up some valve clamps, yes, valve clamps, for a DIY project. (I'll share pics when I complete it!)  Onto another store to get a card and to get lost in fabric, ribbon, baskets, beads, and every other item that inspires a spark in me.  The best part of my retail therapy, is that often, I don't even feel obligated to buy anything.  When I left the last store, I felt better.  I played my favorite song, over and over, and took the long way home.

When I got home, doubt was gone, & so were all of his buddies.

In the time I took for myself, I had the opportunity to check in with myself.  To make sure, that, where I was going, is still going to lead me to the direction of where I want to be. I realized that the people whom I started out with, won't necessarily be the ones at the finish line, and won't necessarily always been cheering for me, in fact, some of those people, may actually have fishing line strung across the path, hoping that I'll trip.  And, I am ok with that, I have to be, after all, in the end, all I can be is me, and that, in itself, is quite empowering.  I had the opportunity to attend an online learning session with my idols, Justin and Mary Marantz, and learned a lot, one of the most powerful messages that I took from that was this. "Find those who love you, and let the rest go."  How empowering is that?  To allow yourself to recognize that we are not meant to please everyone at all times, and that it is OK.  And that we don't have to make people love us.  No matter how hard we try, not everyone is destined to love us, and that is also,  OK.

I saw to fruition on Sunday, something that I have been planning since February.  Leave it to me, to think of Apple Blossoms during the coldest, snowiest, winter in years.  I may be more optimistic than I realize.
I filled in my name, beside the cancelled time slot I had, which, was one of the events that, incidentally, was responsible for doubt coming over to visit in the first place.  I took that time slot of me, for my development, for my mind, for my pleasure.  I shot all over the Orchard, and shot for the pure joy of shooting.  I saw things the way I wanted to see them, and manipulated the light to make it happen.

Wish the internetz could convey smells, because you would be in Heaven.  The apple blossoms are almost all gone by now, but take the time to visit if you can,  Verger Belliveau Orchard. Or, wait til next year, and join me, when I do it all over again!

 So, here are some shots, that I took for me, from me, to me.  Pretty darn good gift, if you ask me!

On the Way to the Orchard, grass was so green, and the sky was so blue, and the clouds, so fluffy and white...










This one, I promise, is not even a mistake.  I had pulled out my old lens, really old lens, and popped on my magnifying rings.  I looked up at a bloom and when I went to far past the focus, I realized just how beautiful the light was!






My favorites.








Straight out of a fairy tale.

If you ever have the urge to feel small... go and stand in the presence of these trees.
The hardest of all workers.  I knew better than to stand in their flight path.  With approximately a week to pollinate these 60 acres of blooms, there is no time to rest.









I don't know if there is a message in this post that you can learn from.  Maybe, just knowing that there is someone else out there, that has had a bad day is enough.  I think, that as time consuming as it is to have a bad day.... sometimes they are a necessary evil, to make us stop and think, and put things back into perspective.  That of bad things, sometimes, beautiful things happen.  If I hadn't had that cancellation, I wouldn't have had the time to take these pictures to gift to myself...