Michele Dyson Photography

STOP! New blog in the works!!!

2009-11-12T23:54:00.000-08:00

Just in case some of you didn't read my previous post - I am no longer using this blogsite. I could, of course, figure out how to

forward the address; and I will - today is just not that day:) So, if you'd like to see my images looking much brighter, crisper, and

all around prettier, please go to my new blog by clicking here:) Of course you

can look through my "older" work on here.

Thank you so, SO very much for stopping by; it makes my day that see you've taken a peek:)

Signing Off.....

2009-10-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

Do you have ANY idea how happy I am to be writing this, my 167th post?! I've thoroughly enjoyed having a blog, documenting

snippets of others lives and my own, and being encouraged by all of your wonderful comments. But, I have to admit that lately I

I've been feeling as though this blog just wasn't showcasing my work to it's full potential. Because of that I've decided to start a

"fancier" new blog with bigger images, better resolution and WAY more potential! I was going to wait until everything was

perfectly set up....you know, like my name on it somewhere, perhaps??? Really, I noticed yesterday I didn't even have my name on

the header. Oops! I guess that is this evenings project. Make sure to stay tuned for the new header photos, a delish new logo and

of course heaps of new posts. A special thank you goes out to Erica, and of course Brooke for getting me started. I'll stop

babbling now....check out the beginnings of a new blog here....and make sure to leave some love; I know it hasn't been easy to do

that around here!

*

Cara + Mike:: Married

2009-10-16T23:48:00.000-07:00

You may remember this couple from their uber-fabulous engagement session......they were such great

models that their faces even ended up on "vintage glam weddings"blog, making me, of course...very proud:) Well, they didn't

disappoint when it came to their big day. Each tiny detail was unique and reflective of the couple, and surprises seemed to pop

up around every corner. From the purple jewelled shoes to the birdcage veil Cara "forgot" to tell me about...and their first

dance. The dance. WOW! Once they get video up I will make sure to upload it for all to see, because it was spectacular! After a

complete outfit change into full-on 80's inspired hip-hop gear, Mike and Cara busted through the reception doors to the

beats of "Boom Boom Pow". The choreography was amazing and the played the roles to a "t". It's going to be tough to top that

one I tell ya!

Thank you to everyone involved.....Heiress Salon for the "do's", Mac for the makeup and Linden Gardens for keeping your

venue looking so beautiful. And a BIG thank you to my fave second shooter, Brooke Bowland for helping me out....SUCH a great

time!

Make sure to stay tuned for Mike and Cara's "after" session which we will be shooting in the cold next weekend. It will be

showing up on my fancy new blog that is getting close to going live:) Thank you so much to both of you for choosing me; I

loved every second of it.....

Michele

Nevaeh:: Birthday Girl!

2009-10-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

Our Little Miss.....I can't believe she was born 4 entire years ago:) A lot has changed since then....we've moved 5 times, Mike

and I have both started new careers that we LOVE and we've added another bitty Miss to the mix. We're feeling pretty lucky:)

Here are just a few of the things we love most about our biggest girl.....

Her singsong voice
The wiggly run
Mad drawing skills
The most entertaining "Elaine" look-alike dance moves
Her fiery temper ( haha....can't blame her for this one; this trait was handed down from me; sorry Miss)
Her love of all things "girl"
A very outgoing personality
The fact that she really is the best "big sissy" EVER
Her LOVE of "schnuggles"

We love you Miss!!!!!

And without further adieu; the photos from her "Alice in Wonderland" party....thank you so much to "Gimpa and Isha" for

letting us overtake their yard, Dee Dee for her contribution to the photos ( I didn't label them......the fab details are hers for

sure) and her cutting skills, and Nanny for the late nights crafting and baking with me:) Nevaeh had a great time and

absolutely loved all her gifts....( it was a "dress up" theme, hence the Rapunzel costume). I knew the crazy nights prior to the

party were all worth it when Nevaeh said to my Mum..." Nanny, my Mummy does the best parties for me, doesn't she?!"

For those interested, I found her dress here :)

Michele

BTW - This is officially the LONGEST post ever !!! I just can't help myself, yummy details and adorable faces, how can I possibly only post a few?!

Dana + Dustin:: Wedding

2009-09-28T00:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the honour of photographing Dustin and Dana's wedding. They travelled here with their families and friends

from Alberta, and I believe they all had a fabulous time. The day was calm and beautiful and everything came together just as it

should. Thank you to Heritage Flowers in Penticton, and Michelle and Bre of CinCin Events for doing such a fabulous job of the

flowers and details.

And Dana, Dustin and your gorgeous little man....thank you so much for choosing me. We had crazy weather....wind and swirling

skies, and you brought it! I had a wonderful day. Thank you.

Michele

McKenzie :: Just Because

2009-09-26T00:53:00.000-07:00

This post is part two of a two day shoot. From the very first frame I shot of McKenzie, I KNEW one day just wouldn't be enough.

The camera loves her and she is so genuinely sweet that I can't help but hope she'll model for me again. This second shoot

was even more fun for me, as we were both more comfortable with each other and we got to get out of town. For those of you

reading this that aren't from Penticton, there isn't really much of anything "urban" to speak of here.....we headed to the "big"

city (hehe) of Kelowna and shot in the same back alley where Brooke did my maternity shoot back in January. It really was a

perfect setting for her. I took McKenzie in to Mac to have her glammed up, and the fantastic artist completely brought my

vision to life. ( If you are reading this....we can't remember your name; send me a mail and I'll link to your site)! I then

frantically ran through the mall like a madwoman and picked up the big purple flower for her hair, which was actually a pin for

a jacket, as well as those fab black lace gloves...I think everything together looked ah-mazing!

So.....thank you thank you thank you McKenzie - for a highschool girl you sure are comfortable, talented and confident. A

thank you also to Brooke for coming; this one was just too good to miss out on...make sure to check out her blog since the

pics should be up soon:)

On a side note - my own fancy new blog should be going live in the next week, so stay tuned!!!!!!

Michele

p.s. I think I may have the best job in the world...thank you so much to everyone who stops by to see what I've been up to, and even more importantly; my friends, family and clients who trust me enough to step in front of my lens:)

Okay, this last photo took me a while to put together - I KNEW McKenzie reminded me of an actress from the 40's or 50's and I finally figured out who - Rita Hayworth; don't you think???!!

*

Scott + Sarah :: Married

2009-09-24T16:47:00.000-07:00

The sky was black, the the wind was blowing and the rain was coming down in sheets as powerful as a monsoon. Brooke and I

were driving to the wedding of Sarah and Scott, and we were worried. I pulled the car to the side of the road and let B take over the wheel.

As fate would have it, the skies parted just enough for the sun to lightly shine through for the ceremony and the rest of the day

went smoothly. Yes, it rained hard. Yes, tents blew over and trees snapped. And if you looked out over the lake the lightinng show

was spectacular.

The ceremony and reception were held at the beautiful Summerhill Winery in Kelowna, and the mood was elegant and warm with

a touch of sparkle.

Scott and Sarah...thank you for calling us to photograph your day; you made us feel so welcome and it will be a wedding we won't

soon forget.

Stephanie + Fam

2009-09-22T01:05:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful time I had with this family; they were here visiting from England and will hopefully be making a move to Canada

in the near future! We had a two part session so that we could focus on their beautiful baby girl, Miss "E" and a few days later got

the boys out to join us. Everyone cooperated...even the weather held out and I captured some great moments of their time here

together.

Thank you again for calling me to document this for you....I hope to be seeing you again!

Michele

*

McKenzie:: Part 1 - * Pretty*

2009-09-18T01:36:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favourite sessions I've ever done, not only because I got to have a hand in styling the session; but because I

lucked out in a HUGE way when McKenzie's Mum contacted me. Not only is she gorgeous on the outside, but she is such a

sweetheart, open to anything, and man oh man can this girl move. The storyboard images aren't at all clear....we were shooting in

the dark with headlights on, music blaring, dancing on the street; and she really was dancing as though no one was wathcing.

Can you say goosebumps?! I swear, McKenzie, you NEED to be on "So you think you can Dance" What I wouldn't give......

Thank you to Heather, one of my past brides for putting the word out that I was looking for a "ballerina-girl"...you did good!

For those of you wanting more....this was part one of a two day photoshoot - the next one is edgier, sexier and a little 80's - I

believe Miss M can add "model" to her portfolio now:) Thank you SO much for being amazing....my job was a breeze and

you've made me love what I do even more!

Michele

** The last 6 images were taken in low, to no light. I DID NOT know what I was doing, but wasn't ready to put down the camera. Lucky for me McKenzie was still full of energy and let me play around. If anyone in the area is experienced in off-camera lighting and would be up for teaching me....I 'd love the help!!! Aside from the obvious technical mistakes though, I'm still diggin' these...thanks again girl!!!

*

Greg + Adrienne:: After Session

2009-09-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

After many late nights of trying to get blogger to accept my images, I've finally lucked out - here is part two of Adrienne and

Greg's wedding photos. This "after" session was actually done the day after the wedding. I called up Brooke as I was leaving the

reception the night before and asked her...well, actually I INFORMED her that she would be coming along with me. I

mean....come ON! Look at these two! And can you believe that Adrienne has never been in front of a camera before?! She was so

stunning and such a natural. I really could have shot them all night ( as you can see from the last two photos taken in the headlights....we didn't have a

clue as to what we were doing but played around anyhow)! I had hoped to take them out to an observatory where there were

HUGE white satellite dishes, but alas.......there was a bull. A BIG bull. And he just was NOT going to allow us to pass by him. If

it had of been just Brooke and I out there...well, perhaps I would have come up with a plan. But I had a tiny suspicion that our

two models weren't really up for a running of the bulls....

Thank you both for trusting us and putting up with all our crazy requests.....it shows in the images just how relaxed

you both were!

Michele

*

Greg + Adrienne:: Married

2009-09-17T00:24:00.000-07:00

I think this may be the longest I've gone without blogging, and yes, I am having withdrawls. This is also, officially the longest

post I've ever done and it's only part one of two! Wedding season is soon coming to

a close, but it's still been a busy few weeks trying to get all sessions finished up before the cold hits! I've been shooting

everything from babies, to a family all the way from England, an incredibly beautiful dancer and Nevaeh's vintage Alice in

Wonderland birthday bash ( thank you Brooke)! Of course there were a few weddings in there as well, so please keep me on

your list of things to brighten your day...well, not ME, but my wonderful clients, I know their faces keep me smiling! Thank you

to all who keep checking back in....I promise not to take so long next time:) And now, finally....

Adrienne and Greg. Wow! I truly cannot say thank you enough for being so fantastic to work with. From the first time I met

you both ( on the wedding day)! you were nothing but warm and welcoming. The details of the day were simple, chic and

impeccably put together...thanks to both you Adrienne, and your amazing wedding planner Melissa of Sweet Beginnings. The

wedding and reception were held at Linden Gardens in Kaledon, and it really is one of the most magical settings I've seen in

the Okanagan for a wedding. Intimate, serene, lush.....and the food they prepared was to-die-for! Everything they cooked was

fresh from the market that morning, and even the meat and fish was flown in; simply incredible.

You both looked gorgeous, were comfortable in front of the camera and were clearly smitten with each other. What more could

a girl ask for?! I hope you both enjoy your photos as much as I've enjoyed working on them. Thank you so much for choosing

me to be a part of your day !!!

Michele

*note* You may notice there aren't many "formals" of the couple.... tune in tomorrow for our Day After session!

For those of you getting married in our neck o the woods, here is the vendor info:

Dress: Modern Trousseau

Flowers: Art Knapp

Hair: Katherine @ Heiress Salon, Penticton

Make up: Jill Lynge, Summerland

Wedding Consultant: Melissa Chanasyk of Sweet Beginnings, Vernon

Cupcakes: Bliss Bakery, Peachland

Music: Allison Rice, violin; The Bicycle Shed Ensemble ( bluegrass band for reception) , Cody Lynge( first dance)

*

Adrienne & Greg: Sneak Peek

2009-09-04T10:31:00.001-07:00

So here it is you two! A very small peek. but a peek at that! I've been a bad blogger lately, waiting for the reveal of my fancy new

blog ( next week, hopefully)!

I had a super-duper fantastic time at this wedding....fabulous couple with great chemistry and they are obviously smitten with

each other, even after 7 years:) Thanks again for having me be a part of the day; it was one of my faves to date....and Adrienne,

you were STUNNING!!!!

Stay tuned for many, many more....

Happy Half-Birthday Eve!

2009-08-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

This post is a little bittersweet for me....as all you Mum's out there know, as great as it is for our little ones to reach all those

milestones, we always want to hold onto them being "bitsy" for as long as we can. Especially when the little one has as sweet a

disposition as our "lady" Eve. With her cartoon smile, her incredible bedtime habits and her sweet "ma-ma-ma" when she sees

me, there really isn't a single thing about her that we would change. I have to admit that it makes me a little sad to think that in

just 6 short months from now she'll most likely be saying her first little words, taking her first steps and starting to actually play

with her big sis. Hopefully she'll still love snuggling as much as she does now.

With that said, here are the newest photos of our beautiful girl....make sure to click on the images to see them BIG!!!!

Rusk Family

2009-08-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

When I arrived to meet Tamie and her family I was pleasantly surprised.....well, not surprised, but happy:) Not only were they

stylish, good-looking and easygoing, but they literally did NOT stop laughing the entire time; definately a plus when you're

behind the camera! So, to all 6 of you......Mum, Dad, your gorgeous girls and their bf's...THANK YOU! You were up for anything,

trusted me and it made our session that much better!

Michele

Beau + Sarah:: Married

2009-08-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

This wedding was definately a day of "firsts" for me. First wedding shoot in the rain, first bridal party of TWENTY-TWO people,

first carnival theme, first handmade wedding gown ( from scratch, people)! All in all it was warm, unique, fun and definately

impressive! I loved all the details; from the orange and turquoise colour theme to the peacock feathers, balloons, candy stand

and even the live dancers.....it was incredibly fun!

Thank you so much to Brooke for bringing me along to second shoot.....it was challenging at times but we worked it out and

I'm more than happy with the final results:)

Beau and Sarah, thank you again.........and best wishes!

Michele

The B Clan

2009-08-21T23:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a lonnnnng time coming! Brooke has been trying to get me to take her family shots since we met 2 years ago. Of

course, with a larger family a lot is going on....and then there was her baby belly, and then Miss Isla was born and we felt a bit

too teensy for a family session ( just personal preference).. and, and, and.

So, one evening a few weeks ago I rang up Brooke and asked.....actually, no; I INFORMED her that she was to arrange for a

session the following morning. Enough was enough, nothing will ever be "perfect", and....in my opinion the best shoots are

spur of the moment.

We headed out, actually planning to do the session at the fair but alas, it was closed. We headed for some shade and I snapped

away as fast as I could....throughout the tears, the bickering and of course the giggles we captured a few great ones. I am

thrilled to say that one of the images ( the last one) is going to be cropped and blown up to 5 ft x 5 ft and displayed proudly in their

home.

Their goal was to get a family shot that was real, unscripted and fun. I think we did just that.

I'm sure Brooke will be editing some additonal shots I took, so make sure to tune into her blog as well:)

Thanks B....I love that we're able to do this for each other:)

Mish

*** Edited to add - I am SICK of the loss of quality in my images once they're uploaded onto blogger: please double click to see images full sized and stay tuned for the new blog - hopefully debuting by next month:) Truly, I don't even like LOOKING at them on here...arghhhhhhh!! ***

Dustin + Brittany:: Married

2009-08-21T00:14:00.000-07:00

What a great day this was for a wedding. It was hot, splendidly sunny and the location was just beautiful. Brittany and Dustin

were married at St Andrew's golf course outside of Penticton B.C. and I loved it. There were lakes, willows,and just off the grounds

was semi-desert for as far as you could see. Stunning.

As for their abilities in front of the camera? Well.....what can I say? They were both at ease, and Brittany....truly, you looked

amazing; I could have photographed you all day!

Thanks again to both of you for having me along; I had a fantastic time:)

Michele

Brand New Baby B

2009-08-20T01:48:00.000-07:00

It's late. Really late, and I should be sleeping but I just can't. I had to get a sneak peek up of darling 5 day old baby Brookelyn.

She is the first child of our great friends' Candice and Chris, and we couldn't be happier for them. This little doll came into the

world a few weeks early, and although Mum & Dad are both, well, REALLY tall ( at least from where I'm standing)! Miss B was a

teensy little bean....just tiny and petite. She challenged me a little, deciding of course not to sleep once I arrived. So, finally at 6

pm we got her to sleep and had a good half hour to make some magic.

I think we did just that:) I'm so glad she cooperated as this day wasn't only special because Brookelyn had arrived, but it was

also Candice and Chris' anniversary....so Happy Anniversary!

Thank you so much....Mum, Dad, Grandma & Grandpa for the fantastic dinner...and especially Miss Brookelyn; I'm so thankful I

got to be the one to do your first official shoot!

Hope you love them,

Mish

And although I was itching to do this image in black and white as well, I know Mum was hoping for a colour one of Little Miss is this hat...so here it is:)

Kirstin: Belly Pics

2009-08-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

Everything about this couple was fab......from their spunky personalities, great sense of style and just how much they adore their

little nephew; these are going to be two amazing parents. Brooke and I headed out to Keremeous as it was one of the only spots I

knew of which offered any sort of privacy. Kirsten was wanting some "classy" nudes, but not in a nature setting....well, as you can

see the location we ended up in is definately green.....but I think they turned out beautifully. Kirsten, I'm sorry we couldn't find

anything more urban for you, but I'm afraid I would have been ticketed!!! And I have to say....you really are INSANELY gorgeous

...pregnant or not!

Please be forewarned there is partial nudity in this post......and stay tuned in the coming weeks from some brand new baby pics

of what is sure to be a gorgeous little bundle!

We had a wonderful time working with all of you.....

Michele

My fave of the day....

Seriously....what I wouldn't give to look this this!

Lisa & Jason:: After

2009-08-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

While on the Island, I got the opportunity to meet up with past wedding clients of mine, Lisa & Jason. A year has passed, and we

celebrated their "almost" anniversary with a fun photo session in Victoria. I had the idea to shoot in Fantan Alley, Chinatown

which is a personal fave as this was the location of some of my wedding photos taken 5 years ago ( not NEARLY as fun as this

session as we got married in Febraury...yuck)!

They were both troopers and never once complained about the gawking onlookers, the heat, or even the very spastic Jack

Russell that would NOT stop jumping over their faces in some ground shots we did.....I mean, COME ON dog owners; CONTROL

YOUR PETS!!!!

Overall the shoot turned out great, and I'm so glad we had the chance to meet up once again.....

Hope you enjoy them:)

Michele

Miss Sophie

2009-08-01T02:47:00.000-07:00

Here she is Mum & Dad......I"ve finally blogged your little beauty's photos. I did this shoot while back home in Victoria 3 weeks

ago, and had to wait to get back home to edit....trust me, it was killing me waiting so long as well. So, thank you for your

patience:) She was such a great little model, sleeping, cooing and smiling the whole shoot and making my job very easy. I have to

admit that I was a wee bit anxious about taking her photos, as this age can be tricky....at 2 months old there just isn't a tonne

these little babes can do! But she proved to have a lot of personality, and come on...she is a BEAUTY!

I had a great time and really do hope to photograph her again....

Hope you enjoy them!

Michele

Sweet Miss

2009-07-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

Here she is, Miss P; the luckiest girl I know! This little one is the beautiful daughter of one of my closest friends Jack, we've

been friends since we were toddlers, an I am so lucky to have her in my life. While on the Island, the girls and I went for a visit

at Jack's house and had a wonderful time....her little cutie collected fresh eggs, veggies and fruit from the garden and we had

the yummiest lunch on one of the prettiest picnic tables ever! Thank you so much Jack....it was great to see you and we were

sorry to go; I only wish we lived closer to each other to do stuff like this more often......now hurry up and have that baby so I

can get some sweet newborn photos ( a long ways to go, but hey....I'm excited)!

Love you lots......

Mish Mash:)

Little Ladies

2009-07-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

Here they are....all for you, Nanny! As promised to more than a few of you here are some new pics of not only the adorable Miss

Eve, but her equally sweet big sis Nevaeh. I had a bit of a rough day yesterday juggling a mess still lingering from holidays, still

nursing a sick babe, watching 4 kids and trying to get my past shoots up to date! For all of you out there stalking me wondering

where you images are, and if I've forgotten about you; I promise I haven't! I've been a busy bee and trust me when I say it'll be

worth the wait...just another day or two and you'll have a sneak:)

Until then, here is the impromptu shoot of our girls....completely out of the blue Nevaeh came up to me yesterday just as

dinner was ready and said, "Mummy, do you think you could take some pictures of Eve and her big sissy ( referring to herself,

of course) in some beauuuuuuuutee-full dresses?" Of course I forgot about dinner, cleared her bed of pillows, ripped the

artwork off the walls and plunked them into their purdy new dresses ( each under $10 at the Gap)! It was quick and relatively

painless and I just adore the results!

Enjoy!

Michele

Ashley & Jason

2009-07-27T01:10:00.000-07:00

Here is the first post of many to come.....the girls and I spent the past 2 weeks on Vancouver Island playing, visiting and shooting

a LOT! I had a lot of fun at all of my sessions, but the most meaningful was the wedding of a very sweet friend Ash and her man

J. It was a long wait, but these two lovebirds FINALLY tied the knot:) I am so glad they did, and even happier that they chose me

to document the day. Another friend of ours, Erin came to shoot as well so it was twice the fun:)

Jason, you looked handsome as ever, and absolutely smitten with your bride and Ash.....there really are no words I can say; you

were hands down the most glowing bride I've ever seen. How fair is it that you get to be as naturally stunning as you are AND

just as kind hearted, smart and genuine?! I'm so lucky to have you as a friend:)

Thank you again to both of you, as well as your fabulous family and friends ( it was great catching up)!

Lot of love,

Michele

PS - PLEASE click on the images to view full sized - they are NOT looking good on here; so very frustrating as they are sharp even on smugmug....ARGHHH! I think it's time for a new blog!!!

Ashley + Jason:: Sneak Peek

2009-07-26T01:12:00.000-07:00

This is so difficult for me to do. I don't think I have EVER posted just one image for a sneak, but here it is. Trust me, it will be

WELL worth the wait....beautiful, no - STUNNING bride, amazing couple and the location is my personal fave...Vancouver Island

(home, sweet home)! Please be patient Ash and I promise there will be more for you very soon:)

I had a fabulous time at the wedding, it was great catching up with old friends and of course very special to be able to

photograph your big day.......

Ryan + Eva : Married

2009-07-13T01:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend was full of "firsts". First time shooting in Vernon, first mountain top wedding, and first "blind" session....I had

never met the bride and groom before. I have admit that I had a tummy full o butterflies, as I had no idea just what I was in

store for.

I arrived at the Snowbird Lodge at Silverstar and within minutes of meeting "the boys" I was not only at ease....but laughing my

you-know-what off. I was worried they'd be straight-edge and that couldn't have been further from the truth. Thanks to all of

you for adding so much laughter to the day:)

When I asked Ryan about Eva, his entire face just lit up.....he said she was a total sweetheart, emotional, excitable and girly. He

also told me that she was a stunner. And do I ever agree with him; Eva was kind, emotional, genuine AND gorgeous....don't you

think she resembles Katherine Heigle? Ryan, you are one lucky man!

I had a great time with the ladies, and it was fantastic to photograph a group of women who were obviously such great

friends...I think the 4 of you had me tearing up more than anyone else that night. Eva's longtime friend even flew in from

Germany for her big day and composed and performed 2 songs for the couple. It was my favourite wedding moment to-date:)

Thank you to ALL of you; the wedding party, Eva & Ryan's families and especially the newlyweds. I left your wedding that

evening feeling extremely blessed to do what I do.

I hope you enjoy your sneak peek and have patience to wait for more ...this post is lacking images from the ceremony and

all the wonderful handmade details .....I'll be posting more from your day as soon as I'm back from the Coast next week; hang

in there!

Michele

Candice + Chris: Expecting

2009-07-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a busy one; we packed up the family and headed to Vernon for 2 nights, not only so I could photograph a

wedding but also to have a long-awaited visit with our great friends Candice & Chris. My hubby Mike and Candice have been

friends for many years, which is how I first met Candice; she actually told me that I should "stay away" from Mike as he wasn't in

commitment mode! I guess I had something he just couldn't stay away from! Candice & Chris are expecting their first child, a

little girl in just 6 short weeks and if I'm lucky I'll be photographing their big day; it would be such an honor so I am hoping

everything comes together! This shoot was a bit of a challenge for me, as I'm a wee bit shorter than Miss C. Put it this

way...she calls my hubby who's 6'1 "small fry". I definately needed to take advantage of anything I could climb on as this

gorgeous Mum-to-be is 6'3....more than a foot taller than me! The weather was scorching and the sun was blazing...we also

shot at high noon, which all photographers know is less than ideal. Lucky me though...even with all those obstacles I had a

gorgeous model who has a perfect little bump and man oh man, could she work the camera. I was loving every minute of it!

Thank you so much both of you, and I simply cannot wait to see just who this brand new little person is going to be.

Lots and lots of love,

Mish

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Undeniable.

2009-07-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

Have you heard that saying....." There's only one perfect baby in the world - and every mother has one"? Well, I have to admit,

that I definately feel that way about our littlest one. Looking back 3 and a half years, Nevaeh was a good baby. An easy baby.

But Eve.....she really is as close to perfect as babies can get. Smiles. Sleeps. Snuggles. Smiles some more. And did I mention

she's been sleeping from 8 pm to 8am for months now? Unbelievable.

All I can think is that we are IN for it......I'll just try to enjoy her that much more now, before the "personality" hits!

Michele

As for these photos.....I didn't have an extra set of hands, so I sat her up, let go and clicked frantically before she fell over; at

least she's now pushing herself up on her belly so that I can get some shots other than her laying on her back...and bonus,

she'll stop losing that tuft of hair on the back of her little head!

Nick + Heather: Married

2009-07-07T05:47:00.000-07:00

After two previous sessions, Nick and Heather married on a dock in Naramata this past Saturday. What a day ! It was definately

Okanagan weather, 32 degrees and hot, hot, hot....but that didn't slow down a single person there! After a beautiful ceremony

we headed to the one shady location we could find at the Heritage Inn and setup

to do our group shots. Only problem was, this particular group was just too spontaneous to really "set up" anything! So, I just

went with the flow and shot away....I even ended up with photos that aren't quite blog-appropriate ( we're talking handstand

races..... yes, in dresses, people)! Our biggest challenge at this location was definately the bugs. And man, oh man were there a

LOT of them. The little buggers (hehe) seemed to just swarm in front of my lens just as I would click the shutter.....double click

on the first (out of camera) group image and you'll see what I mean! Bugs or not though, we had a great time hanging out and

after finishing up with everyone Nick, Heather and the beautiful Miss Cyan proceeded to the reception. On our way we stopped

at a quaint little roadside stand called Spiller's Corner, part of the Vineyard Spiller Estates and I think I fell in love with this

location! I'm quite sure we'll be heading back here for some "after" photos:)

After an evening of great food, fantastic music compliments of DJ Frost of Frost Entertainment and some stellar dance moves I

called it a night. I truly had a fantastic time and have a feeling I may be spending more time with these guys....how could you

NOT want to be friends with them?!!

Hope you enjoy the sneak!

Michele

Don't forget to click on this next one to see the CRAZY amount of bugs we were dealing with....of course they only invaded my space when it was a group shot. Figures!

And the after shot....gotta love Photoshop!

And of course we had to include Nick's signature move, "The Schwing"

This shot of the girls was after Miss L's handstand challenge; in her dress....let's just say THAT image is a little x-rated; she

needed a few more hands to help keep her decent!

Four and a Bit-bit

2009-07-01T01:04:00.000-07:00

This post is solely dedicated to our little Bit-Bit....she was 4 months last week and time kept flying by as usual, and I forgot to

post! All I can say about this little one is that I now understand how my grandmother had so many children....if they all started off

this beautiful, snuggly and even- tempered I don't think I'd have any problems filling a farmhouse! She really may be one of the

happiest babes I've ever come across... take a peek at the storyboard and you see her "awake" photo? That is a millisecond

after waking up....every time! Just a glance it seems, and she will give the biggest "cartoon" smile (as Brooke describes

it !) A smile that I have yet to capture on camera.....

And just in case I forget to mention it tomorrow.....Happy Canada Day!!!!!

Michele

Miss K: Graduation '09

2009-06-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I had the opportunity to once again get the beautiful Kathleen in front of my lens. You may recognize her from

previous posts, one of them being my all-time favourite shoots ever with her and her horse, Lena. ( You can check it out here)

I wasn't sure how the session was going to pan out this time, as I threw out my knee just a few hours before go-time. I HAD

to pull it together though, as this was her prom night, and "Mom" had hired me last year to do the photos. Everything from K's

hair and makeup, and of course her stunning gown ( doesn't it have a western feel)! were enough to inspire me:) Luck was on

my side again...and with a little hesitation and not as much time spent on the ground as I would have liked, everyone "worked

it" and we ended up with some images I hope they'll love.

Thank you again to the entire family for having me along....parents, friends, "dates", and significant others - I really enjoyed

photographing you all and look forward to our next session!

Michele

Rod + Jen + Baby A : Family

2009-06-26T02:15:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure if we were going to actually make this session happen last night....the sky was looking sad, dark and stormy and I

had actually called to cancel the session. But, once again I lucked out and the sky cleared, even giving me a bit TOO much

sunshine! Who am I to complain.....I had a gorgeous couple, an adorable little 3 month old man and some incredible scenery. I

wouldn't be being completely honest though if I didn't say I felt a little extra pressure....Jen & Rod are fellow wedding

photographers based out of Summerland so I NEEDED to do a great job! I also felt a little challenged as the 3 month age of Mr.

A is sort of, well.....an in-between stage. No scrunchiness, no sitting.....so of course I was racking my brain beforehand to

think of some good posing ideas. Well, the little man wasn't a huge fan of sitting or facing the VERY bright sunshine

(understandably) so we were a bit limited in that department . And although these are all very backlit, I chose to leave the flash

in my bag and go with what Mother Nature was giving me.....I think I'm liking the results. Kind of vintage-organic and "real" if

you will.

I'm hoping that you are both happy with the images and that they remind you of this very fleeting time....next time I see you

guys your little man will be cruisin!

Thanks again for trusting me to capture such a special time for you....can't wait for the next session:)

Michele

Nick + Heather + Cyan: Family Session

2009-06-25T01:26:00.000-07:00

This is part 2 of Nick & Heather's engagement session, but this time Heather's gorgeous daughter Cyan joined in. We figured

that since Heather is a country girl and Nick is much more "city" that we should take a few photos which represented not only

him, but also Cyan's quirky personality.

I didn't know what to expect as I've never done an engagement shoot with a child, but man oh man can the girl WORK IT in

front of the camera. We truly had so much fun.....I'm pretty sure that my abs will be killing me by the end of their wedding

next weekend from all the laughing:)

Although these photos have a completely different feel than the "pretty" ones we did last week, I hope I captured who you

really are....a fun, quirky and spontaneous family!

Thank you so much!

Michele

Okay.....because I KNOW you are going to be wondering about his "posing"...this was the scenario:

I was changing their position and could tell they were a little unsure of their angles, so I said to them, " Keep in mind that

whatever is closest to my lens is going to appear larger"...and what does Nick give me? SCHWING!!!!!! He literally jumped

towards me RIGHT on cue; good thing I was already on the ground, 'cause man did I have a good belly laugh!

Papa's Girls

2009-06-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

We had wonderful Father's Day.......started the day off with a sleep-in, a cuddle and a mad dash out the door to make it

(somewhat) on time for brunch. We met up with friends Dom & Simone and their kiddies at the beautiful Frog City Cafe in

Kaleden....it's a part of Linden Gardens which has unintentionally become "our spot" for Father's Day.

After a big brunch we walked the gardens....the kidlets played hide n seek and go-go stop while the big people stretched out on

the grass and I accosted everyone with my camera.

After that we headed home...& crashed in a heap on Nevaeh's bed ( this has never happened before, although I could

make a habit of it)! Then I shopped while N and Papa played video games....we topped it all off with a fab dinner and an in-

home movie night.

So, Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful daddy's out there....and especially to my hubby for having so much patience, giving

endless snuggles and back-tickles,( I'm reading this to Nevaeh and she said the best thing about Papa is

"flipshugskissespiggybacks" and in her mind that's all-one-word)! but mostly for all the love you show our girls; you really are

a great Papa & they're so lucky to have you....I'm grateful for the days we've had and look forward to those that have yet to

come:)

Happy "Papa's" Day!

Mish xo

Jorge + Ranette: We Did

2009-06-21T01:43:00.000-07:00

A word of warning.....I'm doing things a little backwards this time! Ranette & I had a little misunderstanding which resulted in me

not posting any of their wedding pics from last month. Now that I've been given the go-ahead I will be putting something

together - soon! For now I'm giving you two a sneak of what's to come...a little sampling of just how HOT you two were tonight. I

am seriously impressed with how much the two of you gave me. It was fun, fun FUN! I really do urge all couples booking a

wedding package to suck it up and book the extra "Trash the Dress/ We Did" session; they are so much fun and SO much more

relaxed than the actual wedding day. I mean, come on....just look at these two!

Jorge, you really pulled yourself together and humoured us for the evening, and Ranette....you just can't help but look gorgeous

(for all our photog friends; doesn't she remind you of the uber-fab Jasmine Star....... LUCKY!!! Click on this link and scroll to the bottom of the page to see the

uncanny resemblance)! I really feel fortunate to have been a part

of your day and am SO glad we got to have one more go at it this evening....well worth the wait!

A HUGE thank you again goes to Brooke for shooting alongside me...just WAIT to see what she has coming; I believe she may

be holding onto my fave photo of hers to-date - now POST IT girl!!!

Hope you love em guys!!!

Nick + Heather: Almost Married

2009-06-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

I had a feeling this was going to be a couple with personality, and I was not disappointed! They had me laughing so hard at one

point in the evening that it was becoming a safety hazard! ( We were 20 feet up a clay bank). Heather had taken me out last

week to scout some locations for their upcoming wedding photos, and I'm thinking she should be on the payroll....the girl has

SUCH a great eye! Although I did learn one lesson.....Brooke and I tend to follow Becker's rule of "shoot now, ask later". So far

this has worked in our favour, but last night we (may have ) climbed through some barbed wire to shoot on the property you

see in the last few photos. Well, we pretty much got chased off the property; luckily it was by the owner, as she said the gates

to the field are opened in the evening so the bull can run......right where we were shooting. WHOA! She was very kind in the

end and said next time we just have to ask:) Gotta love small town folk:) These were all taken in Naramata, B.C. and I have to

agree that it really is one of the most stunning little spots I've ever seen. The Okanagan is finally starting to grow on me !

I really cannot wait to shoot their wedding on the 4th of July as they were so much fun. Not once did I have to say "fake laugh!"

as they were goofing off from start to finish:)

A big thank you goes out to Brooke for coming along to join in the

fun.....I'm glad you got a few giggles in as well ( even if it was at my expense)!

Hope you like:)

Denzer & Connie: We Did ( Part 2 )

2009-06-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

This really was such a fun session! Denzer & Connie were already quite comfortable in front of the camera on their wedding day,

but they brought it to a whole new level for our We Did session. We shot out in Keremeous due to severe weather in our neck of

the woods, and came across The Grist Mill and

Gardens, which is a 135 year old flour mill and has the most beautiful little spots I've seen in a long time. A definate new

fave of mine:)

Thank you again Denzer and Connie....you both made my job so easy! And again thanks to Brooke for coming along as well, it's

always a great time working together:)

* don't forget to double click to see images in full size!*

Denzer & Connie : We Did

2009-06-18T00:14:00.000-07:00

Talk about lucking out! Here in Penticton we very rarely get rain; and when it does rain it usually only lasts a few short minutes.

Well, today I had a session booked with Denzer & Connie for their Trash the Dress session ( we didn't end up trashing it, we

"respected" her dress instead:) About 2 hours before go-time the sky literally blackened. I mean....NO. LIGHT. Well, I was mildly

freaking out as they had rented another tux, hired a makeup artist and I had put a bouquet together for the photos. It just

could not rain. We set off as scheduled and picked a spot on the map that I'd driven through, but never shot in. Man, oh man was

luck on our side tonight. It POURED back home and we had nothin' but sunshine with a PERFECT mix of clouds....just enough for

some beautiful, soft light. All in all.....we found some great locations which I will definately be going back to, and had a LOT of

fun...well, until the man-eating mosquitoes decided to literally ATTACK us. I think even if there had been light left we'd have

been chased out by them. Ouch!

Thank you so much Denzer & Connie for trusting my instincts, looking HOT and bringin' it in front of the camera....it really

does make a world of difference in the final images; boring couple = boring photos, and you two were definately NOT a bore!

A thanks to Brooke as well, for making the drive out to shoot alongside....oh, and saving the day with yet another memory card

for me ( I seem to be in the habit of leaving them in the car...oops)!

Hope this sneak will tide you over for another day or so:)

Michele

Three & a Half

2009-06-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

Here she is.....our sweet Miss Eve at 3 and half months. Happy. Happy. Happy. She is so smiley and sweet, you just can't help but

waste your day away with her.

If only they'd stay this way for just a little longer......

Denzer & Connie: Married

2009-06-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day Saturday turned out to be! Things started off looking not so promising - the sky was black, thunder was

clapping, hair was problematic and dress straps were breaking. After we arrived at the church though, everything came together

beautifully and the day was fun, exciting, and spur-of-the- moment:) Exactly the kind of day I love! The only request of the

couple was that we didn't shoot in pretty locations....no gardens allowed. We ended up in some back alleys and the parking lot of

a garage, complete with live jazz music drifting from a local restaurant. Although it did drizzle throughout the shoot, everyone

had a great time and took direction perfectly......gotta LOVE that! I was even lucky enough to have a pro-snowboarder on hand

for a few impromptu back flips, as well as a couple of untrained, yet highly talented ninjas ( check out their moves in our fight

scene). Stay tuned for more as this was a fun one!

Thanks to ALL of you, especially Denzer and Connie for having me be a part of your day; it was a memorable one!

Michele

My Girl.

2009-06-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

Stubborn. Defiant. Strong-willed and MOODY.

This girl of ours has got a serious mind-of-her-own! But along with all of the more "challenging" 3 and a half year old traits,

comes all the good stuff: chatty, articulate, smart as a whip, outgoing, entertaining, snuggly and compassionate....these are the

things that keep me smiling.

On Sunday we celebrated not only my 30 + 1, but my younger sister Camisha's 10+1 as well. We headed to my parents house

and I helped out with her "Portrait Party". Her and her 3 closest friends dressed up in their summery finest and we hit a few

locations to get some very fun BFF pics. It was a LOT of fun. I'll be posting them in the next while once I get all the parents

"okays".

So for now I leave you with some of Nevaeh from the day as well as a sneak of Camisha.

Thanks girls!!

And one of the birthday girl.....have patience Meesh, the rest are on the way!

Thirty plus One.

2009-06-08T01:50:00.000-07:00

Birthdays. They come and go year after year...some of us love them, some of us....not so much! I belong in the first group as I

ALWAYS plan something pretty amazing to celebrate not only my birthday, but friendships. Past years have included 4 day road

trips with the girls, Disneyworld, a night in Beijing, skydiving and a dinner cruise on the river in Bangkok (thanks sweetie....I

was finally surprised)! But although many of my June 7th's have been spent in exotic or exciting places, I think this year may

have been my fave. A small group of us girls gathered at our friends Dom & Simone's to have a fabulous dinner party......it was

pretty special:) Everyone brought something to the table...Brooke did the flowers and photos ( these are a mixture of both of

ours) Simone prepared the food, Michelle of Cin Cin Events provided much of the decor and Clare provided the tunes.

Simone's hubby Dom actually built the entire platform and table as well as cooking most of the food AND acting as baby sitter

to my wee ones....so a HUGE thank you goes out to him...our men are going to be feeling the pressure now!

It was such a memorable night...and even though my friends have always thought I'm a little extreme when it comes to

birthdays (not just mine:) you guys have to admit it was worth it. And hey, now we have a new party-hangout for the

summer....right Simone & Dom?!

Thanks again ladies, I had a great 30+1 !

Michele

FYI for all you photog's.....aside from the first 4 images, these were all taken at ISO 2400 and higher...Brooke's Nikon & my

Canon both pulled through; a few of these images were taken with almost no natural light other than the

moon.....IMPRESSIVE!!!

The B Family

2009-06-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

It is sessions like this one that make me love, and appreciate what I do. You probably recognize Mum and big sis from previous

sessions, and they really are my favourite family to work with. Beautiful little "A" was one of my very first "paying' clients way back

when I shot in STUDIO. She was only just 3 years old then and already great in front of the lens. She make me look better than I

really am, that's for sure! I'm fortunate enough to have them trust enough in my abilities to continue coming back. This time we

got to add the boys into the picture for the first time....baby L is just too handsome for words, and Dad was a natural as well.

Thanks so much to all of you for being fabulous!!!

Michele

Sweet Baby Eve

2009-06-03T01:57:00.000-07:00

It's been 13 weeks since our family welcomed Eve into the world, and it truly has been fantastic! She is all sweetness.....cuddly,

smiley, talkative (just like her big sis) and an UNbelievable sleeper....very unlike her big sis! She has definatley made me want

another; but we'll wait and see how she is once she's movin and groovin!

I posted a few pics of her brand new "squishiness"...thank you so much to Brooke for taking the first images of Eve at

less than 2 days old....she's changed so much already, and I'll treasure these always.

The remaining photos I took this evening; I was actually playing around with my new camera as I've been having auto-focusing

issues. If any of my fellow photog's have the Canon 5D Mark 2 and are having issues....talk to me! The soft focus is driving me

nuts! ( I manually focussed for all of these ).

Anyways, I could eat her up......especially when she's sucking on that little thumb of hers; delish!

* don't forget to double click to view full sized:) *

Miss Mouse

2009-06-02T01:33:00.000-07:00

Tutus, ballet slippers, leotards, and little girls full of grace. That USED to be what came to mind when I thought of ballerinas.

Well, Miss N has changed that.....I now think of striped leg warmers, pigeon toes, excited chit-chatter and very "un-ballerina"

like moves. I only wish these girls could stay this way forever....

Nevaeh and her classmates had their annual production this weekend, and did they steal the show or what!? Twirling when

they should be jumping, sleeping when they should be sweeping, and zoning out when they should be "plie-ing". Not only did

Nevaeh have a tonne of fun and LOVE being onstage...she also didn't want to leave the stage. So, in a packed theatre as the

rest of the dancers pranced offstage, Miss N galloped back to front and centre and performed HER favourite ballet move - the

twirlbowbow. Yes, it's all one word as that's how she say's it. A superfast twirl followed by a few too many bows and then, and

only then - was she done.

Hands down cutest thing I've ever seen. I'll be posting the video once it arrives:) A HUGE thank you to Aunt DeeDee (Brooke)

for the "pre-performance" photos, # 1 and 2; I adore them:)

* Excuse the "noise" in the edits.....they didn't turn out exactly how I'd hoped since the lighting was less than ideal (ISO 2000)!

but I love em anyways!*

Love you little Miss....you are a true performer and did a fabulous job!

Mummy xoxo

Cara + Mike: Engaged ( again )!

2009-06-01T01:17:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't help myself.....I mean, come on - look at these two! We had such amazing lighting the last 10 minutes of the day

which resulted in a lot of yumminess! And the location Brooke and I stumbled across last week is on the way up to the dump

where we live...we thought it was undiscovered, but apparently this is where the image was taken for one of the old $100

Canadian bills. Stunning little spot, fabulous couple.

Thanks again:)

M

PS - Proud moment for me.....2 of these images are out of camera...OUT OF CAMERA people (well, except for sharpening:) See if

you can figure out which ones......

Mike + Cara : Engaged

2009-05-31T01:19:00.000-07:00

Delish. That is all I have to say about this shoot......everything from the clothing and accesories, the way they moved, and the

light....oooooh the light was to DIE for! From now on I am only booking shoots during the golden hour. It was soooo worth it!

These photos are an engagement session of Mike and Cara who I will be photographing for their wedding in September. Their

outfits were from a fabulous new shop in town called Vintage & Vogue; Cara & I met up and styled the shoot together. I am

seriously in love with this place, and am SO excited that we have such a great little gem in our small town:) Stay tuned for their

site which Brooke and I will be doing up for them soon.

Mike and Cara, the two of you were so much fun to work with...obviously crazy about each other and very inspirational! I cannot

wait for your wedding as you were a treat to photograph!

And a big thank you to Brooke for coming along; it's always

more fun with 2 (especially when I run out of memory cards and you're there to save the day:)

PS - It's a long one....I couldn't help it:) The gorgeous light in the last bunch of photos was shot in the last 6 minutes before

the sun completely disappeared behind the mountains. Yum!

Proud Mama

2009-05-28T01:22:00.000-07:00

Once again, Brooke was right! As I got ready to do Miss Isla's birthday photos today, B suggested I dress up the girls and have

her take a few shots of us all together. And I am so glad we did. More often then not, these impromptu shoots turn out to be the

best ones. Little Miss Birthday Girl definately needed the two of us to corral her into the view of my camera - that little lady

can motor! And my biggest girlie just wasn't into it today. As much as I love the end results from today, it was a painful 5

minutes! Yes, Brooke is so good that she managed to juggle her crying babe, my tempermental 3 year old and a baby girl who

just wanted to suck! Ahhhhh....good thing we both work quickly!

Thank you Brooke for taking these shots and handing them over to me....it's even better being able to toss out all my "wonky"

faces without you laughing at them first!

I look forward to our next session.....party of six, perhaps?! Get your act together, girl!

Miss Isla is ONE

2009-05-28T01:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to the most beautiful brunette I know....I can't believe that an entire year has already passed since I first saw your

tiny little face. We are all so lucky to have you in our lives.

And don't worry Mum, she's still your baby:)

Stephen & Tonya : Married

2009-05-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing Stephen and Tonia's wedding the other evening. It was small, intimate and stress-free; just

how I like them! We all gathered on the beach next to the Sicamous, and while the rest of the guests headed off to celebrate, the

newlyweds and their adorable son Liam and I stuck around for a bit to take some photos. Everything came together, they

both looked AMAZING, and we had a great time.

Best wishes to both of you,

Michele

Sander Family

2009-05-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

A great finish to a wonderful weekend...I had the opportunity to shoot fellow photographers Jen and Rod Sanders, as well as their

new baby and Jen's family. Little baby Ashton is all of 6 weeks in these photos...yes, SIX! I have a feeling he may be even bigger

than his proud Papa; it's not going to take long!

Thank you to all 7 of you....each and every one of you was so easy to work with and I had a great time. It was a treat especially to

work with other photographers as they just "got it" quicker. So, congratulations on your beautiful new baby and I look forward to

working with you again!

Michele

Gary & Tamara...Continued

2009-05-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

Just a few more I had to share. A few of these images have stories behind them that make them that much more

meaningful....Gary & Tamara thanks again for having me there to capture such a special day.

Michele

Gary & Tamara : Married

2009-05-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

I had such a wonderful time this weekend; my favourite shoot this week was definately the wedding of Gary and Tamara. She

called me less than a week ago looking for someone to come by for a short amount of time to capture their vows as well as a few

portraits. As my weekend was already quite booked, I hesitated, but once she told me the location I was sold...I knew it would be

special. The couple chose to be married at a tiny Roman Catholic church in Hedley, B.C. It sits atop a hill, surrounded by

mountains, and even a river runs across the property. Each and every time I drive home to the Coast I pass this century old gem, and

have always wanted to shoot here. There were less than 10 people in attendance, and everything from the cows to the piles of

old tires and especially the wonderful guitar player William Legett added to the magical feel of the day. It was so simple, and

exactly the sort of day I would hope for if I could do my big day over.

So, thank you again to everyone that was there, especially Tamara and Gary for inviting me to be a part of your day. And even

though we had a small amount of time for your pictures, I hope you are happy with them; it was such a treat to photograph

you both!

Michele

Blossom Girls...Part 3

2009-05-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful family this was for me to photograph; I think that Dad and Mum may have even been more comfortable in front

of the camera than their 2 beautiful girls:) Thanks again to all of you for being so fab; especially Maria for bringing the wine, and

Dean for helping out with my littlest Miss.

Hope you love em!

Blossom Girls...Part 2

2009-05-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

These two beauties are our good friends little girls. Miss I and Miss C. Such a treat to photograph you again!

Michele

Blossom Girls....Part1

2009-05-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

Here they are in all their girly glory! Last night I headed out to one of my favourite locations along with friends Clare, Maria,

Dean and SIX little girls in tow. They were utterly adorable and fabulous in front of the camera.

Here are a few shots of them together ( Miss Eve missed out on pics because of an unfortunate "accident"...so sorry, Clare)!

Stay tuned for more:

Sneak....

2009-05-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

Here it is....my VERY first images snapped with the new camera!!!! Can you tell that I'm excited?! For my fellow photogs, it's the

new Canon 5D Mark 2....I honestly wasn't that excited picking it up, because I wasn't expecting much better results than the 30D

that I have been using. But, I think the image is sharper and clearer; this image was taken at 800 ISO....crystal clear. Whoo-hoo!

And as for the pictures....I think I'm in love:)

The gorgeous dress that Miss Eve is wearing was a gift from our great friend Clare; isn't it beautiful?! Make sure to tune in

tomorrow for new images of her beautiful girls, as well as our friend Maria's girls. I'm excited!!

Michele

Speechless

2009-05-08T17:29:00.000-07:00

Truly, I am. This little girlie of ours sure was born to be photographed:) I pulled this dress out today to see if it fits her yet...Eve

and Nevaeh have matching ones that they'll be wearing for blossom pics next week. I cannot WAIT! Now if only I could get big sis

to cooperate as well as the wee one does.....

Michele

Sherri & Peter: Married

2009-05-08T01:39:00.000-07:00

What a treat it was for me to be a part of this wedding. It was somewhat impromptu, which tends to work out well for me; and

this time was no exception. Sherri and Peter were married up at Lost Moose Lodge in Penticton, which is high up in the mountains

overlooking the valley....absolutely spectacular view! The morning started out with snow...yes, I said snow. By the time they

started the ceremony the clouds had parted and the sun was shining. With only 8 guests in total...only their children and

granddaughter there to witness their big day, the afternoon was quiet, relaxed and one of a kind; just how I like it! And don't you

just love the background in their photos?! I'll definately be using this location again!

Thank you so much Sherri & Peter for having me along....I had a great time!

Michele

Nicole & Tyler: Continuation....

2009-05-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't help myself; I've already posted a tonne of photos of these two, but can you blame me for sharing even more?!

Yum-my!

Hope you both love them as much as I do!

Michele

Nicole & Tyler: Almost Married

2009-05-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

What a great evening I had last night! I was lucky enough to photograph Nicole and Tyler's engagement session, and we had a

blast! The forecast called for rain, but their wedding planner Michelle of CinCin Events had a little rain dance for me.....and it

worked! Their wedding is being held in July, and although I'm not their photographer, they have hired Rochelle Westgarde out of

Vernon, who is INCREDIBLE! I cannot WAIT to see what she comes up with.

Thank you so much for having me do your photos.....you were both fantastic models ( As you can see by the TONNE of photos

I've posted)! Comfortable in front of the camera, listened to my "direction" ( I'm a wee bit on the bossy side) and INSANELY

good looking; what more could a girl ask for?! Also a special thanks to Brooke for joining us last minute...it's always more fun

having an extra body to laugh at me!

Michele

Twins....

2009-05-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

Brooke and I were both anxious and excited to photograph our very first set of twins. And man, oh man....it was a challenge and a

half! The two girls, Miss "R" and Miss "K" were beautiful, teensy and oh so sweet, but the one Miss just did NOT want to snooze!

The few we were able to capture with both girls looking peaceful had a lot to do with luck, as we literally had a minute or so to

get "the shot" before Miss R would wake up and want to party!

Thank you so much to Mum Genevieve for allowing us into your home; it was fantastic to finally get our hands on two beautiful

babes at a time....and thank you also to Brooke for having me come along to help out; glad I was there!

Michele

Sweet.

2009-04-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

These photos are of Nevaeh's "new" BFF:) THe girls had a little playdate today, so after we played dress-up for a bit I decided to

grab the camera and catch a few pics of those gorgeous curls....I'm sure you'll all being seeing more of this sweet little one, as

her talented Mama is soon going to be debuting a new line of fab frocks for little girls...

Stay tuned!!!

Michele

Cinderelly

2009-04-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

Today was my biggest little girl's ballet photos. And oh my, were they all adorable. I mean, utterly scrumptious. They are part

of the dance school's performance of Cinderella and will be onstage as the mice. I'm quite sure that they'll steal the show.

Nevaeh has the greatest teacher going....(thank you Mrs. M for being so wonderfully patient with all the wee ones:) and

although she is quite happy with her beautiful costume, she is still quite appalled that nobody asked HER to be Cinderella. This

coming from a girl who could be a stand-in for Elaine's dance moves ( Seinfeld)!

I have to admit that I did tear up a little watching them prance around; she may not be the most graceful thing out there, or

have the long, lean lines of a ballet dancer, but I have a funny feeling that performing may be something she's going to be

quite good at:)

And if you're wondering why the first pic doesn't "fit".....it was after I did her makeup for photos and realized that her lashes

were INSANE!!! I mean, come on.....the girl is going to need to trim those babies!

Mish

Passed By...

2009-04-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

Wow! Time sure does fly...especially when it comes to wee ones:) I was going through some older pics last night, cleaning up my

folders when I came across this one. I'm so glad I noticed it, because it really is a warm fuzzy! This was taken 3 months ago

when Brooke's Miss Isla was 8 months old.

Isn't she a beauty?!

Bitsy Girl

2009-04-28T00:28:00.000-07:00

After the craziness of Si's 3rd birthday party, Brooke and I ended up goofing around with the camera and played around with

some tough lighting situations....the next few images ( including the one of B and her man ) were taken with our backs to a

bright, sunny window. No light on our faces whatsoever. I think I'm diggin' what we came up with! Thank you, Brooke, for taking

these ... the ones of Eve and I are our first photos together since the day she was born ( sad, I know)! I just can't believe that

she's already TWO months old.....where in the world does the time go?!

And make sure you all keep checking in, as there's exciting news to be told....soon!

Mish

Mr & Mrs.

2009-04-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

A little surprise for Miss Brooke..I'm sure the hubby won't be pleased with me airing his face to the world, but I accomplished the

impossible; capturing a half-decent pic of them together...it deserves to be seen!

Hope you like it:)

M

All Grown Up....

2009-04-13T22:55:00.001-07:00

As promised, a post of my biggest Miss. Although she's been out of my camera's spotlight....she is still the center of attention

in our house; I don't think she'd allow it to be any other way:) She may be on the small side, but this girl of ours makes up for

it in BIG personality...she's a spitfire! Charming, lovable....but OH MY can she throw down! It's a darned good thing she's

cute....and may just win for the best big sister ever:)

Her latest obsession is playing on the computer.....aside from pbs kids, disney and nick jr; she is addicted to starfall.com.

LOVES it, and...bonus.....she's getting smarter by the minute! For all you Mum's that haven't heard of this site you should

definately check it out. It's a goodie ( even if it does mean she's stealing my workstation)!

I sure am lucky to have her:)

Delish

2009-04-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

I snapped off a few shots of the girls while setting up for a baby shoot last week over at Brooke's house. I didn't think I'd got

anything good until I came across this one....what's not to love about it? My poor husband is going to have a tough time

convincing me to stop at 2!

Hope everyone had a fantastic Easter weekend:)

Mish

Doll Face

2009-04-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

I could eat this little beauty up I tell ya! Our little Eve is now 6 weeks old and is growing at rapid speed; she weighs the same

her big sis did at 3 and a half months! ( 11 lbs) She is such a little doll.....a super snuggler, smiles a tonne; and bonus.... the

camera loves her! What more could a girl ask for?!

My next post is going to be dedicated to the Big Miss as she's been out of the limelight for a while:)

Happy Easter to all!!!

Labour of Love.

2009-04-09T01:24:00.000-07:00

As much as I love what I do, I have to admit that today I was questioning if I have what it takes! This was the second session

Brooke and I had with beautiful baby Milla, and man, oh man

did she work us hard! This 5 day old beauty just did not want to snooze! After a good 4 hours, we'd managed to have her

sleep for about 30 minutes; which luckily left us enough time to get a few shots....although there isn't much of a variety as we

didn't want to push our luck moving her! It really makes me have a new appreciation for all of the amazing newborn

photographers such as Carrie Sandoval and Brittany Woodall of Bare

Baby , who make their images look so simple, timeless and peaceful.( If anyone knows their secrets, please share)! Aside

from the feedings, diaper changes, snuggles, heated blankets, swaddling, cuddling and soothing...it also takes a tonne of

patience and a definate love for what you do. I suppose it could help our case if we didn't also have 5 other kids thrown into

the mix! Good thing that M's Mum as well as our great friend Simone were up for the challenge of being entertainers to the

other wee ones! Now if only we could come up with a studio and more time without our other children ( love you guys)! I bet

we could finish the job in under 3 hours:)

Thanks so much to everyone that took part today...it was definately a joint effort:) And please stay tuned in for an upcoming

session of newborn TWINS! It's my turn to help Brooke out, and after today I don't blame her for asking...hopefully two babes

doesn't equal an 8 hour session ( it won't....nobody would put up with the two of us for that long)!

Hope you love the pics Linds:)

Michele

Baby M:: Sneak Peek

2009-04-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

How lucky did I feel to get my hands on this little doll? Very. Although I have to admit that it did make me feel a little emotional

as I realized just how fast (and just how big) my littlest babe has already become. This gorgeous girl belongs to Mama Lindsay

whom I photographed a few weeks ago ( you'll see her images in an earlier post). And of course it was inevitable that this

beauty came out with a head of hair ( she even has highlights)! ...Mum is owner of Heiress Salon here in town. Lucky girls!

Thank you to Mum for venturing out only 4 days post baby....even knowing that there would be 3 other kiddies here to help

out with; my two girls as well as Brooke's baby Isla. And of course a big thank you to Brooke for coming over ( and for cleaning

up....it's unbelivable how quickly the house gets destroyed when a baby comes into the picture)! Make sure to check out B's

photos here:)

Stay tuned in the coming days for images from the "real" session; this was just a mini, and the big shoot happens tomorrow.

Luckily for me this time it's at Brooke's house...we're attempting to do a session with 6 other kids in the house, ALL under the

age of 4. Can you say crazy?!

Changes A-Head....

2009-04-04T01:42:00.000-07:00

Apparently Brooke and I have both been in need of change.....I went away for a few weeks and came back a brunette (without

forewarning anyone....not even my dear hubby)! and Miss B decided to chop off her hair. I have got to say that she is one of the

few lucky ones that looks INCREDIBLE with short locks. Love. Love. Love it! I think I may have finally repaid Brooke for all the

techy help she's offered to me without complaint over the past couple years. She's normally quite the pro at workin' her "wonk

eye" ( as I call it ), or her "stupid face" ( as she refers to it)! But as you can see we made quite the team today....she rocked in

front of the camera, and I apparently did my job behind it. I must say that she made it quite easy. She, on the other hand, had

a much more difficult job as I was NOT a willing model; I'm still not over this post-baby "blah" feeling. The few she did get of

me I am pretty happy with, although it still doesn't register immediately that the image I'm looking at is me!

Make sure to head on over to B's blog to check out the few pics she pulled out of me, and stay tuned for my new banner - I'm a

procrastinator; as you can tell by the very outdated photos:)

Thanks again for the pics Brooke - it was a challenge, but well worth it as I simply adore the pics I got of you. Hope you feel

every bit as gorgeous as you look!

Mish

Addicted

2009-04-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

To this wee little girl. She's just so sweet and happy I can't help myself. I figured since yesterday's shoot didn't go exactly as

planned ( meaning she was not a happy camper) that I would snap a few more today. She smiled a tonne for me....I'll save the

big grins for another post. These two are so sweet....and the sleeper is compliments of Miss Isla; I may even shed a few tears

when she outgrows it as this was my absolute fave :) Gotta LOVE hand-me-downs!

And stay tuned in for baby pics of Mama-to-be Lindsay's new baby girl Milla. ( Linds was the hot Mama Brooke and I

photographed last week). She was born this morning and is undeniably stunning. I'm not exaggerating one bit. She must have

known her Mama is a kick-butt hair stylist as this babe has a head of locks like I've never seen!

Until then.....

Miss Miss

2009-04-02T18:27:00.001-07:00

I love this little one; I just cannot believe how quickly time has flown by :( The day Miss Isla was born was the day we decided to

have another.....and guess what?! Eve was born 9 months later:) I guess seeing how gorgeous Brooke's baby was made me

unable to wait any longer! Isla is such a gorgeous little doll, I only wish I would have photographed her more over the past

months. Oh well, I guess her Mama has taken more than enough to tide us over...hehe!

On a side note, there are only two images of Miss I as I literally pulled my camera out for 2 minutes....she was having nothing to

do with me today! Good thing she's a beauty and it only took a few clicks to get a goodie:)

Hope you like Brooke!

Aunt Shell :)

Itsy Bitsy

2009-04-02T00:52:00.000-07:00

Our littlest Miss is going to be six weeks this Sunday; I now understand why some people find it difficult to stop at two! I can't

stand the thought that she could be my last babe to snuggle....only time will tell I suppose:) Eve is SUCH a fantastic baby....so

great, in fact that my only complaint is how needy she is of cuddles; as long as she being snuggled by a warm body she is a

happy girl....and a very smiley girl at that! You need only to lean over her and give her some attention and she turns into a

grinning fool. I officially adore this girly of mine. Big sis is fantastic with her...no complaints coming from her yet, which

makes me a very happy Mama! This little session I selfishly did this afternoon...Eve was NOT wanting to be in front of the

camera so I will make another attempt tomorrow morning in order to capture a few of her smiles.

If only time would slow down.....

Lindsay:: Belly

2009-03-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

Lucky, lucky me:) I had such a fantastic time photographing the gorgeous Lindsay of Heiress Salon & Boutique. Not only does

she have a fabulous personality, she's got kickin' style and is up for whatever we ask of her! Everything seemed to come

together....the sun was shining, Linds was still preggo, and Baby Eve was a doll, letting us drag her around on the shoot:)

Thanks again to Brooke for coming...it's always more fun

working together:)

Hope you love 'em Linds!

Mish

Squishy

2009-03-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

Miss Eve was only a week here and is now fast approaching the 6 week mark. ( Sniff, sniff) For those of you

who frequent Brooke's blog, you'll have already seen similar shots to these. I wasn't that involved in the shoot, but did

manage to pull out a few that I adore. I am doing a mini shoot with our girl this afternoon....so stay TUNED!

And yes, she is just as sweet ( and squishy)! as she looks:)

Mish

West Coast Belly

2009-03-31T09:07:00.000-07:00

I truly do love doing photo shoots on the Island; there is always somewhere fantastic to go outdoors, but of course there is the

ever- constant drawback of the RAIN! I was in Victoria for 5 days, and it literally poured rain ( and even snowed at times) my

entire trip. Except for this little window of about an hour when I managed to get 3 minishoots done...I had Lisa, Mel and her son

Mr. R in front of my camera; we had to be QUICK! This gorgeous Mama-to-be is Lisa....she was a trooper out in the cold and

even managed to put up with me bossing her around for the 15 measly minutes I had with her. Aside from the challenges, we did

manage to capture a few images that I hope she'll love:)

Thanks again, and I can't wait to photograph your new bundle next time I'm down:)

Michele

Wiggly Bump

2009-03-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

I know you're all used to me posting a tonne of pics from each shoot; but this one just didn't go as planned:( I headed to the

Island with the girls a few weeks ago ( hence the lack of blogging) and while there had a few shoots booked with Mums-to-be.

Well, the weather did it's typical "West-Coast" thing and decided to rain NON-STOP the entire week I was there. Thankfully the

sky cleared for about an hour this one day and we squeezed in pics of BOTH Mum's bumps as well as a few with M's very

adorable son.

Thanks so much for all your patience, and I can't wait to "finish" these shoots once the babe are here:)

Mish

Eve Helena-Rose

2009-02-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

I am VERY proud to introduce the newest little beauty to our family! Eve was born on Feb 22nd at 3:40 weighing in at 8lb 1 oz.

She was welcomed into the world by her Papa (Daddy)! Nanny and my closest friend ( who was also there for Nevaeh's birth),

Aunty Jenn. Aunt DeeDee (Brooke)! arrived minutes later to take Eve's very first photos. A HUGE thank you to all of you, as well as

Dr. Evans and nurses Wendy (who shared Eve's birthday) and Heidi. You all helped to make an important day that much more

"enjoyable"!

Enjoy the pics, and make sure to stay tuned to my blog AND Brooke's for more ..... we're having the "real" session tomorrow. This

poor child o' mine has no idea what she's in for!

Mish