Clan McLenahan

I have known these most lovely families for quite some time.  In fact, Steve and Lisa were neighbours of mine years ago! I knew their boys when they were little, and was privileged to meet the rest of the family over the years as well.  We had done family photos a decade ago, so it was super cool to be asked to capture the updated version!  It is so amazing to see how families grow and change and I was touched at how personable and lovely they ALL were to hang out with.  Always a pleasure, always a treat to spend time with this group.  Here are just a few of our faves from that day.

 

 

 

 

xo

Jen

Silver Valley Ranch and the Paynes

When I hear people say that the prairies are so flat and boring, I think to myself "you haven't seen my prairies then". Alberta is blessed with the most amazing skies, rolling hills, lush grasses, copses of trees and all of them come together at Silver Valley Ranch.  When a dear friend asked me to come up north a bit to take pictures with their grand daughter, I didn't know what to expect.  But I could never have anticipated the vistas that greeted me.  A typical one hour session stretched into far more as we explored all the ranch had to offer.  And I came away with a profound connection to the nature I had enjoyed with them.
Angie and Romeo are the facilitators of Equine Enrichment - equine facilitated coaching. I highly encourage you to visit her site and if you are lucky, enter their world.
Here are just a few of the absolutely amazing shots that came out of that day. Enjoy!

 

 

 xo

Jen

Carla's Birthday

Carla had a birthday a short while ago, and thoughtful Cory gave her the gift of family photos-including the co-operation of her children. And they were fabulous! I love all the different shots we got. So here's a sneak peek for you Carla - hope you love them!  And you get to see all the rest tomorrow. :)

xo

Jen

Cassie, Jillian and Sandy

I love being invited to be a part of the various relationships within a family. So when Heather asked me to capture her daughters and their aging dog, Sandy, I felt honoured to be asked. This secret project is for their dad, so if you know them...hush hush....
Here is a teaser of a few of the shots from the day:

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

xo

Jen

Brynn

 

Oh my gosh do I love love love little kid energy! I love the challenge of getting them to connect and focus for a millisecond.  There is just something so satisfying when it all comes together and they feel safe and comfortable enough to be their fabulous little selves. My shoot with Brynn was just like this.  I love her pink tutu - it's perfect with the rustic backdrop and other than a touch of wind, the day was just perfect! Here are a few of her final shots. Enjoy!

 

xo

Jen

Griffin is 4 in 2012!

 

Griffin turned 4 this year so we celebrated with an awesome shoot in Griffith Woods! I love seeing all the different ways he's changed - including pure confidence on his bike! One of my favourite things about being a photographer is watching families grow over the years. Thanks for letting me be a part of this! 

 

 

  

xo

Jen

Wright Family

This past weekend was absolutely gorgeous. So add in to that a really nice family with a couple of awesome dogs and I had so much fun with this shoot! I love the colours in autumn. This year seems to have been so quick - not the usual gradual turn that we have.  Maybe it's because of the heat?  One of the things that I love about Fish Creek Park is that it is gorgeous ANY time of year.  I have never seen anything remotely unattractive down there.  So thanks for a fun day and enjoy this sneak peek of your images - I can't wait for you to see the rest!

xo

Jen

McMitchell

Click to enlarge

Summer is fading and as I gear up for what will surely be an insanely busy fall, I came across these lovely pictures from last year that went unposted.  We have such unbelievably beautiful parks in Calgary to take advantage of.  Fish Creek will always be my favourite because it is stunning in any season.  I love the richness of the fall colours even after the leaves have come off of the trees. And I love the sparkle in the eyes of the girls as they cavort and hang out with their grandparents.  I will mourn the fading of the summer's heat.  But the tang of new fallen leaves brings nostalgia and grace to my world.  This year I will revel in the colours and crunch through leaves shed for another year.

How will you celebrate the coming of autumn?

xo

Jen

Ashton and Alex

 

click to enlarge

 

This is why I love being a photographer. A gorgeous summer day, a family that I have been so fortunate to work with a few times and beautiful children. There is nothing about this that feels like work! Even when Alex didn't want to be a part of...well...anything...there is always a way around it.  Playing airplane with his dad or walking with his grandmother brought smiles to his face.  And as always, I love the moments that capture ALL the moods of the day.  Here are a few of my faves from the shoot!

xo

Jen

Shadow and her Peeps!

 

We had such an awesome day in South Fish Creek with the lovely Shadow and all her people! No mosquitos - which is unheard of in August in Calgary, a bunch of sunshine and awesome people.  My idea of an awesome shoot.  And for those of you that remember, the lovely Susan (formerly of Chipperfield Photography) is in these shots as well! Hope you guys enjoy your sneak peek - can't wait for you to see the rest!

 

 

 

 

 

  

xo

Jen

 

Crilly

A bit more catch up on some long overdue posts.  I'm embarrassed to admit that this one is from Christmas time.  It was such a pleasure to work with their family.  They take incredible care with her decorating and the whole house had such a lovely Christmas spirit. It had been years since they had done family portraits and they were in need of some updating.  Their girls are beautiful young women and everyone was so invested in making this shoot successful. Here are a few of their final images!

 

 

 

 

 

xo

Jen

Rogerson

These are some more of my favourite images from last year, that somehow I didn't get around to blogging.  I am trying to catch up on some of these posts now! The Rogerson's dog  Sidney was quite elderly and they knew that they may not have much more time with their lovely dog.  I love the simplicity of the location with all its texture, and how the pictures all become about the connection between them as a family. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

 

 

 

 

xo

Jen

Family Love Grow

 

 This is another long over-due post.  And weirdly - these are some of my favourite images from last year! They have been on my list to share for awhile, so thought this would be the perfect time.  Spring is here and this location is so gorgeous right now, that it made me think of this shoot.  I love working with this family. They are truly such a lovely group and I have so enjoyed watching them all grow and change over the last number of years! They let me play - unique images and check the canvas composites out! Such a different way to show your family off!

The top one is my favourite, and the full version has staples and masking tape and yummy grungy ink - you'll just have to come in to the studio to see it!

Enjoy!

 

xoxo

Jen