It’s no secret that I love big families, both in the wide spread of children from young adults to toddlers, and to a gaggle of young children and babies. It’s chaos, it’s joy, it’s authenticity at its finest.

In-home newborn sessions have my heart. Welcoming a new member of a family, in the place everyone calls home, is such a privilege to document. Siblings also make it extra special and fun.

There’s something so contagious about an engagement session. The relishing of the moment and anticipation of a life shared together is so palpable. Last year, I had the privilege of documenting this moment for Oscar & Carmel, and it’s even more special to look back on now, after having documented their wedding over the summer.

Fall is in the air, so I thought it would be a good time to catch up on blogging some beautiful sessions from year to get ready for my absolute favorite season. Whether you have a beautiful golden hour, or a cloudy evening like this session, fall photos always turn out so magical.

Anticipating the arrival of your first baby is wild. On one hand, you know what to expect — a baby is coming and everything is about to change and you prepare accordingly — but you also don’t know what to expect, because the baby still manages to be a total surprise you can’t be fully prepared for! It’s such a uniquely precious time.

Weddings, of course, are intimidating and a creative challenge as far as photography is concerned. Tasked with capturing the heart of someone’s wedding day, telling the couple’s story through images they’ll later share with their grandchildren, is an amazing privilege and challenge. Catholic weddings in particular brings its own specific challenges to the mix — as a photographer, one needs to be aware of the ins and outs of how the liturgy unfolds and adept enough to work within the lighting and structure of the church itself. And an understanding of and appreciation for the sacramental nature of the wedding taking place can be a true gift for the couple and in how one tells their story through images. I love being able to share this perspective of the wedding day with my Catholic couples.

Golden hours are always gorgeous, but I’ll never say no to a moody and cloudy evening in the mountains here in the Pacific Northwest.

A beautiful June golden hour was the perfect setting for celebrating this family as they closed a chapter of their story and prepared to start a new chapter abroad.

Oscar and Carmel celebrated their wedding day with thoughtfulness, joy, and full presence in each moment of the day. Having been to countless weddings, it was remarkable to see their day lived this way. It was made even more beautiful being celebrated on the Feast of Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, the first canonized married couple in the Catholic Church. The intention was clear: to accept the love they have been given and entrust it back to the One who has given it to them.

The words “hidden lives” inspires me to make visible, through my lens, what is extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life.

Your photos don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful, they just need to be true.

Book your newborn photoshoot at your home in the Fraser Valley! It’s the perfect place to capture these fleeting moments with your newborn.