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.

Two images from my session with The Hicks Family during my last day on the East Coast. We were freezing in Fisherman’s Cove during our first attempt at their session, but our second try a few days later ended up much better! Here’s Angus, and Isla and Dave in a park just around the corner from their house in Dartmouth. Wait to see Kelly in the full post!

One image from my session with Ivonne Hernandez this evening before she heads back out on the road on Sunday.

Mariel and I first started communicating through a middle-musician – Emma Beaton. Mariel and Emma were in town at the end of their tour and after taking photos of Emma a few years ago, Mariel was in need of some promo photos with the upcoming release of her album. She’s a Berklee School of Music student and a very talented fiddler now based out of Boston. She brought out an instrument I’ve never seen in person, the beautiful Hardanger fiddle, and I was entertained by her playing for the rest of the session. When I photograph musicians, I always feel like I get more out of the session than they do as I always ‘encourage more playing for the sake of the photos’. Selfish, I know! It can be pretty inspiring to hear  musicians play during my sessions, and Mariel was no exception. Head over to Mariel’s site and watch her cute video about the Kickstarter project to fund her first solo album, and hear some of her music of course.

No strangers to the Victoria music scene (and after performing together for many years) musicians Ivonne Hernandez and Jeremy Walsh have have finally recorded an album together! They finished in the studio a few days ago and the album has an anticipated release before April!