Sixteen and Totally Sweet

Do have a moment in your life when someone you knew quite well (sister, brother, in my case, cousin) suddenly grew up in front of your eyes? That happened to me last week.

My 16 year-old cousin Chelsea surprised me during our photo shoot last week. I thought of her as my cute little cousin, but once she got in front of the camera, I realized she wasn't my three old pal anymore. She's grown up into a very grounded, cool woman. That was a hard pill to swallow at first. But as the shoot continued I couldn't help but change the way I looked at her.

Going to the shoot, I was expecting her to make very pretty, smiley, cute poses. I got a few of those, but the other poses are what showed her true personality that is beaming with confidence.

As sad as it is to see Chelsea grow up, I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with this new person I just realized she's become.

A Winter Wonderland

I usually hate winter. I think when you live in a city you tend to see winter only as an inconvenience: shovelling, scraping, slush.....the thought of it all makes me shudder.

But driving out to horse country (King Township) with my friend Tara, you get to see all the beauty that winter has. The snow in the fields and on the fir trees. The horses in the pastures with a snowy, treed hill behind them. It's actually perfect.

When Tara's Mother wanted winter-themed photos of her daughters on her farm, I could see why she likes her farm better in the winter. It looked like it was taken out of a snow globe and planted in the country. The gazebo, the horses, the stable. Perfect.

So, when I say I usually hate winter....I didn't this day. And I don't if I'm out of the country...and I don't have to shovel.

Enjoy these beautiful pictures of Tara, her Mom and her sister Carrie.

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Shawna and Ryan Maternity

Holy Crap, it's been a month since my last post. Someone smack me!

I couldn't wait to post some of my last shoots. I met up with Shawna and Ryan a few weeks ago. Shawna was 34 weeks pregnant, just went on maternity leave from her job as a nurse at the hospital and was sooooo ready to meet her little baby Carter. Little did we all know, she wouldn't have to wait long. Two weeks later, Carter made his big arrival a little early.

Here are some of the photos from Shawna's maternity session. Good thing we didn't leave it any longer! Shawna looks gorgeous with her baby bump and I loved her energy and excitement for her baby.

Shawna, you're going to love motherhood. Especially with a little boy. They love their mommies!