photographer . magic maker

make your own magic: raspberry lemon hand pies

a month celebrating love and kindness could not have arrived at a better time.

we’re planning to spread as much warmth and goodness around as we possibly can this february, and what better way to start than tasty, heart-shaped hand pies?!

flaky and delicious, with just a handful of easy to find ingredients, we have almost as much fun making these treats as we do eating them and can’t wait to package some up to share some extra sweetness with our loved ones too.

RASPBERRY LEMON HAND PIES

– one box deep dish pie crusts
– 1 cup fresh raspberries
– juice from one lemon
– 1 tbsp sugar
– 1/2 cup powdered sugar
– 2 tbsp melted butter

1. roll out pie crusts and cut into heart shapes with cookie cutter.
2. spread out half of the hearts onto a lined cookie sheet.
3. mix together raspberries, sugar, and 1 tsp lemon juice, and spoon filling onto each heart.
4. top with remaining pastry hearts and press edges with fork to seal edges.
5. bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown.
6. prepare glaze with powdered sugar, melted butter, and 1 tbsp lemon juice (add a splash of raspberry juice for colour) and drizzle onto hearts.
7. add sprinkles and enjoy!

make your own magic: cherry lime mojito ice pops

summer is here and with it, the gift of time. there’s not much i love more than the magic found in warm, slow summer days with my family and i’m planning to take full advantage of every single one of them.whether we’re relaxing in the backyard or picnicking in the park, one of our most loved summer treats is homemade ice pops and with cherry season in full swing, these are our current favourites:

CHERRY LIME MOJITO ICE POPS

2 cups fresh cherries
juice of one lime
5 chopped mint leaves
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup western family vanilla greek yogurt

– remove pits from cherries.
– blend all ingredients except yogurt in blender until smooth.
– fill popsicle moulds 1/3 full with cherry mixture.
– add 2 tbsp of yogurt to each and top with more cherry.
– add sticks and freeze a few hours until solid.
– enjoy!

edmonton family photographer: an evening on the farm

i’ve never been one to book a lot of extended family sessions.

not because i don’t appreciate those relationships, but because the expectation is often that people just line up and smile in a bunch of different configurations and honestly, that pains me inside a little bit. so i’m here to show you that extended family photos can be so much more than that!

whether your family has mini ponies and bubbles and swings like this one, or enjoys baking or books or backyard bbqs, whatever it is that you love to do together, i promise you it’s worth documenting and remembering.

after the year that just passed, there is so much magic to be found in reconnecting with loved ones this summer. i’d love to spend some time with you and yours ✨

tidbits of magic: look for the magic

one of the ways i am most excited to celebrate this milestone month in my business is by sharing fifteen of the most valuable lessons i’ve learned in my fifteen years as a photographer. fifteen tidbits of magic, if you will.

over the years, this final lesson has become foundational in both my life and my work:

look for the magic.

if you’ve followed me for long, you’ll know i talk a lot about finding the magic in our days. in the best ones, of course, but even more importantly, in the ones that feel hard.

because whenever i make the effort to seek out and document something to be grateful for, it makes the tougher times just that little bit brighter. and i don’t know about you, but around here we can all do with a little extra light these days.

from everyday memories to vacation albums, from daily photo projects to monthly family films, the art i’ve created for my own family serves as a visual gratitude journal of all the moments i want to remember most.

i’ve incorporated this magic seeking into the way i approach photographing my client sessions now too. as we get to know each other and work together to design your family’s session, we’ll uncover what it is you are most grateful for and capture those memories, alongside all of the other bits in your messy, magical, ordinary days that are so worth remembering.

from the planning process, to the session experience, to looking back at your photos for years to come, you’ll always be reminded of the best bits in your days.

so whatever you choose to call it — magic, light, wonder, goodness, joy — i’d love to find it with your family ✨

tidbits of magic: show up in photos

one of the ways i am most excited to celebrate this milestone month in my business is by sharing fifteen of the most valuable lessons i’ve learned in my fifteen years as a photographer. fifteen tidbits of magic, if you will.

this lesson is for you. (and as someone who is far more comfortable on the side of the camera that no one can see, it’s for me too.)

show up in photos.

you know how they say ‘every body is a swimsuit body’? well, the same idea applies to photos.

i often hear people saying that they’ll book their family photos after they get their hair coloured, or they spend some time at the gym, or they find the perfect outfit. and while i completely understand wanting to feel your best for your photo session (and will definitely help you to feel that way), i also want to remind you that you are worthy of being seen and remembered just as you are today (and everyday) — no haircut, diet, or fancy clothes required.

in a society that sometimes feels designed to make us feel unworthy, there is no better antidote than standing in our worth and showing up. in recognizing that we don’t need to meet some preconceived standard of beauty to be worthy of existing in photographs.

these photos i have with my own parents are invaluable to me and let me tell you, none of the things listed above ever cross my mind. (i mean, other than the occasional laugh together about how much styles have changed — whether they splurged on a new outfit or not!)

i look at them and think, ‘wow, i am so grateful to have this photo’. ‘look how much they loved me’. ‘i remember how much fun we had that day’.

i’m going to wager a guess that you feel the same about your old photos too.

and one day, years down the road, our kids will look back at photos with us and think those exact same things.

so don’t wait. don’t hide in the background. be present. laugh hard. live fully. and get in the picture.

because photos are meant to preserve our memories. to document the moments and relationships and people we want to remember, and you (yes, you!) are most definitely worth remembering ✨