It’s crazy how quickly you can fall behind your goals when you don’t have clear ones set. I determined at the beginning of the year to summarize the previous year’s sessions, and to my surprise, I actually accomplished that goal. It took a lot of discipline, but the rewards amazed me. Initially, I did it because it seemed to be the proper thing to do, nearly expected. But I realized there was much more to it than that. Those blog posts brought me into reflection, and in reflection, to praise. God’s faithfulness and my growth were suddenly much more evident. Perfection was by no means attained last year, but it was one step closer. And blogging helped me see that. It’s kinda crazy what God uses to encourage us.

Anyways, blogging photo sessions was my goal. I think I figured it would take much longer to accomplish than it did. So when the year was half over and I didn’t have more content planned, I kinda took an unintentional break. Well, now I’m back and I still don’t have a plan. In the meantime, how many of you remember when I used to post photos that I took with my really old phone? Way back in 2018 I posted several photos from a trip we took to Banff. I mentioned how cold and smoky it had been, and unfortunately those are still my strongest memories. But here finally are photos taken with my big-girl-camera, reminding me that we did indeed enjoy the trip, despite the elements.

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I rarely expect sessions in the winter; it’s either too cold or too dry. Alberta winters don’t guarantee heavy snowfall, and even if they did, the wind usually eliminates the “snow-globe” look. But this month came with three surprise sessions, and while shooting in this season comes with it’s unique challenges, I was very grateful for the opportunities.

The month began with a friendship/business headshots session. I absolutely loved this session, and still can’t get over how beautiful it was. Obviously the girls were gorgeous, but considering the weather, I had my expectations low. And was I ever in for a pleasant surprise. Here are several of my favourites.

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Next came a photo session for my cousins, and it was so special because I had never taken their portraits before. It took me awhile to get warmed up, but this session came with some of my favourite portraits of the season. I loved the soft look winter provided me, and the lighting was absolutely delightful. I’d shoot in cold weather any day, just for lighting like this.

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My last session was for our church school. They had planned a special day for the students in celebration for Christmas, and invited me to spend the day and capture some memories. I thrive on sessions like this and love to challenge and hopefully improve my skills in this area of photography.

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October came with only one session, and I am so excited to post all the photos! It’s not often that I have the space or time to blog an entire session’s worth of pictures. But when it happens, I am so here for it!

This session was such a sweet one! True to Alberta weather we had some wind, but a quick location change solved that for us. It really was a win all around, with shelter for them and a new location for me. The little guy has so much fun discovering leaves and sticks, and I was more than happy to incorporate them into his photos. This family was one that genuinely enjoyed their time together, and those are the best of clients. Capturing their memories was such an honour.

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In past years, I usually ended my sessions for the season and returned to my school books. But having recently graduated, I continued my photography into the fall and I’m so glad I did! I loved exploring new locations and colours, and the autumn scenes were so refreshing. This is the season I reflect on with the most gratitude and fondness. Once again, God showed up in marvellous ways, and I’m already anticipating next fall.

The month began with wrapping up portraits for my cousins. We shot at a favourite location of mine, and I really enjoyed taking photos of the youngest sister. She had so much spunk and cuteness, and I loved being able to capture a bit of it.

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Next came my favourite but most challenging session of, potentially, the entire year. The evening we agreed on forecasted clouds, rain, and heavy smoke from wildfires. But due to schedules, we simply could not change the date, and went ahead with the session. I did my best to utilize all the light I had, staying on reflective surfaces and facing the (hidden) sun as much as I could. And the results stun me to this day. God showed up in a beautiful way, even if the sun didn’t and the rain did. He is not limited to weather, and from now on I know I have no excuses. God is capable, even in my severest limitations.

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Following that session came my second favourite of the year. This family is one of my returning clients, and those are always the best! I had so much fun during this session, and while I know that’s what photographer’s are expected to say, it’s not always the case for me. So when it does happen, I treasure it so much!

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In the busyness of the past year, some things just slipped. And unfortunately, sometimes those exact things were photography related. So while I managed to upload my client’s finished photos onto their online gallery in relatively quick amount of time, I didn’t always back them up onto my hard drive before deleting them. That’s what happened to the following session. And since this post is already overdue, I’ll re-edit the raw files I do have at a later date, post them then, and continue on.

My next session was for family again, in a sense. My sister’s in-laws wanted an extended family session, and I was honoured to take their photos. We had a lovely evening, and ended it with supper together and good conversations. I seriously have the best clients!

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This month started off with taking portraits for my cousin. It was a rushed session, but those are great too, because they challenge you to grow so much! The boys did wonderfully, and I loved my time with all of them. I could post much more from this session, but here are a very few of my favourites.

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August was the month of family; all of my sessions involved at least one family member. I had the privilege of taking photos for my aunt and uncle and their married children. Grandkids add so much fun to a session, and this one especially. Everyone is in a better mood with baby smiles around.

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The month ended with a session extremely special to me. I was asked to take the baptismal portraits for the baptism of three of my cousins. Again, I could post so many more, but for the sake of space, here is a sampling.

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Just when I thought I had broken my record… July came! I was overwhelmed just putting this blog post together, and I can’t imagine how I made it through editing all these photos. In actuality, it wasn’t that crazy of a month, but for a beginner like me, it sure seems like a lot. However, the overwhelm was offset by so much grace, experience, and growth, and again I look back in gratitude. Doing these recaps of last year has been so encouraging for me. It has revealed God’s faithfulness in every situation, and the effort He put into teaching me and giving me grace. I come away with more hope and light for the next season, ready to do it again.

The month began with a type of session that I rarely do (seems like that was a theme last year: I kept on saying yes to new sessions.) I had the honour of doing maternity photos for my aunt and uncle. And I enjoyed it so much! I tried a new location on our yard, and they ending up being some of my favourites.

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Next I took on a family session, and though this is what I am must familiar with, it had been awhile since I had done one of these. So it took some warming up for me, but the children were so sweet, and it was great!

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This session was a long time in coming. My aunt had just as busy as a schedule as I did, so it took quite a bit of juggling until we finally got a date set. But once we figured it out, it was so good! It was such a pleasure to try out a new location, and their yard was gorgeous.

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Shooting at parks is always a highlight of mine, despite all the potential distractions. And this family was such a pleasure to work with! I couldn’t get over how beautiful the evening was, and still look over this session with fondness.

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I ended with my favourite session of the month, by far. It was raining an hour before our session was scheduled to start, but knowing Alberta weather (and God’s favour), I didn’t call the session off. And I’m so glad I didn’t! It turned out to be a gorgeous evening, and I had so much fun taking photos for Yesenia and Jon. I totally lost track of time, and probably shot way over our agreed time limit. But this was one session where it seemed I had to put in very little effort, just following what felt right. And when you experience that, you have to take full advantage of it.

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Photographers know that June is your busiest month. At least if you shoot weddings. This one doesn’t, but I still did four photo sessions in one month, and for me that’s a lot! But I was so blessed for the work, and this month included two of my favourites. And yes, I have more than one favourite session. I allow myself that liberty😊

June started off with two more newborn lifestyle sessions. It’s crazy how once you start, you just can’t stop. They’ve always been a dream of mine, and while I find them quite difficult and overwhelming, looking back I am grateful for the practice and experience. My first session was for a family from church. Their little boy was just a dream baby, and totally made up for his sisters’ disinterest😉😁

My second session was a return client, with the sweetest little family! It was such a pleasure taking their photos, and their kids were so cute!

Next, I had the opportunity to take photos at a graduation ceremony. As I mentioned earlier, events are some of my favourite types of shoots, and this one did not disappoint. I can’t get over how green it was!

I finished the month by taking birthday portraits for my cousin. She enjoyed herself so much on the session, and it made my heart all kinds of happy. I also tried out a few new things, and those photos ended up being some of my favourites. I love when I’m relaxed enough to be creative and simply have fun.

This month may be know for its wind, but it is also such a pretty month! I finally have all the outdoor beauty I want, and no longer have to worry about too much brown. Both of my May sessions were slightly difficult in the moment, but the results were so good! As always, God was faithful and I am grateful.

The first session I did was for two of my cousins. It was a dark, windy evening, but they both did so well! Colten actually enjoyed himself so much, and I don’t think I’ve laughed as much at a session as with Natalia. So in the end I had fond memories as well as great photos, and those are always the best of sessions.

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This next session was for family as well. My cousin and his wife also wanted a newborn lifestyle session, and again I simply had to say yes. I somehow lost my phone in the process of packing, and consequently had to recall all of my notes from memory. But Jonathan and Nelly are such chill people and simply rolled with my scattered brain. It was such an honour taking their photos, and such a pleasure looking back

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