Centennial Beach Family Photos | Maternity Pictures | Community Photography South Delta

Mom and Dad Alison and Nathan have had lots of adventures together. They met in Milan Italy and he proposed on a beach in Sir Lanka. They lived in Singapore before coming back to BC to start a family (what a life!). And now they are onto their next adventure of welcoming baby #2 into their lives this coming May.

I had met the family before at a Centennial Beach wedding I photographed last summer. The wedding couple were the sweetest, down to earth couple, so you could only imagine they had the sweetest guests! That’s how I connected with Mom Alison.

We met at Centennial Beach for their family photos/maternity photo shoot. It was a beautiful, clear evening, but right before the shoot started a super cold ocean breeze picked up! We headed down to the beach and sweet little Isla lasted a total of 5 minutes before she was cuddled up in her parents arms. It made for the sweetest connection in the photos. She had her head barried in her parents arms, and every so often would pop her beautiful little face up for a picture. We didn’t last on the beach until sunset because it was so cold. We moved to the back field for some shelter (which we didn’t really get) however it made for a beautiful spot to take photos for sunset :)

To the Camrie family: I had a blast taking photos with you! Regardless of the wind and cold, Alison, Nathan and Isla, your smiles outshone everything! I’m so looking forward to meeting baby sister this May. She is one lucky gal to be welcomed into a sweet loving home :)


Welcome Baby Levi | Calgary Newborn Photos | Community Photography South Delta

I’ve known Janelle and Steve as a couple for a long time. 8 years to be exact. They both love hiking, the outdoors, travelling, music, they both LOVE life and making the most of every day.

They moved to Calgary about a year ago. The last time I had seen them was over the Christmas holidays when they came to Tsawwassen so we could take their Centennial Beach maternity photos. When I gave them a hug goodbye at the end of the weekend, I knew the next time I would see them, they would be parents.

Baby Levi was born in January. I booked my flight for the end of February to Calgary so I could meet her and take her newborn photos. When I arrived in Calgary it was -17’C (that was a high, it went down to -25’C at night). Janelle pulled up at the airport with baby Levi in the back seat. I got in the car (I rode in the back, with Levi, of course) and saw this little human I had only met over Facetime. She was a perfect mix of both her parents.

I spent the weekend with Janelle, Steve and Levi. Its the coolest thing to see friends, who I’ve known for years, take on their next adventure of being parents. The new love for this little human was extreme. If you couldn’t tell they loved the child by the way they interacted with her, you would know it by Janelle telling Levi she loved her a few times in one hour. I’ll also have to give poppa props to Steve. This guy is breaking the barriers of a hands on dad. Bottle feeding, changing diapers, rocking her, he even took her for a couple hours while us went for a local dinner.

Janelle and Steve, thanks for letting me take these photos of Levi. I loved capturing this time in your lives. She is a doll and I can’t wait for our kids to grow up together. Hopefully they’ll be a little less wild than we were but I hope they live life as full as we did/do! Love you guys and can’t wait to see you!

Tsawwassen Family Photo Session | Community Photography South Delta | Family Photographer

Last year, the Berglund family moved to BC. You would have never known this as you could tell they had a deep love for the beach, nature and the mountains. The perfect mix of a west coast family.

When I met the Berglund family at Centennial Beach, they were all very easy to talk to, good energy and very lovely to spend time with. We took some beautiful photos on a lovely evening. Everywhere we went that evening, the sun seemed to be following, making for beautiful backlighting. You could tell nine year old Kiera loved spending this quality time with her parents at the beach.

My favourite part of a family photo session, is when I give kids time to be themselves and show me a little of who they are. Kiera, totally just shone during this moment. As the sunset in Boundary Bay, she was doing cartwheels under a pastel sky with the mountains and city scape in the background.

To the Berlund family, thanks for spending the evening with me at Centennial Beach. Evenings like this, really make me love my job! Your family is a pleasure to spend time with, I hope you guys are loving BC and everything it has to offer :)

Diefenbaker Park Family Photos | Tsawwassen Family Photographer | Community Photography South Delta

From the moment I met the Malinek family in 2017 for a family photo session, I knew they were a special family. They are all kind and sweet and you can tell they all enjoy each other immensely. Fast forward a year and I was lucky enough to take their photos again.

When I arrived at Diefenbaker for their photo shoot, the first thing I noticed was Mom Ashili’s stunning red dress. I knew, at some point in the photoshoot, she would need to be twirling.

On every family photoshoot, I bring a white blanket for the families to cuddle on. I came to own the blanket after I noticed it at my moms house. The blanket is a unique white quilt and a perfect rectangle for families to sit on. The patch work is well made, it has served me well for the past couple years. My mom, who is an avid thrift store shopper, came across it a few years back at the Delta Hospice in Tsawwassen.

I pulled the white blanket out for the Malinek family to sit on during their family photoshoot. Ashli took one look at the blanket and noticed SHE was the one who made it! Ten years ago, she hand made that exact blanket, her initials were even hand sewn in the corner. Such a small world! She had given it to thrift years back. And here she was, with her family sitting on it.

To the Malinek family, thank you for spending the evening with me at Diefenbaker. You guys are always a pleasure to take photos for. I love seeing from year to year the way your boys grow into lovely little men. Ashli, thank you for making and passing along your beautiful blanket!

Centennial Beach Surprise Proposal | Community Photography South Delta | Engagement Photos

If you LOVE proposal stories, this one is a goodie!

Mike and I go WAY back. Back to grade 4 playing soccer at English Bluff Elementary in Tsawwassen, then onto grade 8 where we would sneak cigarettes in the back ally between our houses. So, when he asked me to photograph the moment he proposed to his girlfriend Jordan, I was thrilled he thought of me for this milestone moment in their lives.

Mike, from the start, had a plan. He knew HOW he wanted his engagement to go and how to make it happen.

He contacted me while the ring was being made. He wanted the big moment to be captured on camera (smart guy!). The challenge? How do you plan a photo session without making your girlfriend suspicious that something’s up? AND if you know Mike, you would agree he isn’t the type who would randomly want photos done. So, what do you do? You contact your photographer friend (that’s me!) and make her put on a fake contest and rig the results! So that‘s what we did :)

When I ran the ‘contest’ on my Facebook page, Jordan (the beautiful bride to be) didn’t even enter! SO we had to default to Mike winning. Challenge number #2 now came. How to make him not seem eager to get the photos done? I had to contact Jordan and play the ‘Mike is being to hard to coordinate with, so Jordan you are now the one in charge’ card.

Side note - I felt guilty about running a contest that was rigged so I actually drew ANOTHER name of a REAL contestant and gifted her with a complimentary photo session :)

Prior to the photoshoot, Mike and I scouted out a perfect location at Centennial Beach. We decided that the code word for him to drop a knee was for me to say ‘the lighting is perfect!’.

The day of the shoot came. I arrived to Centennial Beach with a bottle of Champagne stuffed in my camera bag. *I* was so excited/nervous before the shoot, I can’t imagine how Mike was feeling! He was as cool as a cucumber though…

We took photos for about 15 minutes before we arrived at the location for the proposal. The lighting really WAS perfect so I said my ‘code word’ to let Mike know now was the time. Mike fiddled the ring out of his pocket and dropped a knee. Awwwww! I really wish I could hear what was said but I had my tele-photo lens and was far away. It must have been good because she said YES!

The rest of the shoot was popping bottles in celebration and toasting on the beach. This was a dream session for a photographer to be apart of! Pictures really do say a thousand words, and just look at their faces, they are beaming!

Mike and Jordan, I’m SO happy for you guys. Thanks for letting me capture this moment for you. You guys are the dream team together and I can’t wait for your wedding this summer. See you at volleyball on Tuesday :)

A Very Special Centennial Beach Family Session | Community Photography South Delta | Family Photos

“Tomorrow, they’ll be a little older than they were today. Today is a gift.”

I was first introduced to Sharon through my sister Briar. Briar and Sharon work together in the wedding industry. Sharon, however, for the past year has been on a leave from her job so she could be by her oldest sons side as he battled an aggressive form of brain cancer. 


Cameron, Sharon's seven year old son, in the past year has undergone numerous surgeries, along with chemo and radiation. When Sharon was with Cameron in the hospital, they made a list of things they wanted to do once they were out. For Sharon, family photos were at the top of her list.


I arrived to Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen 20 minutes before the session began and it was raining. It had actually been raining the past 2 weeks. The session was date sensitive as a key family member was only in town for a couple days. There was no rescheduling for weather. I pulled my umbrellas from my car, however, minutes before we began shooting the rain stopped.


The dynamic between the family was loving, kind and fun. Mom Sharon has an infectious smile and they all laughed super easily. Both boys, took to the water. Mid winter in Vancouver and they were jumping over the waves in their boots. The light broke through the clouds as we were finishing our session. It was a perfect afternoon.

To the Bulger family, your courage and love can be seen from miles away. Allowing me to capture your family photos has been a privilege. Thank you for allowing me to capture this special moment for you :)

If you would like to donate to help improve the lives of children living with childhood cancer, please visit:

Ronald McDonald House

BC Children’s Hospital oncology

Centennial Beach Maternity Session | Tsawwassen | Community Photography

The story of how WE met

Janelle (the beautiful mamma to be in these photos) and I go WAY back. Back to grade one at Beach Grove Elementary, here in Tsawwassen. She’d moved from Toronto and we became fast friends. She was bright, had a big imagination and was FUN. After one of our first play date, my Dad came to pick me up. He noticed a family photo sitting on the counter. He asked her Mom “Hey! How do you know Don?!”. My dad (who also is also from Ontario) had recognized one of his high school friends, which turned out to be Janelle’s Uncle.

This realization blew both of our 6 year old minds. We decided, since MY dad and HER uncle used to be friends, WE must be related.

The funny thing about this story? 25 years later, we still tell SO many people THIS story. Even if they want to hear it or not..

ABOUT THE MATERNITY SHOOT

Holy smokes I don’t think I have EVER been so cold taking photos. I was bundled to the max (scarf, boots, multiple layers) and I was FREEZING! SO you can imaging how cold Janelle must have been! In a dress, in December strutting her beautiful pregnant belly up and down Centennial Beach. She made the photos not look like winter, but a beautiful spring day! We had an absolute blast, as we always do :) If you scroll to the very end of the gallery you can see some behind the scene pics!

Janelle and Steve, the way you have chosen to live your lives with joy, music, adventure and love is such an inspiration to those around you. I can’t wait to come to Calgary and meet your little bundle of joy!


Centennial Beach Family Photo Session | Tsawwassen | Community Photography

It was a perfect winter day for a Centennial Beach photo session. It was cool, but not cold. No wind. A perfect sunset. I connected with Mom Katie through Instagram and was so happy how excited she was for her photo session. I always ask families to fill out questionnaires before the photo session so I can get to know them a little better. Katie, a couple times mentioned how her two boys were her world. By the end of the session, I could see they were her world and she was theirs.

The boys were busy. Which I LOVE. The energy was positive and fun which makes for the best candid photos. Right off the bat to our Centennial Beach photo session both of the boys had sticks in hand that would be with us for the rest of the shoot. Mom Katie, was relaxed and enjoyed the moment. We played, laughed and went with the flow of two boys. What I loved seeing the most was the boys always resorted back to Mom for a cuddle. Every time one of her boys came to her, she took time to enjoy the snuggle, never rushing a moment.

Katie, thank you for letting me capture you and your boys. It was such a pleasure to spend the afternoon with you guys :) Here are a few of my many favourites!

WELCOME BABY MARLOWE | AT HOME NEWBORN PHOTOS | TSAWWASSEN | COMMUNITYPHOTOGRAPHY SOUTH DELTA

The cutest baby with the cutest name! MARLOWE! Love love love! I feel like I got lucky to be able to capture newborn photos for another DREAM baby in Tsawwassen. As a South Delta photographer I love connecting with families as they welcome a new family member home.

BABY ISLA NEWBORN PHOTOS | TSAWWASSEN | COMMUNITY PHOTOGRAPHY SOUTH DELTA

DREAM BABY ALERT!!! It was SUCH a pleasure taking newborn photos for the Sherry’s as they welcomed the newest member of their family baby Isla to their tribe. The family recently moved to South Surrey so as a Tsawwassen photographer it was a nice commute to meet up with this family in their new home.

At home newborn photos are oh so special. I love taking photos of families in their natural environment cuddling, loving and making memories together.

CENTENNIAL BEACH FAMILY PHOTOS | TSAWWASSEN | COMMUNITY PHOTOGRAPHY SOUTH DELTA

As a photographer, I like to think of myself as a natural light specialist. The light from the sun provides the creamiest dreamiest photos. I was super excited when I saw the McMartin family walking towards me in the Centennial Beach parking lot. They showed up for their family photos looking like a million bucks! Oh my goodness a photographers dream family! Taking photos in Boundary Bay at any Tsawwassen beach is my favourite. The reflection from the sand on skin tones is the best. We were super lucky to have the loveliest weather in Tsawwassen for their family photos.

WILSON CENTENNIAL BEACH FAMILY PHOTOS | TSAWWASSEN PHOTOGRAPHER | COMMUNITY PHOTOGRAPHY SOUTH DELTA

Summer has seems like a distant memory here in Tsawwassen now that the rain has moved in. It was only a couple weeks ago I was watching the sunset at Centennial Beach with the Wilson family taking their photos. As a South Delta photographer I love the summer for family portraits but I am excited to be moving into the fall for some fall foliage.

It was a blast taking photos with the Wilson family in Boundary Bay. It was a perfect summer evening and the sunset was cotton candy skies. It was an easy breezy photo session. So much family love. The poses came as natural as all the laughs we had.

LADNER HARBOUR PARK FAMILY PHOTOS | COMMUNITY PHOTOGRAPHY | SOUTH DELTA

Ladner Harbour Park in South Delta has always been my go to fall photos. When the inquiring family asked for suggestions for a 'woods' look in South Delta, Ladner Harbour Park immediately popped to mind. The light coming through the trees was oh so dreamy it is now one of my favourite summer locations to take photos in Delta!

The family gifted their Grandma a photo session of her 5 granddaughters for Christmas. 5 girls ages 7-16, a photographers dream! The cousin connection these girls had made for a breezy, easy and loving session. Melt. My. Heart.

WELCOME BABY MICHAEL | NEWBORN PHOTOS | SOUTH DELTA PHOTOGRAPHER

As a South Delta photographer I LOVE taking photos of newborns. What I love even more is when an expectant mom books her maternity session with me and a newborn session. When I take maternity photos in Tsawwassen it allows me to connect with the mom so when the newborn shoot rolls around you already have a common ground. It is SO cool to see the transition from pregnancy to motherhood, and in Olena's case a second time Momma.

The nursery of this photoshoot was my DREAM nursery to take photos in. Minimalistic, pure, white with beautiful pops of color. Big bro George did splendid and we tired  him right out, he fell asleep mid shoot :) That is what I love about at home newborn photos, you go with the flow :)

WELCOME BABY CHARLIE | AT HOME NEWBORN SESSION | COMMUNITY PHOTOGRAPHY TSAWWASSEN

I am the luckiest photographer around that I can spend my days with sweet Moms and adorable babies. Photographing babies is so special. My sweet baby girl is already 4 months old and when I photograph a 2 week old baby it really makes me realize how fast they grow. 

 

CENTENNIAL BEACH FAMILY PHOTOS | TSAWWASSEN PHOTOGRAPHER

Another beautiful night in sunny Tsawwassen for a family portrait session! I feel like I say it all the time, but I LOVE living here! Centennial Beach never disappoints for dreamy sunsets and crystal water - perfect for family photos. It is also a photographer bonus when the family shows up and the family is super adorable! 

CENTENNIAL BEACH MATERNITY PHOTOS | TSAWWASSEN | TSAWWASSEN PHOTOGRAPHER

I am so thankful to live in Tsawwassen and be able to have so many fabulous locations to take photos. My hands down favourite is Centennial Beach. It is the perfect backdrop for family photos. Centennial has a balance between flora and the beach. The sand is the perfect reflector to make dreamy, creamy skin tones. 

This beautiful South Delta Family are expecting not one but TWO babies. Momma Nicole looked absolutely stunning in her Aritizia dress. Sweetheart Brielle enjoyed the beach and snuggles from Mom and Dad. She is taking it all in as the only child before she is promoted to big sister.

KOCH FAMILY PHOTO SESSION | BOUNDARY BAY | SOUTH DELTA PHOTOGRAPHER

I met this family in the dyke parking lot between Beach Grove and Boundary Bay in sunny Tsawwassen. This parking lot is full of bikers, joggers and birdwatchers. I immediately identified the family as they all looked way to good to be going for a casual dyke stroll :)

We took a walk down the Boundary Bay dyke to fields close by for their family pictures. We enjoyed the next hour playing, laughing and having the kids cuddle up on Mom and Dad. The family dynamic was sweet and relaxed. We had local bunnies hopping around to keep the kids entertained!

To the Koch family, thank you for allowing me to take your family photos! I had such a great time and I hope we can do it again soon!

K + D WHYTECLIFF PARK MATERNITY PHOTOS | WEST VANCOUVER | COMMUNITY PHOTOGRAPHY SOUTH DELTA

I generally stick close to sunny Tsawwassen for my photoshoots. However, I'm always up for an adventure to take photos at a new location around the Lowermainland! I was really excited when Kim and Dimitri asked me to take their maternity photos at Whytcliff Park in West Vancouver. A quick google search proved this location to be a stunner and when I arrived it did not disappoint! 

A + E CENTENNIAL BEACH PHOTOS | SOUTH DELTA | TSAWWASSEN FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER

It was a cold, rainy and windy evening in Tsawwassen on the day of this photoshoot. Being a photographer in Vancouver you come to embrace these conditions and make the best of them! You would never guess little Emily was cold, as long as she was cuddling and playing with her mom she was as happy as can be..

This is my go to location to take photos at Centennial Beach in South Delta. The beautiful Momma was rocking an Aritzia romper that seemed like it was made for her - just check out the back of it in the photos below! We had such a blast shooting (saying that I was the only one who had shoes on!), until we got rained out by torrential downpour and it was all worth it for these photos :)