Edmonton Portrait Photography | Shannon & Laura

Another cold day in Edmonton yeilded some awesome photos again! Shannon and Laura wanted some photos take together to give to their parents who live in Newfoundland. Shannon's boyfriend came along too! It was high time they had photos taken together!

We started out in an empty field near their house in Edmonton, and then made our way to my favorite Edmonton location, Whyte Ave!

It was bitterly cold but we marched on in search of fun locations and great photos, and I know we got them. My absolute favorite portraits from the day came from the train tracks! I did something totally different this time and let the girls choose their favorites so I could 'Tag' them on Facebook. Here are a few of their favorite portraits!

Have fun on your trip home for Christmas Laura! I can't wait to hang out with you both again!

Brand new baby!

Congratulations to Herb and Hailey, who just were graced with the arrival of their beautiful baby boy! I shot Hailey's maternity pictures a couple of weeks back so I was super excited when she arrived this morning with baby Herbie in tow. I couldn't wait to get snapping on him - he is only a week old!

Snowshoes optional?

Two weeks ago, while my mother was here from Newfoundland, we embarked on spring cleaning. The key word was meant to be 'Spring'. We carefully packed away all of the winter coats, boots and gloves. Then we stored them all away, in a tidy fashion, deep under the basement stairs. I broke out my sandals, looked shamefully at my white legs and put on Capri pants. Spring cleaning all done, I went to scope out fun wedding locations for some upcoming events and looked hopefully at a park in Leduc.

The week went along very well. Not only was I happy that I was sporting my pre-pregnancy pants, but I was pleased as punch at feeling the sun on my legs and face. Spring had sprung, summer was just around the corner and I nearly was motivated to clean out my car. Nearly. Instead I took Bridget to the park, where she napped just as peacefully in the warm sun as she would have in her bassinet at home, while I was doing laundry. But I digress...

Then yesterday arrived. What a shock to the system that was. I was forced to put away my pretty red nail polish by covering it with slippers. Bridget needed fleece sleepers. I turned the heat way up.

And then today arrived...

Embarking on a trip to Wal-mart today didn't work out. There was 4 inches of snow on the ground. Every car in Edmonton was on the road and driving as though we were faced with the worst blizzard conditions of the century. I gave up and convinced the family perhaps we had best just go to Superstore.

If you know me, you would know this. If you don't, I will tell you. I hate Superstore. I hate the crowd, the bagging of one's own groceries and the idea that I have to pay for bags. Now I am sure I vacuumed up more money than my bags cost me today, but it's the principal of the matter. So the very idea that I was willing to shop there is a strong testament to the fact that I didn't want to drive all the way to St. Albert to pick up milk and eggs.

Walking into the store, we passed by a stunning display of those ornamental trees that folks who garden would plant in their yards. Taller than me, and incredibly full, they were indeed impressive. I am sure I would have noticed them, all on my own. However, my attention was drawn to them as an elderly gentleman powered by on his scooter and commented...'Might as well be Christmas trees.' He was right. This was amusing. I smiled at the man and his witty comment. The more ironic part of this story is that fact that located directly adjacent to these 'Christmas trees' was a giant display of annual and perennials and a very large bin of pool toys!

As I look out my patio door and type this, I gaze longingly at my BBQ which looks like a mere blob of snow on long black legs. It seems unfair that my empty propane tank is not the key factor preventing me from a enjoying a scrumptious grilled steak. It is after all, the depth to which my parka and to tuque are stored in under the stairs.

Sweet Sweet Baby

Now that Bridget is a month old, it was high time with toook some nice photos of her! She had fun hanging out with Daddy for her photoshoot at home on Sunday morning! I had been ever since the minute she was born wanting to take the photo of her in her fathers baseball glove, but with all of the visitors, it was hard to find the time for everyone to get their clothes off and stand in for pictures! She is a little bigger than I had pictured in my mind, but she is still precious-even with her angry face!

Bridget and I are both excited to be headed home to Newfoundland for two weeks at the end of May! I can't wait for all the Grandma's and Grandpa's and family and friends to finally meet her!

Check out the full slideshow to see all of the images at www.IslandMistPhotography.com/BridgetDaddy and let me know what you think!

Pretty Lady!

Its been ages and ages since I have posted. It's been a very busy time. Since my last post I have been so pregnant that I only was comfortable in the same pink sweater, what seemed like every day. Doctors were betting on how big the baby was and were astounded to know my mother was over 14 lbs when she was born. I was having regular ultrasounds and non-stress tests due to some early concern with the baby's heart so the size of the baby was a regular topic of conversation. I predicted I would end up with a C-Section, as it did feel like I was totally out of room in there.


On March 11 baby Bridget Annastaisia Reynolds made her arrival. 3 weeks early she did come by C-section, only after I sat in labour at home for hours and watched my favorite episode of Law and Order at 3am. When it was over I woke Jamie and we both figured that it was all in my head so I wandered around the house plotting how to smuggle snacks and bottled water into the delivery room. Finally we headed off and after I was examined, I realized I was halfway there! 19 hours later, Jai, the best nurse at the Royal Alex and quite possibly the world, decided that the baby was post anterior and I got to head off to surgery. The curious cat in me was desperate to see what happens down past the sheet when they are cutting you open while you are awake. Even with my keen persuasion skills, I couldn't convince anyone that it was a good idea for me to watch. Looking back that may have been the best idea for everyone because once I heard the baby cry and realized what just happened I convinced myself I couldn't breathe. I only assume that after that they knocked me out entirely at that point, as I woke up in my room with my friend Peggy and her kids looking at me, and had no idea where I was. Oh the things drugs will do!





Since that time I have been graced with all sorts of visitors who are only using me to visit with baby Bridget. My mom and step dad, my step mom, my aunt Carol and Uncle Barry, aunt Francie and uncle Cec, My cousin Phil and his fiancee Andrea, my great aunt Liz, my cousin Tina and her husband Mark with their kids and even a long lost cousin I had never met! Not bad for a girl who isn't from Alberta I figure!





It's been great and I have loved having everyone. Now its time to get on with the serious work. I have to take her pictures! It's been so busy all I have had time for is snapshots so tomorrow is a big day! I am positing a few of the snaps I have taken until I get the good ones done!





I hope you find her as cute as I do!

Wink!!! What a flirt!

Cuddling with Daddy after my first bath!

Talking to Nanny Barrett!

Spending an afternoon with Nanny and Poppy Barrett!

Hanging out with my Mom and Nanny!

Fluff!

I had a great afternoon with Amanda, Alex, Lindsay and Peggy at Rundle Park today! What a funny group! They were all cute on their own, but then a neighbor's super cute pooch showed up and jumped into the pictures too!

Amanda started a mutany when she got into some plants that had HUGE amounts of this fluffy white stuff (that I am still trying to get out of my hair and eyes!) Of course, she couldn't resist blowing it at her big sister!

Here are a few shots from the day! If you would like to see more, visit www.IslandMistPhotography.com/peg

High heels....

You know when little kids try on their mothers shoes and prance around the house? Everyone who bears witness thinks is cute and magical. I don't actually remember thinking it, but believe firmly at the age of 3 that I may have deemed high heels a threat to my future orthopedic health, and otherwise unnecessary. I don't think I did the prancing bit.

That said, in grownup years when finding comfortable, practical orthopedically sound shoes suitable for office environments (not geriatric units) proved difficult, I may have changed my mind!

Last night, I met a cute and magical lady. She traipsed through grassy knolls, muddy puddles, gravel parking lots, through wheat fields and fluff carrying 2 small children. She did it all like a fairy! In 4 inch heels!

I had the privilege to spend several wonderful hours shooting the fairy and her wonderful family in and around Edmonton last night. Aside from being stunningly beautiful they were warm and friendly and a pleasure to work with!

Here is a teaser of their photos for you to enjoy, just as I did!

There are very few things that make my blood pressure increase quite as much as McDonald's and dealing with Dell Computers. Mosquitoes really do their best to push my buttons though.

Because I got volun-told to be the scorekeeper for Daniel's baseball games, I have been spending a great deal of time outdoors. So much in fact I can't wait to see how wrinkly I will be as a result of all of this irresponsible sun exposure. I am currently working on a great case of crow's feet-this is exacerbated by my inability to ever find my sunglasses.
I was quite the bronzed beauty though, nothing better than nice brown arms in a tank top.

So now that the weather is nice I was so pleased I could go trotting around town showing off these nice toasted limbs, and have the general population envious of my sun tan. I was excited to hear envious passersby say, 'Did you enjoy your vacation to warmer and sunnier places? I am so jealous of that beautiful color.' Surely everyone I encountered would be green with envy over how brown I am.

And then it happened. As is to punish me for my new found vanity, God send an army of mosquitoes to devour me. To scar my arms and my legs and my neck for life. They stung and bit through a baseball game, a photo session, and each time I dared race to or from the car. Suddenly as if by magic (a very deep evil magic) they had consumed my tan. Faster than Michael Jackson lost his color, mine was carried off by creepy buzzing creatures. It looks like I have a case of the chicken pox to last the century. Swollen and lumpy and dark red and glowing white. My beautiful handy work of crisping in the sun is now nothing more than a foul looking pile of flesh, all bumpy and lumpy and oddly colored. I feel as though I should wear socks and sandals to protect the world's eyes from the site of my ankles which look like I made bad friends with a pit bull.

And so...I hope that when I arrive in Newfoundland (in precisely 16 days) that my friends and family will disregard the fact that it looks as though my flesh is rotting...and tell me I have a beautiful suntan.