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!

This is the fifth year in a row I’ve been doing sessions with Kelly, Mike and the kids. I’ve seen their family expand and their kids grow up, and a trip to the East Coast wouldn’t be the same without a session with the ‘MacShep’ family. Kelly has been a great promoter of my work since day one and I’m always grateful to her for sharing my name and images, and making sure I have a busy schedule during my Cape Breton visits! Drea is one of the best behaved and sweetest little kids I’ve ever met, and it’s always a treat to take her photo. She also has a giggle like a machine-gun, which makes you laugh along once she starts! Jera is the squishiest little boy with a grin as big as his entire face, and he’s forever on the move…just like his mom. Mike and Kelly ‘get’ me, and always choose the best locations for their family sessions. This year we went to the Louisbourg Train Station, and it was the only year we had a session where it wasn’t freezing! We all bundled up in sweaters assuming we’d be frozen as usual, and it was like summer outside. Go figure.

I had a session with new baby Mallory and her mom Stephanie at their home in Bedford, NS.

Had a session full of laughs with The Worry Birds in Halifax, NS. More to come.