It is definitely winter, as the days grow shorter and shorter. I was talking with a co-worker this week about how soon it gets dark in the winter. She remarked that she seemed to forget how early the sun would set each year. She also added that the lack of light was probably the basis for the festival of lights to be created. "It must be the reason why there are so many cookies and carbs this season ... to help pass the long nights away!" Hmm, she might a point. Our workplace just had a potluck luncheon. There was lots of great dishes that were ethnically diverse and delicious. Alas, I did not photograph the masterpieces, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

But I digress. There's something about lights that draw us and makes us reflective ... the silent beauty of the Northern lights, a roaring fire at camp, or the lone burning candle in a dimly lit room. It's appropriate to light the advent candle each week and ponder the coming of Christ this season.

Cloudy days and cookies

Thank goodness the weatherman isn't always right. Today, the forecast called showers. This morning, I was supposed to take portraits for the C family at Vanier Park. I brought an umbrella, just in case. It didn't rain a single drop. Maybe it's Murphy's Law. Surprisingly, the weather has been very co-operative whenever I happened to have photo shoots outdoors - especially since this is the rainy season of Vancouver.

It was quite the challenge to get the attention of their little girl A, or any two year old child. A thought there were way more interesting things happening, like the people and dogs walking by, airplanes and birds flying overhead. Thankfully, with a some coaxing from her parents, a yo-yo toy, a new found toy (a seashell), sprinkled in with a few breaks and a few Arrowroot cookies, we made it through the shoot.

New Blog Focus

After a season of taking a break from photography, I dove into photography classes - all sorts, including black and white film and children, to name a couple. Now, I'm taking a break from the classes and am applying what I've learned. I have taken photos for family and family on occasion in the past. No, I'm not quitting my day job. I'm just exploring the world of portrait photography (and some candid) for friends and family. So, this blog will now feature some of my photography.

One of my earlier projects included a maternity shoot. Ironically, when I took the children's portraiture class, I missed the studio shoot for maternity photos. That didn't stop me from trying my hand at this genre. My friend J wanted some maternity pics, so here is one of the photographs. It was a beautiful fall day in late October. I snapped these photos just a week shy of their new baby being born. Talk about good timing. If you like, you can see more of my photos on my flickr page (on the left hand side of this blog).