The Carrieres – Candid Cornwall Family Photos
What do a rotten apple, veterinary-grade lubricant, spinning children, and a golf cart all have in common? Each one contributed to making this shoot a hilarious adventure.
I’ll let you in on a not-so-secret fact: I have a soft spot for grandparents. When Allison and Jarrett talked to me about doing a photo shoot with their family so that they could have some candid photos of everyone together, I was all in. I loved that they wanted to get some photos of Rene and Christine playing – instead of posing – with their grandkids. What I didn’t know was how much time I’d spend laughing while I was with them.
The plan was simple: spend some time in the backyard and pick some apples from the Carrieres’ tree. A storm blew through the night before and snapped off half the tree, making the fruit suddenly very accessible to small hands, which was an unplanned bonus. Calla and Ollie are both rough-and-tumble kids who really love to play. Get them outside and they’ll explore for ages. One of their current favourite games is taking turns being spun in circles. Grab their hands, feet, or a combo – they don’t care as long as you go for as long as possible. Knowing how playful the kids are, I let the adults know that all they needed to do was hang out together; natural personalities would take care of the rest. Boy, was I right.
Al and Jarrett recently learned that veterinary lubricant is the secret ingredient to making gigantic bubbles. Jarrett fashioned a couple of bubble wands out of dowels, string and washers. Genius. Ollie took on the task of popping the bubbles with the utmost level of seriousness. After chasing the bubbles around the yard for quite awhile, he announced – with clenched fists and face, and a level of seriousness only found in 3 year olds, “This is so frustrating.” Nonetheless, his bubble hunt succeeded and he sufficiently coated himself in suds.
Calla and Ollie both love apples and onions, of which there are plenty. Rene and Christine have an apple tree and their neighbours have a garden box that the kids are allowed to graze freely out of whenever they wish. I’m not as fond of the onion-and-apple combo as Ollie, but…. to each their own. Unfortunately for Calla, she picked an apple off the tree and bit into a rotten core (photo was left out because it still makes me gag. :P), so she stuck to onions.
The Carrieres delight in giving the kids rides on their neighbours’ golf cart. Actually, based on their huge grins, I’m not sure who finds pulling doughnuts in the yard more fun – the kids or Rene. They zipped around the yard a few times before heading back across the street to return the cart, visit with the neighbour, and returning bearing treats.
Before the younger Carrieres headed off for supper, there was a bathroom break because that’s what kids need. Except, this one was in the middle of the yard. Because that’s what little boys do.
Thank you, Carriere family, for being yourselves and letting me laugh with you. This was so much fun. :D
I’m Ang. I’m a Cornwall, Ontario-based photographer offering maternity, child and family portraiture in and around SD&G. Visual storytelling is what I do best; weddings and documentary family sessions are available worldwide. I’m an avid traveler and my passport is always up-to-date. I have dual citizenship with the UK and I’m ALWAYS ready for an adventure. Laughter is important in my life and in my work. My clients experience informal, interesting shoots that make them feel connected to one another and full of life. Please explore more of Moment.us Photography‘s site to see more examples of my take on storytelling family photography.
