Heart cooks brain

The years go fast and the days go so slow…

Hello there you frigging gorgeous humans,

I hope 2019 was everything you had hoped it would be, and that 2020 will bring you more love and fulfillment than ever before.

This last year for me?

holy hell, she was a MF doozy-

As you know, I was able to find my biological dad, which was easily one of the most monumental events of my life. Things have been going pretty well, and I was able to go to BC a few more times throughout the year to spend time with Al and my step mom, Terrie.

But work? Ahhhhhhhhh, my work.

Truth be told, in the fall, I almost hung up the ol’ camera and quit.

I’m not going to get into the details, but its safe to say that I was in a position (many, actually) that I had never been in before.

I made mistakes. I fucked up.

Other people fucked up.

It happens.

I learned some VERY valuable lessons, lessons that I didn’t even know I had to learn, but such is the life of an entrepreneur, isn’t it?

Keep going, keep growing.

Just when I felt like I couldn’t possibly offer anymore of my heart and soul to this craft, I photographed one of the best weddings in one of the best locations, and my faith was renewed.

So I’m going to give a quick overview of my 2019/wedding season, and try and keep it brief-ish.

(Wait, no, that’s sooooo not going to happen, lol)

…Early in the year I spent some time in my studio practicing portraits, pets, products, and a little boudoir with friends and models. I had such a great time and am super pleased with the work that came out of it.

I also spent time with Danielle, a stylist who I love to collaborate with! She and I did a few sessions over the year, and I cannot wait until we work together again.

I also set up a photobooth at my studios open house and had such a wicked time meeting people and getting them in front of my ring light.

March is always a good time as I am part of a charity that means a lot to me; One of my oldest friends in the world, Mikey J is part of GAKAL (Give A Kid A Lift)

I get so pumped shooting live music and working with my friends. Helping out a charity that puts lifts in the homes of people who really need it is the icing on the cake.

After I got back from meeting my dad, I got back to work, with Krista at Salvedge fashion, to showcase some beautiful clothes. I adore the store and every time I work with her, we have a great time. The models I worked with were wicked pro’s-true beauties that know their angles and have variety in their work. Thanks #bossbabes

As for weddings, I really wanted to try and keep my total for the year at 15, which worked out perfectly; it was enough to keep me having fun and making some cash, but not so much that I was completely overwhelmed like 2018.

My first wedding of the year was in Canmore, at one of my favorite spots out of the city.

C&PJ and I had met the year before and instantly clicked. (I find this with almost every one of my wedding clients)

They are both easy going and madly in love, my favorite kind of people ;) Some of my most cherished shots of the year came from that wedding, thank you guys.

In May I shot a local wedding during a random freak snowstorm on Glenmore reservoir, super fun, then later that evening, jetted off to Punta Cana for 5 days to work a destination wedding.

P&R, again, some of the nicest ‘clients’ I’ve ever had.

Although I was only able to spend 5 days with them and their families, I can honestly say I connected with them all in a way that I don’t usually.

I mean like, I’m open to it, but it doesn’t always happen.

Travelling away from my family to spend time on a striking beach resort in the Caribbean is hard to do, believe it or not. I always feel a little guilty that my kids and husband aren’t there, and spoiled that this is my job, and I never know who I’m going to meet, or if we’ll ‘jive’, so to speak.

I can honestly say that this destination wedding was my favorite of them all; an amazing group of people who were so relaxed and happy to be there. We had SO much fun together, and I connected to them in a very short period of time.

After 5 days, when they met me in hotel reception to say goodbye; there were many hugs, some laughs, and a few tears.

Thank you, you wicked awesome people. That was a trip I will never forget xo

As soon as I returned, it was back to Canmore for a beautiful wedding at the Silvertip resort.

I loved the scenic views, the hilarious and touching vows, and the bagpiper. (que Rick Atsley…)

Just a week later I was shooting a wedding for an old colleague from my fitness days; L&M had met abroad while travelling; she from Canada and he from Scotland. After 3 months together they knew they had found their true loves and got engaged. I loved working with someone I’ve known for years.

Also, funniest line from a ceremony;

‘I’m so glad I swiped right on you’

As the weather got better, I opened a few sunset sessions for couples and families. Its such an invigorating feeling to get back outside and stomp around in the mud with clients.

June was a little more slow-paced with just 2 weddings; M&M and K&C.

The first I was excited to shoot in a gorgeous old church in Inglewood. The creaky old wood stairs, worn-in pews, and stained-glass windows were truly stunning. I myself am not super religious, but I love the history, craftsmanship and true beauty in churches.

K&C held their wedding at a family members private residence in Bragg Creek. The weather was perfect and the love between these two is off the charts. They are also the only couple that I drank wine with upon delivering their photos! I feel so lucky to know them

July was full of adventure for me personally;

My gorgeous husband surprised me with a trip to Seattle for our 3rd wedding anniversary. We flew into SEA and rented a cute little red corvette to take down the Oregon coast to Cannon Beach. It had been a bucket list destination of mine, and thankfully, Jeff pays attention to his wife and made it become a reality. I had booked a session with a local photographer that I HUGELY admired, and received some pretty jaw dropping photos, if I do say so myself. Thank you to Shuttergram Portraits for shooting us in the rain and also for lending me the dress.

Jeff and I had only ever had our photos taken together a few times in our 13 years together. Now, I will try to book a photo shoot for us whenever we travel, and even though I’m super uncomfortable on that side of the camera, I know I’ll regret it if I don’t.

We had the most relaxing time away and finished off the 3 day trip with lunch date at the market and a little rock’n’roll show at the WAMU theater.

I love travelling alone, but I really adore travelling with my husband-Jeff and I have the same sense of adventure!

work-

while the weather was hot, I photographed a wedding at the Italian cultural center near DT Calgary with probably the most hilarious couple ever-A&K were so much fun! Their wedding party was a blast, their parents were so awesome!

I brought along my simple* photo booth and it was a hit! It was for sure one of the most FUN weddings I have ever been to, and! The dance floor was poppppinnnnn’

A few weeks later, my friend Lindsay (of RaeLee Beauty Services) and I traveled to Radium for an outdoor wedding- An old high school friend had hired me for her stepdaughters wedding. I had met C&D last fall when we did their engagement shoot at Big Hill Springs so I knew that it would be a relaxed, easy going day.

We had such a beautiful time with them, and again, set up the ol’ photobooth for some laughs :)

I love road trips with friends <3

A few weeks later, I photographed another wedding at the Italian cultural center and had such a superb time with L&B and their friends and family. If you have the option, get married there, and get yourself some of their outstanding freaking food. Holy heck is it ever good

I had an opportunity to work with an up-and-coming country music star to get him some photos for his single/album. I never thought I’d see my photo on itunes, but it happened, so I can pretty much die happy now :)

A big Thanks to Mitch Glanz and his beautiful wife Nikki for showing me a good time and for letting me do what I do-I’m officially volunteering to be your tour photographer when you hit the big time (check out the song Wander! I love it and I don’t typically listen to country music much)

August was supposed to be a relaxing month as I only had 1 wedding booked (compared to 5 the August before) but it was anything but as I suffered a neck injury and ended up in an ambulance and on my way to urgent care.

Over the last 9 or 10 years, I’ve put my body through the ringer with bike riding, weightlifting, kettle bell swinging, and the 3 babies, but I had never had anything like this happen to me before. No real major injuries in all that time and this one put me oooouuuttttt.

I had started feeling a little twinge of pain in my neck before the Seattle trip, but thought nothing of it. Over about 5 weeks time, things had gotten progressively worse and I was left in the absolute most terrible pain of my life; unable to move, in tears, and on the floor. Turns out, I had a compressed nerve root near C5 and C6. Nerve pain is a bitch. That is all.

Thankfully my husband was able to return home immediately from Manitoba to take care of everything so I could go to the drs, my chiro, my naturopath, and my massage therapist. I was put on opiates and harsh anti-inflammatories to give me relief. It worked, and because I have the best chiropractor in the world, I was able to work again at the beginning of September and finish the last 4 weddings of the year. Seriously, if you’re in YYC, go see Dr. Miranda Moen at Healthquest in Kensington. Her whole team are the most talented and trustworthy medical professionals I’ve ever dealt with. They also got me through 3 pregnancies while I was working out like a damn demon-

I love you forever and ever xo

So, to finish this off this novel, I’d like to touch on 3 of my favorite weddings of 2019;

M&K got married at the Canmore Nordic center in early September, and it was a perfect day in the mountains! Typically I prefer not to shoot in the afternoon as the sun is high in the sky and it creates harsh shadows, but the light was superb; just enough cloud to diffuse the sun perfectly. The sweetest part of the whole day was the first look, and bridal party photos at Quarry lake. I took one of the best photos of the year that day, and I don’t mind saying it out loud; this is stellar photo and I’m super proud of it.

Also in September, K&S had the wedding I cried the most at, probably of all time. Their love for each other, and their very unique family situation was so awe-inspiring, I had to just accept that I was going to be a mess, and all but cry my face off through their speeches. I also had a technical issue that I hadn’t experienced before with an SD card. Another lesson learned that day.

The very last wedding of the year was in October at the FREAKING Saskatoon farm, in a FREAKING greenhouse! If you know me, you know I’m a huge plant nerd. To shoot in a greenhouse was literally a dream come true.

To finish off the year in such a stunning location, with the most easy going wedding party, (and a couple that really show up for each other, supports each other, and loves each other so deeply) was really what MY heart needed. It was the wedding I needed to renew my faith that I was on the right path, professionally. Its also the wedding that I’m most proud of; their gallery had over 600 photos and I felt was very complete, despite the fact that I didn’t photograph the boys getting ready.

Thank you, A&J, for showing ME a good time, and for letting be a part of your day.

Over the summer and early fall, I also photographed some more live music at stampede, my own family, other people’s families, Santa sessions, some more boudoir, some doggies, and a shit-ton of other little things here and there. I had so much fun with my camera this year, and have really tried to embrace my 85MM, which I’ve kind of avoided for too long.

I also left my studio in Ramsay, which actually felt like a breakup in a weird way. I had outgrown the space and wasn’t finding that I was getting my value out of it, so it only made sense to pack it in. Jeff and I are currently looking at buying a new house, a wee bit bigger, so that I can set up a studio space that I have access to when the baby is napping.

Over the almost year and a half that I rented the space, I made some important connections, and again, learned some valuable lessons about life and business that will stay with me forever.

Overall, it was a really, really great year, despite the health issues. I’m thankful beyond belief for being able to continue to do this.

I cannot express my gratitude to all the people that have hired me, trusted me, been kind to me, shared their love with me, and let me share my love right back.

Although I am currently still taking meetings and husslin’ a bit, I am purposely trying to keep my laptop turned. Off.

Finding a way to step back and breathe, so I can be re-charged and re-focused this spring when wedding season starts. In December I had planned to start a 2 month hiatus, but it ended up getting pushed to January. Now that I’m here, its easy to look back on the chaos and realize how crazy it was. I love it though, I love owning my own business :)

My family and I took a few friends back to Puerto Vallarta just before Christmas and had such a relaxing time. As it usually goes on vacation, we all met some really wicked-ass people from all over the world. Many late nights with menthol’s and tequila were had.

I’m so looking forward to 2020!

If you made it this far (bless your mf heart)

Thank you, for being patient, and for being supportive of this lil’ thang o’ mine…

Until next time,

Reens xoxoxo

Silver Lining

Hello, lovely friends

I know its been a minute or two, so I have a lot to talk about.

First, because I have to, let me tell you about one of the most incredible things to ever happen to me. This is a SUPER personal story, one I’ve told many, many times over my life, but a few months ago, it got a new ending. In a week or so, I will actually blog about work, but not today.

In order for me to tell it, I’m going to try and be considerate of all the people involved, while telling it from my personal perspective. Its not meant to be anything except the story of Me and my Dad,

here goes…

So I have to start way back in the late 70’s;

My mother was married to her first of 3 husbands, R, and they had 2 sons, Chad and Nathan. They had been having some problems in their marriage and were on rocky ground. My mother got pregnant with me and I *believe* they were separated by the time I was born, and eventually got a divorce.

I grew up with my mom, a single mother, and was always told that R was my biological father. I saw him often when he dropped my brothers off for the weekend. He was never rude or mean to me, but he told me for as long as I could remember, that I was not his daughter.  Being a kid, and only having my mother as a resource, I thought he was just being a dick. I never felt connected to him, so I was always in a state of confusion when he was around. I want to re-iterate, R was never unkind to me, just matter-of-fact with our relation to each other.

(side note-I just want to add that I had many amazing uncles in my life, and still do, that were more than happy to love me and guide me and let me give them my school-made fathers day cards over my childhood. Without them, I don’t know what I would have done)

Fast forward to 1995; for various reasons that I wont get into, I was asked to do a DNA test with R.

So I did, 100% thinking it would prove that he was my dad and then we would move on from there.

You can imagine my surprise when the test came back, and he wasn’t my biological father. I had no idea that was even a possibility. I was completely blindsided, and mostly devastated because it meant my brothers were only ‘half’.

At that age, at that time, it ruined me. I felt betrayed and lied to, and I felt sorrow for all the time I had lost.

Again, my friends and family helped me through it and when my mother told me my real Dad was a guy named Ian, I couldn’t wait to meet him and try to have this father-daughter relationship that I had wanted my whole life.

The 4 months from when I got the results back, to when I tearfully called Ian, were torture. I couldn’t understand why my mother wouldn’t phone him and let him know about me. As a kid, I couldn’t imagine what that looked like for her, either; having to call a guy 17 years after ‘dating’.

I carried his phone number in my back pocket every day, for over 100 days.

Through a series of dramatic events, it all came down to a little road trip to Vancouver, to meet up with my mother and go to meet my Dad.

We met. It was clumsy and uncomfortable. His wife was there, and TBH, she didn’t care for me, or the situation.

We spent time together only a few times over the next 2-3 years; always painful and awkward and terrible. It was not the relationship I had hoped for. Over the years he began to avoid me all together. I called him to tell him when Jeff and I got pregnant, hoping the thought of a grandchild might soften his heart and he would let us in. It didn’t.

When we got pregnant with our second son, I tried again, but to no avail. He wasn’t interested in connecting with me at all, or my kids.

In 2014, I had recently become a stay at home mom and found myself slipping into a bad space (in hindsight, maybe a bit of PPD)

I reached out again, *one last time* and Ian told me in a very straightforward way, that he didn’t want me to ever contact him again. He didn’t have any other kids and he didn’t want any.

I hit what became my rock-bottom.

I felt helpless and unloved and lost, for I had two parents that were letting me down- not willing to work on building a healthy, loving relationship with me.

I was talking on the phone with Jeff one night, crying mostly, about how sad I was and how I *just needed to do something else. I needed to leave the fucking house and not drag my 2 toddlers along. I needed to have adult conversations and be creative and bring home some money and, most importantly, feel good about my life again.

With his blessing and encouragement, I signed up for photo school at SAIT.

I had no idea what the outcome was going to be, but I knew it would be something; something I truly loved and something that made my heart happy, and something I knew I could get better at.

I saw a therapist and she helped me get through that rough time. I didn’t realize how much it helped until I was at school a few months later, chatting with other photo-nerds, and realized I felt good. Like better than I had felt in a long time. The cloud had lifted and I took a hard look at it-I came to understand that I need to be creative to be happy. I need to, for my heart, soul, and mental health.

So I carried on, and as you know, I’ve been busting my butt, Mom-ing hard, and doing what I love and living a pretty happy life.

The thing is, I never had proof that Ian was my Dad. I had asked him to take a test with me 5 years ago and at first he had agreed, but eventually said he didn’t care enough to make it happen. I really wanted proof.

So here we fucking go;

I was gifted an Ancestry.com test for Christmas, and sent it in. The results came back reasonably quick, and low and be-fucking-hold, there aint no Ian, or his family, in my tree.

W.T.F.

I couldn’t eat, sleep, or function well for about 5 days. My brain was broken, my stomach was in knots, my heart hurt, and I was in shock.

Jeff arrived home the next day and thank god-he was there to keep the house running while *Mommy had a melt down* and also, to be my moral support. I am lucky to have friends and family that were with me through this shit-show when I was 16, and now again at 40. My support team was huge and unwavering, I could not be more blessed.

So, through the ancestry site I was connected with a second cousin, Lisa. I shared with her a bit of my story and let her know I was (desperately) looking for my Dad. She put me in touch with another gal, Alyson, who is a “DNA-angel’.

Alyson had found lost family through a DNA test as well and spent her life helping others to find theirs. She truly is an angel, and without her, none of this would have happened.

So we connect and I let her know as much as I could and she did her thing. For 5 or 6 weeks, I was on edge, constantly looking at the site to see what other information she was adding to my family tree. It was excruciating, because I was so scared I had missed him. What if he had passed on? What if I missed my chance?

I had obviously gone over in my head, the scenario in which I find him, hes alive, and he doesn’t want anything to do with me. Everyone kept warning me about this possibility, as all I could say was “well, I lived through that. Twice. I could do it again, if I had to”

Finally, sweet mother of god, finally Alyson contacts me. She gets me on my laptop and explains to me whats going on. In the weeks previous, I had seen my Dads name on my tree, but wasn’t even looking at him as a candidate. Ancestry has its own algorithms and had showed me a girl, Sam, living in Australia, as my cousin. I had contacted her and let her know what was going on. I was convinced that one of her uncles was my dad. But she didn’t have any uncles, and there was some messy adoption stories from her mothers side of the family. I thought I had hit a dead end, until the day Alyson called.

She had done all the work to find out that Ancestry had gotten it wrong; Sam wasn’t my cousin, but in fact my niece. Her grandpa Al in Kamloops (my hometown) was my Dad. Sams mother, Ann, is my half-sister. (another dream come true)

Sam had contacted her grandpa (my dad) to let him know that there was a girl looking to ‘fill in some gaps’ on her family tree. He and his wife, Terrie, told Sam to give me their phone number and for me to call anytime, as they were eager to help me.

I went on Facebook and sought out any info I could- my Dad is not on Facebook, but his wife is. So I did the thing, you know, stalking? (lol) and combed through her photos, until finally… I saw my Dad.

I messaged her immediately and (without being specific) told her I was looking for information about my family. She told me that her husband Al knew quite a bit about the family and had an amazing memory, and that he would be able to answer any questions I had. I promised to call the next day.

I had his phone number. I knew his name and what he looked like.

I was in such a state of shock, I didn’t know what to do with myself; so I promptly drank a glass of wine, called everyone I knew, cried my eyes out, and danced around my kitchen. Weird right? Whatever.

And here it is;

I barely slept. I woke up and just tried not to have a mental breakdown. I considered every possibility; the good, the bad, and the ugly. I told myself that I would be ok no matter what, because I had already been through the worst. I felt like nothing, nothing could be more awful than going through what I had already, for 40 years.

So I pick up the phone and I call him. He answers, as hes expecting my call, and is gracious and kind, right off the hop.

I ask him a few questions to confirm that he is my Dad (as Alyson had recommended) and then got right into it;

I asked him if he knew a woman with my mothers name, he said he did. (and he kind of chuckled when he said ‘I know her very well” lol)

He told me he used to spend time with her and a large group of friends in a small town, just outside Kamloops. He knew she had been married but didn’t know about any children. I told him that she was my mother, and that the research Alysson had done shows that He, in fact, was my father.

He said “what? Who’s your father?’

I laughed and said “you are!”

He said “when were you born?’

I told him, and he laughed as well, because his memory is so frigging sharp, even at 72, that he knows hes my Dad.

So we had a short conversation and then he asked me to call him back in a few hours. My heart sank and I thought ‘what if this is it? What if he decides he doesn’t want this and he never answers the phone again when I call’?

I hung up, cried, laughed, freaked out, and waited a few hours to call him back.

When I did, he answered (THANK GODDD!!) and I could hear him smiling. I asked how he was, and if he was ok with all of this.

His response?

“this is the best day of my life; my family just grew by 5”

Cue. The. Fucking. Tears.

We talked for quite awhile, covering a lot of ground; I asked him about his relationship with my mother, his childhood, his wife, and anything else I could think of.

He asked me questions too; what was my favorite color, food, drink, place to travel. What kind of music do I like?

It was magnificent. He was there, and he was happy, and he loved me already.

We made plans to meet up a few weeks later when Jeff got home from work. And we did.

Jeff and I packed up the ol’ Mini van and drove 7 hours to my hometown. We spent the night with one of my child hood friends (Christine-I cannot thank you enough) who had been there for me when I was 16 as well. We woke up, left the kids at Chris’s house, and drove down to my dads.

We met at his front door and I didn’t even cry. I hugged him as hard as I could, I looked into his eyes and saw my other half; the half that had been missing my whole life. The other human who created me, who I was half of.

There’s no way I can adequately describe my feelings-I was overwhelmed and honestly, probably the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. He wears hats like me, too, which is cute AF.

We went to his neighborhood pub, alone, so we could have a talk and drink a cider together. The waitress brought over flowers and a card,  (as my Dad had been in earlier that day to arrange everything for me as a surprise) He also gave me a hat belt (? Is that what they’re called?) to match his, so we could be twinnsies. (ARE. YOU. KIDDING.ME. RIGHT. NOW?)

We sat and ate and laughed and told each other straight up, what our lives were like. All of it. We talked about jobs and childhood and lost loves and how my Dad was a boxer, and a pretty damn good one, and he could probably knock out your Dad, to be honest. (;))

We went for a drive and shared a cigar and listened to music and he took me back to his place, where Jeff and the kids were waiting with my new step mom, Terrie.

We all cried and hugged told stories and drank ciders and laughed and laughed and laughed.

It was one of the best days of my entire life. I can’t put it into words, there are none to describe it.

My kids call him grandpa. He and Jeff love each other. Terrie is a wonderful woman who has welcomed all of us with open arms and a big heart.

It couldn’t have gone any better, even in my dreams.

Since then, we spent some more time together, and we chat almost every day, sending photos and heart emojis.

Ill be driving out to Kamloops over the summer with my kids so we can stay with him and Terrie and most likely, share more stories and laughs.

My Dad is kind, honest, funny, and hardworking. He likes adventure and music and sharing love.

And the best part? He wants to be my Dad. He wants to be a grandpa to my kids, a father in law to Jeff. He wants us to be a family.

The photo I was dying to take of him. handsome isn’t he?

I called him on Sunday, fathers’ day.

For the very first time in my life, I called my MF Dad on fathers’ day, and had a beautiful, loving conversation. wow.

Here’s to many more…

Love you Dad, thanks for being everything I ever wanted, and more than I could have hoped for.

See how everything just works out? My previous situation with Ian led me to becoming a photographer. Everything happens for a reason, right?

I will blog in the next week or so, to actually talk about work stuff, but I had to get this story out first. Its just too good not to share :)

Chat again soon, my lovelies, please don’t hesitate to share this and spread the love

Xoxoxo

Reens

Can't you hear me knocking?

hello, you beautiful people, and happy MF new year!

I hope that 2019 brings you all the health, wealth, and smooches you can handle xo

Now, onto business; I haven’t blogged in about 8 months, and I’m telling you right now-there’s no way I can jam all of the awesomeness I’ve experienced in that time, into one little post. So instead, I’m going to try to graze over it, and chat about the highlights :)

May was kind of the official kick-off to Wedding Season for me, but I was able to do a few other sessions as well. Family, engagement, and collaboration sessions, plus meetings wherever I could squeeze them in.

I also put a beautiful chair in a creek and asked my friends to bring their babies for some photos-sometimes I get an idea in mind and need to work it out-I’m so thankful my friends humor me and let me indulge in my weird shit, while photographing them and their little ones.

It’s easy to capture their love and sweetness (and maybe, just maybe, if I’m lucky, a temper tantrum;))

It was getting busy, but I had no idea what was to come…..

June was the first month that I had 3 weddings booked. It was a little insane, as 2 of them took me out of town (which can make for a long day) but I love the opportunity to have a little time to myself before/after a wedding, mostly to crank up my stereo and sing as loud as I can with no one else in the car (my poor children)

I kind of figured 3 weddings/month would be a good limit, as editing photos is by far the most time consuming part of my job. I love editing, don’t get me wrong, but as each wedding requires 10 hours minimum, I knew I would be pushing it for time.

I drove out to Banff, to the Buffalo Mountain park lodge-it was probably one of my most scenic locations, and it took my breath away. I was so happy to be able to spend more time in the mountains and relish in the upcoming summer warmth.

*fun fact-did you know? Banff and all mountain parks require a special permit for a calgary-based small businesses. And they are not cheap! Just over $200 for only ONE day-compared to Canmore, which offers a 3 day license for just over $100.

I closed out the month with a wedding that I had been so anxiously awaiting. It was my *second favourite of the year. Im allowed to say that, right? It was my number one, until I took off to BC in September. But more on that later...

I met with Louise and her family last year, and I knew immediately that it was going to be a great day, based on their easy going mannerism and the way we all got along. Everyone made me feel so welcome, it was like they were family. I adore you, Vincents!!!

The ceremony location was out at the Coutts center in Nanton, a spot I had heard only good things about. It did not disappoint-the variety of backdrops for me, as a photographer, was staggering. Louise and Damon are such a stunning couple, and so in love, it was so simple for me to capture the chemistry and adoration between them. 

I also took one of my top 3 favourite photos of 2018 that day-

July brought me something incredible-my very own studio.
The NVRLND building is located in the heart of YYC, in an old, derelict building that had been rumoured to be a brothel, just a few years ago. It had been transformed in to a collective for creatives; every room houses a different artist-all types-under one roof. It was affordable and clean; a blank slate, so I jumped on it.

Finally a space to be able to spew all my girlie, boho, weirdness all over the place, with no rules. I am also able to store most of my props, furniture, backdrops, and decor pieces, and still have room for a bar (the coffee kind, and a maybe little champagne)

one of my closest friends, Lindz (of Raelee Beauty Services)

I also had 3 weddings in July, but only 1 was a full day, the other 2 being just a few hours each.

It was busy, as I was also trying to make use of the new space, so I did some boudoir/dudeoir sessions to get used to the light.

I had also asked friends to recommend some charity events to me that needed a photog, and was connected with Jason, a local barber who had started an organization-streetcuts barber-to give away free haircuts to the less fortunate. I love being able to help out whenever I can, and it was a great fit as Jay and I got along really well! I also headed down to okotoks to help him out with a charity barber competition, and met some AMAZING people! I had so much fun, I didn’t want to leave ;)

One of the weddings I was part of in June, was a 30 year anniversary vow renewal. To be clear, Blaine and Maryann renewed their vows, on the exact day they first got married, 30 years earlier. This was such a special affair, with another couple I was so blessed to meet. From the instant we sat down for coffee, there were hugs and laughs, and such a feeling of friendship, like I had known them my whole life. We had such a great conversation that first day, and I was so excited to see them renew their vows. I will forever have a little spot in my heart for them, and will always feel lucky they chose me.

The Azuridge, Priddis Alberta

The ceremony itself was out in Priddis, at a venue called the Azuridge. I had shot a wedding there last year, but had a terrible experience. I was happy to see the staff had been shuffled around and the service was back where it should be-impeccable. 

Just when I thought I couldn't be any busier, I shot 5 (yes, for realz) FIVE weddings in August. 3 full day and 2 smaller packages.

It. Was. Insane.

At this point, I had fallen behind, for the first time ever, on deadlines. There are no words for me to express my remorse, and my regret, for those clients who received their photos up to 6 days late. (most were 3-4, but still) Almost everyone was understanding and sweet, thankfully, but it didn't help my sky-rocketing stress levels to know I was not fulfilling my end of the deal. I had never been in that situation before, and it was crushing. All I could do was offer everyone a wedding album or free session to make up for it.  
I thought 90 days was adequate, but I didn't take into account that I had a baby, one that was crawling and teething and requiring so much more of my time, mostly for snuggles. I also have a problem saying no. Obviously.

Remy and Me

Photo taken by my husband

There were many, many times when I asked myself "Why did I start a business? Why didn’t I just do the SAHM thing, and let that be enough? Why would I take on all this work, and struggle, and stress?’

I felt like a failure, even though everyone told me I was excelling. Anytime I’d chat with a friend, they’d say

‘wow! your business is really taking off!’

I’d smile, and NOT tell them how I wasn’t sleeping enough, I wasn’t getting to the gym as often as I was used to, how my house was always a little bit messy, and to be honest, I was falling apart.

It was a weird time.

Then I would remember; I do it because I love it. I do it because I need to work-to be creative and meet people and share energy, and to feel like I'm doing something important; something that matters, to me and to others.

I do it because I want my husband back in Calgary, and I need to bring home a little bacon for that to happen.

And, more than anything, 'cuz I just love to turn on my camera.

So, 5 weddings in August, right.

lets break this down-

H&K, a wonderful, sweet couple, with a unique love story, got married at Gathered, a remarkable location just outside the city. It was very similar to where my husband & I got married; a working farm with a shack for the food to be cooked, and a gorgeous, clear tent, filled with edison-type hanging bulbs. So simple and rustic and elegant-plus the best frigging corn bread I've ever had in my life. Not to mention some pretty outstanding donuts-made fresh-to finish off the night.

This is one of my most recommended locations in and around Calgary, hands down.

The next day, it was all about E&B, music nerds like me, at one of the coolest DT wedding venues. Brian also gave his bride the best (and I mean Best) show at the reception, that I will probably ever see. An angle grinder, some Ginuwine, and some Channing Tatum-inspired moves. It was absolutely unreal-a moment I will never forget. Then topped off with MJ? Yeah, I was done. Throw in a killer lip-sync battle, and this was probably one of the best receptions I saw all summer. Nice work Brian!

I also managed to snap another of my favourite photos of 2018 at this wedding; Beatles inspired, of course.

then! K&C. This wedding had the most popular wedding date of the year (08-18-18) and had been booked early on the previous spring. These guys had the biggest wedding party I had ever worked with, and it was such a great time! Despite the smoke in the air from the fires in BC, Kayla and Colin made the best of the day!

I would have to say, this bridal party was my favourite, because it was so big, and they all made it so much fun to be around them all day! My cheeks hurt from laughing by the end of the night :)

B&J, and M&K both had smaller weddings, coincidentally at the same location in bridgeland, in DT calgary. Brian & Jess had a pop-up wedding-my first! We met with the officiant, chose a spot in the community garden, and went for it! It was short and sweet, and I was in awe to see such a unique ceremony. Brian and Jess are also fitness instructors at my gym, so I’ve known them for a few years, and loved them (even when cursing their names while grinding away at Goodlife)

I actually managed to even do a few other sessions in Aug, including my own family, because, you know, I like to push myself to the absolute limit. Or I’m a sucker for punishment, whatever.

September. Ahhhhh, september.

The kids went back to school, the baby found a regular nap schedule, and I found some time to get caught up. I also managed to squeeze in 2 weddings, a 40 year old cake smash in the mountains (YESSS!) and a trip back home to BC to visit friends and family. Another bucket list item was checked off when I got to photograph a gender reveal for my cousin and his family. (its a GIRL!)

My first wedding of the month was at the Lougheed house, an old, historic building in DT. It was a venue I had been DYING to shoot at, and was overjoyed when Allison and Rob hired me. Their love story was one of my favourites-they had dated in high school, and were madly in love; Ally, a good girl and Rob, her bad-boy boyfriend with the sweet car. As most teenage relationships go, they had a fight and broke up at a party one night, and lost touch for 20+ years, only to reunite, and fall madly in love, all over again.

Talk about your sweet love story! 

Moving on to my most favourite wedding of the year-Jen and Sean had the most romantic engagement story I had ever heard, and just sitting with them, you could see that their chemistry was off the charts.

I had referred one of my closest friends-Lindsey-for hair and makeup, so her and I headed out of town one friday afternoon, down the 93 to BC. It had been so long since I had driven that road, I had forgot how beautiful it was. We were able to stop for photos along the way, which was so fun!

We went to the resort and met up with another one of my best friends, France, as she was watching the boys the next day while I worked. We cruised around beautiful Fairmont, ate delicious food, and enjoyed the scenery.

The wedding day was perfect-Jen and Sean are easily two of the most relaxed and laid back couples I had ever worked with, so everything went smoothly with no stress. The ceremony was at the Fairmont resort, overlooking the valley. Stunning views and more wonderful people to keep the mood upbeat and stress free. And, Jen and Sean’s first kiss, was THE BEST FIRST KISS I HAVE EVER SEEN!!

So to recap; road trip to BC, hanging with two of my besties and my kids, perfect weather and an amazing couple, with killer food and a gorgeous venue.

this is why it was my favourite. 

Bazang! 

I rounded out the month with some fall-minis  at confederation park, and geared up for October, my first wedding-free month since February. I had some more family sessions and an engagement shoot in Big Hill Springs. I also crammed in some fashion work for a local high-end second hand store. It was so remarkable to spend time with fellow boss-babes and collaborate on something we all love! I made some great connections, one in  particular with a gal who I’ll be working with on a monthly basis-Danielle is a stylist who puts her whole heart into everything she does.

I also got to leave town with my husband.

Jeff and I hadn’t been alone for more than 20 hours, in EIGHT frigging years-Im not even kidding. it was pure bliss to have him all to myself, uninterrupted, for 4 days, and in NYC, no less.

We ate, we drank, we shopped, we went on a romantic carriage ride in central park, went to a comedy show in times square, got caught in the rain, got a little bit drunk in Grand Central Station with a chilhood friend, saw the 911 memorial, and smooched our faces off. It was my most favourite adventure of the whole year.

photo by: Valentin Collective, NYC

November brought another trip out of the country when I went to Cancun for a destination wedding with Lindsey, Monte, and their friends and family.

It was just a quick 5 day trip, as I had a wedding to get back to in YYC, but we made the best of the short time frame.

Bride and brother in-law, doing the Titanic thing!

The ceremony almost got rained out, but luckily it only lasted a few minutes and the sun came out again!

I have to say, this group of people were amazing-I felt so welcomed and invited by everyone, I was so sad to say goodbye. One of the hard parts of this part of my job is getting know people, and spending some real quality time with them, only to return home and realize I barely have enough time for my usual friends, let alone a fabulous group of 20, fun, hilarious people. These guys tho, stellar group.

I finished off the year with 3 more weddings, including another in Mexico, (I know, I’m super lucky) and another in Canmore. All 3 of these were again, filled with great folks, all kind and lovely.

I also set up a few Christmas sets in studio and ran minis and full sessions-they turned out ok, and I learned a lot.

*Note to self, get lights*

My family was able to join me in December on the Mexico trip, which was a change of pace, but fun! We had some pretty incredible times, and not only did my boys get better at swimming, we released baby turtles into the ocean at sunset. It was one of the most memorable, awe-inspiring moments of my entire life.

…which brings me to my third and final most favourite photo of 2018…..

If you’ve read this far, (and I’m wondering how many do!) I’d like to thank you, from the bottom of my tired-ass heart. This has been, by fucking far, the most challenging year of my life, but also the most rewarding. I busted my ass, harder than I thought I could, and barely managed to hold on.

Its been a wild god-damned ride, but one I am grateful for.

PS. thank god for coffee, and smooches.

nothing but love,

Reens xo

I just wanna stay up all night with you....

Well, its been a minute hasn’t it?

I’ve recently accepted the fact that I cannot sustain a weekly blog. Or a monthy one. 

As you can imagine, things have been a little crazy over here the last 5 months. Blissfully, beautifully, insanely crazy.

I have never been so empty, and yet so full, so tired and yet so awake, so exhausted, and yet so fulfilled. 

To begin, I’ll start with the best part, the birth of our Little One, Remy.

He was scheduled to be delivered on December the 29th, via c-section. On the 21st, I went to see my Baby Doc, as I hadn’t seen her in a while and I was getting concerned about my blood pressure.

Sure enough, she confirmed that I was developing pre-eclampsia. (note to self-always trust your gut! I knew something wasn’t right and I made the appointment)

So, at 1130am on a Thursday, I was told that I would be having my third baby early, like now early,  as in, tomorrow early (the 22nd)

Surprise!

I got in my car, I called a few friends, and I was a bawling mess; because I was so happy the wait was over; I would be holding my love and getting to smooch him a full week early. Because my hospital bag wasn’t even packed yet. Because I was mega hormonal. Because I was horribly, unbearably uncomfortable. Because at almost 40 years old, growing/birthing babies at my age is hard(er). Because I hadn’t finished folding his clothes and organizing his room yet. Because Jeff was arriving back home in Calgary in exactly 1 hour and 45 minutes and I knew he had things he wanted to finish in the next 7 days as well. Because, my last, my sweetest little baby, would be here with us for Christmas, and what a beautiful gift, what a great time to come into this world :)

I drove to the airport, and through tears, I told my husband that we had to go home and pack, and Grandma needed to come, and sleepover, because we were having a baby in the morning, and, and, and.... you get it. I was an emotional disaster. There was a whole lot more going on involving me monitoring my blood pressure and some tense moments, but what matters is-the next morning, Jeff and I drove to the hospital, the same one where Kash and Atty were born, and settled in, to welcome Baby Remy Wilson Brown into our family.

There were no complications, no dramatics, nothing out of the ordinary-we had a wonderful medical team (all female, just sayin’) at the Rockyview, and he came into this world surrounded by love and happy tears. It was amazing. The Drs even allowed Jeff to take this photo, baby still attached, umbilical cord hadn’t been cut yet. I'm pretty sure it’s the greatest photo Jeff has ever taken.

Being as old as I am, (40 at the end of this year)  and knowing the toll this takes on my body (despite being a gym nerd and considerably healthy-ish) we knew going in that I would get the ‘ol Baby Factory shut down while they were in there, and that Remy would for sure-sies, be the last baby for us.

He has been the sweetest, calmest, most chilled out little baby you ever did meet. He smiles constantly, between naps and feeding, that is. We couldn’t have asked for a more healthy, charming, and beautiful little boy. I have already taken thousands of photos of him, and I'll share a few at the end of this post.

Introducing our older boys to the new baby was a heart-melting event; they are so in love with him-fiercely protective and already stepping up and helping out like big brothers should. Having 3 boys in my life...wow. just wow. What am I in for? Madness, I presume, but it will be beautiful, no doubt.

I should mention how grateful I am for a partner that was able to go into ‘action mode’ and be there for me as I prepared for surgery, had Remy, and spent two days in hospital recovering, while he cleaned the house, prepped the babys room, took care of Kash and Atty, did all the grocery shopping and cooking for Christmas celebrations for a few family members, and generally just ran the house perfectly for a few weeks so I could concentrate on breastfeeding and healing.

I literally have the best husband on the planet-hands down! ...aaaand in case you don’t believe me, here’s a few photos of him being a super Dad ❤️

So, a mere 32 days after Remy was born, I went back to work-taking the whole family with me out of the city to Canmore, a gorgeous mountain town not far from us.

I was there to photograph a wedding between a bride and groom that I hadn’t actually met in person yet, which was a first for me.

N&J were a super sweet couple; they had a great network of friends and family that made the trek to Canmore for their celebration. They were married and had the reception at The Cornerstone Theater, which is a STUNNING venue that I had been anxious to work at. It did not disappoint!

We did formals at Quarry Lake, my own familys favorite summer time swimming hole! It was snowing ridiculous amounts when we first arrived, but it subsided pretty quick and we were able to get some decent shots of the mountain backdrop.

I spent most of February just concentrating on family and bonding with the baby, trying to figure out the new routine after Jeff went back to work out of province. It was actually easier than I thought, and we all kind of settled in pretty good, and pretty quickly. I was able to do some valentines minis, and had a blast shopping for props to add to my ever-growing collection.

March came and I got back at it; studio sessions (7 sessions in one day, the most I've ever done…which got me to thinking…..more on that later) also a small east village wedding, engagement sessions, easter minis, and meetings with perspective clients. I also did my first session with a lovely young lady who is already a pro model. At the tender age of 16, she is a natural! and super sweet as well. 

I love spending time with my kids, the baby especially, but I really loved getting back to work and finding that momentum again.

I had set a goal for myself to try and double last years weddings (9) and book 18 for 2018. I wasn’t sure that it was possible, especially because I live and work in a city that is inundated with so much talent, its ridiculous.

Last week, however, I booked my 18th wedding for the year, in gorgeous Mexico! Jeff and I had been talking abut heading south this winter for a bit so it fell into place perfectly. It will be my 3rd destination wedding, and I’m looking forward to getting better at shooting in full sun/beach conditions.  

 April brought another wedding, (K&A…swoooooon!!!!) I also met with a local studio about renting permanent space (more on that next time) and participated in some fun stuff with my family.

At the end of 2017, I started working with the AARCS (Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society) as a volunteer and was asked to work a conference put on by the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. I was happy to gain a little experience in event photography, and put some good karma in the bank.

When I was a kid, I volunteered at the SPCA every Saturday for years, and later on in my teens with various events around my hometown. As a teenager and into my adult years, I simply couldn’t find the time (or so I thought) to volunteer, so I didn’t. Jeff and I had talked about doing little things here and there to be supportive Calgarians, but never put anything into action.

Last fall, I asked on social media for anyone to recommend charities that might benefit from a photographer, and I was put in touch with 3 😊

AARCS is one, Families Fighting Cancer is another, and PACE KIDS is the last one, all of which I will be donating hours to this year.

Time is the most valuable commodity we have, and to give yours to an organization is priceless. Im so happy to be able to help anyone, anywhere, in any way that I can! 

This month for work, I have a few smaller sessions, one wedding out of town, meetings with clients and studio peeps, and a few other photoshoots that Im very excited about!

One in particular involves some of my favorite mommy friends! I really want to give my TRIBE something they will love forever and ever, so I am concocting a styled shoot, gathering props, and making a list of names-I’ll only have a short time to get in as many as possible, but I think I can get it done? Stay tuned for some fierce forest photos!

But for now check out these beautiful boys- they fill me up with more love than I can ever put into words xoxo

I know I’m forgetting a bunch of things, but this is long winded enough, right?

Thanks for reading if you’ve made it this far, and I’ll post again soon as I have a few things to talk about ;) 

All the love, and then a little more,  

Reens

xo 

smooth sailin'....

Hello friends :)

This will be my last post of the year, and what a year its been! I am ASTOUNDED to report that my website has seen almost 7000 visitors since January! Whoohoo!

I finished the season out by shooting a small wedding at the beginning of the month for R&G, a lovely couple, on a day that turned out to be absolutely perfect! (In YYC, its rare we have a 10C day in December!)

I am spending the next little while doing as much editing as I can before Little Remy comes near the end of the month. This pregnancy has probably been the hardest one yet, for a variety of reasons, but that's for another time, or another blog...

At the end of November, we lost our 20 year old cat, Fenster, after a short but rapid decline in his health. He followed me home when I was just 18 years old, meaning I've had him for more than half of my life. He was the best little kitty you ever did meet, and my heart will never be the same without him. Miss you buddy xo

onto more positive things....

When I made my business 'official' in January, I really had no idea how things would turn out; 

Would I crash and burn?

Would I make enough money to buy a new camera and other gear?

Would I fail spectacularly and run away with my tail between my legs?

Would I succeed beyond anything I could imagine?

The answer is yes and no to all of these questions; I certainly did better than I hoped for, and yet not as good as I would have liked. Let me explain;

I booked more weddings and other sessions than I would have expected. My work was ok, I mean I definitely improved over the last 12 months, this I know for sure.

Am I where I want to be?

Not really.

I am an insanely impatient person and I had hoped my skill level would be beyond were I am currently, but I also have to realize that this doesnt happen over night. (Or 365 nights)

The areas I feel like I need to improve in are these;

Delivering more photos for weddings; I am very much a 'quality over quantity' type of person. I want to give out 200-300 AMAZING photos, as opposed to 800 kind-of good ones. I also realize that is limiting me. Some people WANT 800 photos.

So my solution is to meet in the middle; I am going to do my best to shoot more, and NOT BE SO PICKY of what I THINK is good, and what will MEAN something to the bride and groom. When I cull through photos after a wedding, I scrap any photo that is anything less than perfect (in my eyes) If a photo still manages to move me, emotionally, even if its less than 100%, I'll keep it, but realistically, I should stop being so damn hard on the technical aspects of the photos.

My QC might be a little too strict. I realize this. Its because I want everything to be perfect and thats ok, but I need to give myself a little grace. I'm still relatively new at this, and I'm still learning. 

I have seen some wedding photographers that give an average of 50-100 photos AN HOUR! What? How can you be delivering that many shots, and they all be stellar? I literally have no idea how its possible. 

I prefer to spend my time in the editing process and giving shots that are all swoon-worthy.

I prefer to make sure that all imperfections in each photo are taken care of; I’m talking about giving a nip/tuck to each member of the bridal party, (if asked for) also, brightening teeth and making sure your eyes are sharp and everyone looks flawless. Also, making sure its composed as close to perfect as possible; rule of 3rds, cropping, straight horizons, the contrast/shadows/highlites/saturation for every photo is spot on. 

These are the details I focus on more than the number(s).

Maybe its wrong, maybe I need to focus less on the tiniest little details and start putting out higher volume of photos....

This is a balance that I have to find for myself; to keep the integrity of my work at a place where I'm happy, and also to keep clients happy with the product they are purchasing.

Managing my time a little better is the other thing I need to work on. 

being a stay at home Mom, with a husband who works out of town 3/4 time, and trying to grind away at building a business (plus hit the gym 4x week, and have a social life) is challenging to say the least. But I’m working on it! 

The 3rd thing is that I need to put fair prices out there for myself, and for my clients. 

I realized that for every hour of shooting that goes into a wedding, I spend double that on editing. So for an average day, say a 10 hour wedding, I spend an additional 20 editing. 

Thats 30 hours of work that goes into the process, not including all the other stuff; marketing, online advertising, blogging, meeting with clients, reading, practicing....

Its a lot right? 

Its been good for me to assess these numbers, also including what I spend on gear, websites, business cards, insurance, business license, gas, and MORE gear! 

And so, after a year of figuring out the details, my packages will be adjusted after Jan 1st, and I also will be offering more services that have been requested.

So, I DID succeed enough to be able to buy a new full frame camera, 2 new lenses (1 was a gift from my husband, check out my facebook page for that tear jerking post) an external flash, an new laptop for editing, many, many props, back/floor drops for studio work, and pay for all the associated expenses with running this business. 

I cannot tell you how happy I am to be able to run this thing, and be able to make enough to have it support itself. 

Through all the trials and tribulations this year, this is what I've learned;

Dont be afraid to amend my contract

I had to change things up at least 6 times over the year, learning as I go, and adding things I hadnt thought of when drawing it up. I will probably amend it a few more times over the next year and beyond, to make sure I cover my ass, and my clients asses are covered too!

First come, first serve

I am mortified to admit that I held on to specific dates for brides who inquired, turned others away for the same date, only to have the first bride go with another photographer.

Lesson learned. I will never, ever let that happen again. Period. The first one to put a deposit down, gets the date.

Dont give away work for free

I have been shortsighted. By giving away my work, to friends and family, at little to no cost, it undervalues myself, my work, and my efforts, and it goes under rated. That's the nature of it though; I know my friends and family appreciate it, but when there is literally NO VALUE put on my time and work, people don't treat it as a valued service. By placing a monetary value on my work, and getting friends and family to sign waivers and contracts, they take it more seriously, and they take ME more seriously. I know my friends and family want to help me succeed and do what they can to get me to my goals, so as of next year, everyone pays...(sorry, not sorry)

Do charity work

....Except Charities. A long time ago, I learned from one of my teachers in a completely different industry, that a percentage of everything you do should be for free; to a good cause and/or to someone who needs your services but cant necessarily afford it. Ive never forgotten that, and I have been in touch with 2 charities for the upcoming year. I will be doing some work with one of the many Cancer charities, and some other work for an organization called Pace Kids. Stay tuned for more details in 2018!

Add more services

As of next year, I will be offering photobooth services, separately and included in my deluxe package. I will also be including engagement sessions for the Wisteria package. I will be adding the option of buying prints and albums (along side of the digitals) as well as metal prints, large scale canvases, calender's, and even phone cases! For major holidays, I will be offering cards, and for maternity/newborn sessions, I will be offering birth announcements. I realize that some of these services are easily done at your local Costco, or online, but if you're not tech-savy or concerned about quality, I would love to be able to assist in getting these products, and getting them perfect the first time! I also have been in touch with a few videographers in the area, and have made some connections in that field so if anyone needs a referral for video services, I can recommend a few, at different price points.

I want to be able to provide as much as possible, to make things easier for clients. Honestly if I could, I would offer day-of co-ordination and wedding decor rentals, but alas, one thing at a time.....

Don't be afraid to change up your business plan

Owning a business is not the easiest thing in the world, but holy shit, is it ever awesome! I love being able to do what I want, set my own schedule, go through all the growing pains and learn every day. I love connecting with people and celebrating the big moments in their lives; getting to be even a small part of that is humbling and I never take it for granted. I will be doing things slightly different in regards to images expected/delivered for the new year. I currently have a website that clients can upload JPEGS from, but I'd like to just use that site for sneak peeks, and deliver custom flash drives for every session. I want to ensure that the quality is impeccable, and never compromised. Emailing, sending over FB, and even uploading via online gallery, can leave images compressed and/or degraded, and not always suitable for printing. I want to ensure that clients have TIFF (high res, good for enlarging) and JPEGS for sharing online and social media. 

This year has been one of the best in my life; following my dreams in this business, having 2 healthy boys to keep me on my toes, getting the surprise! of another boy on his way, having the most supportive husband (who never fails to show me love and encouragement in all the ways that matter) and being surrounded by friends and family, who also show me unwavering love and support on this journey.

I had no idea, that in December of 2017, I would be blogging, pregnant AF, have a collection of amazing camera gear, have a portfolio that I'm proud of, and be on track to hit my goal of 18 weddings for the upcoming year. (fingers crossed)

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all of you who have been with me through the mistakes, the fumbles, the growing pains, the learning curves, and still stood by to support me and my dreams!

I do this because I've loved photography my entire life, but also because I want to be able to provide an income for my family. My husband has sacrificed a lot over the last 4 years to provide for us and our kids, and the greatest gift I can give to him is to do my best to give back; to contribute something financially to the household so he doesn't have to fly to a different province every month, just to give us a nice life. His dedication to us is unparalleled, and I want to show him the same devotion. If i can do that, and also follow a lifelong dream, than, how can I not? 

I look forward to showing you all our new son, as soon as next week, on my SWP facebook page! 

I wish you the happiest of holidays, the merriest of celebrations, and all the yummy food you can handle! I myself, cannot wait to have a mimosa on NYE :)

Love, always,

Reens xoxo

Everything, now

well hello there! I wanted to touch base before the month of December as its gonna be pretty crazy! Especially for me and my family, as we are preparing for the addition of our 3rd baby, and winding down work for the rest of 2017. 

The last month has seen many, many hours of editing, meetings, and SO much time behind the camera; at the beginning of Oct I did 12 shoots in 10 days! It was awesome but I can honestly say, I probably overloaded my plate a little. I'm the kind of person who hates to turn down the opportunity to work, so I scheduled a ton while Jeff was home. I am thankful to have a partner who is so supportive, and doesn't mind doing ALL of the cooking, cleaning, and child minding so I can focus 100% on my work-Thanks Handsome Husband!

Thank you to everyone who reached out to me for wedding bookings for next year; it looks like I *might* hit my goal of 18, fingers crossed!

So, in all my meetings with potential brides and grooms, I started handing out Welcome Folders, complete with a letter to say hello, a questionnaire about wedding details, a list of Family Formal photos, and of course, my contract. I've just added a few more things in the last few days, but just doing that small thing, has helped keep me organized and feel like I have my shit together, at least somewhat ;)

In chatting with clients, I noticed a few things;

1. more than a few had mentioned that the reason they chose me (out of ALL the AMAZING photographers in this city) was because I gave my prices, right up front. 

I have nothing to hide; I'm new, I'm cheap(-ish) and I certainly don't want to waste your, or my own time, going for coffee only to discover immediately that we wont be a good fit, either due to budget, location, or various other expectations that cannot be met.

2. my 'style' is not set in stone. In almost every photography group/forum I am part of, most pro photogs INSIST that you must find your own style, stick with it, and don't change it.

I completely disagree. I love ALL styles of editing. Some days, when shooting, I like to edit bright and airy. Other days I love dark and moody. Sometimes I'm all about super bold colors, and other sessions make me edit very muted colors and/or hazy mattes. For me, it has a lot to do with the mood I'm in, the feeling I get from the clients, the light that day, what I've been reading, what photographers work I've been drooling over that week....

I understand consistency is important, but can I be consistent in say...8 different ways?

Also, of course, I always ask what the client wants. I don't feel like I'm compromising myself by modifying to what they are looking for. On the contrary; being flexible in a profession in which trends are changing weekly, makes you adaptable, and therefor you will have a greater  variety in clients.

I'm in love with photography, all of it.

You want bright and bold? 

Sweet, lets do it.

You love hazy, muted images?

Awesome, I love that too.

Just bold, black and white? 

Yesss please!

I feel like ONLY doing one type of editing for your work, is limiting, and I feel like for me, I would get terribly bored; I wouldn't be pushing myself to grow, to learn more, and my work would become stagnant. My career would be over before it even started.

3. some of the best feedback I've gotten, from all previous and even future clients, is that I'm friendly and easy going. Can I just say that, yes! thats true! I AM very easy to get along with, I'm almost always smiling, laughing, or trying to get you to smile and/or laugh. 

Having a good attitude is one of the MOST IMPORTANT tools for a photographer to have in their repertoire. I want to bring good energy, smiles, happiness, and an overall feeling of love, wherever I go. I'm in love with my life; my husband, my kids, my family, my friends, and my job. I am genuinely a happy person and it shows.

I've been given some really great feedback from clients, mentioning all of these points, and the thing is, I didn't even think about how important that stuff reeealllly is. 

I kind of took it for granted that all wedding photographers were like that; I mean, they only do it cuz they love LOVE right? They're hopeless romantics like me? They are married to the love of their lives and want to bask in LOVE all day long? 

Megs and Tony

I know that Calgary is full of stellar wedding photographers, most better than me. What sets me apart is my ability to adapt, my openness, and my attitude. I am trying everyday to get better and better at this craft as its something I'm very passionate about,  something I want to continue doing until my body wont let me. 

Signing off for now,

giant Baby Belly in full effect,

me and The Chaos Crew

Reens SWP

xoxo

your love keeps lifting me higher.....

Hello friends :)  I hope you've had an amazing summer! Its been too long since I've written an update, but as I've said, blogging is not really my jam, and also... MAN! I've been BUSY! 

I've been learning a lot, and hopefully improving! Getting to know my Full Frame Canon has been fun, and the difference in the quality of photos is incredible.

Other than weddings, I've been photographing families, engagements, maternity, little ones, nature, aurora, and even managed to squeeze in a boudoir marathon as well!

At the beginning of August I went to Kamloops, my hometown, to do some work for one of my oldest and dearest friends from childhood, and was able to see and photograph my family, which was nice! 

Becki, a friend I've had since I was 11 years old. Shes one of the most honest, hilarious, fun people I know. I'm lucky to have her :)

Earlier this month I went to San Diego to see my Bestie and do a little work there as well.

In the coming months, I'm hoping things slow down, even just slightly,  as December our little man will be making his appearance, just after Christmas (be prepared for an insane amount of newborn photos as I'll have nothing else to do but practice :))

Bron, the other love of my life xo

San Diego, California

My god parents, my Aunt and Uncle, in Kamloops, during the worst fire season ever

This year, I will have done 9 weddings, which seems unreal to me. I feel like I'm living a dream! Everytime I start getting packed up and prepping for a couples big day, I always think how lucky I am to do this. If you havent already guessed, I am a HUGE sucker for romance and everything related to love. Being able to even attend 9 weddings in a year? So special. 

How wonderful a job, to get to be a part of peoples most special day; a day to celebrate this wonderful thing called LOVE, and to witness the very first steps a couple will take in their lives together as married partners. Blessed, I am, very, very blessed.

Ive been able to see so many couples say I do, and get to hear their love stories: how they met, how they got together, and how they fell in love. Almost every time, I get a little teary eyed when I get all the mushy details....

See? Sucker for LOVE, right here!

I was wondering what I could write about, other than the magnificent weddings I've been to, and fantastic people I've been so happy to meet. 

In addition, I wanted to share a little more about myself, in hopes of giving people a better idea of who I am if we haven't met, yet...

I also have been mulling over an "about me" section on this site, and when conversing with colleagues on exactly how to do that, they've all asked me the same (and most important) question...

"why do you do what you do?"

So, I decided the most important thing that I can talk about, is the LOVE of MY life; my husband, my best friend, my co-pilot, my baby-daddy, my everything.

I do it all for him, and our boys as well, but it all started with him.

My Sweet Baby Angel, Jeff.

Photo Credit-With Love Photography, on Vancouver Island

Jeff and I met at a time when neither of us were looking for a relationship. We had both previously been in long term situations, and were kind of enjoying the time to ourselves.

After having just gotten out of a painful 10 year relationship, I had sworn off anything serious for at least one year, or at least that's what I told myself. One cold night in December (after a mere 2+months being single) I was out with a girlfriend at an East Coast Bar, here in Calgary. We went to meet friends for a few drinks, some dancing,  and a little fun on a Saturday night. 

We walked up to the lineup, and there he was; this handsome, tall drink of water, just standing there, completely unaware of how adorable he was. It also helped he was wearing a cool, vintage-looking jacket.

So cool in fact, my first words to him were-

'did you get that jacket at Value Village'

He replied,

'yes, and I have another one just like it at home-I got a 2 for 1 deal'

LOVE

Right there on that sidewalk, on that cold winter night, I started to fall in love.

We chatted for a bit, and I was completely enamored. We went inside and parted ways, but I kept my eye out for him and hoped we'd have a chance to talk again.

Sure enough, sometime later, I saw him dancing up a storm, all by himself, lost in the music of his people (he grew up in Cape Breton, and has a thing for fiddles-whatever)

Again, LOVE

You gotta admire a guy who loves to dance so much, he doesnt even need a partner. (ps-Jeff has some of the sweetest dance moves I've ever seen, I'm not even kidding)

A little while later, we had an opportunity to talk, alone, and get to know each other a bit. We talked and talked and talked some more. We could not be separated until the bar closed at 2am and we were forced to leave. I couldn't really grasp what was happening-I felt dizzy, and silly, and couldn't stop smiling and just needed to be near him-I wanted to just crawl inside his arms and stay there forever. Of course, I played it super cool and kept my distance, but I knew there was something really magical happening, I could feel it right down to my bones.

We, and 4 others, shared a cab ride home. Jeff and I in the very back, and he held both of my hands in his. I thought it was the cutest thing I had ever seen.

When it was time for me to get out of the cab, we had a very small, innocent smooch, and from that moment, I absolutely knew he would be mine. I knew he would be my husband, the father of my children, the love of my life. It was some kind of a crazy chemical reaction; my body and his...I cant explain it. I just knew.

Over the next few weeks, we spent every moment we could together, just drunk on each others company, and never being able to get enough. It was insane. I had friends that were like 'are you sure? you just got out of that other thing? you wanted to be single?'

I assured them that this was it, Jeff was the real deal, and I was falling in love very hard, and very quickly. It terrified me, but I hadn't ever felt like this before, and I had no choice but to give it everything I had, despite my fears.

Just 3 short weeks later, after spending Christmas together (and, believe it or not, getting our FAMILIES to spend it together as well!) on New years Eve, Jeff (sweet baby angel) Brown, told me he loved me, right at the stroke of midnight, at a very fancy gala, downtown, in Devonian gardens.

That's really where it all began, our little love story. Its been almost 11 years, and I love him more every damned day that goes by.

Photo Credit-With Love Photography, on Vancouver Island

Our life together is really, really easy; we are always on the same page, we have the same ideas about how we want to live, work, how we want to raise our kids, and how we can be good partners to each other. 

Jeff sacrificed his home life to go work in another province to support the family when, after having our second son, I closed my first business down to become a stay at home mom. We were both prepared to make sacrifices for the sake of our family, which is one reason why we make a great team.

Jeff is the reason I went to SAIT to get my certificate in photography; yes I wanted to do it because I LOVE photography, but I also wanted to bring in some financial support for my family. I love being a stay at home mom, but I am the kind of person that needs to work; I love engaging with people, being creative, having fun, and I love bringing home a paycheck.

Jeff supported me and encouraged me and had faith that I could make it work, when I wasn't even sure myself. I never ever thought I would be a photographer, even though I've loved it my whole life. I hadn't known that kind of support before, having someone believe in and encourage me like that.

He has shown me what true love actually is; unrelenting, patient, unconditional, consuming, ridiculous, fun, and never-ever ending...

I have always been a romantic, always wanted a really good partner to go through this life with, but Jeff really blew all my expectations out of the water. He is truly the most magnificent man I've ever met, and I count my lucky stars every day that I get to call him mine.

Photo Credit-With Love Photography, on Vancouver Island

He, and our boys, are why I do what I do. Jeffs loves inspires me to feel love, share what I love, to spread love, recieve love, and to be as loving as I can, whenever I can.

Im just a hopeless romantic, in love with the man of my dreams. 

I think that makes me a good person to have photographing your wedding, your engagement,  and all of those special moments that are about LOVE, don't you think? ;)

I'll be in touch again soon, xoxox

Reens

Ps, if you are ever are on the island, and are looking for a photographer (because I'm not available that is ;)) please look up With Love Photography.

http://www.withlovephotography.net/

baby, baby....baby?

Hello my loves!

I have to admit something to you all-my last blog post was very....subdued? very....bland? I am a very emotional person who finds it extremely difficult to keep secrets, and that is exactly what I was doing. I had to try my best not to let on, or say anything remotely alluding to 'the big secret'

Before I get to that, (yeah, I'm gonna make you wait a sec) I wanted to talk about newborn photography. It is my Everest. I find it extremely difficult, and honestly, Im not that good at it. I have turned down work from prospective clients because I dont feel Im good enough to charge whats it worth to do it. 

I find it challenging for a few reasons; Im nervous with other peoples newborns, I cannot put them into all those super cute, wrapped poses on all the baby photography pages I follow, I need a studio for sessions as its too hard to work around spaces in other peoples homes when trying to do it all with natural light, and its VERY time consuming, because lets face it-we're working around a baby, and their schedule is not conducive to yours, ever. 

I want to buy all the props and backdrops and cute outfits, but honestly, that shit is expensive, and do I really want to invest hundreds of dollars (if not more) into a part of photography that I might never be good at?

I do, like I really do, but what if I spend the cash and put in the effort and try and try and try, and I still suck? 

Lately, I've only been doing it for friends, for 2 reasons; 

1) I am emotionally invested in my friends babies; I inherently love them already

2) My friends will forgive me if I suck (and I give them smoking deals)

But, Imma 'bout to get ALLLLL the practice I need this winter......

yup, thats right! we are expecting our 3rd little one this winter, sometime around the end of December/early January.

Let me tell you a little but about mine and Jeffs Baby Journey thus far;

Firstly, back in 2006 when we started dating, within a few weeks (yes really) we had 'the conversation'

you know the one; 

do you want to get married one day?

do you want to have kids? How many?

what is your idea of 'family'? What kind of life do you want to build for your kids?

We were exactly on the same page (which is one of the reasons I fell for Jeff so hard, so fast)

We wanted to take the time to get to know each other and live together and have all sorts of fun before we decided to have babies. We totally took it for granted; like, you know, we'll just try and we'll have one (or 2 or 3) and it will be easy and that will be that.

We were wrong.

In early 2010 we took a trip to the Yukon to visit friends and all the things were in place (ovulation and all that junk) to make a baby.

We had been kind of trying for a few months, but we knew this was the best chance we had had so far. And guess what? it worked!

We were over the moon excited to start our life as a tribe of 3, and quickly told all our friends and family (I don't believe in waiting the 3 months with those closest to you-more on that later) We were RADIANT with happiness, we started planning and reading and preparing.

About 6 weeks into the pregnancy, Jeff and I went to a movie at the theater and right away, I knew something was wrong. We had both been to the Dr earlier that day and had seen the little beans heartbeat on the ultrasound (and cried like babies ourselves)

That night, I just knew. When we left the theater, I was in tears, trying to tell My Love that something wasn't right and we were going to lose the baby. He tried his best to console me and assure me everything was going to be ok, but I think he trusted I knew my body, and might be right.

We went home and I called healthlink for advice, but, unfortunately, a few hours later, we lost the baby. 

I wont get into the details further, as it is still extremely painful for me (even after all this time) but I can honestly say it was the most heartbreaking experience we had ever been through together. We stayed home for 5 days and cried and cried and cried; for losing someone we had created out of our pure love, someone we wanted so badly; to love and cherish and adore with everything we had. We also cried at our complete arrogance (or ignorance?) that we could just try to have a baby and it would be easy and there would be no problems at all. 

We received flowers and food and cards and hugs and well wishes from our friends, family, and employers. I was so grateful that we had shared the news of our pregnancy so we didn't have to go through that sad time alone. We needed them to lean on, and I'm not sure we would have made it through without their support and their love.

We cried, we talked, we smooched, we drove to the mountains, we cried a little more, and we started to heal, together. We waited a few months and then we started trying again.

But.....it took A frigging YEAR to get pregnant again. And yes, 'trying' to make a baby IS fun, but its also super frustrating,when, as a woman, every month, you discover it didn't work-again.

For me, I just felt like such a failure; I am a WOMAN goddammit, with all these parts for baby making. I mean, biologically what the fuck am I here to do, OTHER than procreate?

And its not working? But I did all the things and I read all the books, and I even got rid of my microwave, for gods sake. Anything to make sure this was going to work. It was fruitless.

So after a year of doing yoga, meditating, massage therapy, aromatherapy, crystals, and any other stress relieving thing I could think of, I went to see a naturopath for some acupuncture.

Immediately after leaving the clinic, I went to hop on my bicycle and felt...different. Kind of drunk, really. I wondered if I should be riding my bicycle in this 'impaired' state.

The following week, we made a baby. I know there are a lot of skeptics about acupuncture, or Chinese medicine, or holistic therapies, or whatever, but I'm telling you-it worked for me.

Thank god, it worked, for us.

We were on cloud nine, and my pregnancy went very well (a few hiccups during delivery, but that story is for another time)

On February 4, 2012, we welcomed our first son, Kashus Logan Brown into the world. He is a big, beautiful, hilarious boy, who completely captured our hearts from the moment we heard his cry. I know that being a parent isn't everyone's goal, but for me, I just cannot imagine my life without THAT love; that special, un-bounding, unexplainable love that you have for your own children, and the love they give you in return. Its like nothing else in this world.

After a few months of trying in the winter of 2012, the fall of 2013 brought us our second son, Atticus Parker Brown into the family. This little guy was a handful right from the start, but his infectious laugh and beautiful (albeit, mischievous)  personality is something we adored immediately. Both of our boys bring us so much pride and happiness, we adore them with everything we have. I know, we had to lose that first baby because these two boys were meant to be ours. It had to happen this way so that Kashus & Atticus could be our little loves.

Last year, on our way to the island to get married, Jeff and I discussed whether or not we should have another. We had talked about it many times actually, always on the fence, never really coming to a definite decision. We decided we would think about it for awhile longer and come to a decision when we were ready.

Then, this year, I decided I really wanted to focus on Sadie Willow, and given my age (I'm currently 38, will be 39 by the time this little one arrives) maybe it would be best to hold off on another, at least for now.

SO......I get back from Cabo on April 15th, after a week of relaxing, drinking mojitos, some quality time with some of my best friends in the world, and we had some time before Jeff had to go back to work.....so one thing leads to another.... ;)

The level of shock, for both of us, in early May, when we discovered we were pregnant, after ALWAYS having to try so hard, is hard to explain. We just didn't think it could happen, not like that, not without conscientiously trying. 

Surprised? Heck yes! And we could not be happier! 3 babies was something we had always talked about, as we had both come from families of 3, and life is full of surprises right? We are both strong believers that everything happens for a reason, so, Baby Brown number 3, coming atchya, this winter...

Here comes all the practice time I need with newborn photography, and an excuse to buy all those cute little outfits..

thanks to everyone for all your support and love,

Reena, Jeff, Kashus, Atticus, and the new little one xoxo

Here we go again...

Hello :)

thank you all so much for the love and positive responses regarding my first blog post, I was slightly overwhelmed and very humbled. The boudoir marathon was a great success with lovely ladies :) Lindsey and I had so much fun, we are looking to do another in July so stay posted for the details on my Facebook page!

I was lucky enough to be asked to participate in the annual Give A Kid A Lift Charity event down at the Ironwood again this Spring :) Its a wonderful day filled with love, live music, yummy food, refreshing drinks, and many, many laughs (totally my kind of charity)

The purpose is to help out families who have children with mobility issues; installing lifts and/or elevators in homes to make life easier and more accessible! As you can imagine, these can be a huge expense, so the good people at Canwest elevators, Garaventa Lifts, and the Easter Seals of Canada (also Patrick at the ironwood) all pitch in their time and hearts to help out. Its such a great cause, and one I'm happy to be a part of.

this years recipients

Danny Nix and The Heat

Jory Kinjo

Can West Elevators had also hired me to do a shoot at the Porche dealership a few weeks later, to photograph their elevators (because as I told you before, I'll shoot anything)

It was fun and I hope to be able to do more commercial work in the future

The very next day I was off to Mexico to shoot a destination wedding in Cabo! This was my second trip to Mexico in the last 6 months for 'work'  and I was excited to see the pacific side

Iphone photo

I hadn't met the bride or groom beforehand, but some of my most favorite friends in the world had referred me to them (thanks Mike and Lisa!)

Jenn (the bride) and I got to know each other over email last fall, and got along right from the start; we knew we would be a good fit together. 

The Riu Palace was where we all stayed and also where the ceremony took place. It is a STUNNING resort, and everything went amazingly well. The bride and groom had 70 or so guests attend the wedding, most of them coming from northern Alberta, Ontario, and Newfoundland. 

taking it all in

They were a great bunch of people and I had a lot fun getting to know a few of them in the pool bar over the week ;)

This brings me to the purpose of this post; 

Qualities you must look for in a (destination) wedding photographer!! 

1-punctuality-vitally important! make sure your photographer isn't the type to miss a flight or be late to any scheduled photo event!

2-friendly, easy to get along with, and approachable-you need your photographer to be able to engage with your guests, and make them feel at ease! You'll get great candid shots if your guests feel really comfortable around your photographer

3-patience-It's a wedding. Things go wrong. Timelines get rearranged and things don't always go as planned! People can get irritable under pressure and wedding days are notoriously stressful. You need a photographer who is patient and understanding when circumstances change, and can even help put the bride (or wedding party, or family) at ease and stay calm.

4-prepared and organized-Make sure you sit down with your photographer asap to go over a timeline for the entire week. They need to know where they need to be at all times for photo events (excursions, boudoir, family portraits etc)

5-fun-to invite someone to spend a week with your closest friends and family, you want a photographer who is fun! They need to be able to enjoy themselves and contribute to this celebration of love! 

....but not too fun! You also need a photographer who is a professional, and knows their limits. Having a few too many mojitos can lead to bad decisions and overall embarrassment for everyone. 

6-references-make sure to either read some honest reviews online, or ask to chat with past clients to really know who you're getting!

7-experienced-depending on whatever deal you have made with your photographer, you need to know what they're capable of, and what you're expectations are, and hope they're similar. Make sure to go over their portfolios and see the work they have produced thus far. I also personally follow my brides Pinterest Boards to have an idea of what they're looking for, specifically.

8-love for the work-free trips are nice and getting paid is nice, but make sure your photographer LOVES photography! To only be 'in it' for the trip or cash, will not give you a great experience. You need someone who loves photography, can be creative, and has their heart behind it.

Not only has photography been a passion of mine most of my life, I also LOVE weddings! And I love LOVE! And I love knowing that the images I capture are going to be hanging on these families walls forEVER!! Its such a special time, and for me, bringing LOVE and photography together is a no-brainer.

9-good quality equipment-I recently upgraded to a 5D Markiii Full Frame Canon camera. It had been on my wish list for 2 years, and it meets all expectations! I also recently purchased a wide angle lens for those large group shots (and maybe for Aurora too) I bring a rebel for a back up, a PowerShot just for tooling around, and a Polaroid, purely for fun :)

10-has a contract in place-you need to be clear on what your expectations are, and what the photographers expectations are as well. Getting paid, length of time to receive photos, copywrite issues, and everything else! It needs to be clear for everyone so there are no discrepencies down the line.

Thank you to everyone for your support, and patience as it took me months to write a follow up to Blog #1! I am a full time stay at home mother to my 2 young boys and life can get hectic! I will always write when I can, and share photos from recent sessions.

Here's a few of my fave photos from the last few months...

Baby Juno

Nollans Easter Shoot

Miss Aria The beautiful

Northern Lights

Mommy and Me session

sunrise from my room

I woke up almost every morning at 630am just to watch it

Parade of Wonders

comic con YYC 

my youngest ❤ 

Ashleys Maternity Session

this gorgeous boy stole my heart on the beaches of Mexico  

my oldest xo

*tap tap tap* is this thing on?

oh hi there :)

My name is Coreen, or Reena, if you like.

I take photographs, I'm not a blogger, nor do I claim to be good at writing, but here I am! Blogging is something I never thought I would do, but I'm passionate about my photography and passionate about building my business, and if this helps, then I'm willing to give it a try...

Where to start? I have so much to say, but we have lots of time to get to know each other, right? I'll skip the details and just get to the most important stuff;

I am 38, a wife to the best human on the planet, Jeff, my *SBA,  a mother to 2 gorgeous sons, Kashus Logan (5) and Atticus Parker (3). I love to garden, listen to music, work out, spend time with people that inspire me, smooch, drink coffee, cook good food, and travel when possible. I am a stay at home mother who just finished a Photography course at the local technical school, and I want to get back to work; to learn, to engage with people, to have fun, and to be a better photographer. I discovered I need a creative outlet to be a happier and more content version of myself, so I'm just gonna go for it :)

*SBA-sweet baby angel

On our wedding day, July 2016. He IS a tall drink, isn't he?

My main focus will be weddings, local and destination, and also boudoir. (but between you and me, I'll shoot anything, like anything) I'm totally a photog-whore, and I'm ok with it. I also love landscape and cityscape, food photography, and photos of the loves in my life; you'll see plenty over the course of this blog.

In 2015 when I started my course at SAIT, I specifically said to my friend and classmate Shannon, "I don't want to do boudoir" I was sure weddings and babies would be my main focus. A few months later, I was asked by a friend if I would shoot her friend (Miss D) in a boudoir setting. Funny how things work out...

I agreed, but I was exceptionally nervous about it. A few days later, I had a phone conversation with Miss D, and heard about her decision to have a double mastectomy after being tested for the BRCA1 gene. She made the only choice she knew she could, as she had watched her grandmother and mother battle breast cancer themselves.

I'm not afraid to admit that there were some tears spilled in that conversation, and I felt an overwhelming connection to her as a Woman, and a Mother, which is something I wasn't really expecting, but completely embraced.

The day of the shoot, we met, we had a drink, we chatted, and we took the time to get comfortable with each other. We talked the entire time, laughing and making jokes as she moved through different poses, changed outfits, and touched up her makeup. It was amazing to me, that a woman would trust another person, to take nude/semi nude photos of them, without ever having met them, for such an important and emotional reason-that level of trust was baffling to me, and I felt so honored to receive it. 

Miss D, My first Boudoir Session

Shortly afterwards, I had another gal contact me through Facebook and ask for a bridal boudoir shoot. She was getting married on the same day as Jeff and I, so we had a lot of wedding things to chat about, and ended up having a really great time :) Again, Like Miss D, Miss I was fun and friendly and we were able to connect.

Miss I, Bridal Boudoir

Somewhere in there I ended up doing a Dudeoir shoot for one of our Best Friends in the world-what an experience! I hope to book more men for shoots like this; so please, contact me if you know of someone who would be up for it. This entire shoot was so much fun, for me, for him, and for his wife, as she was able to direct him through all the poses she wanted to see him in, to tease him and help him relax, and also, to remind him of why he was doing it: all for her :)

I'd say after these 3 experiences, I was hooked. I want to do boudoir all the time. Last fall, I rented a studio space and hired a make-up gal, then arranged a mini-marathon. It went really well; the girls were amazing to work with and I felt really inspired by their beauty. I knew I had to do another for Valentines Day.

In January, I rented an apartment DT for the weekend, got in touch with Lindsey, the make up master, bought a shit ton of prosecco, and we got to work; 5 gals over 2 days. 

Now Lindsey and I are actually related by marriage, and had always gotten along. We hadn't spent too much time together over the last few years, but I knew she had great energy and was super friendly. What I didn't realize, was how well her and I would get along, and how the energy we created between us, would really set the mood for the sessions all weekend. I love you Lindsey! xo

From the moment our first client, Miss H, arrived on Saturday morning, to our last session on Sunday afternoon, Lindsey and I were BUZZING off the energy that we received from the girls. We couldn't help but notice how we are all so different and yet we were able to find a commonality and get along so well (especially in a potentially awkward situation)

We were both so excited to be working, together, with women, and helping women to feel frigging amazing and confident, capturing it, and having a laugh. #blessed 

Here's the thing; When women can get together in an environment where they have no choice but to let their walls down and be vulnerable, they can also manifest this innate sense of sisterhood, even when they are strangers. Regardless of age, religion, background, or heritage, women can instill confidence, and be supportive, and share love, and just CONNECT. Its magical shit, and it doesn't happen often enough. In the last year I've met some really beautiful people (inside and out) and I just love feeling that connection, with women and men as well, it really is something to be talked about.

Most girls have their insecurities about something physical, whether its your chest or your nose, or your thighs or whatever. We all, can look in a mirror and see 50 things we don't like or wish we could change about our bodies. Every single girl that came into the apartment that weekend talked about the parts they didn't want to show off or which parts they wanted to conceal the most. Every girl came out in a piece of lingerie that they've had in their bedroom drawer for 2-8 years and never felt sexy enough to wear for their husbands.

Throughout the entire day, myself and Lindsey, looked at every girl and told her all the beautiful things we could see in them. It came from an authentic place, of wanting them to see themselves as we do, and all the beauty they had, inside and out. We wanted to build them up, to see them shine, and create more of that magic.

Every. Single. One, was so beautiful, in 1000 ways, and it broke my heart to hear what they hated about their bodies. But, as a girl, I totally get it. I used to hate so many things about my body when I was younger, but when I hit 30, then later when I became a mom, I loved my body in a whole new way.

Are there things I'd change? Heck yes!

Do I let it keep me up at night? Fuck no.

I love this body of mine-from my tree trunk legs to my linebacker shoulders-LOVE, all love.

By the end of each session, every single girl, had become much more comfortable (mimosas) and then started saying things like "I want to get a shot of my sweet ass" or "I want to show off my chest"

When I was dropping off their photos the following week, I was able to take a moment and discuss the whole experience for them, and they all said the same things;

They felt like a million bucks when they left

They had fun spending time with new ladies, talking shit and having a laugh

They felt sexier than they had in a long time (years, for some)

They were so happy with the way the photos came out, and especially the specific ones to capture their best attributes

They felt empowered and 'like their old selves'

They want to do it again, like now :)

Lindsey and I talked about it all weekend, that magic. That wonderful energy that women can bring to their life when they feel supported and part of a girl-tribe. Its so easy to get caught up in the day to day and to forget that we need to feel good about ourselves in order to share our love and light with others. We need to feel good to be good and to do good in this life. Being able to take a day for ourselves to get our nails done, maybe our make up, and maybe get a photo shoot done in a completely open and supportive environment, is priceless, and essential.

So, this is it; instead of focusing on all the things you don't like about your body, I want every women to name 5 things about their bodies that they LOVE. Then, find 5 more. Tell me your story, tell me your 10 things. Lets start focusing on loving all of ourselves so that we can share that love with our families and our friends. And tell your friends what you think is beautiful about them. I don't mean shit like "your cupcakes are amaze" I mean like "your shoulders are sick" and "I wish I had an ass like that" because you know, sometimes we forget. Sometimes we need to be reminded, by the people we are closest to, and sometimes by strangers.

So, just 5 things

then 5 more

Tell me, and when you've made the list, think about contacting me for a boudoir shoot, and I'll capture those 10 things, and maybe more...?

Reens xo

#justfivethings

#thenfivemore

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