Learn to See Yourself with Compassion

September 1, 2012

New Dreamy Photos E-Book!

I have something new to share with you.

I made you an E-book!

I was thinking recently about whimsy and dreaminess in photos and how I seek to create that. Then it just poured out into an ebook. So I wanted to provide it at a really affordable price for you and you can get it over here!

Those are two of the things I most seek to share in my photos, is whimsy and dreaminess. It may sound floaty and all happy, but if I haven’t told you my story before, maybe now is the time:

I take photos packed full of dreaminess, whimsy and playfulness because they were my lifeline back from a depression.

They led me, not to just a ‘happy place’ but to a practice of slowing down and noticing the beauty of the world around me each and every day. It might be a ray of light or a flower, but turning my camera on them healed me in a way I never expected and will engage in for the rest of my life.

So, I made this ebook to share some of my favourite tips and tricks for adding a touch of dreaminess, whimsy, wonder and magic to your photos

This is absolutely for those of you who are brand new to photography or just beginning your journey.

Its also for those of you who need some outside of the box inspiration for taking your photos!

Its available now (and only $5…I just want to spread the word and the love of taking dreamy photos).

You can find it over here!

August 30, 2012

Chickadee Road

This past June, I was honoured to go to the Your Story Retreat, hosted by the Be Present Retreats.

I have lots to share from that event, but I wanted to begin by sharing some of my favourite photos from the weekend, that being a portrait session I did with Liz Lamoreux and Kelly Barton.

Liz and Kelly have a beautiful new collaboration going on called Chickadee Road. You’ve likely seen their thoughtful blog post or their very cool tattoos in photos of folks you know.

Kelly and Liz have added a beautiful new offering to the land of Chickadee Road called the Studio Sessions. Head on over here to check it out and give them some love!

I think these photos also mean a bit more than the usual portrait session to me as over these past few years of creative online adventuring these lovelies and I have become good friends.

The photo session was so full of giggles. Packed full of friend love, of kindred connection and of collaboration. These two really mesh in the way they collaborate and we can expect some really beautiful things now and ahead for Chickadee Road and for the Be Present Retreats (which Kelly helps Liz run).

There is also a Be Present Retreat coming up this fall, called Unearth with both Kelly and Liz teaching, alongside the wonderful Mindy Lacefield. I’ve been to 6 (yes 6) Be Present Retreats and they truly are something special. Liz draws together folks from all walks of life into a really incredible weekend of connection. I don’t want to spill at the details as I want you to experience it for yourself, but let me tell you…its magical. You find yourself surrounded by strangers one minute and friends the next. The introvert in me gets super overwhelmed at really big retreats and have found myself feeling so at home at Liz’s retreats.

So, without further ado, I present to you the gorgeous, stunning and vibrant lovelies of Chickadee Road!

August 29, 2012

Late Summer Garden Wanderings

I know we’re on the verge of the shift of season.

The forecast forewarned me of it was about to happen so I grabbed my camera for an evening stroll through the community garden this weekend, knowing those blue skies were about to get a bit less frequent.

I’m ready for it, not the clouds, but the coziness. The nesting.

It honestly has felt more like I had a ‘real summer’ than I’ve had in years. There was lots of work to be done this summer, but also room for lots of play. A week at the cottage with the family, a getaway with friends to explore Ucluelet and Tofino, that amazing weekend in Whistler and lots of time spent with friends simply sitting in the sun and connecting.

This past session of E-Courses is coming to a close too. I had so much fun seeing the images of the Chakra Photo Adventurers these last 7 weeks and oh my…this past session of Montage really blew me away (more on that soon).

There is lots more coming this fall:

You are Your Own Muse starts September 10th and we have such a lovely collection of folks gathering for it (and you get the Wading In PDF when you sign up, as a way to get inspired before class starts).

Light Hunters begins September 1st (maybe this is your month to fall in love with light).

Montage runs again this November!

As always, if you are wondering if a certain course is a good fit for you, please don’t hesitate to email me!

August 27, 2012

Weekend Goodness

August 24, 2012

Whistler Self-Portrait Goodness

Still more to share about Whistler (can you tell I loved this workshop)!

We spent much of the weekend with our cameras playfully turned on ourselves, be it our hands, our feet, our faces, our shadows or our whole selves. I adored how the participants just went for it. Because we were a small group, I had lots of opportunity to chat with each person and answer any questions that arose, which really was so lovely.

I especially loved our forest classroom, which provided some much needed shade in the hot hot heat, and was right off of a big park. It was full of fallen logs (likely that the mountain bikers rode and jumped off of) but on this day the forest was just ours. These fallen logs made for great spots to perch our cameras and try a whole bunch of different styles of shooting (eye level, from the ground, or even hanging our camera from a tree).

So I thought I’d share some of my favourite shots I ended up taking. It was fun looking at the images as a whole as so many of them were of me demoing and talking as I’d take a selfie. I also definitely took some moments to take self-portaits that really felt like they were capturing the weekend for me.

Here are a few of the self-portraits that came out of this adventure. I love the way when we take self-portraits of a trip they can transport us right back there and these definitely will do just that for me.