HOLLYHOWEphotography

i've moved.....

2011-03-01T08:31:00.000-04:00

i will no longer be updating this blog as i'm moving today to my NEW BLOGSITE -- complete with a new logo, a new header, scrolling images at the top (examples from my portfolio) and all kinds of new goodies. i'll keep this one live for a while, as i still want past clients to have access to the 'links' of their sessions.:)

well...so long, jarojophotography.blogspot.com. ;) you've been good to me! :)))

see you over at http://www.hollyhowe.com/!!!

engagement | jen & dennis: part II

2011-02-17T00:15:00.002-04:00

.....annnnnnnnd here's 'part II'! enjoy!!!!!! xo!

hey jen.... i take it you're ticklish! ;D

FAVOURITE. :D

jen was so cold........

and that's a wrap! :)))

engagement | jen & dennis: part I

2011-02-16T21:25:00.001-04:00

jen & dennis - i had an absolutely AMAZING time with you guys! thank you for opening up to me and my lens!! i think, because of that, we came up with something pretty fantastic (if i do say so myself!)!!! :D i'm honoured to be your wedding photographer and cannot WAIT for october 29th! wooooooo!!

enjoy your 'part I'!!! xo!

--H

the RING.

stay tuned for 'part II'........ :D

'love words' by the skit guys.

2011-02-15T14:59:00.000-04:00

haaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!! LOVED this and had to share!! (joe howe, take notes for NEXT year!! teehee!)

happy valentine's day to ma honey!

2011-02-14T13:08:00.003-04:00

may 8, 1999. the happiest day of my life.

look at the family God has given us! i am so grateful! ("...the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes." --psalm 118:23).

thank you for being such an amazing husband and father.

i love you. WE love you.

xo.

engagement | emily & jason: part II

2011-02-07T16:40:00.004-04:00

e&j -- thanks again for a WONDERFUL shoot!! (...and for not laughing too hard at my frozen pants! ha!). can't wait for july!!!!! :)))

all my very best as you plan your wedding day! :)

--H

he's so sweet to her......

em, you're going to make ONE. GORGEOUS. BRIDE.

engagement | emily & jason: part I

2011-02-06T19:25:00.003-04:00

words can't fully describe how i feel about emily & jason. even though we've only met (actually, we first met at the 'consult' just prior to the shoot!), i feel like i've known e&j for YEARS!!

i am smitten. and i am BEYOND excited to be your wedding photographer. enjoy your 'part I'. :)))

--H

ps - we warned. the 'cuteness' factor in this session is a 10+!! :)))

stay tuned for part II!!!!!! :))) eeeeeeeeek! i LOVED this session!!!!!!!

today's dose of inspiration 2.

2011-02-06T16:18:00.000-04:00

Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV, ©2010)

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

...and a couple of 'sneak peeks' to end the night.

2011-02-04T21:44:00.001-04:00

one for emily & jason.

...and one for jen & dennis.

more comin' soon........ :D

UPDATED! booked dates for 2011.

2011-02-04T21:09:00.007-04:00

hey everyone!

as i posted on my Facebook wall.... i'm so excited about 2011. my first year in business, full-time -- and i have 7 (SEVEN!!!) weddings booked! wooooooooooo!!!!!! i AM feeling incredibly honoured and blessed to be invited into 7 couples' lives. 7 new journeys. ahhhhhhhh..... can't believe it! :D

that being said, i accepted my LAST 2011 wedding gig this past tuesday night. i won't be taking any more. joe & i have decided that for right now, for our family's sake, 7 is good. :)

the booked dates for 2011 are:

may 7
july 15, 16, 23
august 13
september 10
october 29

if you're just visiting HOLLYHOWEphotography, and wanted to inquire about me being your wedding photographer this year -- i'm so sorry. :( but please know that i would love to chat with you, and will even recommend another photographer whom i have full confidence in! :) oh, and i AM booking now for 2012. :D

just wanted to fill ya'll in. happy weekend!!

--H

challenge day.

2011-02-03T14:47:00.005-04:00

i attend a group for moms on tuesday mornings called 'mom2mom'. it's hosted by my church...and i love it. this week, the lead team invited a man & his wife, ken & bonnie smith, to speak to us about youth today, bullying and a process to combat that called 'restorative justice'.

it's a movement to initiate dialogue, restoration & healing and getting kids to 'cross the line' -- where a leader asks questions like, "if you've ever been made to feel ugly or stupid, cross the line..." or "if you've ever been belittled because of the colour of your skin, your gender, your sexual preference, your religion, cross the line..." one by one, teens (and teachers, administrators...principals even!) were challenged to cross the line. POWERFUL stuff, when you see that you're not alone....that we're more alike than we are different.

well, i gotta say....what a POWERFUL morning. lots of tears, lots of questions for ken....how we can bring 'challenge day' to our area schools. i, for one, would love that.

anybody with me??!

baby | jonah's a year old!

2011-02-01T20:01:00.003-04:00

oh my goodness! can you believe jonah is a YEAR OLD?!?!?! i must say -- it has been wonderful to see and document jonah during his first year..... what an absolute CUTIE!!!

well, i won't make mama j wait too long for these. she's been ever so patient! ;)

couldn't decide which to post -- colour or b&w. you're getting both. :)

the somers family were very gracious in allowing us to shoot in their home! (thanks guys!) such gorgeous, open light.... ahhhhh. YOU, my friends, have a GEM of a home..... BEAUTIFUL!

anyhoo...jill came home and gave jonah lots of 'encouragement' - to play and giggle and smile! he loved being chased! ha!

too precious for words.... moments between a baby and his mama. <3

then, jonah decided to 'ham it up' for a bit. ha!

hope you've enjoyed some of my faves! all my best, moore family -- and THANK YOU again! xo!

--H

thank you, netflix!

2011-01-31T13:04:00.002-04:00

joe & i got netflix this past Christmas...so in our 'downtime', we've been trying to use up the free trial they give you for a month. it's pretty great. no need to leave your house to rent a movie! yay!! :) last night, i needed some serious r&r so joe went a-searching for something i'd like. (LOVE him.) he found Benny & Joon -- my all-time favourite movie!!!! ahhhh....it is crazy good!!! seriously. fell in love with johnny depp as an actor in this flick. ah-mazing. and mary stuart masterson (not quite sure what she's been in since...). phenomenal.

thank you, netflix. you're my new best friend. :)

family | the harrisons

2011-01-28T11:47:00.004-04:00

i've known the harrisons for a LONG time. in fact, i can't remember a time when i DIDN'T know the harrisons! :))) such an amazing family. murray & natalie were so thrilled to have all of their kids home this past Christmas! ...and to top it all off, it was their 1st grandchild's first Christmas! (you'll recognize josh & leanne and their daughter, anaiah, from their session this past fall...which you can see here.)

i loved spending this afternoon with you guys! thanks so much -- 'grandma', 'grandpa', josh, leanne, alysia, chad, chris and sweet anaiah -- for calling on me to capture these memories for you. it was an honour. :)

enjoy a few of my faves from your session! (...and it's been a long time comin'! thanks for your patience with me! xo!)

--H

murray & natalie.

josh, leanne & anaiah.

ha! love alysia's reactions....

anaiah's portraits with grandma & grandpa. precious!

then we ventured over to mapleton park for pictures outside! it was a gorgeous day -- but oh so cold!

ha! anaiah was a trooper!

alysia & chad.

we started down a trail and noticed some chickadees in our midst.

i looked over and saw everybody with their hands out, for the bird to land on... (it's not uncommon at mapleton to have the birds come right up to you to be fed...but to look around and see everybody's hands out...ha! it was funny). :D

love this shot of alysia and chris.

peek!

i LOVED the outfit choices and colour combos in this family.... it really worked against the snow!

ha!

love it!!! thanks again, harrisons! xo!

family | the guptills

2011-01-26T15:20:00.004-04:00

it was a 'snowy' shoot...that's for sure! ;)

heather & dan were married this past august (yay! congrats again!!!) ...but the week of their wedding, adia came down with appendicitis -- and wasn't able to be in her dad's wedding! (can you imagine!) so needless to say, she didn't get to wear her dress or be in family pictures. :( heather contacted me on Facebook and we set a plan in motion to get together on a saturday & take some pictures --aaaaaand on the site where they had they wedding photos done! it was a beautiful day for it, too....up until noon hour. ha! did it ever snow... :O

dan, heather, isaac & adia -- thank you for letting me share in some 'memory-making'! i had a ball! :)))

enjoy! and all my very best!

--H

happy wednesday, all!

we remember.

2011-01-25T14:45:00.001-04:00

have you ever been driving down the road and a song comes on the radio, and you're like, "....whoa. God. i really needed this right now. thank You..." this was me, just a few minutes ago. i had to rush in (get the kids settled first) and share this with you.

even in the midst of a hectic pace of life, no matter what space i find myself in.... the challenge is to remember Jesus everyday... to remember to thank Him for this life, to carve out time in my day to pray and read His Word. to remember to delight in Him and remember all that He has done for me.....

anyhoo...just a bit of inspiration for the day -- some NEWSBOYS goodness! :D

how could we forget
when You touched the earth on that starry night
angels sang glory to God on high
we remember

how could we forget
the moment the water became wine
stories of men leaving all behind
we remember

the story burns upon our hearts
a beautiful and binding scar
forever we will
forever we will think of You

we remember
we remember You, oh Lord
we remember
we remember You, oh Lord

how could we forget
there in the garden You cried for it
the city that cursed You and turned You in
we remember

how could we forget
death has no power and we are free
the good thought of us there on calvary
we remember

the story burns upon our hearts
a beautiful and binding scar
forever we will, forever we will think of You
oh think of You

we remember
we remember You, oh Lord
we remember
We remember You, oh Lord

oh, the things that You have done
and great things You've yet to do
oh, Jesus, we remember You

how could we forget
the moment Your love rolled the stone away
our hearts were opened our lives were changed
we remember

how we could forget
the promise of hope and that trumpet sound
we'll see Your glory roll back the clouds
we remember

we remember You, oh Lord
we remember You our King
we remember You the Son of God
Who came to set us free

how could we forget
when You touched the earth on that starry night
angels sang glory to God on high?

experiencing a bit of difficulty posting the latest session. :( hoping to get the kinks worked out soon so you can see 'the guptills'. so fun...and SNOWY! ;)

booked dates for 2011.

2011-01-20T16:45:00.014-04:00

UPDATED!
if you are looking for a wedding photographer, i am currently booked on these dates:

july 15, 16
july 23
august 13
september 10
october 29

email me for a quote or answers to your questions about what i include in my wedding packages. i'd LOVE to hear from you! :)

in other news.... :D i'm thrilled that i'll soon be able to cross off #1 and #2 on my '11 for 2011'. very exciting! :))) can't wait to show you the new look of HOLLYHOWEphotography! woooooo!

stay tuned!!! :)))

the many faces of jacob howe. (...and a 'happy birthday!')

2011-01-18T20:31:00.008-04:00

look, nan!!! no hair!!! ;D

happy birthday, big guy. we love you. xo. (k. mom's done taking pictures.) ;)

baby | isaac, 8 months

2011-01-18T13:01:00.000-04:00

can't believe that isaac is already 8 months old! seems just yesterday he was this little.

well, amy had arranged for me to come and capture some of isaac's '8-month-old self'. when i arrived, the little guy was still sleeping. tooooo cute! LOVE a sleeping baby.... :)

while i waited, thought i'd get a few nursery details.

...and didn't have to wait long! look who's up! :D

teething much?!

thanks again, klassens, for asking me to document the milestones of your family. i always have such a great time with you! thank you! xo!

hope you've enjoyed these faves o' mine! :)))

--H

grad portraits | emily

2011-01-12T20:23:00.019-04:00

still have a few 2010 sessions to post...but i'm slowly catching up. doesn't help that the kids don't go back to school til the 11th of january! ;) anyhoo...thanks to all my clients for being patient as i get back at it after the christmas break. your photos are comin'. :)

first up, this new year, is my kids' piano teacher! emily is graduating from Mt.A in may (she's a piano major, like i was!)...and man, is she ever talented!!! each year, she & her family host a little christmas recital and (from what i've heard...this was our 'first'!) emily always starts the recital off by playing some from her own repetoire. she wowed us all with a chopin étude. you should have seen her fly! oh. my. un. real.

thanks for asking me to take your grad photos, emily! here are a few of my favourites from your session! i hope you like them! :)))

see ya tomorrow for the kids' lessons! ;)

--H

before we headed out to some different scenery, i snapped a picture of e's mom's christmas village. love this!

we went down st. george blvd and found an open field. (yay for new locations!) emily was freezing cold and an AMAZING sport! :)

isn't she the cutest??!

can't wait to do some more shoots with emily in the future! next up, some headshots and 'her at the piano' shots for her to promote her upcoming grad recital! looking forward to it!!! :D

thanks em! you're the best!

happy birthday to me!

2011-01-06T12:18:00.001-04:00

i'm the big 3-5 today. eeeeeesh. ;)

all in the family.

2011-01-03T16:23:00.004-04:00

robyn asked me yesterday if she could take my picture. of course, i obliged. i was needing a new profile pic for my facebook page anyway... ;) so i turned the dial to 'auto' and away she went. they turned out pretty good, miss robyn! what's impressive is the fact that she could lift the thing, let alone get some good shots! my 50D, plus the battery grip PLUS the sweet new glass i got for christmas (thank you, santa! xo!) make for some pretty heavy weight!

all photos taken by robyn howe. editing by mommy. :)

"mama, make a funny face..."

"kinda jiggly", she said of this after.

i said, "hold it still, robyn, and point it at mommy's lips."

yes, i have a chipped tooth.

every now and then, she wants to pick up my 'fancy camera' and try it out. maybe she'll follow in mommy's footsteps?! :D

goodbye 2010, hello 2011.

2010-12-31T14:31:00.010-04:00

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV, ©2010)...

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

looking back on 2010, i feel incredibly blessed and encouraged. i got to work a TON, meeting some amazing babies, bellies, couples and families along the way. a sincere THANK YOU to everyone who entrusted a memory, a moment, to me this past year. i am endebted to you and your trust. special thanks to liz & merrill and jamie & adam for being amazing brides & grooms this past summer!!!! love you all! :)))

as i look ahead to 2011, i am excited beyond words to take HOLLYHOWEphotography (and in fact, HOLLY HOWE!) to the next level. here are my 2011 goals:

1 - developing and launching a new logo

2 - further enhancing my 'brand' and the experience i offer my clients

3 - launching a new blog & website

4 - reading more and getting even more acquainted with my camera and gear

5 - renovating my home 'office', making it inviting as a meeting spot for clients and just making it inviting for me to come to work everyday. ;)

6 - investing in a macro lens

7 - investigating the offering of prints to my clients (currently i give clients their images on a DVD)

8 - getting healthy (and eeeeeeesh, take a look at that pic up there. can you say TIRED??!!! 'getting healthy' will mean REGULAR exercise, drinking lots of WATER, eating right/using portion control and going to bed NO LATER than 10PM. i LOVE what i do so going to bed at a half decent hour will be a challenge for me. i'm also a 'nighthawk' by nature so i do my best work in the 2nd half of the day. we'll see how this goes..... no, we KNOW how this will go. it's gotta get better.) :)

9 - spending more time with my kids individually...realizing the treasures they are and what makes them tick! :)

10 - spending more time with joe. ....and not just sitting in front of the TV or on our prospective laptops in front of the TV. actually have that 'date night' every week that we've been talking about doing! yeah. we need that! :)

11 - spending more time with the One who created me. this goes on my list every year, but when you get busy (which i will call myself INDEFINITELY), a daily quiet time is the first thing to go. but i can't function without this last and most important goal. i need to 'be still and know that He is God'. i need to be reminded of the treasure that i am in Christ - that i was bought and paid for at a great price. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.) thus the reason for #8! i want to honour God in everything i say and do, so that my life may be a reflection of Him.

so yeah. i think that's it. we'll call it '11 for 2011'. pretty lofty set of goals, i think - both professionally and personally. but i know i can do it! :)

what are YOUR goals for this new year?! do share!

merry christmas!

2010-12-25T20:09:00.004-04:00

*i'm taking some time off over christmas to spend some quality time with my family.....so just to keep all of blogland informed ;) i will be back 'in the office' when the kids head back to school, the week of january 10th. :))) i'll be checking in from time to time, and may even update the blog with some personal posts, so please - if you're wanting to book a session (starting mid-january) or if i can help you in any way, don't hesitate to email me (see link to the right ---->) or contact me (if we're friends) on facebook. :)

thanks so much, all!!! trust you're enjoying this precious season with the ones you love!!

--H

a baby changes everything.

2010-12-23T16:11:00.002-04:00

a baby did INDEED change everything. His name was Jesus.

Luke 2:11-14 (NIV, ©2010)

11 Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: you will find a Baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests.”

merry CHRISTmas!!!!!! xo!

our christmas portraits.

2010-12-21T15:51:00.011-04:00

a few weeks ago, i set up the tripod in an ATTEMPT to get some pictures done of my own little family. ha! what a riot. (well, not at the time......3 year olds......that's all i'm going to say......)

here's the 'official' portrait.

yes, i'm including a 'blooper reel'. enjoy. :P ...and yes, it started to rain during our little shoot. we were IN IT TO WIN IT! ;D

hard to believe jacob is going to be 8 in january. such a handsome fella...growing up and maturing before our very eyes. love you, sweet boy. xo.

our robyn joy is 6 going on 16. my favourite girl. love her inside and out. xo.

and josiah. named after king josiah in the OT, who became the youngest king of judah (at the age of 8). you give us a run for our money, little man, but we love you to bits! xo.

gotta love the hair. ;)

before i forget and in case i don't get to mention it to you in person.... have a wonderful Christ-centered christmas!!!!

all our love to you and yours!

--H

finding the perfect tree and decorating it!

2010-12-20T20:32:00.013-04:00

ahhhhhhh......i love the tradition of going to a local tree farm and finding the perfect christmas tree. it will never grow old to me. i will love it forever.

here are some pics of our 'tree finding' adventure. enjoy. xo.

robyn's saying, "come on, mama! let's go!"

ha! josiah. the face.

awwwwwww...sweet boy. he just wants to help. (sniff!)

our kids LOVE to decorate the tree. and ya know what?! i let them. i don't care if it's not perfect. :) robyn was all excited because mama picked out ribbon this year....and PINK ribbon, at that! ha! you should've heard her.......

memories for a lifetime. that's what we're doing right here. :)

i kind of jumped ahead of myself with this post (re my new favourite ornament). ha!

ahhhh...candy cane ice cream. a lovely festive treat to finish off the day. :)

bokeh-y and pretty.

seriously. i love christmas. i think my heart grows like 10 sizes this time of year......... :)

the digital story of the nativity.

2010-12-19T20:49:00.004-04:00

LOVE this!!! brings it home....today. :)

...and my current favourite rendition of a christmas carol.

2010-12-15T15:45:00.000-04:00

lovin' me some james taylor. enjoy.

my new favourite christmas ornament.

2010-12-15T09:01:00.002-04:00

hmmm. wonder why?! ;)

family | the pollards

2010-12-14T21:55:00.005-04:00

hey pollards!!!

even though this was probably THE COLDEST shoot ever, i had a wonderful time getting to know your family through my lens! :D (...but i have to tell ya - robyn was SOME disappointed when i got home, to learn that i got to hang out with sydney!) :)

enjoy these images and enjoy - even more - a blessed christmas!!

all my best!

--H

ethan.

sydney.

ohsopretty! (yep, it's one word. i checked.) :)

sydney was ROCKIN' the pink! wooooo!

kristin & debra-lee.

gotta do a self-portrait every once in a while. ;)

would love to get together again.....when it's not so cold! :D yes?! oh, and sydney - robyn wants to borrow your pink jacket!

family | the macmillans

2010-12-10T22:35:00.015-04:00

ohhhhhhhhh, how i love it when a friend recommends me to one of her friends... EEEEEEK! so exciting! i LOVE meeting new people!! thank you, lisa, for connecting with me on Facebook and getting this all started! :) it was wonderful meeting you and your family, especially the macmillan grandchildren - alicia, kate, lexi and sadie! you are ALL super-adorable!!!! :)

enjoy these pictures from our time together! :)

--H

ha! sadie...when i asked her how old she was! :)

these are for you, shirley. ;)

ha! lexi having a BIT too much fun chasing the ducks. hilare.

alicia.

kate.

cousins. on a log.

lisa and sadie. LOVE this mother/daughter moment.

alicia and her mom, tania.

ahhhhhh lexi. you could have been my muse all day. so stinkin' CUTE!!

kate and her mom, alana.

the kids with their grandmother.

the whole crew!

the girls with their aunt darlene.

and a few family photos. (included a 'blooper'...couldn't resist! ha!)

be still my heart. love these of you and your daughter, lisa. wow.

phewf! 2 more albums to edit, my last family shoot of 2010 tomorrow, a consult/engagement shoot at the end of next week, getting MY family's pictures edited and to the printer....thennnnnnnn i'm on holidays!!!!! :)))

YAY!!!!!!!! having such a BLAST!! thanks everyone for reading and keeping up with HOLLYHOWEphotography!

you're up next, pollards! :D

family | the evans

2010-12-09T10:41:00.002-04:00

GAHHHHHHHH!!!! i'm so über-ly excited to share the evans' photos on my blog!!!! what a fantastic family, and what a fantastic session!!!! :))) when debbie asked me if they were my first 'snow' shoot, i giggled. yes, absolutely! you were my first snow shoot of the season! and i have to say, i LOVE shooting outdoors in the winter! the snow is such a natural reflector - everything is so much brighter. colder, yes. but brighter. :)

well...thank you, evans fam. there aren't enough words to fully describe how i feel about you all. (you'll recognize melanie from her session earlier this fall...) i had to step back a few times during your session and just stand in awe of your family. so much love, support, laughter, genuineness, Christ-centeredness... i hope and pray that, with God's help, joe & i can raise this kind of family. :)

sincerely, it was such a pleasure for me to spend the afternoon with you. thanks for welcoming my children (they make another blog appearance today! wooooo!), for josiah's banana (that kid...) and for just being so excited to have me do your pictures (check out the next one below! ha!). i think you're all fantastic!!!

thank you, thank you! xo!

--H

sweet!

the über-adorable melanie. (like my 'word of the day'?! über. ÜBER.) ;)

the seriously handsome nicholas.

garry's reaction when i said that melanie looked all grown up. ha!

LOL. debbie...

ha! they're nuts.

thanks guys! can't wait to do that again! :)))

family | the arsenaults

2010-12-06T22:35:00.002-04:00

ahhhhh!!! i absolutely LOVED spending the afternoon with this family! alice & clarence - THANK YOU!! julie & dino (and andrea!) - your home is gorgeous and we wouldn't have been able to pull off an indoor shoot without all that wonderful natural light! (we got a HUGE pile of snow that day! wooo-weee!) :D

thanks, everyone, for allowing me to capture these moments for your family!

--H

janelle, chloe, leah & shawn.

jessica & her boyfriend, trevor.

ahhhh chloe. you're a sweetie. :)

ha! yeah, this is dino & julie.

i don't know who was laughing harder....me or jules! :D

j&d have an international student living with them for the year. (yay andrea!)

the couple who started it all - clarence & alice.

siblings. gotta love 'em. :) (from left to right - julie, jessica, alan and janelle)

ha! alan, you crack me up.

leah loved the camera, and my camera loved her. :)

the whole group.

mom, dad and the kids. :)

ha!

dino and his impressive ninja skilllllllllzzzz.

leah reaching for the cheezies...

...then proceeding to put a WHOLE handful in her little mouth. it was quite funny. :)

andrea & chloe playing in the snow. (you don't see this at home, eh andrea?!)

the grandkids. :)

ha! (had to share!) this family has a sense of humour like NO OTHER. hysterical.

love these last 2 images. (sniff!)

thanks again, arsenaults!

christmas lights.

2010-12-03T09:39:00.000-04:00

coldplay's got a new tune out for christmas. it's a song of hope. check it. (love this band.)

christmas night, another fight
tears we cried a flood
got all kinds of poison in
poison in my blood

i took my feet
to oxford street
trying to right a wrong
just walk away
those windows say
but i can't believe she's gone

when you're still waiting for the snow to fall
doesn't really feel like christmas at all

up above candles on air flicker
oh they flicker and they float
but i'm up here holding on
to all those chandeliers of hope

like some drunken elvis singing
i go singing out of tune
saying how i always loved you darling
and i always will

oh when you're still waiting for the snow to fall
doesn't really feel like christmas at all

still waiting for the snow to fall
it doesn't really feel like christmas at all

those christmas lights
light up the street
down where the sea and city meet
may all your troubles soon be gone
oh christmas lights keep shining on

those christmas lights
light up the street
maybe they'll bring her back to me
then all my troubles will be gone
oh christmas lights keep shining on

oh christmas lights
light up the street
light up the fireworks in me
may all your troubles soon be gone
those christmas lights keep shining on

engagement | julie & dan: part II

2010-12-02T09:28:00.002-04:00

enjoy a few more of my faves! (ahhhh! it was so hard to choose which ones to post! they all turned out fantastic.)

engagement | julie & dan: part I

2010-12-01T20:50:00.006-04:00

a few weeks ago, i had the incredible honour of sitting down with one of my july 2011 couples. meet JULIE & DAN!

i've known julie since she was in middle school. (her mom is my cohort in crime/2nd photog at weddings/assistant extraordinaire, denise!) ...but this was my first time sitting down with dan. j&d met at briercrest and by God's leading and guiding, what started as a friendship became more. how wonderful to sit & hear their story (the twists & turns...and long car rides!). i was reminded that God works in amazing ways. :) well, it was quite evident that these two are SMITTEN and completely in love. they were so natural and at-ease with one another. i hardly directed them at all. :D

j&d - i'm so grateful that you have invited me in - to share in the excitement of your engagement shoot AND your big day next year! i cannot wait!! :)))

here's an early Christmas present. :)

all my love and thanks.

--H

julie! look how happy you are! :)))

i gasped then and i gasp now. soooooooo gorgeous.

ha! adorable!

julie realizing that she gave her 'E' 4 lines instead of 3...... too funny.

speechless. i was pinching myself.

part II will be posted tomorrow. :D ahhhh....i feel so incredibly blessed! congrats again, julie & dan! :)))

family | the moores

2010-11-26T11:38:00.005-04:00

a few weeks ago, i got together with donnie & keely, and their ADORABLE kiddos - isabelle (who's 3) and alex (2). i had such a BLAST with you guys! ...even though it hurt my feelings that isabelle & alex would rather have played on the playground.... ;) JUST KIDDING!!!!!! ahhhhhh....so fun.

hope you like your portraits, and hopefully the NEXT time ;) i won't be so sick! :D

--H

donnie & mini-me. ;)

so serious!

PURE. JOY.

(ha! love it, too, that alex is grooving in the background... too cute...)

love it, d&k! you'll soon be having an anniversary...am i right?!

isn't this adorable?!

magic.

baby | elijah's a year old!

2010-11-24T12:44:00.004-04:00

ever get that 'my-heart-is-so-happy-right-now-it-feels-squishy' feeling??!?! well, i do! a LOT!!!! i am LOVING my job as a photographer! since becoming full-time, i'm realizing more & more that - at THIS time in my life - THIS is what i was meant to do!

awww...i love this family so much!!! elijah was a pure JOY to photograph! and, even though it was F R E E Z I N G (my new favourite thing to do now - space my words for effect...yes?!), E was a total trooper!!!! YEAH!!!

thanks so much for making the trip up, heather (and nancy!). i think we came up with some lovely 1-year portraits of master elijah. next time, family portraits?! :)))

love ya's!!! xo!

--H

the eyelashes were not altered for effect. they're really THAT LONG! :D

favourite! <3

E was lovin' that swing! :)

'carrots' came by for a quick visit.

next up -- donnie & keely and the kids! :)))

grad portraits | teanna

2010-11-20T20:13:00.000-04:00

it was a REAL privilege for me to be asked to take teanna's grad pictures. she's graduating from crandall in the spring! way to go, tea!!! :))) annnnnnnd you'll see that this shoot could have easily been called a 'couples' shoot, as there are (probably!) JUST as many 'couple' shots as 'grad' shots! ahhhhh....these two were so cute together! :)))

all the best to you, teanna & sherwin, as you celebrate this massive achievement!! :D

blessings!

--H

i couldn't decide which one i loved more. in colour...

or black & white. t...you are stunningggggggggg.

ha! had to do it. ;)

mandatory self-portrait. :D

teanna and sherwin are DIE HARD leafs fans....so we snagged a few with them in their jerseys. :)

yay!!! what a great shoot! thanks, guys! i really enjoyed our time together & getting to know you both a little more! :D

kids | carly & dannika

2010-11-18T19:26:00.004-04:00

meet my new friends carly & her baby cousin, dannika. :D they braved a very cold saturday afternoon (apparently it SNOWED that morning - ack!) so we could pull off an outdoor shoot! YAY!!!

enjoy your pictures -- and it was lovely meeting you! :)))

--H

dannika & her mommy, mary.

love these. :)

posing is exhausting. eh, danni?! ;)

after a quick change, it was time to play in some leaves! ha!

then, we came inside to a warm fire! nice!

ha!

just a few more frames, d. ;)

thanks for putting up with me, sweet girl! :)

family | the campbells

2010-11-16T16:01:00.019-04:00

L O V I N G fall family sessions! :)))

to david, adriana, bea, thomas & alice -- thank you for being so fun & easy-going...and pretty much open to WHATEVER i wanted you to do! :D i think we came up with something pretty wonderful.

enjoy!

--H

an early-evening of amazing light + an UBER adorable family = 1 happy photographer! :D

tom's shoes. :)

feelin' the love!

the kids...when i asked david & adriana to kiss. teehee. too good not to share. ;)

bea.

alice.

thomas.

so sweet.

family | the copps

2010-11-14T20:05:00.015-04:00

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.
-- Desmond Tutu

i love photographing families. and this one was no exception. :) thank you, copp family -- to randy, ruth, lindsay, annie, alli, matt, mike & aj -- for letting me be a witness to what an amazing family you are. enjoy a few keepsakes from our time together.

all my best!

--H

thanks for going along with this, guys! ;)

G O R G E O U S sisters.

annie, lindsay, matt & alli.

aj & annie.

mike sweeping lindsay off her feet - literally! :)

lindsay & mike are getting married next year! congrats, guys! :D

L O V E the colours that are centennial park!

mike looking on! :)

randy & ruth.

the girls.

the boys.

remembering to stand strong and true.

2010-11-11T13:09:00.006-04:00

this song is a real testament and tribute to our canadian military.

i hear the guns i feel the fire
with my last breath my spirit flies
and i see the faces of my friends
fighting till the end
so many fearless hearts

i feel their courage and their pain
their lives should never be in vain
from heaven's gate a perfect view
a plain and simple truth -
is lighting up the dark

love one another that stranger is your brother
leave a footprint, everywhere you go
keep yesterday for giving, today just for living
say a prayer every night for tomorrow

i pray the past can teach us all
before another hero falls
before another mother cries, forever asking why
(why oh why)

can't we love one another that stranger is your brother
leave a footprint everywhere you go
(everywhere you go)
keep yesterday for giving, today just for living
say a prayer every night for tomorrow

standing strong and true, on guard for me and you
standing strong and true, on guard for me and you

so we can love one another that stranger is your brother
leave a footprint everywhere you go
keep yesterday for giving
today just for living
say a prayer every night for tomorrow

bless the true believers
who stand and fight for freedom
so we can live in peace right here at home
live in peace at home

keep yesterday for giving, today just for living
say a prayer every night for tomorrow

say a prayer every night for tomorrow

both jacob & robyn got to carry their class wreaths yesterday, for the remembrance day assembly at their school. i got to be there, too. to witness the absolute JOY and HONOUR it was for them.

so very proud to be a canadian, and on this day - remembrance day - to remember those who have given so much. may we never take for granted all that was and is being sacrificed.

"greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." --john 15:13

also, thinking and praying for my brother-in-law in afghanistan. come home safely, jon. we're standing...and waiting for you.

baby | meadow's a year old!

2010-11-08T08:50:00.019-04:00

first off, i just HAVE to apologize to my clients... i have been SO SICK this past week (who am i kidding?! the past MONTH!!!) that i haven't gotten much work done. :( i'm working hard at getting better but this bug is refusing to leave my body. BAH!!!

okay. i'm done. no more about me. :) this post is about meadow! :D

a few weeks ago, i got to photograph the 'divine miss M' with her mom & dad to celebrate her 1st birthday!!!! miss meadow, you are SUCH a sweetie!!! it didn't matter to you how cold it was - you were gonna shine anyway! such a lovable personality and joyful spirit! i could just eat you up! :)))

so... her mama went back to work today, after being off a whole year on maternity leave. :( kel - just wanted to say...THANK YOU for being such an encouragement to me. i think you're awesome! :))) it's my prayer that these images of your baby girl give you some love & inspiration today. xo.

--H

nothin' like flying in daddy's arms! :)))

ha! the look! :)

the 'but-officer-i-didn't-do-anything' pose. ;)

favourite!

ha!

adorable!

working on another family session now but due to lack of release, i won't be able to share the images here on the blog. once theirs are done, next up on the blog - the copp family! :)))

shine.

2010-11-02T12:52:00.005-03:00

came across this video today of david crowder's 'shine'.

be inspired, not only by the really cool use of litebrites...but the message of the song.

send me a sign
a hint, o whisper
fill me with life
'cause I am listening

come break the quiet
breathe Your awakening
bring me the light
'cause I am fading

surround me with the rush of angels' wings

shine Your light so I can see You
pull me up, i need to be near You
hold me, i need to feel loved
can You overcome this heart that's overcome?

You sent a sign
the hint, o whisper
human, divine
everyone is listening

death laid low
quiet in the night is stirring

all around the rush of angels

o the wonder of the greatest love has come

shine Your light so all can see it
lifted up, 'cause the whole world needs it
love has come, what joy to hear it
He has overcome, He has overcome

trunk or treat!

2010-10-31T22:46:00.007-03:00

my kids got to enjoy the first ever 'trunk or treat' at our church this afternoon! it was a community-wide event, where people would decorate the trunks of their cars and the kids would go 'trunk or treating'! ha! such a blast!!!! we did this in lieu of going door to door around the neighborhood. it was daylight (from 2-4) and wasn't going to keep kids up late at night. plus, it was fun & safe for the whole family! LOVED it!!! thanks so much, hillside!!! reason #1,001 why i love my church! :)))

oh, meet 'the zebra' (aka josiah), 'the bee' (aka jacob) and 'the kangaroo' (aka robyn). the guy on the left ('major')...he's not bad. ;)

so long, october! you've been good to me!!! many, MANY more posts of sessions & life comin' right on up! woooooohooooo!!!!

family | the humphreys

2010-10-30T22:37:00.015-03:00

I LOVE MY JOB. I LOVE MY JOB. I LOVE MY JOB.

...annnnnnd it's mostly because i get to work with amazing families like this one! jim, sharon & alex - THANK YOU for a GREAT afternoon! you completely filled my cup that day! jacob & robyn's too. they're still talkin' about that zipline! ha!

don't ever change. keep being the warm, kind, generous people that you are.

--H

playing in the leaves is fun! :)

love this one!

looks good on ya, jim!

LOL. the many faces of alex. enjoy.

perfect. :)

sharon, you're such a good mom.

proof right here. :)

ha! robyn on the zipline! TOO. MUCH. FUN.

thanks again, humphreys!