Whether it’s a portrait session with your loved ones, an adorable pet or just something special for you, photos from these sessions should be natural, authentic and reflect who you are.
I don’t set out to create the “perfect image” of you, or your family because while those “perfect shots” can look pretty, I believe real life is more beautiful. My portrait sessions won’t be the traditional “stand there and smile” sessions, but rather we will create sessions that can showcase those little things and little moments that paint a picture of who you are. (pardon the pun! I couldn’t help it). My goal is not just to capture something that looks good, but something that feels good too. Life is precious, don’t wait for the “perfect” time to have your story recorded.
It’s not often that I photograph a child alone, though Isla’s mom was with us and did make appearances! Little Isla gets photographed once a year, around her birthday. I think it’s a great idea to create documentation of your little one’s childhood. They grow up so fast after all. I’ve always loved photographing children, not only because childhood is such a precious time but because they are so trusting. If you open your heart and show your true self, they do the same. As a photographer, that trust is something very precious that allows you to photograph something authentic and pure, something that can be hard to do with older subjects.
I photographed Brittany and James’ rustic farm wedding back in 2014, and a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet and photograph the new addition to their family: baby Audrey.
There’s an undeniable feeling of joy and wonder in the air in their little family, and I felt so blessed to have been able to capture these. For these guys, home is Saturday morning in bed and your loved ones are by your side.
When the leaves turned a beautiful colour in October, I had the opportunity to photograph the wonderful Paan family in Orangeville. They were referred to me by Tanya, whose lovely family I have photographed a couple of years ago.
“Home” has always been a fascinating concept to me. There is the saying that “home is where the heart is”, and amazingly (as it usually is with language), there is a similar saying in Chinese (and probably in other languages as well). It means different things to different people. Perhaps it’s a small but modern apartment in a metropolitan city; perhaps it’s a 50L backpack filled with only the essential things you need to survive and travelling the world; perhaps you only feel at home with your parents who you know will always love you unconditionally.
For the Paan’s, I think home is a full house in the country, with two furry friends in tow and space to roam & explore. Maybe because I’m an only child and most of my family have always been far away, but I always thought I wouldn’t necessarily want a big family. Then I met the Paan’s, and thought, “hey, this isn’t so bad”. I know what I saw was only a small slice of their life, and that there must be days that feel hard and challenging (but isn’t it like that with all families regardless of the size?) But still, seeing how happy, loving, and harmonious they are within their family, I couldn’t help but think that all the hard days must be so worth it.
Thank you, the Paan family! For opening up to me and letting me document a little slice of your home.
I first met Sigga when I was in Iceland in March, 2014. We’ve kept in touch since then, and when I was back in the country at the beginning of the month, I had the opportunity to do a family photography session for Sigga and her two adorable little ones, Bergur and Elisa. The morning was cold as we played on top of frozen seaweed by the ocean, but my heart was warm. This time of the year, the sun rises around 11:30am and sets again around 3:30pm. It feels strange how short the day is but when the sun is out, the light is amazing and it’s like it’s golden hour all the time. The light never gets too harsh.
Thank you Sigga for having me photograph you and your sweet little ones! I had a blast! Here are some favourites from our time together.
By the end of the session, little Elisa was quite fascinated with my camera, she snapped a few shots, including the below photo of her mom :) Not too bad I have to say!
I met Micaela, her two boys and her partner Morgan at Alexander Muir Gardens on a summer evening for some maternity photography. The boys certainly added a lot of fun into the session! They ran around barefoot, photo bombed us when they weren’t in the photos. They reminded me why I love photographing children so much – their genuineness, authenticity, how easy it is to connect with them. They haven’t spent years building up facades; if they are happy, they will laugh; if they are sad or angry, they will cry. Parents, even if you don’t get professional photos taken, take lots of photos yourself – not the posed kinds, but capturing the everyday moments. Because they don’t stay that way forever. But I guess that’s why those years are so precious.
Strength, bravery, and spirit. And family. That’s what this session was about, and I’m so honoured to have been able to document it for Emily and her family, as part of a charitable initiative for Smiling Eyes.
I also wanted to share what Emily’s mom Megan wrote for me afterwards:
“Our family was celebrating an unusual milestone in our photo session with Janice, and she handled it with grace and professionalism. It was the one-year anniversary of our three-year-old daughter’s leukemia diagnosis, and we wanted to document the occasion in honour of her strength, bravery and spirit. We were referred to Janice by Smiling Eyes, a charitable organization that offers professional photo sessions to families affected by childhood cancer. We were unsure about the whole process, but she immediately put us at ease. She was warm and sensitive to our situation while demonstrating her obvious experience and expertise. Most important, the photos that came out of our session are extraordinary. We are thrilled with the keepsake we now have of this moment in our lives. Janice captured the joy and spark in both of our girls. That was our hope in this venture, and we’re grateful to Janice for this gift.”
