My session with the Hicks Family was spread over two days due to frosty temperatures on our first attempt. They were actually my first and last session in Dartmouth. Dave and Kelly gave me a bottle of Highland Park 12 as a present, and on one of the really (sort of) cool evenings here in Victoria, I’m going to crack the bottle and be reminded of that freezing day at Fisherman’s Cove. Angus and Isla are super cute kids, and like past years, Islay treated me to a whole medley of songs during the session. This year’s mega-hit was Mr. Sun. Ironically we didn’t feel a bit of the warmth of Mr. Sun, but she was pretty cute singing the song.

When Finley got a new little sister, it was time for another family session with Shoshanna and her family. This year I went to their home in Balls Creek, Cape Breton for their session, and we had a bit of a warmer day than our last session a few years back. It was pretty neat walking into their home and seeing giant canvas prints of my images all over their walls! Hopefully there’s some wall space for some more images, because Isla needs her own wall of giant prints!

I had a session with the Whitty Family at their home in Mabou, Cape Breton, the Sunday after the last day of Celtic Colours. I had forewarned them that it was very likely I’d be out late at the Festival Club, but that I’d still be in top form for our shoot the next afternoon. With the family involved in pipe bands, they could relate to my need to stay up all night listening to fiddle music! My directions were to follow a dirt road until I came to a driveway with a red tractor. Two minutes later another email came through…’Look for the red tractor at the end of the driveway with a Cape Breton tartan bow tied on front’. Apparently every second house on the road has a red tractor so the tartan bow would be enough to guide my way! I would have loved to hear what sort of stories passed through the community that day with folks talking about Donald dressing up his tractor in it’s Sunday best! I’ve known the Whitty family for as long as I’ve been piping. Robyn was a great role model for girls coming through the piping ranks and she always had a warm smile and an encouraging way about her. Her daughter Erin is an accomplished highland/step dancer and tenor drummer with The 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) Pipe Band. Donald, is the all-around good guy and he makes a mean pie to boot! I wasn’t allowed to head back on the road until I had a cup of tea and a big slice of fresh pie. When I was telling them about the all-nighter I just had, Robyn said, ‘Oh I can’t even remember the last time we had an all-nighter!’ and Donald, as quick as a whip said, ‘Darling…the closest thing we get to an all-nighter around here is making it through the night without having to use the bathroom!’. In every moment I’ve shared with the Whitty Family there’s been laughter, and our session had plenty.

Kent was a grade ahead of me in school. I think Sara and her sister were the first set of twins I ever saw as a little kid, because I can still remember the day clearly along with the confusion of seeing two of the same person. Kent and Sara got married and now have the sweetest little baby boy named Lawson. When I went to their home in Baddeck for their session, Lawson was just a month old and he was pretty sleepy …it’s hard work doing all of that growing! Alexander Graham Bell’s boathouse is on their property, so they dressed Lawson up in his warm bear suit and we went outside for a few photos. He stayed awake for about five minutes and then passed out again for another nap. It was really great to finally have a session with Kent and his family as it’s been in the works for some while. I’m really looking forward to seeing Lawson grow up through the years…he’s pretty lucky to have such cool folks.

We laughed. Holy smokes we laughed during this session!! I arrived at the Gillis household and had a little visit before we started shooting. The kids were in fine form and every single thing that came out of their mouths was hilarious. The damn cat, the damn Leafs, general bathroom humour, you name it. Brenley had a mere dozen or so outfit changes lined up for herself (complete with a wide array of sequins to match the rural setting), and her mom Dawn joked that she thought perhaps she was part crow. Every 20 minutes or so, she’d disappear into the house and reappear in a new and fully accessorized outfit, much like Beyonce at the Grammy Awards. Madden is a natural comedian and he’s only a toddler…I can’t even imagine the things he’ll say when he realizes he’s funny! You don’t have to search too hard to see where the kids get their comedic ways…their parents are a laugh and a half! At one point the kids started killing themselves laughing, and when I turned around to see what was so funny, Dawn was cartwheeling across the lawn! I might just hire her to cartwheel herself through every session if that’s the reaction it produces!