Fall brings the usual rush of folks looking for outdoor photos that take advantage of those beautiful colours that we get around here. This year, though, I’ve gotten to do some sessions with special people and today’s post highlights three of those. Up first are some highlights from a hilarious afternoon spent celebrating Muriel Moriarty’s 60th birthday. Anita and Shawna asked if I would be able to join them to document the day and take some family photos after Muriel had gotten over the surprise. Friends and family chatted and shared laughs while we waited for the arrival of Anita’s parents, who were then marched to the back of the house by Shawna and her colleague, who were both in full formal police dress (Muriel had been told it was a police event). The eye roll when she figured out what was going on was just priceless! :) I spent another hour or so working with any group that wanted photos, and shared a lot of laughs with everyone who came out to honour Muriel for her big day. I found it so neat to see so many of Shawna and Anita’s friends present, and not just because they’d come for Anita – when Muriel arrived, it was clear that each of them had a bond with this very special woman. As it turns out, if you want to hang out with a bunch of strangers and have a ton of fun while you’re at it, the Moriarty gang is the group to be with. What an absolute blast! :) 
Up next is a session that is kind of special to me. Like the other two sessions in this post, it involves multiple generations, but this time the family is my own. I rarely post photos of my own family because it feels like it’s too easy – it’s not really “work”, it’s often just a case of me being there with a camera. This time, though, it was planned and I can’t help but share. I gave Mom a gift certificate for Mother’s Day for a photo shoot with her grandchildren, and invited Dad to come along. When I headed down the street to my sister’s house a few weeks ago and discovered that the sumac was in full flame, we hastily scheduled a session for the next day when I had a rare gap in my evening schedule. As it turns out, photographing your three nieces and nephews all together when they’re all aged 2 or younger is DEFINITELY work. :P I earned every shot, but I’m so glad that we got all of these for Mom and Dad. When you check out the highlights, be sure to watch the many different expressions of the one and only Calla Carriere – this one’s going to be a ham! 
The final session for today’s post is the Harrison gang. Three generations, lots of adventure, and nearly a swim in the river. Okay, not quite, but the boys did get a little excited when running towards the shoreline and I wasn’t entirely sure that they’d stop when they got to the edge. :P Chris and Tessa are existing clients of mine, so when Tessa got in touch to see if I had room to do a session with Chris’s whole family, I was thrilled because it’s always great to work with the larger family and get an idea for who helped shape the people I work with. This family is SO sweet – they seem to genuinely connect and take interest in each other, which is awesome to see, and makes Chris and Tessa’s bond with their children make even more sense. The youngest boys worked so hard to help me make these photos happen. It’s incredibly easy for little ones to get distracted, but Harrison and Brady were superstars that day and played along each time I needed them to. Oh, and those trees that we used for the full group photo? Might just be one of my new most favourite spots. :) Here are some of their highlights: 
authentic. emotive. stories.
