Vancouver Portrait Photography // Michelle and Travis West Coast Family Portraits

Family portraits in North Vancouver before a cross-country move // Vancouver Portrait Photography

I know Michelle and Travis through our friends, and was so excited when Michelle reached out to me to take some photos of her and her family before they made a big move out east. What made this time in their lives even more special was that Michelle was soon due to deliver their second baby, and she wanted to remember this time in their lives, when Michelle, Travis and Lucas were a family of three on the west coast, before they became a family of four in the east.

We met in Ambleside Park, along the beach, and although it was a pretty chilly afternoon, the light was beautiful. We were lucky enough to have Lucas’s grandmother there as well, who kept him busy on the playground while I took some photos of just the parents. Lucas is such a lovable and well-behaved kid, and was giving me his biggest smile the whole time. He also insisted on keeping on his sunglasses at all times, so even at such an early age he is already more responsible than a lot of adults I know.

I loved seeing this family laugh and interact, and as usual my favourite shots ended up being the candid ones. Although grandma was not planning to be part of the shoot, I am so glad we had time to include her in a few shots at the end.

Every family needs some great photographs, so contact me today!

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Spring in Stanley Park with Daniel

Teenage portraits with Daniel shot on Vancouver’s Seawall // Vancouver Portrait Photography

My brother Daniel and I are 10 years apart, and these days it’s hard to find common ground. Gone are his preteen days where everything I did was the coolest, and he was all about my music and actually listened to my opinions on fashion. Now he is 16 and entirely too cool for me, so  I am glad that we have a shared love of photography to bond over.

I love when Daniel visits me downtown, it makes me happy to be able to show him my new neighbourhood, and it’s sometimes nice to spend some quality brother/sister time without the parents. On this day we decided to take a walk along the Seawall to scope out some good shoot locations, and came across this little bridge/tunnel connecting the main seawall to some of the forest trails. It didn’t look like much, but the way it helped light Daniel was awesome, and I love these shots of him, especially his facial expressions.

Teenagers change so quick, and I try and photograph Daniel as much as I can so I can remember him in all his different phases (I think at this point he may be starting to get close to a man bun). It’s probably a good time for your teenager to get some photos taken of them too, and maybe something a little more casual and authentic than the stuffy, rigid portraits they get done in school, so contact me to schedule a shoot.

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Suzy in the Sunshine

Natural Light Headshots for Suzy // Vancouver Portrait Photography

I met Suzy when I came to UBC and rushed a sorority. She was instantly so friendly and sunny and we just got on like a house on fire, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise a when a couple months later she was revealed to be my big sister within the sorority. She is all of 5 feet and 1 inch, and I always get a kick out of how I got the world’s tiniest big sister.

One thing you have to know about Suzy is that she loves to eat, and knows all the best places in Vancouver for any kind of food. She is like my own personal Yelp, and I have never had a bad meal with her. She was recently  on a trip through Asia, and her Instagram stories of ramen, sushi, and pho were making me drool on a daily basis.

With her love of food, it’s no surprise that Suzy is now becoming a dietician. She is studying, working, volunteering, and still somehow finds time to see her friends. I honestly don’t know how she does it.

For this shoot, we headed outside to shoot in the natural light and contrast Suzy’s beautiful pink dress with some greenery. I love that Suzy is down for anything, and happily knelt down beside my flowerbed when I assured her that those yellow flowers will look stunning in the background. These shots turned out great, especially for a quick impromptu shoot, and I can’t wait to see one on her dietician profile.

If you are a professional and are in need of some new headshots, contact me today for all your Vancouver headshot and portrait needs.

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Puddle Jumping with Stella

Making the best of a rainy day on the Sunshine Coast // Vancouver Portrait Photography

One of my fiancé Shane’s and mine favourite weekend activities is visiting our friends Melissa and Galen on the Sunshine Coast. They have the coziest wood cabin, and we have enjoyed watching them transform it into a beautiful full-time home over the last couple of years. However, the best part of visiting them has to be seeing Shane’s goddaughter Stella. This kid is the best; she is smart and funny and unbelievably cute and already surprisingly athletic for her age.

We were there for the first time Stella kicked during Melissa’s pregnancy, and held her when she was one day old. Surprising no one, I was immediately in love with this baby, but the real shock was how instantly attached Shane got to her; as soon as we left their apartment that first day we held her, he insisted we drive to Richmond to buy a baby bath and a variety of other gifts for Stella. His immediate adoration of this tiny human earned him the Godfather title.

On this rainy day on the Sunshine Coast, we got Stella dressed for the weather in the cutest bright red MEC romper and packed her in her wagon to play in a nearby park. She was so happy to jump in the puddles and splash around with her dad, and I am in love with the colourful playful shots I got.

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Moody Portraits with Dana in Lynn Canyon

Dana and I head out into the woods for some moody shots // Vancouver Portrait Photography

Dana is one of the most interesting women I know. She is from HK, and has the slightest bit of a British accent that I catch once in a while. She is curious and driven, and always seems to be working on self-improvement, making for a motivating friend.  From the very first night that we properly met, we bonded over mutual interests and I knew we would be friends for life.

In the past six years I have known Dana, she went from not being particularly athletic to first becoming a certified yoga teacher, then getting into aerial arts, and now also teaching it! How impressive and inspiring is that?! We are planning a yoga/aerials photoshoot soon, so stay tuned.

We ventured out to one of my favourite spots, Lynn Canyon, where the forest is lush and such a deep and vibrant green, making the perfect background. I experimented with some different lenses and reflectors, and produced what are some of my best images to date.

I love that Dana can be so serious and poised one second, and silly the next. I have included some of our blooper photos because I think secretly those are her favourite. Having a great time during a shoot is so important to me, because comfortable subjects make for more genuine photographs.

A shoot doesn’t need to be stiff or complicated. Contact me, and we will hit up your favourite park, enjoy some fresh air, and get beautiful portraits.

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Svetlana in Stanley Park

Soft autumn light portraits in Stanley Park with Svetlana // Vancouver Portrait Photography

I love photographing my mom. I think in part it is because I know growing up in the USSR in the 60s she only has a handful of photos from her whole childhood, and I now want to balance that out by photographing her as much as I can. But also, I just think my mom is beautiful, and I love being able to capture that in photos that she can keep forever.

For this shoot, we met downtown and then walked down to the Stanley Park seawall. The day was sunny, and we were blissfully happy to be surrounded by all the fall colours. Seeing all the yellows, oranges, and reds oranges sometimes leaves me in such awe that I don’t know what to do with myself.

I strategically used a tunnel to place Svetlana in the best light, creating contrast between the dark background and her evenly lit face. It’s always a fun challenge using what you have on hand to manipulate natural light and create flattering portraits.

The best thing about photographing your mom is how much patience she has for you while you are trying out new techniques (patience I’m sure she developed during my teenage years, sorry mom).

I love these shots, they feel warm, she has a real sparkle in her eyes, and it is so special to me to be able to take my mom and create images that she loves, that show her the way she sees herself, and I know she sends them to all of her friends to show off her new portraits.

Every person is worthy of excellent portraits, and I can’t wait to create yours.  

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Nina Shares the Spotlight with a Surprise Co-Star

Nina’s portrait shoot becomes a couple’s shoot when Carumba demands to be included in the fun // Vancouver Portrait Photography

With the Vancouver skies grey and rainy, Nina and I opted to stay indoors at my North Vancouver home studio and shoot some portraits.

I met Nina about two years ago, through Bumble BFF when it first became available in Vancouver. Those first couple of months were exciting, girls were constantly organizing meetups, everyone was involved and meeting new friends. The initial excitement quickly died down, but luckily Nina and I already became good friends by then. We share a love of Pokerrito (sushi burritos), and it remains our go-to lunch spot.

Growing up with a photographer mom, Nina instantly seemed comfortable in front of the camera, and I got a lot of great shots, especially with her magical-looking unicorn hair. We were in for a surprise when Carumba, who I was cat-sitting at the time, wandered into the room, displeased that the attention wasn’t directed at her like it usually is. Nina picked her up, and what resulted were the most fun and genuine photos of the session. Who can resist such a photogenic cat.

I would love to shoot your portrait with your cat/dog/hamster/goldfish/hedgehog (hedgehogs are my absolute favourite, so if you have one, I would especially like to hear from you).

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Actor Headshots for Yoo Ra

Local actor Yoo Ra visits my studio for some new headshots // Vancouver Portrait Photography

Yoo Ra and I met back during my time at UBC, but lost touch after I graduated. When she reached out to me, looking to update her headshots, in time for an upcoming role in a production, I was excited for an opportunity to reconnect. She met me at my North Vancouver home studio, and we picked up right where we left off.

The first thing I noticed about Yoo Ra when she walked in was her long silky hair, which she had expertly curled, and I immediately saw how great it would look in photos. The second thing was her smile; she was so buoyant and our conversation flowed easily through the shoot, going from reminiscing, to finding a surprise common love of RuPaul’s Drag Race, to discussing her upcoming role.

I find Yoo Ra’s acting career so inspiring, because she only started acting when she got into university. I think a lot of us have hobbies or interests we wish we pursued, but maybe feel like we missed the boat because we didn’t start young. I definitely sometimes feel this way, but that is such nonsense. As long as you’re still alive, there is still time to fill your days with things you love to do. We might not all become world-renowned, but we can all find a little extra happiness in doing the things we are passionate about.

Yoo Ra is lovely, and it was a lot of fun watching her personality shine through in the photos. As much as I loved the serious actor headshots, it was more fun cracking her up, resulting in images that seem to get to the heart of who she is.

If you are in need of some fresh new headshots or portraits in Vancouver, I will be happy to help!

Vancouver Portrait Photography // Nina + Braden Holiday Shoot

Nina and Braden snuggle up for a Christmas-themed shoot // Vancouver Portrait Photography

Winter is the time for twinkly lights and cozy sweaters, so when Nina came to me looking to get some photos with her boyfriend Braden to send to her mom back in Kingston, Ontario, I was immediately excited to photograph this lovely couple and see what we could come up with.

We met downtown near the Vancouver Art Gallery on a chilly Saturday, and had such a good time playing around with different props, hats and sweaters. We decided to go really cheesy with this shoot, giving it a “family Christmas card” kind of vibe.

Nina’s and Braden’s personalities really shone through in the photos, and I loved getting to capture them cuddling, talking and laughing. Being in front of the camera can be very intimidating when you’re not used to it, and while Nina was a natural, Braden took a little while warm up to the camera. My favourite part of the shoot was watching the couple gradually relax, have fun with each other, and show off their silly side.

If you are recently engaged, or maybe just want some nice photos of yourself or your significant other to post on Instagram or send to your mom, contact me for all your Vancouver portrait photography needs.